Sample records for lacticin rm analysis
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Keren, Tomer; Yarmus, Merav; Halevy, Galia; Shapira, Roni
2004-01-01
Immunoassays with specific antibodies offer higher sensitivity than do bioassays with indicator strains in the detection and quantification of several bacteriocins. Here we present the purification of lacticin RM and the production of specific polyclonal antibodies to a synthetic peptide resembling an internal fragment of the mature bacteriocin. The specificity and sensitivity of the generated polyclonal antibodies were evaluated in various immunoassays. The detection limits of lacticin RM were found to be 1.9, 0.16, and 0.18 μg ml−1 for Western blot, immuno-dot blot, and noncompetitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively. Immunoassay sensitivities were 12.5-fold higher than that of the agar diffusion test (ADT). The production of lacticin RM showed temperature dependency, with 3, 4.2, 12.7, 28.9, 37.8, and 12 μg ml−1 at 37, 30, 20, 15, 10, and 4°C, respectively. Temperature-stability analysis demonstrated that lacticin RM is sensitive to mild temperature, but the loss of activity does not seem to result from protein degradation. Tween 80 increased the concentration of lacticin RM eightfold and probably affected the results of the ADT either by enhancing the activity of lacticin RM or by increasing the sensitivity of the indicator strain. The use of antibodies for the specific detection and quantification of lacticin RM can expand our knowledge of its production and stability, with important implications for further investigation and future application. PMID:15066801
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Fujita, Koji; Ichimasa, Shiro; Zendo, Takeshi; Koga, Shoko; Yoneyama, Fuminori; Nakayama, Jiro; Sonomoto, Kenji
2007-05-01
Lactococcus lactis QU 5 isolated from corn produces a novel bacteriocin, termed lacticin Q. By acetone precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, lacticin Q was purified from the culture supernatant of this organism, and its molecular mass was determined to be 5,926.50 Da by mass spectrometry. Subsequent analyses of amino acid and DNA sequences revealed that lacticin Q comprised 53 amino acid residues and that its N-terminal methionine residue was formylated. In contrast to most bacteriocins produced by gram-positive bacteria, lacticin Q had no N-terminal extensions such as leader or signal sequences. It showed 66% and 48% identity to AucA, a hypothetical protein from Corynebacterium jeikeium plasmid pA501, and aureocin A53, a bacteriocin from Staphylococcus aureus A53, respectively. The characteristics of lacticin Q were determined and compared to those of nisin A. Similar to nisin A, lacticin Q exhibited antibacterial activity against various gram-positive bacteria. Lacticin Q was very stable against heat treatment and changes in pH; in particular, it was stable at alkaline pH values, while nisin A was inactivated. Moreover, lacticin Q induced ATP efflux from a Listeria sp. strain in a shorter time and at a lower concentration than nisin A, indicating that the former affected indicator cells in a different manner from that of the latter. The results described here clarified the fact that lacticin Q belongs to a new family of class II bacteriocins and that it can be employed as an alternative to or in combination with nisin A.
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O'Sullivan, Lisa; Ryan, Maire P; Ross, R Paul; Hill, Colin
2003-06-01
Transconjugant lactococcal starters which produce both lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and lacticin 481 were generated via conjugation of large bacteriocin-encoding plasmids. A representative of one of the resultant strains proved more effective at killing Lactobacillus fermentum and inhibiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes LO28H than either of the single bacteriocin-producing parental strains, demonstrating the potential of these transconjugants as protection cultures for food safety applications.
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Ma, Qingshan; Yu, Zhanqiao; Han, Bing; Wang, Qing; Zhang, Rijun
2012-04-01
Lacticin Q is a broad-spectrum class II bacteriocin with potential as an alternative to conventional antibiotics. The objective of this study was to produce recombinant lacticin Q using a small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) fusion protein expression system. The 168-bp lacticin Q gene was cloned into the expression vector pET SUMO and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The soluble fusion protein was recovered with a Ni-NTA Sepharose column (95% purity); 130 mg protein was obtained per liter of fermentation culture. The SUMO tag was then proteolytically cleaved from the protein, which was re-applied to the column. Finally, about 32 mg lacticin Q (≥96% purity) was obtained. The recombinant protein exhibited antimicrobial properties similar to that of the native protein, demonstrating that lacticin Q had been successfully expressed by the SUMO fusion system.
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O'Sullivan, Lisa; Ryan, Maire P.; Ross, R. Paul; Hill, Colin
2003-01-01
Transconjugant lactococcal starters which produce both lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and lacticin 481 were generated via conjugation of large bacteriocin-encoding plasmids. A representative of one of the resultant strains proved more effective at killing Lactobacillus fermentum and inhibiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes LO28H than either of the single bacteriocin-producing parental strains, demonstrating the potential of these transconjugants as protection cultures for food safety applications. PMID:12788782
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Mills, S; Coffey, A; O'Sullivan, L; Stokes, D; Hill, C; Fitzgerald, G F; Ross, R P
2002-01-01
Use of lacticin 481 to facilitate the conjugal transfer of the bacteriophage resistance plasmid pCBG104 to various starter cultures. A raw milk isolate of Lactococcus was found to harbour determinants for lacticin 481 production and immunity and phage resistance on a plasmid designated pCBG104. The lacticin 481 was successfully used to mobilize the phage resistance determinant to a variety of cheese starters enabling the formation of highly phage resistant starters. In addition, it facilitated the stacking of a number of phage resistance genes, namely a type I restriction modification system, a phage abortive infection system and a phage adsorption blocking system in a single Lactococcus strain without the use of recombinant techniques. The transconjugants were all shown to produce lacticin 481 and to contain the entire 481 operon. Subsequently one transconjugant was selected and successfully used for large-scale cheddar cheese manufacture. Lacticin 481 could be used as a food-grade selectable marker to facilitate the introduction of advantageous traits to starter cultures for industrial food fermentations. Food-grade selectable markers greatly facilitate the introduction of various advantageous traits to starter cultures for industrial food fermentation. Indeed self-cloning which is becoming increasingly important for strain improvement has a requirement for the identification and demonstration of the utility of tools such as lacticin 481.
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Ryan, M P; Rea, M C; Hill, C; Ross, R P
1996-01-01
Lactococcus lactis DPC3147, a strain isolated from an Irish kefir grain, produces a bacteriocin with a broad spectrum of inhibition. The bacteriocin produced is heat stable, particularly at a low pH, and inhibits nisin-producing (Nip+) lactococci. On the basis of the observation that the nisin structural gene (nisA) does not hybridize to DPC3147 genomic DNA, the bacteriocin produced was considered novel and designated lacticin 3147. The genetic determinants which encode lacticin 3147 are contained on a 63-kb plasmid, which was conjugally mobilized to a commercial cheese starter, L. lactis subsp. cremoris DPC4268. The resultant transconjugant, DPC4275, both produces and is immune to lacticin 3147. The ability of lacticin 3147-producing lactococci to perform as cheddar cheese starters was subsequently investigated in cheesemaking trials. Bacteriocin-producing starters (which included the transconjugant strain DPC4275) produced acid at rates similar to those of commercial strains. The level of lacticin 3147 produced in cheese remained constant over 6 months of ripening and correlated with a significant reduction in the levels of nonstarter lactic acid bacteria. Such results suggest that these starters provide a means of controlling developing microflora in ripened fermented products. PMID:8593062
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Lasta, Samar; Ouzari, Hadda; Andreotti, Nicolas; Fajloun, Ziad; Mansuelle, Pascal; Boudabous, Abdellatif; Sampieri, Francois; Sabatier, Jean Marc
2012-08-01
A new bacteriocin, lacticin LC14, produced by Lactococcus lactis BMG6.14, was isolated and characterized. It was purified to homogeneity from overnight broth culture by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sep-Pak chromatography, and two steps of reversed-phase HPLC. Lacticin LC14 showed bactericidal-type antimicrobial activity against several lactic acid bacteria and pathogenic strains including Listeria monocytogenes. It was inactivated by proteinase K and pronase E, but was resistant to papain, lysozyme, lipase and catalase. Lacticin LC14 was heat resistant, stable over a wide range of pH (2-10) and after treatment by solvents and detergents. Its N-terminal end was found unreactive towards Edman sequencing. Based on MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, its molecular mass was 3333.7 Da. LC14 amino acid composition revealed a high proportion of hydrophobic residues, but no modified ones. LC14 may be able to challenge other well known other bacteriocins in probiotic and therapeutic applications.
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Lactococcus lactis LMG2081 Produces Two Bacteriocins, a Nonlantibiotic and a Novel Lantibiotic
Mirkovic, Nemanja; Polovic, Natalija; Vukotic, Goran; Jovcic, Branko; Miljkovic, Marija; Radulovic, Zorica; Diep, Dzung B.
2016-01-01
Bacteriocin producers normally possess dedicated immunity systems to protect themselves from their own bacteriocins. Lactococcus lactis strains LMG2081 and BGBM50 are known as lactococcin G producers. However, BGBM50 was sensitive to LMG2081, which indicated that LMG2081 might produce additional bacteriocins that are not present in BGBM50. Therefore, whole-genome sequencing of the two strains was performed, and a lantibiotic operon (called lctLMG) was identified in LMG2081 but not in BGBM50. The lctLMG operon contains six open reading frames; the first three genes, lmgA, lmgM, and lmgT, are involved in the biosynthesis and export of bacteriocin, while the other three genes, lmgF, lmgE, and lmgG, are involved in lantibiotic immunity. Mutational analysis confirmed that the lctLMG operon is responsible for the additional antimicrobial activity. Specifically, site-directed mutation within this operon rendered LMG2081 inactive toward BGBM50. Subsequent purification and electrospray ionization–time of flight mass spectrometric analysis confirmed that the lantibiotic bacteriocin called lacticin LMG is exported as a 25-amino-acid peptide. Lacticin LMG is highly similar to the lacticin 481 group. It is interesting that a bacteriocin producer produces two different classes of bacteriocins, whose operons are located in the chromosome and a plasmid. PMID:26896142
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Mills, S.; Griffin, C.; O'Connor, P. M.; Serrano, L. M.; Meijer, W. C.; Hill, C.
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT Functional starter cultures demonstrating superior technological and food safety properties are advantageous to the food fermentation industry. We evaluated the efficacies of single- and double-bacteriocin-producing starters of Lactococcus lactis capable of producing the class I bacteriocins nisin A and/or lacticin 3147 in terms of starter performance. Single producers were generated by mobilizing the conjugative bacteriophage resistance plasmid pMRC01, carrying lacticin genetic determinants, or the conjugative transposon Tn5276, carrying nisin genetic determinants, to the commercial starter L. lactis CSK2775. The effect of bacteriocin coproduction was examined by superimposing pMRC01 into the newly constructed nisin transconjugant. Transconjugants were improved with regard to antimicrobial activity and bacteriophage insensitivity compared to the recipient strain, and the double producer was immune to both bacteriocins. Bacteriocin production in the starter was stable, although the recipient strain proved to be a more efficient acidifier than transconjugant derivatives. Overall, combinations of class I bacteriocins (the double producer or a combination of single producers) proved to be as effective as individual bacteriocins for controlling Listeria innocua growth in laboratory-scale cheeses. However, using the double producer in combination with the class II bacteriocin producer Lactobacillus plantarum or using the lacticin producer with the class II producer proved to be most effective for reducing bacterial load. As emergence of bacteriocin tolerance was reduced 10-fold in the presence of nisin and lacticin, we suggest that the double producer in conjunction with the class II producer could serve as a protective culture providing a food-grade, multihurdle approach to control pathogenic growth in a variety of industrial applications. IMPORTANCE We generated a suite of single- and double-bacteriocin-producing starter cultures capable of generating the class I bacteriocin lacticin 3147 or nisin or both bacteriocins simultaneously via conjugation. The transconjugants exhibited improved bacteriophage resistance and antimicrobial activity. The single producers proved to be as effective as the double-bacteriocin producer at reducing Listeria numbers in laboratory-scale cheese. However, combining the double producer or the lacticin-producing starter with a class II bacteriocin producer, Lactobacillus plantarum LMG P-26358, proved to be most effective at reducing Listeria numbers and was significantly better than a combination of the three bacteriocin-producing strains, as the double producer is not inhibited by either of the class I bacteriocins. Since the simultaneous use of lacticin and nisin should reduce the emergence of bacteriocin-tolerant derivatives, this study suggests that a protective starter system produced by bacteriocin stacking is a worthwhile multihurdle approach for food safety applications. PMID:28476774
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Lactococcus lactis LMG2081 Produces Two Bacteriocins, a Nonlantibiotic and a Novel Lantibiotic.
Mirkovic, Nemanja; Polovic, Natalija; Vukotic, Goran; Jovcic, Branko; Miljkovic, Marija; Radulovic, Zorica; Diep, Dzung B; Kojic, Milan
2016-04-01
Bacteriocin producers normally possess dedicated immunity systems to protect themselves from their own bacteriocins.Lactococcus lactis strains LMG2081 and BGBM50 are known as lactococcin G producers. However, BGBM50 was sensitive to LMG2081, which indicated that LMG2081 might produce additional bacteriocins that are not present in BGBM50. Therefore, whole-genome sequencing of the two strains was performed, and a lantibiotic operon (called lctLMG) was identified in LMG2081 but not in BGBM50. The lctLMG operon contains six open reading frames; the first three genes,lmgA ,lmgM, and lmgT, are involved in the biosynthesis and export of bacteriocin, while the other three genes,lmgF,lmgE, and lmgG, are involved in lantibiotic immunity. Mutational analysis confirmed that the lctLMG operon is responsible for the additional antimicrobial activity. Specifically, site-directed mutation within this operon rendered LMG2081 inactive toward BGBM50. Subsequent purification and electrospray ionization-time of flight mass spectrometric analysis confirmed that the lantibiotic bacteriocin called lacticin LMG is exported as a 25-amino-acid peptide. Lacticin LMG is highly similar to the lacticin 481 group. It is interesting that a bacteriocin producer produces two different classes of bacteriocins, whose operons are located in the chromosome and a plasmid. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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Macwana, Sunita; Muriana, Peter M
2012-01-01
A practical system was devised for grouping bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) based on mode of action as determined by changes in inhibitory activity to spontaneously-acquired bacteriocin resistance (Bac(R)). Wild type Listeria monocytogenes 39-2 was sensitive to five bacteriocins produced by 3 genera of LAB: pediocin PA-1 and pediocin Bac3 (Pediococcus), lacticin FS97 and lacticin FS56 (Lactococcus), and curvaticin FS47 (Lactobacillus). A spontaneous Bac(R) derivative of L. monocytogenes 39-2 obtained by selective recovery against lacticin FS56 provided complete resistance to the bacteriocin made by Lactococcus lactis FS56. The lacticin FS56-resistant strain of L. monocyotgenes 39-2 was also cross-resistant to curvaticin FS47 and pediocin PA-1, but not to lacticin FS97 or pediocin Bac3. The same pattern of cross-resistance was also observed with Bac(R) isolates obtained with L. monocytogenes Scott A-2. A spontaneous mutation that renders a strain cross-resistant to different bacteriocins indicates that they share a common mechanism of resistance due to similar modes of action of the bacteriocins. Spontaneous resistance was acquired to other bacteriocins (in aggregate) by following the same procedure against which the Bac(R) strain was still sensitive. In subsequent challenge assays, mixtures of bacteriocins of different modes of action provided greater inhibition than mixtures of bacteriocins of the same mode of action (as determined by our screening method). This study identifies a methodical approach to classify bacteriocins into functional groups based on mechanism of resistance (i.e., mode of action) that could be used for identifying the best mixture of bacteriocins for use as biopreservatives. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Fallico, V; Ross, R P; Fitzgerald, G F; McAuliffe, O
2012-07-01
A collection of 17 natural lactococcal isolates from raw milk cheeses were studied in terms of their plasmid distribution, content, and diversity. All strains in the collection harbored an abundance of plasmids, including Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris DPC3758, whose 8-plasmid complement was selected for sequencing. The complete sequences of pAF22 (22,388 kb), pAF14 (14,419 kb), pAF12 (12,067 kb), pAF07 (7,435 kb), and pAF04 (3,801 kb) were obtained, whereas gene functions of technological interest were mapped to pAF65 (65 kb) and pAF45 (45 kb) by PCR. The plasmids of L. lactis DPC3758 were found to encode many genes with the potential to improve the technological properties of dairy starters. These included 3 anti-phage restriction/modification (R/M) systems (1 of type I and 2 of type II) and genes for immunity/resistance to nisin, lacticin 481, cadmium, and copper. Regions encoding conjugative/mobilization functions were present in 6 of the 8 plasmids, including those containing the R/M systems, thus enabling the food-grade transfer of these mechanisms to industrial strains. Using cadmium selection, the sequential stacking of the R/M plasmids into a plasmid-free host provided the recipient with increased protection against 936- and c2-type phages. The association of food-grade selectable markers and mobilization functions on L. lactis DPC3758 plasmids will facilitate their exploitation to obtain industrial strains with enhanced phage protection and robustness. These natural plasmids also provide another example of the major role of plasmids in contributing to host fitness and preservation within its ecological niche. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Biosynthesis of the Polycyclic Antimicrobial Peptides Lacticin 481, Haloduracin, and Cinnamycin
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cooper, Lisa E.
2009-01-01
Lantibiotics are bacterial-derived polycyclic antimicrobial peptides. They are genetically encoded and ribosomally synthesized as precursor peptides containing a structural region that undergoes post-translational modification and a leader sequence that is not modified. Specific serine and threonine residues in the pre-lantibiotic structural…
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Investigation of the Enzymes Involved in Lantibiotic Biosynthesis: Lacticin 481 and Haloduracin
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ihnken, Leigh Anne Furgerson
2009-01-01
Lantibiotics are cyclic peptides that exhibit a range of biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. They are ribosomally-synthesized as linear precursor peptides that consist of two regions, an N-terminal leader peptide and a C-terminal propeptide (or structural) region. The structural region undergoes extensive enzyme-catalyzed…
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Dobson, Alleson; O'Sullivan, Orla; Cotter, Paul D; Ross, Paul; Hill, Colin
2011-07-01
Lacticin 3147 is a two-peptide broad spectrum lantibiotic produced by Lactococcus lactis DPC3147 shown to inhibit a number of clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens. Initially isolated from an Irish kefir grain, lacticin 3147 is one of the most extensively studied lantibiotics to date. In this study, the bacterial diversity of the Irish kefir grain from which L. lactis DPC3147 was originally isolated was for the first time investigated using a high-throughput parallel sequencing strategy. A total of 17 416 unique V4 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were analysed from both the kefir starter grain and its derivative kefir-fermented milk. Firmicutes (which includes the lactic acid bacteria) was the dominant phylum accounting for > 92% of sequences. Within the Firmicutes, dramatic differences in abundance were observed when the starter grain and kefir milk fermentate were compared. The kefir grain-associated bacterial community was largely composed of the Lactobacillaceae family while Streptococcaceae (primarily Lactococcus spp.) was the dominant family within the kefir milk fermentate. Sequencing data confirmed previous findings that the microbiota of kefir milk and the starter grain are quite different while at the same time, establishing that the microbial diversity of the starter grain is not uniform with a greater level of diversity associated with the interior kefir starter grain compared with the exterior. © 2011 Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark. FEMS Microbiology Letters © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Sandiford, Stephanie
2012-01-01
We describe the discovery, purification, characterization, and expression of an antimicrobial peptide, epidermicin NI01, which is an unmodified bacteriocin produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis strain 224. It is a highly cationic, hydrophobic, plasmid-encoded peptide that exhibits potent antimicrobial activity toward a wide range of pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), enterococci, and biofilm-forming S. epidermidis strains. Purification of the peptide was achieved using a combination of hydrophobic interaction, cation exchange, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis yielded a molecular mass of 6,074 Da, and partial sequence data of the peptide were elucidated using a combination of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and de novo sequencing. The draft genome sequence of the producing strain was obtained using 454 pyrosequencing technology, thus enabling the identification of the structural gene using the de novo peptide sequence data previously obtained. Epidermicin NI01 contains 51 residues with four tryptophan and nine lysine residues, and the sequence showed approximately 50% identity to peptides lacticin Z, lacticin Q, and aureocin A53, all of which belong to a new family of unmodified type II-like bacteriocins. The peptide is active in the nanomolar range against S. epidermidis, MRSA isolates, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Other unique features displayed by epidermicin include a high degree of protease stability and the ability to retain antimicrobial activity over a pH range of 2 to 10, and exposure to the peptide does not result in development of resistance in susceptible isolates. In this study we also show the structural gene alone can be cloned into Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3), and expression yields active peptide. PMID:22155816
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Effects of bacteriocins on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilm.
Okuda, Ken-ichi; Zendo, Takeshi; Sugimoto, Shinya; Iwase, Tadayuki; Tajima, Akiko; Yamada, Satomi; Sonomoto, Kenji; Mizunoe, Yoshimitsu
2013-11-01
Control of biofilms formed by microbial pathogens is an important subject for medical researchers, since the development of biofilms on foreign-body surfaces often causes biofilm-associated infections in patients with indwelling medical devices. The present study examined the effects of different kinds of bacteriocins, which are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by certain bacteria, on biofilms formed by a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The activities and modes of action of three bacteriocins with different structures (nisin A, lacticin Q, and nukacin ISK-1) were evaluated. Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic used in the treatment of MRSA infections, showed bactericidal activity against planktonic cells but not against biofilm cells. Among the tested bacteriocins, nisin A showed the highest bactericidal activity against both planktonic cells and biofilm cells. Lacticin Q also showed bactericidal activity against both planktonic cells and biofilm cells, but its activity against biofilm cells was significantly lower than that of nisin A. Nukacin ISK-1 showed bacteriostatic activity against planktonic cells and did not show bactericidal activity against biofilm cells. Mode-of-action studies indicated that pore formation leading to ATP efflux is important for the bactericidal activity against biofilm cells. Our results suggest that bacteriocins that form stable pores on biofilm cells are highly potent for the treatment of MRSA biofilm infections.
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Effects of Bacteriocins on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm
Zendo, Takeshi; Sugimoto, Shinya; Iwase, Tadayuki; Tajima, Akiko; Yamada, Satomi; Sonomoto, Kenji
2013-01-01
Control of biofilms formed by microbial pathogens is an important subject for medical researchers, since the development of biofilms on foreign-body surfaces often causes biofilm-associated infections in patients with indwelling medical devices. The present study examined the effects of different kinds of bacteriocins, which are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by certain bacteria, on biofilms formed by a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The activities and modes of action of three bacteriocins with different structures (nisin A, lacticin Q, and nukacin ISK-1) were evaluated. Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic used in the treatment of MRSA infections, showed bactericidal activity against planktonic cells but not against biofilm cells. Among the tested bacteriocins, nisin A showed the highest bactericidal activity against both planktonic cells and biofilm cells. Lacticin Q also showed bactericidal activity against both planktonic cells and biofilm cells, but its activity against biofilm cells was significantly lower than that of nisin A. Nukacin ISK-1 showed bacteriostatic activity against planktonic cells and did not show bactericidal activity against biofilm cells. Mode-of-action studies indicated that pore formation leading to ATP efflux is important for the bactericidal activity against biofilm cells. Our results suggest that bacteriocins that form stable pores on biofilm cells are highly potent for the treatment of MRSA biofilm infections. PMID:23979748
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Capucci, Alessandro; De Simone, Antonio; Luzi, Mario; Calvi, Valeria; Stabile, Giuseppe; D'Onofrio, Antonio; Maffei, Simone; Leoni, Loira; Morani, Giovanni; Sangiuolo, Raffaele; Amellone, Claudia; Checchinato, Catia; Ammendola, Ernesto; Buja, Gianfranco
2017-09-01
Heart failure (HF) patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) require admissions for disease management and out-patient visits for disease management and assessment of device performance. These admissions place a significant burden on the National Health Service. Remote monitoring (RM) is an effective alternative to frequent hospital visits. The EFFECT study was a multicentre observational investigation aiming to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of RM compared with in-office visits standard management (SM). The present analysis is an economic evaluation of the results of the EFFECT trial. The present analysis considered the direct consumption of healthcare resources over 12-month follow-up. Standard tariffs were applied to hospitalizations, in-office visits and remote device interrogations. Economic comparisons were also carried out by means of propensity score (PS) analysis to take into account the lack of randomization in the study design. The analysis involved 858 patients with ICD or CRT-D. Of these, 401 (47%) were followed up via an SM approach, while 457 (53%) were assigned to RM. The rate of hospitalizations was 0.27/year in the SM group and 0.16/year in the RM group (risk reduction =0.59; P = 0.0004). In the non-adjusted analysis, the annual cost for each patient was €817 in the SM group and €604 in the RM group (P = 0.014). Propensity score analysis, in which 292 RM patients were matched with 292 SM patients, confirmed the results of the non-adjusted analysis (€872 in the SM group vs. €757 in the RM group; P < 0.0001). There is a reduction in direct healthcare costs of RM for HF patients with ICDs, particularly CRT-D, compared with standard monitoring. http://clinicaltrials.gov/Identifier, NCT01723865. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Using the load-velocity relationship for 1RM prediction.
Jidovtseff, Boris; Harris, Nigel K; Crielaard, Jean-Michel; Cronin, John B
2011-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of the load-velocity relationship to accurately predict a bench press 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Data from 3 different bench press studies (n = 112) that incorporated both 1RM assessment and submaximal load-velocity profiling were analyzed. Individual regression analysis was performed to determine the theoretical load at zero velocity (LD0). Data from each of the 3 studies were analyzed separately and also presented as overall group mean. Thereafter, correlation analysis provided quantification of the relationships between 1RM and LD0. Practically perfect correlations (r = ∼0.95) were observed in our samples, confirming the ability of the load-velocity profile to accurately predict bench press 1RM.
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Analysis and application of a velocity command motor as a reaction mass actuator
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sulla, Jeffrey L.; Juang, Jer-Nan; Horta, Lucas G.
1990-01-01
A commercially available linear stepper motor is applied as a reaction mass (RM) actuator. With the actuator operating in the (RM) relative-velocity command mode, open-loop and closed-loop testing is performed to determine operational limits. With the actuator mounted on a simple beam structure, root strain, RM acceleration, or beam acceleration is used in the feedback loop to augment the structural damping. The RM relative position is also used as feedback to ensure that the RM remains centered.
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Impact of Measurement Uncertainties on Receptor Modeling of Speciated Atmospheric Mercury.
Cheng, I; Zhang, L; Xu, X
2016-02-09
Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and particle-bound mercury (PBM) measurement uncertainties could potentially affect the analysis and modeling of atmospheric mercury. This study investigated the impact of GOM measurement uncertainties on Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Absolute Principal Component Scores (APCS), and Concentration-Weighted Trajectory (CWT) receptor modeling results. The atmospheric mercury data input into these receptor models were modified by combining GOM and PBM into a single reactive mercury (RM) parameter and excluding low GOM measurements to improve the data quality. PCA and APCS results derived from RM or excluding low GOM measurements were similar to those in previous studies, except for a non-unique component and an additional component extracted from the RM dataset. The percent variance explained by the major components from a previous study differed slightly compared to RM and excluding low GOM measurements. CWT results were more sensitive to the input of RM than GOM excluding low measurements. Larger discrepancies were found between RM and GOM source regions than those between RM and PBM. Depending on the season, CWT source regions of RM differed by 40-61% compared to GOM from a previous study. No improvement in correlations between CWT results and anthropogenic mercury emissions were found.
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Impact of Measurement Uncertainties on Receptor Modeling of Speciated Atmospheric Mercury
Cheng, I.; Zhang, L.; Xu, X.
2016-01-01
Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and particle-bound mercury (PBM) measurement uncertainties could potentially affect the analysis and modeling of atmospheric mercury. This study investigated the impact of GOM measurement uncertainties on Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Absolute Principal Component Scores (APCS), and Concentration-Weighted Trajectory (CWT) receptor modeling results. The atmospheric mercury data input into these receptor models were modified by combining GOM and PBM into a single reactive mercury (RM) parameter and excluding low GOM measurements to improve the data quality. PCA and APCS results derived from RM or excluding low GOM measurements were similar to those in previous studies, except for a non-unique component and an additional component extracted from the RM dataset. The percent variance explained by the major components from a previous study differed slightly compared to RM and excluding low GOM measurements. CWT results were more sensitive to the input of RM than GOM excluding low measurements. Larger discrepancies were found between RM and GOM source regions than those between RM and PBM. Depending on the season, CWT source regions of RM differed by 40–61% compared to GOM from a previous study. No improvement in correlations between CWT results and anthropogenic mercury emissions were found. PMID:26857835
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Iglesias, Eliseo; Boullosa, Daniel A; Dopico, Xurxo; Carballeira, Eduardo
2010-06-01
The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of exercise type, set configuration, and relative intensity load on relationship between 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and maximum number of repetitions (MNR). Thirteen male subjects, experienced in resistance training, were tested in bench press and biceps curl for 1RM, MNR at 90% of 1RM with cluster set configuration (rest of 30s between repetitions) and MNR at 70% of 1RM with traditional set configuration (no rest between repetitions). A lineal encoder was used for measuring displacement of load. Analysis of variance analysis revealed a significant effect of load (p<0.01) and a tendency in exercise factor (p=0.096), whereas the interaction effect was not significant. MNR at 70% of 1RM was lower for biceps curl (16.31+/-2.59 vs. 8.77+/-3 in bench press and biceps curl, respectively; p<0.05) and at 90% of 1RM (21.85+/-11.06 vs. 18.54+/-12.84 in bench press and biceps curl, respectively; p>0.05). Correlation between 1RM and MNR was significant for medium-intensity in biceps curl (r=-0.574; p<0.05) and between MNR and 1RM/body mass (r=-0.574; p<0.05). Neither 1RM nor 1RM/body mass correlated with velocity along set, so velocity seems to be similar at a same relative intensity for subjects with differences in maximum strength levels. From our results, we suggest the employment of MNR rather than % of 1RM for training monitoring. Furthermore, we suggest the introduction of cluster set configuration for upper-body assessment of MNR and for upper-body muscular endurance training at high-intensity loads, as it seems an efficient approach in looking for sessions with greater training volumes. This could be an interesting approach for such sports as wrestling or weightlifting.
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Development of 1RM Prediction Equations for Bench Press in Moderately Trained Men.
Macht, Jordan W; Abel, Mark G; Mullineaux, David R; Yates, James W
2016-10-01
Macht, JW, Abel, MG, Mullineaux, DR, and Yates, JW. Development of 1RM prediction equations for bench press in moderately trained men. J Strength Cond Res 30(10): 2901-2906, 2016-There are a variety of established 1 repetition maximum (1RM) prediction equations, however, very few prediction equations use anthropometric characteristics exclusively or in part, to estimate 1RM strength. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an original 1RM prediction equation for bench press using anthropometric and performance characteristics in moderately trained male subjects. Sixty male subjects (21.2 ± 2.4 years) completed a 1RM bench press and were randomly assigned a load to complete as many repetitions as possible. In addition, body composition, upper-body anthropometric characteristics, and handgrip strength were assessed. Regression analysis was used to develop a performance-based 1RM prediction equation: 1RM = 1.20 repetition weight + 2.19 repetitions to fatigue - 0.56 biacromial width (cm) + 9.6 (R = 0.99, standard error of estimate [SEE] = 3.5 kg). Regression analysis to develop a nonperformance-based 1RM prediction equation yielded: 1RM (kg) = 0.997 cross-sectional area (CSA) (cm) + 0.401 chest circumference (cm) - 0.385%fat - 0.185 arm length (cm) + 36.7 (R = 0.81, SEE = 13.0 kg). The performance prediction equations developed in this study had high validity coefficients, minimal mean bias, and small limits of agreement. The anthropometric equations had moderately high validity coefficient but larger limits of agreement. The practical applications of this study indicate that the inclusion of anthropometric characteristics and performance variables produce a valid prediction equation for 1RM strength. In addition, the CSA of the arm uses a simple nonperformance method of estimating the lifter's 1RM. This information may be used to predict the starting load for a lifter performing a 1RM prediction protocol or a 1RM testing protocol.
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Towards a nondestructive chemical characterization of biofilm matrix by Raman microscopy.
Ivleva, Natalia P; Wagner, Michael; Horn, Harald; Niessner, Reinhard; Haisch, Christoph
2009-01-01
In this study, the applicability of Raman microscopy (RM) for nondestructive chemical analysis of biofilm matrix, including microbial constituents and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), has been assessed. The examination of a wide range of reference samples such as biofilm-specific polysaccharides, proteins, microorganisms, and encapsulated bacteria revealed characteristic frequency regions and specific marker bands for different biofilm constituents. Based on received data, the assignment of Raman bands in spectra of multispecies biofilms was performed. The study of different multispecies biofilms showed that RM can correlate various structural appearances within the biofilm to variations in their chemical composition and provide chemical information about a complex biofilm matrix. The results of RM analysis of biofilms are in good agreement with data obtained by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Thus, RM is a promising tool for a label-free chemical characterization of different biofilm constituents. Moreover, the combination of RM with CLSM analysis for the study of biofilms grown under different environmental conditions can provide new insights into the complex structure/function correlations in biofilms.
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Hyperfine structure and isotope shift analysis of singly ionized titanium
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bouazza, Safa
2013-04-01
The even-parity low configuration system of Ti II has been considered on the basis of the experimental data found in the literature, and its fine structure has been reanalyzed by simultaneous parameterization of one- and two-body interactions for the model space (3d + 4s)3. Furthermore, the main one-electron hyperfine structure parameters for these configurations have been evaluated. For instance, for 3d24s1, a_{3{\\rm{d}}}^{01} = - {\\rm{63}}.{\\rm{2}}\\left( {{\\rm{3}}.{\\rm{1}}} \\right)\\,{\\rm{MHz}} and a_{4{\\rm{s}}}^{10} = - {\\rm{984}}.{\\rm{1}}\\left( {{\\rm{7}}.{\\rm{1}}} \\right)\\,{\\rm{MHz}} . Field shifts (FS) and specific mass shifts (SMS) of the main Ti II configurations are deduced by means of ab initio estimates combined with a small quantity of experimental isotope shift data available in the literature: FS(3d3) = -63.3 MHz, FS(3d24p1) = -49.7 MHz, FS(3d14s2) = 98.2 MHz, FS(4s24P1) = 163.4 MHz and SMS(3d3) = 1453.3 MHz, SMS(3d14s2) = -2179.7 MHz, …, referred to 3d24s1 for the pair Ti46-Ti48.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nallaseth, Ferez Soli
The Y-chromosome presents a unique cytogenetic framework for the evolution of nucleotide sequences. Alignment of nine Y-chromosomal fragments in their increasing Y-specific/non Y-specific (male/female) sequence divergence ratios was directly and inversely related to their interspersion on these two respective genomic fractions. Sequence analysis confirmed a direct relationship between divergence ratios and the Alu, LINE-1, Satellite and their derivative oligonucleotide contents. Thus their relocation on the Y-chromosome is followed by sequence divergence rather than the well documented concerted evolution of these non-coding progenitor repeated sequences. Five of the nine Y-chromosomal fragments are non-pseudoautosomal and transcribed into heterogeneous PolyA^+ RNA and thus can be retrotransposed. Evolutionary and computer analysis identified homologous oligonucleotide tracts in several human loci suggesting common and random mechanistic origins. Dysgenic genomes represent the accelerated evolution driving sequence divergence (McClintock, 1984). Sex reversal and sterility characterizing dysgenesis occurs in C57BL/6JY ^{rm Pos} but not in 129/SvY^{rm Pos} derivative strains. High frequency, random, multi-locus deletion products of the feral Y^{ rm Pos}-chromosome are generated in the germlines of F1(C57BL/6J X 129/SvY^{ rm Pos})(male) and C57BL/6JY ^{rm Pos}(male) but not in 129/SvY^{rm Pos}(male). Equal, 10^{-1}, 10^ {-2}, and 0 copies (relative to males) of Y^{rm Pos}-specific deletion products respectively characterize C57BL/6JY ^{rm Pos} (HC), (LC), (T) and (F) females. The testes determining loci of inactive Y^{rm Pos}-chromosomes in C57BL/6JY^{rm Pos} HC females are the preferentially deleted/rearranged Y ^{rm Pos}-sequences. Disruption of regulation of plasma testosterone and hepatic MUP-A mRNA levels, TRD of a 4.7 Kbp EcoR1 fragment suggest disruption of autosomal/X-chromosomal sequences. These data and the highly repeated progenitor (Alu, GATA, LINE-1) sequence content of deletion products confirmed the previously unidentified loss of genetic control of mammalian chromosome biology and hybrid dysgenesis.
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Barik, Saumya Ranjan; Sahoo, Ambika; Mohapatra, Sudipti; Nayak, Deepak Kumar; Mahender, Anumalla; Meher, Jitandriya; Anandan, Annamalai
2016-01-01
Rice exhibits enormous genetic diversity, population structure and molecular marker-traits associated with abiotic stress tolerance to high temperature stress. A set of breeding lines and landraces representing 240 germplasm lines were studied. Based on spikelet fertility percent under high temperature, tolerant genotypes were broadly classified into four classes. Genetic diversity indicated a moderate level of genetic base of the population for the trait studied. Wright’s F statistic estimates showed a deviation of Hardy-Weinberg expectation in the population. The analysis of molecular variance revealed 25 percent variation between population, 61 percent among individuals and 14 percent within individuals in the set. The STRUCTURE analysis categorized the entire population into three sub-populations and suggested that most of the landraces in each sub-population had a common primary ancestor with few admix individuals. The composition of materials in the panel showed the presence of many QTLs representing the entire genome for the expression of tolerance. The strongly associated marker RM547 tagged with spikelet fertility under stress and the markers like RM228, RM205, RM247, RM242, INDEL3 and RM314 indirectly controlling the high temperature stress tolerance were detected through both mixed linear model and general linear model TASSEL analysis. These markers can be deployed as a resource for marker-assisted breeding program of high temperature stress tolerance. PMID:27494320
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Pradhan, Sharat Kumar; Barik, Saumya Ranjan; Sahoo, Ambika; Mohapatra, Sudipti; Nayak, Deepak Kumar; Mahender, Anumalla; Meher, Jitandriya; Anandan, Annamalai; Pandit, Elssa
2016-01-01
Rice exhibits enormous genetic diversity, population structure and molecular marker-traits associated with abiotic stress tolerance to high temperature stress. A set of breeding lines and landraces representing 240 germplasm lines were studied. Based on spikelet fertility percent under high temperature, tolerant genotypes were broadly classified into four classes. Genetic diversity indicated a moderate level of genetic base of the population for the trait studied. Wright's F statistic estimates showed a deviation of Hardy-Weinberg expectation in the population. The analysis of molecular variance revealed 25 percent variation between population, 61 percent among individuals and 14 percent within individuals in the set. The STRUCTURE analysis categorized the entire population into three sub-populations and suggested that most of the landraces in each sub-population had a common primary ancestor with few admix individuals. The composition of materials in the panel showed the presence of many QTLs representing the entire genome for the expression of tolerance. The strongly associated marker RM547 tagged with spikelet fertility under stress and the markers like RM228, RM205, RM247, RM242, INDEL3 and RM314 indirectly controlling the high temperature stress tolerance were detected through both mixed linear model and general linear model TASSEL analysis. These markers can be deployed as a resource for marker-assisted breeding program of high temperature stress tolerance.
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Characterization and application of enterocin RM6, a bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecalis.
Huang, En; Zhang, Liwen; Chung, Yoon-Kyung; Zheng, Zuoxing; Yousef, Ahmed E
2013-01-01
Use of bacteriocins in food preservation has received great attention in recent years. The goal of this study is to characterize enterocin RM6 from Enterococcus faecalis OSY-RM6 and investigate its efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes in cottage cheese. Enterocin RM6 was purified from E. faecalis culture supernatant using ion exchange column, multiple C18-silica cartridges, followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of enterocin RM6 is 7145.0823 as determined by mass spectrometry (MS). Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis revealed that enterocin RM6 is a 70-residue cyclic peptide with a head-to-tail linkage between methionine and tryptophan residues. The peptide sequence of enterocin RM6 was further confirmed by sequencing the structural gene of the peptide. Enterocin RM6 is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including L. monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Enterocin RM6 (final concentration in cottage cheese, 80 AU/mL) caused a 4-log reduction in population of L. monocytogenes inoculated in cottage cheese within 30 min of treatment. Therefore, enterocin RM6 has potential applications as a potent antimicrobial peptide against foodborne pathogens in food.
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Characterization and Application of Enterocin RM6, a Bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecalis
Chung, Yoon-Kyung; Yousef, Ahmed E.
2013-01-01
Use of bacteriocins in food preservation has received great attention in recent years. The goal of this study is to characterize enterocin RM6 from Enterococcus faecalis OSY-RM6 and investigate its efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes in cottage cheese. Enterocin RM6 was purified from E. faecalis culture supernatant using ion exchange column, multiple C18-silica cartridges, followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of enterocin RM6 is 7145.0823 as determined by mass spectrometry (MS). Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis revealed that enterocin RM6 is a 70-residue cyclic peptide with a head-to-tail linkage between methionine and tryptophan residues. The peptide sequence of enterocin RM6 was further confirmed by sequencing the structural gene of the peptide. Enterocin RM6 is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including L. monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Enterocin RM6 (final concentration in cottage cheese, 80 AU/mL) caused a 4-log reduction in population of L. monocytogenes inoculated in cottage cheese within 30 min of treatment. Therefore, enterocin RM6 has potential applications as a potent antimicrobial peptide against foodborne pathogens in food. PMID:23844357
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Bekele, Berhanu D; Naveen, G K; Rakhi, S; Shashidhar, H E
2013-12-01
The objectives of the present study were to evaluate genetic variability parameters, correlations that exist for grain Zn concentration and yield related traits and identification of SSR markers linked to these traits in rice. One hundred seventy six Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) of Azucena X Moromutant were grown at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore in augmented experimental design during wet seasons of 2010 and 2011. The study revealed significant genetic variability for all the traits. Grain yield per plant and grain zinc concentration showed higher phenotypic and genotypic co-efficient of variation. Significant positive correlation was observed for grain yield per plant with number of productive tillers per plant (r = 0.5) and number of tillers per plant (r = 0.4). Grain zinc concentration showed negative correlation with grain yield per plant (r = - 0.27). The path-coefficient analysis indicated the positive direct effect of number of productive tillers per plant on grain yield per plant (0.514). Grain zinc concentration showed negative direct effect on grain yield per plant (-0.186). Single-marker analysis using 26 SSR markers on RILs mapping population showed that RM212, RM263, RM6832, RM152, RM21, RM234 and RM3331 had association with grain zinc concentration and other yield related traits. But validation of these markers on fifty two rice genotypes showed that only three markers RM263, RM152 and RM21 had association with grain zinc concentration. Therefore, the genetic information generated and molecular markers identified from this study could be used for zinc biofortification programmes in rice.
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Kinsler, Janni J; Cunningham, William E; Nureña, César R; Nadjat-Haiem, Carsten; Grinsztejn, Beatriz; Casapia, Martin; Montoya-Herrera, Orlando; Sánchez, Jorge; Galea, Jerome T
2012-08-01
Conjoint Analysis (CJA), a statistical market-based technique that assesses the value consumers place on product characteristics, may be used to predict acceptability of hypothetical products. Rectal Microbicides (RM)-substances that would prevent HIV infection during receptive anal intercourse-will require acceptability data from potential users in multiple settings to inform the development process by providing valuable information on desirable product characteristics and issues surrounding potential barriers to product use. This study applied CJA to explore the acceptability of eight different hypothetical RM among 128 MSM in Lima and Iquitos, Peru; Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Overall RM acceptability was highest in Guayaquil and lowest in Rio. Product effectiveness had the greatest impact on acceptability in all four cities, but the impact of other product characteristics varied by city. This study demonstrates that MSM from the same region but from different cities place different values on RM characteristics that could impact uptake of an actual RM. Understanding specific consumer preferences is crucial during RM product development, clinical trials and eventual product dissemination.
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Simplified and refined structural modeling for economical flutter analysis and design
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ricketts, R. H.; Sobieszczanski, J.
1977-01-01
A coordinated use of two finite-element models of different levels of refinement is presented to reduce the computer cost of the repetitive flutter analysis commonly encountered in structural resizing to meet flutter requirements. One model, termed a refined model (RM), represents a high degree of detail needed for strength-sizing and flutter analysis of an airframe. The other model, called a simplified model (SM), has a relatively much smaller number of elements and degrees-of-freedom. A systematic method of deriving an SM from a given RM is described. The method consists of judgmental and numerical operations to make the stiffness and mass of the SM elements equivalent to the corresponding substructures of RM. The structural data are automatically transferred between the two models. The bulk of analysis is performed on the SM with periodical verifications carried out by analysis of the RM. In a numerical example of a supersonic cruise aircraft with an arrow wing, this approach permitted substantial savings in computer costs and acceleration of the job turn-around.
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Kanada, Yoshikiyo; Sakurai, Hiroaki; Sugiura, Yoshito; Arai, Tomoaki; Koyama, Soichiro; Tanabe, Shigeo
2017-11-01
[Purpose] To create a regression formula in order to estimate 1RM for knee extensors, based on the maximal isometric muscle strength measured using a hand-held dynamometer and data regarding the body composition. [Subjects and Methods] Measurement was performed in 21 healthy males in their twenties to thirties. Single regression analysis was performed, with measurement values representing 1RM and the maximal isometric muscle strength as dependent and independent variables, respectively. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was performed, with data regarding the body composition incorporated as another independent variable, in addition to the maximal isometric muscle strength. [Results] Through single regression analysis with the maximal isometric muscle strength as an independent variable, the following regression formula was created: 1RM (kg)=0.714 + 0.783 × maximal isometric muscle strength (kgf). On multiple regression analysis, only the total muscle mass was extracted. [Conclusion] A highly accurate regression formula to estimate 1RM was created based on both the maximal isometric muscle strength and body composition. Using a hand-held dynamometer and body composition analyzer, it was possible to measure these items in a short time, and obtain clinically useful results.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Unal, Resit; Morris, W. Douglas; White, Nancy H.; Lepsch, Roger A.; Brown, Richard W.
2000-01-01
This paper describes the development of parametric models for estimating operational reliability and maintainability (R&M) characteristics for reusable vehicle concepts, based on vehicle size and technology support level. A R&M analysis tool (RMAT) and response surface methods are utilized to build parametric approximation models for rapidly estimating operational R&M characteristics such as mission completion reliability. These models that approximate RMAT, can then be utilized for fast analysis of operational requirements, for lifecycle cost estimating and for multidisciplinary sign optimization.
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Kilcommons, Aoiffe M; Withers, Paul; Moreno-Lopez, Águeda
2012-09-01
Involving ID service users in risk decision making necessitates consideration of an individual's ability to assess the implications and associated risks and thus make an informed choice. This calls for research on service users' awareness and understanding of risk management (RM). Thirteen people in a residential ID service who were reviewed under the risk management process (RMP) participated in the research. Thematic analysis explored participants' knowledge and understanding of risk management to establish ability to make informed choice. Two main meta-themes (lack of awareness about RM and awareness about RM) and four meta-themes (extent of RM awareness, locus of control, compliance and empowerment) emerged. Nine of 13 participants demonstrated some knowledge and awareness of RM and wanted to contribute to the RMP, despite not being consulted about or given the opportunity to be involved in RM. The majority of service users in this sample had some awareness of the purpose of RM and could make partially informed decisions about whether they would like to be involved in the RMP. The findings highlight the need for professionals to actively attempt to involve ID service users in the management of their own risk. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Egerup, Pia; Lindschou, Jane; Gluud, Christian; Christiansen, Ole Bjarne
2015-01-01
Background Immunological disturbances are hypothesised to play a role in recurrent miscarriage (RM) and therefore intravenous immunoglubulins (IVIg) have been tested in RM patients. Objectives The objectives were to investigate the benefits and harms of IVIg versus placebo, no intervention, or treatment as usual in women with RM. Search Strategy We searched the published literature in all relevant databases. Selection Criteria Randomised trials investigating IVIg versus placebo, no intervention, or treatment as usual in women with RM. Data Collection and Analysis We undertook meta-analyses of aggregated data and individual patient data using a two-step approach, and we conducted bias domain assessments and trial sequential analyses to assess the risks of systematic and random errors. Main Results We identified 11 randomised clinical trials. No significant difference in the frequency of no live birth was found when IVIg was compared with placebo or treatment as usual (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.75–1.12, p = 0.42). Trial sequential analysis showed that the required information size of 1,008 participants was not obtained. IVIg compared with placebo seems to increase the risk of adverse events. Subgroup analysis suggests that women with RM after a birth (secondary RM) seemed most likely to obtain a potential beneficial effect of IVIg (RR for no live birth 0.77, 95%CI 0.58–1.02, p = 0.06), however, trial sequential analysis showed that insufficient information is presently accrued. Conclusion We cannot recommend or refute IVIg in women with RM. IVIg should therefore be assessed in further randomised clinical trials with positive outcomes before any clinical use is considered. PMID:26517123
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Regenerative medicine in Brazil: small but innovative.
McMahon, Dominique S; Singer, Peter A; Daar, Abdallah S; Thorsteinsdóttir, Halla
2010-11-01
Although Brazil has received attention for conducting one of the world's largest stem cell clinical trials for heart disease, little has been published regarding Brazil's regenerative medicine (RM) sector. Here we present a comprehensive case study of RM in Brazil, including analysis of the current activity, the main motivations for engaging in RM and the remaining challenges to development in this field. Our case study is primarily based on semi-structured interviews with experts on RM in Brazil, including researchers, policymakers, clinicians, representatives of firms and regulators. Driven by domestic health needs and strategic government support, Brazil is producing innovative RM research, particularly for clinical research in cardiology, orthopedics, diabetes and neurology. We describe the main RM research currently taking place in Brazil, as well as some of the economic, regulatory and policy events that have created a favorable environment for RM development. Brazilian RM researchers need to overcome several formidable challenges to research: research funding is inconsistent, importation of materials is costly and slow, and weak linkages between universities, hospitals and industry impede translational research. Although Brazil's contribution to the RM sector is small, its niche emphasis on clinical applications may become of global importance, particularly if Brazil manages to address the challenges currently impinging on RM innovation.
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Ishibashi, Naoki; Seto, Hiromi; Koga, Shoko; Zendo, Takeshi; Sonomoto, Kenji
2015-09-01
Lactic acid bacteria that produce Lactococcus-specific bacteriocins were isolated and identified as Lactococcus lactis from fresh corn or lettuce. Among them, four isolates were identified as lactococcin Q producers. Seven isolates showed antimicrobial activity against a lactococcin Q producer, L. lactis QU 4, as well as against nisin Z and lacticin Q producers belonging to L. lactis. Strain QU 7 was selected as a standard strain and showed no cross-immunity to lactococcin Q or other lactococcal bacteriocins. The bacteriocin produced by strain QU 7 was purified in three chromatographic steps, and its molecular mass was determined to be 5041.35 Da. The amino acid sequence analysis revealed that it is a novel class IId bacteriocin, referred to as lactococcin Z. It consisted of 45 amino acid residues. The lczA gene encoding the prepeptide of lactococcin Z showed homology to lactococcins A, B, and M. Thus, this report demonstrates a new example of Lactococcus-specific bacteriocins.
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Identifying the location of the OMP separatrix in DIII-D using power accounting
Stangeby, Peter C.; Canik, John M.; Elder, J. D.; ...
2015-08-07
In order to identify reliable scalings for the scrape-off layer (SOL) power width it is necessary to know the location of the separatrix in divertor tokamaks as accurately as possible, specifically its location at the outside midplane (OMP) the standard reference location. Two methods are described which use power accounting to improve the accuracy of identifying the location of the OMP separatrix. The first uses the infrared-measured deposited power profile at the outer target as the primary input, the 'more » $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm exhaust}}$$ method'. The second uses the measured power input to the SOL, obtained by subtracting the power radiated from inside the separatrix from the total heating power, the ' $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm input}}$$ method'. Furthermore, these two power accounting methods are illustrated with the examples of 21 H-mode DIII-D discharges. High spatial resolution Thomson scattering measured profiles of ne and Te for the main SOL near the OMP are also used as primary input to the analysis; only between-edge localized mode data are used here. The Thomson profiles are used to calculate the electron parallel conducted heat flux profiles which are then matched to the measured $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm exhaust}}$$ and $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm input}}$$ by adjusting the location of the OMP separatrix relative to that of the Thomson data. For these attached discharges, it is found that the values of $$R_{{\\rm sep}}^{{\\rm omp}}$$ given by the two power accounting methods agree to within ~1 mm of each other and also to within ~1 mm of the values given by the 'standard DIII-D method' described by Porter et al (1998 Phys. Plasmas 5 1410). Lastly, the shifted $$R_{{\\rm sep}}^{{\\rm omp}}$$ results in only modest changes to the values of ne and Te at the OMP separatrix relative to the 'standard' values, increasing $$n_{{\\rm e}}^{{\\rm sep}}$$ by 8% and $$T_{{\\rm e}}^{{\\rm sep}}$$ by 20%.« less
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Li, Xiaobai; Hu, Biaolin; Pan, Xuhao; Zhang, Ning; Wu, Dianxing
2017-01-01
A rice physiological disorder makes mature panicle keep erect with empty grains termed as "straighthead." Straighthead causes yield losses and is a serious threat to rice production worldwide. Here, a new study of association mapping was conducted to identify QTL involved in straighthead. A subset of 380 accessions was selected from the USDA rice core collection and genotyped with 72 genome-wide SSR markers. An optimal model implemented with principle components (PCs) was used in this association mapping. As a result, five markers were identified to be significantly associated with straighthead. Three of them, RM263, RM169, and RM224, were consistent with a previous study. Three markers, RM475, RM263, and RM19, had a resistant allele associated with a decrease in straighthead rating (straighthead rating ≤ 4.8). In contrast, the two other marker loci RM169 and RM224 had a few susceptible alleles associated with an increase in straighthead rating (straighthead rating ≥ 8.7). Interestingly, RM475 is close to QTL " qSH-2 " and " AsS " with straighthead resistance, which was reported in two studies on linkage mapping of straighthead. This finding adds to previous work and is useful for further genetic study of straighthead.
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Remote Monitoring of Hypertension Diseases in Pregnancy: A Pilot Study
Vandenberk, Thijs; Smeets, Christophe JP; De Cannière, Hélène; Molenberghs, Geert; Van Moerbeke, Anne; van den Hoogen, Anne; Robijns, Tiziana; Vonck, Sharona; Staelens, Anneleen; Storms, Valerie; Thijs, Inge M; Grieten, Lars; Gyselaers, Wilfried
2017-01-01
Background Although remote monitoring (RM) has proven its added value in various health care domains, little is known about the remote follow-up of pregnant women diagnosed with a gestational hypertensive disorders (GHD). Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the added value of a remote follow-up program for pregnant women diagnosed with GHD. Methods A 1-year retrospective study was performed in the outpatient clinic of a 2nd level prenatal center where pregnant women with GHD received RM or conventional care (CC). Primary study endpoints include number of prenatal visits and admissions to the prenatal observation ward. Secondary outcomes include gestational outcome, mode of delivery, neonatal outcome, and admission to neonatal intensive care (NIC). Differences in continuous and categorical variables in maternal demographics and characteristics were tested using Unpaired Student’s two sampled t test or Mann-Whitney U test and the chi-square test. Both a univariate and multivariate analysis were performed for analyzing prenatal follow-up and gestational outcomes. All statistical analyses were done at nominal level, Cronbach alpha=.05. Results Of the 166 patients diagnosed with GHD, 53 received RM and 113 CC. After excluding 5 patients in the RM group and 15 in the CC group because of the missing data, 48 patients in RM group and 98 in CC group were taken into final analysis. The RM group had more women diagnosed with gestational hypertension, but less with preeclampsia when compared with CC (81.25% vs 42.86% and 14.58% vs 43.87%). Compared with CC, univariate analysis in RM showed less induction, more spontaneous labors, and less maternal and neonatal hospitalizations (48.98% vs 25.00%; 31.63% vs 60.42%; 74.49% vs 56.25%; and 27.55% vs 10.42%). This was also true in multivariate analysis, except for hospitalizations. Conclusions An RM follow-up of women with GHD is a promising tool in the prenatal care. It opens the perspectives to reverse the current evolution of antenatal interventions leading to more interventions and as such to ever increasing medicalized antenatal care. PMID:28279948
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Egerup, Pia; Lindschou, Jane; Gluud, Christian; Christiansen, Ole Bjarne
2015-01-01
Immunological disturbances are hypothesised to play a role in recurrent miscarriage (RM) and therefore intravenous immunoglubulins (IVIg) have been tested in RM patients. The objectives were to investigate the benefits and harms of IVIg versus placebo, no intervention, or treatment as usual in women with RM. We searched the published literature in all relevant databases. Randomised trials investigating IVIg versus placebo, no intervention, or treatment as usual in women with RM. We undertook meta-analyses of aggregated data and individual patient data using a two-step approach, and we conducted bias domain assessments and trial sequential analyses to assess the risks of systematic and random errors. We identified 11 randomised clinical trials. No significant difference in the frequency of no live birth was found when IVIg was compared with placebo or treatment as usual (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.75-1.12, p = 0.42). Trial sequential analysis showed that the required information size of 1,008 participants was not obtained. IVIg compared with placebo seems to increase the risk of adverse events. Subgroup analysis suggests that women with RM after a birth (secondary RM) seemed most likely to obtain a potential beneficial effect of IVIg (RR for no live birth 0.77, 95%CI 0.58-1.02, p = 0.06), however, trial sequential analysis showed that insufficient information is presently accrued. We cannot recommend or refute IVIg in women with RM. IVIg should therefore be assessed in further randomised clinical trials with positive outcomes before any clinical use is considered.
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INTERPRETATION OF THE STRUCTURE FUNCTION OF ROTATION MEASURE IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Xu, Siyao; Zhang, Bing, E-mail: syxu@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: zhang@physics.unlv.edu
2016-06-20
The observed structure function (SF) of rotation measure (RM) varies as a broken power-law function of angular scales. The systematic shallowness of its spectral slope is inconsistent with the standard Kolmogorov scaling. This motivates us to examine the statistical analysis on RM fluctuations. The correlations of RM constructed by Lazarian and Pogosyan are demonstrated to be adequate in explaining the observed features of RM SFs through a direct comparison between the theoretically obtained and observationally measured SF results. By segregating the density and magnetic field fluctuations and adopting arbitrary indices for their respective power spectra, we find that when themore » SFs of RM and emission measure have a similar form over the same range of angular scales, the statistics of the RM fluctuations reflect the properties of density fluctuations. RM SFs can be used to evaluate the mean magnetic field along the line of sight, but cannot serve as an informative source on the properties of turbulent magnetic field in the interstellar medium. We identify the spectral break of RM SFs as the inner scale of a shallow spectrum of electron density fluctuations, which characterizes the typical size of discrete electron density structures in the observed region.« less
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Stewart, Amanda M; Cook, Mark S; Esparza, Mary C; Slayden, Ov D; Alperin, Marianna
2017-10-01
Animal models are essential to further our understanding of the independent and combined function of human pelvic floor muscles (PFMs), as direct studies in women are limited. To assure suitability of the rhesus macaque (RM), we compared RM and human PFM architecture, the strongest predictor of muscle function. We hypothesized that relative to other models, RM best resembles human PFM. Major architectural parameters of cadaveric human coccygeus, iliococcygeus, and pubovisceralis (pubococcygeus + puborectalis) and corresponding RM coccygeus, iliocaudalis, and pubovisceralis (pubovaginalis + pubocaudalis) were compared using 1- and 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc testing. Architectural difference index (ADI), a combined measure of functionally relevant structural parameters predictive of length-tension, force-generation, and excursional muscle properties was used to compare PFMs across RM, rabbit, rat, and mouse. RM and human PFMs were similar with respect to architecture. However, the magnitude of similarity varied between individual muscles, with the architecture of the most distinct RM PFM, iliocaudalis, being well suited for quadrupedal locomotion. Except for the pubovaginalis, RM PFMs inserted onto caudal vertebrae, analogous to all tailed animals. Comparison of the PFM complex architecture across species revealed the lowest, thus closest to human, ADI for RM (1.9), followed by rat (2.0), mouse (2.6), and rabbit (4.7). Overall, RM provides the closest architectural representation of human PFM complex among species examined; however, differences between individual PFMs should be taken into consideration. As RM is closely followed by rat with respect to PFM similarity with humans, this less-sentient and substantially cheaper model is a good alternative for PFM studies.
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High-Dimensional Exploratory Item Factor Analysis by a Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro Algorithm
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cai, Li
2010-01-01
A Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) algorithm for high-dimensional maximum marginal likelihood exploratory item factor analysis is proposed. The sequence of estimates from the MH-RM algorithm converges with probability one to the maximum likelihood solution. Details on the computer implementation of this algorithm are provided. The…
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Flores Fernández, José Miguel; Barragán Álvarez, Carla Patricia; Sánchez Hernández, Carla Vanessa; Padilla Camberos, Eduardo; González Castillo, Celia; Ortuño Sahagún, Daniel; Martínez Velázquez, Moisés
2016-11-01
The cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is a hematophagous ectoparasite of major importance for the livestock industry. It shows a remarkable ability to survive over long periods without feeding. However, the mechanisms used to endure long-term starvation are poorly understood. It is believed that autophagy, a process of intracellular protein degradation, may play a significant role to confront adverse environmental conditions. To advance our understanding of autophagy in R. microplus, in the present study we report the molecular characterization of three autophagy-related (ATG) genes, namely, RmATG3, RmATG4 and RmATG6, as well as their expression profiles in different developmental stages and organs of the parasite. The deduced amino acid sequences derived from the characterized gene sequences were subjected to Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis. The testing produced significant alignments with respective ATG proteins from Haemaphysalis longicornis and Ixodes scapularis ticks. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assays revealed that RmATG4 and RmATG6 transcripts were elevated in egg and ovary tissue, when compared with larva and midgut samples, while RmATG3 expression in midgut was 2-fold higher than in egg, larva and ovary samples.
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Morrato, Elaine H; Ling, Sarah B
2012-11-01
The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (FDAAA) of 2007 granted FDA-expanded drug safety authority. We hypothesized that meetings involving the FDA Drug Safety and Risk Management (DSaRM) Advisory Committee might serve as a barometer for the impact of FDAAA on drug safety regulatory decision making. We conducted a case study analysis of 42 DSaRM advisory committee meetings held between 2002 and 2011. Publicly available sources (FDA meeting minutes and materials, safety alerts, and drug manufacturer Web sites) were reviewed to describe and compare DSaRM meeting frequency, content and outcomes between the pre-FDAAA (2002-2007) and post-FDAAA (2008-2011) periods. DSaRM meeting frequency increased after FDAAA (from 2.7 to 6.5 meetings per year). DSaRM meetings were more likely to be held jointly with other drug advisory committees after FDAAA (from 68% to 92% of meetings). DSaRM members were invited participants in 35 additional meetings of other drug advisory committees (2007-2011). DSaRM meetings were more likely to review issues of approvability (eg, new drugs, new indications, and new product formulations) after FDAAA. FDA questions to the committee were more likely to request an explicit drug safety assessment after FDAAA (from 31% to 76% of meetings). Content analysis of meeting outcomes and subsequent FDA regulatory decisions did not suggest a more or less risk aversive climate after FDAAA. Increased DSaRM advisory committee activity indicates its advice was being sought more broadly for drug regulatory decision making and at earlier stages of drug development after FDAAA was enacted.
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Risk Management Interventions to Reduce Injuries and Maximize Economic Benefits in U.S. Mining.
Griffin, Stephanie C; Bui, David P; Gowrisankaran, Gautam; Lutz, Eric A; He, Charles; Hu, Chengcheng; Burgess, Jefferey L
2018-03-01
Risk management (RM) is a cyclical process of identifying and ranking risks, implementing controls, and evaluating their effectiveness. This study aims to identify effective RM interventions in the U.S. mining industry. RM interventions were identified in four companies representing metal, aggregate, and coal mining sectors. Injury rates were determined using Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) data and changes in injury rates identified through change point analysis. Program implementation costs and associated changes in injury costs were evaluated for select interventions. Six of 20 RM interventions were associated with a decline in all injuries and one with a reduction in lost-time injuries, all with a positive return on investment. Reductions in injuries and associated costs were observed following implementation of a limited number of specific RM interventions.
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Ottenberg, Abigale L; Swetz, Keith M; Mueller, Luke A; Gerhardson, Samantha; Mueller, Paul S
2013-01-01
To explore the experiences of patients living with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) who had received remote monitoring (RM). Anecdotal evidence suggests that not all patients with RM use the technology. Focus groups of patients with an ICD who received an RM system. Transcripts reviewed using thematic analysis. Nine patients (3 women and 6 men; median [range] age, 73 [58-91] years) received an RM system. Patients were assigned to a group in regard to RM system use (nonusers, n = 5; users, n = 4). Few nonusers recalled having prior conversations about the system. Users described it as "simple" and "easy" to use. Nonusers often were unsure whether their system was correctly transmitting information. System benefits perceived by users included convenience and security. Nonusers expressed mistrust. Recommendations included early education and help lines. Patient adherence to RM systems can be improved by explaining perceived benefits and addressing barriers to use. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Potential Renoprotective Effects of Rosemary and Thyme Against Gentamicin Toxicity in Rats.
Abdel-Azeem, Amal S; Hegazy, Amany M; Zeidan, Hala M; Ibrahim, Khadiga S; El-Sayed, Eman M
2017-07-04
Gentamicin (GM) is a drug used commonly against gram-negative bacteria. Its therapeutic use is mainly limited by its nephrotoxicity. This investigation was aimed at evaluating the nephroprotective effects of rosemary (RM; Rosmarinus officinalis) and thyme (TV; Thymus vulgaris) against GM toxicity. Rats were divided into four groups. Normal control group was treated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with saline; positive control group was administered GM 60 mg/kg/day i.p.; RM group was co-administered 8% RM aqueous extract, 10 mL/kg/day, orally with GM; and TV group was co-administered 8% TV aqueous extract orally, 10 mL/kg/day with GM. Both RM and TV groups extracted significantly ameliorated plasma kidney function biomarkers, and reduced malondialdhyde and glucose levels. Meanwhile, RM extract significantly modulated the electrolyte concentration and increased plasma insulin levels as compared with the GM group. However, the aqueous extract of RM showed more pronounced effects than TV extract. Our data were confirmed by histopathological examination and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation analysis. Deleterious histopathological changes and increased DNA fragmentation induced by GM treatment were markedly controlled by the co-administration of RM and TV. Such renoprotective influence of RM and TV suggests their concurrent supplementation with GM therapy to limit GM toxicity.
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Validity of one-repetition maximum predictive equations in men with spinal cord injury.
Ribeiro Neto, F; Guanais, P; Dornelas, E; Coutinho, A C B; Costa, R R G
2017-10-01
Cross-sectional study. The study aimed (a) to test the cross-validation of current one-repetition maximum (1RM) predictive equations in men with spinal cord injury (SCI); (b) to compare the current 1RM predictive equations to a newly developed equation based on the 4- to 12-repetition maximum test (4-12RM). SARAH Rehabilitation Hospital Network, Brasilia, Brazil. Forty-five men aged 28.0 years with SCI between C6 and L2 causing complete motor impairment were enrolled in the study. Volunteers were tested, in a random order, in 1RM test or 4-12RM with 2-3 interval days. Multiple regression analysis was used to generate an equation for predicting 1RM. There were no significant differences between 1RM test and the current predictive equations. ICC values were significant and were classified as excellent for all current predictive equations. The predictive equation of Lombardi presented the best Bland-Altman results (0.5 kg and 12.8 kg for mean difference and interval range around the differences, respectively). The two created equation models for 1RM demonstrated the same and a high adjusted R 2 (0.971, P<0.01), but different SEE of measured 1RM (2.88 kg or 5.4% and 2.90 kg or 5.5%). All 1RM predictive equations are accurate to assess individuals with SCI at the bench press exercise. However, the predictive equation of Lombardi presented the best associated cross-validity results. A specific 1RM prediction equation was also elaborated for individuals with SCI. The created equation should be tested in order to verify whether it presents better accuracy than the current ones.
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Physiologic effects of rhythmical massage: a prospective exploratory cohort study.
Wälchli, Chantal; Saltzwedel, Georg; Krüerke, Daniel; Kaufmann, Christoph; Schnorr, Bettina; Rist, Lukas; Eberhard, Jutta; Decker, Michael; Simões-Wüst, Ana Paula
2014-06-01
This study was performed to characterize the physiologic effects of rhythmical massage (RM), an anthroposophic therapy whose effectiveness is supported by empirical observations and a prospective observational study. Patients referred to RM at the Paracelsus Hospital Richterswil for any indication were continuously enrolled. They received an average of 10 RM sessions, which included not only the massage but also therapeutic rest in the supine position immediately thereafter. Effects of RM on surface temperature and on heart rate variability (HRV) were determined with infrared imaging (IRI) and electrocardiography (ECG), respectively. IRI of the patients' dorsal region was performed without clothes, in standing position, at the start and at the end of two waiting periods before and after RM. ECG was performed from the beginning of the first waiting period until the end of the second one. Results on IRI from 9 and ECG from 11 patients could be analyzed. RM led to an immediate increase in dorsal temperature. Furthermore, comparison of the IRI images for consecutive RM sessions showed a tendency toward improved warmth distribution as a progressive therapy effect. Analysis of the EGC results recorded during the waiting periods-in the sitting position--showed a significant increase of HRV after RM, as detected by the standard deviation of the beat-to-beat periods and a relative increase of low-frequency power. During the course of the RM sessions, the change in HRV during the therapeutic rest period depended on the initial value: Low initial values were enhanced, whereas high ones were reduced. RM led to an immediate increase in the patient's dorsal surface temperature, as well as increased HRV and sympathetic stimulation. In the long term, RM resulted in a progressive improvement of warmth distribution and regulation of the resting HRV.
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Antagonistic effect of Lepidium meyenii (red maca) on prostatic hyperplasia in adult mice.
Gonzales, G F; Gasco, M; Malheiros-Pereira, A; Gonzales-Castañeda, C
2008-06-01
The plants from the Lepidium gender have demonstrated to have effect on the size of the prostate. Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a Peruvian plant that grows exclusively over 4000 m above sea level. The present study was designed to determine the effect of red maca (RM) in the prostate hyperplasia induced with testosterone enanthate (TE) in adult mice. Prostate hyperplasia was induced by administering TE, and then these animals (n = 6, each group) were treated with RM or Finasteride (positive control) for 21 days. There was an additional group without prostate hyperplasia (vehicle). Mice were killed on days 7, 14 and 21 after treatment with RM. Testosterone and oestradiol levels were measured on the last day of treatment. Prostatic stroma, epithelium and acini were measured histologically. RM reduced prostate weight at 21 days of treatment. Weights of seminal vesicles, testis and epididymis were not affected by RM treatment. The reduction in prostate size by RM was 1.59 times. Histological analysis showed that TE increased 2-fold the acinar area, effect prevented in the groups receiving TE + RM for 14 (P < 0.05) and 21 (P < 0.05) days and the group receiving TE + Finasteride for 21 days (P < 0.05). TE increased prostatic stroma area and this effect was prevented by treatment with RM since 7 days of treatment or Finasteride. The reduction in prostatic stroma area by RM was 1.42 times. RM has an anti-hyperplastic effect on the prostate of adult mice when hyperplasia was induced with TE acting first at prostatic stromal level.
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Remote Monitoring of Hypertension Diseases in Pregnancy: A Pilot Study.
Lanssens, Dorien; Vandenberk, Thijs; Smeets, Christophe Jp; De Cannière, Hélène; Molenberghs, Geert; Van Moerbeke, Anne; van den Hoogen, Anne; Robijns, Tiziana; Vonck, Sharona; Staelens, Anneleen; Storms, Valerie; Thijs, Inge M; Grieten, Lars; Gyselaers, Wilfried
2017-03-09
Although remote monitoring (RM) has proven its added value in various health care domains, little is known about the remote follow-up of pregnant women diagnosed with a gestational hypertensive disorders (GHD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the added value of a remote follow-up program for pregnant women diagnosed with GHD. A 1-year retrospective study was performed in the outpatient clinic of a 2nd level prenatal center where pregnant women with GHD received RM or conventional care (CC). Primary study endpoints include number of prenatal visits and admissions to the prenatal observation ward. Secondary outcomes include gestational outcome, mode of delivery, neonatal outcome, and admission to neonatal intensive care (NIC). Differences in continuous and categorical variables in maternal demographics and characteristics were tested using Unpaired Student's two sampled t test or Mann-Whitney U test and the chi-square test. Both a univariate and multivariate analysis were performed for analyzing prenatal follow-up and gestational outcomes. All statistical analyses were done at nominal level, Cronbach alpha=.05. Of the 166 patients diagnosed with GHD, 53 received RM and 113 CC. After excluding 5 patients in the RM group and 15 in the CC group because of the missing data, 48 patients in RM group and 98 in CC group were taken into final analysis. The RM group had more women diagnosed with gestational hypertension, but less with preeclampsia when compared with CC (81.25% vs 42.86% and 14.58% vs 43.87%). Compared with CC, univariate analysis in RM showed less induction, more spontaneous labors, and less maternal and neonatal hospitalizations (48.98% vs 25.00%; 31.63% vs 60.42%; 74.49% vs 56.25%; and 27.55% vs 10.42%). This was also true in multivariate analysis, except for hospitalizations. An RM follow-up of women with GHD is a promising tool in the prenatal care. It opens the perspectives to reverse the current evolution of antenatal interventions leading to more interventions and as such to ever increasing medicalized antenatal care. ©Dorien Lanssens, Thijs Vandenberk, Christophe JP Smeets, Hélène De Cannière, Geert Molenberghs, Anne Van Moerbeke, Anne van den Hoogen, Tiziana Robijns, Sharona Vonck, Anneleen Staelens, Valerie Storms, Inge M Thijs, Lars Grieten, Wilfried Gyselaers. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 09.03.2017.
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Ferrando, Carlos; Suarez-Sipmann, Fernando; Tusman, Gerardo; León, Irene; Romero, Esther; Gracia, Estefania; Mugarra, Ana; Arocas, Blanca; Pozo, Natividad; Soro, Marina; Belda, Francisco J
2017-01-01
Low tidal volume (VT) during anesthesia minimizes lung injury but may be associated to a decrease in functional lung volume impairing lung mechanics and efficiency. Lung recruitment (RM) can restore lung volume but this may critically depend on the post-RM selected PEEP. This study was a randomized, two parallel arm, open study whose primary outcome was to compare the effects on driving pressure of adding a RM to low-VT ventilation, with or without an individualized post-RM PEEP in patients without known previous lung disease during anesthesia. Consecutive patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery were submitted to low-VT ventilation (6 ml·kg-1) and standard PEEP of 5 cmH2O (pre-RM, n = 36). After 30 min estabilization all patients received a RM and were randomly allocated to either continue with the same PEEP (RM-5 group, n = 18) or to an individualized open-lung PEEP (OL-PEEP) (Open Lung Approach, OLA group, n = 18) defined as the level resulting in maximal Cdyn during a decremental PEEP trial. We compared the effects on driving pressure and lung efficiency measured by volumetric capnography. OL-PEEP was found at 8±2 cmH2O. 36 patients were included in the final analysis. When compared with pre-RM, OLA resulted in a 22% increase in compliance and a 28% decrease in driving pressure when compared to pre-RM. These parameters did not improve in the RM-5. The trend of the DP was significantly different between the OLA and RM-5 groups (p = 0.002). VDalv/VTalv was significantly lower in the OLA group after the RM (p = 0.035). Lung recruitment applied during low-VT ventilation improves driving pressure and lung efficiency only when applied as an open-lung strategy with an individualized PEEP in patients without lung diseases undergoing major abdominal surgery. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02798133.
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Effects of the combination of P3-based GKT and reality monitoring on deceptive classification
Jang, Ki-Won; Kim, Deok-Yong; Cho, Sungkun; Lee, Jang-Han
2013-01-01
The study aimed to investigate whether a combination of the P3-based Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) and reality monitoring (RM) distinguished between individuals who are guilty, witnesses, or informed, and using both tests provided more accurate information than did the use of either measure alone. Participants consisted of 45 males that were randomly and evenly assigned to three groups (i.e., guilty, witness, and informed). The guilty group conducted a mock crime where they intentionally crashed their vehicle into another vehicle in a virtual environment (VE). As those in the witness group drove their own vehicles, they observed the guilty groups' vehicle crash into another vehicle. The informed group read an account and saw screenshots of the accident. All participants were instructed to insist that they were innocent. Subsequently, they performed the P3-based GKT and wrote an account of the accident for the RM analysis. A higher P3 amplitude corresponded to how well the participants recognized the presented stimulus, and a higher RM score corresponded to how well the participants reported vivid sensory information and how much less they reported uncertain information. Findings for the P3-based GKT indicated that the informed group showed lower P3 amplitude when presented with the probe stimulus than did the guilty and witness groups. Regarding the RM analysis, the informed group obtained higher RM scores on visual, temporal, and spatial details and lower scores on cognitive operations than the guilty and witness groups. Finally, discriminant analysis revealed that the combination of the P3-based GKT and RM more accurately distinguished between the three groups than the use of either measure alone. The findings suggest that RM may build upon a weakness of the P3-based GKT's. More specifically, it may build upon its susceptibility to the leakage of information about the crime, therefore helping protect innocent individuals who have information about a crime from being perceived as guilty. PMID:23386821
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Comparative cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccines in the prevention of cervical cancer in Malaysia.
Ezat, Sharifa W P; Aljunid, Syed
2010-01-01
Cervical cancer (CC) had the second highest incidence of female cancers in Malaysia in 2003-2006. Prevention is possible by both Pap smear screening and HPV vaccination with either the bivalent vaccine (BV) or the quadrivalent vaccine (QV). In the present study, cost effectiveness options were compared for three programs i.e. screening via Pap smear; modeling of HPV vaccination (QV and BV) and combined strategy (screening plus vaccination). A scenario based sensitivity analysis was conducted using screening population coverages (40-80%) and costs of vaccines (RM 100-200/dose) were calculated. This was an economic burden, cross sectional study in 2006-2009 of respondents interviewed from six public Gynecology-Oncology hospitals. Methods included expert panel discussions to estimate treatment costs of CC, genital warts and vulva/vagina cancers by severity and direct interviews with respondents using costing and SF-36 quality of life questionnaires. A total of 502 cervical cancer patients participated with a mean age at 53.3±11.2 years and a mean marriage length of 27.7±12.1 years, Malays accounting for 44.2%. Cost/quality adjusted life year (QALY) for Pap smear in the base case was RM 1,215 and RM 1,100 at increased screening coverage. With QV only, in base case it was RM 15,662 and RM 24,203 when the vaccination price was increased. With BV only, the respective figures were RM 1,359,057 and RM 2,530,018. For QV combined strategy cost/QALY in the base case it was RM 4,937, reducing to RM 3,395 in the best case and rising to RM 7,992 in the worst case scenario. With the BV combined strategy, these three cost/QALYs were RM 6,624, RM 4,033 and RM 10,543. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) showed that screening at 70% coverage or higher was highly cost effective at RM 946.74 per QALYs saved but this was preceded by best case combined strategy with QV at RM 515.29 per QALYs saved. QV is more cost effective than BV. The QV combined strategy had a higher CE than any method including Pap smear screening at high population coverage.
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Bellar, David M; Muller, Matthew D; Barkley, Jacob E; Kim, Chul-Ho; Ida, Keisuke; Ryan, Edward J; Bliss, Mathew V; Glickman, Ellen L
2011-02-01
The present study investigated the effects of training combining elastic tension, free weights, and the bench press. Eleven college-aged men (untrained) in the bench press participated in the 13-week study. The participants were first given instructions and then practiced the bench press, followed by a one-repetition maximum (1RM) test of baseline strength. Subjects were then trained in the bench press for 3 weeks to allow for the beginning of neural adaptation. After another 1RM test, participants were assigned to 1 of 2 conditions for the next 3 weeks of training: 85% Free-Weight Tension, 15% Elastic Tension (BAND), or 100% Free-Weight Tension (STAND). After 3 weeks of training and a third 1RM max test, participants switched treatments, under which they completed the final 3 weeks of training and the fourth 1RM test. Analysis via analysis of covariance revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) main effect for time and interaction effect for Treatment (BAND vs. STAND). Subsequent analysis via paired-samples t-test revealed the BAND condition was significantly better (p = 0.05) at producing raw gains in 1RM strength. (BAND 9.95 ± 3.7 kg vs. STAND 7.56 ± 2.8 kg). These results suggest that the addition of elastic tension to the bench press may be an effective method of increasing strength.
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Janot, M S; Kersting, S; Belyaev, O; Matuschek, A; Chromik, A M; Suelberg, D; Uhl, W; Tannapfel, A; Bergmann, U
2012-08-01
According to the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), R1 is defined as the microscopic presence of tumor cells at the surface of the resection margin (RM). In contrast, the Royal College of Pathologists (RCP) suggested to declare R1 already when tumor cells are found within 1 mm of the RM. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of the RM concerning the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). From 2007 to 2009, 62 patients underwent a curative operation for PDAC of the pancreatic head. The relevance of R status on cumulative overall survival (OS) was assessed on univariate and multivariate analysis for both the classic R classification (UICC) and the suggestion of the RCP. Following the UICC criteria, a positive RM was detected in 8 %. Along with grading and lymph node ratio, R status revealed a significant impact on OS on univariate and multivariate analysis. Applying the suggestion of the RCP, R1 rate rose to 26 % resulting in no significant impact on OS in univariate analysis. Our study has shown that the RCP suggestion for R status has no impact on the prognosis of PDAC. In contrast, our data confirmed the UICC R classification of RM as well as N category, grading, and lymph node ratio as significant prognostic factors.
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Maltais, René; Hospital, Audrey; Delhomme, Audrey; Roy, Jenny; Poirier, Donald
2014-04-01
The aminosteroid derivative RM-133 has been reported to be a promising pro-apoptotic agent showing activity on various cancer cell lines. Following the development of solid-phase synthesis that generated a series of libraries of aminosteroid derivatives, we now report the development of a convenient liquid phase chemical synthesis of RM-133, the most promising candidate, in order to obtain sufficient quantities to proceed with the first preclinical assays. A simple and convergent six-step synthesis was designed and allowed the preparation of a gram-quantity scale of RM-133. This aminosteroid derivative was also fully characterized by NMR experiments which revealed an interesting mixture of conformers. Finally, the in vivo potency of RM-133 was evaluated on a xenograft model in nude mice with HL-60 tumors, which has resulted in the blocking of tumor progression by 57%. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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STRUCTURE IN THE ROTATION MEASURE SKY
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Stil, J. M.; Taylor, A. R.; Sunstrum, C.
2011-01-01
An analysis of structure in rotation measure (RM) across the sky based on the RM catalog of Taylor et al. is presented. Several resolved RM structures are identified with structure in the local interstellar medium, including radio loops I, II, and III, the Gum nebula, and the Orion-Eridanus superbubble. Structure functions (SFs) of RM are presented for selected areas, and maps of SF amplitude and slope across the sky are compared with H{alpha} intensity and diffuse polarized intensity. RM variance on an angular scale of 1{sup 0} is correlated with length of the line of sight through the Galaxy, withmore » a contribution from local structures. The slope of the SFs is less concentrated to the Galactic plane and less correlated with length of the line of sight through the Galaxy, suggesting a more local origin for RM structure on angular scales {approx}10{sup 0}. The RM variance is a factor of {approx}2 higher toward the South Galactic Pole than toward the North Galactic Pole, reflecting a more wide-spread asymmetry between the northern and southern Galactic hemispheres. Depolarization of diffuse Galactic synchrotron emission at latitudes <30{sup 0} can be explained largely by Faraday dispersion related to small-scale variance in RM, but the errors allow a significant contribution from differential Faraday rotation along the line of sight.« less
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Ricci, Renato Pietro; Vicentini, Alfredo; D'Onofrio, Antonio; Sagone, Antonio; Rovaris, Giovanni; Padeletti, Luigi; Morichelli, Loredana; Fusco, Antonio; De Vivo, Stefano; Lombardi, Leonida; Denaro, Alessandra; Pollastrelli, Annalisa; Colangelo, Irene; Santini, Massimo
2017-01-01
Remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic devices has been demonstrated to improve outpatient clinic workflow and patient management. However, few data are available on the socioeconomic impact of RM. The aim of this study was to assess the costs and benefits of RM compared with standard care (SC). We used 12-month patient data from the Health Economics Evaluation Registry for Remote Follow-up (TARIFF) study (N = 209; RM: n = 102 (48.81%); SC: n = 107 (51.19%)). Cost comparison was made from 2 perspectives: the health care system (HCS) and patients. The use of health care resources was defined on the basis of hospital clinical folders. Out-of-pocket expenses were reported directly by patients. HCS perspective: The overall mean annual cost per patient in the SC group (€1044.89 ± €1990.47) was significantly higher than in the RM group (€482.87 ± €2488.10) (P < .0001), with a reduction of 53.87% being achieved in the RM group. The primary driver of cost reduction was the cost of cardiovascular hospitalizations (SC: €`886.67 ± €1979.13 vs RM: €432.34 ± €2488.10; P = .0030). Patient and caregiver perspective: The annual cost incurred by patients was significantly higher in the SC group than in the RM group (SC: €169.49 ± €189.50 vs RM: €56.87 ± €80.22; P < .0001). Patients' quality-adjusted life-years were not significantly different between the groups. Provider perspective: The total number of inhospital device follow-up visits was reduced by 58.78% in the RM group. RM of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is cost saving from the perspectives of the HCS, patients, and caregivers. Introducing appropriate reimbursements will make RM sustainable even for the provider, i.e. the hospitals which provide the service and encourage widespread adoption of RM. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Rogers, Benjamin H.; Brown, Justin C.; Gater, David R.; Schmitz, Kathryn H.
2016-01-01
Objective One-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press strength is considered the gold standard to quantify upper-body muscular strength. Isometric handgrip strength is frequently used as a surrogate for 1-RM bench press strength among breast cancer (BrCa) survivors. The relationship between 1-RM bench press strength and isometric handgrip strength, however, has not been characterized among BrCa survivors. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Laboratory. Participants Community-dwelling BrCa survivors. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure 1-RM bench press strength was measured with a barbell and exercise bench. Isometric handgrip strength was measured using an isometric dynamometer with three maximal contractions of left and right hands. All measures were conducted by staff with training in clinical exercise testing. Results Among 295 BrCa survivors, 1-RM bench press strength was 18.2±6.1 kg (range: 2.2-43.0) and isometric handgrip strength was 23.5±5.8 kg (range: 9.0-43.0). The strongest correlate of 1-RM bench press strength was the average isometric handgrip strength of both hands (r=0.399; P<0.0001). Mean-difference analysis suggested that the average isometric handgrip strength of both hands overestimated 1-RM bench press strength by 4.7 kg (95% limits of agreement: −8.2 to 17.6). In a multivariable linear regression model, the average isometric handgrip strength of both hands (β=0.31; P<0.0001) and age (β=−0.20; P<0.0001) were positively correlated with 1-RM bench press strength (R2=0.23). Conclusions Isometric handgrip strength is a poor surrogate for 1-RM bench press strength among BrCa survivors. 1-RM bench press and isometric handgrip strength quantify distinct components of muscular strength. PMID:27543047
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Tang, Eric C; Galea, Jerome T; Kinsler, Janni J; Gonzales, Pedro; Sobieszczyk, Magdalena E; Sanchez, Jorge; Lama, Javier R
2016-05-01
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are in need of novel and acceptable HIV prevention interventions. In Peru, a Phase II clinical trial was recently completed evaluating rectally applied tenofovir gel among Peruvian MSM and transgender women. If deemed safe and acceptable, the product could move into efficacy testing, but acceptability data for similar products are needed now in order to prepare for future implementation. Peru is in need of expanded, national acceptability data among likely users. Using conjoint analysis of an online cross-sectional survey taken by 1008 Peruvian MSM and transgender women, we tested the acceptability of eight hypothetical rectal microbicide (RM) products comprising six, dual-value attributes. We also assessed the relationship of select product attributes with sample characteristics. Highest acceptability was found for a RM that was 90% effective, used before and after sex, without side effects, costing approximately $0.30, had no prescription requirement and had a single-use applicator. Product effectiveness and presence of side effects were the factors most likely to drive RM acceptance and use. Education, sexual orientation, sexual role and concern for HIV infection were also related to aspects of RM acceptability. RM acceptability was high, confirming the results of earlier, smaller studies and placing confidence in the acceptability of RMs. Analysis of the relationships with product attributes and sample characteristics underscore the need to consider the impact of factors such as sexual orientation, sexual role, level of education and concern for HIV acquisition on RM acceptability. 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/
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Zhang, X.; McGuire, A.D.; Ruess, Roger W.
2006-01-01
A major challenge confronting the scientific community is to understand both patterns of and controls over spatial and temporal variability of carbon exchange between boreal forest ecosystems and the atmosphere. An understanding of the sources of variability of carbon processes at fine scales and how these contribute to uncertainties in estimating carbon fluxes is relevant to representing these processes at coarse scales. To explore some of the challenges and uncertainties in estimating carbon fluxes at fine to coarse scales, we conducted a modeling analysis of canopy foliar maintenance respiration for black spruce ecosystems of Alaska by scaling empirical hourly models of foliar maintenance respiration (Rm) to estimate canopy foliar Rm for individual stands. We used variation in foliar N concentration among stands to develop hourly stand-specific models and then developed an hourly pooled model. An uncertainty analysis identified that the most important parameter affecting estimates of canopy foliar Rm was one that describes R m at 0??C per g N, which explained more than 55% of variance in annual estimates of canopy foliar Rm. The comparison of simulated annual canopy foliar Rm identified significant differences between stand-specific and pooled models for each stand. This result indicates that control over foliar N concentration should be considered in models that estimate canopy foliar Rm of black spruce stands across the landscape. In this study, we also temporally scaled the hourly stand-level models to estimate canopy foliar Rm of black spruce stands using mean monthly temperature data. Comparisons of monthly Rm between the hourly and monthly versions of the models indicated that there was very little difference between the estimates of hourly and monthly models, suggesting that hourly models can be aggregated to use monthly input data with little loss of precision. We conclude that uncertainties in the use of a coarse-scale model for estimating canopy foliar Rm at regional scales depend on uncertainties in representing needle-level respiration and on uncertainties in representing the spatial variability of canopy foliar N across a region. The development of spatial data sets of canopy foliar N represents a major challenge in estimating canopy foliar maintenance respiration at regional scales. ?? Springer 2006.
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Antithrombotic Treatment for Recurrent Miscarriage
Zhang, Tianyi; Ye, Xiaofei; Zhu, Tiantian; XIAO, Xiang; Liu, Yuzhou; Wei, Xin; Liu, Yu; Wu, Cheng; Guan, Rui; Li, Xiao; Guo, Xiaojing; Hu, Huili; He, Jia
2015-01-01
Abstract Combined use of heparin and aspirin is frequently prescribed for treatment of recurrent miscarriage (RM) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), or in those without apparent cause of RM other than thrombophilia; however, this strategy is largely based on expert opinion and has not been well studied. The option for the use of different antithrombotic therapies to improve live birth remains unclear. In this network meta-analysis, we incorporated direct and indirect evidence to evaluate effects of different antithrombotic treatments on prevention of pregnancy losses. We searched PubMed and Embase for randomized clinical trials comparing effects of at least 2 antithrombotic treatments on live birth in RM patients published from 1965 through the early of May 2015. Potential risk bias of eligible trials was evaluated according to the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Bayesian network meta-analysis was used to estimate relative effects on live birth. A total of 19 trials involving 2391 RM patients with or without thrombophilia and 543 with APS were included. No beneficial effect of antithrombotic treatment was observed either in RM patients with or without thrombophilia or in patients with APS; however, for patients with or without thrombophilia, low molecular weight heparin therapy had the greatest probability (61.48%) of being the best option in terms of live birth; for patients with APS, unfractionated heparin plus aspirin was the superior treatment for RM with the highest possibility (75.15%) of being top 2 places for reducing pregnancy losses. Aspirin was inferior in both groups. Our results do not support the use of combined low molecular weight heparin and aspirin for RM treatment, and suggested aspirin may have negative effects for lowering the risk of pregnancy loss. PMID:26559249
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Kurek, Anna; Tajstra, Mateusz; Gadula-Gacek, Elzbieta; Buchta, Piotr; Skrzypek, Michal; Pyka, Lukasz; Wasiak, Michal; Swietlinska, Malgorzata; Hawranek, Michal; Polonski, Lech; Gasior, Mariusz; Kosiuk, Jedrzej
2017-04-01
Randomized controlled trials demonstrate that remote monitoring (RM) of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT-Ds) may improve quality of care and prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the impact of RM on long-term mortality in a real-world cohort is still not well examined. This study was designed as a matched cohort study based on the COMMIT-HF trial--a single-center, ongoing prospective observational registry (NCT02536443). Complete patient demographics, medical history, in-hospital results, hospitalizations, and mortality data were collected based on institutional registries and healthcare providers' records. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on RM presence and matched by means of propensity scores according to clinical characteristics. The primary endpoint of this study was the long-term all-cause mortality. Out of 1,429 consecutive patients, 822 patients with a first implantation of an ICD/CRT-D were included in the analysis. The final matched study population contained 574 patients in RM and in a control group. Although demographic and echocardiographic parameters as well as pharmacological treatments were similar in both groups, a significantly lower 1-year mortality was detected in the RM group (2.1% vs. 11.5%, P < 0.0001). This was also maintained during a 3-year follow-up (4.9% vs. 22.3%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that RM was associated with an improved prognosis (hazard ratio 0.187, 95% confidence interval 0.075-0.467, P = 0.0003). RM of HF patients with ICDs/CRT-Ds significantly reduced long-term mortality in a real-world clinical condition. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Supramaximal Eccentrics Versus Traditional Loading in Improving Lower-Body 1RM: A Meta-Analysis.
Buskard, Andrew N L; Gregg, Heath R; Ahn, Soyeon
2018-06-11
Guidelines for improving maximal concentric strength through resistance training (RT) have traditionally included large muscle-group exercises, full ranges of motion, and a load approximating 85% of the 1-repetition maximum (1RM). Supramaximal eccentric training (SME; controlled lowering of loads above the concentric 1RM) has also been shown to be effective at increasing concentric 1RM in the lower body, but concerns regarding injury risk, postexercise soreness, and null benefit over traditional methods (TRAD) may limit the practical utility of this approach. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SME elicits greater lower-body strength improvements than TRAD. Key inclusion criteria were regular exercise modalities typical of nonspecialized exercise facilities (e.g., leg press; key exclusion: isokinetic dynamometer) and at least 6 weeks of RT exposure, leading to 5 studies included in the current meta-analysis. Unbiased effect-size measures that quantify the mean difference in lower-body 1RM between SME and TRAD were extracted. Supramaximal eccentric training did not appear to be more effective than TRAD at increasing lower-body 1RM ([Formula: see text] = .33, SE = .26, z = 1.26, 95% CI [-0.20, 0.79], p = .20, I 2 = 56.78%) under a random-effects model where between-study variance was estimated using maximum likelihood estimation ([Formula: see text] 2 = .25). The selection of SME over TRAD in RT programs designed to increase lower-body 1RM does not appear warranted in all populations. Further research should clarify the merit of periodic SME in TRAD-dominant RT programs as well as whether a differential effect exists in trained individuals.
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Deconstructing the power resistance relationship for squats: A joint-level analysis.
Farris, D J; Lichtwark, G A; Brown, N A T; Cresswell, A G
2016-07-01
Generating high leg power outputs is important for executing rapid movements. Squats are commonly used to increase leg strength and power. Therefore, it is useful to understand factors affecting power output in squatting. We aimed to deconstruct the mechanisms behind why power is maximized at certain resistances in squatting. Ten male rowers (age = 20 ± 2.2 years; height = 1.82 ± 0.03 m; mass = 86 ± 11 kg) performed maximal power squats with resistances ranging from body weight to 80% of their one repetition maximum (1RM). Three-dimensional kinematics was combined with ground reaction force (GRF) data in an inverse dynamics analysis to calculate leg joint moments and powers. System center of mass (COM) velocity and power were computed from GRF data. COM power was maximized across a range of resistances from 40% to 60% 1RM. This range was identified because a trade-off in hip and knee joint powers existed across this range, with maximal knee joint power occurring at 40% 1RM and maximal hip joint power at 60% 1RM. A non-linear system force-velocity relationship was observed that dictated large reductions in COM power below 20% 1RM and above 60% 1RM. These reductions were due to constraints on the control of the movement. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Hossain, Md Kamal; Jena, Kshirod Kumar; Bhuiyan, Md Atiqur Rahman; Wickneswari, Ratnam
2016-01-01
Sheath blight is considered the most significant disease of rice and causes enormous yield losses over the world. Breeding for resistant varieties is the only viable option to combat the disease efficiently. Seventeen diverged rice genotypes along with 17 QTL-linked SSR markers were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Pearson’s correlation showed only the flag leaf angle had a significant correlation with sheath blight resistance under greenhouse screening. Multivariate analysis based on UPGMA clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the flag leaf angle, flag leaf length, and plant compactness were significantly associated with the following SSR marker alleles: RM209 (116,130), RM202 (176), RM224 (126), RM257 (156), RM426 (175), and RM6971 (196), which are linked to the SB QTLs: QRlh11, qSBR11-3, qSBR11-1, qSBR9-1, qShB3-2, and qSB-9. A Mantel test suggested a weak relationship between the observed phenotypes and allelic variation patterns, implying the independent nature of morphological and molecular variations. Teqing and Tetep were found to be the most resistant cultivars. IR65482-4-136-2-2, MR219-4, and MR264 showed improved resistance potentials. These results suggest that the morphological traits and QTLs which have been found to associate with sheath blight resistance are a good choice to enhance resistance through pyramiding either 2 QTLs or QTLs and traits in susceptible rice cultivars. PMID:27795687
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Aad, G.
2014-11-04
This article presents a measurement of the cross-section for high transverse momentum W and Z bosons produced in pp collisions and decaying to all-hadronic final states. The data used in the analysis were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy ofmore » $$\\sqrt{s}=7\\;{\\rm Te}{\\rm V}$$ and correspond to an integrated luminosity of $$4.6\\;{\\rm f}{{{\\rm b}}^{-1}}$$. The measurement is performed by reconstructing the boosted W or Z bosons in single jets. The reconstructed jet mass is used to identify the W and Z bosons, and a jet substructure method based on energy cluster information in the jet centre-of-mass frame is used to suppress the large multi-jet background. The cross-section for events with a hadronically decaying W or Z boson, with transverse momentum $${{p}_{{\\rm T}}}\\gt 320\\;{\\rm Ge}{\\rm V}$$ and pseudorapidity $$|\\eta |\\lt 1.9$$, is measured to be $${{\\sigma }_{W+Z}}=8.5\\pm 1.7$$ pb and is compared to next-to-leading-order calculations. The selected events are further used to study jet grooming techniques.« less
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Pan, Hai-Tao; Ding, Hai-Gang; Fang, Min; Yu, Bin; Cheng, Yi; Tan, Ya-Jing; Fu, Qi-Qin; Lu, Bo; Cai, Hong-Guang; Jin, Xin; Xia, Xian-Qing; Zhang, Tao
2018-01-01
Recurrent miscarriage (RM) affects 5% of women, it has an adverse emotional impact on women. Because of the complexities of early development, the mechanism of recurrent miscarriage is still unclear. We hypothesized that abnormal placenta leads to early recurrent miscarriage (ERM). The aim of this study was to identify ERM associated factors in human placenta villous tissue using proteomics. Investigation of these differences in protein expression in parallel profiling is essential to understand the comprehensive pathophysiological mechanism underlying recurrent miscarriage (RM). To gain more insight into mechanisms of recurrent miscarriage (RM), a comparative proteome profile of the human placenta villous tissue in normal and RM pregnancies was analyzed using iTRAQ technology and bioinformatics analysis used by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software. In this study, we employed an iTRAQ based proteomics analysis of four placental villous tissues from patients with early recurrent miscarriage (ERM) and four from normal pregnant women. Finally, we identified 2805 proteins and 79,998 peptides between patients with RM and normal matched group. Further analysis identified 314 differentially expressed proteins in placental villous tissue (≥1.3-fold, Student's t-test, p < 0.05); 209 proteins showed the increased expression while 105 proteins showed decreased expression. These 314 proteins were analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and were found to play important roles in the growth of embryo. Furthermore, network analysis show that Angiotensinogen (AGT), MAPK14 and Prothrombin (F2) are core factors in early embryonic development. We used another 8 independent samples (4 cases and 4 controls) to cross validation of the proteomic data. This study has identified several proteins that are associated with early development, these results may supply new insight into mechanisms behind recurrent miscarriage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Wagner, Michael; Ivleva, Natalia P; Haisch, Christoph; Niessner, Reinhard; Horn, Harald
2009-01-01
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was applied in combination with Raman microscopy (RM) for the characterization of heterotrophic biofilms. Compared to CLSM, RM allows for a deeper insight into the chemical structure of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the biofilm matrix. A low load of glucose (2 g m(-2)d(-1)) was applied as substrate to ensure small growth rates of the heterotrophic biofilm. To investigate the influence of hydrodynamic conditions on the chemical composition of EPS, a three funnel flow system was used, wherein biofilms were grown at Reynolds numbers of 1000, 2500 and 4000, respectively. 31 and 92 days after inoculation with activated sludge supernatant RM was applied as an additional technique to standard CLSM measurements for a more detailed analysis of the biofilm matrix. Polysaccharide-related Raman bands are in good agreement with the lectin binding analysis from CLSM. For the older biofilm, lectin binding analysis showed no change in the composition of EPS, whereas Raman spectra pointed out a change of EPS composition from predominantly polysaccharides to predominantly (glyco) proteins. For the applied substrate condition no significant influence of the Reynolds number on the chemical properties was observed.
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Testing Multiple Outcomes in Repeated Measures Designs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lix, Lisa M.; Sajobi, Tolulope
2010-01-01
This study investigates procedures for controlling the familywise error rate (FWR) when testing hypotheses about multiple, correlated outcome variables in repeated measures (RM) designs. A content analysis of RM research articles published in 4 psychology journals revealed that 3 quarters of studies tested hypotheses about 2 or more outcome…
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Maturing Weapon Systems for Improved Availability at Lower Costs
1994-01-01
development of new measures of R&M performance and improved data collection and analysis capabilities . Innovations in automated data collection, including the...45 Capabilities Required to Implement Maturation Development ...... 45 Assess R&M Performance Accurately ....................... 46 Identify...Requirements Determination ...................................... 49 Capabilities of the Best Existing Databases ..................... 49 Data Elements Needed
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The development of a repetition-load scheme for the eccentric-only bench press exercise.
Moir, Gavin L; Erny, Kyle F; Davis, Shala E; Guers, John J; Witmer, Chad A
2013-01-01
The purpose of the present study was to develop a repetition-load scheme for the eccentric-only bench press exercise. Nine resistance trained men (age: 21.6 ± 1.0 years; 1-repetition maximum [RM] bench press: 137.7 ± 30.4 kg) attended four testing sessions during a four week period. During the first session each subject's 1-RM bench press load utilizing the stretch-shortening cycle was determined. During the remaining sessions they performed eccentric-only repetitions to failure using supra-maximal loads equivalent to 110%, 120% and 130% of their 1-RM value with a constant cadence (30 reps·min(-1)). Force plates and a three dimensional motion analysis system were used during these final three sessions in order to evaluate kinematic and kinetic variables. More repetitions were completed during the 110% 1-RM condition compared to the 130% 1-RM condition (p=0.01). Mean total work (p=0.046) as well as vertical force (p=0.049), vertical work (p=0.017), and vertical power output (p=0.05) were significantly greater during the 130% 1-RM condition compared to the 110% 1-RM condition. A linear function was fitted to the number of repetitions completed under each load condition that allowed the determination of the maximum number of repetitions that could be completed under other supra-maximal loads. This linear function predicted an eccentric-only 1-RM in the bench press with a load equivalent to 164.8% 1-RM, producing a load of 227.0 ± 50.0 kg. The repetition-load scheme presented here should provide a starting point for researchers to investigate the kinematic, kinetic and metabolic responses to eccentric-only bench press workouts.
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Wang, Jie; Dun, Xiaoling; Shi, Jiaqin; Wang, Xinfa; Liu, Guihua; Wang, Hanzhong
2017-01-01
As the major determinant for nutrient uptake, root system architecture (RSA) has a massive impact on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, little is known the molecular control of RSA as related to NUE in rapeseed. Here, a rapeseed recombinant inbred line population (BnaZNRIL) was used to investigate root morphology (RM, an important component for RSA) and NUE-related traits under high-nitrogen (HN) and low-nitrogen (LN) conditions by hydroponics. Data analysis suggested that RM-related traits, particularly root size had significantly phenotypic correlations with plant dry biomass and N uptake irrespective of N levels, but no or little correlation with N utilization efficiency (NUtE), providing the potential to identify QTLs with pleiotropy or specificity for RM- and NUE-related traits. A total of 129 QTLs (including 23 stable QTLs, which were repeatedly detected at least two environments or different N levels) were identified and 83 of them were integrated into 22 pleiotropic QTL clusters. Five RM-NUE, ten RM-specific and three NUE-specific QTL clusters with same directions of additive-effect implied two NUE-improving approaches (RM-based and N utilization-based directly) and provided valuable genomic regions for NUE improvement in rapeseed. Importantly, all of four major QTLs and most of stable QTLs (20 out of 23) detected here were related to RM traits under HN and/or LN levels, suggested that regulating RM to improve NUE would be more feasible than regulating N efficiency directly. These results provided the promising genomic regions for marker-assisted selection on RM-based NUE improvement in rapeseed. PMID:29033971
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Respiratory morbidity among welders in the shipbuilding industry, Goa
Bhumika, Nateshan; Prabhu, Ganapati Vasant; Ferreira, Agnelo Menino; Kulkarni, Manoj Kumar; Vaz, Frederick Satiro; Singh, Zile
2012-01-01
Context: Welding is pivotal in shipbuilding. The fumes and gases involved in welding may cause respiratory morbidity. Aim: To study the prevalence of respiratory morbidity (RM) among welders vis à vis among nonwelders and its association with certain relevant factors. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study of 276 welders and 276 nonwelders was conducted in the shipbuilding industry. Materials and Methods: An interviewer-administered questionnaire was followed by spirometric examination. Statistical Analysis: Odds ratio and its 95% CI and two-way ANOVA. Results: Prevalence of RM was found to be significantly higher among welders compared to nonwelders (who were comparable in age, duration of employment (DOE) and smoking habits,) with odds ratio (OR) of 1.78 (95% confidence interval (CI):1.20-2.63). Obstructive type of RM was predominant in both welders (26% (n = 73)) and nonwelders (17% (n = 49)) with welders being at a significantly higher risk (OR = 1.66 (95%: 1.10-2.49)). RM was commoner after the 40 years of age or after 20 years of employment in both groups. Smoking was associated with RM among welders (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.24-1.75) as well as nonwelders (OR = 2.83, 95% CI: 2.26-3.54). Work-related respiratory symptoms (WRRS) was not found to be related to RM (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.00-2.84). Consistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was protective against RM in welders (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.28-0.37). Conclusion: Welders had a greater burden of RM and this was related to increasing age, DOE, smoking and inconsistent use of PPE. WRRS were not indicative of RM. PMID:23580835
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The Development of a Repetition-Load Scheme for the Eccentric-Only Bench Press Exercise
Moir, Gavin L.; Erny, Kyle F.; Davis, Shala E.; Guers, John J.; Witmer, Chad A.
2013-01-01
The purpose of the present study was to develop a repetition-load scheme for the eccentric-only bench press exercise. Nine resistance trained men (age: 21.6 ± 1.0 years; 1-repetition maximum [RM] bench press: 137.7 ± 30.4 kg) attended four testing sessions during a four week period. During the first session each subject’s 1-RM bench press load utilizing the stretch-shortening cycle was determined. During the remaining sessions they performed eccentric-only repetitions to failure using supra-maximal loads equivalent to 110%, 120% and 130% of their 1-RM value with a constant cadence (30 reps·min−1). Force plates and a three dimensional motion analysis system were used during these final three sessions in order to evaluate kinematic and kinetic variables. More repetitions were completed during the 110% 1-RM condition compared to the 130% 1-RM condition (p=0.01). Mean total work (p=0.046) as well as vertical force (p=0.049), vertical work (p=0.017), and vertical power output (p=0.05) were significantly greater during the 130% 1-RM condition compared to the 110% 1-RM condition. A linear function was fitted to the number of repetitions completed under each load condition that allowed the determination of the maximum number of repetitions that could be completed under other supra-maximal loads. This linear function predicted an eccentric-only 1-RM in the bench press with a load equivalent to 164.8% 1-RM, producing a load of 227.0 ± 50.0 kg. The repetition-load scheme presented here should provide a starting point for researchers to investigate the kinematic, kinetic and metabolic responses to eccentric-only bench press workouts. PMID:24235981
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Sugiura, Yoshito; Hatanaka, Yasuhiko; Arai, Tomoaki; Sakurai, Hiroaki; Kanada, Yoshikiyo
2016-04-01
We aimed to investigate whether a linear regression formula based on the relationship between joint torque and angular velocity measured using a high-speed video camera and image measurement software is effective for estimating 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and isometric peak torque in knee extension. Subjects comprised 20 healthy men (mean ± SD; age, 27.4 ± 4.9 years; height, 170.3 ± 4.4 cm; and body weight, 66.1 ± 10.9 kg). The exercise load ranged from 40% to 150% 1RM. Peak angular velocity (PAV) and peak torque were used to estimate 1RM and isometric peak torque. To elucidate the relationship between force and velocity in knee extension, the relationship between the relative proportion of 1RM (% 1RM) and PAV was examined using simple regression analysis. The concordance rate between the estimated value and actual measurement of 1RM and isometric peak torque was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Reliability of the regression line of PAV and % 1RM was 0.95. The concordance rate between the actual measurement and estimated value of 1RM resulted in an ICC(2,1) of 0.93 and that of isometric peak torque had an ICC(2,1) of 0.87 and 0.86 for 6 and 3 levels of load, respectively. Our method for estimating 1RM was effective for decreasing the measurement time and reducing patients' burden. Additionally, isometric peak torque can be estimated using 3 levels of load, as we obtained the same results as those reported previously. We plan to expand the range of subjects and examine the generalizability of our results.
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Pétrin, Julie; Akbar, Nadine; Turpin, Karen; Smyth, Penelope; Finlayson, Marcia
2018-04-01
We aimed to understand participants' experiences with a self-guided fatigue management resource, Multiple Sclerosis: An Interactive Fatigue Management Resource ( MS INFoRm), and the extent to which they found its contents relevant and useful to their daily lives. We recruited 35 persons with MS experiencing mild to moderate fatigue, provided them with MS INFoRm, and then conducted semistructured interviews 3 weeks and 3 months after they received the resource. Interpretive description guided the analysis process. Findings indicate that participants' experience of using MS INFoRm could be understood as a process of change, influenced by their initial reactions to the resource. They reported experiencing a shift in knowledge, expectations, and behaviors with respect to fatigue self-management. These shifts led to multiple positive outcomes, including increased levels of self-confidence and improved quality of life. These findings suggest that MS INFoRm may have a place in the continuum of fatigue management interventions for people with MS.
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RESOLVING THE ROTATION MEASURE OF THE M87 JET ON KILOPARSEC SCALES
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Algaba, J. C.; Asada, K.; Nakamura, M., E-mail: algaba@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw
2016-06-01
We investigate the distribution of Faraday rotation measure (RM) in the M87 jet at arcsecond scales by using archival polarimetric Very Large Array data at 8, 15, 22 and 43 GHz. We resolve the structure of the RM in several knots along the jet for the first time. We derive the power spectrum in the arcsecond-scale jet and find indications that the RM cannot be associated with a turbulent magnetic field with a 3D Kolmogorov spectrum. Our analysis indicates that the RM probed on jet scales has a significant contribution of a Faraday screen associated with the vicinity of themore » jet, in contrast with that on kiloparsec scales, typically assumed to be disconnected from the jet. Comparison with previous RM analyses suggests that the magnetic fields giving rise to the RMs observed in jet scales have different properties and are well less turbulent than those observed in the lobes.« less
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Downregulation of ILT4+ dendritic cells in recurrent miscarriage and recurrent implantation failure.
Liu, Su; Wei, Hongxia; Li, Yuye; Huang, Chunyu; Lian, Ruochun; Xu, Jian; Chen, Lanna; Zeng, Yong
2018-06-14
The role of ILT4 + DCs in healthy fertile controls and patients with recurrent miscarriages (RM) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is unclear. We studied the expression of ILT4 from peripheral blood and endometrial samples from healthy controls and patients with RM and RIF by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry analysis. Endometrial Foxp3 expression was also investigated using immunohistochemistry. In peripheral blood, there was a significant increase in the percentage of ILT4 + DCs in healthy fertile controls compared with patients with RM and RIF. The presence of ILT4 + DC is even more prominent in the endometrium of healthy fertile controls compared with patients with RM and RIF. Moreover, there was a strong correlation between the number of ILT4 + cells and Foxp3 + Tregs in healthy fertile controls, but not in patients with RM and RIF. Our data indicate that ILT4 + DCs play an important role in the maintenance of immune tolerance during pregnancy, probably through the induction of Foxp3 + Treg cells, a process which is impaired in RM and RIF. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Cebrià I Iranzo, Maria Dels Àngels; Tortosa-Chuliá, M Ángeles; Igual-Camacho, Celedonia; Sancho, Patricia; Galiana, Laura; Tomás, José Manuel
2014-01-01
The institutionalized elderly with functional impairment show a greater decline in respiratory muscle (RM) function. The aims of the study are to evaluate outcomes and costs of RM training using Pranayama in institutionalized elderly people with functional impairment. A randomized controlled trial was conducted on institutionalized elderly people with walking limitation (n=54). The intervention consisted of 6 weeks of Pranayama RM training (5 times/week). The outcomes were measured at 4 time points, and were related to RM function: the maximum respiratory pressures and the maximum voluntary ventilation. Perceived satisfaction in the experimental group (EG) was assessed by means of an ad hoc questionnaire. Direct and indirect costs were estimated from the social perspective. The GE showed a significant improvement related with strength (maximum respiratory pressures) and endurance (maximum voluntary ventilation) of RM. Moreover, 92% of the EG reported a high satisfaction. The total social costs, direct and indirect, amounted to Euro 21,678. This evaluation reveals that RM function improvement is significant, that intervention is well tolerated and appreciated by patients, and the intervention costs are moderate. Copyright © 2013 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Berg, Joshua; Mawson, Cara; Norris, Zach; Nucci, Nathaniel
Reverse micelles are spontaneously organizing complexes of surfactant that encapsulate a nanoscale pool of water in a bulk non-polar solvent. Reverse micelle (RM) mixtures have a wide range of applications, including biophysical investigation of protein systems. A new RM mixture composed of decyl-1-monoglycerol (10MAG) and lauryldimethylammonium-N-oxide (LDAO) was recently described. This mixture has the potential to prove more widely applicable for use of RMs in applications that involve encapsulation of macromolecules, yet little is known about the phase behavior or size of reverse micelles created by this mixture. Data describing such behaviors for this mixture are presented here. We have used dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the size and partitioning behavior of RMs in varying mixtures of 10MAG, LDAO, water, pentane, and hexanol. These data demonstrate that the 10MAG/LDAO RM mixture exhibits markedly different phase and RM size behavior than that of commonly used RM surfactant mixtures. The implications of these findings for use of the 10MAG/LDAO mix for RM applications will also be addressed. Funding provided by Rowan University.
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Nishii, Nobuhiro; Miyoshi, Akihito; Kubo, Motoki; Miyamoto, Masakazu; Morimoto, Yoshimasa; Kawada, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Koji; Watanabe, Atsuyuki; Nakamura, Kazufumi; Morita, Hiroshi; Ito, Hiroshi
2018-03-01
Remote monitoring (RM) has been advocated as the new standard of care for patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). RM has allowed the early detection of adverse clinical events, such as arrhythmia, lead failure, and battery depletion. However, lead failure was often identified only by arrhythmic events, but not impedance abnormalities. To compare the usefulness of arrhythmic events with conventional impedance abnormalities for identifying lead failure in CIED patients followed by RM. CIED patients in 12 hospitals have been followed by the RM center in Okayama University Hospital. All transmitted data have been analyzed and summarized. From April 2009 to March 2016, 1,873 patients have been followed by the RM center. During the mean follow-up period of 775 days, 42 lead failure events (atrial lead 22, right ventricular pacemaker lead 5, implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD] lead 15) were detected. The proportion of lead failures detected only by arrhythmic events, which were not detected by conventional impedance abnormalities, was significantly higher than that detected by impedance abnormalities (arrhythmic event 76.2%, 95% CI: 60.5-87.9%; impedance abnormalities 23.8%, 95% CI: 12.1-39.5%). Twenty-seven events (64.7%) were detected without any alert. Of 15 patients with ICD lead failure, none has experienced inappropriate therapy. RM can detect lead failure earlier, before clinical adverse events. However, CIEDs often diagnose lead failure as just arrhythmic events without any warning. Thus, to detect lead failure earlier, careful human analysis of arrhythmic events is useful. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Mo, SangJoon; Lee, Sung-Kwon; Jin, Ying-Yu; Suh, Joo-Won
2016-02-01
FK506, a widely used immunosuppressant, is a 23-membered polyketide macrolide that is produced by several Streptomyces species. FK506 high-yielding strain Streptomyces sp. RM7011 was developed from the discovered Streptomyces sp. KCCM 11116P by random mutagenesis in our previous study. The results of transcript expression analysis showed that the transcription levels of tcsA, B, C, and D were increased in Streptomyces sp. RM7011 by 2.1-, 3.1-, 3.3-, and 4.1- fold, respectively, compared with Streptomyces sp. KCCM 11116P. The overexpression of tcsABCD genes in Streptomyces sp. RM7011 gave rise to approximately 2.5-fold (238.1 μg/ml) increase in the level of FK506 production compared with that of Streptomyces sp. RM7011. When vinyl pentanoate was added into the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. RM7011, the level of FK506 production was approximately 2.2-fold (207.7 μg/ml) higher than that of the unsupplemented fermentation. Furthermore, supplementing the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. RM7011 expressing tcsABCD genes with vinyl pentanoate resulted in an additional 1.7-fold improvement in the FK506 titer (498.1 μg/ml) compared with that observed under nonsupplemented condition. Overall, the level of FK506 production was increased approximately 5.2-fold by engineering the supply of allylmalonyl-CoA in the high-yielding strain Streptomyces sp. RM7011, using a combination of overexpressing tcsABCD genes and adding vinyl pentanoate, as compared with Streptomyces sp. RM7011 (95.3 μg/ml). Moreover, among the three precursors analyzed, pentanoate was the most effective precursor, supporting the highest titer of FK506 in the FK506 high-yielding strain Streptomyces sp. RM7011.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Varma, Vikram
A combined experimental and theoretical protocol for the conformational analysis of oligosaccharides is presented. Three disaccharides, methyl alpha - scD-mannopyranosyl-(1 to 3)-alpha- scD-mannopyranoside, methyl beta- scD-galactopyranosyl-(1 to 4)-beta- scD-glucopyranoside, and propyl beta- scD-2-acetamido -2-deoxy glucopyranosyl-(1 to 3)- alpha- scL-rhamnopyranoside, are used to evaluate a protocol for conformational analysis that makes use of molecular dynamics calculations with the CHARMM force field. Dynamics trajectories computed in vacuo and in water are used to calculate time-averaged NMR parameters such as spin-lattice relaxation times (T_1 ), Nuclear Overhauser Enhancements (NOE), and heteronuclear spin-spin coupling constants (^3J _{rm CH}). The calculated NMR parameters are then compared to experimental values and used to evaluate the computational procedure. The energetically accessible conformations are effectively sampled by the simulations. The method has been extended to the conformational analysis of higher-order oligosaccharides corresponding to the cell-wall polysaccharide of the Streptococcus Group A, and the Shigella flexneri Y O-antigen. The Streptococcus Group A cell-wall polysaccharide is comprised of a backbone of rhamnopyranosyl units connected by alternating alpha- scL-(1 to 3) and alpha- scL -(1 to 2) linkages, to which are attached N-acetyl-beta- scD-glucosamine ( beta- scD-GlcpNAc) residues at the 3 positions of the rhamnose backbone.rm A&rm B^'qquad A^'& rm Bqquad Acr[{-alpha}{-}L{-}Rha {it p}{-}(1to2){-alpha }{-}L{-}Rha{it p} {-}(1to3){-alpha}{ -}L{-}Rha{it p}-(1to2) -alpha-L-Rha{it p}{-}(1 to3){-alpha}{-}L{- }Rha{it p}{-}cr&uparrow(1 to3)&uparrow(1to3)crbeta {-}D{-}&rm Glc{it p }NAcqquadbeta{-}D{-}& rm Glc{it p}NAccr&rm C ^'&rm C] A branched trisaccharide (A^' -(C)B), a tetrasaccharide (A^' -(C)B-A), a pentasaccharide (C^' -B^'-A ^'-(C)B), and two hexasaccharides (C^'-B^ '-A^' -(C)B-A) and (A-(C^')B ^'-A^' -(C)B), have been chosen for study. The Shigella flexneri Y O-antigen is a linear polysaccharide that is composed of rhamnose units linked alpha- scL-(1 to 3) and alpha- scL-(1 to 2), interspersed by N-acetyl-beta - scD-glucosamine (beta- scD -GlcpNAc) to form a periodic repeating unit ABCD. &rm A&rm B&rm C&rm Dcr [{-alpha}{-}L {-}Rha{it p}-(1to2){ -alpha}{-}L{-}Rha{it p}{-}(1to3){-alpha} {-}L{-}Rha{it p}{ -}(1to3){-}beta{-}D {-}Glc{it p}NAc{-}(1 to2){-}]_{it n}A heptasaccharide corresponding to the fragment (ABCDA^'B ^'C^' ) of the Shigella flexneri Y polysaccharide has been investigated. The conformational properties of all of the oligosaccharides have been studied using molecular dynamics simulations. Interproton distances derived from ROESY spectra are used to determine the starting conformations of the oligosaccharides used in the dynamics calculations, and dynamics simulations are computed with proton pairs constrained to the ROESY -derived distances, as well as with the constraints removed. These dynamics trajectories are used to calculate ROESY buildup curves with CROSREL, a program that treats cross relaxation by means of a full matrix relaxation approach. The calculated buildup curves compare favorably with the experimental buildup curves. The study demonstrates that molecular dynamics, in conjunction with NMR spectroscopy, can be a useful tool in the understanding of the conformational behavior of oligosaccharides in solution. The results provide a model for antigen topology that can be used to infer some of the critical features of antibody-antigen interactions.
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Influence of the pH on the accumulation of phosphate by red mud (a bauxite ore processing waste).
Castaldi, Paola; Silvetti, Margherita; Garau, Giovanni; Deiana, Salvatore
2010-10-15
In the present work we investigated the interactions established between red mud (RM) and phosphate anions (P) at pH 4.0, 7.0 and 10.0. The amount of P sorbed by RM (P-RM) increased as the pH decreased being equal to 4.871 mmol g(-1) at pH 4.0, 0.924 mmol g(-1) at pH 7.0, and 0.266 mmol g(-1) at pH 10.0. Sequential extractions' data of P-RM equilibrated at pH 4.0 and 7.0, suggested that the phosphate sorption at these pH values was mainly regulated by two different mechanisms that gave rise to a chemical adsorption on RM phases, and to the formation of metal phosphate precipitates. By contrast, at pH 10.0 the P-sorption was regulated by a chemisorption mechanism on Fe-Al phases of RM. These findings were supported by FT-IR analysis, which showed a broad band at 1114 and 1105 cm(-1) in P-RM spectra at pH 4.0 and 7.0 respectively, attributable to P-O(H) stretching nu(3)-modes associated to inner-sphere complexes of phosphate on Fe-Al phases, or alternatively to stretching vibrations of PO(4)(3-) tetrahedra, arising from a precipitate of aluminium phosphate. Importantly, the FT-IR spectroscopy showed a phosphate-promoted dissolution of tectosilicates, notably cancrinite and sodalite, in RM exchanged with phosphate at pH 4.0 and 7.0. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Rogers, Benjamin H; Brown, Justin C; Gater, David R; Schmitz, Kathryn H
2017-02-01
To characterize the relationship between 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press strength and isometric handgrip strength among breast cancer survivors. Cross-sectional study. Laboratory. Community-dwelling breast cancer survivors (N=295). Not applicable. 1-RM bench press strength was measured with a barbell and exercise bench. Isometric handgrip strength was measured using an isometric dynamometer, with 3 maximal contractions of the left and right hands. All measures were conducted by staff with training in clinical exercise testing. Among 295 breast cancer survivors, 1-RM bench press strength was 18.2±6.1kg (range, 2.2-43.0kg), and isometric handgrip strength was 23.5±5.8kg (range, 9.0-43.0kg). The strongest correlate of 1-RM bench press strength was the average isometric handgrip strength of both hands (r=.399; P<.0001). Mean difference analysis suggested that the average isometric handgrip strength of both hands overestimated 1-RM bench press strength by 4.7kg (95% limits of agreement, -8.2 to 17.6kg). In a multivariable linear regression model, the average isometric handgrip strength of both hands (β=.31; P<.0001) and age (β=-.20; P<.0001) were positively correlated with 1-RM bench press strength (R 2 =.23). Isometric handgrip strength is a poor surrogate for 1-RM bench press strength among breast cancer survivors. 1-RM bench press strength and isometric handgrip strength quantify distinct components of muscular strength. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Thienkrua, Warunee; Todd, Catherine S; Chaikummao, Supaporn; Sukwicha, Wichuda; Yafant, Somsak; Tippanont, Narongritt; Varangrat, Anchalee; Khlaimanee, Pechpailin; Holtz, Timothy H
2014-01-01
Rectal microbicides (RMs) hold promise as a HIV prevention method to reduce transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM). To assess RM trial feasibility in Bangkok, we measured prevalence and correlates of willingness to participate among Thai MSM observational cohort participants. Between April 2006 and December 2010, 1744 MSM enrolled in the Bangkok MSM Cohort Study; at 12 months, RM trial participation willingness was measured. We evaluated correlates of RM trial participation willingness using logistic regression analysis. Participants completing the 12-month visit (81.4%, n = 1419) had a mean age of 27.3 years (SD = 6.1), and 65.5% and 86.1% reported having a steady partner or anal intercourse (AI) in the past four months, respectively. Most (79.1%, n = 1123) participants reported willingness to participate in an RM trial, which, in multivariable analysis, was independently associated with insertive only (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.82-5.81) or receptive/versatile role AI (AOR = 3.07, 95% CI: 1.88-5.01), and being paid for sex (AOR = 12.15, 95% CI: 1.67-88.21) in the past four months, and believing that people with AIDS look sick (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.23-2.98). Of hypothetical RM trial features to increase enrollment likelihood, the most (91.1%) compelling was that the study be approved by the Thai ethics committee, followed by the study site offering evening hours (88.9%). Reasons not to participate were not wanting a rectal examination (29.5%) or fluid collected from the penis or anus (24.6%) and not wanting the placebo (23.0%). RM trial participation willingness was high, particularly for those with greater HIV acquisition risk, within this Thai MSM cohort, suggesting feasibility of an RM trial. Addressing potential barriers to trial entry may be useful in educational materials to optimize recruitment.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zechmeister, M. S.; O'Brien, V. J.; Elmore, R. D.; Evans, M. A.
2006-12-01
Results from paleomagnetic analysis of Lower Carboniferous carbonates in the Sawtooth Range, northwestern Montana and the Livingstone range in Southwestern Alberta are presented. Paleomagnetic cores were collected from both limbs of four fault propagation folds, one at Swift Dam in MT as well as one along Green Creek and two along Oldman River in Alberta. The Swift Dam Fold is in the Madison Group and contains a widespread characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) that resides in magnetite with southerly declinations and moderately steep up inclinations. A tilt test reveals a synfolding ChRM, and the paleopole suggests remanence acquisition in the Cretaceous to Early Tertiary. This result contrasts with results from another fold in MT, the Teton anticline, which is a buckle fold where a similar ChRM is pretilting. The reason for the differences in the fold test results are under investigation. The ChRM is not thermoviscous in origin based on a comparison of unblocking temperature with the low burial temperatures and is interpreted as a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM). Preliminary data from the folds in Livingstone Range suggest a similar ChRM in the organic rich lithologies of the Livingstone, Banff and Mount Head formations. Tilt test results for the fault propagation folds in Alberta will be presented as well as a discussion on the origin of orogenic remagnetizations.
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Impact of 10-Minute Interval Roller Massage on Performance and Active Range of Motion.
Hodgson, D D; Quigley, P J; Whitten, J H D; Reid, J C; Behm, David G
2017-11-16
Hodgson, DD, Quigley, PJ, Whitten, JHD, Reid, JC, and Behm, DG. Impact of 10-minute interval roller massage on performance and active range of motion. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2017-Roller massage (RM) has been shown to increase range of motion (ROM) without subsequent performance deficits. However, prolonged static stretching (SS) can induce performance impairments. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of combining SS and RM with and without subsequent RM on ROM and neuromuscular performance. Subjects (n = 12) participated in 5 sessions: (a) SS only (SS_rest), (b) SS + RM (SS + RM_rest), (c) SS with RM at 10 and 20 minutes after stretch (SS_RM), (d) SS + RM with RM at 10 and 20 minutes after stretch (SS + RM_RM), and (e) control. For the SS conditions, the quadriceps and hamstrings received passive SS for 2 × 30 seconds each. For the SS + RM conditions, SS was applied to the quadriceps and hamstrings for 30 seconds each, and RM was performed for 30 seconds per muscle. SS_RM and SS + RM_RM conditions received an additional 30-second RM at 10 and 20 minutes after warm-up, whereas sessions without additional RM rested for the same duration. Testing measures included hip flexion (HF) and knee flexion (KF) active and passive ROM, hurdle jump height and contact time, countermovement jump height, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction force. Initial KF and HF ROM improvements provided by SS_RM and SS + RM_RM were sustained up to 30 minutes after intervention. Furthermore, SS_RM exhibited greater ROM compared with sessions lacking additional RM in active and passive HF as well as active and passive KF. Similarly, SS + RM_RM elicited greater KF and HF ROM improvements than SS_rest. In conclusion, active KF and HF ROM improvements were prolonged by additional RM, whereas neuromuscular performance remained relatively unaffected.
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Salunkhe, Arvindkumar Shivaji; Poornima, R; Prince, K Silvas Jebakumar; Kanagaraj, P; Sheeba, J Annie; Amudha, K; Suji, K K; Senthil, A; Babu, R Chandra
2011-09-01
Drought stress is a major limitation to rice (Oryza sativa L.) yields and its stability, especially in rainfed conditions. Developing rice cultivars with inherent capacity to withstand drought stress would improve rainfed rice production. Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to drought resistance traits will help to develop rice cultivars suitable for water-limited environments through molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) strategy. However, QTL mapping is usually carried out by genotyping large number of progenies, which is labour-intensive, time-consuming and cost-ineffective. Bulk segregant analysis (BSA) serves as an affordable strategy for mapping large effect QTLs by genotyping only the extreme phenotypes instead of the entire mapping population. We have previously mapped a QTL linked to leaf rolling and leaf drying in recombinant inbred (RI) lines derived from two locally adapted indica rice ecotypes viz., IR20/Nootripathu using BSA. Fine mapping the QTL will facilitate its application in MAS. BSA was done by bulking DNA of 10 drought-resistant and 12 drought-sensitive RI lines. Out of 343 rice microsatellites markers genotyped, RM8085 co-segregated among the RI lines constituting the respective bulks. RM8085 was mapped in the middle of the QTL region on chromosome 1 previously identified in these RI lines thus reducing the QTL interval from 7.9 to 3.8 cM. Further, the study showed that the region, RM212-RM302-RM8085-RM3825 on chromosome 1, harbours large effect QTLs for drought-resistance traits across several genetic backgrounds in rice. Thus, the QTL may be useful for drought resistance improvement in rice through MAS and map-based cloning.
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The effects of ageing on respiratory muscle function and performance in older adults.
Watsford, Mark L; Murphy, Aron J; Pine, Matthew J
2007-02-01
The reduced physiological capacity evident with ageing may affect the ability to perform many tasks, potentially affecting quality of life. Previous research has clearly demonstrated the reduced capacity of the respiratory system with ageing and described the effect that habitual physical activity has upon this decline. This research aimed to examine the influence of age on respiratory muscle (RM) function and the relationship between RM function and physical performance within the Australian population. Seventy-two healthy older adults (50-79 years) were divided into males (n=36) and females (n=36) and examined for pulmonary function, RM strength, inspiratory muscle endurance (IME) and 1.6 km walking performance. There were no significant age by gender effects for any variables; however, ageing was significantly related to reduced RM function and walking capacity within each gender. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that the RM strength could be predicted from age. Partial correlations controlling for age indicated that expiratory muscle strength was significantly related to walking performance in males (p=0.04), whilst IME contributed significantly to walking performance in all participants. These within-gender effects and relationships indicate that RM strength is an important physiological variable to maintain in the older population, as it may be related to functional ability.
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Good, Marion; Albert, Jeffrey M; Arafah, Baha; Anderson, Gene Cranston; Wotman, Stephen; Cong, Xiaomei; Lane, Deforia; Ahn, Sukhee
2013-07-01
The physiological and psychological stress of surgery and postoperative pain can leave patients more susceptible to infection and complications. The present study was designed to determine whether two interventions, patient teaching (PT) for pain management and relaxation/music (RM), reduced cortisol levels, an indicator of stress, following abdominal surgery. Patients (18-75 years) were randomly assigned to receive PT, RM, a combination of the two, or usual care; the 205 patients with both pre- and posttest cortisol values were analyzed. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to compare groups for PT effects and RM effects. Stress was measured by salivary cortisol before and after 20-min tests of the interventions in the morning and afternoon of postoperative Day 2. Saliva was stimulated with lemon juice and analyzed with high-sensitivity salivary cortisol enzyme immunoassay. Comparisons using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for baseline levels, showed no PT effect or RM effect on cortisol in the morning or afternoon. Post hoc ANCOVA showed no significant effects when intervention groups were compared to the control group. Although in previous studies, RM reduced pain and music reduced cortisol on Day 1, in the present study the cortisol response to surgery was not attenuated by PT or RM on Day 2. The RM intervention can be used for pain but needs to be further tested for effects on plasma cortisol in abdominal surgery patients on their first postoperative day.
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Aerobic biodegradation of 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid produced from dibenzothiophene metabolites
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Young, R.F.; Cheng, S.M.; Fedorak, P.M.
Dibenzothiophene is a sulfur heterocycle found in crude oils and coal. The biodegradation of dibenzothiophene through the Kodama pathway by Pseudomonas sp. strain BT1d leads to the formation of three disulfides: 2-oxo-2-(2-thiophenyl)ethanoic acid disulfide, 2-oxo-2-(2-thiophenyl)ethanoic acid-2-benzoic acid disulfide, and 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid. When provided as the carbon and sulfur source in liquid medium, 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid was degraded by soil enrichment cultures. Two bacterial isolates, designated strains RM1 and RM6, degraded 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid when combined in the medium. Isolate RM6 was found to have an absolute requirement for vitamin B{sub 12}, and it degraded 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid in pure culture when the mediummore » was supplemented with this vitamin. Isolate RM6 also degraded 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid in medium containing sterilized supernatants from cultures of isolate RM1 grown on glucose or benzoate. Isolate RM6 was identified as a member of the genus Variovorax using the Biolog system and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Although the mechanism of disulfide metabolism could not be determined, benzoic acid was detected as a transient metabolite of 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid biodegradation by Variovorax sp. strain RM6. In pure culture, this isolate mineralized 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid, releasing 59% of the carbon as carbon dioxide and 88% of the sulfur as sulfate.« less
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Govarthanan, M; Mythili, R; Selvankumar, T; Kamala-Kannan, S; Rajasekar, A; Chang, Young-Cheol
2016-12-01
The aim of the present study was to assess the bioremediation potential of endophytic bacteria isolated from roots of Tridax procumbens plant. Five bacterial endophytes were isolated and subsequently tested for minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against different heavy metals. Amongst the five isolates, strain RM exhibited the highest resistance to copper (750 mg/l), followed by zinc (500 mg/l), lead (450 mg/l), and arsenic (400 mg/l). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence suggested that strain RM was a member of genus Paneibacillus. Strain RM also had the capacity to produce secondary metabolites, indole acetic acid, siderophores, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and biosurfactant and solubilize phosphate. The growth kinetics of strain RM was altered slightly in the presence of metal stress. Temperature and pH influenced the metal removal rate. The results suggest that strain RM can survive under the high concentration of heavy metals and has been identified as a potential candidate for application in bioremediation of heavy metals in contaminated environments.
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The influence of somatotype on anaerobic performance
Faulkner, James; Jobson, Simon
2018-01-01
The link between athlete physique and performance in sports is well established. However, a direct link between somatotype three-numeral rating and anaerobic performance has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the relations between somatotype and anaerobic performance using both singular and multivariate analyses. Thirty-six physically active males (mean ± standard deviation age 26.0 ± 9.8 years; body mass 79.5 ± 12.9 kg; height 1.82 ± 0.07 m) were somatotype-rated using the Heath-Carter method. Subjects were assessed for 3 repetition maximum (3 RM) bench press and back squat, and completed a 30-second maximal sprint cycle test. Positive correlations were observed between mesomorphy and 3 RM bench press (r = 0.560, p < 0.001), mesomorphy and 3 RM back squat (r = 0.550, p = 0.001) and between mesomorphy and minimum power output (r = 0.357, p = 0.033). Negative correlations were observed between ectomorphy and 3 RM bench press (r = -0.381, p = 0.022), and ectomorphy and 3 RM back squat (r = -0.336, p = 0.045). Individual regression analysis indicated that mesomorphy was the best predictor of 3 RM bench press performance, with 31.4% of variance in 3 RM bench press performance accounted for by the mesomorphy rating (p < 0.001). A combination of mesomorphy and ectomorphy best predicted 3 RM back squat performance (R2 = 0.388, p < 0.04). Around one third of strength performance is predicted by somatotype-assessed physique in physically active males. This could have important implications for the identification of those predisposed to perform well in sports containing strength-based movements and prescription of training programmes. PMID:29787610
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The influence of somatotype on anaerobic performance.
Ryan-Stewart, Helen; Faulkner, James; Jobson, Simon
2018-01-01
The link between athlete physique and performance in sports is well established. However, a direct link between somatotype three-numeral rating and anaerobic performance has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the relations between somatotype and anaerobic performance using both singular and multivariate analyses. Thirty-six physically active males (mean ± standard deviation age 26.0 ± 9.8 years; body mass 79.5 ± 12.9 kg; height 1.82 ± 0.07 m) were somatotype-rated using the Heath-Carter method. Subjects were assessed for 3 repetition maximum (3 RM) bench press and back squat, and completed a 30-second maximal sprint cycle test. Positive correlations were observed between mesomorphy and 3 RM bench press (r = 0.560, p < 0.001), mesomorphy and 3 RM back squat (r = 0.550, p = 0.001) and between mesomorphy and minimum power output (r = 0.357, p = 0.033). Negative correlations were observed between ectomorphy and 3 RM bench press (r = -0.381, p = 0.022), and ectomorphy and 3 RM back squat (r = -0.336, p = 0.045). Individual regression analysis indicated that mesomorphy was the best predictor of 3 RM bench press performance, with 31.4% of variance in 3 RM bench press performance accounted for by the mesomorphy rating (p < 0.001). A combination of mesomorphy and ectomorphy best predicted 3 RM back squat performance (R2 = 0.388, p < 0.04). Around one third of strength performance is predicted by somatotype-assessed physique in physically active males. This could have important implications for the identification of those predisposed to perform well in sports containing strength-based movements and prescription of training programmes.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhao, Juan; Wu, Hui; Sun, Hai-Bo; Wang, Li-Fei
2018-02-01
Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11504206 and 11404049), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (CPSF) (Grant No. 2014M561259), and the Ph. D. Research Start-up Fund of Shandong Jiaotong University.
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Cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination in the prevention of cervical cancer in Malaysia.
Ezat, Wan Puteh Sharifa; Aljunid, Syed
2010-01-01
Cervical cancers (CC) demonstrate the second highest incidence of female cancers in Malaysia. The costs of chronic management have a high impact on nation's health cost and patient's quality of life that can be avoided by better screening and HPV vaccination. Respondents were interviewed from six public Gynecology-Oncology hospitals. Methods include experts' panel discussions to estimate treatment costs by severity and direct interviews with respondents using costing and SF-36 quality of life (QOL) questionnaires. Three options were compared i.e. screening via Pap smear; quadrivalent HPV Vaccination and combined strategy (screening plus vaccination). Scenario based sensitivity analysis using screening population coverage (40-80%) and costs of vaccine (RM 300-400/dose) were calculated. 502 cervical pre invasive and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) patients participated in the study. Mean age was 53.3 +/- 11.2 years, educated till secondary level (39.4%), Malays (44.2%) and married for 27.73 +/- 12.1 years. Life expectancy gained from vaccination is 13.04 years and average Quality Adjusted Life Years saved (QALYs) is 24.4 in vaccinated vs 6.29 in unvaccinated. Cost/QALYs for Pap smear at base case is RM 1,214.96/QALYs and RM 1,100.01 at increased screening coverage; for HPV Vaccination base case is at RM 35,346.79 and RM 46,530.08 when vaccination price is higher. In combined strategy, base case is RM 11,289.58; RM 7,712.74 at best case and RM 14,590.37 at worst case scenario. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) showed that screening at 70% coverage or higher is highly cost effective at RM 946.74 per QALYs saved and this is followed by combined strategy at RM 35,346.67 per QALYs saved. Vaccination increase life expectancy with better QOL of women when cancer can be avoided. Cost effective strategies will include increasing the Pap smear coverage to 70% or higher. Since feasibility and long term screening adherence is doubtful among Malaysian women, vaccination of young women is a more cost effective strategy against cervical cancers.
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The Effect of Atmospheric Diabatic Heating on Low-Frequency Oscillations.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yen, Ming-Cheng
1990-01-01
A diagnostic scheme is devised to illustrate a chain relationship between diabatic heating and planetary -scale divergent and rotational circulations. The scheme consists of the velocity-potential (chi) maintenance equation, which relates diabatic heating and velocity potential, and the streamfunction (psi ) budget equation, which depicts the streamfunction tendency caused by the imbalance between streamfunction tendencies induced by vorticity advection and source. The proposed scheme is employed to examine the effect of tropical diabatic heating on the annual variation of subtropical jet streams. Furthermore, the chi -maintenance analysis is used to examine how the 30-60 day oscillation of planetary-scale divergent circulation is maintained; and the psi-budget analysis is performed to illustrate how the 30-60 day velocity potential (~{chi}) mode interacts with the upper-level monsoon flow to induce the 30-60 day oscillation of the tropical easterly jet. It was found that annual variations of both tropical diabatic heating and planetary-scale divergent circulation exhibit an annual in-phase seesaw oscillation between the winter and summer hemispheres. The annual variation of subtropical jet streams is caused by the adjustment of atmospheric rotational flow through planetary-scale divergent circulation in response to the annual cycle of tropical diabatic heating. The chi-maintenance equation is expressed as chi = chi _sp{rm Q}{.} - chi_{rm HA} , where chi_sp{rm Q}{.} and chi_ {rm HA} are the effects of vertical differential diabatic and adiabatic heating, respectively. The 30-60 day chi oscillation is shown to be primarily maintained by the differential diabatic heating effect, which can be inferred from the H _{rm VD} anomalies, the Laplician of the filtered chi_sp{rm Q}{.} anomalies. The resemblance of the H_{rm VD} and OLR anomalies in terms of the geographic distributions indicates that the differential diabatic heating effect maintaining the 30-60 day chi oscillation is attributable to the latent heat released by cumulus convection. The synoptic relationship among (~ {chi}, nabla~ {chi}) (200 mb), OLR and ~{psi} (200 mb) makes clear the synchronization of the 30-60 day oscillation of the tropical easterly jet and the Somali jet. The significant outcome of the psi-budget analysis demonstrates that the 30-60 day oscillation of the southern part of the tropical easterly jet is a response of the upper-level monsoon circulation to the eastward propagating ~{chi} mode.
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Development of Respiratory Sampling to Assess Stress Responses in North Atlantic Right Whales
2012-09-30
blow: It is possible. Marine Mammal Science 25(3):605-618. Hunt KE, Rolland RM, Kraus SD, Wasser SK. 2006. Analysis of fecal glucocorticoids in the...5 November 2009. Rolland RM, Hunt KE, Kraus SD, Wasser SK. 2005. Assessing reproductive status of right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) using fecal hormone metabolites. General and Comparative Endocrinology 142:308-317.
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Bottacini, Francesca; Morrissey, Ruth; Roberts, Richard John; James, Kieran; van Breen, Justin; Egan, Muireann; Lambert, Jolanda; van Limpt, Kees; Knol, Jan; Motherway, Mary O’Connell; van Sinderen, Douwe
2018-01-01
Abstract Bifidobacterium breve represents one of the most abundant bifidobacterial species in the gastro-intestinal tract of breast-fed infants, where their presence is believed to exert beneficial effects. In the present study whole genome sequencing, employing the PacBio Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing platform, combined with comparative genome analysis allowed the most extensive genetic investigation of this taxon. Our findings demonstrate that genes encoding Restriction/Modification (R/M) systems constitute a substantial part of the B. breve variable gene content (or variome). Using the methylome data generated by SMRT sequencing, combined with targeted Illumina bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) and comparative genome analysis, we were able to detect methylation recognition motifs and assign these to identified B. breve R/M systems, where in several cases such assignments were confirmed by restriction analysis. Furthermore, we show that R/M systems typically impose a very significant barrier to genetic accessibility of B. breve strains, and that cloning of a methyltransferase-encoding gene may overcome such a barrier, thus allowing future functional investigations of members of this species. PMID:29294107
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Reliability of Maximal Strength Testing in Novice Weightlifters
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Loehr, James A.; Lee, Stuart M. C.; Feiveson, Alan H.; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L.
2009-01-01
The one repetition maximum (1RM) is a criterion measure of muscle strength. However, the reliability of 1RM testing in novice subjects has received little attention. Understanding this information is crucial to accurately interpret changes in muscle strength. To evaluate the test-retest reliability of a squat (SQ), heel raise (HR), and deadlift (DL) 1RM in novice subjects. Twenty healthy males (31 plus or minus 5 y, 179.1 plus or minus 6.1 cm, 81.4 plus or minus 10.6 kg) with no weight training experience in the previous six months participated in four 1RM testing sessions, with each session separated by 5-7 days. SQ and HR 1RM were conducted using a smith machine; DL 1RM was assessed using free weights. Session 1 was considered a familiarization and was not included in the statistical analyses. Repeated measures analysis of variance with Tukey fs post-hoc tests were used to detect between-session differences in 1RM (p.0.05). Test-retest reliability was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). During Session 2, the SQ and DL 1RM (SQ: 90.2 }4.3, DL: 75.9 }3.3 kg) were less than Session 3 (SQ: 95.3 }4.1, DL: 81.5 plus or minus 3.5 kg) and Session 4 (SQ: 96.6 }4.0, DL: 82.4 }3.9 kg), but there were no differences between Session 3 and Session 4. HR 1RM measured during Session 2 (150.1 }3.7 kg) and Session 3 (152.5 }3.9 kg) were not different from one another, but both were less than Session 4 (157.5 }3.8 kg). The reliability (ICC) of 1RM measures for Sessions 2-4 were 0.88, 0.83, and 0.87, for SQ, HR, and DL, respectively. When considering only Sessions 3 and 4, the reliability was 0.93, 0.91, and 0.86 for SQ, HR, and DL, respectively. One familiarization session and 2 test sessions (for SQ and DL) were required to obtain excellent reliability (ICC greater than or equal to 0.90) in 1RM values with novice subjects. We were unable to attain this level of reliability following 3 HR testing sessions therefore additional sessions may be required to obtain an ICC of greater than or equal to 0.90. Future resistive exercise studies should consider the reliability of specific measures to ensure that changes in strength with training are attributable to training and not learning effects associated with 1RM testing.
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Integrating O/S models during conceptual design, part 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ebeling, Charles E.
1994-01-01
The University of Dayton is pleased to submit this report to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Langley Research Center, which integrates a set of models for determining operational capabilities and support requirements during the conceptual design of proposed space systems. This research provides for the integration of the reliability and maintainability (R&M) model, both new and existing simulation models, and existing operations and support (O&S) costing equations in arriving at a complete analysis methodology. Details concerning the R&M model and the O&S costing model may be found in previous reports accomplished under this grant (NASA Research Grant NAG1-1327). In the process of developing this comprehensive analysis approach, significant enhancements were made to the R&M model, updates to the O&S costing model were accomplished, and a new simulation model developed. This is the 1st part of a 3 part technical report.
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Galerkin analysis of kinematic dynamos in the von Kármán geometry
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Marié, L.; Normand, C.; Daviaud, F.
2006-01-01
We investigate dynamo action by solving the kinematic dynamo problem for velocity fields of the von Kármán type between two coaxial counter-rotating propellers in a cylinder. A Galerkin method is implemented that takes advantage of the symmetries of the flow and their subsequent influence on the nature of the magnetic field at the dynamo threshold. Distinct modes of instability have been identified that differ by their spatial and temporal behaviors. Our calculations give the result that a stationary and antisymmetric mode prevails at the dynamo threshold. We then present a quantitative analysis of the results based on the parametric study of four interaction coefficients obtained by reduction of our initially large eigenvalue problem. We propose these coefficients to measure the relative importance of the different mechanisms at play in the von Kármán kinematic dynamo.
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Probing the Plasma Structure of HII Regions with Faraday Rotation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Costa, Allison; Spangler, Steven R.
2018-01-01
We are involved in study concerning the modification of magnetic fields in the shells of HII regions. We report Faraday Rotation results of lines on sight through or near HII regions associated with OB associations. In the our studies of the Rosette Nebula (l = 206°, b = -1.2°), we measure positive rotation measure (RM) values in excess of +40 to +1200 rad m-2 due to the shell of the nebula and a background RM of +147 rad m-2 due to the general interstellar medium (Savage et al. 2013, ApJ, 765, 42; Costa et al. 2016, ApJ, 821, 92). We are currently completing an analysis of observations probing an addition HII region, IC 1805 (l = 135°, b = +0.9°), associated with the W4 Superbubble. We measure negative RM values across the region between -68 and -961 rad m-2. We find the highest RM values for lines of sight which intersect the ionized shell of the HII region for the Rosette Nebula, but in the case of IC 1805, the highest RM values are outside the bright shell of the HII region. However, we find that the magnitude of the RM between the two regions is similar. The sign of the RM across each HII region is consistent with the expected polarity of a Galactic magnetic field that follows the Perseus spiral arm in the clockwise direction, as suggested by Han et al. (2006, ApJ, 642, 868) and Van Eck et al. (2011, ApJ, 728, 14).
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Di Fabio, Annamaria; Kenny, Maureen E.
2016-01-01
The aim of the present study is to empirically test the theoretical model, Positive Self and Relational Management (PS&RM), for a sample of 184 Italian university students. The PS&RM model specifies the development of individuals' strengths, potentials, and talents across the lifespan and with regard to the dialect of self in relationship. PS&RM is defined theoretically by three constructs: Positive Lifelong Life Management, Positive Lifelong Self-Management, Positive Lifelong Relational Management. The three constructs are operationalized as follows: Positive Lifelong Life Management is measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Meaningful Life Measure (MLM), and the Authenticity Scale (AS); Positive Lifelong Self-Management is measured by the Intrapreneurial Self-Capital Scale (ISC), the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS), and the Life Project Reflexivity Scale (LPRS); and Positive Lifelong Relational Management is measured by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), the Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Positive Relational Management Scale (PRMS). Confirmatory factor analysis of the PS&RM model was completed using structural equation modeling. The theoretical PS&RM model was empirically tested as defined by the three hypothesized constructs. Empirical support for this model offers a framework for further research and the design of preventive interventions to promote decent work and decent lives in the twenty-first century. PMID:27047406
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Karsten, Jan; Meier, Torsten; Iblher, Peter; Schindler, Angela; Paarmann, Hauke; Heinze, Hermann
2014-02-01
Open endotracheal suctioning procedure (OSP) and recruitment manoeuvre (RM) are known to induce severe alterations of end-expiratory lung volume (EELV). We hypothesised that EIT lung volumes lack clinical validity. We studied the suitability of EIT to estimate EELV compared to oxygen wash-in/wash-out technique. Fifty-four postoperative cardiac surgery patients were enrolled and received standardized ventilation and OSP. Patients were randomized into two groups receiving either RM after suctioning (group RM) or no RM (group NRM). Measurements were conducted at the following time points: Baseline (T1), after suctioning (T2), after RM or NRM (T3), and 15 and 30 min after T3 (T4 and T5). We measured EELV using the oxygen wash-in/wash-out technique (EELVO2) and computed EELV from EIT (EELVEIT) by the following formula: EELVEITTx,y…=EELVO2+ΔEELI×VT/ΔZ. EELVEIT values were compared with EELVO2 using Bland-Altman analysis and Pearson correlation. Limits of agreement ranged from -0.83 to 1.31 l. Pearson correlation revealed significant results. There was no significant impact of RM or NRM on EELVO2-EELVEIT relationship (p=0.21; p=0.23). During typical routine respiratory manoeuvres like endotracheal suctioning or alveolar recruitment, EELV cannot be estimated by EIT with reasonable accuracy.
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Park, Jung Sik; Yang, Jun-Mo; Park, Kyung Jin; Park, Yun Chang; Yoo, Jung Ho; Jeong, Chil Seong; Park, Jucheol; He, Yinsheng; Shin, Keesam
2014-02-01
Growing a GaN film on a patterned Al2O3 substrate is one of the methods of reducing threading dislocations (TDs), which can significantly deteriorate the performance of GaN-based LEDs. In this study, the microstructural details of the GaN film grown on a cone-shaped patterned Al2O3 substrate were investigated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and weak-beam dark-field techniques. Various defects such as misfit dislocations (MDs), recrystallized GaN (R-GaN) islands and nano-voids were observed on the patterned Al2O3 surfaces, i.e. the flat surface (FS), the inclined surface (IS) and the top surface (TS), respectively. Especially, the crystallographic orientation of R-GaN between the GaN film and the inclined Al2O3 substrate was identified as $[\\overline 1 2\\overline 1 0]_{{\\rm GaN}} \\hbox{//}[\\overline 1 101]_{{\\rm R - GaN} \\,{\\rm on}\\,{\\rm IS}} \\hbox{//}[\\overline 1 100]_{ {{\\rm Al}} _{\\rm 2} {\\rm O}_{\\rm 3}} $, $(\\overline 1 012)_{{\\rm GaN}} \\hbox{//}(1\\overline 1 02)_{{\\rm R - Ga}\\,{\\rm Non}\\,{\\rm IS}} \\hbox{//}(\\overline {11} 26)_{ {{\\rm Al}} _{\\rm 2} {\\rm O}_{\\rm 3}} $. In addition, a rotation by 9° between $(10\\overline 1 1)_{{\\rm R - GaN}} $ and $(0002)_{{\\rm GaN}} $ and between $(10\\overline 1 1)_{{\\rm R - GaN}} $ and $(0006)_{ {{\\rm Al}} _{\\rm 2} {\\rm O}_{\\rm 3}} $ was found to reduce the lattice mismatch between the GaN film and the Al2O3 substrate. Many TDs in the GaN film were observed on the FS and TS of Al2O3. However, few TDs were observed on the IS. Most of the TDs generated from the FS of Al2O3 were bent to the inclined facet rather than propagating to the GaN surface, resulting in a reduction in the dislocation density. Most of the TDs generated from the TS of Al2O3 were characterized as edge dislocations.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Takahashi, Masakazu; Nanba, Reiji; Fukue, Yoshinori
This paper proposes operational Risk Management (RM) method using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for drug manufacturing computerlized system (DMCS). The quality of drug must not be influenced by failures and operational mistakes of DMCS. To avoid such situation, DMCS has to be conducted enough risk assessment and taken precautions. We propose operational RM method using FMEA for DMCS. To propose the method, we gathered and compared the FMEA results of DMCS, and develop a list that contains failure modes, failures and countermeasures. To apply this list, we can conduct RM in design phase, find failures, and conduct countermeasures efficiently. Additionally, we can find some failures that have not been found yet.
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Zhang, Jian-Guo; Chen, Xiao-Juan; Liu, Fen; Zeng, Zhen-Guo; Qian, Ke-Jian
2011-01-01
Animal experiments showed that recruitment maneuver (RM) and protective ventilation strategy of the lung could improve oxygenation and reduce extravascular lung water. This study was to investigate the effects of RM on respiratory mechanics and extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Thirty patients with ARDS were randomized into a RM group and a non-RM group. In the RM group, after basic mechanical ventilation stabilized for 30 minutes, RM was performed and repeated once every 12 hours for 3 days. In the non-RM group, lung protective strategy was conducted without RM. Oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), Plateau pressure (Pplat), static pulmonary compliance (Cst) and EVLWI of patients before treatment and at 12, 24, 48, 72 hours after the treatment were measured and compared between the groups. Hemodynamic changes were observed before and after RM. One-way ANOVA, Student's t test and Fisher's exact test were used to process the data. The levels of PaO2/FiO2 and Cst increased after treatment in the two groups, but they were higher in the RM group than in the non-RM group (P<0.05). The PIP and Pplat decreased after treatment in the two groups, but they were lower in the RM group than in the non-RM group (P<0.05). The EVLWI in the two groups showed downward trend after treatment (P<0.05), and the differences were signifcant at all time points (P<0.01); the EVLWI in the RM group was lower than that in the non-RM group at 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with pre-RM, hemodynamics changes during RM were significantly different (P<0.01); compared with pre-RM, the changes were not significantly different at 120 seconds after the end of RM (P>0.05). RM could reduce EVLWI, increase oxygenation and lung compliance. The effect of RM on hemodynamics was transient.
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Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Weak Lensing Mass Calibration of redMaPPer Galaxy Clusters
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
McClintock, T.; et al.
We constrain the mass--richness scaling relation of redMaPPer galaxy clusters identified in the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 data using weak gravitational lensing. We split clusters intomore » $$4\\times3$$ bins of richness $$\\lambda$$ and redshift $z$ for $$\\lambda\\geq20$$ and $$0.2 \\leq z \\leq 0.65$$ and measure the mean masses of these bins using their stacked weak lensing signal. By modeling the scaling relation as $$\\langle M_{\\rm 200m}|\\lambda,z\\rangle = M_0 (\\lambda/40)^F ((1+z)/1.35)^G$$, we constrain the normalization of the scaling relation at the 5.0 per cent level as $$M_0 = [3.081 \\pm 0.075 ({\\rm stat}) \\pm 0.133 ({\\rm sys})] \\cdot 10^{14}\\ {\\rm M}_\\odot$$ at $$\\lambda=40$$ and $z=0.35$. The richness scaling index is constrained to be $$F=1.356 \\pm 0.051\\ ({\\rm stat})\\pm 0.008\\ ({\\rm sys})$$ and the redshift scaling index $$G=-0.30\\pm 0.30\\ ({\\rm stat})\\pm 0.06\\ ({\\rm sys})$$. These are the tightest measurements of the normalization and richness scaling index made to date. We use a semi-analytic covariance matrix to characterize the statistical errors in the recovered weak lensing profiles. Our analysis accounts for the following sources of systematic error: shear and photometric redshift errors, cluster miscentering, cluster member dilution of the source sample, systematic uncertainties in the modeling of the halo--mass correlation function, halo triaxiality, and projection effects. We discuss prospects for reducing this systematic error budget, which dominates the uncertainty on $$M_0$$. Our result is in excellent agreement with, but has significantly smaller uncertainties than, previous measurements in the literature, and augurs well for the power of the DES cluster survey as a tool for precision cosmology and upcoming galaxy surveys such as LSST, Euclid and WFIRST.« less
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1RM prediction: a novel methodology based on the force-velocity and load-velocity relationships.
Picerno, Pietro; Iannetta, Danilo; Comotto, Stefania; Donati, Marco; Pecoraro, Fabrizio; Zok, Mounir; Tollis, Giorgio; Figura, Marco; Varalda, Carlo; Di Muzio, Davide; Patrizio, Federica; Piacentini, Maria Francesca
2016-10-01
This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a novel approach for predicting the one-repetition maximum (1RM). The prediction is based on the force-velocity and load-velocity relationships determined from measured force and velocity data collected during resistance-training exercises with incremental submaximal loads. 1RM was determined as the load corresponding to the intersection of these two curves, where the gravitational force exceeds the force that the subject can exert. The proposed force-velocity-based method (FVM) was tested on 37 participants (23.9 ± 3.1 year; BMI 23.44 ± 2.45) with no specific resistance-training experience, and the predicted 1RM was compared to that achieved using a direct method (DM) in chest-press (CP) and leg-press (LP) exercises. The mean 1RM in CP was 99.5 kg (±27.0) for DM and 100.8 kg (±27.2) for FVM (SEE = 1.2 kg), whereas the mean 1RM in LP was 249.3 kg (±60.2) for DM and 251.1 kg (±60.3) for FVM (SEE = 2.1 kg). A high correlation was found between the two methods for both CP and LP exercises (0.999, p < 0.001). Good agreement between the two methods emerged from the Bland and Altman plot analysis. These findings suggest the use of the proposed methodology as a valid alternative to other indirect approaches for 1RM prediction. The mathematical construct is simply based on the definition of the 1RM, and it is fed with subject's muscle strength capacities measured during a specific exercise. Its reliability is, thus, expected to be not affected by those factors that typically jeopardize regression-based approaches.
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Bhatta, Sagar; Ratti, Cristina; Poubelle, Patrice E; Stevanovic, Tatjana
2018-03-01
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum M.) and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) barks were treated with hot water to extract nutrients in order to explore, for the first time, its potential as safe dietary antioxidants. The organic and inorganic nutrients of these extracts, as well as their safety on human PLB-985 cells differentiated into neutrophils-like cells, were determined. Proximate analysis showed that both bark extracts were low in moisture and fat. Sugar maple bark extract (SM-BX) showed crude protein and ash content higher than those found in red maple bark extract (RM-BX). In addition, SM-BX had total sugars higher than those evaluated in RM-BX, while complex sugars (oligo- and/or poly-saccharides) were similarly abundant in both bark extracts. Furthermore, SM-BX demonstrated a wide array of vital minerals (K, Ca, Mg, P, Na, Fe and Cu) in quantity larger than that evaluated in RM-BX, whereas RM-BX have Zn and Mn levels higher than those found in SM-BX. Phytochemical analyses showed that RM-BX exhibited total phenolic and flavonoid contents higher than those measured in SM-BX. Consequently, RM-BX presented an antioxidant activity higher than that of SM-BX: 2.85-fold ABTS radical cation scavenging capacity and 1.9-fold oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Finally, RM-BX and SM-BX were greatly safe since, at concentration up to 100 μg/ml, they did not modify the viability of neutrophils as determined by flow-cytometry assay using Annexin V-FITC/Propidum Iodide as markers. In conclusion, our in vitro studies indicate that both red and sugar maple bark extracts have a real potential as food additives.
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Xie, Xiaobo; Song, Mi-Hee; Jin, Fengxue; Ahn, Sang-Nag; Suh, Jung-Pil; Hwang, Hung-Goo; McCouch, S R
2006-09-01
A quantitative trait locus (QTL) for grain weight (GW) was detected near SSR marker RM210 on chromosome 8 in backcross populations derived from a cross between the Korean japonica cultivar Hwaseongbyeo and Oryza rufipogon (IRGC 105491). The O. rufipogon allele increased GW in the Hwaseongbyeo background despite the fact that O. rufipogon was the small-seeded parent. Using sister BC(3)F(3) near-isogenic lines (NILs), gw8.1 was validated and mapped to a 6.1 cM region in the interval between RM42 and RM210 (P < or = 0.0001). Substitution mapping with eight BC(3)F(4) sub-NILs further narrowed the interval containing gw8.1 to about 306.4 kb between markers RM23201.CNR151 and RM30000.CNR99. A yield trial using homozygous BC(3)F(4) sister sub-NILs and the Hwaseongbyeo recurrent parent indicated that the NIL carrying an O. rufipogon chromosome segment across the entire gw8.1 target region out-yielded its sister NIL (containing Hwaseongbyeo chromosome in the RM42-RM210 interval) by 9% (P=0.029). The higher-yielding NIL produced 19.3% more grain than the Hwaseongbyeo recurrent parent (P=0.018). Analysis of a BC(3)F(4) NIL indicated that the variation for GW is associated with variation in grain shape, specifically grain length. The locus, gw8.1 is of particular interest because of its independence from undesirable height and grain quality traits. SSR markers tightly linked to the GW QTL will facilitate cloning of the gene underlying this QTL as well as marker-assisted selection for variation in GW in an applied breeding program.
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Revealing W51C as a Cosmic-Ray source using Fermi-LAT data
Jogler, T.; Funk, S.
2016-01-10
Here, supernova remnants (SNRs) are commonly believed to be the primary sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Despite intensive study of the non-thermal emission of many SNRs the identification of the accelerated particle type relies heavily on assumptions of ambient-medium parameters that are only loosely constrained. Compelling evidence of hadronic acceleration can be provided by detecting a strong roll-off in the secondary γ-ray spectrum below themore » $${\\pi }^{0}$$ production threshold energy of about 135 MeV, the so called "pion bump." Here we use five years of Fermi-Large Area Telescope data to study the spectrum above 60 MeV of the middle-aged SNR W51C. A clear break in the power-law γ-ray spectrum at $${E}_{{\\rm{break}}}=290\\pm 20\\;{\\rm{MeV}}$$ is detected with $$9\\sigma $$ significance and we show that this break is most likely associated with the energy production threshold of $${\\pi }^{0}$$mesons. A high-energy break in the γ-ray spectrum at about 2.7 GeV is found with $$7.5\\sigma $$ significance. The spectral index at energies beyond this second break is $${{\\rm{\\Gamma }}}_{2}={2.52}_{-0.07}^{+0.06}$$ and closely matches the spectral index derived by the MAGIC Collaboration above 75 GeV. Therefore our analysis provides strong evidence to explain the γ-ray spectrum of W51C by a single particle population of protons with a momentum spectrum best described by a broken power law with break momentum $${p}_{{\\rm{break}}}\\sim 80\\;{\\rm{G}}{\\rm{e}}{\\rm{V}}/c.$$ W51C is the third middle-aged SNR that displays compelling evidence for cosmic-ray acceleration and thus strengthens the case of SNRs as the main source of Galactic cosmic rays.« less
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Syvänen, Stina; Hultqvist, Greta; Gustavsson, Tobias; Gumucio, Astrid; Laudon, Hanna; Söderberg, Linda; Ingelsson, Martin; Lannfelt, Lars; Sehlin, Dag
2018-05-24
Amyloid-β (Aβ) immunotherapy is one of the most promising disease-modifying strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite recent progress targeting aggregated forms of Aβ, low antibody brain penetrance remains a challenge. In the present study, we used transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis to facilitate brain uptake of our previously developed Aβ protofibril-selective mAb158, with the aim of increasing the efficacy of immunotherapy directed toward soluble Aβ protofibrils. Aβ protein precursor (AβPP)-transgenic mice (tg-ArcSwe) were given a single dose of mAb158, modified for TfR-mediated transcytosis (RmAb158-scFv8D3), in comparison with an equimolar dose or a tenfold higher dose of unmodified recombinant mAb158 (RmAb158). Soluble Aβ protofibrils and total Aβ in the brain were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Brain distribution of radiolabeled antibodies was visualized by positron emission tomography (PET) and ex vivo autoradiography. ELISA analysis of Tris-buffered saline brain extracts demonstrated a 40% reduction of soluble Aβ protofibrils in both RmAb158-scFv8D3- and high-dose RmAb158-treated mice, whereas there was no Aβ protofibril reduction in mice treated with a low dose of RmAb158. Further, ex vivo autoradiography and PET imaging revealed different brain distribution patterns of RmAb158-scFv8D3 and RmAb158, suggesting that these antibodies may affect Aβ levels by different mechanisms. With a combination of biochemical and imaging analyses, this study demonstrates that antibodies engineered to be transported across the blood-brain barrier can be used to increase the efficacy of Aβ immunotherapy. This strategy may allow for decreased antibody doses and thereby reduced side effects and treatment costs.
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Dasari, Paul K. R.; Könik, Arda; Pretorius, P. Hendrik; Johnson, Karen L.; Segars, William P.; Shazeeb, Mohammed. S.; King, Michael A.
2017-01-01
Purpose Amplitude based respiratory gating is known to capture the extent of respiratory motion (RM) accurately but results in residual motion in the presence of respiratory hysteresis. In our previous study, we proposed and developed a novel approach to account for respiratory hysteresis by applying the Bouc-Wen (BW) model of hysteresis to external surrogate signals of anterior / posterior motion of the abdomen and chest with respiration. In this work using simulated and clinical SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies, we investigate the effects of respiratory hysteresis and evaluate the benefit of correcting it using the proposed BW model in comparison with the abdomen signal typically employed clinically. Methods The MRI navigator data acquired in free breathing human volunteers were used in the specially modified 4-D NCAT phantoms to allow simulating three types of respiratory patterns: monotonic, mild-hysteresis, and strong-hysteresis with normal myocardial uptake, and perfusion defects in the anterior, lateral, inferior, and septal locations of the mid-ventricular wall. Clinical scans were performed using a 99mTc-Sestamibi MPI protocol while recording respiratory signals from thoracic and abdomen regions using a Visual Tracking System (VTS). The performance of the correction using the respiratory signals was assessed through polar map analysis in phantom and ten clinical studies selected on the basis of having substantial RM. Results In phantom studies, simulations illustrating normal myocardial uptake showed significant differences (p<0.001) in the uniformity of the polar maps between the RM uncorrected and corrected. No significant differences were seen in the polar map uniformity across the RM corrections. Studies simulating perfusion defects showed significantly decreased errors (p<0.001) in defect severity and extent for the RM corrected compared to the uncorrected. Only for the strong-hysteretic pattern was there a significant difference (p<0.001) among the RM corrections. The errors in defect severity and extent for the RM correction using abdomen signal were significantly higher compared to that of the BW (severity=-4.0%, p<0.001; extent=-65.4%, p<0.01) and chest (severity=-4.1%, p<0.001; extent=-52.5%, p<0.01) signals. In clinical studies, the quantitative analysis of the polar maps demonstrated qualitative and quantitative but not statistically significant differences (p=0.73) between the correction methods that used the BW signal and the abdominal signal. Conclusions This study shows that hysteresis in respiration affects the extent of residual motion left in the RM binned data, which can impact wall uniformity and the visualization of defects. Thus there appears to be the potential for improved accuracy in reconstruction in the presence of hysteretic RM with the BW model method providing a possible step in the direction of improvement. PMID:28032913
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rubinos, David A.; Valcárcel, Víctor; Spagnoli, Giovanni; Barral, María Teresa
2017-09-01
The microstructural characteristics of red mud (RM), especially specific surface area (SSA) and mesoporosity, and the effects of various representative fluids, namely methanol (80% v/v), trichloroethylene (TCE) (1100 mg/L), acetic acid (pH 2), and CaCl2 (5% w/v) aqueous solutions, were studied using N2-gas adsorption. The effect of compaction was also assessed. RM powder exhibited a moderate Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET)-SSA and is mostly a mesoporous (large mesopores, 200-500 Å) and a macroporous material. Compaction affected the macro and large, but not the fine, mesopores. Among the fluids, CaCl2 and acetic acid induced notable and opposing changes in RM microstructural characteristics. CaCl2 decreased SSA and suppressed fine mesoporosity, whereas acetic acid greatly enhanced them. Fractal analysis further indicated increasing surface roughness and heterogeneity of pore structure during acid exposure, altogether envisaging an improvement of adsorption capacity and a decrease of permeability of the RM.
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Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Newman, Peter A; Shunmugam, Murali; Mengle, Shruta; Nelson, Ruban; Rubincam, Clara; Kumar, Pushpesh
2017-07-01
Topical rectal microbicides (RMs) are a new prevention technology in development that aims to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition from anal sex. We examined RM acceptability among men who have sex with men (MSM) in India. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study guided by a modified Technology Acceptance Model, with 10 focus groups ( n = 61) of MSM and 10 key informant interviews. Data were explored using framework analysis. RM acceptability was influenced by technological contexts: perceived usefulness of RMs, perceived ease of use of RM and applicator, and habits around condom and lubricant use; individual and interpersonal contexts: perceived relevance and preferences for product formulation and dosing frequency; and MSM community/social contexts: perceived social approval, RM-related stigma, social support. Implementation of RMs for MSM in India may be supported by multi-level interventions that engage community-based organizations in destigmatizing and distributing RMs, ideally gel-based products that enable on-demand use before sex.
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The jets of AGN as giant coaxial cables
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gabuzda, Denise C.; Nagle, Matt; Roche, Naomi
2018-04-01
Context. The currents carried by the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be probed using maps of the Faraday rotation measure (RM), since a jet current will be accompanied by a toroidal magnetic field, which will give rise to a systematic change in the RM across the jet. Aims: The aim of this study is to identify new AGNs displaying statistically significant transverse RM gradients across their parsec-scale jets, in order to determine how often helical magnetic fields occur in AGN jets, and to look for overall patterns in the implied directions for the toroidal field components and jet currents. Methods: We have carried out new analyses of Faraday RM maps derived from previously published 8.1, 8.4, 12.1 and 15.3 GHz data obtained in 2006 on the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). In a number of key ways, our procedures were identical to those of the original authors, but the new imaging and analysis differs from the original methods in several ways: the technique used to match the resolutions at the different frequencies, limits on the widths spanned by the RM gradients analyzed, treatment of core-region RM gradients, approach to estimation of the significances of the gradients analyzed, and inclusion of a supplementary analysis using circular beams with areas equal to those of the corresponding elliptical naturally weighted beams. Results: This new analysis has substantially increased the number of AGNs known to display transverse RM gradients that may reflect the presence of a toroidal magnetic-field component. The collected data on parsec and kiloparsec scales indicate that the current typically flows inward along the jet axis and outward in a more extended region surrounding the jet, typical to the current structure of a co-axial cable, accompanied by a self-consistent system of nested helical magnetic fields, whose toroidal components give rise to the observed transverse Faraday rotation gradients. Conclusions: The new results presented here make it possible for the first time to conclusively demonstrate the existence of a preferred direction for the toroidal magnetic-field components - and therefore of the currents - of AGN jets. Discerning the origin of this current-field system is of cardinal importance for understanding the physical mechanisms leading to the formation of the intrinsic jet magnetic field, which likely plays an important role in the propagation and collimation of the jets; one possibility is the action of a "cosmic battery".
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Yoon, Boram; Gupta, Rajan; Bhattacharya, Tanmoy
We present a detailed analysis of methods to reduce statistical errors and excited-state contamination in the calculation of matrix elements of quark bilinear operators in nucleon states. All the calculations were done on a 2+1 flavor ensemble with lattices of sizemore » $$32^3 \\times 64$$ generated using the rational hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm at $a=0.081$~fm and with $$M_\\pi=312$$~MeV. The statistical precision of the data is improved using the all-mode-averaging method. We compare two methods for reducing excited-state contamination: a variational analysis and a two-state fit to data at multiple values of the source-sink separation $$t_{\\rm sep}$$. We show that both methods can be tuned to significantly reduce excited-state contamination and discuss their relative advantages and cost-effectiveness. A detailed analysis of the size of source smearing used in the calculation of quark propagators and the range of values of $$t_{\\rm sep}$$ needed to demonstrate convergence of the isovector charges of the nucleon to the $$t_{\\rm sep} \\to \\infty $$ estimates is presented.« less
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Wen, Zhi-Chao; Ma, Shu-Hua; Zheng, Shi-Li; Zhang, Yi; Liang, Yan
2016-06-01
Red mud storage facility (RM-SF) pollution remains a serious problem in China mainly due to the RM's huge quantity, little recyclability, and high alkalinity. And, there is also a risk of dam failure because almost all RM-SFs are processed by damming. In order to address this challenge and improve the level of risk management, it is necessary to evaluate the environmental risk of RM-SFs systematically. So, this paper firstly designs a comprehensive evaluation index system with a three-level evaluation index in the terms of RM characteristics, RM-SF characteristics, ambient environment of RM-SF, the management of RM-SF, and the application aspect of RM by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Then, a case of RM-SF from a typical alumina production enterprise is studied according to this system, as is assisted by several experts from different fields when determining the weights of all indicators. The results show that the risk of selected RM-SF primarily depends on the former factors, that is, RM and RM-SF characteristics, while the contributions of the other factors are quite smaller.
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Yang, Bin; Flaim, Glenn; Dickens, Sabine H.
2011-01-01
To compare the remineralization of human natural caries and artificial caries-like dentin lesions from a novel whisker-reinforced experimental composite resin to a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RM-GIC) as control. Ten molars with moderate natural dentin caries were prepared (N). Artificial caries-like dentin lesions were prepared in occlusal dentin of ten caries-free molars and demineralized at pH=4.3 for 48 h (A). The cavities were restored with ART-composite or RM-GIC. All restored teeth were sliced into 120-μm sections. Transverse microradiography combined with digital image analysis was performed to analyze the change in mineral density at the same position of the specimens before, after 4 weeks and 8 weeks remineralization/demineralization treatment. The mean percent remineralization ± standard deviation after 4 weeks and 8 weeks are: N: ART-composite: 27±9, 46±14; RM-GIC: 18±6, 36±11; A: ART-composite: 48±9, 66±11; RM-GIC: 50±13, 62±11. For the remineralization of natural caries, there was a significant difference between ART-composite and RM-GIC (p<0.05). For both restoratives there were significant differences between remineralization of natural and artificial caries (p<0.001). ART-composite and RM-GIC remineralized natural and artificial caries differently most likely due to differences in microstructure and composition of caries dentin. PMID:21232637
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The Growth and Characterization of the Bismuth Strontium-Calcium 2212 Superconductor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moulton, Linda Vidale
A miniaturized float zone technique, sometimes referred to as the Laser-heated Pedestal Growth (LHPG) method, was used to produce high quality crystals of the incongruently melting rm Bi_2Sr_2CaCu _2O_{8+delta} (2212) superconductor. The main focus of this research was to (1) produce superconducting samples having different compositions, (2) identify the melt compositions and growth temperatures which produced these samples, and (3) determine the variation of their superconducting transition temperature (T _{rm C}) with composition and processing conditions. The rm Bi_2(Sr,Ca) _3Cu_2O_{8+delta} crystallization experiments were supplemented by a series of similar experiments on the incongruently melting compound rm Ca_3Al_2O_6. The phase equilibria in the CaO-rm Al_2O _3 system has been thoroughly studied, and by analyzing the float-zone growth of this simpler and better-characterized material, it was verified that phase equilibria information and solidification behavior could be extracted from and explained by these solidification experiments. Two different types of nonplanar, crystal/melt interface morphologies were observed in the rm Ca_3Al_2O_6 experiments. Each reflected the influence of the phase equilibria in the CaO-rm Al_2O_3 system and component segregation in the melt. The molten zone compositions were found to approach those predicted by the CaO-rm Al_2O_3 phase diagram as the growth rate decreased, in accordance with the Burton-Prim Slichter relationship. Excellent agreement was obtained between actual phases found to coexist at the rm Ca_3Al_2O_6 /melt interface and the predictions of classical crystal growth theory. Based on the results of the rm Ca _3Al_2O_6 crystallization study, the crystal/melt equilibria in the far more complex rm Bi_2O_3-SrO-CaO-CuO system was evaluated by determining the phases formed during the superconductor growth experiments. The melt compositions were found to be rm Bi_2O_3 -rich and SrO-poor relative to the compositions of the 2212 crystals grown from them. The CaO and CuO segregation coefficients, on the other hand, were observed to be near unity. As one would expect for an incongruently -melting compound, segregation at the solidification front generally decreased with increasing crystallization temperature, but all the segregation coefficients were not observed to simultaneously approach unity. The superconducting transition temperatures (T _{rm C}'s) of six as-crystallized samples having homogeneous crystal compositions were also measured. Sample T_{rm C} was observed to increase with increasing growth temperature and, therefore, change with crystal composition. The results of this study suggested that it is desirable to grow crystals at the highest possible crystallization temperature since they will: (1) have the highest as-grown T_{rm C} 's, and (2) solidify with the least component segregation at the growth interface. In addition, the analysis presented here suggests that such growth is not recommended at higher growth rates, since crystals with mid-range solidus compositions (and consequently, moderate growth temperatures) should crystallize most reliably as single-phase samples at higher growth rates.
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Using the Richtmyer-Meshkov flow to infer the strength of LY-12 aluminum at extreme conditions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yin, Jianwei; Pan, Hao; Peng, Jiangxiang; Wu, Zihui; Yu, Yuying; Hu, Xiaomian
2017-06-01
An improved analytical model of the Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) flow in the elastoplastic materials is presented in this paper. This model describes the stabilization by yield strength (Y) effect on the RM flow in solids and linear relationships between initial configurations of perturbation and the growth. Then we make use of the model to analysis the explosion driven RM flow experiments with solid LY12 and test our model by comparing the predicted Y of existing strength models. Finally, we perform a plate impact experiment with solid LY12 aluminium alloy to validate our model and infer Y is about 1.23 GPa for a 28 GPa shock and a strain rate of 7.5 ×106 .
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R/M Analysis of Electromechanical Equipments.
1982-05-01
modifying existing R/M prediction and demonstration techniques to account for considerations of R/M performance of E/M equipments in the C31 systems...00 a’a - CC C a a a a’ a a ~ a’ a a’ a 000 CeCa’ 0Ca’Ca’ OCOtOaC CC a’ a-, C’.a’ CC a’a’ a S -C a’ a’ -~ a~g a’a a’ C C C~ CC fla’C - acCa ’ CCOCa~. 00...any of the other systems studied. The data are also higher quality because of the command interest in this high cost system and because of the safety
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A compiled catalog of rotation measures of radio point sources
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xu, Jun; Han, Jin-Lin
2014-08-01
We compiled a catalog of Faraday rotation measures (RMs) for 4553 extragalactic radio point sources published in literature. These RMs were derived from multi-frequency polarization observations. The RM data are compared to those in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) RM catalog. We reveal a systematic uncertainty of about 10.0 ± 1.5 rad m-2 in the NVSS RM catalog. The Galactic foreground RM is calculated through a weighted averaging method by using the compiled RM catalog together with the NVSS RM catalog, with careful consideration of uncertainties in the RM data. The data from the catalog and the interface for the Galactic foreground RM calculations are publicly available on the webpage: http://zmtt.bao.ac.cn/RM/.
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Mahansaria, Riddhi; Dhara, Anusua; Saha, Amit; Haldar, Saubhik; Mukherjee, Joydeep
2018-02-01
Application of halophiles can decrease the cost of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production or bioplastic which are an alternative to the petroleum-derived plastic. Extremely halophilic archaeon, Natrinema ajinwuensis RM-G10 accumulated 61.02±0.68% PHA of its cell dry mass at 72h in repeated batch cultures yielding 0.210±0.001gL -1 h -1 volumetric productivity after selection of the best cultivation conditions. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of PHA granules inside the archaeal cells. Characterization by gas chromatographic analysis, gas chromatographic- mass spectrophotometric analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the polymer to be poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with 13.93mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate content and having 35.45% crystallinity, -12.3°C glass transition temperature, 143°C and 157.5°C melting temperatures and 284°C degradation temperature. This is the first report on production enhancement (on a small scale) and characterization of the polyhydroxyalkanoate produced by Natrinema ajinwuensis (as synonym) ≡ Natrinema altunense strain RM-G10 and the Natrinema genus in general. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Gao, M L; Hou, H M; Teng, X X; Zhu, Y L; Hao, H S; Zhang, G L
2017-03-08
Hurood cheese (HC) and Jueke (Jk) are 2 traditional fermented dairy products produced from raw milk (RM) in the Inner Mongolia region of China. They have a long history of production and consumption. The microbial compositions of RM, HC, and Jk vary greatly, and are influenced by their geographical origins and unique processing methods. In this study, 2 batches of RM, HC, and Jk samples were collected (April and August 2015) from the Zhenglan Banner, a region located in the southern part of Inner Mongolian belonging to the Xilingol league prefecture. The bacterial and fungal diversities of the samples were determined by 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis, respectively. A total of 112 bacterial and 30 fungal sequences were identified, with Firmicutes and Ascomycota being the predominant phyla for bacteria and fungi, respectively. Lactococcus and Lactobacillus were identified as the main bacterial genera, whereas Kluyveromyces was the predominant fungus identified in the 3 dairy products. Different bacterial and fungal compositions were observed in RM, HC, and Jk samples collected at different times. These results suggested that time of production may be an important factor influencing the microbial diversity present in RM, HC, and Jk.
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Determination of rheogenic ion transport in rat proximal colon in vivo.
Haag, K; Lübcke, R; Knauf, H; Berger, E; Gerok, W
1985-01-01
A direct clamping technique is demonstrated, which allows monitoring of rapid changes of the short-circuit current (Isc) and the specific transepithelial resistance (Rm) as well as measurement of ion fluxes under short-circuit conditions in vivo. Due to the cylindrical symmetry of the colon the intraluminal electrode was devised as a centrally fixed silver rod, by which radial current injection was achieved. The geometrical arrangement of the electrodes guaranteed zero potential difference (PD) along the whole axis of the colon segment. The Isc was determined to 3.3 +/- 0.7 mueq h-1 cm-2 and Rm equal to 121 +/- 5 omega cm2. These data obtained by direct short-circuiting agree well with our earlier Rm and Isc data based on cable analysis, where the Isc was calculated from the open-circuit PD and Rm. This is considered as evidence for the reliability of the two independent in vivo techniques. Their validity was confirmed by the expected effects of drugs acting on rheogenic ion transport. Both the indirect (via Rm) as well as the direct Isc determination may be used alternatively as required; one may serve to match the other. For larger tubular structures like the rat colon the direct clamping should be preferred as the standard procedure for the Isc determination in vivo.
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Stock, Matt S; Beck, Travis W; Defreitas, Jason M; Dillon, Michael A
2010-10-01
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude, power output, and bar velocity during the free-weight bench press exercise. Twenty-one resistance-trained men [one-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press = 125.4+18.4 kg] performed bench press muscle actions as explosively as possible from 10% to 90% of the 1-RM while peak power output and peak bar velocity were assessed with a TENDO Weightlifting Analyzer. During each muscle action, surface MMG signals were detected from the right and left pectoralis major and triceps brachii, and the concentric portion of the range of motion was selected for analysis. Results indicated that power output increased from 10% to 50% 1-RM, followed by decreases from 50% to 90% 1-RM, but MMG amplitude for each of the muscles increased from 10 to 80% 1-RM. The results of this study indicate that during the free-weight bench press exercise, MMG amplitude was not related to power output, but was inversely related to bar velocity and directly related to the external load being lifted. In future research, coaches and sport scientists may be able to estimate force/torque production from individual muscles during multi-joint, dynamic constant external resistance muscle actions.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Picton, Irene; Clark, Christina
2015-01-01
The National Literacy Trust is a national charity dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK. Their research and analysis make them the leading authority on literacy. They run projects in the poorest communities, campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and parents, and support schools. RM Books is a market-leading ebooks platform…
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Yurgel, Svetlana N.; Rice, Jennifer; Kahn, Michael L.
2013-01-01
Transcriptional changes in the nitrogen stress response (NSR) of wild type S. meliloti Rm1021, and isogenic strains missing both PII proteins, GlnB and GlnK, or carrying a ΔglnD-sm2 mutation were analyzed using whole-genome microarrays. This approach allowed us to identify a number of new genes involved in the NSR and showed that the response of these bacteria to nitrogen stress overlaps with other stress responses, including induction of the fixK2 transcriptional activator and genes that are part of the phosphate stress response. Our data also show that GlnD and GlnBK proteins may regulate many genes that are not part of the NSR. Analysis of transcriptome profiles of the Rm1021 ΔglnD-sm2 strain allowed us to identify several genes that appear to be regulated by GlnD without the participation of the PII proteins. PMID:23516427
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Large Magneto-ionic Variations toward the Galactic Center Magnetar, PSR J1745-2900
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Desvignes, G.; Eatough, R. P.; Pen, U. L.; Lee, K. J.; Mao, S. A.; Karuppusamy, R.; Schnitzeler, D. H. F. M.; Falcke, H.; Kramer, M.; Wucknitz, O.; Spitler, L. G.; Torne, P.; Liu, K.; Bower, G. C.; Cognard, I.; Lyne, A. G.; Stappers, B. W.
2018-01-01
Polarized radio emission from PSR J1745‑2900 has already been used to investigate the strength of the magnetic field in the Galactic center (GC), close to Sagittarius A*. Here we report how persistent radio emission from this magnetar, for over four years since its discovery, has revealed large changes in the observed Faraday rotation measure (RM), by up to 3500 rad m‑2 (a 5% fractional change). From simultaneous analysis of the dispersion measure, we determine that these fluctuations are dominated by variations in either the projected magnetic field or the free electron content within the GC, along the changing line of sight to the rapidly moving magnetar. From a structure function analysis of RM variations, and a recent epoch of rapid change of RM, we determine a minimum scale of magneto-ionic fluctuations of size ∼2 au at the GC distance, inferring PSR J1745‑2900 is just ∼0.1 pc behind an additional scattering screen.
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Whistler turbulence heating of electrons and ions: Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simuations
Gary, S. Peter; Hughes, R. Scott; Wang, Joseph
2016-01-14
In this study, the decay of whistler turbulence in a collisionless, homogeneous, magnetized plasma is studied using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The simulations are initialized with a narrowband, relatively isotropic distribution of long wavelength whistler modes. A first ensemble of simulations at electron betamore » $${\\beta }_{{\\rm{e}}}$$ = 0.25 and ion-to-electron mass ratio $${m}_{{\\rm{i}}}$$/$${m}_{{\\rm{e}}}$$ = 400 is carried out on a domain cube of dimension $$L{\\omega }_{\\mathrm{pi}}$$/c = 5.12 where $${\\omega }_{\\mathrm{pi}}$$ is the ion plasma frequency. The simulations begin with a range of dimensionless fluctuating field energy densities, $${\\epsilon }_{{\\rm{o}}}$$, and follow the fluctuations as they cascade to broadband, anisotropic turbulence which dissipates at shorter wavelengths, heating both electrons and ions. The electron heating is stronger and preferentially parallel/antiparallel to the background magnetic field $${{\\boldsymbol{B}}}_{{\\rm{o}}};$$ the ion energy gain is weaker and is preferentially in directions perpendicular to $${{\\boldsymbol{B}}}_{{\\rm{o}}}$$. The important new results here are that, over 0.01 < $${\\epsilon }_{{\\rm{o}}}$$ < 0.25, the maximum rate of electron heating scales approximately as $${\\epsilon }_{{\\rm{o}}}$$, and the maximum rate of ion heating scales approximately as $${\\epsilon }_{{\\rm{o}}}^{1.5}$$. A second ensemble of simulations at $${\\epsilon }_{{\\rm{o}}}$$ = 0.10 and $${\\beta }_{{\\rm{e}}}$$ = 0.25 shows that, over 25 < $${m}_{{\\rm{i}}}$$/$${m}_{{\\rm{e}}}\\;$$< 1836, the ratio of the maximum ion heating rate to the maximum electron heating rate scales approximately as $${m}_{{\\rm{e}}}$$/$${m}_{{\\rm{i}}}$$.« less
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Reliability and Validity of the Load-Velocity Relationship to Predict the 1RM Back Squat.
Banyard, Harry G; Nosaka, Kazunori; Haff, G Gregory
2017-07-01
Banyard, HG, Nosaka, K, and Haff, GG. Reliability and validity of the load-velocity relationship to predict the 1RM back squat. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1897-1904, 2017-This study investigated the reliability and validity of the load-velocity relationship to predict the free-weight back squat one repetition maximum (1RM). Seventeen strength-trained males performed three 1RM assessments on 3 separate days. All repetitions were performed to full depth with maximal concentric effort. Predicted 1RMs were calculated by entering the mean concentric velocity of the 1RM (V1RM) into an individualized linear regression equation, which was derived from the load-velocity relationship of 3 (20, 40, 60% of 1RM), 4 (20, 40, 60, 80% of 1RM), or 5 (20, 40, 60, 80, 90% of 1RM) incremental warm-up sets. The actual 1RM (140.3 ± 27.2 kg) was very stable between 3 trials (ICC = 0.99; SEM = 2.9 kg; CV = 2.1%; ES = 0.11). Predicted 1RM from 5 warm-up sets up to and including 90% of 1RM was the most reliable (ICC = 0.92; SEM = 8.6 kg; CV = 5.7%; ES = -0.02) and valid (r = 0.93; SEE = 10.6 kg; CV = 7.4%; ES = 0.71) of the predicted 1RM methods. However, all predicted 1RMs were significantly different (p ≤ 0.05; ES = 0.71-1.04) from the actual 1RM. Individual variation for the actual 1RM was small between trials ranging from -5.6 to 4.8% compared with the most accurate predictive method up to 90% of 1RM, which was more variable (-5.5 to 27.8%). Importantly, the V1RM (0.24 ± 0.06 m·s) was unreliable between trials (ICC = 0.42; SEM = 0.05 m·s; CV = 22.5%; ES = 0.14). The load-velocity relationship for the full depth free-weight back squat showed moderate reliability and validity but could not accurately predict 1RM, which was stable between trials. Thus, the load-velocity relationship 1RM prediction method used in this study cannot accurately modify sessional training loads because of large V1RM variability.
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VizieR Online Data Catalog: Rotation measures of radio point sources (Xu+, 2014)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xu, J.; Han, J.-L.
2015-04-01
We compiled a catalog of Faraday rotation measures (RMs) for 4553 extragalactic radio point sources published in literature. These RMs were derived from multi-frequency polarization observations. The RM data are compared to those in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) RM catalog. We reveal a systematic uncertainty of about 10.0+/-1.5rad/m2 in the NVSS RM catalog. The Galactic foreground RM is calculated through a weighted averaging method by using the compiled RM catalog together with the NVSS RM catalog, with careful consideration of uncertainties in the RM data. The data from the catalog and the interface for the Galactic foreground RM calculations are publicly available on the webpage: http://zmtt.bao.ac.cn/RM/ . (2 data files).
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Immune clearance of highly pathogenic SIV infection
Hansen, Scott G.; Piatak, Michael; Ventura, Abigail B.; Hughes, Colette M.; Gilbride, Roxanne M.; Ford, Julia C.; Oswald, Kelli; Shoemaker, Rebecca; Li, Yuan; Lewis, Matthew S.; Gilliam, Awbrey N.; Xu, Guangwu; Whizin, Nathan; Burwitz, Benjamin J.; Planer, Shannon L.; Turner, John M.; Legasse, Alfred W.; Axthelm, Michael K.; Nelson, Jay A.; Früh, Klaus; Sacha, Jonah B.; Estes, Jacob D.; Keele, Brandon F.; Edlefsen, Paul T.; Lifson, Jeffrey D.; Picker, Louis J.
2013-01-01
Established infections with the human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV, SIV) are thought to be permanent with even the most effective immune responses and anti-retroviral therapies (ART) only able to control, but not clear, these infections1–4. Whether the residual virus that maintains these infections is vulnerable to clearance is a question of central importance to the future management of millions of HIV-infected individuals. We recently reported that ~50% of rhesus macaques (RM) vaccinated with SIV protein-expressing Rhesus Cytomegalovirus (RhCMV/SIV) vectors manifest durable, aviremic control of infection with highly pathogenic SIVmac2395. Here, we demonstrate that regardless of route of challenge, RhCMV/SIV vector-elicited immune responses control SIVmac239 after demonstrable lymphatic and hematogenous viral dissemination, and that replication-competent SIV persists in multiple sites for weeks to months. However, over time, protected RM lost signs of SIV infection, showing a consistent lack of measurable plasma or tissue-associated virus using ultrasensitive assays, and loss of T cell reactivity to SIV determinants not in the vaccine. Extensive ultrasensitive RT-PCR and PCR analysis of tissues from RhCMV/SIV vector-protected RM necropsied 69–172 weeks after challenge did not detect SIV RNA or DNA over background, and replication-competent SIV was not detected in these RM by extensive co-culture analysis of tissues or by adoptive transfer of 60 million hematolymphoid cells to naïve RM. These data provide compelling evidence for progressive clearance of a pathogenic lentiviral infection, and suggest that some lentiviral reservoirs may be susceptible to the continuous effector memory T cell-mediated immune surveillance elicited and maintained by CMV vectors. PMID:24025770
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zechmeister, M. S.; Elmore, R. D.; Ferre, E. C.; Pannalal, S. J.; Hamilton, E. M.
2007-12-01
Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic analysis was conducted on a complex fault propagation fold train in Kananaskis Country, Alberta to compliment an ongoing study of orogenic remagnetiztions in the thin-skinned, fold and thrust belt (NW Montana and SW Alberta). The complex structure is composed of an asymmetrical anticline to the west and chevron syncline to the east, with both folds plunging ~15° to the south. The fold train contains a magnetization with two stable ancient components. The characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) with northerly declinations and steep down inclinations is removed between ~350°C and the maximum unblocking temperature of 540°C. Tilt tests on the preliminary data reveal that the ChRM is early syntilting in the anticline and syntilting in the syncline. These results from this fold train are similar to a previous study in the Sawtooths (NW MT) which reported that fault propagation folds have a syntilting ChRM whereas fault bend folds contain a pretilting ChRM. An intermediate temperature reversed component is unblocked by 340°C and is late syntilting to post-tilting. Preliminary high-field rock magnetic data from folds in Montana and Alberta show that saturation is reached before 0.3T and the majority of the samples have wasp-waisted hysteresis loops. On a log plot of Mrs/Ms versus Hcr/Hc, the data has a power law distribution that is similar to trends reported by other authors. Interestingly though, samples from a fault bend fold have higher Mrs/Ms ratios than those measured in fault propagation folds, suggesting that strain induced by the various folding styles may influence the rock magnetic properties. Additional studies are underway to test these preliminary results and determine if the differences in the hysteresis ratios are significant. Petrographic analysis shows magnetite replacing pyrite in some samples suggesting an authigenic origin for the ChRM. The intensity of the ChRM as well as the strongest rock magnetic signal is most common in dark gray carbonates that are hydrocarbon reservoirs in the subsurface, suggesting the possibility that the origin of the ChRM may be related to hydrocarbon migration.
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Brown Connolly, Nancy E
2014-12-01
This foundational study applies the process of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate utility and predictive value of a disease management (DM) model that uses RM devices for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The literature identifies a need for a more rigorous method to validate and quantify evidence-based value for remote monitoring (RM) systems being used to monitor persons with a chronic disease. ROC analysis is an engineering approach widely applied in medical testing, but that has not been evaluated for its utility in RM. Classifiers (saturated peripheral oxygen [SPO2], blood pressure [BP], and pulse), optimum threshold, and predictive accuracy are evaluated based on patient outcomes. Parametric and nonparametric methods were used. Event-based patient outcomes included inpatient hospitalization, accident and emergency, and home health visits. Statistical analysis tools included Microsoft (Redmond, WA) Excel(®) and MedCalc(®) (MedCalc Software, Ostend, Belgium) version 12 © 1993-2013 to generate ROC curves and statistics. Persons with COPD were monitored a minimum of 183 days, with at least one inpatient hospitalization within 12 months prior to monitoring. Retrospective, de-identified patient data from a United Kingdom National Health System COPD program were used. Datasets included biometric readings, alerts, and resource utilization. SPO2 was identified as a predictive classifier, with an optimal average threshold setting of 85-86%. BP and pulse were failed classifiers, and areas of design were identified that may improve utility and predictive capacity. Cost avoidance methodology was developed. RESULTS can be applied to health services planning decisions. Methods can be applied to system design and evaluation based on patient outcomes. This study validated the use of ROC in RM program evaluation.
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Bang, Yunkyu; Stewart, G. R.
2016-02-01
The strong power law behavior of the specific heat jumpmore » $${\\rm{\\Delta }}C\\;$$ versus T c $$({\\rm{\\Delta }}C/{T}_{{\\rm{c}}}\\sim {T}_{{\\rm{c}}}^{\\alpha },\\alpha \\approx 2)$$, first observed by Bud'ko et al (2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 220516), has been confirmed with several families of the Fe-based superconducting compounds with various dopings. We tested a minimal two band BCS model to understand this anomalous behavior and showed that this non-BCS relation between $${\\rm{\\Delta }}C\\;$$ versus T c is a generic property of the multiband superconducting state paired by a dominant interband interaction ($${V}_{\\mathrm{inter}}\\gt {V}_{\\mathrm{intra}}$$) reflecting the relation $$\\frac{{{\\rm{\\Delta }}}_{{\\rm{h}}}}{{{\\rm{\\Delta }}}_{{\\rm{e}}}}\\sim \\sqrt{\\frac{{N}_{{\\rm{e}}}}{{N}_{{\\rm{h}}}}}$$ near T c, as in the $${S}_{\\pm }$$-wave pairing state. We also found that this $${\\rm{\\Delta }}C\\;$$ versus T c power law can continuously change from the ideal BNC scaling to a considerable deviation by a moderate variation of the impurity scattering rate $${{\\rm{\\Gamma }}}_{0}$$ (non-pair-breaking). Finally, as a result, our model provides a consistent explanation why the electron-doped Fe-based superconductors follow the ideal BNC scaling very well while the hole-doped systems often show varying degree of deviations.« less
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Screening and characterization of novel bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria.
Zendo, Takeshi
2013-01-01
Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are expected to be safe antimicrobial agents. While the best studied LAB bacteriocin, nisin A, is widely utilized as a food preservative, various novel ones are required to control undesirable bacteria more effectively. To discover novel bacteriocins at the early step of the screening process, we developed a rapid screening system that evaluates bacteriocins produced by newly isolated LAB based on their antibacterial spectra and molecular masses. By means of this system, various novel bacteriocins were identified, including a nisin variant, nisin Q, a two-peptide bacteriocin, lactococcin Q, a leaderless bacteriocin, lacticin Q, and a circular bacteriocin, lactocyclicin Q. Moreover, some LAB isolates were found to produce multiple bacteriocins. They were characterized as to their structures, mechanisms of action, and biosynthetic mechanisms. Novel LAB bacteriocins and their biosynthetic mechanisms are expected for applications such as food preservation and peptide engineering.
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Li, Yan-Xiao; Yi, Ping; Yan, Qiao-Juan; Qin, Zhen; Liu, Xue-Qiang; Jiang, Zheng-Qiang
2017-01-01
β-Mannanase randomly cleaves the β-1,4-linked mannan backbone of hemicellulose, which plays the most important role in the enzymatic degradation of mannan. Although the industrial applications of β-mannanase have tremendously expanded in recent years, the wild-type β-mannanases are still defective for some industries. The glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 5 β-mannanase ( Rm Man5A) from Rhizomucor miehei shows many outstanding properties, such as high specific activity and hydrolysis property. However, owing to the low catalytic activity in acidic and thermophilic conditions, the application of Rm Man5A to the biorefinery of mannan biomasses is severely limited. To overcome the limitation, Rm Man5A was successfully engineered by directed evolution. Through two rounds of screening, a mutated β-mannanase (m Rm Man5A) with high catalytic activity in acidic and thermophilic conditions was obtained, and then characterized. The mutant displayed maximal activity at pH 4.5 and 65 °C, corresponding to acidic shift of 2.5 units in optimal pH and increase by 10 °C in optimal temperature. The catalytic efficiencies ( k cat / K m ) of m Rm Man5A towards many mannan substrates were enhanced more than threefold in acidic and thermophilic conditions. Meanwhile, the high specific activity and excellent hydrolysis property of Rm Man5A were inherited by the mutant m Rm Man5A after directed evolution. According to the result of sequence analysis, three amino acid residues were substituted in m Rm Man5A, namely Tyr233His, Lys264Met, and Asn343Ser. To identify the function of each substitution, four site-directed mutations (Tyr233His, Lys264Met, Asn343Ser, and Tyr233His/Lys264Met) were subsequently generated, and the substitutions at Tyr233 and Lys264 were found to be the main reason for the changes of m Rm Man5A. Through directed evolution of Rm Man5A, two key amino acid residues that controlled its catalytic efficiency under acidic and thermophilic conditions were identified. Information about the structure-function relationship of GH family 5 β-mannanase was acquired, which could be used for modifying β-mannanases to enhance the feasibility in industrial application, especially in biorefinery process. This is the first report on a β-mannanase from zygomycete engineered by directed evolution.
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Andreotti, Renato; Cunha, Rodrigo Casquero; Soares, Mariana Aparecida; Guerrero, Felix D; Leite, Fábio P Leivas; de León, Adalberto A Pérez
2012-10-19
The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is regarded as the most economically important ectoparasite of livestock globally. Control is achieved primarily through the use of acaricides. This approach is hampered by the development of resistance to commercial acaricides among cattle tick populations. Vaccination against R. microplus infestation is another technology that can be integrated for effective cattle tick control. Proteins belonging to the Kunitz-BPTI family are abundant in cattle tick salivary glands, midgut, and ovaries. These organs are attractive targets for the development of a novel cattle tick vaccine. Efficacy assessment against cattle tick infestation in bovines using a vaccine containing the recombinant form of a member of the Kunitz family from R. microplus produced in a yeast expression system is reported for the first time here. The yeast Pichia pastoris was bioengineered to produce the recombinant version of a trypsin inhibitor that is expressed in cattle tick larvae (rRmLTI). Immunization with rRmLTI afforded 32% efficacy against R. microplus. The estimated molecular weight of rRmLTI was 46 kDa. Structural homology to the native form of the larval trypsin inhibitor was documented by recognition of rRmLTI in Western-blots using polyclonal antibodies from mice immunized with cattle tick larval extract or rRmLTI. Bioinformatics analysis of the partial nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences indicated that the rRmLTI closely resembles BmTI-6, which is a three-headed Kunitz protein present in cattle tick ovary and fat tissue. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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Measuring the Spin Correlation of Nuclear Muon Capture in HELIUM-3.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McCracken, Dorothy Jill
1996-06-01
We have completed the first measurement of the spin correlation of nuclear muon capture in ^3 He: mu^- + ^3He to nu _{mu} + ^3 H. From this spin correlation, we can extract the induced pseudoscalar form factor, F_{ rm p}, of the weak charged nuclear current. This form factor is not well known experimentally. If nuclear muon capture were a purely leptonic weak interaction, the current would have no pseudoscalar coupling, and therefore F_{rm p} arises from QCD contributions. Since ^3He is a fairly well understood system, a precise measurement of F_{rm p} could provide a direct test of the theories which describe QCD at low energies. This experiment was performed at TRIUMF in Vancouver, BC, using a muon beam. We stopped unpolarized muons in a laser polarized target filled with ^3 He and Rb vapor. The muons were captured into atomic orbitals, forming muonic ^3He which was then polarized via collisions with the optically pumped Rb vapor. When polarized muons undergo nuclear capture in ^3He, the total capture rate is proportional to (1 + {rm A_ {v}P_{v}cos} theta) where theta is the angle between the muon polarization and the triton recoil direction, P_{rm v} is the muon vector polarization and A_ {rm v} is the vector analyzing power. The partially conserved axial current hypothesis (PCAC) predicts that A_{rm v} = 0.524 +/- 0.006 Our measurement of A_{rm v} is in agreement with this prediction: A_{rm v } = 0.604 +/- 0.093 (stat.) _sp{-.142}{+.112}(syst.). This thesis will describe the design, construction, and operation of the device which simultaneously served as a polarized target and a gridded ion chamber. The ion chamber apparatus enabled us to identify recoil tritons as well as determine their direction of motion. The directional information was obtained by fitting the shapes of the pulses generated by the tritons. In addition, this thesis will describe in detail the analysis of these pulses which resulted in a measurement of the raw forward/backward asymmetry of the triton recoil direction. This asymmetry was measured to a precision of 11.5%. With the techniques employed in this experiment, a clear path exists to obtaining a precise measurement of the induced pseudoscalar coupling of the charged weak nuclear current. Plans for a future run, in which we will improve upon these techniques, are underway.
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The Astronomical Almanac Online - Glossary
Astronomical Almanac. Î A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z $\\boldmath{\\Delta {\\rm T}}$: the difference between Terrestrial Time (TT) and Universal Time (UT): $\\Delta {\\rm T} = {\\rm TT} - {\\rm UT}1 $. $\\boldmath{\\Delta {\\rm UT1}}$ (or $\\boldmath{\\Delta {\\rm UT}}$): the value of the difference between
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Bernal, D; Sepulveda, C; Mathieu-Costello, O; Graham, J B
2003-08-01
Tunas (family Scombridae) and sharks in the family Lamnidae are highly convergent for features commonly related to efficient and high-performance (i.e. sustained, aerobic) swimming. High-performance swimming by fishes requires adaptations augmenting the delivery, transfer and utilization of O(2) by the red myotomal muscle (RM), which powers continuous swimming. Tuna swimming performance is enhanced by a unique anterior and centrally positioned RM (i.e. closer to the vertebral column) and by structural features (relatively small fiber diameter, high capillary density and greater myoglobin concentration) increasing O(2) flux from RM capillaries to the mitochondria. A study of the structural and biochemical features of the mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) RM was undertaken to enable performance-capacity comparisons of tuna and lamnid RM. Similar to tunas, mako RM is positioned centrally and more anterior in the body. Another lamnid, the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), also has this RM distribution, as does the closely related common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus; family Alopiidae). However, in both the leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) and the blue shark (Prionace glauca), RM occupies the position where it is typically found in most fishes; more posterior and along the lateral edge of the body. Comparisons among sharks in this study revealed no differences in the total RM quantity (approximately 2-3% of body mass) and, irrespective of position within the body, RM scaling is isometric in all species. Sharks thus have less RM than do tunas (4-13% of body mass). Relative to published data on other shark species, mako RM appears to have a higher capillary density, a greater capillary-to-fiber ratio and a higher myoglobin concentration. However, mako RM fiber size does not differ from that reported for other shark species and the total volume of mitochondria in mako RM is similar to that reported for other sharks and for tunas. Lamnid RM properties thus suggest a higher O(2) flux capacity than in other sharks; however, lamnid RM aerobic capacity appears to be less than that of tuna RM.
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Sun, Li-Hong; Wang, Chun-Ming; Su, Chang-Chao; Liu, Yu-Qiang; Zhai, Hu-Qu; Wan, Jian-Min
2006-08-01
Nilaparvata lugens Stål (brown planthopper, BPH), is one of the major insect pests of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the temperate rice-growing region. In this study, ASD7 harboring a BPH resistance gene bph2 was crossed to a susceptible cultivar C418, a japonica restorer line. BPH resistance was evaluated using 134 F2:3 lines derived from the cross between "ASD7" and "C418". SSR assay and linkage analysis were carried out to detect bph2. As a result, the resistant gene bph2 in ASD7 was successfully mapped between RM7102 and RM463 on the long arm of chromosome 12, with distances of 7.6 cM and 7.2 cM, respectively. Meanwhile, both phenotypic selection and marker-assisted selection (MAS) were conducted in the BC1F1 and BC2F1 populations. Selection efficiencies of RM7102 and RM463 were determined to be 89.9% and 91.2%, respectively. It would be very beneficial for BPH resistance improvement by using MAS of this gene.
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A proteomics performance standard to support measurement quality in proteomics.
Beasley-Green, Ashley; Bunk, David; Rudnick, Paul; Kilpatrick, Lisa; Phinney, Karen
2012-04-01
The emergence of MS-based proteomic platforms as a prominent technology utilized in biochemical and biomedical research has increased the need for high-quality MS measurements. To address this need, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference material (RM) 8323 yeast protein extract is introduced as a proteomics quality control material for benchmarking the preanalytical and analytical performance of proteomics-based experimental workflows. RM 8323 yeast protein extract is based upon the well-characterized eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae and can be utilized in the design and optimization of proteomics-based methodologies from sample preparation to data analysis. To demonstrate its utility as a proteomics quality control material, we coupled LC-MS/MS measurements of RM 8323 with the NIST MS Quality Control (MSQC) performance metrics to quantitatively assess the LC-MS/MS instrumentation parameters that influence measurement accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility. Due to the complexity of the yeast proteome, we also demonstrate how NIST RM 8323, along with the NIST MSQC performance metrics, can be used in the evaluation and optimization of proteomics-based sample preparation methods. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Cartoon Analysis of Peace Propaganda.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alexander, Mary, Ed.
1984-01-01
A cartoon for analysis and other learning activities is provided to help students study about peace propaganda, the nuclear freeze, and disarmament. A cartoon analysis worksheet, designed to help students analyze almost any political cartoon, is included. (RM)
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Cotterman, Michael L; Darby, Lynn A; Skelly, William A
2005-02-01
The Smith machine (SM) (vertical motion of bar on fixed path; fixed-form exercise) and free weights (FWs) (free-form path) are commonly used strength training modes. Exercisers may need to alternate between types of equipment, depending on testing, training, rehabilitation, and/or the exercisers' goals. The purposes of this study were to compare muscle force production for SM and FWs using a 1 repetition maximum (1RM) for the parallel back squat and supine bench press exercises and to predict the 1RM for one mode from 1RM on the other mode. Men (n = 16) and women (n = 16) alternately completed 1RM testing for squat and bench press using SM and FWs. Analyses of variance (type of equipment x sex) and linear regression models were calculated. A significant difference was found between bench press and squat 1RMs for each mode of equipment for all participants. The squat 1RM was greater for the SM than the FWs; conversely, the bench 1RM was greater for FWs than the SM. When sex was considered, bench 1RM for FWs was greater than SM for men and women. The squat 1RM was greater for SM than FWs for women only. The 1RM on one mode of equipment was the best predictor of 1RM for the other mode. For both sexes, the equation SM bench 1RM (in kilograms) = -6.76 + 0.95 (FW bench 1RM) can be used. For women only, SM squat 1RM (in kilograms) = 28.3 + 0.73 (FW squat 1RM). These findings provide equations for converting between SM and FW equipment for training.
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Dossou, Serge; Koshio, Shunsuke; Ishikawa, Manabu; Yokoyama, Saichiro; Dawood, Mahmoud A O; El Basuini, Mohammed F; Olivier, Adissin; Zaineldin, Amr I
2018-04-01
This study evaluated the effects of dietary substitution of fishmeal by graded levels of a blend composed of Aspergillus oryzae fermented rapeseed meal [0% (RM0), 25% (RM25), 50% (RM50), 75% (RM75) and 100% (RM100)] on growth performance, haemato-immunological responses and antioxidative status of Pagrus major (average weight 5.5 ± 0.02 g). After 56 days, growth performances were significantly improved in fish fed RM25 diet compared to control (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, up to 50% replacement of fishmeal did not affect growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, protein efficiency ratio, protein apparent digestibility, protease activity, fish somatic indices and survival compared to control. While blood hematocrit and plasma protein were significantly enhanced in groups fed RM0 and RM25 diets, most of the hematological parameters did not change through the trial except glutamic pyruvate transaminase which was significantly increased in RM75 and RM100 groups and blood cholesterol which was gradually decreased with the increasing level of the blend. Interestingly, feeding fish with RM25 and RM50 diets significantly showed enhanced lysozyme, bactericidal and peroxidase activities and fish fed the same diets showed high resistance against oxidative stress (biological antioxidant potential and reactive oxygen metabolites). Additionally, catalase activity and tolerance against low salinity seawater were higher in fish fed RM25 diet. These findings suggested that, at a moderate level (25% and 50%), substitution of fishmeal by the fermented rapeseed meal promoted growth, nutrient utilization, and exerted immune responses and anti-oxidative effects in red sea bream. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Friedman, B.; DuCharme, G.
We present a semi-empirical scaling law for non-resonant ion–atom single charge exchange cross sections for collisions with velocities frommore » $${10}^{7}\\,{\\rm{t}}{\\rm{o}}\\,{10}^{9}\\,\\mathrm{cm}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$ and ions with positive charge $$q\\lt 8$$. Non-resonant cross sections tend to have a velocity peak at collision velocities $$v\\lesssim 1\\ {\\rm{a}}{\\rm{u}}$$ with exponential decay around this peak. We construct a scaling formula for the location of this peak then choose a functional form for the cross section curve and scale it. The velocity at which the cross section peaks, v m, is proportional to the energy defect of the collision, $${\\rm{\\Delta }}E$$, which we predict with the decay approximation. The value of the cross section maximum is proportional to the charge state q, inversely proportional to the target ionization energy I T, and inversely proportional to v m. For the shape of the cross section curve, we use a function that decays exponentially asymptotically at high and low velocities. We scale this function with parameters $${v}_{{\\rm{m}}},{I}_{{\\rm{T}}},{Z}_{{\\rm{T}}},\\mathrm{and}\\ {Z}_{{\\rm{P}}}$$, where the $${Z}_{{\\rm{T}},{\\rm{P}}}$$ are the target and projectile atomic numbers. In conclusion, for the more than 100 cross section curves that we use to find the scaling rules, the scaling law predicts cross sections within a little over a factor of 2 on average.« less
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Tropospheric GOM at the Pic du Midi Observatory-Correcting Bias in Denuder Based Observations.
Marusczak, Nicolas; Sonke, Jeroen E; Fu, Xuewu; Jiskra, Martin
2017-01-17
Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM, Hg) emissions are transformed to divalent reactive Hg (RM) forms throughout the troposphere and stratosphere. RM is often operationally quantified as the sum of particle bound Hg (PBM) and gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM). The measurement of GOM and PBM is challenging and under mounting criticism. Here we intercompare six months of automated GOM and PBM measurements using a Tekran (TK) KCl-coated denuder and quartz regenerable particulate filter method (GOM TK , PBM TK , and RM TK ) with RM CEM collected on cation exchange membranes (CEMs) at the high altitude Pic du Midi Observatory. We find that RM TK is systematically lower by a factor of 1.3 than RM CEM . We observe a significant relationship between GOM TK (but not PBM TK ) and Tekran flush TK blanks suggesting significant loss (36%) of labile GOM TK from the denuder or inlet. Adding the flush TK blank to RM TK results in good agreement with RM CEM (slope = 1.01, r 2 = 0.90) suggesting we can correct bias in RM TK and GOM TK . We provide a bias corrected (*) Pic du Midi data set for 2012-2014 that shows GOM* and RM* levels in dry free tropospheric air of 198 ± 57 and 229 ± 58 pg m -3 which agree well with in-flight observed RM and with model based GOM and RM estimates.
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A decision support tool to prioritize risk management options for contaminated sites.
Sorvari, Jaana; Seppälä, Jyri
2010-03-15
The decisions on risk management (RM) of contaminated sites in Finland have typically been driven by practical factors such as time and money. However, RM is a multifaceted task that generally involves several additional determinants, e.g. performance and environmental effects of remediation methods, psychological and social factors. Therefore, we adopted a multi-criteria decision analysis approach and developed a decision support tool (DST) that is viable in decision-making in such a complex situation. The basic components of the DST are based on the Dutch REC system. However, our DST is more case-specific and allows the consideration of the type, magnitude and scale of contamination, land use, environmental conditions and socio-cultural aspects (e.g. loss of cultural heritage, image aspects). The construction of the DST was started by structuring the decision problem using a value tree. Based on this work we adopted the Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT) for data aggregation. The final DST was demonstrated by two model sites for which the RM alternatives and site-specific data were created on the basis of factual remediation projects and by interviewing experts. The demonstration of the DST was carried out in a workshop where representatives of different stakeholders were requested to rank and weight the decision criteria involved. To get information on the consistency of the ranking of the RM alternatives, we used different weighting techniques (ratio estimation and pair-wise weighting) and alternative ways to treat individual respondents' weights in calculating the preference scores for each RM alternative. These dissimilar approaches resulted in some differences in the preference order of the RM alternatives. The demonstration showed that attention has to be paid to the proper description of the site, the principles of the procedure and the decision criteria. Nevertheless, the procedure proved to enable efficient communication between different stakeholders and the identification of the preferred RM option.
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Studies of High Critical Transition Temperature Superconductors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhou, Xue Zhi
1990-01-01
In early 1987 the high-T_{ rm c} superconductor, YBa_2 Cu_3O_{7 -delta}, with T_{ rm c} ~eq 90K was successfully made in our laboratory by a standard ceramic technique. Later Tl_2Ca _2Ba_2Cu_3 O_{10} with T _{rm c} ~eq 120K was produced by a special procedure. Structural analysis by x-ray diffraction showed that YBa_2 Cu_3O_{7 -delta} was responsible for the high -T_{rm c}, the so called 123 phase. It is an oxygen deficient perovskite with the orthorhombic structure, space group Pmmm, lattice constant a = 3.8243, b = 3.8862 and c = 11.667 A. Oxygen vacancies are very important to the superconducting properties. An impurity, Y_2BaCuO_5 , with a green colour, was identified as a semiconducting phase. A technique to grow single crystals of YBa _2Cu_3O_ {7-delta} is described. The crystals are rectangular up to 2 x 2 x 0.2 mm^3 in size. Two phases, Tl_2CaBa _2Cu_2O_8 (the 2122 phase) and Tl_2Ca _2Ba_2Cu _3O_{10} (the 2223 phase), are responsible for the high-T _{rm c} in the Tl-system; they have a tetragonal or pseudotetragonal structure with space group I4/mmm. Resistivity and magnetic ac susceptibility results show that high-T_{rm c} materials have a sharp superconducting transition and many properties in common with conventional superconductors. The shielding effect is closely related to the properties of grain boundaries. Magnetic ordering at low temperature (below 10K) of high-T_{rm c} materials was discovered by Mossbauer experiments with ^{57}Fe doped samples. Substitution of Fe for Cu reduced the superconducting transition temperature and the shielding effect. Theories of superconductivity for conventional and the new superconductors are reviewed and related to the experimental results.
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Sharpless, K E; Gill, L M
2000-01-01
A number of food-matrix reference materials (RMs) are available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and from Agriculture Canada through NIST. Most of these materials were originally value-assigned for their elemental composition (major, minor, and trace elements), but no additional nutritional information was provided. Two of the materials were certified for selected organic constituents. Ten of these materials (Standard Reference Material [SRM] 1,563 Cholesterol and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Coconut Oil [Natural and Fortified], SRM 1,566b Oyster Tissue, SRM 1,570a Spinach Leaves, SRM 1,974a Organics in Mussel Tissue (Mytilus edulis), RM 8,415 Whole Egg Powder, RM 8,418 Wheat Gluten, RM 8,432 Corn Starch, RM 8,433 Corn Bran, RM 8,435 Whole Milk Powder, and RM 8,436 Durum Wheat Flour) were recently distributed by NIST to 4 laboratories with expertise in food analysis for the measurement of proximates (solids, fat, protein, etc.), calories, and total dietary fiber, as appropriate. SRM 1846 Infant Formula was distributed as a quality control sample for the proximates and for analysis for individual fatty acids. Two of the materials (Whole Egg Powder and Whole Milk Powder) were distributed in an earlier interlaboratory comparison exercise in which they were analyzed for several vitamins. Value assignment of analyte concentrations in these 11 SRMs and RMs, based on analyses by the collaborating laboratories, is described in this paper. These materials are intended primarily for validation of analytical methods for the measurement of nutrients in foods of similar composition (based on AOAC INTERNATIONAL's fat-protein-carbohydrate triangle). They may also be used as "primary control materials" in the value assignment of in-house control materials of similar composition. The addition of proximate information for 10 existing reference materials means that RMs are now available from NIST with assigned values for proximates in 6 of the 9 sectors of the AOAC triangle. Five of these materials have values assigned for total dietary fiber-the first such information provided for materials available from NIST.
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Williams, Tyler D; Tolusso, Danilo V; Fedewa, Michael V; Esco, Michael R
2017-10-01
Periodization is a logical method of organizing training into sequential phases and cyclical time periods in order to increase the potential for achieving specific performance goals while minimizing the potential for overtraining. Periodized resistance training plans are proposed to be superior to non-periodized training plans for enhancing maximal strength. The primary aim of this study was to examine the previous literature comparing periodized resistance training plans to non-periodized resistance training plans and determine a quantitative estimate of effect on maximal strength. All studies included in the meta-analysis met the following inclusion criteria: (1) peer-reviewed publication; (2) published in English; (3) comparison of a periodized resistance training group to a non-periodized resistance training group; (4) maximal strength measured by 1-repetition maximum (1RM) squat, bench press, or leg press. Data were extracted and independently coded by two authors. Random-effects models were used to aggregate a mean effect size (ES), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and potential moderators. The cumulative results of 81 effects gathered from 18 studies published between 1988 and 2015 indicated that the magnitude of improvement in 1RM following periodized resistance training was greater than non-periodized resistance training (ES = 0.43, 95% CI 0.27-0.58; P < 0.001). Periodization model (β = 0.51; P = 0.0010), training status (β = -0.59; P = 0.0305), study length (β = 0.03; P = 0.0067), and training frequency (β = 0.46; P = 0.0123) were associated with a change in 1RM. These results indicate that undulating programs were more favorable for strength gains. Improvements in 1RM were greater among untrained participants. Additionally, higher training frequency and longer study length were associated with larger improvements in 1RM. These results suggest that periodized resistance training plans have a moderate effect on 1RM compared to non-periodized training plans. Variation in training stimuli appears to be vital for increasing maximal strength, and longer periods of higher training frequency may be preferred.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bodek, A.
2014-09-19
We report on the extraction ofmore » $$\\sin^2\\theta^{\\rm lept}_{\\rm eff}$$ and indirect measurement of the mass of the W boson from the forward-backward asymmetry of $$\\mu^+\\mu^-$$ events in the $Z$ boson mass region. The data sample collected by the CDF detector corresponds to the full 9 fb$$^{-1}$$ run II sample. We measure $$\\sin^2 \\theta^{\\rm lept}_{\\rm eff} = 0.2315 \\pm 0.0010$$,$$ \\sin^2 \\theta_W = 0.2233 \\pm 0.0009$$ and $$M_W ({\\rm indirect}) = 80.365 \\pm 0.047 \\;{\\rm GeV}/c^2$$, where each uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions.« less
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Discrete Event Simulation-Based Resource Modelling in Health Technology Assessment.
Salleh, Syed; Thokala, Praveen; Brennan, Alan; Hughes, Ruby; Dixon, Simon
2017-10-01
The objective of this article was to conduct a systematic review of published research on the use of discrete event simulation (DES) for resource modelling (RM) in health technology assessment (HTA). RM is broadly defined as incorporating and measuring effects of constraints on physical resources (e.g. beds, doctors, nurses) in HTA models. Systematic literature searches were conducted in academic databases (JSTOR, SAGE, SPRINGER, SCOPUS, IEEE, Science Direct, PubMed, EMBASE) and grey literature (Google Scholar, NHS journal library), enhanced by manual searchers (i.e. reference list checking, citation searching and hand-searching techniques). The search strategy yielded 4117 potentially relevant citations. Following the screening and manual searches, ten articles were included. Reviewing these articles provided insights into the applications of RM: firstly, different types of economic analyses, model settings, RM and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) outcomes were identified. Secondly, variation in the characteristics of the constraints such as types and nature of constraints and sources of data for the constraints were identified. Thirdly, it was found that including the effects of constraints caused the CEA results to change in these articles. The review found that DES proved to be an effective technique for RM but there were only a small number of studies applied in HTA. However, these studies showed the important consequences of modelling physical constraints and point to the need for a framework to be developed to guide future applications of this approach.
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Luna, Rayana Leal; Vasconcelos, Anne Gabrielle; Nunes, Ana Karolina Santana; de Oliveira, Wilma Helena; Barbosa, Karla Patricia de Sousa; Peixoto, Christina Alves
2016-01-01
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections during pregnancy are well established as models for pregnancy complications, including fetal growth restriction (FGR), thrombophilia, preterm labor and abortion. Indeed, inflammation, as induced by LPS injection has been described as a pivotal factor in cases of miscarriage related to placental tissue damage. The phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil (Viagra®) is currently used to treat FGR cases in women, while low-molecular weight heparin (Fragmin®) is a standard treatment for recurrent miscarriage (RM). However, the pathways and cellular dynamics involved in RM are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of sildenafil and dalteparin in a mouse model of LPS-induced abortion. Histopathology, ultrastructural analysis and immunofluorescence for P-selectin were studied in two different placental cell types: trophoblast cells and labyrinth endothelial cells. Treatment with sildenafil either alone or in combination with heparin showed the best response against LPS-induced injury during pregnancy. In conclusion, our results support the use of these drugs as future therapeutic agents that may protect the placenta against inflammatory injury in RM events. Analyses of the ultrastructure and placental immunophysiology are important to understand the mechanism underlying RM. These findings may spark future studies and aid in the development of new therapies in cases of RM. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; ...
2016-07-11
In this study, a new search signature for excited leptons is explored. Excited muons are sought in the channelmore » $${pp}\\to \\mu {\\mu }^{* }\\to \\mu \\mu \\ {\\rm{jet}}\\;{\\rm{jet}}$$, assuming both the production and decay occur via a contact interaction. The analysis is based on 20.3 fb –1 of pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\\sqrt{s}\\;=\\;8\\;{\\rm{TeV}}$$ taken with the ATLAS detector at the large hadron collider. No evidence of excited muons is found, and limits are set at the 95% confidence level on the cross section times branching ratio as a function of the excited-muon mass $${m}_{{\\mu }^{* }}$$. For $${m}_{{\\mu }^{* }}$$ between 1.3 and 3.0 TeV, the upper limit on $$\\sigma B({\\mu }^{* }\\to \\mu q\\bar{q}$$) is between 0.6 and 1 fb. Limits on $$\\sigma B$$ are converted to lower bounds on the compositeness scale Λ. In the limiting case $${\\rm{\\Lambda }}={m}_{{\\mu }^{* }}$$, excited muons with a mass below 2.8 TeV are excluded. With the same model assumptions, these limits at larger $${\\mu }^{* }$$ masses improve upon previous limits from traditional searches based on the gauge-mediated decay $${\\mu }^{* }\\to \\mu \\gamma $$.« less
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Donley, Jeanine M; Sepulveda, Chugey A; Aalbers, Scott A; McGillivray, David G; Syme, Douglas A; Bernal, Diego
2012-10-01
The common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) is a pelagic species with medially positioned red aerobic swimming musculature (RM) and regional RM endothermy. This study tested whether the contractile characteristics of the RM are functionally similar along the length of the body and assessed how the contractile properties of the common thresher shark compare with those of other sharks. Contractile properties of the RM were examined at 8, 16 and 24 °C from anterior and posterior axial positions (0.4 and 0.6 fork length, respectively) using the work loop technique. Experiments were performed to determine whether the contractile properties of the RM are similar along the body of the common thresher shark and to document the effects of temperature on muscle power. Axial differences in contractile properties of RM were found to be small or absent. Isometric twitch kinetics of RM were ~fivefold slower than those of white muscle, with RM twitch durations of about 1 s at 24 °C and exceeding 5 s at 8 °C, a Q(10) of nearly 2.5. Power increased approximately tenfold with the 16 °C increase in temperature, while the cycle frequency for maximal power only increased from about 0.5-1.0 Hz over this temperature range. These data support the hypothesis that the RM is functionally similar along the body of the common thresher shark and corroborate previous findings from shark species both with and without medial RM. While twitch kinetics suggest the endothermic RM is not unusually temperature sensitive, measures of power suggest that the RM is not well suited to function at cool temperatures. The cycle frequency at which power is maximized appeared relatively insensitive to temperature in RM, which may reflect the relatively cooler temperature of the thresher RM compared to that observed in lamnid sharks as well as the relatively slow RM phenotype in these large fish.
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2014-01-01
Background Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses that cause drastic reduction in rice grain yield (GY) in rainfed environments. The identification and introgression of QTL leading to high GY under drought have been advocated to be the preferred breeding strategy to improve drought tolerance of popular rice varieties. Genetic control of GY under reproductive-stage drought stress (RS) was studied in two BC1F4 mapping populations derived from crosses of Kali Aus, a drought-tolerant aus cultivar, with high-yielding popular varieties MTU1010 and IR64. The aim was to identify QTL for GY under RS that show a large and consistent effect for the trait. Bulk segregant analysis (BSA) was used to identify significant markers putatively linked with high GY under drought. Results QTL analysis revealed major-effect GY QTL: qDTY 1.2 , qDTY 2.2 and qDTY 1.3 , qDTY 2.3 (DTY; Drought grain yield) under drought consistently over two seasons in Kali Aus/2*MTU1010 and Kali Aus/2*IR64 populations, respectively. qDTY 1.2 and qDTY 2.2 explained an additive effect of 288 kg ha−1 and 567 kg ha−1 in Kali Aus/2*MTU1010, whereas qDTY 1.3 and qDTY 2.3 explained an additive effect of 198 kg ha−1 and 147 kg ha−1 in Kali Aus/2*IR64 populations, respectively. Epistatic interaction was observed for DTF (days to flowering) between regions on chromosome 2 flanked by markers RM154–RM324 and RM263–RM573 and major epistatic QTL for GY showing interaction between genomic locations on chromosome 1 at marker interval RM488–RM315 and chromosome 2 at RM324–RM263 in 2012 DS and 2013 DS RS in Kali Aus/2*IR64 mapping populations. Conclusion The QTL, qDTY 1.2 , qDTY 1.3 , qDTY 2.2 , and qDTY 2.3, identified in this study can be used to improve GY of mega varieties MTU1010 and IR64 under different degrees of severity of drought stress through marker-aided backcrossing and provide farmers with improved varieties that effectively combine high yield potential with good yield under drought. The observed epistatic interaction for GY and DTF will contribute to our understanding of the genetic basis of agronomically important traits and enhance predictive ability at an individualized level in agriculture. PMID:24885990
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Greater Neural Adaptations following High- vs. Low-Load Resistance Training
Jenkins, Nathaniel D. M.; Miramonti, Amelia A.; Hill, Ethan C.; Smith, Cory M.; Cochrane-Snyman, Kristen C.; Housh, Terry J.; Cramer, Joel T.
2017-01-01
We examined the neuromuscular adaptations following 3 and 6 weeks of 80 vs. 30% one repetition maximum (1RM) resistance training to failure in the leg extensors. Twenty-six men (age = 23.1 ± 4.7 years) were randomly assigned to a high- (80% 1RM; n = 13) or low-load (30% 1RM; n = 13) resistance training group and completed leg extension resistance training to failure 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Testing was completed at baseline, 3, and 6 weeks of training. During each testing session, ultrasound muscle thickness and echo intensity, 1RM strength, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) strength, and contractile properties of the quadriceps femoris were measured. Percent voluntary activation (VA) and electromyographic (EMG) amplitude were measured during MVIC, and during randomly ordered isometric step muscle actions at 10–100% of baseline MVIC. There were similar increases in muscle thickness from Baseline to Week 3 and 6 in the 80 and 30% 1RM groups. However, both 1RM and MVIC strength increased from Baseline to Week 3 and 6 to a greater degree in the 80% than 30% 1RM group. VA during MVIC was also greater in the 80 vs. 30% 1RM group at Week 6, and only training at 80% 1RM elicited a significant increase in EMG amplitude during MVIC. The peak twitch torque to MVIC ratio was also significantly reduced in the 80%, but not 30% 1RM group, at Week 3 and 6. Finally, VA and EMG amplitude were reduced during submaximal torque production as a result of training at 80% 1RM, but not 30% 1RM. Despite eliciting similar hypertrophy, 80% 1RM improved muscle strength more than 30% 1RM, and was accompanied by increases in VA and EMG amplitude during maximal force production. Furthermore, training at 80% 1RM resulted in a decreased neural cost to produce the same relative submaximal torques after training, whereas training at 30% 1RM did not. Therefore, our data suggest that high-load training results in greater neural adaptations that may explain the disparate increases in muscle strength despite similar hypertrophy following high- and low-load training programs. PMID:28611677
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Non-visualized pregnancy losses are prognostically important for unexplained recurrent miscarriage.
Kolte, A M; van Oppenraaij, R H; Quenby, S; Farquharson, R G; Stephenson, M; Goddijn, M; Christiansen, O B
2014-05-01
Are non-visualized pregnancy losses (biochemical pregnancy loss and failed pregnancy of unknown location combined) in the reproductive history of women with unexplained recurrent miscarriage (RM) negatively associated with the chance of live birth in a subsequent pregnancy? Non-visualized pregnancy losses contribute negatively to the chance for live birth: each non-visualized pregnancy loss confers a relative risk (RR) for live birth of 0.90 (95% CI 0.83; 0.97), equivalent to the RR conferred by each additional clinical miscarriage. The number of clinical miscarriages prior to referral is an important determinant for live birth in women with RM, whereas the significance of non-visualized pregnancy losses is unknown. A retrospective cohort study comprising 587 women with RM seen in a tertiary RM unit 2000-2010. Data on the outcome of the first pregnancy after referral were analysed for 499 women. The study was conducted in the RM Unit at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. We included all women with unexplained RM, defined as ≥3 consecutive clinical miscarriages or non-visualized pregnancy losses following spontaneous conception or homologous insemination. The category 'non-visualized pregnancy losses' combines biochemical pregnancy loss (positive hCG, no ultrasound performed) and failed PUL (pregnancy of unknown location, positive hCG, but on ultrasound, no pregnancy location established). Demographics were collected, including BMI, age at first pregnancy after referral and outcome of pregnancies prior to referral. Using our own records and records from other Danish hospitals, we verified the outcome of the first pregnancy after referral. For each non-visualized pregnancy loss and miscarriage in the women's reproductive history, the RR for live birth in the first pregnancy after referral was determined by robust Poisson regression analysis, adjusting for risk factors for negative pregnancy outcome. Non-visualized pregnancy losses constituted 37% of reported pregnancies prior to referral among women with RM. Each additional non-visualized pregnancy loss conferred an RR for live birth of 0.90 (95% CI 0.83; 0.97), which was not statistically significantly different from the corresponding RR of 0.87 (95% CI 0.80; 0.94) conferred by each clinical miscarriage. Among women with ≥2 clinical miscarriages, a reduced RR for live birth was also shown: 0.82 (95% CI 0.74; 0.92) for each clinical miscarriage and 0.89 (95% CI 0.80; 0.98) for each non-visualized pregnancy loss, respectively. Surgically treated ectopic pregnancies (EPs) were significantly more common for women with primary RM and no confirmed clinical miscarriages, compared with women with primary RM and ≥1 clinical miscarriage (22 versus 6%, difference 16% (95% CI 9.1%; 28.7%); RR for ectopic pregnancy was 4.0 (95% CI 1.92; 8.20). RM was defined as ≥3 consecutive pregnancy losses before 12 weeks' gestation, and we included only women with unexplained RM after thorough evaluation. It is uncertain whether the findings apply to other definitions of RM and among women with known causes for their miscarriages. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive investigation of prior non-visualized pregnancy losses and their prognostic significance for live birth in a subsequent pregnancy in women with unexplained RM. We show that a prior non-visualized pregnancy loss has a negative prognostic impact on subsequent live birth and is thus clinically significant. None. N/A.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Takamiya, Masanori; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro, E-mail: m-nkmr@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Akimoto, Mami
Purpose: To assess the target localization error (TLE) in terms of the distance between the target and the localization point estimated from the surrogates (|TMD|), the average of respiratory motion for the surrogates and the target (|aRM|), and the number of fiducial markers used for estimating the target (n). Methods: This study enrolled 17 lung cancer patients who subsequently underwent four fractions of real-time tumor tracking irradiation. Four or five fiducial markers were implanted around the lung tumor. The three-dimensional (3D) distance between the tumor and markers was at maximum 58.7 mm. One of the markers was used as themore » target (P{sub t}), and those markers with a 3D |TMD{sub n}| ≤ 58.7 mm at end-exhalation were then selected. The estimated target position (P{sub e}) was calculated from a localization point consisting of one to three markers except P{sub t}. Respiratory motion for P{sub t} and P{sub e} was defined as the root mean square of each displacement, and |aRM| was calculated from the mean value. TLE was defined as the root mean square of each difference between P{sub t} and P{sub e} during the monitoring of each fraction. These procedures were performed repeatedly using the remaining markers. To provide the best guidance on the answer with n and |TMD|, fiducial markers with a 3D |aRM ≥ 10 mm were selected. Finally, a total of 205, 282, and 76 TLEs that fulfilled the 3D |TMD| and 3D |aRM| criteria were obtained for n = 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) was used to evaluate TLE as a function of |TMD| and |aRM| in each n. Results: |TMD| for n = 1 was larger than that for n = 3. Moreover, |aRM| was almost constant for all n, indicating a similar scale for the marker’s motion near the lung tumor. MRA showed that |aRM| in the left–right direction was the major cause of TLE; however, the contribution made little difference to the 3D TLE because of the small amount of motion in the left–right direction. The TLE calculated from the MRA ({sup MRA}TLE) increased as |TMD| and |aRM| increased and adversely decreased with each increment of n. The median 3D {sup MRA}TLE was 2.0 mm (range, 0.6–4.3 mm) for n = 1, 1.8 mm (range, 0.4–4.0 mm) for n = 2, and 1.6 mm (range, 0.3–3.7 mm) for n = 3. Although statistical significance between n = 1 and n = 3 was observed in all directions, the absolute average difference and the standard deviation of the {sup MRA}TLE between n = 1 and n = 3 were 0.5 and 0.2 mm, respectively. Conclusions: A large |TMD| and |aRM| increased the differences in TLE between each n; however, the difference in 3D {sup MRA}TLEs was, at most, 0.6 mm. Thus, the authors conclude that it is acceptable to continue fiducial marker-based radiotherapy as long as |TMD| is maintained at ≤58.7 mm for a 3D |aRM| ≥ 10 mm.« less
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Friedman, B.; DuCharme, G.
2017-05-11
We present a semi-empirical scaling law for non-resonant ion–atom single charge exchange cross sections for collisions with velocities frommore » $${10}^{7}\\,{\\rm{t}}{\\rm{o}}\\,{10}^{9}\\,\\mathrm{cm}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$ and ions with positive charge $$q\\lt 8$$. Non-resonant cross sections tend to have a velocity peak at collision velocities $$v\\lesssim 1\\ {\\rm{a}}{\\rm{u}}$$ with exponential decay around this peak. We construct a scaling formula for the location of this peak then choose a functional form for the cross section curve and scale it. The velocity at which the cross section peaks, v m, is proportional to the energy defect of the collision, $${\\rm{\\Delta }}E$$, which we predict with the decay approximation. The value of the cross section maximum is proportional to the charge state q, inversely proportional to the target ionization energy I T, and inversely proportional to v m. For the shape of the cross section curve, we use a function that decays exponentially asymptotically at high and low velocities. We scale this function with parameters $${v}_{{\\rm{m}}},{I}_{{\\rm{T}}},{Z}_{{\\rm{T}}},\\mathrm{and}\\ {Z}_{{\\rm{P}}}$$, where the $${Z}_{{\\rm{T}},{\\rm{P}}}$$ are the target and projectile atomic numbers. In conclusion, for the more than 100 cross section curves that we use to find the scaling rules, the scaling law predicts cross sections within a little over a factor of 2 on average.« less
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wagger, David Leonard
1992-01-01
The drag reduction phenomenon was experimentally studied in two pipes, of diameters 1.46 and 1.02 cm, using seven polyelectrolytic HPAM additives, with molecular weights from 1 to 20 times 10^6 g/mole and degree of backbone hydrolysis from 8 to 60%, at concentrations from 1 to 1000 wppm, in saline solutions containing from 0.3 to 0.00001 N NaCl. Both laminar and turbulent flow behavior were greatly influenced by salinity-induced changes in the initial conformation of the HPAM additives. Initially collapsed, random-coiling conformations exhibited Newtonian laminar flow and Type-A turbulent drag reduction, while initially extended conformations exhibited shear-thinning in laminar flow and Type-B turbulent drag reduction. The gross-flow physics of Type-B drag reduction were delineated. A characteristic "ladder" structure prevailed, with polymeric regime segments that were roughly parallel to, but shifted upward from, the Prandtl-Karman line. In the polymeric regime, both Type-A fan and Type -B ladder structures were essentially independent of pipe diameter, and were scaled by the wall shear stress. The wall shear stress also scaled degradation during drag reduction. New onset and slope increment correlations were presented for Type-A drag reduction by HPAM additives. In Type-B drag reduction, flow enhancement was found proportional to additive concentration, and the intrinsic slip, Sigma = S^'/(c/M _{rm w}), varied roughly as the third power of backbone chain links N_ {rm bb}. New intrinsic slip and retro-onset correlations were presented for Type-B drag reduction by HPAM additives. Analysis of Type-B literature revealed a wide range of additive efficacies, with specific slips S^'/c from 0.0001 to 4. For the most effective additives, HPAM and asbestos fibers, the additive-pervaded volume fraction per unit flow enhancement, X_{rm v} /S^' ~ 3000, implied that these additives align during drag reduction. The slip ratio R_{rm sc}, which is the relative flow enhancement induced in Type-A and Type-B drag reduction at constant additive concentration, was found to be a universal function of the normalized turbulent flow strength (Re_ {rm s}sqrtf/Re_ {rm s}sqrtf*). The extension of initially collapsed, random-coiling, HPAM macromolecules by the turbulent flow field thus seems independent of additive parameters and absolute wall shear stress levels. Gross flow additive equivalence was detected at iso-slip points, where different polymer solutions induced equal flow enhancements. At numerous such points, the collapsed to extended slip ratio at constant concentration, R_{rm sc}, was essentially equal to the extended to collapsed concentration ratio at constant slip, R _{rm cs}. Thus, for fixed total additive concentration, the R_{ rm sc} observed at any Re_ {rm s}sqrtf simply represents the fraction of originally collapsed macromolecules that have become extended in the flow, and thence effective in drag reduction. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617 -253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.).
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García-Ramos, Amador; Torrejón, Alejandro; Feriche, Belén; Morales-Artacho, Antonio J; Pérez-Castilla, Alejandro; Padial, Paulino; Jaric, Slobodan
2018-02-01
This study explored the feasibility of the force-velocity relationship (F-V) to detect the acute effects of different fatigue protocols on the selective changes of the maximal capacities of upper body muscles to produce force, velocity, and power. After determining the bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM), participants' F-V relationships were assessed during the bench press throw exercise on five separate sessions after performing one of the following fatiguing protocols: 60%1RM failure, 60%1RM non-failure, 80%1RM failure, 80%1RM non-failure, and no-fatigue. In the non-failure protocols, participants performed half the maximum number of repetitions than in their respective failure protocols. The main findings revealed that (1) all F-V relationships were highly linear (median r = 0.997 and r = 0.982 for averaged across participants and individual data, respectively), (2) the fatiguing protocols were ranked based on the magnitude of power loss as follows: 60%1RM failure > 80%1RM failure > 60%1RM non-failure > 80%1RM non-failure, while (3) the assessed maximum force and velocity outputs showed a particularly prominent reduction in the protocols based on the lowest and highest levels of fatigue (i.e., 80%1RM non-failure and 60%1RM failure), respectively. The results support the use of F-V to assess the effects of fatigue on the distinctive capacities of the muscles to produce force, velocity, and power output while performing multi-joint tasks, while the assessed maximum force and velocity capacities showed a particularly prominent reduction in the protocols based on the lowest and highest levels of fatigue (i.e., 80%1RM non-failure and 60%1RM failure), respectively.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Heald, George
2017-08-01
RM-CLEAN reads in dirty Q and U cubes, generates rmtf based on the frequencies given in an ASCII file, and cleans the RM spectra following the algorithm given by Brentjens (2007). The output cubes contain the clean model components and the CLEANed RM spectra. The input cubes must be reordered with mode=312, and the output cubes will have the same ordering and thus must be reordered after being written to disk. RM-CLEAN runs as a MIRIAD (ascl:1106.007) task and a Python wrapper is included with the code.
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Strength tests for elite rowers: low- or high-repetition?
Lawton, Trent W; Cronin, John B; McGuigan, Michael R
2014-01-01
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the utility of low- and high-repetition maximum (RM) strength tests used to assess rowers. Twenty elite heavyweight males (age 23.7 ± 4.0 years) performed four tests (5 RM, 30 RM, 60 RM and 120 RM) using leg press and seated arm pulling exercise on a dynamometer. Each test was repeated on two further occasions; 3 and 7 days from the initial trial. Per cent typical error (within-participant variation) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated using log-transformed repeated-measures data. High-repetition tests (30 RM, 60 RM and 120 RM), involving seated arm pulling exercise are not recommended to be included in an assessment battery, as they had unsatisfactory measurement precision (per cent typical error > 5% or ICC < 0.9). Conversely, low-repetition tests (5 RM) involving leg press and seated arm pulling exercises could be used to assess elite rowers (per cent typical error ≤ 5% and ICC ≥ 0.9); however, only 5 RM leg pressing met criteria (per cent typical error = 2.7%, ICC = 0.98) for research involving small samples (n = 20). In summary, low-repetition 5 RM strength testing offers greater utility as assessments of rowers, as they can be used to measure upper- and lower-body strength; however, only the leg press exercise is recommended for research involving small squads of elite rowers.
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Qin, Zhen; Xiao, Yibei; Yang, Xinbin; Mesters, Jeroen R.; Yang, Shaoqing; Jiang, Zhengqiang
2015-01-01
Glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidases widely exist in the filamentous fungi, which may play a key role in chitin metabolism of fungi. A multi-domain GH family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Rhizomucor miehei (RmNag), exhibiting a potential N-acetyltransferase region, has been recently reported to show great potential in industrial applications. In this study, the crystal structure of RmNag was determined at 2.80 Å resolution. The three-dimensional structure of RmNag showed four distinctive domains, which belong to two distinguishable functional regions — a GH family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase region (N-terminal) and a N-acetyltransferase region (C-terminal). From structural and functional analysis, the C-terminal region of RmNag was identified as a unique tandem array linking general control non-derepressible 5 (GCN5)-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT), which displayed glucosamine N-acetyltransferase activity. Structural analysis of this glucosamine N-acetyltransferase region revealed that a unique glucosamine binding pocket is located in the pantetheine arm binding terminal region of the conserved CoA binding pocket, which is different from all known GNAT members. This is the first structural report of a glucosamine N-acetyltransferase, which provides novel structural information about substrate specificity of GNATs. The structural and functional features of this multi-domain β-N-acetylglucosaminidase could be useful in studying the catalytic mechanism of GH family 3 proteins. PMID:26669854
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Qin, Zhen; Xiao, Yibei; Yang, Xinbin; Mesters, Jeroen R; Yang, Shaoqing; Jiang, Zhengqiang
2015-12-16
Glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidases widely exist in the filamentous fungi, which may play a key role in chitin metabolism of fungi. A multi-domain GH family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Rhizomucor miehei (RmNag), exhibiting a potential N-acetyltransferase region, has been recently reported to show great potential in industrial applications. In this study, the crystal structure of RmNag was determined at 2.80 Å resolution. The three-dimensional structure of RmNag showed four distinctive domains, which belong to two distinguishable functional regions--a GH family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase region (N-terminal) and a N-acetyltransferase region (C-terminal). From structural and functional analysis, the C-terminal region of RmNag was identified as a unique tandem array linking general control non-derepressible 5 (GCN5)-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT), which displayed glucosamine N-acetyltransferase activity. Structural analysis of this glucosamine N-acetyltransferase region revealed that a unique glucosamine binding pocket is located in the pantetheine arm binding terminal region of the conserved CoA binding pocket, which is different from all known GNAT members. This is the first structural report of a glucosamine N-acetyltransferase, which provides novel structural information about substrate specificity of GNATs. The structural and functional features of this multi-domain β-N-acetylglucosaminidase could be useful in studying the catalytic mechanism of GH family 3 proteins.
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Observations by Juno's Radiation Monitoring Investigation During the First Year at Jupiter
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Becker, H. N.; Adumitroaie, V.; Alexander, J. W.; Daubar, I.; Joergensen, J. L.; Denver, T.; Benn, M.; Adriani, A.; Mura, A.; Cicchetti, A.; Noschese, R.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Gladstone, R.; Hue, V.; Versteeg, M.; Santos-Costa, D.; Bolton, S. J.; Levin, S.; Thorne, R. M.
2017-12-01
Juno's Radiation Monitoring (RM) Investigation measures MeV electron fluxes at Jupiter by utilizing the noise signatures of penetrating high-energy particles which are visible in images collected by Juno's heavily shielded star cameras and science instruments. Image processing is used to identify and extract the characteristic signatures of penetrating high-energy electrons and ions and derive count rates which are used to infer external integral electron flux levels [Becker, H.N., et al. (2017), Space Sci Rev, doi: 10.1007/s11214-017-0345-9; Becker H.N. et al. (2017), Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL073091]. The count rate data from each RM instrument represents detection of electrons from within a broad energy channel (e.g. > 5 MeV or > 10 MeV electron sensitivity, determined using Geant4 shielding analysis). Simultaneous observations by the instruments therefore allow study of the external spectra where coordinated measurements are achieved. The spacecraft Stellar Reference Unit (SRU), the Magnetic Field Investigation's Advanced Stellar Compass (ASC) camera head D, and the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) infrared imager are the primary instruments used in RM's collaborative observation campaigns. Penetrating particle signatures and trends across a broader range of Juno instruments and spacecraft housekeeping data also contribute to the analysis. This paper presents an overview of RM measurements of the Jovian high energy particle environment observed during the first eight science orbits of Juno's prime mission.
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Six Sigma methods applied to cryogenic coolers assembly line
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ventre, Jean-Marc; Germain-Lacour, Michel; Martin, Jean-Yves; Cauquil, Jean-Marc; Benschop, Tonny; Griot, René
2009-05-01
Six Sigma method have been applied to manufacturing process of a rotary Stirling cooler: RM2. Name of the project is NoVa as main goal of the Six Sigma approach is to reduce variability (No Variability). Project has been based on the DMAIC guideline following five stages: Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control. Objective has been set on the rate of coolers succeeding performance at first attempt with a goal value of 95%. A team has been gathered involving people and skills acting on the RM2 manufacturing line. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) has been applied to test bench and results after R&R gage show that measurement is one of the root cause for variability in RM2 process. Two more root causes have been identified by the team after process mapping analysis: regenerator filling factor and cleaning procedure. Causes for measurement variability have been identified and eradicated as shown by new results from R&R gage. Experimental results show that regenerator filling factor impacts process variability and affects yield. Improved process haven been set after new calibration process for test bench, new filling procedure for regenerator and an additional cleaning stage have been implemented. The objective for 95% coolers succeeding performance test at first attempt has been reached and kept for a significant period. RM2 manufacturing process is now managed according to Statistical Process Control based on control charts. Improvement in process capability have enabled introduction of sample testing procedure before delivery.
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Yang, Haiyuan; Ren, Xiang; Weng, Qingmei; Zhu, Lili; He, Guangcun
2002-01-01
The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål, is a serious insect pest of rice (Oryza saliva L.). We have determined the chromosomal location of a BPH resistance gene in rice using SSR and RFLP techniques. A rice line 'B14', derived from the wild rice Oryza latifolia, showed high resistance to BPH. For tagging the resistance gene in 'B14X', an F2 population and a recombinant inbred (RI) population from a cross between Taichung Native 1 and 'B14' were developed and evaluated for BPH resistance. The results showed that a single dominant gene controlled the resistance of 'B14' to BPH. Bulked segregant SSR analysis was employed for identification of DNA markers linked to the resistance gene. From the survey of 302 SSR primer pairs, three SSR (RM335, RM261, RM185) markers linked to the resistance gene were identified. The closest SSR marker RM261 was linked to the resistance gene at a distance of 1.8 cM. Regions surrounding the resistance gene and the SSR markers were examined with additional RFLP markers on chromosome 4 to define the location of the resistance gene. Linkage of RFLP markers C820, R288, C946 with the resistance gene further confirmed its location on the short arm of chromosome 4. Closely linked DNA markers will facilitate selection for resistant lines in breeding programs and provide the basis for map-based cloning of this resistance gene.
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Picosecond Optical Studies of Solids.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Broomfield, Seth Emlyn
Available from UMI in association with The British Library. Requires signed TDF. Hot carrier relaxation is studied in the alloy semiconductor Ga_{rm 1-x} Al_{rm x}As by analysis of time-resolved luminescence at 4K. Photoexcited carrier densities in the range 10^{16 } to 10^{18}cm ^{-3} were created by 5ps laser pulses in alloys with x values ranging from 0 to 0.36. Carrier temperature cooling curves are discussed in terms of emission and absorption of non-equilibrium phonons by carriers, intervalley scattering of electrons and alloy disorder effects. Energy relaxation within a band of localised exciton states is studied in Ga_{rm 1 -x}Al_{rm x} As by analysis of time-resolved photoluminescence at 4K with a photoexcited carrier density of 10 ^{14}cm^{-3 }. It is found that the width of the band of localised states increases with the degree of alloy disorder as x ranges from 0 to 0.36. A form for the density of localised states is obtained. The intersite exciton overlap is estimated. Photoluminescence of the semiconductor gallium selenide is measured for carrier densities below 3 times 10^{18}cm ^{-3} at 2K. Biexcitons are identified by analysis of the photoluminescence at high densities. This is confirmed by induced optical absorption experiments. It is shown that biexciton dissociation by interaction with low-energy optical phonons occurs as the lattice temperature is increased. The group velocity of excitonic polaritons is obtained from measurements of the time-of-flight of 5ps optical pulses across a 1mum thick layer of gallium arsenide at 4K. The group velocity has a minimum value of 4 times 10 ^5ms^{-1} at the transverse exciton energy, and has a dependence on photon energy which agrees well with a model describing spatial dispersion of polaritons.
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Investigation of extended Y chromosome STR haplotypes in Sardinia.
Lacerenza, D; Aneli, S; Di Gaetano, C; Critelli, R; Piazza, A; Matullo, G; Culigioni, C; Robledo, R; Robino, C; Calò, C
2017-03-01
Y-chromosomal variation of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 32 short tandem repeat (STR) loci was evaluated in Sardinia in three open population groups (Northern Sardinia, n=40; Central Sardinia, n=56; Southern Sardinia, n=91) and three isolates (Desulo, n=34; Benetutti, n=45, Carloforte, n=42). The tested Y-STRs consisted of Yfiler ® Plus markers and the seven rapidly mutating (RM) loci not included in the YFiler ® Plus kit (DYF399S1, DYF403S1ab, DYF404S1, DYS526ab, DYS547, DYS612, and DYS626). As expected, inclusion of additional Y-STR loci increased haplotype diversity (h), though complete differentiation of male lineages was impossible even by means of RM Y-STRs (h=0.99997). Analysis of molecular variance indicated that the three open populations were fairly homogeneous, whereas signs of genetic heterogeneity could be detected when the three isolates were also included in the analysis. Multidimensional scaling analysis showed that, even for extended haplotypes including RM Y-STR markers, Sardinians were clearly differentiated from populations of the Italian peninsula and Sicily. The only exception was represented by the Carloforte sample that, in accordance with its peculiar population history, clustered with Northern/Central Italian populations. The introduction of extended forensic Y-STR panels, including highly variable RM Y-STR markers, is expected to reduce the impact of population structure on haplotype frequency estimations. However, our results show that the availability of geographically detailed reference databases is still important for the assessment of the evidential value of a Y-haplotype match. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Ngonghala, Calistus N; Teboh-Ewungkem, Miranda I; Ngwa, Gideon A
2015-06-01
We derive and study a deterministic compartmental model for malaria transmission with varying human and mosquito populations. Our model considers disease-related deaths, asymptomatic immune humans who are also infectious, as well as mosquito demography, reproduction and feeding habits. Analysis of the model reveals the existence of a backward bifurcation and persistent limit cycles whose period and size is determined by two threshold parameters: the vectorial basic reproduction number Rm, and the disease basic reproduction number R0, whose size can be reduced by reducing Rm. We conclude that malaria dynamics are indeed oscillatory when the methodology of explicitly incorporating the mosquito's demography, feeding and reproductive patterns is considered in modeling the mosquito population dynamics. A sensitivity analysis reveals important control parameters that can affect the magnitudes of Rm and R0, threshold quantities to be taken into consideration when designing control strategies. Both Rm and the intrinsic period of oscillation are shown to be highly sensitive to the mosquito's birth constant λm and the mosquito's feeding success probability pw. Control of λm can be achieved by spraying, eliminating breeding sites or moving them away from human habitats, while pw can be controlled via the use of mosquito repellant and insecticide-treated bed-nets. The disease threshold parameter R0 is shown to be highly sensitive to pw, and the intrinsic period of oscillation is also sensitive to the rate at which reproducing mosquitoes return to breeding sites. A global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis reveals that the ability of the mosquito to reproduce and uncertainties in the estimations of the rates at which exposed humans become infectious and infectious humans recover from malaria are critical in generating uncertainties in the disease classes.
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Polotow, Tatiana G; Souza-Junior, Tácito P; Sampaio, Ricardo C; Okuyama, Alexandre R; Ganini, Douglas; Vardaris, Cristina V; Alves, Ragami C; McAnulty, Steven R; Barros, Marcelo P
2017-09-01
Polotow, TG, Souza-Junior, TP, Sampaio, RC, Okuyama, AR, Ganini, D, Vardaris, CV, Alves, RC, McAnulty, SR, and Barros, MP. Effect of 1RM, 80%RM, and 50%RM strength exercise in trained individuals on variations in plasma redox biomarkers. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2489-2497, 2017-For decades, scientists have examined the participation of oxygen/nitrogen species in anaerobic-like exercises, especially weightlifting and resistance exercises. The balance between the production of oxyradicals and antioxidant responses during anaerobic-like exercises is essential to assure adaptation to the physiological benefits of strength training and to prevent chronic harmful effects. The aim of this study is to examine the hypothesis that different weight loads (1 repetition maximum (RM), 80%RM, and 50%RM) lifted until exhaustion could impose distinct oxidative insults and elicit diverse antioxidant responses in plasma of young trained subjects. Glucose (+10%), lactate (+65%), urea (+30%), free iron (+65%), reduced/oxidized glutathione (+14 and +23%, respectively), and xanthine oxidase activity (2.2-fold) significantly increased after the 1RM test, whereas plasma antioxidant capacity dropped by 37%. When lower weight loads were applied (80%RM and 50%RM tests), heme-iron (+15 and +20%, respectively) became the prevalent pro-oxidant, although glutathione responses were only detected after 80%RM (+14%). Lactate concentration in plasma continuously increased, by 2.9-fold (80%RM) and 3.6-fold higher (50%RM test). We demonstrated that 1RM tests significantly diminish the antioxidant capacity of plasma because of iron overload, whereas 80%RM tests require higher involvement of glutathione molecules to counteract heme-iron oxidative insult. Mild redox imbalances promoted by heme-iron were found in plasma after 50%RM. Although we did not observe overall changes in muscle damage in young trained subjects, we cannot exclude the need for specific antioxidant supplementation depending on the strength protocols applied, especially for less responsive groups, such as sedentary and elderly populations.
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Niemansburg, Sophie L; van Delden, Johannes J M; Oner, F Cumhur; Dhert, Wouter J A; Bredenoord, Annelien L
2014-06-01
Regenerative medicine (RM) interventions, such as (stem) cell transplantation, scaffolds, gene transfer, and tissue engineering, are likely to change the field of orthopedics considerably. These strategies will significantly differ from treatments in current orthopedic practice, as they treat the underlying cause of disease and intervene at a biological level, preferably in an earlier stage. Whereas most of the RM interventions for orthopedics are still in the preclinical phase of research, the number of clinical studies is expected to increase rapidly in the future. The debate about the challenging scientific and ethical issues of translating these innovative interventions into (early) clinical studies is developing. However, no empirical studies that have systematically described the attitudes, opinions, and experiences of experts in the field of orthopedic RM concerning these challenges exist. The aim of this study was to identify ethical issues that experts in the area of RM for musculoskeletal disorders consider to be relevant to address so as to properly translate RM interventions into (early) clinical studies. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 36 experts in the field, mainly spine surgeons and musculoskeletal scientists from The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A topic list of open questions, based on existing literature and pilot interviews, was used to guide the interviews. Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method, which means going back and forth from the data to develop codes, concepts, and themes. Four ethical themes emerged from the interview data. First, the risks to study participants. Second, the appropriate selection of study participants. Third, setting relevant goal(s) for measuring outcome, varying from regenerating tissue to improving well-being of patients. Finally, the need for evidence-based medicine and scientific integrity, which is considered challenging in orthopedics. The overall attitude toward the development of RM was positive, especially because current surgical treatments for spine disorders lack satisfactory effectiveness. However, efforts should be taken to adequately address the ethical and scientific issues in the translation of RM interventions into clinical research. This is required to prevent unnecessary risks to study participants, to prevent exposure of future patients to useless clinical applications, as well as to prevent this young field from developing a negative reputation. Not only will the orthopedic RM field benefit from ethically and scientifically sound clinical studies, but the rise of RM also provides an opportunity to stimulate evidence-based practice in orthopedics and address hype- and profit-driven practices in orthopedics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Vortex Flux Pinning in Type-Ii Superconductors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hasan, Mohammad-Khair A. M.
1995-01-01
Rotational magnetization vector measurements on polycrystalline samples of rm YBa_2Cu _3O_7 (YBCO) and (Ba, K)BiO _3 at various fixed fields (H) and temperatures (T) reveal that the vortex flux density (B) in a rotational state consists of a component B_{rm R}, which rotates rigidly with sample rotation, and a B_{rm F} component, which stays at a fixed frictional angle (theta _{rm F}) relative to H. Also, B_{rm R} decreases and ultimately vanishes with increasing H, while B _{rm F} grows monotonically, implying that the vortex pinning strength have a broad distribution. This has been confirmed by the measurements on YBCO of the remanent flux density B^ {rm rm} which can be decomposed analogously into B_{R} ^{} and B_ {F}^{} at angle theta_{F}^{} relative to H. The quantity Hsin theta_{rm F},, which at equilibrium equals tau_{rm p}/mu (the average pinning torque per vortex of moment mu) decreases with increasing high H. This result and the distribution in the strength of the pinning are shown to be consistent with the collective pinning process of vortex bundling. At fixed H, tau_{rm p} decreases rapidly with increasing T, varying approximately as T^{-0.8} for both samples. For polycrystalline YBCO at 4.2 K, B_ {rm R} and B_{ rm F} are found to relax differently with time. The negative creep sign of B_ {rm R} indicates that the number of rotational vortices decreases with time, whereas B _{rm F} shows a positive creep with a negative change in theta_ {rm F}, which indicates that more frictional vortices enter the sample with a tendency of alignment in the direction of H. For grain-oriented YBCO at 4.2 K, the vortex creep measurements of B along the c-axis at different fields showed that: whenever the hysteretic changes of H are reversed in sign, the vortex flux creep (dB/dlogt) decreases very rapidly to zero, where it lingers before changing sign. At the same turning values of H, (dB/dH) also goes to zero. These properties are attributable to the reversals of the vortex motion which occur at the turning values of H and cause a reversal of frictional pinning forces.
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Remote Monitoring of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIED)
Zeitler, Emily P.; Piccini, Jonathan P.
2016-01-01
With increasing indications and access to cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) worldwide, the number of patients needing CIED follow up continues to rise. In parallel, the technology available for managing these devices has advanced considerably. In this setting, remote monitoring (RM) has emerged as a complement to routine in-office care. Rigorous studies, randomized and otherwise, have demonstrated advantages to CIED patient management systems which incorporates RM resulting in authoritative guidelines from relevant professional societies recommending RM for all eligible patients. In addition to clinical benefits, CIED management programs that include RM have been shown to be cost effective and associated with high patient satisfaction. Finally, RM programs hold promise for the future of CIED research in light of the massive data collected through RM databases converging with unprecedented computational capability. This review outlines the available data associated with clinical outcomes in patients managed with RM with an emphasis on randomized trials; the impact of RM on patient satisfaction, cost-effectiveness and healthcare utilization; and possible future directions for the use of RM in clinical practice and research. PMID:27134007
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Ectopic pregnancy in women with recurrent miscarriage.
Ticconi, Carlo; Capogna, Maria V; Martelli, Federica; Borelli, Barbara; Bruno, Valentina; Ergasti, Raffaella; Sorge, Roberto; Piccione, Emilio; Pietropolli, Adalgisa
2018-05-01
The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between recurrent miscarriage (RM) and ectopic pregnancy (EP). In this case-control retrospective study, the clinical cards of women followed as outpatients in the RM and low-risk pregnancy offices of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit at the Policlinico Tor Vergata University Hospital were carefully reviewed for the occurrence of EP. Overall, 598 women with RM and 2043 normal women without RM (controls) were included in the study. Among these women, 4974 pregnancies were analyzed, in which 2028 miscarriages occurred. The EP rate (3.51%) was significantly higher in RM than in control women (1.51%) [odds ratio = 2.31 (95% confidence interval: 2.3-2.4)]; it was particularly high in women with primary RM (5.11%). However, when EP rates were calculated not by women but by overall pregnancies, no differences could be found between RM and control women. In control women, the absence of a miscarriage in the reproductive history was associated with a lower rate of EP. Women with RM, particularly primary RM, are at increased risk of EP. This increased risk seems to be dependent on the high number of pregnancies occurring in women with RM rather than to specific characteristics of these women. © 2018 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Kasarjian, Julie K. A.; Iida, Masatake; Ryu, Junichi
2003-01-01
The presence of restriction enzymes in bacterial cells has been predicted by either classical phage restriction-modification (R-M) tests, direct in vitro enzyme assays or more recently from bacterial genome sequence analysis. We have applied phage R-M test principles to the transformation of plasmid DNA and established a plasmid R-M test. To validate this test, six plasmids that contain BamHI fragments of phage lambda DNA were constructed and transformed into Escherichia coli strains containing known R-M systems including: type I (EcoBI, EcoAI, Eco124I), type II (HindIII) and type III (EcoP1I). Plasmid DNA with a single recognition site showed a reduction of relative efficiency of transformation (EOT = 10–1–10–2). When multiple recognition sites were present, greater reductions in EOT values were observed. Once established in the cell, the plasmids were subjected to modification (EOT = 1.0). We applied this test to screen E.coli clinical strains and detected the presence of restriction enzymes in 93% (14/15) of cells. Using additional subclones and the computer program, RM Search, we identified four new restriction enzymes, Eco377I, Eco585I, Eco646I and Eco777I, along with their recognition sequences, GGA(8N)ATGC, GCC(6N)TGCG, CCA(7N)CTTC, and GGA(6N)TATC, respectively. Eco1158I, an isoschizomer of EcoBI, was also found in this study. PMID:12595571
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Postactivation potentiation: effect of various recovery intervals on bench press power performance.
Ferreira, Sandra Lívia de Assis; Panissa, Valéria Leme Gonçalves; Miarka, Bianca; Franchini, Emerson
2012-03-01
Postactivation potentiation (PAP) is a strategy used to improve performance in power activities. The aim of this study was to determine if power during bench press exercise was increased when preceded by 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in the same exercise and to determine which time interval could optimize PAP response. For this, 11 healthy male subjects (age, 25 ± 4 years; height, 178 ± 6 cm; body mass, 74 ± 8 kg; bench press 1RM, 76 ± 19 kg) underwent 6 sessions. Two control sessions were conducted to determine both bench press 1RM and power (6 repetitions at 50% 1RM). The 4 experimental sessions were composed of a 1RM exercise followed by power sets with different recovery intervals (1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes), performed on different days, and determined randomly. Power values were measured via Peak Power equipment (Cefise, Nova Odessa, São Paulo, Brazil). The conditions were compared using an analysis of variance with repeated measures, followed by a Tukey test. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. There was a significant increase in PAP in concentric contractions after 7 minutes of recovery compared with the control and 1-minute recovery conditions (p < 0.05). Our results indicated that 7 minutes of recovery has generated an increase in PAP in bench press and that such a strategy could be applied as an interesting alternative to enhance the performance in tasks aimed at increasing upper-body power performance.
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Parsec-scale Faraday rotation and polarization of 20 active galactic nuclei jets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kravchenko, E. V.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Sokolovsky, K. V.
2017-05-01
We perform polarimetry analysis of 20 active galactic nuclei jets using the very long baseline array at 1.4, 1.6, 2.2, 2.4, 4.6, 5.0, 8.1, 8.4 and 15.4 GHz. The study allowed us to investigate linearly polarized properties of the jets at parsec scales: distribution of the Faraday rotation measure (RM) and fractional polarization along the jets, Faraday effects and structure of Faraday-corrected polarization images. Wavelength dependence of the fractional polarization and polarization angle is consistent with external Faraday rotation, while some sources show internal rotation. The RM changes along the jets, systematically increasing its value towards synchrotron self-absorbed cores at shorter wavelengths. The highest core RM reaches 16 900 rad m-2 in the source rest frame for the quasar 0952+179, suggesting the presence of highly magnetized, dense media in these regions. The typical RM of transparent jet regions has values of an order of a hundred rad m-2. Significant transverse RM gradients are observed in seven sources. The magnetic field in the Faraday screen has no preferred orientation, and is observed to be random or regular from source to source. Half of the sources show evidence for the helical magnetic fields in their rotating magneto-ionic media. At the same time jets themselves contain large-scale, ordered magnetic fields and tend to align its direction with the jet flow. The observed variety of polarized signatures can be explained by a model of spine-sheath jet structure.
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Adnan, Atif; Ralf, Arwin; Rakha, Allah; Kousouri, Nefeli; Kayser, Manfred
2016-11-01
Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) markers are commonly used in forensic genetics. Male-specific haplotypes provided by commercial Y-STR kits allow discriminating between many - but not all - unrelated men, while they mostly fail to separate related ones. Aiming to improve male relative and paternal lineage differentiation, a set of 13 rapidly-mutating (RM) Y-STRs was previously identified and introduced to forensic Y-chromosome analysis. Recently, their value was highlighted by separating 99% of over 12,200 unrelated men from 111 global populations, as well as 29% of over 2500 male relative pairs, the vast majority were father-sons. Here, we provide improved empirical evidence on differentiating closely related men with RM Y-STRs, most notably beyond father-sons, where previous data were limited. After careful quality control including genetic relationship testing, we used 572 Pakistani men belonging to 99 2-4 generation pedigrees covering 1568 pairs of men related by 1-6 meioses. Of those, 45% were differentiated by one or more of the 13 RM Y-STR markers. In contrast, only 14.7% of a subset of 1484 pairs from 94 pedigrees were separated by the commercial AmpFlSTR Y-filer kit. Combining previously published and new data, an overall differentiation rate of 35.3% was revealed for the RM Y-STR set based on 4096 pairs of men related by 1-20 meioses, compared to 9.6% with Y-filer based on 3645 pairs. Using father-son pair data from the present and previous studies, we provide updated RM Y-STR mutation rates. Locus-specific mutation rates ranged from 2.0×10 -3 (7.0×10 -4 -4.3×10 -3 ) to 6.9×10 -2 (6.1×10 -2 -7.9×10 -2 ) based on 2741-3143 meioses, with an average rate across all 13 RM Y-STR markers of 1.8×10 -2 (1.7×10 -2 -1.9×10 -2 ) based on 800 mutations from 44,922 meioses. The high haplotype diversity (h=0.9996) we observed among the unrelated men (N=105) underlines the value of this RM Y-STR set to differentiate paternal lineages even from endogamous populations such as from Pakistan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Li, T. S.; Simon, J. D.; Pace, A. B.; ...
2018-04-25
Here, we present Magellan/IMACS, Anglo-Australian Telescope/AAOmega+2dF, and Very Large Telescope/GIRAFFE+FLAMES spectroscopy of the Carina II (Car II) and Carina III (Car III) dwarf galaxy candidates, recently discovered in the Magellanic Satellites Survey (MagLiteS). We identify 18 member stars in Car II, including two binaries with variable radial velocities and two RR Lyrae stars. The other 14 members have a mean heliocentric velocitymore » $${v}_{\\mathrm{hel}}=477.2\\pm 1.2$$ $$\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$ and a velocity dispersion of $${\\sigma }_{v}={3.4}_{-0.8}^{+1.2}$$ $$\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$. Assuming Car II is in dynamical equilibrium, we derive a total mass within the half-light radius of $${1.0}_{-0.4}^{+0.8}\\times {10}^{6}$$ $${M}_{\\odot }$$, indicating a mass-to-light ratio of $${369}_{-161}^{+309}$$ $${M}_{\\odot }$$/$${L}_{\\odot }$$. From equivalent width measurements of the calcium triplet lines of nine red giant branch (RGB) stars, we derive a mean metallicity of $${\\rm{[Fe/H]}}=-2.44\\pm 0.09$$ with dispersion $${\\sigma }_{{\\rm{[Fe/H]}}}={0.22}_{-0.07}^{+0.10}$$. Considering both the kinematic and chemical properties, we conclude that Car II is a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy. For Car III, we identify four member stars, from which we calculate a systemic velocity of $${v}_{\\mathrm{hel}}={284.6}_{-3.1}^{+3.4}$$ $$\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$. The brightest RGB member of Car III has a metallicity of $${\\rm{[Fe/H]}}\\,=-1.97\\pm 0.12$$. Due to the small size of the Car III spectroscopic sample, we cannot conclusively determine its nature. Although these two systems have the smallest known physical separation ($${\\rm{\\Delta }}d\\sim 10\\,\\mathrm{kpc}$$) among Local Group satellites, the large difference in their systemic velocities, $$\\sim 200\\,\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$, indicates that they are unlikely to be a bound pair. One or both systems are likely associated with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and may remain LMC satellites today. No statistically significant excess of γ-ray emission is found at the locations of Car II and Car III in eight years of Fermi-LAT data.« less
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Li, T. S.; Simon, J. D.; Pace, A. B.
Here, we present Magellan/IMACS, Anglo-Australian Telescope/AAOmega+2dF, and Very Large Telescope/GIRAFFE+FLAMES spectroscopy of the Carina II (Car II) and Carina III (Car III) dwarf galaxy candidates, recently discovered in the Magellanic Satellites Survey (MagLiteS). We identify 18 member stars in Car II, including two binaries with variable radial velocities and two RR Lyrae stars. The other 14 members have a mean heliocentric velocitymore » $${v}_{\\mathrm{hel}}=477.2\\pm 1.2$$ $$\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$ and a velocity dispersion of $${\\sigma }_{v}={3.4}_{-0.8}^{+1.2}$$ $$\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$. Assuming Car II is in dynamical equilibrium, we derive a total mass within the half-light radius of $${1.0}_{-0.4}^{+0.8}\\times {10}^{6}$$ $${M}_{\\odot }$$, indicating a mass-to-light ratio of $${369}_{-161}^{+309}$$ $${M}_{\\odot }$$/$${L}_{\\odot }$$. From equivalent width measurements of the calcium triplet lines of nine red giant branch (RGB) stars, we derive a mean metallicity of $${\\rm{[Fe/H]}}=-2.44\\pm 0.09$$ with dispersion $${\\sigma }_{{\\rm{[Fe/H]}}}={0.22}_{-0.07}^{+0.10}$$. Considering both the kinematic and chemical properties, we conclude that Car II is a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy. For Car III, we identify four member stars, from which we calculate a systemic velocity of $${v}_{\\mathrm{hel}}={284.6}_{-3.1}^{+3.4}$$ $$\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$. The brightest RGB member of Car III has a metallicity of $${\\rm{[Fe/H]}}\\,=-1.97\\pm 0.12$$. Due to the small size of the Car III spectroscopic sample, we cannot conclusively determine its nature. Although these two systems have the smallest known physical separation ($${\\rm{\\Delta }}d\\sim 10\\,\\mathrm{kpc}$$) among Local Group satellites, the large difference in their systemic velocities, $$\\sim 200\\,\\mathrm{km}\\,{{\\rm{s}}}^{-1}$$, indicates that they are unlikely to be a bound pair. One or both systems are likely associated with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and may remain LMC satellites today. No statistically significant excess of γ-ray emission is found at the locations of Car II and Car III in eight years of Fermi-LAT data.« less
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Techno-economıc Analysıs of Evacuated Tube Solar Water Heater usıng F-chart Method
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fayaz, H.; Rahim, N. A.; Saidur, R.; Hasanuzzaman, M.
2018-05-01
Solar thermal utilization, especially the application of solar water heater technology, has developed rapidly in recent decades. Solar water heating systems based on thermal collector alone or connected with photovoltaic called as photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) are practical applications to replace the use of electrical water heaters but weather dependent performance of these systems is not linear. Therefore on the basis of short term or average weather conditions, accurate analysis of performance is quite difficult. The objective of this paper is to show thermal and economic analysis of evacuated tube collector solar water heaters. Analysis done by F-Chart shows that evacuated tube solar water heater achieves fraction value of 1 to fulfil hot water demand of 150liters and above per day for a family without any auxiliary energy usage. Evacuated tube solar water heater show life cycle savings of RM 5200. At water set temperature of 100°C, RM 12000 is achieved and highest life cycle savings of RM 6100 at the environmental temperature of 18°C are achieved. Best thermal and economic performance is obtained which results in reduction of household greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of energy consumption and saves money on energy bills.
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Liu, Shuang; Wang, Feng; Gao, Li Jun; Li, Jin Hua; Li, Rong Bai; Gao, Han Liang; Deng, Guo Fu; Yang, Jin Shui; Luo, Xiao Jin
2012-01-01
Heading date in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a critical agronomic trait with a complex inheritance. To investigate the genetic basis and mechanism of gene interaction in heading date, we conducted genetic analysis on segregation populations derived from crosses among the indica cultivars Bo B, Yuefeng B and Baoxuan 2. A set of dominant complementary genes controlling late heading, designated LH1 and LH2, were detected by molecular marker mapping. Genetic analysis revealed that Baoxuan 2 contains both dominant genes, while Bo B and Yuefeng B each possess either LH1 or LH2. Using larger populations with segregant ratios of 3 : 1, we fine-mapped LH1 to a 63-kb region near the centromere of chromosome 7 flanked by markers RM5436 and RM8034, and LH2 to a 177-kb region on the short arm of chromosome 8 between flanking markers Indel22468-3 and RM25. Some candidate genes were identified through sequencing of Bo B and Yuefeng B in these target regions. Our work provides a solid foundation for further study on gene interaction in heading date and has application in marker-assisted breeding of photosensitive hybrid rice in China. PMID:23341744
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Liu, Shuang; Wang, Feng; Gao, Li Jun; Li, Jin Hua; Li, Rong Bai; Gao, Han Liang; Deng, Guo Fu; Yang, Jin Shui; Luo, Xiao Jin
2012-12-01
Heading date in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a critical agronomic trait with a complex inheritance. To investigate the genetic basis and mechanism of gene interaction in heading date, we conducted genetic analysis on segregation populations derived from crosses among the indica cultivars Bo B, Yuefeng B and Baoxuan 2. A set of dominant complementary genes controlling late heading, designated LH1 and LH2, were detected by molecular marker mapping. Genetic analysis revealed that Baoxuan 2 contains both dominant genes, while Bo B and Yuefeng B each possess either LH1 or LH2. Using larger populations with segregant ratios of 3 : 1, we fine-mapped LH1 to a 63-kb region near the centromere of chromosome 7 flanked by markers RM5436 and RM8034, and LH2 to a 177-kb region on the short arm of chromosome 8 between flanking markers Indel22468-3 and RM25. Some candidate genes were identified through sequencing of Bo B and Yuefeng B in these target regions. Our work provides a solid foundation for further study on gene interaction in heading date and has application in marker-assisted breeding of photosensitive hybrid rice in China.
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The influence of isometric preload on power expressed during bench press in strength-trained men.
Bartolomei, Sandro; Fukuda, David H; Hoffman, Jay R; Stout, Jeffrey R; Merni, Franco
2017-03-01
The purpose of this study was to compare the power expressed during the bench press exercise in resistance-trained men following different pre-activation conditions. Twenty-two trained men (age 24.1 ± 1.7 years, height 178.6 ± 6.1 cm, body mass 81.1 ± 10.6 kg) completed a maximal effort bench press (1-RM) test (100.0 kg ± 8.1 kg). In a subsequent assessment, each participant performed concentric bench press movements with loads of 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% of their 1-RM preceded by either a concentric contraction (CC), a low isometric preload (LIP; 70% 1-RM) or a high isometric preload (HIP; 100% 1-RM) conditions. All movements were performed in a Smith machine with a settable quick-release device. Participants performed all three conditions in randomized fashion. Results indicated that power outputs during the bench press exercise following HIP were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than CC at 20% 1-RM (+9%), 30% 1-RM (+16%) and 40% 1-RM (+14%), and LIP at 20% 1-RM (+4%), 30% 1-RM (+20%) and 40% 1-RM (+15%). No differences were found between conditions at 50% 1-RM. Area under the force-power curve with HIP was greater (p < 0.05) than with CC and LIP. In conclusion, results of this study indicate that the use of a HIP (100% 1-RM) in trained participants results in significantly greater power output during the concentric phase of a multi-joint exercise when compared to standard concentric movement.
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You, Xin; Qin, Zhen; Li, Yan-Xiao; Yan, Qiao-Juan; Li, Bin; Jiang, Zheng-Qiang
2018-06-01
Mannan is one of the major constituent groups of hemicellulose, which is a renewable resource from higher plants. β-Mannanases are enzymes capable of degrading lignocellulosic biomass. Here, an endo-β-mannanase from Rhizopus microsporus (RmMan134A) was cloned and expressed. The recombinant RmMan134A showed maximal activity at pH 5.0 and 50 °C, and exhibited high specific activity towards locust bean gum (2337 U/mg). To gain insight into the substrate-binding mechanism of RmMan134A, four complex structures (RmMan134A-M3, RmMan134A-M4, RmMan134A-M5 and RmMan134A-M6) were further solved. These structures showed that there were at least seven subsites (-3 to +4) in the catalytic groove of RmMan134A. Mannose in the -1 subsite hydrogen bonded with His113 and Tyr131, revealing a unique conformation. Lys48 and Val159 formed steric hindrance, which impedes to bond with galactose branches. In addition, the various binding modes of RmMan134A-M5 indicated that subsites -2 to +2 are indispensable during the hydrolytic process. The structure of RmMan134A-M4 showed that mannotetrose only binds at subsites +1 to +4, and RmMan134A could therefore not hydrolyze mannan oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization ≤4. Through rational design, the specific activity and optimal conditions of RmMan134A were significantly improved. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure and function of fungal GH family 134 β-1,4-mannanases, and substrate-binding mechanism of GH family 134 members. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shvarts, D.; Oron, D.; Kartoon, D.; Rikanati, A.; Sadot, O.; Srebro, Y.; Yedvab, Y.; Ofer, D.; Levin, A.; Sarid, E.; Ben-Dor, G.; Erez, L.; Erez, G.; Yosef-Hai, A.; Alon, U.; Arazi, L.
2016-10-01
The late-time nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instabilities for random initial perturbations is investigated using a statistical mechanics model based on single-mode and bubble-competition physics at all Atwood numbers (A) and full numerical simulations in two and three dimensions. It is shown that the RT mixing zone bubble and spike fronts evolve as h ~ α · A · gt2 with different values of a for the bubble and spike fronts. The RM mixing zone fronts evolve as h ~ tθ with different values of θ for bubbles and spikes. Similar analysis yields a linear growth with time of the Kelvin-Helmholtz mixing zone. The dependence of the RT and RM scaling parameters on A and the dimensionality will be discussed. The 3D predictions are found to be in good agreement with recent Linear Electric Motor (LEM) experiments.
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A New Soluble Gelatin Sponge for Transcatheter Hepatic Arterial Embolization
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Takasaka, Isao; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Sato, Morio, E-mail: morisato@mail.wakayama-med.ac.jp
2010-12-15
To prepare a soluble gelatin sponge (GS) and to explore the GS particles (GSPs) that inhibit development of collateral pathways when transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization is performed. The approval of the Institutional Committee on Research Animal Care of our institution was obtained. By means of 50 and 100 kDa of regenerative medicine-gelatin (RM-G), RM-G sponges were prepared by freeze-drying and heating to temperatures of 110-150{sup o}C for cross-linkage. The soluble times of RM-GSPs were measured in vitro. Eight swine for transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization were assigned into two groups: six received 135{sup o}C/50RM-GSPs, 125{sup o}C/100RM-GSPs, and 138{sup o}C/50RM-GSPs, with solublemore » time of 48 h or more in vitro; two swine received Gelpart GSPs (G-GSPs) with insoluble time of 14 days as a control. Transarterial chemoembolization was performed on two branches of the hepatic artery per swine. RM-GSPs heated at temperatures of 110-138{sup o}C were soluble. Mean soluble times of the RM-GSPs increased with higher temperature. Hepatic branches embolized with G-GSP remained occluded after 6 days, and development of collateral pathways was observed after 3 days. Hepatic branches embolized with 135{sup o}C/50RM-GSP and 125{sup o}C/100RM-GSP remained occluded for 4 h, and recanalization was observed after 1 day. Hepatic branches embolized with 138{sup o}C/50RM-GS remained occluded for 1 day, and recanalization was observed after 2 days with no development of collateral pathways. In RM-GSs with various soluble times that were prepared by modulating the heating temperature, 138{sup o}C/50RM-GSP was the soluble GSP with the longest occlusion time without inducing development of collateral pathways.« less
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Optically dark excitonic states mediated exciton and biexciton valley dynamics in monolayer WSe2.
Zhang, Minghua; Fu, Jiyong; Dias, A C; Qu, Fanyao
2018-05-18
We present a theory to address the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and valley polarization (VP) dynamics in monolayer WSe$_2$, under the impact of excitonic dark states of both excitons and biexcitons. We find that the PL intensity of all excitonic channels including intravalley exciton (X$_{\\rm b}$), intravalley biexciton (XX$_{\\rm k,k}$) and intervalley biexciton (XX$_{\\rm k,k^\\prime}$) in particular for the {XX$_{\\rm k,k}$} PL is enhanced by laser excitation fluence. In addition, our results indicate the anomalous temperature dependence of PL, i.e., increasing with temperature, as a result of favored phonon assisted dark-to-bright scatterings at high temperatures. Moreover, we observe that the PL is almost immune to intervalley scatterings, which trigger the exchange of excitonic states between the two valleys. As far as the valley polarization is concerned, we find that the VP of X$_{\\rm b}$ shrinks as temperature increases, exhibiting opposite temperature response to PL, while the intravalley XX$_{\\rm k,k}$ VP is found almost independent of temperature. In contrast to both X$_{\\rm b}$ and XX$_{\\rm k,k}$, the intervalley XX$_{\\rm k,k^\\prime}$ VP identically vanishes, because of equal populations of excitons in the $K$ and $K^\\prime$ valleys bounded to form intervalley biexcitons. Notably, it is found that the X$_{\\rm b}$ VP much more strongly depends on bright-dark scattering than that of {XX$_{\\rm k,k}$}, making dark state act as a robust reservoir for valley polarization against intervalley scatterings for X$_{\\rm b}$ at strong bright-dark scatterings, but not for XX$_{\\rm k,k}$. Dark excitonic states enabled enhancement of VP benefits quantum technology for information processing based on the valley degree of freedom in valleytronic devices. Furthermore, the VP has strong dependence on intervalley scattering but maintains essentially constant with excitation fluence. Finally, the time evolution of PL and VP, depending on temperature and excitation fluence, is discussed. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.
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Nilsen, E T; Walker, J F; Miller, O K; Semones, S W; Lei, T T; Clinton, B D
1999-11-01
In the southern Appalachian mountains a subcanopy species, Rhododendron maximum, inhibits the establishment and survival of canopy tree seedlings. One of the mechanisms by which seedlings could be inhibited is an allelopathic effect of decomposing litter or leachate from the canopy of R. maximum (R.m.) on seed germination, root elongation, or mycorrhizal colonization. The potential for allelopathy by R.m. was tested with two bioassay species (lettuce and cress), with seeds from four native tree species, and with three ectomycorrhizal fungi. Inhibitory influences of throughfall, fresh litter, and decomposed litter (organic layer) from forest with R.m. (+R.m. sites) were compared to similar extractions made from forest without R.m. (-R.m. sites). Throughfall and leachates of the organic layer from both +R.m. and -R.m. sites stimulated germination of the bioassay species above that of the distilled water control, to a similar extent. There was an inhibitory effect of leachates of litter from +R.m. sites on seed germination and root elongation rate of both bioassay species compared with that of litter from -R.m. sites. Native tree seed stratified in forest floor material from both forest types had a slightly higher seed germination rate compared with the control. A 2-yr study of seed germination and seedling mortality of two tree species, Quercus rubra and Prunus serotina, in field plots showed no significant influence of litter or organic layer from either forest type. Incorporating R.m. leaf material into the growth medium in vitro depressed growth of one ectomycorrhizal species but did not affect two other species. Leaf material from other deciduous tree species depressed ectomycorrhizal growth to a similar or greater extent as leaf material from R.m. In conclusion, R.m. litter can have an allelopathic effect on seed germination and root elongation of bioassay species as well as some ectomycorrhizal species. However, this allelopathic affect is not manifest in field sites and is not likely to be an important cause for the inhibition of seedling survival within thickets of R.m.
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Analysis of Coastal Dunes: A Remote Sensing and Statistical Approach.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, J. Richard
1985-01-01
Remote sensing analysis and statistical methods were used to analyze the coastal dunes of Plum Island, Massachusetts. The research methodology used provides an example of a student project for remote sensing, geomorphology, or spatial analysis courses at the university level. (RM)
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Characterization and Potential Environmental Risks of Leachate from Shredded Rubber Mulches
Kanematsu, Masakazu; Hayashi, Ai; Denison, Michael S.; Young, Thomas M.
2009-01-01
In order to determine whether shredded rubber mulches (RM) posed water quality risks when used in stormwater best management practices (BMPs) such as bioretention basins, batch leaching tests were conducted to identify and quantify constituents in leachates from RM such as metal ions, nutrients, total organic carbon (TOC), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity (determined by the chemically activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) bioassay) at varied temperature and initial pH values. The results indicate that aqueous extracts of RM contain high concentrations of zinc (Zn) compared with wood mulches (WM), and its concentration increased at lower pH and higher temperature. Although methanol extracts of RM displayed high AhR activity, none of the aqueous extracts of RM had significant activity. Hence, while unknown constituents that have significant AhR activity are present in RM, they appear to be not measurably extracted by water under environmental conditions relevant for stormwater (5 < pH < 9, 10 < T < 40°C). Our results suggests that organic constituents in water extracts of RM which have AhR activity may not be of significant concern while leaching of Zn from RM appears to be a potentially larger water quality issue for RM. PMID:19450864
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The Effects of Ultrasound on Biological Systems: Site
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
El-Karmi, Anan M.
Earlier studies (Dinno et al., Ultrasound Med. Biol. 15:461 -470; 1989) demonstrated that ultrasound at therapeutic intensities causes large increases in total conductance (G_{rm t}) of frog skin. These changes were attributed to non-thermal mechanisms, primarily, cavitation. In this study, the site(s) and mechanism(s) of action of ultrasound for the increase in G_{rm t} were examined. The reversible changes in G_{rm t } and sodium current were monitored in real time as a function of ultrasound exposure. Amiloride, a sodium channel blocker, was used to differentiate between cellular (G_{rm c}) and paracellular (G_{rm s}) pathways in the presence and absence of ultrasound. No significant changes were detected in G_ {rm c}. However, changes in G _{rm s} were significant. These results demonstrate that most of the increase in G _{rm t} due to ultrasound is taking place in the paracellular pathways. Sodium channels were not significantly affected by ultrasound. Thus, the changes in G_{rm c} are not specific. The effects of ultrasound were examined in the presence of radical scavengers and antioxidants. The increase in G_{rm t} due to ultrasound was significantly minimized in the presence of cystamine, cysteamine, and sodium ascorbate. This demonstrates that free radicals and other reactive species generated by cavitation are causing the increase in G_ {rm t}, possibly by acting from inside the cells. Radical scavengers and antioxidants are providing protection from oxidative damage but are not involved in the recovery of G_{ rm t} towards steady state values after sonication. The role of Ca^{2+} in the effects of ultrasound was examined since many of the cellular reactions involved in tissue recovery are dependent on the intracellular availability of free Ca^{2+}. The percentage increase in G_{rm t} in the presence of Ca^{2+} was larger than in its absence (140% vs. 27%). The time constant for G_{rm t} to return to steady state was longer in calcium-free solutions (122 vs. 18 minutes). This demonstrates that the biological effects of ultrasound are influenced by Ca^ {2+}. The larger increases in G _{rm t} and the time constants confirm other studies addressing the role of Ca ^{2+} in potentiating lipid peroxidation by free radicals, and the role of calcium ions in the formation of tight junctions.
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Trigger-happy resident memory CD4+ T cells inhabit the human lungs.
Oja, A E; Piet, B; Helbig, C; Stark, R; van der Zwan, D; Blaauwgeers, H; Remmerswaal, E B M; Amsen, D; Jonkers, R E; Moerland, P D; Nolte, M A; van Lier, R A W; Hombrink, P
2018-05-01
Resident memory T cells (T RM ) reside in the lung epithelium and mediate protective immunity against respiratory pathogens. Although lung CD8 + T RM have been extensively characterized, the properties of CD4 + T RM remain unclear. Here we determined the transcriptional signature of CD4 + T RM , identified by the expression of CD103, retrieved from human lung resection material. Various tissue homing molecules were specifically upregulated on CD4 + T RM , whereas expression of tissue egress and lymph node homing molecules were low. CD103 + T RM expressed low levels of T-bet, only a small portion expressed Eomesodermin (Eomes), and although the mRNA levels for Hobit were increased, protein expression was absent. On the other hand, the CD103 + T RM showed a Notch signature. CD4 + CD103 + T RM constitutively expressed high transcript levels of numerous cytotoxic mediators that was functionally reflected by a fast recall response, magnitude of cytokine production, and a high degree of polyfunctionality. Interestingly, the superior cytokine production appears to be because of an accessible interferon-γ (IFNγ) locus and was partially because of rapid translation of preformed mRNA. Our studies provide a molecular understanding of the maintenance and potential function of CD4 + T RM in the human lung. Understanding the specific properties of CD4 + T RM is required to rationally improve vaccine design.
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Bui, David P; Pollack Porter, Keshia; Griffin, Stephanie; French, Dustin D; Jung, Alesia M; Crothers, Stephen; Burgess, Jefferey L
2017-11-17
Emergency service vehicle crashes (ESVCs) are a leading cause of death in the United States fire service. Risk management (RM) is a proactive process for identifying occupational risks and reducing hazards and unwanted events through an iterative process of scoping hazards, risk assessment, and implementing controls. We describe the process, outputs, and lessons learned from the application of a proactive RM process to reduce ESVCs in US fire departments. Three fire departments representative of urban, suburban, and rural geographies, participated in a facilitated RM process delivered through focus groups and stakeholder discussion. Crash reports from department databases were reviewed to characterize the context, circumstances, hazards and risks of ESVCs. Identified risks were ranked using a risk matrix that considered risk likelihood and severity. Department-specific control measures were selected based on group consensus. Interviews, and focus groups were used to assess acceptability and utility of the RM process and perceived facilitators and barriers of implementation. Three to six RM meetings were conducted at each fire department. There were 7.4 crashes per 100 personnel in the urban department and 10.5 per 100 personnel in the suburban department; the rural department experienced zero crashes. All departments identified emergency response, backing, on scene struck by, driver distraction, vehicle/road visibility, and driver training as high or medium concerns. Additional high priority risks varied by department; the urban department prioritized turning and rear ending crashes; the suburban firefighters prioritized inclement weather/road environment and low visibility related crashes; and the rural volunteer fire department prioritized exiting station, vehicle failure, and inclement weather/road environment related incidents. Selected controls included new policies and standard operating procedures to reduce emergency response, cameras to enhance driver visibility while backing, and increased training frequency and enhanced training. The RM process was generally acceptable to department participants and considered useful. All departments reported that the focused and systematic analysis of crashes was particularly helpful. Implementation of controls was a commonly cited challenge. Proactive RM of ESVCs in three US fire departments was positively received and supported the establishment of interventions tailored to each department's needs and priorities.
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Rehabilitation Medicine Educational Experiences: A Retrospective Study of Exposure to RM.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dobmeyer, Thomas W.
1979-01-01
A study was conducted to determine: the effect of rehabilitation medicine (RM) educational experiences during medical school on physicians' awareness of RM; attitude toward RM; the management of long-term care; and the tendency to seek expert consultation and patient referral when necessary. (Author/MH)
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-01-17
... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [MB Docket No. 08-85; RM-11427, RM-11517, RM-11518, RM-11519; DA 11- 2059] Radio Broadcasting Services; Ehrenberg, First Mesa, Kachina Village, Wickenburg, and Williams, AZ, and Needles, CA AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Proposed...
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Clark, Robin J. H.; Jones, Richard; Gibbs, Robert
2016-01-01
Non-destructive pigment analysis by Raman microscopy (RM) and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) has been carried out on some Bolognese illuminations and cuttings chosen to represent the beginnings, evolution and height of Bolognese illuminated manuscript production. Dating to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and held in a private collection, the study provides evidence for the pigments generally used in this period. The results, which are compared with those obtained for other north Italian artwork, show the developments in usage of artistic materials and technique. Also addressed in this study is an examination of the respective roles of RM and pXRF analysis in this area of technical art history. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology’. PMID:27799427
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Gillison, Maura L; Blumenschein, George; Fayette, Jerome; Guigay, Joel; Colevas, A Dimitrios; Licitra, Lisa; Harrington, Kevin J; Kasper, Stefan; Vokes, Everett E; Even, Caroline; Worden, Francis; Saba, Nabil F; Iglesias Docampo, Lara Carmen; Haddad, Robert; Rordorf, Tamara; Kiyota, Naomi; Tahara, Makoto; Monga, Manish; Lynch, Mark; Li, Li; Ferris, Robert L
2018-06-04
Nivolumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) vs investigator's choice (IC) of chemotherapy at the primary analysis of randomized, open-label, phase 3 CheckMate 141 in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Here, we report that OS benefit with nivolumab was maintained at a minimum follow-up of 11.4 months. Further, OS benefit with nivolumab vs IC was also noted among patients who received first-line treatment for R/M SCCHN after progressing on platinum therapy for locally advanced disease in the adjuvant or primary (i.e., with radiation) setting. The Oncologist 2018. © AlphaMed Press 2018.
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The effects of respiratory-muscle training on exercise in older women.
Watsford, Mark; Murphy, Arona
2008-07-01
This research examined the effects of respiratory-muscle (RM) training on RM function and exercise performance in older women. Twenty-six women (60-69 yr of age) were assessed for spirometry, RM strength (maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure), inspiratory-muscle endurance, and walking performance to a perceived exertion rating of "hard." They were randomly allocated to a threshold RM training group (RMT) or a nonexercising control group (CON) for 8 wk.After training, the 22% (inspiratory) and 30% (expiratory) improvements in RM strength in the RMT group were significantly higher than in the CON group (p < .05). The RMT group also displayed several significant performance improvements, including improved within-group treadmill performance time (12%) and reductions in submaximal heart rate (5%), percentage of maximum voluntary ventilation (16%), and perceived exertion for breathing (8%). RM training appears to improve RM function in older women. Furthermore, these improvements appear to be related to improved submaximal exercise performance.
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Wang, Yangyang; Li, Fangfang; Song, Jian; Xiao, Ruiyang; Luo, Lin; Yang, Zhihui; Chai, Liyuan
2018-04-12
Red mud (RM) was used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. Experiments with two different dosages of RM added to soils were carried out in this study. It was found that soil pH increased 0.3 and 0.5 unit with the dosage of 3 and 5% (wt%), respectively. At the dosage of 5%, the highest stabilization efficiencies for Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn reached 67.95, 64.21, 43.73 and 63.73%, respectively. The addition of RM obviously transferred Cd from the exchangeable fraction to the residual fraction. Meanwhile, in comparison with the control (no RM added), it reduced 24.38, 49.20, 19.42 and 8.89% of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in wheat grains at the RM addition dosage of 5%, respectively. At the same time, the yield of wheat grains increased 17.81 and 24.66% at the RM addition dosage of 3 and 5%, respectively. Finally, the addition of RM did not change the soil bacterial community. These results indicate that RM has a great potential in stabilizing heavy metals in calcareous agricultural soils.
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Using Bar Velocity to Predict the Maximum Dynamic Strength in the Half-Squat Exercise.
Loturco, Irineu; Pereira, Lucas A; Cal Abad, Cesar C; Gil, Saulo; Kitamura, Katia; Kobal, Ronaldo; Nakamura, Fábio Y
2016-07-01
To determine whether athletes from different sport disciplines present similar mean propulsive velocity (MPV) in the half-squat (HS) during submaximal and maximal tests, enabling prediction of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) from MPV at any given submaximal load. Sixty-four male athletes, comprising American football, rugby, and soccer players; sprinters and jumpers; and combat-sport strikers attended 2 testing sessions separated by 2-4 wk. On the first visit, a standardized 1-RM test was performed. On the second, athletes performed HSs on Smith-machine equipment, using relative percentages of 1-RM to determine the respective MPV of submaximal and maximal loads. Linear regression established the relationship between MPV and percentage of 1-RM. A very strong linear relationship (R2 ≈ .96) was observed between the MPV and the percentages of HS 1-RM, resulting in the following equation: %HS 1-RM = -105.05 × MPV + 131.75. The MPV at HS 1-RM was ~0.3 m/s. This equation can be used to predict HS 1-RM on a Smith machine with a high degree of accuracy.
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Do the flash-lag effect and representational momentum involve similar extrapolations?
Hubbard, Timothy L.
2013-01-01
In the flash-lag effect (FLE) and in representational momentum (RM), the represented position of a moving target is displaced in the direction of motion. Effects of numerous variables on the FLE and on RM are briefly considered. In many cases, variables appear to have the same effect on the FLE and on RM, and this is consistent with a hypothesis that displacements in the FLE and in RM result from overlapping or similar mechanisms. In other cases, variables initially appear to have different effects on the FLE and on RM, but accounts reconciling those apparent differences with a hypothesis of overlapping or similar mechanisms are suggested. Given that RM is simpler and accounts for a wider range of findings (i.e., RM involves a single stimulus rather than the relationship between two stimuli, RM accounts for displacement in absolute position of a single stimulus and for differences in relative position of two stimuli), it is suggested that (at least some cases of) the FLE might be a special case of RM in which the position of the target is assessed relative to the position of another stimulus (i.e., the flashed object) rather than relative to the actual position of the target. PMID:23734140
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Perreault, Martin; Maltais, René; Kenmogne, Lucie Carolle; Létourneau, Danny; LeHoux, Jean-Guy; Gobeil, Stéphane; Poirier, Donald
2018-02-01
The aminosteroid derivative RM-133 is an effective anticancer molecule for which proof of concept has been achieved in several mouse xenograph models (HL-60, MCF-7, PANC-1 and OVCAR-3). To promote this new family of molecules toward a clinical phase 1 trial, the mechanism of action governing the anticancer properties of the representative candidate RM-133 needs to be characterized. In vitro experiments were first used to determine that RM-133 causes apoptosis in cancer cells. Then, using proteomic and transcriptomic experiments, RM-133 cytotoxicity was proven to be achieved via the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-related apoptosis, which characterizes RM-133 as an endoplasmic reticulum stress aggravator (ERSA) anticancer drug. Furthermore, an shRNA-genome-wide screening has permitted to identify the steroidogenic acute regulator-related lipid transfer protein 5 (STARD5) as a major player in the RM-133 ER-related apoptosis mechanism, which was validated by an in vitro binding experiment. Altogether, the results presented herein suggest that RM-133 provokes a disturbance of cholesterol homeostasis via the implication of STARD5, which delivers an ERSA molecule to the ER. These results will be a springboard for RM-133 in its path toward clinical use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Induction of taxol metabolism in the rat by dexamethasone
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Anderson, C.D.; Gondi, K.N.; Walle, T.
1994-12-31
The antitumor drug taxol was metabolized to two major metabolites (RM1 and RM2) in adult male and female rat liver microsomes. The male rats produced RM1 2.6 fold faster than the females, and they produced RM2 3 fold faster than the females. This correlated well with the sex differences noticed in liver microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A content (4.4 fold greater in male) and 6{beta}-hydroxylation of testosterone (2.4 fold greater in male). Taxol was metabolized to three major metabolites (RM1, RM2, and RM3) in adult male and female rat liver microsomes from rats pretreated with dexamethasone. Production of RM1 andmore » RM2 was increased in these rats (2.3 and 3.3 fold respectively in males; 6.5 and 8.7 fold respectively in females) as compared to the untreated rats. These results compared well with the induction of CYP 3A proteins (3.5 fold in male, 10 fold in female) and induction of 6{beta}-hydroxylation (1.9 fold in males, 3.8 fold in females). RM3, which was produced only by the rats pretreated with dexamethasone, had a retention time of 0.58 relative to taxol which corresponds to 6{alpha}- hydroxytaxol, the major human metabolite of taxol. This study indicates that taxol metabolism in the rat is likely due to CYP 3A enzymes. Although the evidence points toward CYP 3A1 as the major isoform involved, it does not rule out others. The findings also suggest that CYP 3A1 is responsible for the induced metabolite, RM3.« less
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Varzari, Alexander; Kharkov, Vladimir; Nikitin, Alexey G; Raicu, Florina; Simonova, Kseniya; Stephan, Wolfgang; Weiss, Elisabeth H; Stepanov, Vadim
2013-01-01
Moldova has a rich historical and cultural heritage, which may be reflected in the current genetic makeup of its population. To date, no comprehensive studies exist about the population genetic structure of modern Moldavians. To bridge this gap with respect to paternal lineages, we analyzed 37 binary and 17 multiallelic (STRs) polymorphisms on the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome in 125 Moldavian males. In addition, 53 Ukrainians from eastern Moldova and 54 Romanians from the neighboring eastern Romania were typed using the same set of markers. In Moldavians, 19 Y chromosome haplogroups were identified, the most common being I-M423 (20.8%), R-M17* (17.6%), R-M458 (12.8%), E-v13 (8.8%), R-M269* and R-M412* (both 7.2%). In Romanians, 14 haplogroups were found including I-M423 (40.7%), R-M17* (16.7%), R-M405 (7.4%), E-v13 and R-M412* (both 5.6%). In Ukrainians, 13 haplogroups were identified including R-M17 (34.0%), I-M423 (20.8%), R-M269* (9.4%), N-M178, R-M458 and R-M73 (each 5.7%). Our results show that a significant majority of the Moldavian paternal gene pool belongs to eastern/central European and Balkan/eastern Mediterranean Y lineages. Phylogenetic and AMOVA analyses based on Y-STR loci also revealed that Moldavians are close to both eastern/central European and Balkan-Carpathian populations. The data correlate well with historical accounts and geographical location of the region and thus allow to hypothesize that extant Moldavian paternal genetic lineages arose from extensive recent admixture between genetically autochthonous populations of the Balkan-Carpathian zone and neighboring Slavic groups.
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Wang, Z.; Zhang, B.; Zhai, F.; Wang, H.; Zhang, J.; Du, W.; Su, C.; Zhang, J.; Jiang, H.; Popkin, B. M.
2014-01-01
Aim We examined the longitudinal association between red meat (RM) consumption and the risk of abdominal obesity in Chinese adults. Methods and results Our data are from 16,822 adults aged 18 to 75 in the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1993 to 2011. We assessed RM intake with three 24-hour dietary recalls. We defined abdominal obesity as a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 85 centimeters (cm) for men and ≥ 80 cm for women. Multilevel mixed-effect regression models showed that men experienced WC increases of 0.74 cm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39–1.09) from a higher total intake of fresh RM and 0.59 cm (95% CI: 0.24–0. 95) from a higher intake of fatty fresh RM but 0.14 cm (95% CI: −0.39–0.66) from a higher intake of lean fresh RM in the top versus the bottom quartile when adjusted for potential confounders. In contrast, after additional adjustment for baseline WC, the odds ratios of abdominal obesity in men were attenuated for total fresh RM (1.25 [95% CI: 1.06–1.47]) and fatty fresh RM (1.22 [95% CI: 1.03–1.44]) but were still not affected by lean fresh RM (0.95 [95% CI: 0.75–1.22]). Women also showed a positive association of fatty fresh RM intake with abdominal obesity. Conclusion Greater intake of fatty fresh RM was significantly associated with higher WC (men only) and abdominal obesity risk in Chinese adults. The gender-specific differential association of fatty versus lean fresh RM warrants further study. PMID:24795160
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Wang, Z; Zhang, B; Zhai, F; Wang, H; Zhang, J; Du, W; Su, C; Zhang, J; Jiang, H; Popkin, B M
2014-08-01
We examined the longitudinal association between red meat (RM) consumption and the risk of abdominal obesity in Chinese adults. Our data are from 16,822 adults aged 18-75 in the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1993 to 2011. We assessed RM intake with three 24-h dietary recalls. We defined abdominal obesity as a waist circumference (WC) ≥85 centimeters (cm) for men and ≥80 cm for women. Multilevel mixed-effect regression models showed that men experienced WC increases of 0.74 cm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39-1.09) from a higher total intake of fresh RM and 0.59 cm (95% CI: 0.24-0. 95) from a higher intake of fatty fresh RM but 0.14 cm (95% CI: -0.39 to 0.66) from a higher intake of lean fresh RM in the top quartile versus non-consumers when adjusted for potential confounders. In contrast, after additional adjustment for baseline WC, the odds ratios of abdominal obesity in men were attenuated for total fresh RM (1.25 [95% CI: 1.06-1.47]) and fatty fresh RM (1.22 [95% CI: 1.03-1.44]) but were still not affected by lean fresh RM (0.95 [95% CI: 0.75-1.22]). Women also showed a positive association of fatty fresh RM intake with abdominal obesity. Greater intake of fatty fresh RM was significantly associated with higher WC (men only) and abdominal obesity risk in Chinese adults. The gender-specific differential association of fatty versus lean fresh RM warrants further study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Piccini, Jonathan P; Mittal, Suneet; Snell, Jeff; Prillinger, Julie B; Dalal, Nirav; Varma, Niraj
2016-12-01
Remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) improves patient survival. However, whether RM reduces health care utilization is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether RM was associated with reduced hospitalization and costs in clinical practice. We conducted a nationwide cohort study using the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database. Patients implanted with a CIED between March 31, 2009, and April 1, 2012, were included. All-cause hospitalization events were compared between those using RM and those not using RM by using Cox proportional hazards methods with Andersen-Gill extension and propensity scoring. We also compared health care costs (payments >30 days after CIED implantation). Overall, there were 92,566 patients (mean age 72 ± 13 years; 58,140 [63%] men) with a mean follow-up of 19 ± 12 months, including 54,520 (59%) pacemaker, 27,816 (30%) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, and 10,230 (11%) cardiac resynchronization therapy patients. Only 37% of patients (34,259) used RM. Patients with RM had Charlson Comorbidity Index values similar to those not using RM but had lower adjusted risk of all-cause hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio 0.82; 95% confidence interval 0.80-0.84; P < .001) and shorter mean length of hospitalization (5.3 days vs 8.1 days; P < .001) during follow-up. RM was associated with a 30% reduction in hospitalization costs ($8720 mean cost per patient-year vs $12,423 mean cost per patient-year). For every 100,000 patient-years of follow-up, RM was associated with 9810 fewer hospitalizations, 119,000 fewer days in hospital, and $370,270,000 lower hospital payments. RM is associated with reductions in hospitalization and health care utilization. Since only about a third of patients with CIEDs routinely use RM, this represents a major opportunity for quality improvement. Copyright © 2016 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Kobayashi, Ichizo
2001-01-01
Restriction–modification (RM) systems are composed of genes that encode a restriction enzyme and a modification methylase. RM systems sometimes behave as discrete units of life, like viruses and transposons. RM complexes attack invading DNA that has not been properly modified and thus may serve as a tool of defense for bacterial cells. However, any threat to their maintenance, such as a challenge by a competing genetic element (an incompatible plasmid or an allelic homologous stretch of DNA, for example) can lead to cell death through restriction breakage in the genome. This post-segregational or post-disturbance cell killing may provide the RM complexes (and any DNA linked with them) with a competitive advantage. There is evidence that they have undergone extensive horizontal transfer between genomes, as inferred from their sequence homology, codon usage bias and GC content difference. They are often linked with mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, viruses, transposons and integrons. The comparison of closely related bacterial genomes also suggests that, at times, RM genes themselves behave as mobile elements and cause genome rearrangements. Indeed some bacterial genomes that survived post-disturbance attack by an RM gene complex in the laboratory have experienced genome rearrangements. The avoidance of some restriction sites by bacterial genomes may result from selection by past restriction attacks. Both bacteriophages and bacteria also appear to use homologous recombination to cope with the selfish behavior of RM systems. RM systems compete with each other in several ways. One is competition for recognition sequences in post-segregational killing. Another is super-infection exclusion, that is, the killing of the cell carrying an RM system when it is infected with another RM system of the same regulatory specificity but of a different sequence specificity. The capacity of RM systems to act as selfish, mobile genetic elements may underlie the structure and function of RM enzymes. PMID:11557807
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Kobayashi, I
2001-09-15
Restriction-modification (RM) systems are composed of genes that encode a restriction enzyme and a modification methylase. RM systems sometimes behave as discrete units of life, like viruses and transposons. RM complexes attack invading DNA that has not been properly modified and thus may serve as a tool of defense for bacterial cells. However, any threat to their maintenance, such as a challenge by a competing genetic element (an incompatible plasmid or an allelic homologous stretch of DNA, for example) can lead to cell death through restriction breakage in the genome. This post-segregational or post-disturbance cell killing may provide the RM complexes (and any DNA linked with them) with a competitive advantage. There is evidence that they have undergone extensive horizontal transfer between genomes, as inferred from their sequence homology, codon usage bias and GC content difference. They are often linked with mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, viruses, transposons and integrons. The comparison of closely related bacterial genomes also suggests that, at times, RM genes themselves behave as mobile elements and cause genome rearrangements. Indeed some bacterial genomes that survived post-disturbance attack by an RM gene complex in the laboratory have experienced genome rearrangements. The avoidance of some restriction sites by bacterial genomes may result from selection by past restriction attacks. Both bacteriophages and bacteria also appear to use homologous recombination to cope with the selfish behavior of RM systems. RM systems compete with each other in several ways. One is competition for recognition sequences in post-segregational killing. Another is super-infection exclusion, that is, the killing of the cell carrying an RM system when it is infected with another RM system of the same regulatory specificity but of a different sequence specificity. The capacity of RM systems to act as selfish, mobile genetic elements may underlie the structure and function of RM enzymes.
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Strength, power, and muscular endurance exercise and elite rowing ergometer performance.
Lawton, Trent W; Cronin, John B; McGuigan, Michael R
2013-07-01
Knowledge of the relationship between weight room exercises and various rowing performance measures is limited; this information would prove useful for sport-specific assessment of individual needs and exercise prescription. The purpose of this study was to establish strength, power, and muscular endurance exercises for weight room training, which are strong determinants of success in specific performance measures used to assess elite rowers. Nineteen heavyweight elite males determined their repetition maximum (RM) loads for exercises using a Concept 2 DYNO [5, 30, 60 and 120RM leg pressing and seated arm pulling (in Joules)] and free weights [1RM power clean (in kilograms) and 6RM bench pull (in kilograms and watts)]. Rowing performance measures included a 7-stage blood lactate response ergometer test (aerobic condition), time trials (500, 2000, and 5000 m), a peak stroke power test, and a 60-minute distance trial. Pearson correlation moments (r ≥ 0.7) and stepwise multiple linear regression calculations (R ≥ 50%) were used to establish strong common variances between weight room exercises and rowing ergometer performance (p ≤ 0.05). Weight room exercises were strong predictors of 2000-m, 500-m time (in seconds), and peak stroke power performance measures only. Bench pull power (in watts) and 1RM power clean (in kilograms) were the best 2-factor predictors of peak stroke power (R = 73%; standard error of the estimates [SEE] = 59.6 W) and 500 m (R = 70%; SEE = 1.75 seconds); while 5RM leg pressing (in Joules) and either 6RM bench pull (kg) or 60RM seated arm pulling (in Joules) the best predictors of 2000 m (R = 59%; SEE = 6.3 seconds and R = 57%; SEE = 6.4 seconds, respectively). Recommended exercises for weight room training include a 1RM power clean, 6RM bench pull, 5RM leg press, and 60RM seated arm pulling.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhao, Ping
The Rydberg constant {rm R }_infty is determined to a very high accuracy of 3 parts in 10^{10 } by a direct comparison of the four hydrogen and deuterium Balmer-beta transitions with a standard laser from the National Bureau of Standards. This experiment is now the most precise measurement for {rm R}_infty and approaches the limits of accuracy for wavelength or frequency measurements in the visible region. The result is {rm R}_infty = 109 737.315 73 (3) {rm cm}^{-1} with the definition of the meter: c = 299 792 458 m/sec. The experiment also yields the following results: The fine structure splittings 4{rm P}_ {1/2} rightarrow {rm 4P}_{3/2} in H: 1370.9 (3) MHz and in D: 1371.8 (3) MHz. The isotope shifts between H and D in the transitions {rm 2S}_{1/2} rightarrow {rm 4P}_{1/2}: 167 752.4 (3) MHz and {rm 2S}_{1/2 } rightarrow {rm 4P}_{3/2}: 167 753.3 (3) MHz. The experiment utilizes atomic beam laser spectroscopy. A beam of atomic hydrogen (or deuterium) is excited by electron bombardment to the metastable {rm 2S }_{1/2} state and is detected by a secondary electron emission detector. A chopped cw dye laser beam crosses the atomic beam at an angle of 90^circ to eliminate Doppler broadening. The metastables are quenched by laser excitation to {rm 4P}_{1/2} or {rm 4P}_{3/2 } states. The signal is monitored by a lock -in amplifier with the chopper as reference. An iodine (^{127}{ rm I}_2) stabilized helium-neon (He-Ne) laser is the primary standard with an accuracy of 1.6 times 10^{ -10}. Another He-Ne laser is locked to the standard laser with a variable offset frequency controlled by an oscillator. A frequency chain is established by locking together a dye laser, a piezoelectrically controlled measuring etalon and the offset laser. This chain allows the dye laser to scan across the Balmer-beta line in a precisely controllable manner. The lineshape and offset frequency are recorded simultaneously. Possible sources of systematic shifts and errors are carefully investigated. Hydrogen energy levels are calculated according to most recent values of physical constants. {rm R}_infty is obtained by comparing the measured and calculated hydrogen Balmer-beta transition. The result is in good agreement with the two most recent, but less precise experiments.
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Broad-band, radio spectro-polarimetric study of 100 radiative-mode and jet-mode AGN
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
O'Sullivan, S. P.; Purcell, C. R.; Anderson, C. S.; Farnes, J. S.; Sun, X. H.; Gaensler, B. M.
2017-08-01
We present the results from a broad-band (1 to 3 GHz), spectro-polarimetry study of the integrated emission from 100 extragalactic radio sources with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, selected to be highly linearly polarized at 1.4 GHz. We use a general-purpose, polarization model-fitting procedure that describes the Faraday rotation measure (RM) and intrinsic polarization structure of up to three distinct polarized emission regions or `RM components' of a source. Overall, 37 per cent/52 per cent/11 per cent of sources are best fitted by one/two/three RM components. However, these fractions are dependent on the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) in polarization (more RM components more likely at higher S/N). In general, our analysis shows that sources with high integrated degrees of polarization at 1.4 GHz have low Faraday depolarization, are typically dominated by a single RM component, have a steep spectral index and have a high intrinsic degree of polarization. After classifying our sample into radiative-mode and jet-mode AGN, we find no significant difference between the Faraday rotation or Faraday depolarization properties of jet-mode and radiative-mode AGN. However, there is a statistically significant difference in the intrinsic degree of polarization between the two types, with the jet-mode sources having more intrinsically ordered magnetic field structures than the radiative-mode sources. We also find a preferred perpendicular orientation of the intrinsic magnetic field structure of jet-mode AGN with respect to the jet direction, while no clear preference is found for the radiative-mode sources.
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Crewther, Blair T; Heke, Taati; Keogh, Justin W L
2011-01-01
This study examined the effects of training volume and competition on the salivary cortisol (Sal-C) concentrations of Olympic weightlifters. Male (n = 5) and female (n = 4) Olympic weightlifters provided saliva samples across a 5-week experimental = period. The first aim was to assess the weekly effects of high (≥ 200 sets) and low (≤ 100 sets) training volume on Sal-C. The second aim was to compare Sal-C concentrations and 1 repetition maximum (1RM) performance during 2 simulated and 2 actual competitions. Performance was assessed using the snatch, clean and jerk, and the Olympic total lift. Data from each competition setting were pooled before analysis. There were no significant weekly changes in Sal-C levels (p > 0.05). The actual competitions produced higher (128-130%) Sal-C concentrations (p < 0.001) and superior 1RM lifts (1.9-2.6%) for the clean and jerk, and the Olympic total, than the simulated competitions (p < 0.05). Individual Sal-C concentrations before the simulated competitions were positively correlated to all of the 1RM lifts (r = 0.48-0.49, p < 0.05). In conclusion, actual competitions produced greater Sal-C responses than simulated competitions, and this appeared to benefit the 1RM performance of Olympic weightlifters. Individuals with higher Sal-C concentrations also tended to exhibit superior 1RM lifts during the simulated competitions. Given these findings, greater emphasis should be placed upon the monitoring of C to establish normative values, training standards and to assist with performance prediction.
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von Kármán swirling flow between a rotating and a stationary smooth disk: Experiment
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mukherjee, Aryesh; Steinberg, Victor
2018-01-01
Precise measurements of the torque in a von Kármán swirling flow between a rotating and a stationary smooth disk in three Newtonian fluids with different dynamic viscosities are reported. From these measurements the dependence of the normalized torque, called the friction coefficient, on Re is found to be of the form Cf=1.17 (±0.03 ) Re-0.46±0.003 where the scaling exponent and coefficient are close to that predicted theoretically for an infinite, unshrouded, and smooth rotating disk which follows from an exact similarity solution of the Navier-Stokes equations, obtained by von Kármán. An error analysis shows that deviations from the theory can be partially caused by background errors. Measurements of the azimuthal Vθ and axial velocity profiles along radial and axial directions reveal that the flow core rotates at Vθ/r Ω ≃0.22 (up to z ≈4 cm from the rotating disk and up to r0/R ≃0.25 in the radial direction) in spite of the small aspect ratio of the vessel. Thus the friction coefficient shows scaling close to that obtained from the von Kármán exact similarity solution, but the observed rotating core provides evidence of the Batchelor-like solution [Q. J. Mech. Appl. Math. 4, 29 (1951), 10.1093/qjmam/4.1.29] different from the von Kármán [Z. Angew. Math. Mech. 1, 233 (1921), 10.1002/zamm.19210010401] or Stewartson [Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 49, 333 (1953), 10.1017/S0305004100028437] one.
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Role of Root Hairs and Lateral Roots in Silicon Uptake by Rice
Ma, Jian Feng; Goto, Shoko; Tamai, Kazunori; Ichii, Masahiko
2001-01-01
The rice plant (Oryza sativa L. cv Oochikara) is known to be a Si accumulator, but the mechanism responsible for the high uptake of Si by the roots is not well understood. We investigated the role of root hairs and lateral roots in the Si uptake using two mutants of rice, one defective in the formation of root hairs (RH2) and another in that of lateral roots (RM109). Uptake experiments with nutrient solution during both a short term (up to 12 h) and relatively long term (26 d) showed that there was no significant difference in Si uptake between RH2 and the wild type (WT), whereas the Si uptake of RM109 was much less than that of WT. The number of silica bodies formed on the third leaf in RH2 was similar to that in WT, but the number of silica bodies in RM109 was only 40% of that in WT, when grown in soil amended with Si under flooded conditions. There was also no difference in the shoot Si concentration between WT and RH2 when grown in soil under upland conditions. Using a multi-compartment transport box, the Si uptake at the root tip (0–1 cm, without lateral roots and root hairs) was found to be similar in WT, RH2, and RM109. However, the Si uptake in the mature zone (1–4 cm from root tip) was significantly lower in RM109 than in WT, whereas no difference was found in Si uptake between WT and RH2. All these results clearly indicate that lateral roots contribute to the Si uptake in rice plant, whereas root hairs do not. Analysis of F2 populations between RM109 and WT showed that Si uptake was correlated with the presence of lateral roots and that the gene controlling formation of lateral roots and Si uptake is a dominant gene. PMID:11743120
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Metabolism of waste engine oil by Pseudomonas species.
Salam, Lateef B
2016-06-01
Two bacterial strains phylogenetically identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains RM1 and SK1 displayed extensive degradation ability on waste engine oil (SAE 40W) in batch cultures. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed the presence of various heavy metals such as lead, chromium and nickel in the waste engine oil. The rate of degradation of waste engine oil by the isolates, for the first 12 days and the last 9 days were 66.3, 31.6 mg l -1 day -1 and 69.6, 40.0 mg l -1 day -1 for strains RM1 and SK1, respectively. Gas chromatographic (GC) analyses of residual waste engine oil, revealed that 66.58, 89.06 % and 63.40, 90.75 % of the initial concentration of the waste engine oil were degraded by strains RM1 and SK1 within 12 and 21 days. GC fingerprints of the waste engine oil after 12 days of incubation of strains RM1 and SK1 showed total disappearance of C 15 , C 23 , C 24 , C 25 and C 26 hydrocarbon fractions as well as drastic reductions of C 13 , C 14 , C 16 and PAHs fractions such as C 19 -anthracene and C 22 -pyrene. At the end of 21 days incubation, total disappearance of C 17 -pristane, C 22 -pyrene, one of the C 19 -anthracene and significant reduction of C 18 -phytane (97.2 %, strain RM1; 95.1 %, strain SK1) fractions were observed. In addition, <10 % of Day 0 values of medium fraction ranges C 13 , and C 16 were discernible after 21 days. This study has established the potentials of P. aeruginosa strains RM1 and SK1 in the degradation of aliphatic, aromatic and branched alkane components of waste engine oils.
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Keiner, Michael; Sander, Andre; Wirth, Klaus; Caruso, Oliver; Immesberger, Peter; Zawieja, Martin
2013-02-01
A basic question for many athletic coaches pertains to the maximum attainable strength level for youth athletes. The aim of this investigation was to establish reference values for the strength performance in the front and back squats in youth athletes. The strength performance in front and back squats of 141 elite youth soccer players was tested by a 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and 1RM related to bodyweight (SREL). The subjects aged between 11 and 19 years and were divided into 2 groups and 4 subgroups (A = younger than 19 years, B = younger than 17 years, C = younger than 15 years, and D = younger than 13 years). For approximately 2 years, one group (control group [CG]) only participated in routine soccer training and the other group (strength training group [STG]) participated in an additional strength training program along with the routine soccer training. Additionally, the strength performance in a 5RM in both squat variants of 105 young elite weightlifters (National Weightlifting Organization Baden Württemberg, [BWG]) was examined to show the high level of trainability of children and adolescents and to determine the reference strength values for young athletes. The STG performed in the parallel front squat SREL in the subgroups A 1.7 +/- 0.2, B 1.6 +/- 0.2, C 1.4 +/-0.2 and D 0.9 +/- 0.3. The STG had significantly (p < 0.001) higher strength values in 1RM and SREL than CG. The BWG had higher strength values than STG, but the BWG was not part of the statistical analysis because of the different test protocols (1RM vs. 5RM). Our data show that the SREL in parallel squat for young elite athletes with long-term training experience should be a minimum of 2.0 for 16- to 19-year-olds, 1.5 for 13- to 15-year-olds, and 0.7 for 11- to 12-year-olds.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Melchior, P.; Gruen, D.; McClintock, T.
We use weak-lensing shear measurements to determine the mean mass of optically selected galaxy clusters in Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data. In a blinded analysis, we split the sample of more than 8,000 redMaPPer clusters into 15 subsets, spanning ranges in the richness parametermore » $$5 \\leq \\lambda \\leq 180$$ and redshift $$0.2 \\leq z \\leq 0.8$$, and fit the averaged mass density contrast profiles with a model that accounts for seven distinct sources of systematic uncertainty: shear measurement and photometric redshift errors; cluster-member contamination; miscentering; deviations from the NFW halo profile; halo triaxiality; and line-of-sight projections. We combine the inferred cluster masses to estimate the joint scaling relation between mass, richness and redshift, $$\\mathcal{M}(\\lambda,z) \\varpropto M_0 \\lambda^{F} (1+z)^{G}$$. We find $$M_0 \\equiv \\langle M_{200\\mathrm{m}}\\,|\\,\\lambda=30,z=0.5\\rangle=\\left[ 2.35 \\pm 0.22\\ \\rm{(stat)} \\pm 0.12\\ \\rm{(sys)} \\right] \\cdot 10^{14}\\ M_\\odot$$, with $$F = 1.12\\,\\pm\\,0.20\\ \\rm{(stat)}\\, \\pm\\, 0.06\\ \\rm{(sys)}$$ and $$G = 0.18\\,\\pm\\, 0.75\\ \\rm{(stat)}\\, \\pm\\, 0.24\\ \\rm{(sys)}$$. The amplitude of the mass-richness relation is in excellent agreement with the weak-lensing calibration of redMaPPer clusters in SDSS by Simet et al. (2016) and with the Saro et al. (2015) calibration based on abundance matching of SPT-detected clusters. Our results extend the redshift range over which the mass-richness relation of redMaPPer clusters has been calibrated with weak lensing from $$z\\leq 0.3$$ to $$z\\leq0.8$$. Calibration uncertainties of shear measurements and photometric redshift estimates dominate our systematic error budget and require substantial improvements for forthcoming studies.« less
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Campylobacter jejuni strain RM1246-ERRC is a clinical isolate. In laboratory experiments RM1246-ERRC exhibited resistance to the antimicrobial effects of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) when compared to other C. jejuni strains. The chromosome of RM1246-ERRC was determined to be 1,659,694 bp w...
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-06-28
... Continental Motors (TCM) and Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd. (R-RM) Series Reciprocating Engines AGENCY: Federal... supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain TCM and R-RM series reciprocating... range of magneto S/ Ns affected, and of the need to include certain engines made by R-RM, under license...
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-12-20
... Airworthiness Directives; Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) and Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd. (R-RM) Series... superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain TCM and R-RM series reciprocating engines... adds R-RM C-125, C- 145, O-300, IO-360, TSIO-360, and LTSIO-520-AE series reciprocating engines to the...
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Silver syndrome variant of hereditary spastic paraplegia: A locus to 4p and allelism with SPG4.
Orlacchio, A; Patrono, C; Gaudiello, F; Rocchi, C; Moschella, V; Floris, R; Bernardi, G; Kawarai, T
2008-05-20
To perform a clinical and genetic study of two large Italian families (RM-36 and RM-51) showing the cardinal clinical features of Silver syndrome (SS), a rare dominantly inherited form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) complicated by amyotrophy of the small hand muscles. Clinical assessment including neurophysiologic, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging evaluations. Genetic studies included linkage and sequence analyses. Using a genome-wide survey in the RM-36 family, a novel locus (SPG38) has been identified and mapped within the 13.1-cM region on chromosome 4p16-p15 between markers D4S432 and D4S1599. The RM-51 family was linked to the SPG4 locus at 2p21-p24 and sequence analysis of SPG4 showed a novel frameshift mutation p.Asp321GlyfsX6. Clinical examination of the affected members carrying the mutation showed high frequency of additional clinical features including decreased vibration sense, pes cavus, temporal lobe epilepsy, and cognitive impairment. This study demonstrates evidence of a novel locus SPG38 for Silver syndrome (SS) and suggests that genetic defects in SPG4 might lead to broad clinical features overlapped with those of SS.
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Shineha, Ryuma; Inoue, Yusuke; Ikka, Tsunakuni; Kishimoto, Atsuo; Yashiro, Yoshimi
2018-02-01
Owing to the rapid progress in stem cell research (SCR) and regenerative medicine (RM), society's expectation and interest in these fields are increasing. For effective communication on issues concerning SCR and RM, surveys for understanding the interests of stakeholders is essential. For this purpose, we conducted a large-scale survey with 2,160 public responses and 1,115 responses from the member of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine. Results showed that the public is more interested in the post-realization aspects of RM, such as cost of care, countermeasures for risks and accidents, and clarification of responsibility and liability, than in the scientific aspects; the latter is of greater interest only to scientists. Our data indicate that an increased awareness about RM-associated social responsibility and regulatory framework is required among scientists, such as those regarding its benefits, potential accidents, abuse, and other social consequences. Awareness regarding the importance of communication and education for scientists are critical to bridge the gaps in the interests of the public and scientists. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:251-257. © 2018 The Authors Stem Cells Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cauquil, Jean-Marc; Martin, Jean-Yves; Bruins, Peter; Benschop, A. A. J.
2003-01-01
The life time tests realised on the serial production of Rotary Mmonoblock RM2 coolers show a measured MTTF of 4900 hours. The conventional test profile applied to these coolers is representative of operation in typical application. The duration of such life time tests is very long. The results of a design change and its impact on MTTF are available only several months after the assembly of the prototypes. We decided to develop a test method in order to reduce the duration of these life time tests. The principle is to define a test protocol easy to implement, more severe than typical application profile in order to accelerate life time tests. The accelerated test profile was defined and tested successfully. This new technique allows us to reduce life time tests costs and duration and thus the costs involved. As a consequence, we decided to have a screening of our production with this accelerated test. This allows us to master continuously the quality of our serial products and to collect additional data. This paper presents the results of life time tests performed on RM2 coolers according to the conventional and accelerated test profiles as well as the first results on the new RM2 design which show a calculated MTTF of 10000 hours.
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Schoenfeld, Brad J; Grgic, Jozo; Ogborn, Dan; Krieger, James W
2017-12-01
Schoenfeld, BJ, Grgic, J, Ogborn, D, and Krieger, JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res 31(12): 3508-3523, 2017-The purpose of this article was to conduct a systematic review of the current body of literature and a meta-analysis to compare changes in strength and hypertrophy between low- vs. high-load resistance training protocols. Searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were conducted for studies that met the following criteria: (a) an experimental trial involving both low-load training [≤60% 1 repetition maximum (1RM)] and high-load training (>60% 1RM); (b) with all sets in the training protocols being performed to momentary muscular failure; (c) at least one method of estimating changes in muscle mass or dynamic, isometric, or isokinetic strength was used; (d) the training protocol lasted for a minimum of 6 weeks; (e) the study involved participants with no known medical conditions or injuries impairing training capacity. A total of 21 studies were ultimately included for analysis. Gains in 1RM strength were significantly greater in favor of high- vs. low-load training, whereas no significant differences were found for isometric strength between conditions. Changes in measures of muscle hypertrophy were similar between conditions. The findings indicate that maximal strength benefits are obtained from the use of heavy loads while muscle hypertrophy can be equally achieved across a spectrum of loading ranges.
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2012-09-30
potentially providing information on nutritional state and chronic stress ( Wasser et al., 2010). We tested both T3 and T4 assays for parallelism.The...EconPapers.RePEc.org/RePEc:inn:wpaper:2011-20 Hunt K.E., Rolland R.M., Kraus S.D., Wasser S.K. 2006. Analysis of fecal glucocorticoids in the North Atlantic right...version 1.2.5. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=doMC Rolland R.M., Hunt K.E., Kraus S.D., Wasser S.K. 2005. Assessing reproductive status of right
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The Cost and Utility of Renal Transplantation in Malaysia.
Bavanandan, Sunita; Yap, Yok-Chin; Ahmad, Ghazali; Wong, Hin-Seng; Azmi, Soraya; Goh, Adrian
2015-11-01
Kidney transplantation is the optimal therapy for the majority of patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the cost and health outcomes of transplantation have not been assessed in a middle-income nation with a low volume of transplantation, such as Malaysia. This study used microcosting methods to determine the cost and health outcomes of living and deceased donor kidney transplantation in adult and pediatric recipients. The perspective used was from the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Cost-effectiveness measures were cost per life year (LY) and cost per quality-adjusted LYs. The time horizon was the lifetime of the transplant recipient from transplant to death. Records of 206 KT recipients (118 adults and 88 children) were obtained for microcosting. In adults, discounted cost per LY was US $8609(Malaysian Ringgit [RM]29 482) and US $13 209(RM45 234) for living-donor kidney transplant (LKT) and deceased donor kidney transplant (DKT), respectively, whereas in children, it was US $10 485(RM35 905) and US $14 985(RM51 317), respectively. Cost per quality-adjusted LY in adults was US $8826 (RM30 224) for LKT and US $13 592(RM46 546) for DKT. Total lifetime discounted costs of adult transplants were US $119 702 (RM409 921) for LKT, US $147 152 (RM503 922) for DKT. Total costs for pediatric transplants were US $154 841(RM530 252) and US $159 313(RM545 566) for the 2 categories respectively. Both LKT and DKT are economically favorable for Malaysian adult and pediatric patients with ESRD and result in improvement in quality of life.
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Kim, So-Yeon; Giovanello, Kelly S.
2011-01-01
Healthy aging is often accompanied by episodic memory decline. Prior studies have consistently demonstrated that older adults show disproportionate deficits in relational memory (RM) relative to item memory (IM). Despite rich evidence of an age-related RM deficit, the source of this deficit remains unspecified. One of the most widely investigated factors of age-related RM impairment is a reduction in attentional resources. However, no prior studies have demonstrated that reduced attentional resources are the critical source of age-related RM deficits. Here, we utilized qualitatively different attention tasks, and tested whether reduced attention for relational processing underlies the RM deficit observed in aging. In Experiment 1, we imposed either item-detection or relation-detection attention tasks on young adults during episodic memory encoding, and found that only the concurrent attention task involving relational processing disproportionately impaired RM performance in young adults. Moreover, by ruling out the possible confound of task-difficulty on the disproportionate RM impairment, we further demonstrated that reduced relational attention is a key factor for the age-related RM deficit. In Experiment 2, we replicated the results from Experiment 1 using different materials of stimuli and found that the effect of relational attention on RM is material-general. The results of Experiment 2 also showed that reducing attentional resources for relational processing in young adults strikingly equated their RM performance to that of older adults. Thus, the current study documents the first evidence that reduced attentional resources for relational processing are a critical factor for the relational memory impairment observed in aging. PMID:21707178
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Loturco, Irineu; Kobal, Ronaldo; Moraes, José E; Kitamura, Katia; Cal Abad, César C; Pereira, Lucas A; Nakamura, Fábio Y
2017-04-01
Loturco, I, Kobal, R, Moraes, JE, Kitamura, K, Cal Abad, CC, Pereira, LA, and Nakamura, FY. Predicting the maximum dynamic strength in bench press: the high precision of the bar velocity approach. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 1127-1131, 2017-The aim of this study was to determine the force-velocity relationship and test the possibility of determining the 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in "free weight" and Smith machine bench presses. Thirty-six male top-level athletes from 3 different sports were submitted to a standardized 1RM bench press assessment (free weight or Smith machine, in randomized order), following standard procedures encompassing lifts performed at 40-100% of 1RM. The mean propulsive velocity (MPV) was measured in all attempts. A linear regression was performed to establish the relationships between bar velocities and 1RM percentages. The actual and predicted 1RM for each exercise were compared using a paired t-test. Although the Smith machine 1RM was higher (10% difference) than the free weight 1RM, in both cases the actual and predicted values did not differ. In addition, the linear relationship between MPV and percentage of 1RM (coefficient of determination ≥95%) allow determination of training intensity based on the bar velocity. The linear relationships between the MPVs and the relative percentages of 1RM throughout the entire range of loads enable coaches to use the MPV to accurately monitor their athletes on a daily basis and accurately determine their actual 1RM without the need to perform standard maximum dynamic strength assessments.
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Effect of surface stability on core muscle activity for dynamic resistance exercises.
Willardson, Jeffrey M; Fontana, Fabio E; Bressel, Eadric
2009-03-01
To compare core muscle activity during resistance exercises performed on stable ground vs. the BOSU Balance Trainer. Twelve trained men performed the back squat, dead lift, overhead press, and curl lifts. The activity of the rectus abdominis, external oblique abdominis, transversus abdominis/internal oblique abdominis, and erector spinae muscles was assessed. Subjects performed each lift under three separate conditions including standing on stable ground with 50% of a 1-RM, standing on a BOSU Balance Trainer with 50% of a 1-RM, and standing on stable ground with 75% of a 1-RM. Significant differences were noted between the stable 75% of 1-RM and BOSU 50% of 1-RM conditions for the rectus abdominis during the overhead press and transversus abdominis/internal oblique abdominis during the overhead press and curl (P < .05). Conversely, there were no significant differences between the stable 75% of 1-RM and BOSU 50% of 1-RM conditions for the external obliques and erector spinae across all lifts examined. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the BOSU 50% of 1-RM and stable 50% of 1-RM conditions across all muscles and lifts examined. The current study did not demonstrate any advantage in utilizing the BOSU Balance Trainer. Therefore, fitness trainers should be advised that each of the aforementioned lifts can be performed while standing on stable ground without losing the potential core muscle training benefits.
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An effective novel delivery strategy of rasagiline for Parkinson's disease.
Fernández, Marcos; Negro, Sofía; Slowing, Karla; Fernández-Carballido, Ana; Barcia, Emilia
2011-10-31
This is the first report on the efficacy of a new controlled release system developed for rasagiline mesylate (RM) in a rotenone-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). PLGA microspheres in vitro released RM at a constant rate of 62.3 μg/day for two weeks. Intraperitoneal injection of rotenone (2 mg/kg/day) to Wistar rats produced typical PD symptoms. Catalepsy, akinesia and swim tests outcomes in animals receiving RM either in solution or within microspheres showed a reversal in descent latency when compared to rotenone-treated animals, being this reversal specially pronounced in animals receiving RM microspheres (dose equivalent to 1 mg/kg/day RM injected i.p. every 15 days). Nissl-staining of brain sections showed selective degeneration of the substantia nigra (SNc) dopaminergic neurons in rotenone-treated animals which was markedly reverted by RM microspheres. PET/CT with (18)F-DG resulted in mean increases of accumulation of radiotracer in striatum and SNc of around 40% in animals treated with RM microspheres which also had significant beneficial effects on Bcl-2, Bax, TNF-α mRNA and SOD2 levels as detected by real-time RT-PCR. Our results confirm the robust effect achieved by the new controlled release system developed for RM which exhibited better in vivo efficacy than RM given in solution. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Predicting maximal strength in trained postmenopausal woman.
Kemmler, Wolfgang K; Lauber, Dirk; Wassermann, Alfred; Mayhew, Jerry L
2006-11-01
The purpose of this study was to present an equation that accurately predicts 1 repetition maximum (RM) over a wide range of repetitions to fatigue (RTF) for 4 different machine resistance exercises in postmenopausal women. Seventy trained women (age = 57.4 +/- 3.1 years) performed maximal and submaximal repetitions on leg press, bench press, rowing, and leg adduction machines at the conclusion of a 2-year training program. Maximal repetitions were performed on each exercise in the following ranges: 3-5RM, 6-10RM, 11-15RM, and 16-20RM. Special regard was taken to maintain the identical execution of each test (i.e., range of motion, starting angle, speed of movement). One cubic polynomial (w(i) [0.988-0.0000584 r(i)(3) + 0.00190 r(i)(2) + 0.0104 r(i),] where w(i) is the load of measurement I, and r(i) is the number of repetitions) accurately predicted 1RM from RTF with mean absolute differences between actual 1RM and predicted 1RM for the 4 exercises of 1.5-3.1% and with coefficients of variation of <3.3%. Equation accuracy was independent of the exercise type or the number of RTF. Thus, this study supported the validity of RTF to adequately estimate 1RM over a wide range of repetitions and within different exercises in trained, older female subjects.
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Zacksenhouse, Miriam; Lebedev, Mikhail A; Nicolelis, Miguel A L
2014-01-01
What are the relevant timescales of neural encoding in the brain? This question is commonly investigated with respect to well-defined stimuli or actions. However, neurons often encode multiple signals, including hidden or internal, which are not experimentally controlled, and thus excluded from such analysis. Here we consider all rate modulations as the signal, and define the rate-modulations signal-to-noise ratio (RM-SNR) as the ratio between the variance of the rate and the variance of the neuronal noise. As the bin-width increases, RM-SNR increases while the update rate decreases. This tradeoff is captured by the ratio of RM-SNR to bin-width, and its variations with the bin-width reveal the timescales of neural activity. Theoretical analysis and simulations elucidate how the interactions between the recovery properties of the unit and the spectral content of the encoded signals shape this ratio and determine the timescales of neural coding. The resulting signal-independent timescale analysis (SITA) is applied to investigate timescales of neural activity recorded from the motor cortex of monkeys during: (i) reaching experiments with Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), and (ii) locomotion experiments at different speeds. Interestingly, the timescales during BMI experiments did not change significantly with the control mode or training. During locomotion, the analysis identified units whose timescale varied consistently with the experimentally controlled speed of walking, though the specific timescale reflected also the recovery properties of the unit. Thus, the proposed method, SITA, characterizes the timescales of neural encoding and how they are affected by the motor task, while accounting for all rate modulations.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kacprzak, T.; Kirk, D.; Friedrich, O.
Shear peak statistics has gained a lot of attention recently as a practical alternative to the two point statistics for constraining cosmological parameters. We perform a shear peak statistics analysis of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (SV) data, using weak gravitational lensing measurements from a 139 degmore » $^2$ field. We measure the abundance of peaks identified in aperture mass maps, as a function of their signal-to-noise ratio, in the signal-to-noise range $$0<\\mathcal S / \\mathcal N<4$$. To predict the peak counts as a function of cosmological parameters we use a suite of $N$-body simulations spanning 158 models with varying $$\\Omega_{\\rm m}$$ and $$\\sigma_8$$, fixing $w = -1$, $$\\Omega_{\\rm b} = 0.04$$, $h = 0.7$ and $$n_s=1$$, to which we have applied the DES SV mask and redshift distribution. In our fiducial analysis we measure $$\\sigma_{8}(\\Omega_{\\rm m}/0.3)^{0.6}=0.77 \\pm 0.07$$, after marginalising over the shear multiplicative bias and the error on the mean redshift of the galaxy sample. We introduce models of intrinsic alignments, blending, and source contamination by cluster members. These models indicate that peaks with $$\\mathcal S / \\mathcal N>4$$ would require significant corrections, which is why we do not include them in our analysis. We compare our results to the cosmological constraints from the two point analysis on the SV field and find them to be in good agreement in both the central value and its uncertainty. As a result, we discuss prospects for future peak statistics analysis with upcoming DES data.« less
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Nuruzzaman, nfn
The beam normal single spin asymmetry (more » $$B_{\\rm n}$$) is generated in the scattering of transversely polarized electrons from unpolarized nuclei. The asymmetry arises from the interference of the imaginary part of the two-photon exchange with the one-photon exchange amplitude. The $$Q_{\\rm weak}$$ experiment has made the first measurement of $$B_{\\rm n}$$ in the production of the $$\\Delta$$(1232) resonance, using the $$Q_{\\rm weak}$$ apparatus in Hall-C at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The final transverse asymmetry, corrected for backgrounds and beam polarization, is $$B_{\\rm n}$$ = 43 $$\\pm$$ 16 ppm at beam energy 1.16 GeV at an average scattering angle of about 8.3 degrees, and invariant mass of 1.2 GeV. The measured preliminary $$B_{\\rm n}$$ agrees with a preliminary theoretical calculation. $$B_{\\rm n}$$ for the $$\\Delta$$ is the only known observable that is sensitive to the $$\\Delta$$ elastic form-factors ($$\\gamma$$*$$\\Delta\\Delta$$) in addition to the generally studied transition form-factors ($$\\gamma$$*N$$\\Delta$$), but extracting this information will require significant theoretical input.« less
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Teaching Vietnam: A Critical Military Analysis.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Summers, Harry G., Jr.
1985-01-01
So that the same mistakes would never again be repeated, the Army War College prepared a clear and understandable analysis of America's strategic failure in Vietnam. One of the most positive aspects of the analysis was the rediscovery of the importance of traditional military history and classical military theory. (RM)
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The impact of aerosol composition on the particle to gas partitioning of reactive mercury.
Rutter, Andrew P; Schauer, James J
2007-06-01
A laboratory system was developed to study the gas-particle partitioning of reactive mercury (RM) as a function of aerosol composition in synthetic atmospheric particulate matter. The collection of RM was achieved by filter- and sorbent-based methods. Analyses of the RM collected on the filters and sorbents were performed using thermal extraction combined with cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CVAFS), allowing direct measurement of the RM load on the substrates. Laboratory measurements of the gas-particle partitioning coefficients of RM to atmospheric aerosol particles revealed a strong dependence on aerosol composition, with partitioning coefficients that varied by orders of magnitude depending on the composition of the particles. Particles of sodium nitrate and the chlorides of potassium and sodium had high partitioning coefficients, shifting the RM partitioning toward the particle phase, while ammonium sulfate, levoglucosan, and adipic acid caused the RM to partition toward the gas phase and, therefore, had partitioning coefficients that were lower by orders of magnitude.
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sin 2 θ eff lept and M W(indirect) extracted from 9 fb -1 μ +μ - event sample at CDF
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bodek, A.
2016-05-31
Here, we report on the extraction ofmore » $$\\sin^2\\theta^{\\rm lept}_{\\rm eff}$$ and indirect measurement of the mass of the W boson from the forward-backward asymmetry of $$\\mu^+\\mu^-$$ events in the $Z$ boson mass region. The data sample collected by the CDF detector corresponds to the full 9 fb$$^{-1}$$ run II sample. We measure $$\\sin^2 \\theta^{\\rm lept}_{\\rm eff} = 0.2315 \\pm 0.0010$$, $$ \\sin^2 \\theta_W = 0.2233 \\pm 0.0009$$ and $$M_W ({\\rm indirect}) = 80.365 \\pm 0.047 \\;{\\rm GeV}/c^2$$, where each uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. Comparison with the results of the D0 collaboration are presented.« less
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lederman, Eli R.
1990-01-01
The electronic structures of hole- and electron -doped high temperature superconductors have been probed using x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) and photoelectron emission spectroscopy (PES). These measurements have been performed on RBa_2Cu _3O_{rm 7-y} , La_{rm 2-x}Sr _{rm x}CuO _4 and Ln_{rm 2 -x}Ce_{rm x} CuO_{rm 4} for R = Y, Eu and Ln = Nd, Pr and Sm. The parameters x and y have been varied to include a range of hole and electron carrier densities and the undoped parent compounds. Previous XANES and PES results have indicated that unoccupied states of O 2p character can be associated with the carriers in the materials RBa_2 Cu_3O_{ rm 7-y} and La_{ rm 2-x}Sr_{rm x}CuO_4 and that the density of holes increases with O and Sr content, respectively. Conduction was hole-based in all known high-T_{ rm c} cuprates until the recent discovery of superconductivity in Ln_{rm 2-x}Ce_{rm x} CuO_4. Hall coefficient measurements have suggested that the carriers in this system are electrons added with Ce doping. It has been anticipated that these electron-doped materials will provide an important test for models of high temperature superconductivity. PES measurements are presented that show significant Cu 3d character in the valence band of these electron-based materials, but that the Cu^{2+} /Cu^{1+} ratio is unchanged by the level of Ce doping, indicating that doped electrons are itinerant rather than highly correlated. Resonant photoemission from the valence band indicates the presence of unoccupied O 2p states, but these holes are less abundant than in the hole-doped materials. Measurements of XANES at the O 1s edge suggest that unoccupied states of O 2p character in the electron -doped materials are not related to conduction in a simple way. The density of these holes is shown to decrease upon Ce doping and the process of reduction, despite the fact that both are necessary of superconductivity. Furthermore, whereas the O 2p holes are at E_{rm F} in the hole-doped materials, they are ~1 eV above E_{ rm F} in their electron-doped counterparts. A schematic of the band structure is proposed on the basis of these spectroscopic measurements.
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A Infrared Absorption Study of Dopant-Hydrogen Complexes in Semiconductors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kozuch, David Michael
1992-01-01
Hydrogen passivation of shallow electrical dopants in semiconductors has been investigated. In particular, the passivation of the shallow dopants tin, carbon, and silicon in gallium arsenide has been studied via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal annealing, Hall effect, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and uniaxial stress. The bond-stretching and bond-wagging vibrational modes of the rm Sn_{Ga} - H complex in GaAs have been identified at 1327.8 cm^{-1} and 967.7 cm ^{-1}, respectively. The presence of hydrogen in the defect pair is confirmed by the deuterium -shifted bond-stretching signal at 746.6 cm^ {-1}. Infrared and Hall data correlated the passivation of Sn_{rm Ga } donors with the formation of the rm Sn_{Ga} - H complexes. A series of isochronal anneals probed the thermal stability of the complex. Arguments supporting an antibonding configuration for the rm Sn_{Ga} - H complex are presented. Infrared measurements on highly carbon doped epi -layers reveal new absorption signals at 2643, 2651, and 2688 cm^{-1} in addition to the previously identified rm C_ {As} - H stretching vibration at 2636 cm^{-1}. These new signals are related to a family of carbon-hydrogen complexes: rm C_{x} - H. Deuterium -shifted counterparts for all these signals have been observed for the first time. Sources of hydrogen have been traced to the metalorganic precursors and carrier gas used during epi-layer growth. Hydrogen-containing annealing ambients were surprisingly effective for introducing hydrogen into the epi-layers. Several atomic arrangements for the new rm C_{x} - H complexes have been considered with the most likely candidate being a rm C_{As} - H complex perturbed by another C_{rm As} acceptor in a second nearest neighbor position. The first uniaxial stress measurements have been performed on the rm Si_{As} - H complex in GaAs. The stress-induced frequency shifts and the intensity ratios of the stress-split components of the 2094.45 cm^{-1} stretching frequency reveal that the complex has trigonal symmetry. Reorientation of the stress-aligned complexes occurred by thermally activated jumps of the hydrogen atom with an activation energy of E_{rm A} = 0.26 eV. The piezospectroscopic tensor of the rm Si_{As} - H complex has been determined. The similarities between the stress data for the rm Si_{As } - H complex and the well-studied B - H complex in silicon suggest a bond-centered configuration for the rm Si_{As} - H defect pair.
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Improving Conference Skills Through the CCS.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilen, William W.; Kindsvatter, Richard
1982-01-01
Presents a Conference Category System (CCS) which will help social studies supervisors develop the skills necessary to conduct a conference effectively. The CCS can be applied using either a shared-analysis or self-analysis approach in conjunction with a video or audio-tape recorder. (RM)
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Acceptance of Safety and Mission Success Risks
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Groen, Frank
2015-01-01
NASA has developed an objectives based hierarchy for guiding Reliability and Maintainability (RM) activities. This presentation overviews the hierarchy and proposes to the international trilateral partners to formulate a task force to consider the elements of the NASA RM framework, as captured in the hierarchy of RM considerations, to identify commonalities and differences in the way RM is addressed by the flight projects among the partners.
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
An infection with Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni (Cjj) is a leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis in humans and also the most prevalent infection preceding Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This study describes the complete genomic sequences of Cjj HS:41 strains RM3196 (233.94) and RM3197 (308...
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Pines, Heather A; Gorbach, Pamina M; Weiss, Robert E; Hess, Kristen; Murphy, Ryan; Saunders, Terry; Brown, Joelle; Anton, Peter A; Cranston, Ross D
2013-03-01
We assessed the acceptability of three of over-the-counter products representative of potential rectal microbicide (RM) delivery systems. From 2009 to 2010, 117 HIV-uninfected males (79 %) and females (21 %) who engage in receptive anal intercourse participated in a 6-week randomized crossover acceptability trial. Participants received each of three products (enema, lubricant-filled applicator, suppository) every 2 weeks in a randomized sequence. CASI and T-ACASI scales assessed product acceptability via Likert responses. Factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors measured by each scale. Random effects models were fit to examine age and gender effects on product acceptability. Three underlying factors were identified: Satisfaction with Product Use, Sexual Pleasure, and Ease of Product Use. For acceptability, the applicator ranked highest; however, differences between product acceptability scores were greatest among females and younger participants. These findings indicate that RM delivery systems impact their acceptability and should be considered early in RM development to enhance potential use.
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Gorbach, Pamina M.; Weiss, Robert E.; Hess, Kristen; Murphy, Ryan; Saunders, Terry; Brown, Joelle; Anton, Peter A.; Cranston, Ross D.
2012-01-01
We assessed the acceptability of three of over-the-counter products representative of potential rectal microbicide (RM) delivery systems. From 2009 to 2010, 117 HIV-uninfected males (79 %) and females (21 %) who engage in receptive anal intercourse participated in a 6-week randomized crossover acceptability trial. Participants received each of three products (enema, lubricant-filled applicator, suppository) every 2 weeks in a randomized sequence. CASI and T-ACASI scales assessed product acceptability via Likert responses. Factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors measured by each scale. Random effects models were fit to examine age and gender effects on product acceptability. Three underlying factors were identified: Satisfaction with Product Use, Sexual Pleasure, and Ease of Product Use. For acceptability, the applicator ranked highest; however, differences between product acceptability scores were greatest among females and younger participants. These findings indicate that RM delivery systems impact their acceptability and should be considered early in RM development to enhance potential use. PMID:23114512
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X-ray Diffraction and Rietveld Refinement in Deferrified Clays for Forensic Science.
Prandel, Luis V; Melo, Vander de F; Brinatti, André M; Saab, Sérgio da C; Salvador, Fábio A S
2018-01-01
Soil vestiges might provide information about a crime scene. The Rietveld method with X-ray diffraction data (RM-XRD) is a nondestructive technique that makes it possible to characterize minerals present in the soils. Soil clays from the metropolitan region of Curitiba (Brazil) were submitted to DCB treatment and analyzed using XRD with CuK α radiation in the step-scan mode (0.02° 2θ/5 s). The GSAS+EXPGUI software was used for RM refinement. The RM-XRD results, together with the principal component analysis (PCA) (52.6% total variance), showed the kaolinite predominance in most analyzed samples and the highest quartz contents in "site 1." Higher anatase, and gibbsite and muscovite contents influenced discrimination, mainly in "site 3" and "site 1," respectively. These results were enough to discriminate clays of four sites and two horizons using a reduced amount of sample showing that the technique can be applied to the investigation into soil vestiges. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
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Xu, Gang; Meng, Xiao; Xu, Lin-Jie; Guo, Li; Wu, Jian-Ping; Yang, Li-Rong
2015-04-01
Surface residues have a significant impact on the enantioselectivity of lipases. But the molecular basis of this has never been explained. In this work, transition state complexes of Rhizomucor miehei lipase (RmL) and (R)- or (S)-n-butyl 2-phenxypropinate were studied using molecular dynamics. According to comparison between B-factor of the two simulated complexes, the β 1-β 2 loop and α 2 helix were considered the enantioselectivity-determining domains of RmL. Interaction analysis of these domains suggested an Asp(61)-Arg(86) electrostatic interaction linking the loop and helix strongly impacting enantioselectivity of RmL. Modification of Arg(86) by 1, 2-cyclohexanedione weakening this interaction decreased the E ratio from 6 to 1, modification by 1-iodo-2, 3-butanedione covalently bonding Asp(61) and Arg(86) strengthening the interaction increased the E ratio to 45. Dynamics simulation and energy calculation of the modified lipases also displayed corresponding decreases or increases of enantioselectivity.
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Bove, Allyn M; Lynch, Andrew D; DePaul, Samantha M; Terhorst, Lauren; Irrgang, James J; Fitzgerald, G Kelley
2016-09-01
Study Design Clinical measurement. Background It has been suggested that rating of perceived exertion (RPE) may be a useful alternative to 1-repetition maximum (1RM) to determine proper resistance exercise dosage. However, the test-retest reliability of RPE for resistance exercise has not been determined. Additionally, prior research regarding the relationship between 1RM and RPE is conflicting. Objectives The purpose of this study was to (1) determine test-retest reliability of RPE related to resistance exercise and (2) assess agreement between percentages of 1RM and RPE during quadriceps resistance exercise. Methods A sample of participants with and without knee pathology completed a series of knee extension exercises and rated the perceived difficulty of each exercise on a 0-to-10 RPE scale, then repeated the procedure 1 to 2 weeks later for test-retest reliability. To determine agreement between RPE and 1RM, participants completed knee extension exercises at various percentages of their 1RM (10% to 130% of predicted 1RM) and rated the perceived difficulty of each exercise on a 0-to-10 RPE scale. Percent agreement was calculated between the 1RM and RPE at each resistance interval. Results The intraclass correlation coefficient indicated excellent test-retest reliability of RPE for quadriceps resistance exercises (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.895; 95% confidence interval: 0.866, 0.918). Overall percent agreement between RPE and 1RM was 60%, but agreement was poor within the ranges that would typically be used for training (50% 1RM for muscle endurance, 70% 1RM and greater for strength). Conclusion Test-retest reliability of perceived exertion during quadriceps resistance exercise was excellent. However, agreement between the RPE and 1RM was poor, especially in common training zones for knee extensor strengthening. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(9):768-774. Epub 5 Aug 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6498.
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Varma, Niraj; Piccini, Jonathan P; Snell, Jeffery; Fischer, Avi; Dalal, Nirav; Mittal, Suneet
2015-06-23
Remote monitoring (RM) technology embedded within cardiac rhythm devices permits continuous monitoring, which may result in improved patient outcomes. This study used "big data" to assess whether RM is associated with improved survival and whether this is influenced by the type of cardiac device and/or its degree of use. We studied 269,471 consecutive U.S. patients implanted between 2008 and 2011 with pacemakers (PMs), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with pacing capability (CRT-P)/defibrillation capability (CRT-D) with wireless RM. We analyzed weekly use and all-cause survival for each device type by the percentage of time in RM (%TRM) stratified by age. Socioeconomic influences on %TRM were assessed using 8 census variables from 2012. The group had implanted PMs (n = 115,076; 43%), ICDs (n = 85,014; 32%), CRT-D (n = 61,475; 23%), and CRT-P (n = 7,906; 3%). When considered together, 127,706 patients (47%) used RM, of whom 67,920 (53%) had ≥75%TRM (high %TRM) and 59,786 (47%) <75%TRM (low %TRM); 141,765 (53%) never used RM (RM None). RM use was not affected by age or sex, but demonstrated wide geographic and socioeconomic variability. Survival was better in high %TRM versus RM None (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.10; p < 0.001), in high %TRM versus low %TRM (HR: 1.32; p < 0.001), and also in low %TRM versus RM None (HR: 1.58; p < 0.001). The same relationship was observed when assessed by individual device type. RM is associated with improved survival, irrespective of device type (including PMs), but demonstrates a graded relationship with the level of adherence. The results support the increased application of RM to improve patient outcomes. Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Presotto, L; Bettinardi, V; De Bernardi, E; Belli, M L; Cattaneo, G M; Broggi, S; Fiorino, C
2018-06-01
The analysis of PET images by textural features, also known as radiomics, shows promising results in tumor characterization. However, radiomic metrics (RMs) analysis is currently not standardized and the impact of the whole processing chain still needs deep investigation. We characterized the impact on RM values of: i) two discretization methods, ii) acquisition statistics, and iii) reconstruction algorithm. The influence of tumor volume and standardized-uptake-value (SUV) on RM was also investigated. The Chang-Gung-Image-Texture-Analysis (CGITA) software was used to calculate 39 RMs using phantom data. Thirty noise realizations were acquired to measure statistical effect size indicators for each RM. The parameter η 2 (fraction of variance explained by the nuisance factor) was used to assess the effect of categorical variables, considering η 2 < 20% and 20% < η 2 < 40% as representative of a "negligible" and a "small" dependence respectively. The Cohen's d was used as discriminatory power to quantify the separation of two distributions. We found the discretization method based on fixed-bin-number (FBN) to outperform the one based on fixed-bin-size in units of SUV (FBS), as the latter shows a higher SUV dependence, with 30 RMs showing η 2 > 20%. FBN was also less influenced by the acquisition and reconstruction setup:with FBN 37 RMs had η 2 < 40%, only 20 with FBS. Most RMs showed a good discriminatory power among heterogeneous PET signals (for FBN: 29 out of 39 RMs with d > 3). For RMs analysis, FBN should be preferred. A group of 21 RMs was suggested for PET radiomics analysis. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Chen, J W; Wang, L; Pang, X F; Pan, Q H
2006-04-01
Genetic analysis and fine mapping of a resistance gene against brown planthopper (BPH) biotype 2 in rice was performed using two F(2) populations derived from two crosses between a resistant indica cultivar (cv.), AS20-1, and two susceptible japonica cvs., Aichi Asahi and Lijiangxintuanheigu. Insect resistance was evaluated using F(1) plants and the two F(2) populations. The results showed that a single recessive gene, tentatively designated as bph19(t), conditioned the resistance in AS20-1. A linkage analysis, mainly employing microsatellite markers, was carried out in the two F(2) populations through bulked segregant analysis and recessive class analysis (RCA), in combination with bioinformatics analysis (BIA). The resistance gene locus bph19(t) was finely mapped to a region of about 1.0 cM on the short arm of chromosome 3, flanked by markers RM6308 and RM3134, where one known marker RM1022, and four new markers, b1, b2, b3 and b4, developed in the present study were co-segregating with the locus. To physically map this locus, the bph19(t)-linked markers were landed on bacterial artificial chromosome or P1 artificial chromosome clones of the reference cv., Nipponbare, released by the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project. Sequence information of these clones was used to construct a physical map of the bph19(t) locus, in silico, by BIA. The bph19(t) locus was physically defined to an interval of about 60 kb. The detailed genetic and physical maps of the bph19(t) locus will facilitate marker-assisted gene pyramiding and cloning.
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Mittal, Suneet; Piccini, Jonathan P; Snell, Jeff; Prillinger, Julie B; Dalal, Nirav; Varma, Niraj
2016-08-01
Guidelines advocate remote monitoring (RM) in patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED). However, it is not known when RM should be initiated. We hypothesized that prompt initiation of RM (within 91 days of implant) is associated with improved survival compared to delayed initiation. This retrospective, national, observational cohort study evaluated patients receiving new implants of market-released St. Jude Medical™ pacemakers (PM), implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. Patients were assigned to one of two groups: an "RM Prompt" group, in which RM was initiated within 91 days of implant; and an "RM Delayed" group, in which RM was initiated >91 days but ≤365 days of implant. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. The cohort included 106,027 patients followed for a mean of 2.6 ± 0.9 years. Overall, 47,014 (44 %) patients had a PM, 31,889 (30 %) patients had an ICD, 24,005 (23 %) patients had a CRT-D, and 3119 (3 %) patients had a CRT-P. Remote monitoring was initiated promptly (median 4 weeks [IQR 2, 8 weeks]) in 66,070 (62 %) patients; in the other 39,957 (38 %) patients, RM initiation was delayed (median 24 weeks [IQR 18, 34 weeks]). In comparison to delayed initiation, prompt initiation of RM was associated with a lower mortality rate (4023 vs. 4679 per 100,000 patient-years, p < 0.001) and greater adjusted survival (HR 1.18 [95 % CI 1.13-1.22], p < 0.001). Our data, for the first time, show improved survival in patients enrolled promptly into RM following CIED implantation. This advantage was observed across all CIED device types.
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Biological reference materials for extracellular vesicle studies.
Valkonen, S; van der Pol, E; Böing, A; Yuana, Y; Yliperttula, M; Nieuwland, R; Laitinen, S; Siljander, P R M
2017-02-15
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate normal physiological homeostasis and pathological processes by facilitating intercellular communication. Research of EVs in basic science and clinical settings requires both methodological standardization and development of reference materials (RM). Here, we show insights and results of biological RM development for EV studies. We used a three-step approach to find and develop a biological RM. First, a literature search was done to find candidates for biological RMs. Second, a questionnaire was sent to EV researchers querying the preferences for RM and their use. Third, a biological RM was selected, developed, characterized, and evaluated. The responses to the survey demonstrated a clear and recognized need for RM optimized for the calibration of EV measurements. Based on the literature, naturally occurring and produced biological RM, such as virus particles and liposomes, were proposed as RM. However, none of these candidate RMs have properties completely matching those of EVs, such as size and refractive index distribution. Therefore, we evaluated the use of nanoerythrosomes (NanoE), vesicles produced from erythrocytes, as a potential biological RM. The strength of NanoE is their resemblance to EVs. Compared to the erythrocyte-derived EVs (eryEVs), NanoE have similar morphology, a similar refractive index (1.37), larger diameter (70% of the NanoE are over 200nm), and increased positive staining for CD235a and lipids (Di-8-ANEPPS) (58% and 67% in NanoE vs. 21% and 45% in eryEVs, respectively). Altogether, our results highlight the general need to develop and validate new RM with similar physical and biochemical properties as EVs to standardize EV measurements between instruments and laboratories. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Fidan, Emin; Foley, Lesley M; New, Lee Ann; Alexander, Henry; Kochanek, Patrick M; Hitchens, T Kevin; Bayır, Hülya
2018-01-01
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children is a common and serious public health problem. Traditional neuroimaging findings in children who sustain mTBI are often normal, putting them at risk for repeated mTBI (rmTBI). There is a need for more sensitive imaging techniques capable of detecting subtle neurophysiological alterations after injury. We examined neurochemical and white matter changes using diffusion tensor imaging of the whole brain and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the hippocampi at 7 Tesla in 18-day-old male rats at 7 days after mTBI and rmTBI. Traumatic axonal injury was assessed by beta-amyloid precursor protein accumulation using immunohistochemistry. A significant decrease in fractional anisotropy and increase in axial and radial diffusivity were observed in several brain regions, especially in white matter regions, after a single mTBI versus sham and more prominently after rmTBI. In addition, we observed accumulation of beta-amyloid precursor protein in the external capsule after mTBI and rmTBI. mTBI and rmTBI reduced the N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio (NAA/Cr) and increased the myoinositol/creatine ratio (Ins/Cr) versus sham. rmTBI exacerbated the reduction in NAA/Cr versus mTBI. The choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) and (lipid/Macro Molecule 1)/creatine (Lip/Cr) ratios were also decreased after rmTBI versus sham. Diffusion tensor imaging findings along with the decrease in Cho and Lip after rmTBI may reflect damage to axonal membrane. NAA and Ins are altered at 7 days after mTBI and rmTBI likely reflecting neuro-axonal damage and glial response, respectively. These findings may be relevant to understanding the extent of disability following mTBI and rmTBI in the immature brain and may identify possible therapeutic targets.
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The Cost and Utility of Renal Transplantation in Malaysia
Bavanandan, Sunita; Yap, Yok-Chin; Ahmad, Ghazali; Wong, Hin-Seng; Azmi, Soraya; Goh, Adrian
2015-01-01
Background Kidney transplantation is the optimal therapy for the majority of patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the cost and health outcomes of transplantation have not been assessed in a middle-income nation with a low volume of transplantation, such as Malaysia. Aim and Methods This study used microcosting methods to determine the cost and health outcomes of living and deceased donor kidney transplantation in adult and pediatric recipients. The perspective used was from the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Cost-effectiveness measures were cost per life year (LY) and cost per quality-adjusted LYs. The time horizon was the lifetime of the transplant recipient from transplant to death. Results Records of 206 KT recipients (118 adults and 88 children) were obtained for microcosting. In adults, discounted cost per LY was US $8609(Malaysian Ringgit [RM]29 482) and US $13 209(RM45 234) for living-donor kidney transplant (LKT) and deceased donor kidney transplant (DKT), respectively, whereas in children, it was US $10 485(RM35 905) and US $14 985(RM51 317), respectively. Cost per quality-adjusted LY in adults was US $8826 (RM30 224) for LKT and US $13 592(RM46 546) for DKT. Total lifetime discounted costs of adult transplants were US $119 702 (RM409 921) for LKT, US $147 152 (RM503 922) for DKT. Total costs for pediatric transplants were US $154 841(RM530 252) and US $159 313(RM545 566) for the 2 categories respectively. Conclusions Both LKT and DKT are economically favorable for Malaysian adult and pediatric patients with ESRD and result in improvement in quality of life. PMID:27500211
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Spontaneous abortion and recurrent miscarriage: A comparison of cytogenetic diagnosis in 250 cases.
Choi, Tae Yeong; Lee, Hye Min; Park, Won Kyoung; Jeong, So Yeong; Moon, Hwa Sook
2014-11-01
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of cytogenetically abnormal miscarriages in couples with spontaneous abortions (SA) or recurrent miscarriages (RM). Karyotyping of specimens from 164 abortuses with SA and 86 abortuses with RM was successfully performed according to the standard cytogenetic methods using G-banding technique. Among the total 164 cases of SA group, 81 (49.4%) were euploid and the rest (83, 50.6%) showed chromosomal abnormalities. In RM(≥2) and RM(≥3) group, 31 (36.0%)/27 (34.6%) cases were euploid and 55 (64.0%)/51(65.4%) cases were abnormal, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found in the rate of cytogenetic abnormality between SA and RM groups (P<0.05). In all groups, women with advanced maternal age (≥35 years) had a higher rate of chromosome anomalies compared with women younger than age 35 (normal:abnormal = 32.4%:67.6% for ≥35 years and 53.8%:46.2% for <35 years in SA; 19.2%:80.8%/21.7%:78.3% for ≥35 years and 43.3%:56.7%/40.0%:60.0% for <35 years in RM(≥2) and RM(≥3), respectively; P<0.05). In SA group, an increase of normal karyotypes was noted with increased gestational age (<10 week, 38.0%; 10-15 week, 53.5%; 16-20 week, 65.7%). In RM group, most of cases were in <10 week and the frequency of trisomies with chromosomes 1 to 10 were increased compared with that of SA. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency and distribution of chromosomal abnormalities between SA and RM groups. Our results will provide useful information for diagnosis and genetic counseling of patients with SA or RM.
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Perreault, Martin; Maltais, René; Dutour, Raphaël; Poirier, Donald
2016-11-01
RM-133 is a key representative of a new family of aminosteroids reported as potent anticancer agents. Although RM-133 produced interesting results in 4 mouse xenograft cancer models when injected subcutaneously, it needs to be improved to increase its in vivo potency. Thus, to obtain an analog of RM-133 with a better drug potential, a structure-activity relationship study was conducted by synthesizing eleven RM-133-related compounds and addressing their antiproliferative activity on 3 human cancer cells (HL-60, OVCAR-3 and PANC-1) and 3 human normal cell lines (primary ovary, pancreas and renal proximal tubule) as well as their metabolic stability in human liver microsomes. When the 2β-tertiary amine of RM-133 was transformed into a salt or moved to position 3β, the anticancer activity was lost. Modifying the orientation of the side chain of RM-133 increased anticancer activity and selectivity, but led to a drastic loss of stability. The protection of the 3α-hydroxyl of RM-133 by the formation of an ester or a carbamate stabilized the molecule against the phase I metabolic enzymes without affecting its anticancer activity. In comparison to RM-133, the 3-dimethylcarbamate derivative 3 is more selective for cancer cells over normal cells and is much more stable in liver microsomes. Those results support the use of a pro-drug strategy targeting the 3α-hydroxyl of RM-133 as an approach to improve its drug properties. The work presented will enable the development of an optimized anticancer drug of the aminosteroid family that is suitable for a future phase I clinical trial. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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An examination of the predictive validity of the risk matrix 2000 in England and wales.
Barnett, Georgia D; Wakeling, Helen C; Howard, Philip D
2010-12-01
This study examined the predictive validity of an actuarial risk-assessment tool with convicted sexual offenders in England and Wales. A modified version of the RM2000/s scale and the RM2000 v and c scales (Thornton et al., 2003) were examined for accuracy in predicting proven sexual violent, nonsexual violent, and combined sexual and/or nonsexual violent reoffending in a sample of sexual offenders who had either started a community sentence or been released from prison into the community by March 2007. Rates of proven reoffending were examined at 2 years for the majority of the sample (n = 4,946), and 4 years ( n = 578) for those for whom these data were available. The predictive validity of the RM2000 scales was also explored for different subgroups of sexual offenders to assess the robustness of the tool. Both the modified RM2000/s and the complete v and c scales effectively classified offenders into distinct risk categories that differed significantly in rates of proven sexual and/or nonsexual violent reoffending. Survival analyses on the RM2000/s and v scales (N = 9,284) indicated that the higher risk groups offended more quickly and at a higher rate than lower risk groups. The relative predictive validity of the RM2000/s, v, and c, as calculated using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses, were moderate (.68) for RM2000/s and large for both the RM2000/c (.73) and RM2000/v (.80), at the 2-year follow-up. RM2000/s was moderately accurate in predicting relative risk of proven sexual reoffending for a variety of subgroups of sexual offenders.
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Economic burden of managing Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Analysis from a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia.
Ismail, Aniza; Suddin, Leny Suzana; Sulong, Saperi; Ahmed, Zafar; Kamaruddin, Nor Azmi; Sukor, Norlela
2017-01-01
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease that consumes a large amount of health-care resources. It is essential to estimate the cost of managing T2DM to the society, especially in developing countries. Economic studies of T2DM as a primary diagnosis would assist efficient health-care resource allocation for disease management. This study aims to measure the economic burden of T2DM as the primary diagnosis for hospitalization from provider's perspective. A retrospective prevalence-based costing study was conducted in a teaching hospital. Financial administrative data and inpatient medical records of patients with primary diagnosis (International Classification Disease-10 coding) E11 in the year 2013 were included in costing analysis. Average cost per episode of care and average cost per outpatient visit were calculated using gross direct costing allocation approach. Total admissions for T2DM as primary diagnosis in 2013 were 217 with total outpatient visits of 3214. Average cost per episode of care was RM 901.51 (US$ 286.20) and the average cost per outpatient visit was RM 641.02 (US$ 203.50) from provider's perspective. The annual economic burden of T2DM for hospitalized patients was RM 195,627.67 (US$ 62,104) and RM 2,061,520.32 (US$ 654,450) for those being treated in the outpatient setting. Economic burden to provide T2DM care was higher in the outpatient setting due to the higher utilization of the health-care service in this setting. Thus, more focus toward improving T2DM outpatient service could mitigate further increase in health-care cost from this chronic disease.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hirano, Teruyuki; Masuda, Kento; Suto, Yasushi
We report a joint analysis of the Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect with Subaru and the Kepler photometry for the Kepler Object of Interest (KOI) 94 system. The system is comprised of four transiting planet candidates with orbital periods of 22.3 (KOI-94.01), 10.4 (KOI-94.02), 54.3 (KOI-94.03), and 3.7 (KOI-94.04) days from the Kepler photometry. We performed the radial velocity (RV) measurement of the system with the Subaru 8.2 m telescope on UT 2012 August 10, covering a complete transit of KOI-94.01 for {approx}6.7 hr. The resulting RV variation due to the RM effect spectroscopically confirms that KOI-94.01 is indeed the transiting planetmore » and implies that its orbital axis is well aligned with the stellar spin axis; the projected spin-orbit angle {lambda} is estimated as -6{sup +13}{sub -11} deg. This is the first measurement of the RM effect for a multiple transiting system. Remarkably, the archived Kepler light curve around BJD = 2455211.5 (date in UT 2010 January 14/15) indicates a 'double-transit' event of KOI-94.01 and KOI-94.03, in which the two planets transit the stellar disk simultaneously. Moreover, the two planets partially overlap with each other, and exhibit a 'planet-planet eclipse' around the transit center. This provides a rare opportunity to put tight constraints on the configuration of the two transiting planets by joint analysis with our Subaru RM measurement. Indeed, we find that the projected mutual inclination of KOI-94.01 and KOI-94.03 is estimated to be {delta} = -1.{sup 0}15 {+-} 0.{sup 0}55. Implications for the migration model of multiple planet systems are also discussed.« less
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Leggett, Sandy K.; Tremblin, Patrick; Saumon, Didier; ...
2016-06-03
Here, we present new near-infrared spectra, obtained at Gemini Observatory, for two Y dwarfs: WISE J035000.32–565830.2 (W0350) and WISEP J173835.52+273258.9 (W1738). A FLAMINGOS-2 R = 540 spectrum was obtained for W0350, coveringmore » $$1.0\\lt \\lambda \\;\\mu {\\rm{m}}$$ $$\\lt \\;1.7$$, and a cross-dispersed Gemini near-infrared spectrograph R = 2800 spectrum was obtained for W1738, covering 0.993–1.087 μm, 1.191–1.305 μm, 1.589–1.631 μm, and 1.985–2.175 μm, in four orders. We also present revised YJH photometry for W1738, using new NIRI Y and J imaging, and a re-analysis of the previously published NIRI H-band images. We compare these data, together with previously published data for late-T and Y dwarfs, to cloud-free models of solar metallicity, calculated both in chemical equilibrium and with disequilibrium driven by vertical transport. We find that for the Y dwarfs, the non-equilibrium models reproduce the near-infrared data better than the equilibrium models. The remaining discrepancies suggest that fine-tuning the CH 4/CO and NH 3/N 2 balance is needed. Improved trigonometric parallaxes would improve the analysis. Despite the uncertainties and discrepancies, the models reproduce the observed near-infrared spectra well. We find that for the Y0, W1738, $${T}_{{\\rm{eff}}}=425\\pm 25\\;{\\rm{K}}$$, and log $$g=4.0\\pm 0.25$$, and for the Y1, W0350, $${T}_{{\\rm{eff}}}=350\\pm 25\\;{\\rm{K}}$$, and log $$g=4.0\\pm 0.25$$. W1738 may be metal-rich. Based on evolutionary models, these temperatures and gravities correspond to a mass range for both Y dwarfs of 3–9 Jupiter masses, with W0350 being a cooler, slightly older, version of W1738; the age of W0350 is 0.3–3 Gyr, and the age of W1738 is 0.15–1 Gyr.« less
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Jin, Hua; Wang, Pin; Fang, Zhuo; Di, Xin; Ye, Zhuo’er; Xu, Guiping; Lin, Huiyan; Cheng, Yongmin; Li, Yongjie; Xu, Yong; Rao, Hengyi
2017-01-01
Representational momentum (RM) has been found to be magnified in experts (e.g., sport players) with respect to both real and implied motion in expert-familiar domains. However, it remains unclear whether similar effects can be achieved in expert-unfamiliar domains, especially within the context of implied motion. To answer this question, we conducted two independent experiments using an implied motion paradigm and examined the expert effects of badminton training on RM in both adult and child players. In Experiment 1, we used a cross-sectional design and compared RM between adult professional badminton players and matched controls. The results revealed significantly enhanced RM for adult players, supporting the expert effect in expert-unfamiliar domains for implied motion. However, cross-sectional studies could not ascertain whether the observed expert effect was due to innate factors or expertise acquirement. Therefore, in Experiment 2, we used a longitudinal design and compared RM between two groups of child participants, naming child players who had enrolled professional badminton training program at a sports school and age-matched peer non-players who attended an ordinary primary school without sports training. Before training, there were no differences in RM among child players, their non-player peers, and adult non-players. However, after 4 years of badminton training, child players demonstrated significantly enhanced RM compared to themselves prior to training. The increased RM observed in both adult and child players suggests that badminton expertise modulates implied motion RM. PMID:28970810
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Predicting the Size and Timing of Sunspot Maximum for Cycle 24
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wilson, Robert M.
2010-01-01
For cycle 24, the minimum value of the 12-month moving average (12-mma) of the AA-geomagnetic index in the vicinity of sunspot minimum (AAm) appears to have occurred in September 2009, measuring about 8.4 nT and following sunspot minimum by 9 months. This is the lowest value of AAm ever recorded, falling below that of 8.9 nT, previously attributed to cycle 14, which also is the smallest maximum amplitude (RM) cycle of the modern era (RM = 64.2). Based on the method of Ohl (the preferential association between RM and AAm for an ongoing cycle), one expects cycle 24 to have RM = 55+/-17 (the +/-1 - sigma prediction interval). Instead, using a variation of Ohl's method, one based on using 2-cycle moving averages (2-cma), one expects cycle 23's 2-cma of RM to be about 115.5+/-8.7 (the +/-1 - sigma prediction interval), inferring an RM of about 62+/-35 for cycle 24. Hence, it seems clear that cycle 24 will be smaller in size than was seen in cycle 23 (RM = 120.8) and, likely, will be comparable in size to that of cycle 14. From the Waldmeier effect (the preferential association between the ascent duration (ASC) and RM for an ongoing cycle), one expects cycle 24 to be a slow-rising cycle (ASC > or equal to 48 months), having RM occurrence after December 2012, unless it turns out to be a statistical outlier.
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Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains.
Calatayud, Joaquin; Borreani, Sebastien; Colado, Juan C; Martin, Fernando; Tella, Victor; Andersen, Lars L
2015-01-01
Electromyography (EMG) exercise evaluation is commonly used to measure the intensity of muscle contraction. Although researchers assume that biomechanically comparable resistance exercises with similar high EMG levels will produce similar strength gains over the long term, no studies have actually corroborated this hypothesis. This study evaluated EMG levels during 6 repetition maximum (6RM) bench press and push-up, and subsequently performed a 5-week training period where subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups (i.e., 6RM bench press group, 6RM elastic band push-up group, or control group) to evaluate muscle strength gains. Thirty university students with advanced resistance training experience participated in the 2-part study. During the training period, exercises were performed using the same loads and variables that were used during the EMG data collection. At baseline, EMG amplitude showed no significant difference between 6RM bench press and band push-up. Significant differences among the groups were found for percent change (Δ) between pretest and posttest for 6RM (p = 0.017) and for 1 repetition maximum (1RM) (p < 0.001). Six repetition maximum bench press group and 6RM elastic band push-up group improved their 1RM and 6RM (Δ ranging from 13.65 to 22.21) tests significantly with similar gains, whereas control group remains unchanged. Thus, when the EMG values are comparable and the same conditions are reproduced, the aforementioned exercises can provide similar muscle strength gains.
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Poulton, Barry C.; Wildhaber, Mark L.; Charbonneau, Collette S.; Fairchild, James F.; Mueller, Brad G.; Schmitt, Christopher J.
2003-01-01
We conducted an aquatic macroinvertebrate assessment in the channelized reach of the lower Missouri River, and used statistical analysis of individual metrics and multimetric scores to identify community response patterns and evaluate relative biological condition. We examined longitudinal site differences that are potentially associated with water qualityrelated factors originating from the Kansas City metropolitan area, using data from coarse rock substrate in flowing water habitats (outside river bends), and depositional mud substratein slack water habitats (dike fields). Three sites above rivermile (RM) 369 in Kansas City (Nebraska City, RM = 560; St. Joseph, RM = 530; Parkville, RM = 377) and three below (Lexington, RM = 319; Glasgow, RM = 228; Hermann, RM = 94) were sampled with rock basket artificial substrates, a qualitative kicknet method, and the Petite Ponar. We also compared the performance of the methods used. A total of 132 aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa were collected from the lower Missouri River; one third of these taxa belonged to the sensitiveEPOT insect orders (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Odonata, and Trichoptera). Rock baskets had the highest mean efficiency (34.1%) of the methods, and the largest number of taxa was collected by Ponar (n = 69) and kicknet (n = 69) methods. Seven of the 15 metrics calculated from rock basket data, and five ofthe nine metrics calculated from Ponar data showed highly significant differences (ANOVA, P < 0.001) at one or more sitesbelow Kansas City. We observed a substantial reduction in net-spinning Trichoptera in rock habitats below Kansas City (Lexington), an increase in relative dominance of Oligochaeta in depositional habitats at the next site downstream (Glasgow), and lower relative condition scores in rock habitat at Lexingtonand depositional habitat at Glasgow. Collectively, these data indicate that some urban-related impacts on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community are occurring. Our results suggest that the methods and assessment framework we used in this studycould be successfully applied on a larger scale with concurrentwater and sediment chemistry to validate metrics, establish impairment levels, and develop a specific macroinvertebrate community index for the lower Missouri River. We recommend accomplishing this with longitudinal multi-habitat sampling at a larger number of sites related to all potential sources of impairment, including major tributaries, urban areas, and point sources.
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The Effects of Mental Imagery with Video-Modeling on Self-Efficacy and Maximal Front Squat Ability
Buck, Daniel J. M.; Hutchinson, Jasmin C.; Winter, Christa R.; Thompson, Brian A.
2016-01-01
This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of mental imagery supplemented with video-modeling on self-efficacy and front squat strength (three repetition maximum; 3RM). Subjects (13 male, 7 female) who had at least 6 months of front squat experience were assigned to either an experimental (n = 10) or a control (n = 10) group. Subjects′ 3RM and self-efficacy for the 3RM were measured at baseline. Following this, subjects in the experimental group followed a structured imagery protocol, incorporating video recordings of both their own 3RM performance and a model lifter with excellent technique, twice a day for three days. Subjects in the control group spent the same amount of time viewing a placebo video. Following three days with no physical training, measurements of front squat 3RM and self-efficacy for the 3RM were repeated. Subjects in the experimental group increased in self-efficacy following the intervention, and showed greater 3RM improvement than those in the control group. Self-efficacy was found to significantly mediate the relationship between imagery and front squat 3RM. These findings point to the importance of mental skills training for the enhancement of self-efficacy and front squat performance.
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Archontaki, M; Symvoulakis, E K; Hajiioannou, J K; Stamou, A K; Kastrinakis, S; Bizaki, A J; Kyrmizakis, D E
2009-01-01
The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) in patients attending the ENT outpatient clinic of the General Hospital of Rethymnon (Crete, Greece) before and after the launch of an intensive nasal decongestant advertising campaign in Greece. We reviewed the medical records of the patients with RM seen at the ENT outpatient clinic in May, June and July of 2003 and 2006. We analyzed and recorded the gender, age, and related clinical information of the patients with RM. In May, June and July of 2003, 41 patients out of a total of 1780 patients attending the ENT outpatient clinic were diagnosed with RM (2.3%). In the same months in 2006, 161 patients out a total of 1898 patients were diagnosed with RM (8.5%). The frequency of RM in these groups was therefore found to have increased significantly between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, 8 out of 10 patients with RM reported that they had made their purchasing decision solely on the basis of the information supplied by the drug advertisement without consulting their doctor or pharmacist. We suggest that the intensive media advertising campaign for nasal topical decongestants (particularly on TV) which started in 2004 is probably the main reason for this "endemic" RM.
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Ground reaction forces and knee kinetics during single and repeated badminton lunges.
Lam, Wing Kai; Ding, Rui; Qu, Yi
2017-03-01
Repeated movement (RM) lunge that frequently executed in badminton might be used for footwear evaluation. This study examined the influence of single movement (SM) and RM lunges on the ground reaction forces (GRFs) and knee kinetics during the braking phase of a badminton lunge step. Thirteen male university badminton players performed left-forward lunges in both SM and RM sessions. Force platform and motion capturing system were used to measure GRFs and knee kinetics variables. Paired t-test was performed to determine any significant differences between SM and RM lunges regarding mean and coefficient of variation (CV) in each variable. The kinetics results indicated that compared to SM lunges, the RM lunges had shorter contact time and generated smaller maximum loading rate of impact force, peak knee anterior-posterior force, and peak knee sagittal moment but generated larger peak horizontal resultant forces (Ps < 0.05). Additionally, the RM lunges had lower CV for peak knee medial-lateral and vertical forces (Ps < 0.05). These results suggested that the RM testing protocols had a distinct loading response and adaptation pattern during lunge and that the RM protocol showed higher within-trial reliability, which may be beneficial for the knee joint loading evaluation under different interventions.
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Increasing arsenic sorption on red mud by phosphogypsum addition.
Lopes, G; Guilherme, L R G; Costa, E T S; Curi, N; Penha, H G V
2013-11-15
Mining by-products have been tested as adsorbents for arsenic in order to reduce As bioavailability. This study evaluated a red mud (RM) treated with or without phosphogypsum (G) in order to improve its As retention. Red mud and G samples and their mixtures were chemically and mineralogically characterized to gather information concerning their composition, which is key for a better understanding of the adsorbent properties. Phosphogypsum was added to RM in the following proportions: 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 25% by weight. These mixtures were subjected to As adsorption and desorption and tested for their maximum adsorption capacity of As (AsMAC). Arsenic adsorption increased upon increasing the proportion of G added to RM. The AsMAC at pure RM reached 909 mg kg(-1), whereas the 75%-RM+25%-G mixture sorbed up to 3333 mg kg(-1) of As, i.e., a 3.5-fold increase in AsMAC. Using G in mixtures with RM increases the efficiency of As adsorption due to the presence of Ca(2+), which alters the charge balance of the adsorbent, leading to the formation of ternary complexes. Addition of G to RM is thus a promising technique to improve As retention, while providing additional value to both by-products, G and RM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Lee, Woohyung; Han, Ho-Seong; Ahn, Soyeon; Yoon, Yoo-Seok; Cho, Jai Young; Choi, YoungRok
2018-01-17
The relationship between resection margin (RM) and recurrence of resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. We reviewed clinical data for 419 patients with HCC. The oncologic outcomes were compared between 2 groups of patients classified according to the inflexion point of the restricted cubic spline plot. The patients were divided according to an RM of <1 cm (n = 233; narrow RM group) or ≥1 cm (n = 186; wide RM group). The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was lower (34.8 vs. 43.8%, p = 0.042) and recurrence near the resection site was more frequent (4.7 vs. 0%, p = 0.010) in the narrow RM group. Patients with multiple lesions, or prior transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) were excluded from subgroup analyses. In patients with a 2-5 cm HCC, the 5-year RFS was greater in the wide RM group (54.4 vs. 32.5%, p = 0.036). Narrow RM (hazard ratio 1.750, 95% CI 1.029-2.976, p = 0.039) was independently associated with disease recurrence. In patients with a single 2-5 cm HCC without prior TACE/RFA, an RM of ≥1 cm was associated with lower risk of recurrence after liver resection. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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The Effects of Mental Imagery with Video-Modeling on Self-Efficacy and Maximal Front Squat Ability.
Buck, Daniel J M; Hutchinson, Jasmin C; Winter, Christa R; Thompson, Brian A
2016-04-14
This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of mental imagery supplemented with video-modeling on self-efficacy and front squat strength (three repetition maximum; 3RM). Subjects (13 male, 7 female) who had at least 6 months of front squat experience were assigned to either an experimental ( n = 10) or a control ( n = 10) group. Subjects' 3RM and self-efficacy for the 3RM were measured at baseline. Following this, subjects in the experimental group followed a structured imagery protocol, incorporating video recordings of both their own 3RM performance and a model lifter with excellent technique, twice a day for three days. Subjects in the control group spent the same amount of time viewing a placebo video. Following three days with no physical training, measurements of front squat 3RM and self-efficacy for the 3RM were repeated. Subjects in the experimental group increased in self-efficacy following the intervention, and showed greater 3RM improvement than those in the control group. Self-efficacy was found to significantly mediate the relationship between imagery and front squat 3RM. These findings point to the importance of mental skills training for the enhancement of self-efficacy and front squat performance.
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Gautam, Meenu; Pandey, Divya; Agrawal, Madhoolika
2017-06-03
Due to hostile condition of red mud (RM), its utilization for vegetation is restricted. Therefore, RM with biowastes as soil amendment may offer suitable combination to support plant growth with reduced risk of metal toxicity. To evaluate the effects of RM on soil properties, plant growth performance, and metal accumulation in lemongrass, a study was conducted using different RM concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 15% w/w) in soil amended with biowastes [cow dung manure (CD) or sewage-sludge (SS)]. Application of RM in soil with biowastes improved organic matter and nutrient contents and caused reduction in phytoavailable metal contents. Total plant biomass was increased under all treatments, maximally at 5% RM in soil with SS (91.4%) and CD (51.7%) compared to that in control (no RM and biowastes). Lemongrass acted as a potential metal-tolerant plant as its metal tolerance index is >100%. Based on translocation and bioconcentration factors, lemongrass acted as a potential phytostabilizer of Fe, Mn, and Cu in roots and was found efficient in translocation of Al, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, As, and Ni from roots to shoot. The study suggests that 5% RM with biowastes preferably SS may be used to enhance phytoremediation potential of lemongrass.
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Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro Algorithm for Confirmatory Item Factor Analysis
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cai, Li
2010-01-01
Item factor analysis (IFA), already well established in educational measurement, is increasingly applied to psychological measurement in research settings. However, high-dimensional confirmatory IFA remains a numerical challenge. The current research extends the Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) algorithm, initially proposed for…
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Gieβsing, Jùrgen; Fisher, James; Steele, James; Rothe, Frank; Raubold, Kristin; Eichmann, Björn
2016-03-01
This study examined low-volume resistance training (RT) in trained participants with and without advanced training methods. Trained participants (RT experience 4±3 years) were randomised to groups performing single-set RT: ssRM (N.=21) performing repetitions to self-determined repetition maximum (RM), ssMMF (N.=30) performing repetitions to momentary muscular failure (MMF), and ssRP (N.=28) performing repetitions to self-determined RM using a rest pause (RP) method. Each performed supervised RT twice/week for 10 weeks. Outcomes included maximal isometric strength and body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The ssRM group did not significantly improve in any outcome. The ssMMF and ssRP groups both significantly improved strength (p < 0.05). Magnitude of changes using effect size (ES) was examined between groups. Strength ES's were considered large for ssMMF (0.91 to 1.57) and ranging small to large for ssRP (0.42 to 1.06). Body composition data revealed significant improvements (P<0.05) in muscle and fat mass and percentages for whole body, upper limbs and trunk for ssMMF, but only upper limbs for ssRP. Body composition ES's ranged moderate to large for ssMMF (0.56 to 1.27) and ranged small to moderate for ssRP (0.28 to 0.52). ssMMF also significantly improved (P<0.05) total abdominal fat and increased intracellular water with moderate ES's (-0.62 and 0.56, respectively). Training to self-determined RM is not efficacious for trained participants. Training to MMF produces greatest improvements in strength and body composition, however, RP style training does offer some benefit.
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Functional specialization of medial auditory belt cortex in the alert rhesus monkey.
Kusmierek, Pawel; Rauschecker, Josef P
2009-09-01
Responses of neural units in two areas of the medial auditory belt (middle medial area [MM] and rostral medial area [RM]) were tested with tones, noise bursts, monkey calls (MC), and environmental sounds (ES) in microelectrode recordings from two alert rhesus monkeys. For comparison, recordings were also performed from two core areas (primary auditory area [A1] and rostral area [R]) of the auditory cortex. All four fields showed cochleotopic organization, with best (center) frequency [BF(c)] gradients running in opposite directions in A1 and MM than in R and RM. The medial belt was characterized by a stronger preference for band-pass noise than for pure tones found medially to the core areas. Response latencies were shorter for the two more posterior (middle) areas MM and A1 than for the two rostral areas R and RM, reaching values as low as 6 ms for high BF(c) in MM and A1, and strongly depended on BF(c). The medial belt areas exhibited a higher selectivity to all stimuli, in particular to noise bursts, than the core areas. An increased selectivity to tones and noise bursts was also found in the anterior fields; the opposite was true for highly temporally modulated ES. Analysis of the structure of neural responses revealed that neurons were driven by low-level acoustic features in all fields. Thus medial belt areas RM and MM have to be considered early stages of auditory cortical processing. The anteroposterior difference in temporal processing indices suggests that R and RM may belong to a different hierarchical level or a different computational network than A1 and MM.
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DiMarco, Aimee; Christakis, Ioannis; Constantinides, Vasilis; Regan, Lesley; Palazzo, F Fausto
2018-03-01
Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) in pregnancy is reported to be associated with significant maternal and foetal complications and an up to threefold increase in the risk of miscarriage. However, the true incidence of pHPT in pregnancy, complete and miscarried, is unknown and there are no data on the prevalence of undiagnosed pHPT in recurrent miscarriage (RM) (≥3 consecutive miscarriages under 24-week gestation). This is the first prospective study aiming to establish the prevalence of undiagnosed pHPT in RM. Following UK National ethics committee approval, women who had experienced 3 or more consecutive miscarriages were recruited from a nationwide RM clinic. Serum corrected calcium, phosphate, PTH and vitamin D were evaluated. Patients with raised serum calcium and/or PTH were recalled for confirmatory tests. Power calculations suggested that a minimum of 272 patients were required to demonstrate a clinically significant incidence of pHPT. Three hundred women were recruited, median age 35 years (range 19-42). Eleven patients had incomplete data, leaving 289 patients suitable for analysis; 50/289 patients (17%) with abnormal tests were recalled. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/l) and insufficiency (25-75 nmol/l) was 8.7 and 67.8%, respectively. One patient was diagnosed with pHPT (0.34%) and underwent successful parathyroidectomy. The prevalence of undiagnosed pHPT (0.34%) in RM in this study appears to be many times greater than the 0.05% expected in this age group. The findings of this pilot study merit follow-up with a larger-scale study. Routine serum calcium estimation is not currently undertaken in RM and should be considered.
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Tajstra, Mateusz; Sokal, Adam; Gwóźdź, Arkadiusz; Wilczek, Marcin; Gacek, Adam; Wojciechowski, Konrad; Gadula-Gacek, Elżbieta; Adamowicz-Czoch, Elżbieta; Chłosta-Niepiekło, Katarzyna; Milewski, Krzysztof; Rozentryt, Piotr; Kalarus, Zbigniew; Gąsior, Mariusz; Poloński, Lech
2017-07-01
The number of patients with heart failure implantable cardiac electronic devices (CIEDs) is growing. Hospitalization rate in this group is very high and generates enormous costs. To avoid the need for hospital treatment, optimized monitoring and follow-up is crucial. Remote monitoring (RM) has been widely put into practice in the management of CIEDs but it may be difficult due to the presence of differences in systems provided by device manufacturers and loss of gathered data in case of device reimplantation. Additionally, conclusions derived from studies about usefulness of RM in clinical practice apply to devices coming only from a single company. An integrated monitoring platform allows for more comprehensive data analysis and interpretation. Therefore, the primary objective of Remote Supervision to Decrease Hospitalization Rate (RESULT) study is to evaluate the impact of RM on the clinical status of patients with ICDs or CRT-Ds using an integrated platform. Six hundred consecutive patients with ICDs or CRT-Ds implanted will be prospectively randomized to either a traditional or RM-based follow-up model. The primary clinical endpoint will be a composite of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons within 12 months after randomization. The primary technical endpoint will be to construct and evaluate a unified and integrated platform for the data collected from RM devices manufactured by different companies. This manuscript describes the design and methodology of the prospective, randomized trial designed to determine whether remote monitoring using an integrated platform for different companies is safe, feasible, and efficacious (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02409225). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Wang, Jingguo; Jiang, Tingbo; Zou, Detang; Zhao, Hongwei; Li, Qiang; Liu, Hualong; Zhou, Changjun
2014-01-01
Genetic diversity and the relationship among nine japonica rice groups consisting of 288 landraces and varieties in different geographical origins of Northeast Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and the Russian Far East district of the Russian Federation were evaluated with 154 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 823 alleles were detected. The observed allele numbers (Na) per locus, Nei's gene diversity (He) and the polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 2 to 9, 0.061 to 0.869 and 0.060 to 0.856, with an average of 5.344, 0.624 and 0.586, respectively. Five SSR loci, RM1350, RM1369, RM257, RM336 and RM1374, provided the highest PIC values and are potential for exploring the genetic diversity of rice cultivars in Northeast Asia. Molecular variance analysis showed that a significant difference existed both among groups (91.6%) and within each group (8.4%). The low genetic variation within each group indicated that the gene pool is narrow and alien genetic variation should be introduced into the rice breeding program in Northeast Asia. Based on the He and PIC values, the nine groups were ranked in a descending order: Heilongjiang landraces, Jilin landraces, Japanese improved varieties, Heilongjiang improved varieties, Russian Far East district of the Russian Federation improved varieties, Liaoning improved varieties, Jilin improved varieties, Korean improved varieties and Democratic People's Republic of Korea improved varieties. The nine groups were further divided into three subgroups and the 288 varieties into five clusters. This study provided information for parent selection in order to broaden the gene pool of the japonica rice germplasm in Northeast Asia. PMID:26019508
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Wang, Jingguo; Jiang, Tingbo; Zou, Detang; Zhao, Hongwei; Li, Qiang; Liu, Hualong; Zhou, Changjun
2014-03-04
Genetic diversity and the relationship among nine japonica rice groups consisting of 288 landraces and varieties in different geographical origins of Northeast Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and the Russian Far East district of the Russian Federation were evaluated with 154 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 823 alleles were detected. The observed allele numbers (Na) per locus, Nei's gene diversity (He) and the polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 2 to 9, 0.061 to 0.869 and 0.060 to 0.856, with an average of 5.344, 0.624 and 0.586, respectively. Five SSR loci, RM1350, RM1369, RM257, RM336 and RM1374, provided the highest PIC values and are potential for exploring the genetic diversity of rice cultivars in Northeast Asia. Molecular variance analysis showed that a significant difference existed both among groups (91.6%) and within each group (8.4%). The low genetic variation within each group indicated that the gene pool is narrow and alien genetic variation should be introduced into the rice breeding program in Northeast Asia. Based on the He and PIC values, the nine groups were ranked in a descending order: Heilongjiang landraces, Jilin landraces, Japanese improved varieties, Heilongjiang improved varieties, Russian Far East district of the Russian Federation improved varieties, Liaoning improved varieties, Jilin improved varieties, Korean improved varieties and Democratic People's Republic of Korea improved varieties. The nine groups were further divided into three subgroups and the 288 varieties into five clusters. This study provided information for parent selection in order to broaden the gene pool of the japonica rice germplasm in Northeast Asia.
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Immune clearance of highly pathogenic SIV infection.
Hansen, Scott G; Piatak, Michael; Ventura, Abigail B; Hughes, Colette M; Gilbride, Roxanne M; Ford, Julia C; Oswald, Kelli; Shoemaker, Rebecca; Li, Yuan; Lewis, Matthew S; Gilliam, Awbrey N; Xu, Guangwu; Whizin, Nathan; Burwitz, Benjamin J; Planer, Shannon L; Turner, John M; Legasse, Alfred W; Axthelm, Michael K; Nelson, Jay A; Früh, Klaus; Sacha, Jonah B; Estes, Jacob D; Keele, Brandon F; Edlefsen, Paul T; Lifson, Jeffrey D; Picker, Louis J
2013-10-03
Established infections with the human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV, respectively) are thought to be permanent with even the most effective immune responses and antiretroviral therapies only able to control, but not clear, these infections. Whether the residual virus that maintains these infections is vulnerable to clearance is a question of central importance to the future management of millions of HIV-infected individuals. We recently reported that approximately 50% of rhesus macaques (RM; Macaca mulatta) vaccinated with SIV protein-expressing rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV/SIV) vectors manifest durable, aviraemic control of infection with the highly pathogenic strain SIVmac239 (ref. 5). Here we show that regardless of the route of challenge, RhCMV/SIV vector-elicited immune responses control SIVmac239 after demonstrable lymphatic and haematogenous viral dissemination, and that replication-competent SIV persists in several sites for weeks to months. Over time, however, protected RM lost signs of SIV infection, showing a consistent lack of measurable plasma- or tissue-associated virus using ultrasensitive assays, and a loss of T-cell reactivity to SIV determinants not in the vaccine. Extensive ultrasensitive quantitative PCR and quantitative PCR with reverse transcription analyses of tissues from RhCMV/SIV vector-protected RM necropsied 69-172 weeks after challenge did not detect SIV RNA or DNA sequences above background levels, and replication-competent SIV was not detected in these RM by extensive co-culture analysis of tissues or by adoptive transfer of 60 million haematolymphoid cells to naive RM. These data provide compelling evidence for progressive clearance of a pathogenic lentiviral infection, and suggest that some lentiviral reservoirs may be susceptible to the continuous effector memory T-cell-mediated immune surveillance elicited and maintained by cytomegalovirus vectors.
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Regional Model Nesting Within GFS Daily Forecasts Over West Africa
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Druyan, Leonard M.; Fulakeza, Matthew; Lonergan, Patrick; Worrell, Ruben
2010-01-01
The study uses the RM3, the regional climate model at the Center for Climate Systems Research of Columbia University and the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies (CCSR/GISS). The paper evaluates 30 48-hour RM3 weather forecasts over West Africa during September 2006 made on a 0.5 grid nested within 1 Global Forecast System (GFS) global forecasts. September 2006 was the Special Observing Period #3 of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA). Archived GFS initial conditions and lateral boundary conditions for the simulations from the US National Weather Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration were interpolated four times daily. Results for precipitation forecasts are validated against Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite estimates and data from the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS), which includes rain gauge measurements, and forecasts of circulation are compared to reanalysis 2. Performance statistics for the precipitation forecasts include bias, root-mean-square errors and spatial correlation coefficients. The nested regional model forecasts are compared to GFS forecasts to gauge whether nesting provides additional realistic information. They are also compared to RM3 simulations driven by reanalysis 2, representing high potential skill forecasts, to gauge the sensitivity of results to lateral boundary conditions. Nested RM3/GFS forecasts generate excessive moisture advection toward West Africa, which in turn causes prodigious amounts of model precipitation. This problem is corrected by empirical adjustments in the preparation of lateral boundary conditions and initial conditions. The resulting modified simulations improve on the GFS precipitation forecasts, achieving time-space correlations with TRMM of 0.77 on the first day and 0.63 on the second day. One realtime RM3/GFS precipitation forecast made at and posted by the African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD) in Niamey, Niger is shown.
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Remote management of heart failure using implantable electronic devices
Morgan, John M.; Kitt, Sue; Gill, Jas; McComb, Janet M.; Ng, Ghulam Andre; Raftery, James; Roderick, Paul; Seed, Alison; Williams, Simon G.; Witte, Klaus K.; Wright, David Jay; Harris, Scott; Cowie, Martin R.
2017-01-01
Abstract Aims Remote management of heart failure using implantable electronic devices (REM-HF) aimed to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of remote monitoring (RM) of heart failure in patients with cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIEDs). Methods and results Between 29 September 2011 and 31 March 2014, we randomly assigned 1650 patients with heart failure and a CIED to active RM or usual care (UC). The active RM pathway included formalized remote follow-up protocols, and UC was standard practice in nine recruiting centres in England. The primary endpoint in the time to event analysis was the 1st event of death from any cause or unplanned hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons. Secondary endpoints included death from any cause, death from cardiovascular reasons, death from cardiovascular reasons and unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization, unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization, and unplanned hospitalization. REM-HF is registered with ISRCTN (96536028). The mean age of the population was 70 years (range 23–98); 86% were male. Patients were followed for a median of 2.8 years (range 0–4.3 years) completing on 31 January 2016. Patient adherence was high with a drop out of 4.3% over the course of the study. The incidence of the primary endpoint did not differ significantly between active RM and UC groups, which occurred in 42.4 and 40.8% of patients, respectively [hazard ratio 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87–1.18; P = 0.87]. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to any of the secondary endpoints or the time to the primary endpoint components. Conclusion Among patients with heart failure and a CIED, RM using weekly downloads and a formalized follow up approach does not improve outcomes. PMID:28575235
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Jeon, Se Jeong; Lee, Jae Il; Jeon, Myung Jae; Lee, Maria
2016-04-01
Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA) is a side effect that occurs in patients with breast cancer (BC) as a result of chemotherapy. These patients require special treatments to avoid infertility and menopause. However, the factors controlling CIA, resumption of menstruation (RM), and persistence of menstruation after chemotherapy are unknown. The long-term prognosis for premenopausal patients with BC and the prognostic factors associated with CIA and RM are subject to debate. We performed a retrospective study by reviewing the medical records of 249 patients with BC (stage I to stage III) who were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy. The median patient age was 43 (range, 26-55 years) and the median duration of follow-up was 64 months (range, 28-100 months). The medical records indicated that 219 patients (88.0%) scored as positive for the hormone receptor (HR); the majority of these patients completed chemotherapy and then received additional therapy of tamoxifen. Our analyses revealed that 88.0% (n = 219) of patients experienced CIA, and the percentage of RM during follow-up was 48.6% (n = 121). A total of 30 patients (12.0%) did not experience CIA. Disease-free survival (DFS) was affected by several factors, including tumour size ≥2 cm, node positivity, HR negative status, and body mass index ≥23 kg/m. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumour size ≥2 cm remained as a significant factor for DFS (hazard ratio = 3.3, P = 0.034). In summary, this study finds that the majority of premenopausal patients with BC (stage I to stage III) who receive chemotherapy experience CIA and subsequent RM. Although tumour size ≥2 cm is negatively associated with DFS, RM after CIA is not associated with poor prognosis.
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Remote monitoring for active cardiovascular implantable electronic devices: a European survey.
Halimi, Franck; Cantù, Francesco
2010-12-01
This survey sampled today's European practices in the use of remote monitoring (RM) for the follow-up of active cardiovascular implantable electronic devices. Eighty-five per cent of the responding centres are currently using RM. For the majority, RM is expected to increase importantly within 5 years, and it has already led to a new organization of care based on dedicated allied professionals and/or the creation of RM units. There are still major limitations for the development of RM, such as ethical and legal aspects, reimbursement issues, and the lack of specific national- and European-updated guidelines which need to be informed.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Greco, Luigi Alessandro
The DX center in III-V alloys has limited the use of these materials for electronic devices since the defect acts as an electron trap. To be able to control or eliminate the DX center, its atomic scale structure should be understood. Mossbauer spectroscopy has proven to be a valuable technique in probing the atomic-scale structure of certain atomic species. The dopant studied here is ^{119}Sn. The thermal diffusion of Sn in Al_ {rm x}Ga_{rm 1-x }As using different temperatures, times, sample geometries and As_4 overpressures in evacuated and sealed fused silica ampoules was studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD), secondary ion mass spectroscopy and electrochemical capacitance versus voltage measurements. The AlGaAs surfaces decomposed into various Sn, Si, Ga and As oxides when an As_4 overpressure was introduced during annealing. However, annealing under ambient As_4 and furnace cooling eliminated surface decomposition although the Sn diffusion depth was less than that for a 0.5 atm As_4 overpressure. SiO_{rm x} and Si_{rm x }N_{rm y} RF-sputtered thin film capping layers deposited on AlGaAs were studied by XRD and Auger electron spectroscopy. For the annealed SiO_{rm x} films the AlGaAs surface was preserved, independent of the cooling technique used. Mossbauer spectroscopy was conducted on ^{rm 119m} Sn-implanted Al_ {rm x } Ga_{rm 1-x} As (x = 0.22 and 0.25) used for the source experiments and ^{119}Sn-doped Al _{rm x}Ga _{rm 1-x}As (x = 0.15, N _{rm Sn} ~2 times 10 ^{18} cm^{ -3}) for the absorber experiment. The source samples were capped with 120 nm of SiO_ {rm x} to preserve the surface during the systematic study of annealing temperature versus site occupation and electrical activation via Mossbauer spectroscopy at 76 K and 4 K in the dark and in the light (to observe persistent photoconductivity (PPC) due to the DX center). For all of the annealing conditions used the x = 0.22 sample showed little evidence of PPC possibly due to compensating defects and/or radiation-induced capture. After annealing the x = 0.25 sample at 1000^circC for 2 hours under a Ga + Al overpressure, evidence of PPC was found via Hall measurements but no effect was seen by Mossbauer suggesting radiation-induced capture and/or non-nearest-neighbor lattice relaxation. The Ga + Al overpressure also served to decrease the loss of Sn through the SiO _{rm x} film, possibly through the removal of Ga and Al vacancies. The x = 0.15 absorber showed a persistent 15-18% change in the electrical resistance (10% change in n) between the light and dark. However, the observation of this effect was not apparent, even assuming negative-U (2 electron) behavior, in the Mossbauer measurements. This was also consistent with EXAFS results. These studies do not support the broken-bond model of Chadi and Chang, which is considered to be a widely accepted atomic-scale model of the DX center. A defect complex consisting of a substitutional Sn_{rm Ga(Al) }^+ site, and a (V_{ rm III}^-Al_{ rm As}^{-2}) complex, which localizes 3 electrons and may not be a nearest-neighbor to the donor, was chosen for the DX center in the x = 0.15 sample which supports EXAFS, recent positron annihilation and these Mossbauer studies.
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Revertant mosaicism in heritable skin diseases: mechanisms of natural gene therapy.
Pasmooij, Anna M G; Jonkman, Marcel F; Uitto, Jouni
2012-09-01
Revertant mosaicism (RM) refers to the co-existence of cells carrying disease-causing mutations with cells in which the inherited mutation is genetically corrected by a spontaneous event. It has been discovered in an increasing number of heritable skin diseases: ichthyosis with confetti and different subtypes of epidermolysis bullosa. This "natural gene therapy" phenomenon manifests as normal appearing skin areas surrounded by affected skin. Although initially thought to be rare, RM is now considered relatively common in genetic skin diseases. To address the issues relevant to RM, we here discuss the following questions: 1) What is the incidence of RM in heritable skin diseases? 2) What are the repair mechanisms in RM? 3) When do the revertant mutations occur? 4) How do you recognize revertant skin? 5) Do the areas of RM change in size? The answers to these questions allow us to acquire knowledge on these reverted cells, the mechanisms of RM, and utility of the reverted cells to the advantage of the patient. The revertant skin could potentially be used to treat the patient's own affected skin.
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Gestational age of pregnancy loss in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriage.
Ticconi, Carlo; Giuliani, Emma; Sorge, Roberto; Patrizi, Lodovico; Piccione, Emilio; Pietropolli, Adalgisa
2016-03-01
The aim of this study was to investigate the gestational age (GA) of pregnancy loss in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriage (RM) and to determine whether the miscarriages occur at similar GA in RM women. This retrospective study was carried out in a university hospital and included 288 women with unexplained RM. The GA at which each miscarriage occurred was carefully determined. Overall, 739 miscarriages were analyzed. RM women had miscarriages at a median GA of 7 weeks (range: 3-20). In RM women, 47.2% (n = 136) experienced miscarriages within a 1-week range of GA and 53.4% (n = 154) had miscarriages in the same period of fetal development (pre-embryonic, embryonic or fetal). Women with unexplained RM tend to have miscarriages at the same GA, which is characteristic for each patient. © 2015 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Minster, J. B.; Jordan, T. H.
1977-01-01
A data set comprising 110 spreading rates, 78 transform fault azimuths and 142 earthquake slip vectors was inverted to yield a new instantaneous plate motion model, designated RM2. The mean averaging interval for the relative motion data was reduced to less than 3 My. A detailed comparison of RM2 with angular velocity vectors which best fit the data along individual plate boundaries indicates that RM2 performs close to optimally in most regions, with several notable exceptions. On the other hand, a previous estimate (RM1) failed to satisfy an extensive set of new data collected in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is shown that RM1 incorrectly predicts the plate kinematics in the South Atlantic because the presently available data are inconsistent with the plate geometry assumed in deriving RM1. It is demonstrated that this inconsistency can be remedied by postulating the existence of internal deformation with the Indian plate, although alternate explanations are possible.
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Yoon, Ki Ro; Lee, Gil Yong; Jung, Ji-Won; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Kim, Sang Ouk; Kim, Il-Doo
2016-03-09
Rational design and massive production of bifunctional catalysts with fast oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics are critical to the realization of highly efficient lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries. Here, we first exploit two types of double-walled RuO2 and Mn2O3 composite fibers, i.e., (i) phase separated RuO2/Mn2O3 fiber-in-tube (RM-FIT) and (ii) multicomposite RuO2/Mn2O3 tube-in-tube (RM-TIT), by controlling ramping rate during electrospinning process. Both RM-FIT and RM-TIT exhibited excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activities in alkaline media. The air electrodes using RM-FIT and RM-TIT showed enhanced overpotential characteristics and stable cyclability over 100 cycles in the Li-O2 cells, demonstrating high potential as efficient OER and ORR catalysts.
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Experimental Study on Hot Metal Desulfurization Using Sintered Red Mud-Based Flux
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Fengshan; Zhang, Yanling; Guo, Zhancheng
2017-09-01
This research presents the results of laboratory and pilot-scale tests conducted on the use of sintered red mud (RM)-based flux in the hot metal desulfurization (HMD) process. Al2O3/Na2O in RM can decrease the melting point of lime-based slag and can work as a flux in the HMD process. Good slag fluidity was observed throughout the process, and high desulfurization rates ( 80%) with a low final S content (<0.02%) were experimentally obtained when the RM:CaO ratio was between 1.2:1 and 2.4:1. The pilot-scale test results indicated that a desulfurization rate as high as 91% and a S content <0.0099% could be acquired when RM:lime = 1:1, verifying the feasibility of using sintered RM-based flux in HMD. The data obtained provide important information for promoting the large-scale application of sintered RM in steelmaking.
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Broadband Photometric Reverberation Mapping Analysis on SDSS-RM and Stripe 82 Quasars
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, Haowen; Yang, Qian; Wu, Xue-Bing
2018-02-01
We modified the broadband photometric reverberation mapping (PRM) code, JAVELIN, and tested the availability to get broad-line region time delays that are consistent with the spectroscopic reverberation mapping (SRM) project SDSS-RM. The broadband light curves of SDSS-RM quasars produced by convolution with the system transmission curves were used in the test. We found that under similar sampling conditions (evenly and frequently sampled), the key factor determining whether the broadband PRM code can yield lags consistent with the SRM project is the flux ratio of the broad emission line to the reference continuum, which is in line with the previous findings. We further found a critical line-to-continuum flux ratio, about 6%, above which the mean of the ratios between the lags from PRM and SRM becomes closer to unity, and the scatter is pronouncedly reduced. We also tested our code on a subset of SDSS Stripe 82 quasars, and found that our program tends to give biased lag estimations due to the observation gaps when the R-L relation prior in Markov Chain Monte Carlo is discarded. The performance of the damped random walk (DRW) model and the power-law (PL) structure function model on broadband PRM were compared. We found that given both SDSS-RM-like or Stripe 82-like light curves, the DRW model performs better in carrying out broadband PRM than the PL model.
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Effects of ray profile modeling on resolution recovery in clinical CT
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hofmann, Christian; Knaup, Michael; Kachelrieß, Marc, E-mail: marc.kachelriess@dkfz-heidelberg.de
2014-02-15
Purpose: Iterative image reconstruction gains more and more interest in clinical routine, as it promises to reduce image noise (and thereby patient dose), to reduce artifacts, or to improve spatial resolution. However, among vendors and researchers, there is no consensus of how to best achieve these goals. The authors are focusing on the aspect of geometric ray profile modeling, which is realized by some algorithms, while others model the ray as a straight line. The authors incorporate ray-modeling (RM) in nonregularized iterative reconstruction. That means, instead of using one simple single needle beam to represent the x-ray, the authors evaluatemore » the double integral of attenuation path length over the finite source distribution and the finite detector element size in the numerical forward projection. Our investigations aim at analyzing the resolution recovery (RR) effects of RM. Resolution recovery means that frequencies can be recovered beyond the resolution limit of the imaging system. In order to evaluate, whether clinical CT images can benefit from modeling the geometrical properties of each x-ray, the authors performed a 2D simulation study of a clinical CT fan-beam geometry that includes the precise modeling of these geometrical properties. Methods: All simulations and reconstructions are performed in native fan-beam geometry. A water phantom with resolution bar patterns and a Forbild thorax phantom with circular resolution patterns representing calcifications in the heart region are simulated. An FBP reconstruction with a Ram–Lak kernel is used as a reference reconstruction. The FBP is compared to iterative reconstruction techniques with and without RM: An ordered subsets convex (OSC) algorithm without any RM (OSC), an OSC where the forward projection is modeled concerning the finite focal spot and detector size (OSC-RM) and an OSC with RM and with a matched forward and backprojection pair (OSC-T-RM, T for transpose). In all cases, noise was matched to be able to focus on comparing spatial resolution. The authors use two different simulation settings. Both are based on the geometry of a typical clinical CT system (0.7 mm detector element size at isocenter, 1024 projections per rotation). Setting one has an exaggerated source width of 5.0 mm. Setting two has a realistically small source width of 0.5 mm. The authors also investigate the transition from setting one to two. To quantify image quality, the authors analyze line profiles through the resolution patterns to define a contrast factor (CF) for contrast-resolution plots, and the authors compare the normalized cross-correlation (NCC) with respect to the ground truth of the circular resolution patterns. To independently analyze whether RM is of advantage, the authors implemented several iterative reconstruction algorithms: The statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm OSC, the ordered subsets simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (OSSART) and another statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm, denoted with ordered subsets maximum likelihood (OSML) algorithm. All algorithms were implemented both without RM (denoted as OSC, OSSART, and OSML) and with RM (denoted as OSC-RM, OSSART-RM, and OSML-RM). Results: For the unrealistic case of a 5.0 mm focal spot the CF can be improved by a factor of two due to RM: the 4.2 LP/cm bar pattern, which is the first bar pattern that cannot be resolved without RM, can be easily resolved with RM. For the realistic case of a 0.5 mm focus, all results show approximately the same CF. The NCC shows no significant dependency on RM when the source width is smaller than 2.0 mm (as in clinical CT). From 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm focal spot size increasing improvements can be observed with RM. Conclusions: Geometric RM in iterative reconstruction helps improving spatial resolution, if the ray cross-section is significantly larger than the ray sampling distance. In clinical CT, however, the ray is not much thicker than the distance between neighboring ray centers, as the focal spot size is small and detector crosstalk is negligible, due to reflective coatings between detector elements. Therefore,RM appears not to be necessary in clinical CT to achieve resolution recovery.« less
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Reference materials for cellular therapeutics.
Bravery, Christopher A; French, Anna
2014-09-01
The development of cellular therapeutics (CTP) takes place over many years, and, where successful, the developer will anticipate the product to be in clinical use for decades. Successful demonstration of manufacturing and quality consistency is dependent on the use of complex analytical methods; thus, the risk of process and method drift over time is high. The use of reference materials (RM) is an established scientific principle and as such also a regulatory requirement. The various uses of RM in the context of CTP manufacturing and quality are discussed, along with why they are needed for living cell products and the analytical methods applied to them. Relatively few consensus RM exist that are suitable for even common methods used by CTP developers, such as flow cytometry. Others have also identified this need and made proposals; however, great care will be needed to ensure any consensus RM that result are fit for purpose. Such consensus RM probably will need to be applied to specific standardized methods, and the idea that a single RM can have wide applicability is challenged. Written standards, including standardized methods, together with appropriate measurement RM are probably the most appropriate way to define specific starting cell types. The characteristics of a specific CTP will to some degree deviate from those of the starting cells; consequently, a product RM remains the best solution where feasible. Each CTP developer must consider how and what types of RM should be used to ensure the reliability of their own analytical measurements. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Farret, Anne; Del Favero, Simone; Bruttomesso, Daniela; Renard, Eric
2014-01-01
Patients with chronic diseases as well as health care systems could benefit from telemedicine applications such as remote monitoring (RM). RM relies on a device that sends patients’ health data to a remote server accessible by care teams. Recent smartphone-based artificial pancreas (AP) systems collect comprehensive set of information and could therefore support the development of RM applied to diabetes. To better understand how RM could be integrated in future AP systems, we wanted to get patients’ opinion on this concept, as they are the final users of these systems. An online questionnaire with 11 items was sent to 20 experienced patients who tested AP and RM during our recent outpatient studies in France and Italy. We received 17 answers. All patients considered that during their participation in trials, RM was useful, reassuring, and essential. One-third wouldn’t have participated without it. When AP is commercialized, 88% of respondents think that AP should go with a RM tool, but it should be activated only at certain times, at first use or in case of difficulties (82%). Participants ask for technical support when a device fails (88%) and for medical help in case of prolonged hyperglycemia (65%) or severe or repeated hypoglycemia (53%), but not after each case of hypoglycemia (6%). More than 75% think that RM could help them to improve their blood glucose control. This preliminary work indicates that patients expect RM to be part of future AP development. Larger studies remain to be performed to investigate its usefulness and potential economic effectiveness. PMID:24876571
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Respiratory morbidity among welders in the shipbuilding industry, Goa.
Bhumika, Nateshan; Prabhu, Ganapati Vasant; Ferreira, Agnelo Menino; Kulkarni, Manoj Kumar; Vaz, Frederick Satiro; Singh, Zile
2012-05-01
Welding is pivotal in shipbuilding. The fumes and gases involved in welding may cause respiratory morbidity. To study the prevalence of respiratory morbidity (RM) among welders vis à vis among nonwelders and its association with certain relevant factors. A cross-sectional study of 276 welders and 276 nonwelders was conducted in the shipbuilding industry. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was followed by spirometric examination. Odds ratio and its 95% CI and two-way ANOVA. Prevalence of RM was found to be significantly higher among welders compared to nonwelders (who were comparable in age, duration of employment (DOE) and smoking habits,) with odds ratio (OR) of 1.78 (95% confidence interval (CI):1.20-2.63). Obstructive type of RM was predominant in both welders (26% (n = 73)) and nonwelders (17% (n = 49)) with welders being at a significantly higher risk (OR = 1.66 (95%: 1.10-2.49)). RM was commoner after the 40 years of age or after 20 years of employment in both groups. Smoking was associated with RM among welders (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.24-1.75) as well as nonwelders (OR = 2.83, 95% CI: 2.26-3.54). Work-related respiratory symptoms (WRRS) was not found to be related to RM (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.00-2.84). Consistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was protective against RM in welders (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.28-0.37). Welders had a greater burden of RM and this was related to increasing age, DOE, smoking and inconsistent use of PPE. WRRS were not indicative of RM.
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Shimano, Tomoko; Kraemer, William J; Spiering, Barry A; Volek, Jeff S; Hatfield, Disa L; Silvestre, Ricardo; Vingren, Jakob L; Fragala, Maren S; Maresh, Carl M; Fleck, Steven J; Newton, Robert U; Spreuwenberg, Luuk P B; Häkkinen, Keijo
2006-11-01
Resistance exercise intensity is commonly prescribed as a percent of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). However, the relationship between percent 1RM and the number of repetitions allowed remains poorly studied, especially using free weight exercises. The purpose of this study was to determine the maximal number of repetitions that trained (T) and untrained (UT) men can perform during free weight exercises at various percentages of 1RM. Eight T and 8 UT men were tested for 1RM strength. Then, subjects performed 1 set to failure at 60, 80, and 90% of 1RM in the back squat, bench press, and arm curl in a randomized, balanced design. There was a significant (p < 0.05) intensity x exercise interaction. More repetitions were performed during the back squat than the bench press or arm curl at 60% 1RM for T and UT. At 80 and 90% 1RM, there were significant differences between the back squat and other exercises; however, differences were much less pronounced. No differences in number of repetitions performed at a given exercise intensity were noted between T and UT (except during bench press at 90% 1RM). In conclusion, the number of repetitions performed at a given percent of 1RM is influenced by the amount of muscle mass used during the exercise, as more repetitions can be performed during the back squat than either the bench press or arm curl. Training status of the individual has a minimal impact on the number of repetitions performed at relative exercise intensity.
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Söth-Hansen, Malene; Witt, Christoffer Tobias; Rasmussen, Mathis; Kristensen, Jens; Gerdes, Christian; Nielsen, Jens Cosedis
2018-05-24
Remote monitoring (RM) is an established technology integrated into routine follow-up of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Current RM systems differ according to transmission frequency and alert definition. We aimed to compare time difference between detection and acknowledgement of clinically relevant events between four RM systems. We analyzed time delay between detection of ventricular arrhythmic and technical events by the ICD and acknowledgement by hospital staff in 1.802 consecutive patients followed with RM during September 2014 - August 2016. Devices from Biotronik (BIO, n=374), Boston Scientific (BSC, n=196), Medtronic (MDT, n=468) and St Jude Medical (SJM, n=764) were included. We identified all events from RM webpages and their acknowledgement with RM or at in-clinic follow-up. Events occurring during weekends were excluded. We included 3.472 events. Proportion of events acknowledged within 24 hours was 72%, 23%, 18% and 65% with BIO, BSC, MDT and SJM, respectively, with median times of 13, 222, 163 and 18 hours from detection to acknowledgement (p<0.001 for both comparisons between manufacturers). Including only events transmitted as alerts by RM, 72%, 68%, 61% and 65% for BIO, BSC, MDT and SJM, respectively were acknowledged within 24 hours. Variation in time to acknowledgement of ventricular tachyarrhythmia episodes not treated with shock therapy was the primary cause for the difference between manufacturers. Significant and clinically relevant differences in time delay from event detection to acknowledgement exist between RM systems. Varying definitions of which events RM transmits as alerts are important for the differences observed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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Intestinal microbiota reduces genotoxic endpoints induced by high-energy protons.
Maier, Irene; Berry, David M; Schiestl, Robert H
2014-01-01
Ionizing space radiation causes oxidative DNA damage and triggers oxidative stress responses, and compromised DNA repair mechanisms can lead to increased risk of carcinogenesis. Young adult mice with developed innate and adaptive immune systems that harbored either a conventional intestinal microbiota (CM) or an intestinal microbiota with a restricted microbial composition (RM) were irradiated with a total dose of 1 Gy delivered by high-energy protons (2.5 GeV/n, LET = 0.2-2 keV/μm) or silicon or iron ions (850 MeV/n, LET ≈ 50 keV/μm and 1 GeV/n, LET = 150 keV/μm, respectively). Six hours after whole-body irradiation, acute chromosomal DNA lesions were observed for RM mice but not CM mice. High-throughput rRNA gene sequencing of intestinal mucosal bacteria showed that Barnesiella intestinihominis and unclassified Bacterodiales were significantly more abundant in male RM mice than CM mice, and phylotype densities changed in irradiated mice. In addition, Helicobacter hepaticus and Bacteroides stercoris were higher in CM than RM mice. Elevated levels of persistently phosphorylated γ-H2AX were observed in RM mice exposed to high-energy protons compared to nonirradiated RM mice, and they also were associated with a decrease of the antioxidant glutathione in peripheral blood measured at four weeks after irradiation. After radiation exposure, CM mice showed lower levels of γ-H2AX phosphorylation than RM mice and an increase in specific RM-associated phylotypes, indicating a down-regulating force on DNA repair by differentially abundant phylotypes in RM versus a radiation-sensitive complex CM.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rice, R. F.
1976-01-01
The root-mean-square error performance measure is used to compare the relative performance of several widely known source coding algorithms with the RM2 image data compression system. The results demonstrate that RM2 has a uniformly significant performance advantage.
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Kanjanarach, Tipaporn; Jaisa-Ard, Raksaworn; Poonaovarat, Nantawan
2014-01-01
Health personnel at sub-district health promotion hospitals (SD-HPHs) are assigned to take responsibility for 15 activities related to health product risk management and surveillance (HP-RM&S). This cross-sectional survey aimed to identify factors that determined their job performance and to record their expressed needs to support HP-RM&S operation. In this study, job performance was defined as completion of all 15 activities. Self-administered postal questionnaires were used to collect data from 380 randomly selected health personnel who were in charge of HP-RM&S at SD-HPHs in the northeast of Thailand. Thirty-six point one percent (n=137) of the respondents were able to perform all 15 of the HP-RM&S activities assigned to SD-HPHs. A logistic regression model identified three factors that statistically significantly determined the completion of all 15 HP-RM&S activities. These were: receiving a high or very high level of support from the community (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5, 4.1), the responsible persons for HP-RM&S did not hold an administrative position (adjusted OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.7), and having at least one training session related to HP-RM&S per year (adjusted OR: 1.7; 95% CI 1.1, 2.6). There were 1,536 expressed needs which can be classified into four major categories, ie, training needs (41.6%, n=639), resource support (28.3%, n=435), mechanisms that facilitate HP-RM&S operation (24.1%, n=370) and adjusting of the scope of HP-RM&S (6.0%, n=92). The topics most frequently referred to in training needs were drug law, food law, and cosmetics law. A strategy for improvement of the job performance in HP-RM&S of health personnel in SD-HPHs should target identifying schemes to encourage the community to proactively participate in HP-RM&S. The district health office as the organization directly controlling and supervising SD-HPHs should also regularly update knowledge base and skills necessary for HP-RM&S operation through training of the responsible health personnel.
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Cosmology constraints from shear peak statistics in Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data
Kacprzak, T.; Kirk, D.; Friedrich, O.; ...
2016-08-19
Shear peak statistics has gained a lot of attention recently as a practical alternative to the two point statistics for constraining cosmological parameters. We perform a shear peak statistics analysis of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (SV) data, using weak gravitational lensing measurements from a 139 degmore » $^2$ field. We measure the abundance of peaks identified in aperture mass maps, as a function of their signal-to-noise ratio, in the signal-to-noise range $$0<\\mathcal S / \\mathcal N<4$$. To predict the peak counts as a function of cosmological parameters we use a suite of $N$-body simulations spanning 158 models with varying $$\\Omega_{\\rm m}$$ and $$\\sigma_8$$, fixing $w = -1$, $$\\Omega_{\\rm b} = 0.04$$, $h = 0.7$ and $$n_s=1$$, to which we have applied the DES SV mask and redshift distribution. In our fiducial analysis we measure $$\\sigma_{8}(\\Omega_{\\rm m}/0.3)^{0.6}=0.77 \\pm 0.07$$, after marginalising over the shear multiplicative bias and the error on the mean redshift of the galaxy sample. We introduce models of intrinsic alignments, blending, and source contamination by cluster members. These models indicate that peaks with $$\\mathcal S / \\mathcal N>4$$ would require significant corrections, which is why we do not include them in our analysis. We compare our results to the cosmological constraints from the two point analysis on the SV field and find them to be in good agreement in both the central value and its uncertainty. As a result, we discuss prospects for future peak statistics analysis with upcoming DES data.« less
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Varghese, Bino; Hwang, Darryl; Mohamed, Passant; Cen, Steven; Deng, Christopher; Chang, Michael; Duddalwar, Vinay
2017-11-01
Purpose: To evaluate potential use of wavelets analysis in discriminating benign and malignant renal masses (RM) Materials and Methods: Regions of interest of the whole lesion were manually segmented and co-registered from multiphase CT acquisitions of 144 patients (98 malignant RM: renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and 46 benign RM: oncocytoma, lipid-poor angiomyolipoma). Here, the Haar wavelet was used to analyze the grayscale images of the largest segmented tumor in the axial direction. Six metrics (energy, entropy, homogeneity, contrast, standard deviation (SD) and variance) derived from 3-levels of image decomposition in 3 directions (horizontal, vertical and diagonal) respectively, were used to quantify tumor texture. Independent t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test depending on data normality were used as exploratory univariate analysis. Stepwise logistic regression and receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve analysis were used to select predictors and assess prediction accuracy, respectively. Results: Consistently, 5 out of 6 wavelet-based texture measures (except homogeneity) were higher for malignant tumors compared to benign, when accounting for individual texture direction. Homogeneity was consistently lower in malignant than benign tumors irrespective of direction. SD and variance measured in the diagonal direction on the corticomedullary phase showed significant (p<0.05) difference between benign versus malignant tumors. The multivariate model with variance (3 directions) and SD (vertical direction) extracted from the excretory and pre-contrast phase, respectively showed an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.78 (p < 0.05) in discriminating malignant from benign. Conclusion: Wavelet analysis is a valuable texture evaluation tool to add to a radiomics platforms geared at reliably characterizing and stratifying renal masses.
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Genetics Home Reference: mycosis fungoides
... Cigudosa JC, Barranco C, Serrano S, Dummer R, Tensen CP, Solé F, Pujol RM, Espinet B. Oligonucleotide array- ... K, Knijnenburg J, Boer JM, Willemze R, Tensen CP. Oncogenomic analysis of mycosis fungoides reveals major differences ...
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Effect of Fatigue Upon Performance and Electromyographic Activity in 6-RM Bench Press
van den Tillaar, Roland; Saeterbakken, Atle
2014-01-01
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of fatigue during one set of 6-RM bench pressing upon the muscle patterning and performance. Fourteen resistance-trained males (age 22.5±2.0 years, stature 1.82±0.07 m, body mass 82.0±7.8 kg) conducted a 6-RM bench press protocol. Barbell kinematics and EMG activity of pectoralis major, deltoid anterior, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus abdominis, oblique external and erector spinae were measured in each repetition during the 6-RM bench press. Total lifting time increased and the velocity in the ascending movement decreased (p≤0.001). However, the kinematics in the descending phase deferred: the time decreased and velocity increased during the 6-RM (p≤0.001). Generally, muscles increased their EMG amplitude during the six repetitions in the ascending movement, while only three of the seven measured muscles showed an increase over the six repetitions in the descending part in 6-RM bench pressing. It was concluded that the bench pressing performance decreased (lower barbell velocities and longer lifting times) with increasing fatigue in the 6-RM execution. Furthermore EMG increased in the prime movers and the trunk stabilizers (abdominal and spine), while the antagonist muscle (biceps) activity was not affected by fatigue during the lifting phase in a single set of 6-RM bench pressing PMID:25031673
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Effect of Fatigue Upon Performance and Electromyographic Activity in 6-RM Bench Press.
van den Tillaar, Roland; Saeterbakken, Atle
2014-03-27
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of fatigue during one set of 6-RM bench pressing upon the muscle patterning and performance. Fourteen resistance-trained males (age 22.5±2.0 years, stature 1.82±0.07 m, body mass 82.0±7.8 kg) conducted a 6-RM bench press protocol. Barbell kinematics and EMG activity of pectoralis major, deltoid anterior, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus abdominis, oblique external and erector spinae were measured in each repetition during the 6-RM bench press. Total lifting time increased and the velocity in the ascending movement decreased (p≤0.001). However, the kinematics in the descending phase deferred: the time decreased and velocity increased during the 6-RM (p≤0.001). Generally, muscles increased their EMG amplitude during the six repetitions in the ascending movement, while only three of the seven measured muscles showed an increase over the six repetitions in the descending part in 6-RM bench pressing. It was concluded that the bench pressing performance decreased (lower barbell velocities and longer lifting times) with increasing fatigue in the 6-RM execution. Furthermore EMG increased in the prime movers and the trunk stabilizers (abdominal and spine), while the antagonist muscle (biceps) activity was not affected by fatigue during the lifting phase in a single set of 6-RM bench pressing.
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Signatures of Relativistic Helical Motion in the Rotation Measures of Active Galactic Nucleus Jets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Broderick, Avery E.; Loeb, Abraham
2009-10-01
Polarization has proven to be an invaluable tool for probing magnetic fields in relativistic jets. Maps of the intrinsic polarization vectors have provided the best evidence to date for uniform, toroidally dominated magnetic fields within jets. More recently, maps of the rotation measure (RM) in jets have for the first time probed the field geometry of the cool, moderately relativistic surrounding material. In most cases, clear signatures of the toroidal magnetic field are detected, corresponding to gradients in RM profiles transverse to the jet. However, in many objects, these profiles also display marked asymmetries that are difficult to explain in simple helical jet models. Furthermore, in some cases, the RM profiles are strongly frequency and/or time dependent. Here we show that these features may be naturally accounted for by including relativistic helical motion in the jet model. In particular, we are able to reproduce bent RM profiles observed in a variety of jets, frequency-dependent RM profile morphologies, and even the time dependence of the RM profiles of knots in 3C 273. Finally, we predict that some sources may show reversals in their RM profiles at sufficiently high frequencies, depending upon the ratio of the components of jet sheath velocity transverse and parallel to the jet. Thus, multi-frequency RM maps promise a novel way in which to probe the velocity structure of relativistic outflows.
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Establishing a proactive safety and health risk management system in the fire service.
Poplin, Gerald S; Pollack, Keshia M; Griffin, Stephanie; Day-Nash, Virginia; Peate, Wayne F; Nied, Ed; Gulotta, John; Burgess, Jefferey L
2015-04-19
Formalized risk management (RM) is an internationally accepted process for reducing hazards in the workplace, with defined steps including hazard scoping, risk assessment, and implementation of controls, all within an iterative process. While required for all industry in the European Union and widely used elsewhere, the United States maintains a compliance-based regulatory structure, rather than one based on systematic, risk-based methodologies. Firefighting is a hazardous profession, with high injury, illness, and fatality rates compared with other occupations, and implementation of RM programs has the potential to greatly improve firefighter safety and health; however, no descriptions of RM implementation are in the peer-reviewed literature for the North American fire service. In this paper we describe the steps used to design and implement the RM process in a moderately-sized fire department, with particular focus on prioritizing and managing injury hazards during patient transport, fireground, and physical exercise procedures. Hazard scoping and formalized risk assessments are described, in addition to the identification of participatory-led injury control strategies. Process evaluation methods were conducted to primarily assess the feasibility of voluntarily instituting the RM approach within the fire service setting. The RM process was well accepted by the fire department and led to development of 45 hazard specific-interventions. Qualitative data documenting the implementation of the RM process revealed that participants emphasized the: value of the RM process, especially the participatory bottom-up approach; usefulness of the RM process for breaking down tasks to identify potential risks; and potential of RM for reducing firefighter injury. As implemented, this risk-based approach used to identify and manage occupational hazards and risks was successful and is deemed feasible for U.S. (and other) fire services. While several barriers and challenges do exist in the implementation of any intervention such as this, recommendations for adopting the process are provided. Additional work will be performed to determine the effectiveness of select controls strategies that were implemented; however participants throughout the organizational structure perceived the RM process to be of high utility while researchers also found the process improved the awareness and engagement in actively enhancing worker safety and health.
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Evaluation of a novel GRPR antagonist for prostate cancer PET imaging: [64Cu]-DOTHA2-PEG-RM26.
Mansour, Nematallah; Paquette, Michel; Ait-Mohand, Samia; Dumulon-Perreault, Véronique; Guérin, Brigitte
2018-01-01
Gastrin releasing peptide receptors (GRPRs) are significantly over-expressed on a large proportion of prostate cancers making them prime candidates for receptor-mediated nuclear imaging by PET. Recently, we synthesized a novel bifunctional chelator (BFC) bearing hydroxamic acid arms (DOTHA 2 ). Here we investigated the potential of a novel DOTHA 2 -conjugated, 64 Cu-radiolabeled GRPR peptide antagonist, [D-Phe 6 -Sta 13 -Leu 14 -NH 2 ]bombesin(6-14) (DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26) to visualize prostate tumors by PET imaging. DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 was conveniently and efficiently assembled on solid support. The compound was radiolabeled with 64 Cu and its affinity, stability, cellular uptake on PC3 prostate cancer cells were evaluated. The in vitro and in vivo behavior of [ 64 Cu]DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 was examined by PET imaging using human PC3 prostate cancer xenografts and its behavior was compared to that of the analogous [ 64 Cu]NOTA-PEG-RM26. The inhibition constant of nat Cu-DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 was in the low nanomolar range (0.68±0.19 nM). The [ 64 Cu]DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 conjugate was prepared with a labeling yield >95% and molar activity of 56±3 GBq/μmol after a 5-min room temperature labeling. [ 64 Cu]-DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 demonstrated rapid blood and renal clearance as well as a high tumor uptake. Small animal PET images confirmed high and specific uptake in PC3 tumor. Both [ 64 Cu]-DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 and [ 64 Cu]-NOTA-PEG-RM26 displayed similar tumor and normal tissue uptakes at early time point post injection. [ 64 Cu]-DOTHA 2 -PEG-RM26 allows visualization of prostate tumors by PET imaging. DOTHA 2 enables fast 64 Cu chelation under mild condition, and as such could be used advantageously for the development of other 64 Cu-labeled peptide-derived PET tracers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Banik, Nilanjan; Tan, Jonathan C.; Monaco, Pierluigi
We calculate the cosmic distributions in space and time of the formation sites of the first, "Pop III.1" stars, exploring a model in which these are the progenitors of all supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Pop III.1 stars are defined to form from primordial composition gas in dark matter minihalos withmore » $$\\sim10^6\\:M_\\odot$$ that are isolated from neighboring astrophysical sources by a given isolation distance, $$d_{\\rm{iso}}$$. We assume Pop III.1 sources are seeds of SMBHs, based on protostellar support by dark matter annihilation heating that allows them to accrete a large fraction of their minihalo gas, i.e., $$\\sim 10^5\\:M_\\odot$$. Exploring $$d_{\\rm{iso}}$$ from 10--$$100\\:\\rm{kpc}$$ (proper distances), we predict the redshift evolution of Pop III.1 source and SMBH remnant number densities. The local, $z=0$ density of SMBHs constrains $$d_{\\rm{iso}}\\lesssim 100\\:\\rm{kpc}$$ (i.e., $$3\\:\\rm{Mpc}$$ comoving distance at $$z\\simeq30$$). In our simulated ($$\\sim60\\:\\rm{Mpc}$$)$^3$ comoving volume, Pop III.1 stars start forming just after $z=40$. Their formation is largely complete by $$z\\simeq25$$ to 20 for $$d_{\\rm{iso}}=100$$ to $$50\\:\\rm{kpc}$$. We follow source evolution to $z=10$, by which point most SMBHs reside in halos with $$\\gtrsim10^8\\:M_\\odot$$. Over this period, there is relatively limited merging of SMBHs for these values of $$d_{\\rm{iso}}$$. We also predict SMBH clustering properties at $z=10$$: feedback suppression of neighboring sources leads to relatively flat angular correlation functions. Finally, we consider a simple "Str\\"omgren" model for $$d_{\\rm iso}$, based on ionizing feedback from zero age main sequence supermassive Pop III.1 stars that may be the direct progenitors of SMBHs in this scenario. Such models naturally produce feedback effects on scales of $$\\sim100\\:$$kpc and thus self-consistently generate a SMBH number density similar to the observed value.« less
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THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY REVERBERATION MAPPING PROJECT: TECHNICAL OVERVIEW
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Shen, Yue; Brandt, W. N.; Dawson, Kyle S.
2015-01-01
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping (SDSS-RM) project is a dedicated multi-object RM experiment that has spectroscopically monitored a sample of 849 broad-line quasars in a single 7 deg{sup 2} field with the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey spectrograph. The RM quasar sample is flux-limited to i {sub psf} = 21.7 mag, and covers a redshift range of 0.1 < z < 4.5 without any other cuts on quasar properties. Optical spectroscopy was performed during 2014 January-July dark/gray time, with an average cadence of ∼4 days, totaling more than 30 epochs. Supporting photometric monitoring in the g and i bandsmore » was conducted at multiple facilities including the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and the Steward Observatory Bok telescope in 2014, with a cadence of ∼2 days and covering all lunar phases. The RM field (R.A., decl. = 14:14:49.00, +53:05:00.0) lies within the CFHT-LS W3 field, and coincides with the Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) Medium Deep Field MD07, with three prior years of multi-band PS1 light curves. The SDSS-RM six month baseline program aims to detect time lags between the quasar continuum and broad line region (BLR) variability on timescales of up to several months (in the observed frame) for ∼10% of the sample, and to anchor the time baseline for continued monitoring in the future to detect lags on longer timescales and at higher redshift. SDSS-RM is the first major program to systematically explore the potential of RM for broad-line quasars at z > 0.3, and will investigate the prospects of RM with all major broad lines covered in optical spectroscopy. SDSS-RM will provide guidance on future multi-object RM campaigns on larger scales, and is aiming to deliver more than tens of BLR lag detections for a homogeneous sample of quasars. We describe the motivation, design, and implementation of this program, and outline the science impact expected from the resulting data for RM and general quasar science.« less
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RELIABILITY OF THE ONE REPETITION-MAXIMUM POWER CLEAN TEST IN ADOLESCENT ATHLETES
Faigenbaum, Avery D.; McFarland, James E.; Herman, Robert; Naclerio, Fernando; Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Kang, Jie; Myer, Gregory D.
2013-01-01
Although the power clean test is routinely used to assess strength and power performance in adult athletes, the reliability of this measure in younger populations has not been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of the one repetition maximum (1 RM) power clean in adolescent athletes. Thirty-six male athletes (age 15.9 ± 1.1 yrs, body mass 79.1 ± 20.3 kg, height 175.1 ±7.4 cm) who had more than 1 year of training experience with weightlifting exercises performed a 1 RM power clean on two nonconsecutive days in the afternoon following standardized procedures. All test procedures were supervised by a senior level weightlifting coach and consisted of a systematic progression in test load until the maximum resistance that could be lifted for one repetition using proper exercise technique was determined. Data were analyzed using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC [2,k]), Pearson correlation coefficient (r), repeated measures ANOVA, Bland-Altman plot, and typical error analyses. Analysis of the data revealed that the test measures were highly reliable demonstrating a test-retest ICC of 0.98 (95% CI = 0.96–0.99). Testing also demonstrated a strong relationship between 1 RM measures on trial 1 and trial 2 (r=0.98, p<0.0001) with no significant difference in power clean performance between trials (70.6 ± 19.8 vs. 69.8 ± 19.8 kg). Bland Altman plots confirmed no systematic shift in 1 RM between trial 1 and trial 2. The typical error to be expected between 1 RM power clean trials is 2.9 kg and a change of at least 8.0 kg is indicated to determine a real change in lifting performance between tests in young lifters. No injuries occurred during the study period and the testing protocol was well-tolerated by all subjects. These findings indicate that 1 RM power clean testing has a high degree of reproducibility in trained male adolescent athletes when standardized testing procedures are followed and qualified instruction is present. PMID:22233786
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Soulières, Denis; Klughammer, Barbara
2015-01-01
Abstract EGFR mutation testing is now well established as a means of selecting the optimal first‐line therapy for patients with advanced non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, deciding on the correct treatment for EGFR wild‐type NSCLC remains a challenge. EGFR fluorescence in‐situ hybridization (FISH) testing of gene copy number has been a promising marker, but has provided mixed results despite attempts to standardize the reading and scoring process. The novel ReadMax reading and scoring system focuses on the most aberrant cells, to identify oncogene addiction, rather than taking a representative reading as in the Colorado method. The methodology was developed using historical samples from the TRUST and MERIT studies, followed by re‐reading of the samples from the SATURN trial. Analysis of samples using the ReadMax methodology revealed that progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were improved in patients with ReadMax FISH‐positive (RM FISH+) tumours, compared with those whose tumours were not RM FISH+: PFS hazard ratios (HRs) were 0.52 for RM FISH+ versus 0.93 for not RM FISH+; OS HRs were 0.69 and 0.92, respectively. For PFS, HR for RM FISH+ versus not RM FISH+ in the SATURN erlotinib group was 0.53 (p = 0.003). The PFS and OS results were also similar in the EGFR wild‐type population (PFS HRs were 0.63 and 0.96; OS HRs were 0.61 and 0.84, respectively), although amplification of the EGFR gene in patients with EGFR wild‐type disease was not found to be predictive of treatment outcomes, which was unexpected but not unprecedented. KRAS status was not found to affect outcomes. Further experience is required to refine the ReadMax methodology and fully establish its validity and robustness. In conclusion, the ReadMax scoring system to identify patients with EGFR FISH‐positive NSCLC is a promising technique, which could improve treatment options and outcomes for patients with advanced NSCLC, in particular for EGFR wild‐type tumours. PMID:27499899
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Evaluating Upper-Body Strength and Power From a Single Test: The Ballistic Push-up.
Wang, Ran; Hoffman, Jay R; Sadres, Eliahu; Bartolomei, Sandro; Muddle, Tyler W D; Fukuda, David H; Stout, Jeffrey R
2017-05-01
Wang, R, Hoffman, JR, Sadres, E, Bartolomei, S, Muddle, TWD, Fukuda, DH, and Stout, JR. Evaluating upper-body strength and power from a single test: the ballistic push-up. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1338-1345, 2017-The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the ballistic push-up (BPU) exercise and to develop a prediction model for both maximal strength (1 repetition maximum [1RM]) in the bench press exercise and upper-body power. Sixty recreationally active men completed a 1RM bench press and 2 BPU assessments in 3 separate testing sessions. Peak and mean force, peak and mean rate of force development, net impulse, peak velocity, flight time, and peak and mean power were determined. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to examine the reliability of the BPU. Stepwise linear regression was used to develop 1RM bench press and power prediction equations. Intraclass correlation coefficient's ranged from 0.849 to 0.971 for the BPU measurements. Multiple regression analysis provided the following 1RM bench press prediction equation: 1RM = 0.31 × Mean Force - 1.64 × Body Mass + 0.70 (R = 0.837, standard error of the estimate [SEE] = 11 kg); time-based power prediction equation: Peak Power = 11.0 × Body Mass + 2012.3 × Flight Time - 338.0 (R = 0.658, SEE = 150 W), Mean Power = 6.7 × Body Mass + 1004.4 × Flight Time - 224.6 (R = 0.664, SEE = 82 W); and velocity-based power prediction equation: Peak Power = 8.1 × Body Mass + 818.6 × Peak Velocity - 762.0 (R = 0.797, SEE = 115 W); Mean Power = 5.2 × Body Mass + 435.9 × Peak Velocity - 467.7 (R = 0.838, SEE = 57 W). The BPU is a reliable test for both upper-body strength and power. Results indicate that the mean force generated from the BPU can be used to predict 1RM bench press, whereas peak velocity and flight time measured during the BPU can be used to predict upper-body power. These findings support the potential use of the BPU as a valid method to evaluate upper-body strength and power.
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Bosquet, Laurent; Porta-Benache, Jeremy; Blais, Jérôme
2010-01-01
The aim of this study was to assess the validity and accuracy of a commercial linear encoder (Musclelab, Ergotest, Norway) to estimate Bench press 1 repetition maximum (1RM) from the force - velocity relationship. Twenty seven physical education students and teachers (5 women and 22 men) with a heterogeneous history of strength training participated in this study. They performed a 1 RM test and a force - velocity test using a Bench press lifting task in a random order. Mean 1 RM was 61.8 ± 15.3 kg (range: 34 to 100 kg), while 1 RM estimated by the Musclelab's software from the force-velocity relationship was 56.4 ± 14.0 kg (range: 33 to 91 kg). Actual and estimated 1 RM were very highly correlated (r = 0.93, p<0.001) but largely different (Bias: 5.4 ± 5.7 kg, p < 0.001, ES = 1.37). The 95% limits of agreement were ±11.2 kg, which represented ±18% of actual 1 RM. It was concluded that 1 RM estimated from the force-velocity relationship was a good measure for monitoring training induced adaptations, but also that it was not accurate enough to prescribe training intensities. Additional studies are required to determine whether accuracy is affected by age, sex or initial level. Key pointsSome commercial devices allow to estimate 1 RM from the force-velocity relationship.These estimations are valid. However, their accuracy is not high enough to be of practical help for training intensity prescription.Day-to-day reliability of force and velocity measured by the linear encoder has been shown to be very high, but the specific reliability of 1 RM estimated from the force-velocity relationship has to be determined before concluding to the usefulness of this approach in the monitoring of training induced adaptations.
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Bosquet, Laurent; Porta-Benache, Jeremy; Blais, Jérôme
2010-01-01
The aim of this study was to assess the validity and accuracy of a commercial linear encoder (Musclelab, Ergotest, Norway) to estimate Bench press 1 repetition maximum (1RM) from the force - velocity relationship. Twenty seven physical education students and teachers (5 women and 22 men) with a heterogeneous history of strength training participated in this study. They performed a 1 RM test and a force - velocity test using a Bench press lifting task in a random order. Mean 1 RM was 61.8 ± 15.3 kg (range: 34 to 100 kg), while 1 RM estimated by the Musclelab’s software from the force-velocity relationship was 56.4 ± 14.0 kg (range: 33 to 91 kg). Actual and estimated 1 RM were very highly correlated (r = 0.93, p<0.001) but largely different (Bias: 5.4 ± 5.7 kg, p < 0.001, ES = 1.37). The 95% limits of agreement were ±11.2 kg, which represented ±18% of actual 1 RM. It was concluded that 1 RM estimated from the force-velocity relationship was a good measure for monitoring training induced adaptations, but also that it was not accurate enough to prescribe training intensities. Additional studies are required to determine whether accuracy is affected by age, sex or initial level. Key points Some commercial devices allow to estimate 1 RM from the force-velocity relationship. These estimations are valid. However, their accuracy is not high enough to be of practical help for training intensity prescription. Day-to-day reliability of force and velocity measured by the linear encoder has been shown to be very high, but the specific reliability of 1 RM estimated from the force-velocity relationship has to be determined before concluding to the usefulness of this approach in the monitoring of training induced adaptations. PMID:24149641
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Tao, Li-Ming; Yang, Jian-Zhong; Zhuang, Pei-Jun; Tang, Zhen-Hua
2006-01-01
A malathion-resistant (RM) strain of Culex pipiens pallens Coq was obtained by successively selecting a field population with malathion in the laboratory. The synergistic effect of iprobenfos on malathion toxicity and alpha-naphthyl acetate (alpha-NA) esterase assay revealed that malathion resistance in the RM strain was associated with increased alpha-NA esterase activity and the synergism was mainly due to the inhibition by iprobenfos of this activity. There was no difference in alpha-NA esterase activity between the larvae and female adults in the susceptible (S) strain, but the activity in the adults was 13-fold higher than in the larvae of the RM strain. To understand the effect of the application of a mixture of iprobenfos and malathion on the evolution of malathion resistance, an artificial strain (Syn) was generated by mixing the RM and S strains with 0.1 frequency of the malathion-resistant individuals. The offspring of the Syn strain were divided into two sub-strains, Rm and Rm+ibp, which were successively treated with, respectively, malathion alone and malathion + iprobenfos (1:2) at LC70. In the mixture, the fungicide iprobenfos acted as a synergist of malathion. After treatment for 10 generations, the resistance level to malathion was 317.4-fold for the Rm sub-strain, whereas for the Rm+ibp sub-strain it was only 38.9-fold, compared with the Syn strain. Similar results were obtained by measurement of alpha-NA esterase activity from both larvae and female adults. The alpha-NA esterase activities in larvae and female adults at F10 generation were 2.6- and 10.9-fold from the Rm+ibp sub-strain and 5.7- and 98.5-fold from the Rm sub-strain, respectively, compared with the Syn strain. The above results suggested that iprobenfos, although it cannot completely stop or prevent the onset of malathion resistance, could dramatically delay its evolution. Copyright 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Restoration of red mud deposits by naturally growing vegetation.
Mishra, Tripti; Singh, N B; Singh, Nandita
2017-05-04
Disposal of red mud (RM) poses serious environmental problems such as wind erosion, air and water pollution. To overcome these problems, effective restoration of the disposal land through naturally growing vegetation is a sustainable and economical approach. The present study involved estimation of frequency (F), density (D), abundance (Ab), and important value index (IVI) of natural flora on abandoned RM sites in order to assess their metal toxicity tolerance capacity. Based on visual observations and highest IVI, S. Asper and S. punicea were identified as effective ecological tools for the restoration of barren RM sites. From the study, remarkable differences were observed between non-rhizospheric and rhizospheric RM of both species. These rhizospheric RM analyses confirm the ability of S. asper and S. punicea for enhancing the biological activities of abandoned RM. Translocation factor (TF) of iron was maximum (2.58) in S. asper, and bioconcentration factor (BCF) was found maximum (1.25) in S. punicea, but both TF (2.58) and BCF (1.35) were high in S. asper. Therefore, this plant could be reported as an iron hyperaccumulator plant. These results suggest that these plant species can be exploited for effective restoration of RM deposited land without any inputs or maintenance.
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Ding, Hui; Lv, Yanlin; Ni, Dezhi; Wang, Jie; Tian, Zhiyuan; Wei, Wei; Ma, Guanghui
2015-06-07
A new type of photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with incorporated photosensitizers as the inner core and an erythrocyte membrane (RM) decorated with dual targeting moieties as the cloak is developed. Owing to the endogenous nature of RM, the RM-coating endows the PDT agents with perfect biocompatibility and stealth ability to escape from the entrapment by the reticulo-endothelial system (RES). More importantly, owing to the unique nature of erythrocyte as an oxygen carrier in the blood, the RM outer layer of the agents unequivocally facilitates the permeation of ground-state molecular oxygen ((3)O2) and the singlet oxygen ((1)O2) as compared to the previously developed PDT agents with other types of coating. Another salient feature of the as-prepared PDT platform is the decoration of RM with dual targeting moieties for selective recognition of cancer cells and mitochondrial targeting, respectively. The synergistic effect of RM coating and dual-targeting of such feature-packed agents are investigated in tumor-bearing mice and the improved PDT therapeutic efficacy is confirmed, which is the first paradigm where RM-coated NIR-triggered nanovectors with programmed delivery ability is applied in PDT of tumor in vivo.
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Perry, Nicholas S; Baucom, Katherine J W; Bourne, Stacia; Butner, Jonathan; Crenshaw, Alexander O; Hogan, Jasara N; Imel, Zac E; Wiltshire, Travis J; Baucom, Brian R W
2017-08-01
Researchers commonly use repeated-measures actor-partner interdependence models (RM-APIM) to understand how romantic partners change in relation to one another over time. However, traditional interpretations of the results of these models do not fully or correctly capture the dyadic temporal patterns estimated in RM-APIM. Interpretation of results from these models largely focuses on the meaning of single-parameter estimates in isolation from all the others. However, considering individual coefficients separately impedes the understanding of how these associations combine to produce an interdependent pattern that emerges over time. Additionally, positive within-person, or actor, effects are commonly misinterpreted as indicating growth from one time point to the next when they actually represent decline. We suggest that change-as-outcome RM-APIMs and vector field diagrams (VFDs) can be used to improve the understanding and presentation of dyadic patterns of association described by standard RM-APIMs. The current article briefly reviews the conceptual foundations of RM-APIMs, demonstrates how change-as-outcome RM-APIMs and VFDs can aid interpretation of standard RM-APIMs, and provides a tutorial in making VFDs using multilevel modeling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
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Keong, B P; Harikrishna, J A
2012-02-01
A preliminary screening was conducted on BC3F1 and BC4F1 backcross families developed from crossing Oryza sativa (MR219) and O. rufipogon (IRGC105491). Despite earlier results showing that O. rufipogon alleles (wild introgression) contributed to both number of panicles (qPPL-2) and tillers (qTPL-2) at loci RM250, RM208, and RM48 in line A20 of the BC2F2 population, we observed that wild introgression was lost at loci RM250 and RM208 but retained at locus RM48 in BC3F1 and BC4F1. Progeny tests conducted utilizing genotype and phenotype data on both BC4F1 and a reference population, BC2F7 (A20 line), did not show significant differences between groups having the MR219 allele and wild introgression at locus RM48. This suggests that there is no additive and transgressive effect of wild introgression in the BC3F1 and BC4F1 generated. The presence of wild introgression was largely due to gene contamination by cross-pollination during field breeding practices.
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Yersinia ruckeri sp. nov., the redmouth (RM) bacterium
Ewing, W.H.; Ross, A.J.; Brenner, Don J.; Fanning, G. R.
1978-01-01
Cultures of the redmouth (RM) bacterium, one of the etiological agents of redmouth disease in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and certain other fishes, were characterized by means of their biochemical reactions, by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization, and by determination of guanine-plus-cytosine (G+C) ratios in DNA. The DNA relatedness studies confirmed the fact that the RM bacteria are members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and that they comprise a single species that is not closely related to any other species of Enterobacteriaceae. They are about 30% related to species of both Serratia and Yersinia. A comparison of the biochemical reactions of RM bacteria and serratiae indicated that there are many differences between these organisms and that biochemically the RM bacteria are most closely related to yersiniae. The G+C ratios of RM bacteria were approximated to be between 47.5 and 48.5% These values are similar to those of yersiniae but markedly different from those of serratiae. On the basis of their biochemical reactions and their G+C ratios, the RM bacteria are considered to be a new species of Yersinia, for which the name Yersinia ruckeri is proposed. Strain 2396-61 (= ATCC 29473) is designated the type strain of the species.
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Reliability of Strength Testing using the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device and Free Weights
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
English, Kirk L.; Loehr, James A.; Laughlin, Mitzi A.; Lee, Stuart M. C.; Hagan, R. Donald
2008-01-01
The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) was developed for use on the International Space Station as a countermeasure against muscle atrophy and decreased strength. This investigation examined the reliability of one-repetition maximum (1RM) strength testing using ARED and traditional free weight (FW) exercise. Methods: Six males (180.8 +/- 4.3 cm, 83.6 +/- 6.4 kg, 36 +/- 8 y, mean +/- SD) who had not engaged in resistive exercise for at least six months volunteered to participate in this project. Subjects completed four 1RM testing sessions each for FW and ARED (eight total sessions) using a balanced, randomized, crossover design. All testing using one device was completed before progressing to the other. During each session, 1RM was measured for the squat, heel raise, and deadlift exercises. Generalizability (G) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for each exercise on each device and were used to predict the number of sessions needed to obtain a reliable 1RM measurement (G . 0.90). Interclass reliability coefficients and Pearson's correlation coefficients (R) also were calculated for the highest 1RM value (1RM9sub peak)) obtained for each exercise on each device to quantify 1RM relationships between devices.
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A Software Tool for the Rapid Analysis of the Sintering Behavior of Particulate Bodies
2017-11-01
bounded by a region that the user selects via cross hairs . Future plot analysis features, such as more complicated curve fitting and modeling functions...German RM. Grain growth behavior of tungsten heavy alloys based on the master sintering curve concept. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Andersen, K. E.
1981-01-01
Unprocessed MSS data which is recorded on HDT-RM (a 28 track, high density tape) and on HDT-GM (a 14 track, nonbias recorded, high density tape) are inputs for the LANDSAT 4 data management system. All MSS data initially recorded on HDT-GM are copied to HDT-RM prior to processing. This specification establishes the requirements for the format of the LANDSAT D HDT-RM/HDT-GM.
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Crystal structure and characterization of a novel L-serine ammonia-lyase from Rhizomucor miehei
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Qin, Zhen; Yan, Qiaojuan; Ma, Qingjun
L-serine ammonia-lyase, as a member of the β-family of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes, catalyzes the conversion of L-serine (L-threonine) to pyruvate (α-ketobutyrate) and ammonia. The crystal structure of L-serine ammonia-lyase from Rhizomucor miehei (RmSDH) was solved at 1.76 Å resolution by X-ray diffraction method. The overall structure of RmSDH had the characteristic β-family PLP dependent enzyme fold. It consisted of two distinct domains, both of which show the typical open twisted α/β structure. A PLP cofactor was located in the crevice between the two domains, which was attached to Lys52 by a Schiff-base linkage. Unique residue substitutions (Gly78, Pro79, Ser146, Ser147more » and Thr312) were discovered at the catalytic site of RmSDH by comparison of structures of RmSDH and other reported eukaryotic L-serine ammonia-lyases. Optimal pH and temperature of the purified RmSDH were 7.5 and 40 °C, respectively. It was stable in the pH range of 7.0–9.0 and at temperatures below 40 °C. This is the first crystal structure of a fungal L-serine ammonia-lyase. It will be useful to study the catalytic mechanism of β-elimination enzymes and will provide a basis for further enzyme engineering. - Highlights: • The crystal structure of a fungal L-serine ammonia-lyase (RmSDH) was solved. • Five unique residue substitutions are found at the catalytic site of RmSDH. • RmSDH was expressed in Pichia. pastoris and biochemically characterized. • RmSDH has potential application in splitting D/L-serine.« less
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Gronke, W.K.; Chipps, S.R.; Bandas, S.J.; Higgins, K.F.
2006-01-01
In western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii), males often exhibit one of two morphs: (1) a reticulated form, characterized by an intricate network of dark markings on the carapace or (2) a non-reticulated form. Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the adaptive significance of reticulate melanism (RM) on western painted turtles, no attempts have been made to document whether RM is linked to habitat conditions or if the presence of melanism affects heating rates. To evaluate these questions, we compared the frequency of adult male turtles with RM across three different habitats: riverine (rivers), lacustrine (lakes) and palustrine (wetland) habitats. Using manipulative experiments, we also tested the hypothesis that body heating rates are higher in turtles with RM. Reticulate melanism occurred on 99 (31%) of 320 male turtles captured in South Dakota from 2002 to 2003. Turtles with reticulate melanism were significantly larger than non-reticulated turtles; RM was not observed on male turtles with carapace lengths 15 cm carapace length) with RM was similar among river (0.54), lake (0.50) and wetland (0.64) habitats, implying that RM is not a habitat-linked trait. Heating rates for turtles with RM were similar to those measured for non-reticulated individuals. Body size, however, influenced heating rates; larger-bodied turtles with lower surface area-to-volume ratio heated more slowly than smaller turtles. Whether RM is a by-product of hormonal regulation or serves an adaptive purpose remains unclear. However, other hypotheses, especially those involving communication (e.g., courtship behavior) and/or gamete protection remain untested for western painted turtles and warrant further investigation.
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Relationships between Mechanical Variables in the Traditional and Close-Grip Bench Press.
Lockie, Robert G; Callaghan, Samuel J; Moreno, Matthew R; Risso, Fabrice G; Liu, Tricia M; Stage, Alyssa A; Birmingham-Babauta, Samantha A; Stokes, John J; Giuliano, Dominic V; Lazar, Adrina; Davis, DeShaun L; Orjalo, Ashley J
2017-12-01
The study aim was to determine relationships between mechanical variables in the one-repetition maximum (1RM) traditional bench press (TBP) and close-grip bench press (CGBP). Twenty resistance-trained men completed a TBP and CGBP 1RM. The TBP was performed with the preferred grip; the CGBP with a grip width of 95% biacromial distance. A linear position transducer measured: lift distance and duration; work; and peak and mean power, velocity, and force. Paired samples t-tests (p < 0.05) compared the 1RM and mechanical variables for the TBP and CGBP; effect sizes (d) were also calculated. Pearson's correlations (r; p < 0.05) computed relationships between the TBP and CGBP. 1RM, lift duration, and mean force were greater in the TBP (d = 0.30-3.20). Peak power and velocity was greater for the CGBP (d = 0.50-1.29). The 1RM TBP correlated with CGBP 1RM, power, and force (r = 0.685-0.982). TBP work correlated with CGBP 1RM, lift distance, power, force, and work (r = 0.542-0.931). TBP power correlated with CGBP 1RM, power, force, velocity, and work (r = 0.484-0.704). TBP peak and mean force related to CGBP 1RM, power, and force (r = 0.596-0.980). Due to relationships between the load, work, power, and force for the TBP and CGBP, the CGBP could provide similar strength adaptations to the TBP with long-term use. The velocity profile for the CGBP was different to that of the TBP. The CGBP could be used specifically to improve high-velocity, upper-body pushing movements.
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Effect of processed and red meat on endogenous nitrosation and DNA damage.
Joosen, Annemiek M C P; Kuhnle, Gunter G C; Aspinall, Sue M; Barrow, Timothy M; Lecommandeur, Emmanuelle; Azqueta, Amaya; Collins, Andrew R; Bingham, Sheila A
2009-08-01
Haem in red meat (RM) stimulates the endogenous production of mutagenic nitroso compounds (NOC). Processed (nitrite-preserved red) meat additionally contains high concentrations of preformed NOC. In two studies, of a fresh RM versus a vegetarian (VEG) diet (six males and six females) and of a nitrite-preserved red meat (PM) versus a VEG diet (5 males and 11 females), we investigated whether processing of meat might increase colorectal cancer risk by stimulating nitrosation and DNA damage. Meat diets contained 420 g (males) or 366 g (females) meat/per day. Faecal homogenates from day 10 onwards were analysed for haem and NOC and associated supernatants for genotoxicity. Means are adjusted for differences in male to female ratios between studies. Faecal NOC concentrations on VEG diets were low (2.6 and 3.5 mmol/g) but significantly higher on meat diets (PM 175 +/- 19 nmol/g versus RM 185 +/- 22 nmol/g; P = 0.75). The RM diet resulted in a larger proportion of nitrosyl iron (RM 78% versus PM 54%; P < 0.0001) and less nitrosothiols (RM 12% versus PM 19%; P < 0.01) and other NOC (RM 10% versus PM 27%; P < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in DNA breaks induced by faecal water (FW) following PM and RM diets (P = 0.80). However, PM resulted in higher levels of oxidized pyrimidines (P < 0.05). Surprisingly, VEG diets resulted in significantly more FW-induced DNA strand breaks than the meat diets (P < 0.05), which needs to be clarified in further studies. Meats cured with nitrite have the same effect as fresh RM on endogenous nitrosation but show increased FW-induced oxidative DNA damage.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Leone, Angelique; Nie, Alex; Brandon Parker, J.
Previously we reported a gene expression signature in rat liver for detecting a specific type of oxidative stress (OS) related to reactive metabolites (RM). High doses of the drugs disulfiram, ethinyl estradiol and nimesulide were used with another dozen paradigm OS/RM compounds, and three other drugs flutamide, phenacetin and sulindac were identified by this signature. In a second study, antiepileptic drugs were compared for covalent binding and their effects on OS/RM; felbamate, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital produced robust OS/RM gene expression. In the present study, liver RNA samples from drug-treated rats from more recent experiments were examined for statistical fit tomore » the OS/RM signature. Of all 97 drugs examined, in addition to the nine drugs noted above, 19 more were identified as OS/RM-producing compounds—chlorpromazine, clozapine, cyproterone acetate, dantrolene, dipyridamole, glibenclamide, isoniazid, ketoconazole, methapyrilene, naltrexone, nifedipine, sulfamethoxazole, tamoxifen, coumarin, ritonavir, amitriptyline, valproic acid, enalapril, and chloramphenicol. Importantly, all of the OS/RM drugs listed above have been linked to idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity, excepting chloramphenicol, which does not have a package label for hepatotoxicity, but does have a black box warning for idiosyncratic bone marrow suppression. Most of these drugs are not acutely toxic in the rat. The OS/RM signature should be useful to avoid idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of drug candidates. - Highlights: • 28 of 97 drugs gave a positive OS/RM gene expression signature in rat liver. • The specificity of the signature for human idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants was 98%. • The sensitivity of the signature for human idiosyncratic hepatotoxicants was 75%. • The signature can help eliminate hepatotoxicants from drug development.« less
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Relationships between Mechanical Variables in the Traditional and Close-Grip Bench Press
Callaghan, Samuel J.; Moreno, Matthew R.; Risso, Fabrice G.; Liu, Tricia M.; Stage, Alyssa A.; Birmingham-Babauta, Samantha A.; Stokes, John J.; Giuliano, Dominic V.; Lazar, Adrina; Davis, DeShaun L.; Orjalo, Ashley J.
2017-01-01
Abstract The study aim was to determine relationships between mechanical variables in the one-repetition maximum (1RM) traditional bench press (TBP) and close-grip bench press (CGBP). Twenty resistance-trained men completed a TBP and CGBP 1RM. The TBP was performed with the preferred grip; the CGBP with a grip width of 95% biacromial distance. A linear position transducer measured: lift distance and duration; work; and peak and mean power, velocity, and force. Paired samples t-tests (p < 0.05) compared the 1RM and mechanical variables for the TBP and CGBP; effect sizes (d) were also calculated. Pearson’s correlations (r; p < 0.05) computed relationships between the TBP and CGBP. 1RM, lift duration, and mean force were greater in the TBP (d = 0.30-3.20). Peak power and velocity was greater for the CGBP (d = 0.50-1.29). The 1RM TBP correlated with CGBP 1RM, power, and force (r = 0.685-0.982). TBP work correlated with CGBP 1RM, lift distance, power, force, and work (r = 0.542-0.931). TBP power correlated with CGBP 1RM, power, force, velocity, and work (r = 0.484-0.704). TBP peak and mean force related to CGBP 1RM, power, and force (r = 0.596-0.980). Due to relationships between the load, work, power, and force for the TBP and CGBP, the CGBP could provide similar strength adaptations to the TBP with long-term use. The velocity profile for the CGBP was different to that of the TBP. The CGBP could be used specifically to improve high-velocity, upper-body pushing movements. PMID:29339982
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Kong, Zi-Qing; Han, Min; Yang, Wen-Le; Zhao, You-Li; Fu, Cai-Yun; Tao, Yan; Chen, Qiang; Wang, Rui
2009-06-01
Rat/mouse hemokinin-1 (r/m HK-1) has been identified as a member of the tachykinin family and its effect in colonic contractile activity remains unknown. We investigated the effects and mechanisms of actions of r/m HK-1 on the mouse colonic contractile activity in vitro by comparing it with that of substance P (SP). R/m HK-1 induced substantial contractions on the circular muscle of mouse colon. The maximal contractile responses to r/m HK-1 varied significantly among proximal-, mid- and distal-colon, suggesting that the action of r/m HK-1 was region-specific in mouse colon. The contractile response induced by r/m HK-1 is primarily via activation of tachykinin NK(1) receptors leading to activation of cholinergic excitatory pathways and with a minor contribution of NK(2) receptors, which may be on the smooth muscle itself. A direct action on colonic smooth muscles may be also involved. In contrast, SP induced biphasic colonic responses (contractile and relaxant responses) on the circular muscle, in which the contractile action of SP was equieffective with r/m HK-1. SP exerted its contractile effect predominantly through neural and muscular tachykinin NK(1) receptors, but unlike r/m HK-1 did not appear to act via NK(2) receptors. The relaxation induced by SP was largely due to release of nitric oxide (NO) produced via an action on neural NK(1) receptors. These results indicate that the receptors and the activation properties involved in r/m HK-1-induced mouse colonic contractile activity are different from those of SP.
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Mejia, Raul; Pérez, Adriana; Peña, Lorena; Morello, Paola; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Braun, Sandra; Thrashe, James F.; Sargent, James D.
2016-01-01
Objective To assess the independent relation between parental restrictions on mature-rated media (M-RM) and substance use among South American adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional school-based youth survey of n=3,172 students (mean age 12.8 years; 57.6% boys) in three large Argentinian cities. The anonymous survey queried tobacco, alcohol, and drug use using items adapted from global youth surveys. Adolescents reported M-RM restriction for internet and videogames use, television programming and movies rated for adults. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between parental M-RM restriction and substance use after adjusting for hourly media use, measures of authoritative parenting style, sociodemographics, and sensation seeking. Results Substance use rates were 10% for current smoking, 32% for current drinking alcohol, 17% for past 30-day binge drinking, and 8% for illicit drug use (marijuana or cocaine). Half of respondents reported parental M-RM restriction (internet 52%, TV 43%, adult movies 34%, videogame 25%). Parental M-RM restriction was only modestly correlated with authoritative parenting measures. In multivariate analyses M-RM restriction on all four venues was strongly protective for all substance use outcomes. Compared with no restriction, odds ratios for substance use for full restrictions were 0.32 (0.18–0.59), 0.53 (0.38–0.07), 0.36 (0.22–0.59), and 0.49 (0.26–0.92) for current smoking, drinking, binge drinking, and illicit drug use respectively. The most important single M-RM venue was movies. Conclusion This study confirms the protective association between parental M-RM restriction during adolescence and multiple substance use outcomes, including illicit drugs. M-RM restriction is independent of traditional parenting measures. The preponderance of the evidence supports intervention development. PMID:26615087
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Evolution of shuttle avionics redundancy management/fault tolerance
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Boykin, J. C.; Thibodeau, J. R.; Schneider, H. E.
1985-01-01
The challenge of providing redundancy management (RM) and fault tolerance to meet the Shuttle Program requirements of fail operational/fail safe for the avionics systems was complicated by the critical program constraints of weight, cost, and schedule. The basic and sometimes false effectivity of less than pure RM designs is addressed. Evolution of the multiple input selection filter (the heart of the RM function) is discussed with emphasis on the subtle interactions of the flight control system that were found to be potentially catastrophic. Several other general RM development problems are discussed, with particular emphasis on the inertial measurement unit RM, indicative of the complexity of managing that three string system and its critical interfaces with the guidance and control systems.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Karns, James M. L.; And Others
1983-01-01
Significant differences were found between the stated objectives of most college level economics textbooks and the instruments included in the instructor's manuals to measure student achievement. (Author/RM)
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Gonzales, C; Leiva-Revilla, J; Rubio, J; Gasco, M; Gonzales, G F
2012-05-01
Lepidium meyenii (maca) is a plant that grows exclusively above 4000 m in the Peruvian central Andes. Red maca (RM) extract significantly reduced prostate size in rats with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) induced by testosterone enanthate (TE). Zinc is an important regulator of prostate function. This study aimed to determine the effect of RM on prostate zinc levels in rats with BPH induced by TE. Also, the study attempted to determine the best marker for the effect of RM on sex accessory glands. Rats treated with RM extract from day 1 to day 14 reversed the effect of TE administration on prostate weight and zinc levels. However, RM administered from day 7 to day 14 did not reduce the effect of TE on all studied variables. Finasteride (FN) reduced prostate, seminal vesicle and preputial gland weights in rats treated with TE. Although RM and FN reduced prostate zinc levels, the greatest effect was observed in TE-treated rats with RM from day 1 to day 14. In addition, prostate weight and zinc levels showed the higher diagnosis values than preputial and seminal vesicle weights. In conclusion, RM administered from day 1 to day 14 reduced prostate size and zinc levels in rats where prostatic hyperplasia was induced with TE. Also, this experimental model could be used as accurately assay to determine the effect of maca obtained under different conditions and/or the effect of different products based on maca. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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Holmlid, Leif
2009-01-01
Clouds of the condensed excited Rydberg matter (RM) exist in the atmospheres of comets and planetary bodies (most easily observed at Mercury and the Moon), where they surround the entire bodies. Vast such clouds are recently proposed to exist in the upper atmosphere of Earth (giving rise to the enormous features called noctilucent clouds, polar mesospheric clouds, and polar mesospheric summer radar echoes). It has been shown in experiments with RM that linearly polarized visible light scattered from an RM layer is transformed to circularly polarized light with a probability of approximately 50%. The circular Rydberg electrons in the magnetic field in the RM may be chiral scatterers. The magnetic and anisotropic RM medium acts as a circular polarizer probably by delaying one of the perpendicular components of the light wave. The delay process involved is called Rabi-flopping and gives delays of the order of femtoseconds. This strong effect thus gives intense circularly polarized visible and UV light within RM clouds. Amino acids and other chiral molecules will experience a strong interaction with this light field in the upper atmospheres of planets. The interaction will vary with the stereogenic conformation of the molecules and in all probability promote the survival of one enantiomer. Here, this strong effect is proposed to be the origin of homochirality. The formation of amino acids in the RM clouds is probably facilitated by the catalytic effect of RM.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Holmlid, Leif
2009-08-01
Clouds of the condensed excited Rydberg matter (RM) exist in the atmospheres of comets and planetary bodies (most easily observed at Mercury and the Moon), where they surround the entire bodies. Vast such clouds are recently proposed to exist in the upper atmosphere of Earth (giving rise to the enormous features called noctilucent clouds, polar mesospheric clouds, and polar mesospheric summer radar echoes). It has been shown in experiments with RM that linearly polarized visible light scattered from an RM layer is transformed to circularly polarized light with a probability of approximately 50%. The circular Rydberg electrons in the magnetic field in the RM may be chiral scatterers. The magnetic and anisotropic RM medium acts as a circular polarizer probably by delaying one of the perpendicular components of the light wave. The delay process involved is called Rabi-flopping and gives delays of the order of femtoseconds. This strong effect thus gives intense circularly polarized visible and UV light within RM clouds. Amino acids and other chiral molecules will experience a strong interaction with this light field in the upper atmospheres of planets. The interaction will vary with the stereogenic conformation of the molecules and in all probability promote the survival of one enantiomer. Here, this strong effect is proposed to be the origin of homochirality. The formation of amino acids in the RM clouds is probably facilitated by the catalytic effect of RM.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Guo, J.; Beverly, D.; Cook, C.; Ewers, B. E.; Williams, D. G.
2015-12-01
The resistance to CO2 diffusion inside leaves (mesophyll resistance; rm) during photosynthesis is often comparable in magnitude to stomatal diffusion resistance, and varies among species and across environmental conditions. Consequently, photosynthesis is strongly limited by rm at low internal CO2 partial pressures, such that its variation may determine patterns of leaf water-use efficiency (WUE). Reduction in stomatal conductance with drought typically increases WUE, but also decreases photosynthesis. In theory, the decrease in photosynthesis could be countered by reduction in rm while maintaining high WUE. It is still uncertain how drought-related changes in rm affect short- and long-term WUE strategies of different tree species. We conducted field observations of instantaneous WUE and 13C discrimination in two dominant conifer species (Pinus contorta and Picea engelmannii) in SE Wyoming over the seasonal dry-down period in the summer of 2015. rm was examined by on-line 13C discrimination using isotope laser spectroscopy. Controlled environment studies on three conifer species (P. contorta, P. engelmannii, and Abies lasiocarpa) and one angiosperm (Populus tremuloides) are in progress. We hypothesize that the plasticity of rm in response to drought accounts for significant adjustments in photosynthetic capacity and WUE. Needle leaf conifers are known to have relatively high rm, and we expect them to show greater improvements in photosynthesis and WUE when rm is decreased compared to angiosperm tree species.
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Düllmann, Jochen; Van Damme, Els J M; Peumans, Willy J; Ziesenitz, Maike; Schumacher, Udo
2002-01-01
The lectin Chelidonium majus agglutinin (CMA) was previously shown to visualise endothelia of all blood vessels and those lining sinuses of red pulp, stromal reticular meshwok (RM) and dendritic cells of lymphatic follicles in white pulp of the spleen in rats. The aim of the present study was the analysis of CMA and some other lectins in labelling RM, vascular structures and macrophages in lymph nodes of rats. It appeared that CMA stained the entire RM, dendritic cells, lining cells of sinuses and all types of blood vessels. Sinus-lining cells of lymph nodes were labelled with CMA and mannose-, GalNac-, and sialic acid-specific lectins. Moreover, lymph node macrophages were labelled above all by mannose specific lectins. The broad lectin-binding pattern of sinuses--not observed in rat spleen- and CMA-reactivity of both sinus-lining and dendritic cells corroborates the hypothesis that lymph node sinus-lining endothelia are precursors or a special type of immune accessory cells.
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Dispersal of Giant Molecular Clouds by Photoionization and Radiation Pressure
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kim, Jeong-Gyu; Kim, Woong-Tae; Ostriker, Eve C.
2018-01-01
UV radiation feedback from young massive stars plays a key role in the evolution of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) by forming HII regions and driving their expansion. We present the results of radiation hydrodynamic simulations of star cluster formation in turbulent GMCs, focusing on the effects of photoionization and radiation pressure on regulating the net star formation efficiency (SFE) and lifetime of clouds. We find that the net SFE depends primarily on the initial gas surface density, $\\Sigma_0$, such that the net SFE increases from 4% to 50% as $\\Sigma_0$ increases from $20\\,M_{\\odot}\\,{\\rm pc}^{-2}$ to $1300\\,M_{\\odot}\\,{\\rm pc}^{-2}$. Cloud dispersal occurs within $10\\,{\\rm Myr}$ after the onset of radiation feedback, or within 0.7--4.0 free-fall times that increases with $\\Sigma_0$. Photoionization plays a dominant role in destroying molecular clouds typical of the Milky Way, while radiation pressure takes over in massive, dense clouds. Based on the analysis of mass loss processes by photoevaporation or momentum injection, we develop a semi-analytic model for cloud dispersal and compare it with the numerical results.
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O/S analysis of conceptual space vehicles. Part 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ebeling, Charles E.
1995-01-01
The application of recently developed computer models in determining operational capabilities and support requirements during the conceptual design of proposed space systems is discussed. The models used are the reliability and maintainability (R&M) model, the maintenance simulation model, and the operations and support (O&S) cost model. In the process of applying these models, the R&M and O&S cost models were updated. The more significant enhancements include (1) improved R&M equations for the tank subsystems, (2) the ability to allocate schedule maintenance by subsystem, (3) redefined spares calculations, (4) computing a weighted average of the working days and mission days per month, (5) the use of a position manning factor, and (6) the incorporation into the O&S model of new formulas for computing depot and organizational recurring and nonrecurring training costs and documentation costs, and depot support equipment costs. The case study used is based upon a winged, single-stage, vertical-takeoff vehicle (SSV) designed to deliver to the Space Station Freedom (SSF) a 25,000 lb payload including passengers without a crew.
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Operations and Modeling Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ebeling, Charles
2005-01-01
The Reliability and Maintainability Analysis Tool (RMAT) provides NASA the capability to estimate reliability and maintainability (R&M) parameters and operational support requirements for proposed space vehicles based upon relationships established from both aircraft and Shuttle R&M data. RMAT has matured both in its underlying database and in its level of sophistication in extrapolating this historical data to satisfy proposed mission requirements, maintenance concepts and policies, and type of vehicle (i.e. ranging from aircraft like to shuttle like). However, a companion analyses tool, the Logistics Cost Model (LCM) has not reached the same level of maturity as RMAT due, in large part, to nonexistent or outdated cost estimating relationships and underlying cost databases, and it's almost exclusive dependence on Shuttle operations and logistics cost input parameters. As a result, the full capability of the RMAT/LCM suite of analysis tools to take a conceptual vehicle and derive its operations and support requirements along with the resulting operating and support costs has not been realized.
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The Topology and Properties of Mercury's Tail Current Sheet
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Al Asad, M.; Johnson, C.; Philpott, L. C.
2017-12-01
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft orbited Mercury from March 2011 until April 2015, measuring the vector magnetic field inside and outside the magnetosphere. MESSENGER repeatedly encountered the tail current sheet (TCS) on the nightside of the planet. We examined 1s magnetic field data within 20 minutes of the magnetic equator position on 2435 orbit to characterize the shape and properties of Mercury's TCS and investigate its response to solar wind conditions. Identification of the TCS from vector magnetic field data used the following criteria: (1) a rapid rotation in the field direction from anti-sunward in the southern tail lobe to sunward in the northern lobe, accompanied by (2) a decrease in the field magnitude and (3) an increase in field variability. The current sheet was encountered on 606 orbits allowing the probability of encountering the tail current sheet in the equatorial plane to be mapped. Orbits on which the TCS was identified were binned spatially and superposed epoch analysis used to determine the field magnitude at the edge of the TCS, from which its time-averaged 3D shape was extracted. The TCS has an inner edge at 1.5 RM downtail in the midnight plane with a thickness of 0.34 RM, extends to the observation limit of 2.8 RM, decreasing in thickness to 0.28 RM. The thickness of the TCS increases in the dawn/dusk directions to 0.7 RM at 1.8 RM downtail and ± 1.5 RM from the noon-midnight plane and it warps towards the planet in the dawn/dusk directions. No strong correlations were found between the time-averaged shape and position of the TCS and solar wind conditions such as the solar wind ram pressure and the magnetic disturbance index, nor with parameters that control these conditions such as heliocentric distance. However, it is likely that the TCS does respond to these conditions on time scales too short to be characterized with MESSENGER data. In addition to mapping the shape of the current sheet, we observed that many TCS crossings exhibit the magnetic characteristics of a bifurcated current sheet rather than a typical Harris-type structure. In fact, we found that more TCS encounters can be classified as bifurcated (34%) than Harris-like (15%). This suggests the bifurcated TCS structure may be more stable and common in Mercury's magnetosphere than at Earth.
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Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Bone Fracture - Bone Fracture Risk Module (BFxRM)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Licata, Angelo; Myers, Jerry G.; Lewandowski, Beth
2013-01-01
This presentation summarizes the concepts, development, and application of NASA's Bone Fracture Risk Module (BFxRM). The overview includes an assessmnet of strenghts and limitations of the BFxRM and proposes a numebr of discussion questions to the panel regarding future development avenues for this simulation system.
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40 CFR 725.60 - Withdrawal of submission by the submitter.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-07-01
..., OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA East Bldg., 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Rm. 6428, Washington... Control Office (DCO), EPA East Bldg., 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Rm. 6428, Washington, DC 20004. (ii... Document Control Office (DCO), EPA East Bldg., 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Rm. 6428, Washington, DC 20004...
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Maneu, J.; Parreño, A.; Ramos, A.
2018-05-01
A one-meson exchange model including the ground state of the pseudoscalar octet is used to describe the weak two-body interactions responsible for the decay of {}{{Λ }{{Λ }}}{}6{{H}}{{e}}. Strong interaction effects are taken into account by a microscopic study based on the solution of G-matrix and T-matrix equations for the initial and final interacting pairs respectively. Results for the decay induced by {{Λ }}{{Λ }}\\to {{Λ }}N({{Σ }}N) transitions are given.
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Differential cross sections for excitation of H 2 by low-energy electron impact
Hargreaves, Leigh R.; Bhari, S.; Adjari, B.; ...
2017-10-31
Experimental and theoretical differential cross sections (DCS) for the electron-impact excitation of molecular hydrogen to themore » $$B{}^{1}{{\\rm{\\Sigma }}}_{u}^{+}$$, $$c{}^{3}{{\\rm{\\Pi }}}_{u}$$, $$a{}^{3}{{\\rm{\\Sigma }}}_{g}^{+}$$, $$C{}^{1}{{\\rm{\\Pi }}}_{u}$$, and the $$E(F){}^{1}{{\\rm{\\Sigma }}}_{g}^{+}$$ states are presented at incident energies near to threshold. The experimental DCSs were taken at incident energies of 14, 15, 16 and 17.5 eV and for scattering angles from 10° to 130°. In conclusion, the theoretical DCSs are from the convergent close-coupling method which has recently successfully modeled differential electron scattering from H 2 when compared with available experiment at energies of 17.5 eV and above.« less
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Differential cross sections for excitation of H 2 by low-energy electron impact
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hargreaves, Leigh R.; Bhari, S.; Adjari, B.
Experimental and theoretical differential cross sections (DCS) for the electron-impact excitation of molecular hydrogen to themore » $$B{}^{1}{{\\rm{\\Sigma }}}_{u}^{+}$$, $$c{}^{3}{{\\rm{\\Pi }}}_{u}$$, $$a{}^{3}{{\\rm{\\Sigma }}}_{g}^{+}$$, $$C{}^{1}{{\\rm{\\Pi }}}_{u}$$, and the $$E(F){}^{1}{{\\rm{\\Sigma }}}_{g}^{+}$$ states are presented at incident energies near to threshold. The experimental DCSs were taken at incident energies of 14, 15, 16 and 17.5 eV and for scattering angles from 10° to 130°. In conclusion, the theoretical DCSs are from the convergent close-coupling method which has recently successfully modeled differential electron scattering from H 2 when compared with available experiment at energies of 17.5 eV and above.« less
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Vortex wakes of a flapping foil in a flowing soap film
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schnipper, Teis; Andersen, Anders; Bohr, Tomas
2008-11-01
We present an experimental study of an oscillating, symmetric foil in a vertically flowing soap film. By varying frequency and amplitude of the oscillation we explore and visualize a variety of wake structures, including von Kármán wake, reverse von Kármán wake, 2P wake, and 2P+2S wake. We characterize the transition from the von Kármán wake (drag) to the reverse von Kármán wake (thrust) and discuss the results in relation to fish swimming. We visualize the time evolution of the vortex shedding in detail, identify the origins of the vortices comprising the wake, and propose a simple model to account for the transition from von Kármán like wakes to more exotic wake structures.
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Using the Inflection Points and Rates of Growth and Decay to Predict Levels of Solar Activity
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.
2008-01-01
The ascending and descending inflection points and rates of growth and decay at specific times during the sunspot cycle are examined as predictors for future activity. On average, the ascending inflection point occurs about 1-2 yr after sunspot minimum amplitude (Rm) and the descending inflection point occurs about 6-7 yr after Rm. The ascending inflection point and the inferred slope (including the 12-mo moving average (12-mma) of (Delta)R (the month-to-month change in the smoothed monthly mean sunspot number (R)) at the ascending inflection point provide strong indications as to the expected size of the ongoing cycle s sunspot maximum amplitude (RM), while the descending inflection point appears to provide an indication as to the expected length of the ongoing cycle. The value of the 12-mma of (Delta)R at elapsed time T = 27 mo past the epoch of RM (E(RM)) seems to provide a strong indication as to the expected size of Rm for the following cycle. The expected Rm for cycle 24 is 7.6 +/- 4.4 (the 90-percent prediction interval), occurring before September 2008. Evidence is also presented for secular rises in selected cycle-related parameters and for preferential grouping of sunspot cycles by amplitude and/or period.
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de Souza, Devandir Antonio; Borges, Antonio Carlos; Santana, Ana Carolina; Oliver, Constance; Jamur, Maria Célia
2015-01-01
Mast cell proteases are thought to be involved with tumor progression and neo-vascularization. However, their exact role is still unclear. The present study was undertaken to further elucidate the function of specific subtypes of recombinant mouse mast cell proteases (rmMCP-6 and 7) in neo-vascularization. SVEC4-10 cells were cultured on Geltrex® with either rmMCP-6 or 7 and tube formation was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the capacity of these proteases to induce the release of angiogenic factors and pro and anti-angiogenic proteins was analyzed. Both rmMCP-6 and 7 were able to stimulate tube formation. Scanning electron microscopy showed that incubation with the proteases induced SVEC4-10 cells to invade the gel matrix. However, the expression and activity of metalloproteases were not altered by incubation with the mast cell proteases. Furthermore, rmMCP-6 and rmMCP-7 were able to induce the differential release of angiogenic factors from the SVEC4-10 cells. rmMCP-7 was more efficient in stimulating tube formation and release of angiogenic factors than rmMCP-6. These results suggest that the subtypes of proteases released by mast cells may influence endothelial cells during in vivo neo-vascularization. PMID:26633538
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Evidence for Helical Magnetic fields in Kiloparsec-Scale AGN Jets and the Action of a Cosmic Battery
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Gabuzda, D. C.; Christodoulou, D. M.; Contopulos, I.; Kazanas, D.
2012-01-01
A search for transverse kiloparsec-scale gradients in Faraday rotation-measure (RM) maps of extragalactic radio sources in the literature has yielded 6 AGNs displaying continuous, monotonic RM gradients across their jets, oriented roughly orthogonal to the local jet direction. The most natural interpretation of such transverse RM gradients is that they are caused by the systematic change in the line-of-sight components of helical magnetic fields associated with these jets. All the identified transverse RM gradients increase in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction on the sky relative to the centers of these AGNs. Taken together with the results of Contopoulos et al. who found evidence for a predominance of clockwise (CW) transverse RM gradients across parsec-scale (VLBI) jets, this provides new evidence for preferred orientations of RM gradients due to helical jet magnetic fields, with a reversal from CW in the inner jets to CCW farther from the centers of activity. This can be explained by the "Poynting-Robertson cosmic-battery" mechanism, which can generate helical magnetic fields with a. characteristic "twist," which are expelled with the jet outflows. If the Poynting-Robertson battery mechanism is not operating, an alternative mechanism must be identified, which is able to explain the 'predominance of CW /CCW RM gradients on parsec/kiloparsec scales.
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Comparative analyses of animal-tracking data reveal ecological significance of endothermy in fishes
Watanabe, Yuuki Y.; Goldman, Kenneth J.; Caselle, Jennifer E.; Chapman, Demian D.; Papastamatiou, Yannis P.
2015-01-01
Despite long evolutionary separations, several sharks and tunas share the ability to maintain slow-twitch, aerobic red muscle (RM) warmer than ambient water. Proximate causes of RM endothermy are well understood, but ultimate causes are unclear. Two advantages often proposed are thermal niche expansion and elevated cruising speeds. The thermal niche hypothesis is generally supported, because fishes with RM endothermy often exhibit greater tolerance to broad temperature ranges. In contrast, whether fishes with RM endothermy cruise faster, and achieve any ecological benefits from doing so, remains unclear. Here, we compiled data recorded by modern animal-tracking tools for a variety of free-swimming marine vertebrates. Using phylogenetically informed allometry, we show that both cruising speeds and maximum annual migration ranges of fishes with RM endothermy are 2–3 times greater than fishes without it, and comparable to nonfish endotherms (i.e., penguins and marine mammals). The estimated cost of transport of fishes with RM endothermy is twice that of fishes without it. We suggest that the high energetic cost of RM endothermy in fishes is offset by the benefit of elevated cruising speeds, which not only increase prey encounter rates, but also enable larger-scale annual migrations and potentially greater access to seasonally available resources. PMID:25902489
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Broussard, John I; Acion, Laura; De Jesús-Cortés, Héctor; Yin, Terry; Britt, Jeremiah K; Salas, Ramiro; Costa-Mattioli, Mauro; Robertson, Claudia; Pieper, Andrew A; Arciniegas, David B; Jorge, Ricardo
2018-01-01
Repeated traumatic brain injuries (rmTBI) are frequently associated with debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions such as cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We tested the hypothesis that repeated mild traumatic brain injury impairs spatial memory and enhances anxiety-like behaviour. We used a between groups design using single (smTBI) or repeated (rmTBI) controlled cranial closed skull impacts to mice, compared to a control group. We assessed the effects of smTBI and rmTBI using measures of motor performance (Rotarod Test [RT]), anxiety-like behaviour (Elevated Plus Maze [EPM] and Open Field [OF] tests), and spatial memory (Morris Water Maze [MWM]) within 12 days of the final injury. In separate groups of mice, astrocytosis and microglial activation were assessed 24 hours after the final injury using GFAP and IBA-1 immunohistochemistry. RmTBI impaired spatial memory in the MWM and increased anxiety-like behaviour in the EPM and OFT. In addition, rmTBI elevated GFAP and IBA-1 immunohistochemistry throughout the mouse brain. RmTBI produced astrocytosis and microglial activation, and elicited impaired spatial memory and anxiety-like behaviour. rmTBI produces acute cognitive and anxiety-like disturbances associated with inflammatory changes in brain regions involved in spatial memory and anxiety.
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Blakkisrud, Johan; Løndalen, Ayca; Dahle, Jostein; Turner, Simon; Holte, Harald; Kolstad, Arne; Stokke, Caroline
2017-01-01
Red marrow (RM) is often the primary organ at risk in radioimmunotherapy; irradiation of marrow may induce short- and long-term hematologic toxicity. 177 Lu-lilotomab satetraxetan is a novel anti-CD37 antibody-radionuclide conjugate currently in phase 1/2a. Two predosing regimens have been investigated, one with 40 mg of unlabeled lilotomab antibody (arm 1) and one without (arm 2). The aim of this work was to compare RM-absorbed doses for the two arms and to correlate absorbed doses with hematologic toxicity. Eight patients with relapsed CD37+ indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma were included for RM dosimetry. Hybrid SPECT and CT images were used to estimate the activity concentration in the RM of L2-L4. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated after measurement of the 177 Lu-lilotomab satetraxetan concentration in blood samples. Adverse events were graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. The mean absorbed doses to RM were 0.9 mGy/MBq for arm 1 (lilotomab+) and 1.5 mGy/MBq for arm 2 (lilotomab-). There was a statistically significant difference between arms 1 and 2 (Student t test, P = 0.02). Total RM-absorbed doses ranged from 67 to 127 cGy in arm 1 and from 158 to 207 cGy in arm 2. For blood, the area under the curve was higher with lilotomab predosing than without (P = 0.001), whereas the volume of distribution and the clearance of 177 Lu-lilotomab satetraxetan was significantly lower (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively). Patients with grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia had received significantly higher radiation doses to RM than patients with grade 1/2 thrombocytopenia (P = 0.02). A surrogate, non-imaging-based, method underestimated the RM dose and did not show any correlation with toxicity. Predosing with lilotomab reduces the RM-absorbed dose for 177 Lu-lilotomab satetraxetan patients. The decrease in RM dose could be explained by the lower volume of distribution. Hematologic toxicity was more severe for patients receiving higher absorbed radiation doses, indicating that adverse events possibly can be predicted by the calculation of absorbed dose to RM from SPECT/CT images. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
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Wang, Li; Zhai, Rui-Ren; Pang, Zhao-Xia; Zhang, Chao; Yu, Chang-Lin
2012-08-01
The aim of this study is to observe the therapeutic effect of recombinant murine interleukin 12 (rmIL-12) combining with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on mice irradiated by γ-rays. 56 BALB/c mice were totally irradiated by 6.0 Gy of (60)Co γ-ray and randomly divided into irradiation control group, rmIL-12 treatment group, G-CSF treatment group and combination therapy (rmIL-12 plus G-CSF) group. rmIL-12 20 µg/kg was administrated intraperitoneally at 1 h following irradiation, and was administrated every 3 days after irradiation for 4 times in rmIL-12 treatment group. G-CSF 100 µg/kg was administrated subcutaneously the 2 h following irradiation for 14 d in G-CSF treatment group. The dose and method of rmIL-12 and G-CSF in combination therapy group were same as in rmIL-12 group and G-CSF group. The general status of mice were observed twice a day, the changes in body weight, peripheral blood cell (WBC and Plt) counts were examined once every three days, bone marrow cells were collected to perform colony cultivation on day 14 and 28 after irradiation. The results showed that WBC count recovery time in combination therapy group was significantly earlier than that of the control group (7 d vs 11 d), WBC count recovery velocity in the combination therapy group was no significant different from that of the G-CSF treatment group. Combined therapy significantly promoted Plt count recovery, resulting in less profound nadirs (16.5% vs 8.1%, P < 0.01) and rapid recovery to normal levels (11 d vs 14 d), Plt count recovery velocity in the combination therapy group was no significant different from that of the rmIL-12 treatment group. Culture of bone marrow cells in semi-solid medium also demonstrated that combination of rmIL-12 and G-CSF could stimulate bone marrow cells to form more CFU-GM and CFU-Mix than those of the irradiation control group in vitro on day 14 and 28 after irradiation (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the combination of rmIL-12 and G-CSF can significantly accelerate the recovery of hematopoietic function in mice with acute radiation sickness.
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77 FR 22772 - Sunshine Act Meeting
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-04-17
... Transmission. E-4 RM11-17-000 Enhancement of Electricity Market Surveillance and Analysis through Ongoing.... RP11-1566-009. RP11-1566-011. RP11-2066-001. Hydro H-1 P-12632-004 East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc...
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Shintcovsk, Ricardo Lima; Knop, Luegya Amorim Henriques; Gandini, Luiz Gonzaga; Martins, Lidia Parsekian; Pires, Aline Segatto
2015-01-01
This study aims at comparing conventional and nickel-free metal bracket surface characteristics with elemental composition by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The sample consisted of 40 lower incisor brackets divided into four groups: ABZ = conventional brackets, Kirium Abzil 3M® (n = 10); RL = conventional brackets, Roth Light Morelli® (n = 10); NF = nickel-free brackets, Nickel-Free Morelli® (n = 10); and RM = nickel-free brackets, Roth Max Morelli® (n = 10). Qualitative evaluation of the bracket surface was performed using SEM, whereby surface features were described and compared. The elemental composition was analyzed by EDS. According to surface analysis, groups ABZ and RL showed a homogeneous surface, with better finishing, whereas the surfaces in groups NF and RM were rougher. The chemical components with the highest percentage were Fe, Cr and C. Groups NF and MR showed no nickel in their composition. In conclusion, the bracket surface of the ABZ and RL groups was more homogeneous, with grooves and pores, whereas the surfaces in groups NF and RM showed numerous flaws, cracks, pores and grooves. The chemical composition analysis confirmed that the nickel-free brackets had no Ni in their composition, as confirmed by the manufacturer's specifications, and were therefore safe to use in patients with a medical history of allergy to this metal.
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Muscular adaptations in low- versus high-load resistance training: A meta-analysis.
Schoenfeld, Brad J; Wilson, Jacob M; Lowery, Ryan P; Krieger, James W
2016-01-01
There has been much debate as to optimal loading strategies for maximising the adaptive response to resistance exercise. The purpose of this paper therefore was to conduct a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials to compare the effects of low-load (≤60% 1 repetition maximum [RM]) versus high-load (≥65% 1 RM) training in enhancing post-exercise muscular adaptations. The strength analysis comprised 251 subjects and 32 effect sizes (ESs), nested within 20 treatment groups and 9 studies. The hypertrophy analysis comprised 191 subjects and 34 ESs, nested with 17 treatment groups and 8 studies. There was a trend for strength outcomes to be greater with high loads compared to low loads (difference = 1.07 ± 0.60; CI: -0.18, 2.32; p = 0.09). The mean ES for low loads was 1.23 ± 0.43 (CI: 0.32, 2.13). The mean ES for high loads was 2.30 ± 0.43 (CI: 1.41, 3.19). There was a trend for hypertrophy outcomes to be greater with high loads compared to low loads (difference = 0.43 ± 0.24; CI: -0.05, 0.92; p = 0.076). The mean ES for low loads was 0.39 ± 0.17 (CI: 0.05, 0.73). The mean ES for high loads was 0.82 ± 0.17 (CI: 0.49, 1.16). In conclusion, training with loads ≤50% 1 RM was found to promote substantial increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy in untrained individuals, but a trend was noted for superiority of heavy loading with respect to these outcome measures with null findings likely attributed to a relatively small number of studies on the topic.
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Reliability improvements on Thales RM2 rotary Stirling coolers: analysis and methodology
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cauquil, J. M.; Seguineau, C.; Martin, J.-Y.; Benschop, T.
2016-05-01
The cooled IR detectors are used in a wide range of applications. Most of the time, the cryocoolers are one of the components dimensioning the lifetime of the system. The cooler reliability is thus one of its most important parameters. This parameter has to increase to answer market needs. To do this, the data for identifying the weakest element determining cooler reliability has to be collected. Yet, data collection based on field are hardly usable due to lack of informations. A method for identifying the improvement in reliability has then to be set up which can be used even without field return. This paper will describe the method followed by Thales Cryogénie SAS to reach such a result. First, a database was built from extensive expertizes of RM2 failures occurring in accelerate ageing. Failure modes have then been identified and corrective actions achieved. Besides this, a hierarchical organization of the functions of the cooler has been done with regard to the potential increase of its efficiency. Specific changes have been introduced on the functions most likely to impact efficiency. The link between efficiency and reliability will be described in this paper. The work on the two axes - weak spots for cooler reliability and efficiency - permitted us to increase in a drastic way the MTTF of the RM2 cooler. Huge improvements in RM2 reliability are actually proven by both field return and reliability monitoring. These figures will be discussed in the paper.
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Van Mai, Tan; Fujita, Daisuke; Matsumura, Masaya; Yoshimura, Atsushi; Yasui, Hideshi
2015-01-01
The rice cultivar ASD7 (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) is resistant to the brown planthopper (BPH; Nilaparvata lugens Stål) and the green leafhopper (Nephotettix virescens Distant). Here, we analyzed multiple genetic resistance to BPH and the green rice leafhopper (GRH; Nephotettix cincticeps Uhler). Using two independent F2 populations derived from a cross between ASD7 and Taichung 65 (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica), we detected two QTLs (qBPH6 and qBPH12) for resistance to BPH and one QTL (qGRH5) for resistance to GRH. Linkage analysis in BC2F3 populations revealed that qBPH12 controlled resistance to BPH and co-segregated with SSR markers RM28466 and RM7376 in plants homozygous for the ASD7 allele at qBPH6. Plants homozygous for the ASD7 alleles at both QTLs showed a much faster antibiosis response to BPH than plants homozygous at only one of these QTLs. It revealed that epistatic interaction between qBPH6 and qBPH12 is the basis of resistance to BPH in ASD7. In addition, qGRH5 controlled resistance to GRH and co-segregated with SSR markers RM6082 and RM3381. qGRH5 is identical to GRH1. Thus, we clarified the genetic basis of multiple resistance of ASD7 to BPH and GRH. PMID:26719745
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Finner, Kyle; Jee, M. James; Golovich, Nathan
The second most significant detection of the Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich survey, PLCK G287.0+32.9 (z = 0.385), boasts two similarly bright radio relics and a radio halo. One radio relic is locatedmore » $$\\sim 400\\,\\mathrm{kpc}$$ NW of the X-ray peak and the other $$\\sim 2.8$$ Mpc to the SE. This large difference suggests that a complex merging scenario is required. A key missing puzzle for the merging scenario reconstruction is the underlying dark matter distribution in high resolution. Here, we present a joint Subaru Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope weak-lensing analysis of the cluster. Our analysis shows that the mass distribution features four significant substructures. Of the substructures, a primary cluster of mass $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.59}_{-0.22}^{+0.25}\\times {10}^{15}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$ dominates the weak-lensing signal. This cluster is likely to be undergoing a merger with one (or more) subcluster whose mass is approximately a factor of 10 lower. One candidate is the subcluster of mass $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.16}_{-0.13}^{+0.15}\\times {10}^{14}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$ located $$\\sim 400\\,\\mathrm{kpc}$$ to the SE. The location of this subcluster suggests that its interaction with the primary cluster could be the source of the NW radio relic. Another subcluster is detected $$\\sim 2$$ Mpc to the SE of the X-ray peak with mass $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.68}_{-0.20}^{+0.22}\\times {10}^{14}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$. This SE subcluster is in the vicinity of the SE radio relic and may have created the SE radio relic during a past merger with the primary cluster. The fourth subcluster, $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.87}_{-0.22}^{+0.24}\\times {10}^{14}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$, is NW of the X-ray peak and beyond the NW radio relic.« less
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Finner, Kyle; Jee, M. James; Golovich, Nathan; ...
2017-12-11
The second most significant detection of the Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich survey, PLCK G287.0+32.9 (z = 0.385), boasts two similarly bright radio relics and a radio halo. One radio relic is locatedmore » $$\\sim 400\\,\\mathrm{kpc}$$ NW of the X-ray peak and the other $$\\sim 2.8$$ Mpc to the SE. This large difference suggests that a complex merging scenario is required. A key missing puzzle for the merging scenario reconstruction is the underlying dark matter distribution in high resolution. Here, we present a joint Subaru Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope weak-lensing analysis of the cluster. Our analysis shows that the mass distribution features four significant substructures. Of the substructures, a primary cluster of mass $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.59}_{-0.22}^{+0.25}\\times {10}^{15}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$ dominates the weak-lensing signal. This cluster is likely to be undergoing a merger with one (or more) subcluster whose mass is approximately a factor of 10 lower. One candidate is the subcluster of mass $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.16}_{-0.13}^{+0.15}\\times {10}^{14}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$ located $$\\sim 400\\,\\mathrm{kpc}$$ to the SE. The location of this subcluster suggests that its interaction with the primary cluster could be the source of the NW radio relic. Another subcluster is detected $$\\sim 2$$ Mpc to the SE of the X-ray peak with mass $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.68}_{-0.20}^{+0.22}\\times {10}^{14}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$. This SE subcluster is in the vicinity of the SE radio relic and may have created the SE radio relic during a past merger with the primary cluster. The fourth subcluster, $${M}_{200{\\rm{c}}}={1.87}_{-0.22}^{+0.24}\\times {10}^{14}\\ {h}_{70}^{-1}\\ {M}_{\\odot }$$, is NW of the X-ray peak and beyond the NW radio relic.« less
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Deep multi-frequency rotation measure tomography of the galaxy cluster A2255
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pizzo, R. F.; de Bruyn, A. G.; Bernardi, G.; Brentjens, M. A.
2011-01-01
Aims: By studying the polarimetric properties of the radio galaxies and the radio filaments belonging to the galaxy cluster Abell 2255, we aim to unveil their 3-dimensional location within the cluster. Methods: We performed WSRT observations of A2255 at 18, 21, 25, 85, and 200 cm. The polarization images of the cluster were processed through rotation measure (RM) synthesis, producing three final RM cubes. Results: The radio galaxies and the filaments at the edges of the halo are detected in the high-frequency RM cube, obtained by combining the data at 18, 21, and 25 cm. Their Faraday spectra show different levels of complexity. The radio galaxies lying near by the cluster center have Faraday spectra with multiple peaks, while those at large distances show only one peak, as do the filaments. Similar RM distributions are observed for the external radio galaxies and for the filaments, with much lower average RM values and RM variance than those found in previous works for the central radio galaxies. The 85 cm RM cube is dominated by the Galactic foreground emission, but it also shows features associated with the cluster. At 2 m, no polarized emission from A2255 nor our Galaxy is detected. Conclusions: The radial trend observed in the RM distributions of the radio galaxies and in the complexity of their Faraday spectra favors the interpretation that the external Faraday screen for all the sources in A2255 is the ICM. Its differential contribution depends on the amount of medium that the radio signal crosses along the line of sight. The filaments should therefore be located at the periphery of the cluster, and their apparent central location comes from projection effects. Their high fractional polarization and morphology suggest that they are relics rather than part of a genuine radio halo. Their inferred large distance from the cluster center and their geometry could argue for an association with large-scale structure (LSS) shocks. The RM cubes in gif format are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org. To request the RM cubes in FITS format, please contact R. F. Pizzo at: pizzo@astron.nl
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Hornish, Rex E; Hamlow, Philip J; Brown, Scott A
2003-01-01
A multilaboratory trial for determining ceftiofur-related residues in bovine and swine kidney and muscle, and bovine milk was conducted following regulatory guidelines of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine. The methods convert all desfuroylceftiofur-related residues containing the intact beta-lactam ring to desfuroylceftiofur acetamide to establish ceftiofur residues in tissues. Four laboratories analyzed 5 sets of samples for each tissue. Each sample set consisted of a control/blank sample and 3 control samples fortified with ceftiofur at 0.5 Rm, Rm, and 2 Rm, respectively, where Rm is the U.S. tolerance assigned for ceftiofur residue in each tissue/matrix: 0.100 microg/mL for milk, 8.0 microg/g for kidney (both species), 1.0 microg/g for bovine muscle, and 2.0 microg/g for swine muscle. Each sample set also contained 2 samples of incurred-residue tissues (one > Rm and one < Rm) from animals treated with ceftiofur hydrochloride. All laboratories completed the method trial after a familiarization phase and test of system suitability in which they demonstrated > 80% recovery in pretrial fortified test samples. Results showed that the methods met all acceptable performance criteria for recovery, accuracy, and precision. Although sample preparation was easy, solid-phase extraction cartridge performance must be carefully evaluated before samples are processed. The liquid chromatography detection system was easily set up; however, the elution profile may require slight modifications. The procedures could clearly differentiate between violative (> Rm) and nonviolative (< Rm) ceftiofur residues. Participating laboratories found the procedures suitable for ceftiofur residue determination.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Duquet, Jean Remi; Bergeron, Pierre; Blodgett, Dale E.; Couture, Jean; Macieszczak, Maciej; Mayrand, Michel; Chalmers, Bruce A.; Paradis, Stephane
1998-03-01
The Research and Development group at Lockheed Martin Canada, in collaboration with the Defence Research Establishment Valcartier, has undertaken a research project in order to capture and analyze the real-time and functional requirements of a next generation Command and Control System (CCS) for the Canadian Patrol Frigates, integrating Multi- Sensor Data Fusion (MSDF), Situation and Threat Assessment (STA) and Resource Management (RM). One important aspect of the project is to define how the use of Artificial Intelligence may optimize the performance of an integrated, real-time MSDF/STA/RM system. A closed-loop simulation environment is being developed to facilitate the evaluation of MSDF/STA/RM concepts, algorithms and architectures. This environment comprises (1) a scenario generator, (2) complex sensor, hardkill and softkill weapon models, (3) a real-time monitoring tool, (4) a distributed Knowledge-Base System (KBS) shell. The latter is being completely redesigned and implemented in-house since no commercial KBS shell could adequately satisfy all the project requirements. The closed- loop capability of the simulation environment, together with its `simulated real-time' capability, allows the interaction between the MSDF/STA/RM system and the environment targets during the execution of a scenario. This capability is essential to measure the performance of many STA and RM functionalities. Some benchmark scenarios have been selected to demonstrate quantitatively the capabilities of the selected MSDF/STA/RM algorithms. The paper describes the simulation environment and discusses the MSDF/STA/RM functionalities currently implemented and their performance as an automatic CCS.
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Kenmogne, Lucie Carolle; Ayan, Diana; Roy, Jenny; Maltais, René; Poirier, Donald
2015-01-01
Ovarian and pancreatic cancers are two of the most aggressive and lethal cancers, whose management faces only limited therapeutic options. Typically, these tumors spread insidiously accompanied first with atypical symptoms, and usually shift to a drug resistance phenotype with the current pharmaceutical armamentarium. Thus, the development of new drugs acting via a different mechanism of action represents a clear priority. Herein, we are reporting for the first time that the aminosteroid derivative RM-133, developed in our laboratory, displays promising activity on two models of aggressive cancers, namely ovarian (OVCAR-3) and pancreatic (PANC-1) cancers. The IC50 value of RM-133 was 0.8 μM and 0.3 μM for OVCAR-3 and PANC-1 cell lines in culture, respectively. Based on pharmacokinetic studies on RM-133 using 11 different vehicles, we selected two main vehicles: aqueous 0.4% methylcellulose:ethanol (92:8) and sunflower oil:ethanol (92:8) for in vivo studies. Using subcutaneous injection of RM-133 with the methylcellulose-based vehicle, growth of PANC-1 tumors xenografted to nude mice was inhibited by 63%. Quite interestingly, RM-133 injected subcutaneously with the methylcellulose-based or sunflower-based vehicles reduced OVCAR-3 xenograft growth by 122% and 100%, respectively. After the end of RM-133 treatment using the methylcellulose-based vehicle, OVCAR-3 tumor growth inhibition was maintained for ≥ 1 week. RM-133 was also well tolerated in the whole animal, no apparent sign of toxicity having been detected in the xenograft studies.
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Kenmogne, Lucie Carolle; Ayan, Diana; Roy, Jenny; Maltais, René; Poirier, Donald
2015-01-01
Ovarian and pancreatic cancers are two of the most aggressive and lethal cancers, whose management faces only limited therapeutic options. Typically, these tumors spread insidiously accompanied first with atypical symptoms, and usually shift to a drug resistance phenotype with the current pharmaceutical armamentarium. Thus, the development of new drugs acting via a different mechanism of action represents a clear priority. Herein, we are reporting for the first time that the aminosteroid derivative RM-133, developed in our laboratory, displays promising activity on two models of aggressive cancers, namely ovarian (OVCAR-3) and pancreatic (PANC-1) cancers. The IC50 value of RM-133 was 0.8 μM and 0.3 μM for OVCAR-3 and PANC-1 cell lines in culture, respectively. Based on pharmacokinetic studies on RM-133 using 11 different vehicles, we selected two main vehicles: aqueous 0.4% methylcellulose:ethanol (92:8) and sunflower oil:ethanol (92:8) for in vivo studies. Using subcutaneous injection of RM-133 with the methylcellulose-based vehicle, growth of PANC-1 tumors xenografted to nude mice was inhibited by 63%. Quite interestingly, RM-133 injected subcutaneously with the methylcellulose-based or sunflower-based vehicles reduced OVCAR-3 xenograft growth by 122% and 100%, respectively. After the end of RM-133 treatment using the methylcellulose-based vehicle, OVCAR-3 tumor growth inhibition was maintained for ≥ 1 week. RM-133 was also well tolerated in the whole animal, no apparent sign of toxicity having been detected in the xenograft studies. PMID:26660672
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Hamlyn, Nicolle; Behm, David G; Young, Warren B
2007-11-01
The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of activation in various trunk muscles during dynamic weight-training and isometric instability exercises. Sixteen subjects performed squats and deadlifts with 80% 1 repetition maximum (1RM), as well as with body weight as resistance and 2 unstable calisthenic-type exercises (superman and sidebridge). Electromyographic (EMG) activity was measured from the lower abdominals (LA), external obliques (EO), upper lumbar erector spinae (ULES), and lumbar-sacral erector spinae (LSES) muscle groups. Results indicated that the LSES EMG activity during the 80% 1RM squat significantly exceeded 80% 1RM deadlift LSES EMG activity by 34.5%. The LSES EMG activity of the 80% 1RM squat also exceeded the body weight squat, deadlift, superman, and sidebridge by 56, 56.6, 65.5, and 53.1%, respectively. The 80% 1RM deadlift ULES EMG activity significantly exceeded the 80% 1RM squat exercise by 12.9%. In addition, the 80% 1RM deadlift ULES EMG activity also exceeded the body weight squat, deadlift, superman, and sidebridge exercises by 66.7, 65.5, 69.3, and 68.6%, respectively. There were no significant changes in EO or LA activity. Therefore, the augmented activity of the LSES and ULES during 80% 1RM squat and deadlift resistance exercises exceeded the activation levels achieved with the same exercises performed with body weight and selected instability exercises. Individuals performing upright, resisted, dynamic exercises can achieve high trunk muscle activation and thus may not need to add instability device exercises to augment core stability training.
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Salivary hormone and immune responses to three resistance exercise schemes in elite female athletes.
Nunes, João A; Crewther, Blair T; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Tricoli, Valmor; Viveiros, Luís; de Rose, Dante; Aoki, Marcelo S
2011-08-01
This study examined the salivary hormone and immune responses of elite female athletes to 3 different resistance exercise schemes. Fourteen female basketball players each performed an endurance scheme (ES-4 sets of 12 reps, 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) load, 1-minute rest periods), a strength-hypertrophy scheme (SHS-1 set of 5RM, 1 set of 4RM, 1 set of 3RM, 1 set of 2RM, and 1set of 1RM with 3-minute rest periods, followed by 3 sets of 10RM with 2-minute rest periods) and a power scheme (PS-3 sets of 10 reps, 50% 1RM load, 3-minute rest periods) using the same exercises (bench press, squat, and biceps curl). Saliva samples were collected at 07:30 hours, pre-exercise (Pre) at 09:30 hours, postexercise (Post), and at 17:30 hours. Matching samples were also taken on a nonexercising control day. The samples were analyzed for testosterone, cortisol (C), and immunoglobulin A concentrations. The total volume of load lifted differed among the 3 schemes (SHS > ES > PS, p < 0.05). Postexercise C concentrations increased after all schemes, compared to control values (p < 0.05). In the SHS, the postexercise C response was also greater than pre-exercise data (p < 0.05). The current findings confirm that high-volume resistance exercise schemes can stimulate greater C secretion because of higher metabolic demand. In terms of practical applications, acute changes in C may be used to evaluate the metabolic demands of different resistance exercise schemes, or as a tool for monitoring training strain.
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Maia, Lígia de A; Samary, Cynthia S; Oliveira, Milena V; Santos, Cintia L; Huhle, Robert; Capelozzi, Vera L; Morales, Marcelo M; Schultz, Marcus J; Abreu, Marcelo G; Pelosi, Paolo; Silva, Pedro L; Rocco, Patricia Rieken Macedo
2017-10-01
Intraoperative mechanical ventilation may yield lung injury. To date, there is no consensus regarding the best ventilator strategy for abdominal surgery. We aimed to investigate the impact of the mechanical ventilation strategies used in 2 recent trials (Intraoperative Protective Ventilation [IMPROVE] trial and Protective Ventilation using High versus Low PEEP [PROVHILO] trial) on driving pressure (ΔPRS), mechanical power, and lung damage in a model of open abdominal surgery. Thirty-five Wistar rats were used, of which 28 were anesthetized, and a laparotomy was performed with standardized bowel manipulation. Postoperatively, animals (n = 7/group) were randomly assigned to 4 hours of ventilation with: (1) tidal volume (VT) = 7 mL/kg and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) = 1 cm H2O without recruitment maneuvers (RMs) (low VT/low PEEP/RM-), mimicking the low-VT/low-PEEP strategy of PROVHILO; (2) VT = 7 mL/kg and PEEP = 3 cm H2O with RMs before laparotomy and hourly thereafter (low VT/moderate PEEP/4 RM+), mimicking the protective ventilation strategy of IMPROVE; (3) VT = 7 mL/kg and PEEP = 6 cm H2O with RMs only before laparotomy (low VT/high PEEP/1 RM+), mimicking the strategy used after intubation and before extubation in PROVHILO; or (4) VT = 14 mL/kg and PEEP = 1 cm H2O without RMs (high VT/low PEEP/RM-), mimicking conventional ventilation used in IMPROVE. Seven rats were not tracheotomized, operated, or mechanically ventilated, and constituted the healthy nonoperated and nonventilated controls. Low VT/moderate PEEP/4 RM+ and low VT/high PEEP/1 RM+, compared to low VT/low PEEP/RM- and high VT/low PEEP/RM-, resulted in lower ΔPRS (7.1 ± 0.8 and 10.2 ± 2.1 cm H2O vs 13.9 ± 0.9 and 16.9 ± 0.8 cm H2O, respectively; P< .001) and less mechanical power (63 ± 7 and 79 ± 20 J/min vs 110 ± 10 and 120 ± 20 J/min, respectively; P = .007). Low VT/high PEEP/1 RM+ was associated with less alveolar collapse than low VT/low PEEP/RM- (P = .03). E-cadherin expression was higher in low VT/moderate PEEP/4 RM+ than in low VT/low PEEP/RM- (P = .013) or high VT/low PEEP/RM- (P = .014). The extent of alveolar collapse, E-cadherin expression, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha correlated with ΔPRS (r = 0.54 [P = .02], r = -0.48 [P = .05], and r = 0.59 [P = .09], respectively) and mechanical power (r = 0.57 [P = .02], r = -0.54 [P = .02], and r = 0.48 [P = .04], respectively). In this model of open abdominal surgery based on the mechanical ventilation strategies used in IMPROVE and PROVHILO trials, lower mechanical power and its surrogate ΔPRS were associated with reduced lung damage.
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Complete genome sequence of salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Thompson Strain RM6836
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Thompson (S. Thompson) strain RM6836 was isolated from lettuce in 2002. We report the complete sequence and annotation of the genome of S. Thompson strain RM6836. This is the first reported complete genome sequence for S. Thompson and will provide a point ...
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Genetic diversity of the HpyC1I restriction modification system in Helicobacter pylori.
Lehours, Philippe; Dupouy, Sandrine; Chaineux, Julien; Ruskoné-Fourmestraux, Agnès; Delchier, Jean-Charles; Morgner, Andrea; Mégraud, Francis; Ménard, Armelle
2007-04-01
Helicobacter pylori is unique because of the unusually high number and diversity of its restriction modification (R-M) systems. HpyC1I R-M was recently characterized and contains an endonuclease which is an isoschizomer of the endonuclease BccI. This R-M is involved in adherence to gastric epithelial cells, a crucial step in bacterial pathogenesis. This observation illustrates the fact that R-M systems have other putative biological functions in addition to protecting the bacterial genome from external DNA. The genomic diversity of HpyC1I R-M was evaluated more precisely on a large collection of H. pylori strains by PCR, susceptibility to BccI digestion and sequencing. The results obtained support the mechanism of gain and loss of this R-M system in the H. pylori genome, and suggest that it is an ancestral system which gradually disappears during H. pylori evolution, following successive steps: (1) inactivation of the endonuclease gene, followed or accompanied by: (2) inactivation of the methyltransferase genes, and then: (3) definitive loss, leaving only short endonuclease remnant sequences.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Yan, F.; Zhao, G.; Fosbury, R. A. E.
Due to stellar rotation, the observed radial velocity of a star varies during the transit of a planet across its surface, a phenomenon known as the Rossiter–McLaughlin (RM) effect. The amplitude of the RM effect is related to the radius of the planet which, because of differential absorption in the planetary atmosphere, depends on wavelength. Therefore, the wavelength-dependent RM effect can be used to probe the planetary atmosphere. We measure for the first time the RM effect of the Earth transiting the Sun using a lunar eclipse observed with the ESO High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher spectrograph. We analyzemore » the observed RM effect at different wavelengths to obtain the transmission spectrum of the Earth’s atmosphere after the correction of the solar limb-darkening and the convective blueshift. The ozone Chappuis band absorption as well as the Rayleigh scattering features are clearly detectable with this technique. Our observation demonstrates that the RM effect can be an effective technique for exoplanet atmosphere characterization. Its particular asset is that photometric reference stars are not required, circumventing the principal challenge for transmission spectroscopy studies of exoplanet atmospheres using large ground-based telescopes.« less
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Remote Monitoring for Follow-up of Patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices
Morichelli, Loredana; Varma, Niraj
2014-01-01
Follow-up of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices is challenging due to the increasing number and technical complexity of devices coupled to increasing clinical complexity of patients. Remote monitoring (RM) offers the opportunity to optimise clinic workflow and to improve device monitoring and patient management. Several randomised clinical trials and registries have demonstrated that RM may reduce number of hospital visits, time required for patient follow-up, physician and nurse time, hospital and social costs. Furthermore, patient retention and adherence to follow-up schedule are significantly improved by RM. Continuous wireless monitoring of data stored in the device memory with automatic alerts allows early detection of device malfunctions and of events requiring clinical reaction, such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure. Early reaction may improve patient outcome. RM is easy to use and patients showed a high level of acceptance and satisfaction. Implementing RM in daily practice may require changes in clinic workflow. To this purpose, new organisational models have been introduced. In spite of a favourable cost:benefit ratio, RM reimbursement still represents an issue in several European countries. PMID:26835079
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An Analysis of the Folk Artist in Education Program.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Congdon, Kristin G.
1986-01-01
Discussed are (1) the goals and practices of the Folk Artist in Education (FAIE) program, (2) the FAIE in relationship to the Artist in Education program criticisms, (3) improving FAIE programs, and (4) reasons for its support. (RM)
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Zitrin, Adi; Seitz, Stella; Monna, Anna; ...
2017-04-10
Since galaxy clusters sit at the high end of the mass function, the number of galaxy clusters both massive and concentrated enough to yield particularly large Einstein radii poses useful constraints on cosmological and structure formation models. To date, less than a handful of clusters are known to have Einstein radii exceedingmore » $$\\sim 40^{\\prime\\prime} $$ (for a source at $${z}_{s}\\simeq 2$$, nominally). Here, we report an addition to that list of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) selected cluster, PLCK G287.0+32.9 (z = 0.38), the second-highest SZ-mass (M 500) cluster from the Planck catalog. We present the first strong-lensing analysis of the cluster, identifying 20 sets of multiply imaged galaxies and candidates in new Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) data, including a long, $$l\\sim 22^{\\prime\\prime} $$ giant arc, as well as a quadruply imaged, apparently bright (magnified to $${J}_{{\\rm{F}}110{\\rm{W}}}=25.3$$ AB), likely high-redshift dropout galaxy at $${z}_{\\mathrm{phot}}=6.90$$ [6.13–8.43] (95% C.I.). Our analysis reveals a very large critical area (1.55 arcmin2, $${z}_{s}\\simeq 2$$), corresponding to an effective Einstein radius of $${\\theta }_{{\\rm{E}}}\\sim 42^{\\prime\\prime} $$. Furthermore, the model suggests the critical area will expand to 2.58 arcmin2 ($${\\theta }_{{\\rm{E}}}\\sim 54^{\\prime\\prime} $$) for sources at $${z}_{s}\\sim 10$$. Our work adds to recent efforts to model very massive clusters toward the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, in order to identify the most useful cosmic lenses for studying the early universe. Spectroscopic redshifts for the multiply imaged galaxies and additional HST data will be necessary for refining the lens model and verifying the nature of the $$z\\sim 7$$ dropout.« less
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zitrin, Adi; Seitz, Stella; Monna, Anna
Since galaxy clusters sit at the high end of the mass function, the number of galaxy clusters both massive and concentrated enough to yield particularly large Einstein radii poses useful constraints on cosmological and structure formation models. To date, less than a handful of clusters are known to have Einstein radii exceedingmore » $$\\sim 40^{\\prime\\prime} $$ (for a source at $${z}_{s}\\simeq 2$$, nominally). Here, we report an addition to that list of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) selected cluster, PLCK G287.0+32.9 (z = 0.38), the second-highest SZ-mass (M 500) cluster from the Planck catalog. We present the first strong-lensing analysis of the cluster, identifying 20 sets of multiply imaged galaxies and candidates in new Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) data, including a long, $$l\\sim 22^{\\prime\\prime} $$ giant arc, as well as a quadruply imaged, apparently bright (magnified to $${J}_{{\\rm{F}}110{\\rm{W}}}=25.3$$ AB), likely high-redshift dropout galaxy at $${z}_{\\mathrm{phot}}=6.90$$ [6.13–8.43] (95% C.I.). Our analysis reveals a very large critical area (1.55 arcmin2, $${z}_{s}\\simeq 2$$), corresponding to an effective Einstein radius of $${\\theta }_{{\\rm{E}}}\\sim 42^{\\prime\\prime} $$. Furthermore, the model suggests the critical area will expand to 2.58 arcmin2 ($${\\theta }_{{\\rm{E}}}\\sim 54^{\\prime\\prime} $$) for sources at $${z}_{s}\\sim 10$$. Our work adds to recent efforts to model very massive clusters toward the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, in order to identify the most useful cosmic lenses for studying the early universe. Spectroscopic redshifts for the multiply imaged galaxies and additional HST data will be necessary for refining the lens model and verifying the nature of the $$z\\sim 7$$ dropout.« less
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Lee, Eun Young; Lee, Hwan Young; Kwon, So Yeun; Oh, Yu Na; Yang, Woo Ick; Shin, Kyoung-Jin
2017-01-01
In forensic science and human genetics, Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) have been used as very useful markers. Recently, more Y-STR markers have been analyzed to enhance the resolution power in haplotype analysis, and 13 rapidly mutating (RM) Y-STRs have been suggested as revolutionary tools that can widen Y-chromosomal application from paternal lineage differentiation to male individualization. We have constructed two multiplex PCR sets for the amplification of 13 RM Y-STRs, which yield small-sized amplicons (<400bp) and a more balanced PCR efficiency with minimum PCR cycling. In particular, with the developed multiplex PCR system, we could separate three copies of DYF403S1a into two copies of DYF403S1a and one of DYF403S1b1. This is because DYF403S1b1 possesses distinguishable sequences from DYF403S1a at both the front and rear flanking regions of the repeat motif; therefore, the locus could be separately amplified using sequence-specific primers. In addition, the other copy, defined as DYF403S1b by Ballantyne et al., was renamed DYF403S1b2 because of its similar flanking region sequence to DYF403S1b1. By redefining DYF403S1 with the developed multiplex system, all genotypes of four copies could be successfully typed and more diverse haplotypes were obtained. We analyzed haplotype distributions in 705 Korean males based on four different Y-STR subsets: Yfiler, PowerPlex Y23, Yfiler Plus, and RM Y-STRs. All haplotypes obtained from RM Y-STRs were the most diverse and showed strong discriminatory power in Korean population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Food processing by animals: do beavers leach tree bark to improve palatability?
Müller-Schwarze, D; Brashear, H; Kinnel, R; Hintz, K A; Lioubomirov, A; Skibo, C
2001-05-01
Beavers store and consume tree parts in the bodies of water where they live. We examined whether such soaking renders food more palatable by leaching out undesirable compounds. In experiment 1, saplings of red maple, Acer rubrum (RM), were first soaked in a pond for periods of 2, 18, and 36 days, then offered to free-ranging beavers. Soaking for two days rendered RM slightly more acceptable to beavers. To further examine the time window around two days, RM sticks were soaked in distilled water in the laboratory for 1, 2, 4, and 6 days before presenting them to beavers (experiment 2). In experiment 3, twigs of three species were placed on land. Beavers placed RM in the water for 1 to 3 days before consuming the twigs. In experiment 4, sticks were provided in the water at Cranberry Lake Biological Station (CLBS). Most quaking aspen (QA) was consumed during the first night, and most witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana (WH), during the third night. At Allegany State Park (ASP), no such difference was found. Twigs were provided in the water in experiment 5. At ASP, WH was taken after three days in the water, and at CLBS little WH was consumed, and only during the third night. A meta-analysis of all experiments shows that relatively more WH is consumed after two days than any other species. Experiment 6 traced the time beavers left their own harvested branches in the water. Unlike other tree species, WH remained in the water for two to four days before being consumed. Experiment 7 measured the phenolics leached into water from RM twigs and small pieces of bark soaked for 10 and 8 days, respectively. Shredded bark lost 50-60% of leachable phenolics into the water, and twigs 70-80%. We conclude that beavers can use water to leach undesirable compounds from their food. Although this effect was not robust, our study is the first of its kind.
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Lüthje, Lars; Vollmann, Dirk; Seegers, Joachim; Sohns, Christian; Hasenfuß, Gerd; Zabel, Markus
2015-08-01
Only limited comparative data exist on the benefits of fluid monitoring (FM) combined with remote monitoring (RM) regarding morbidity and mortality of heart failure (HF) patients. This prospective single-centre randomized pilot study aimed to estimate the influence of RM in combination with FM on HF hospitalizations as well as ventricular tachyarrhythmias and mortality. Patients with standard indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy and defibrillator were implanted with devices capable of RM and FM, and were followed for 15 months. Subjects were randomly allocated to RM including OptiVol and predefined management of alerts (remote group), or standard in-office visits every 3 months (control group). A total of 176 patients (77% male; 66 ± 12 years; left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 32 ± 11%; ischemic cardiomyopathy 50%; CRT device 50%; primary prevention 85%) were analysed. Cox proportional hazard analysis on the time to first HF-related hospitalization showed a hazard ratio of 1.23 [0.62-2.44] (P = 0.551) favouring the control group. In the remote group, 13 patients (15%) experienced ICD shocks vs. 10 patients (11%) in the control group (P = 0.512). The average time to first ICD shock was 212 ± 173 days in the remote arm and 212 ± 143 days in the control arm (P = 0.994). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of mortality after 1 year was 8.6% (eight deaths) in the remote group vs. 4.6% in the control group (six deaths; P = 0.502). In a single-centre randomized pilot study of RM in combination with FM, no significant influence on HF-related hospitalizations, ICD shocks, or mortality was found. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Jeon, Se Jeong; Lee, Jae Il; Jeon, Myung Jae; Lee, Maria
2016-01-01
Abstract Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA) is a side effect that occurs in patients with breast cancer (BC) as a result of chemotherapy. These patients require special treatments to avoid infertility and menopause. However, the factors controlling CIA, resumption of menstruation (RM), and persistence of menstruation after chemotherapy are unknown. The long-term prognosis for premenopausal patients with BC and the prognostic factors associated with CIA and RM are subject to debate. We performed a retrospective study by reviewing the medical records of 249 patients with BC (stage I to stage III) who were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy. The median patient age was 43 (range, 26–55 years) and the median duration of follow-up was 64 months (range, 28–100 months). The medical records indicated that 219 patients (88.0%) scored as positive for the hormone receptor (HR); the majority of these patients completed chemotherapy and then received additional therapy of tamoxifen. Our analyses revealed that 88.0% (n = 219) of patients experienced CIA, and the percentage of RM during follow-up was 48.6% (n = 121). A total of 30 patients (12.0%) did not experience CIA. Disease-free survival (DFS) was affected by several factors, including tumour size ≥2 cm, node positivity, HR negative status, and body mass index ≥23 kg/m2. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumour size ≥2 cm remained as a significant factor for DFS (hazard ratio = 3.3, P = 0.034). In summary, this study finds that the majority of premenopausal patients with BC (stage I to stage III) who receive chemotherapy experience CIA and subsequent RM. Although tumour size ≥2 cm is negatively associated with DFS, RM after CIA is not associated with poor prognosis. PMID:27057900
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Zhang, Fan; Hu, Jing; Kelsey, Chris R; Yoo, David; Yin, Fang-Fang; Cai, Jing
2012-11-01
To evaluate the reproducibility of tumor motion probability distribution function (PDF) in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of lung cancer using cine megavoltage (MV) images. Cine MV images of 20 patients acquired during three-dimensional conformal (6-11 beams) SBRT treatments were retrospectively analyzed to extract tumor motion trajectories. For each patient, tumor motion PDFs were generated per fraction (PDF(n)) using three selected "usable" beams. Patients without at least three usable beams were excluded from the study. Fractional PDF reproducibility (R(n)) was calculated as the Dice similarity coefficient between PDF(n) to a "ground-truth" PDF (PDF(g)), which was generated using the selected beams of all fractions. The mean of R(n), labeled as R(m), was calculated for each patient and correlated to the patient's mean tumor motion rang (A(m)). Change of R(m) during the course of SBRT treatments was also evaluated. Intra- and intersubject coefficient of variation (CV) of R(m) and A(m) were determined. Thirteen patients had at least three usable beams and were analyzed. The mean of R(m) was 0.87 (range, 0.84-0.95). The mean of A(m) was 3.18 mm (range, 0.46-7.80 mm). R(m) was found to decrease as A(m) increases following an equation of R(m) = 0.17e(-0.9Am) + 0.84. R(m) also decreased slightly throughout the course of treatments. Intersubject CV of R(m) (0.05) was comparable to intrasubject CV of R(m) (range, 0.02-0.09); intersubject CV of A(m) (0.73) was significantly greater than intrasubject CV of A(m) (range, 0.09-0.24). Tumor motion PDF can be determined using cine MV images acquired during the treatments. The reproducibility of lung tumor motion PDF decreased exponentially as the tumor motion range increased and decreased slightly throughout the course of the treatments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Mejia, Raul; Pérez, Adriana; Peña, Lorena; Morello, Paola; Kollath-Cattano, Christy; Braun, Sandra; Thrasher, James F; Sargent, James D
2016-04-01
To assess the independent relation between parental restrictions on mature-rated media (M-RM) and substance use among South American adolescents. Cross-sectional school-based youth survey of 3,172 students (mean age, 12.8 years; 57.6% boys) in 3 large Argentinean cities. The anonymous survey queried tobacco, alcohol, and drug use using items adapted from global youth surveys. Adolescents reported M-RM restriction for internet and video game use, television programming, and movies rated for adults. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between parental M-RM restriction and substance use after adjustment for hourly media use, measures of authoritative parenting style, sociodemographic characteristics, and sensation-seeking. Substance use rates were 10% for current smoking, 32% for current drinking alcohol, 17% for past 30-day binge drinking, and 8% for illicit drug use (marijuana or cocaine). Half of the respondents reported parental M-RM restriction (internet 52%, TV 43%, adult movies 34%, video game 25%). Parental M-RM restriction was only modestly correlated with authoritative parenting measures. In multivariate analyses M-RM restriction on all 4 venues was strongly protective for all substance use outcomes. Compared with no restriction, odds ratios for substance use for full restrictions were 0.32 (0.18-0.59), 0.53 (0.38-0.07), 0.36 (0.22-0.59), and 0.49 (0.26-0.92) for current smoking, drinking, binge drinking, and illicit drug use, respectively. The most important single M-RM venue was movies. Results of this study confirmed the protective association between parental M-RM restriction during adolescence and multiple substance use outcomes, including illicit drugs. M-RM restriction is independent of traditional parenting measures. The preponderance of the evidence supports intervention development. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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mRM - multiscale Routing Model for Land Surface and Hydrologic Models
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cuntz, M.; Thober, S.; Mai, J.; Samaniego, L. E.; Gochis, D. J.; Kumar, R.
2015-12-01
Routing streamflow through a river network is a basic step within any distributed hydrologic model. It integrates the generated runoff and allows comparison with observed discharge at the outlet of a catchment. The Muskingum routing is a textbook river routing scheme that has been implemented in Earth System Models (e.g., WRF-HYDRO), stand-alone routing schemes (e.g., RAPID), and hydrologic models (e.g., the mesoscale Hydrologic Model). Most implementations suffer from a high computational demand because the spatial routing resolution is fixed to that of the elevation model irrespective of the hydrologic modeling resolution. This is because the model parameters are scale-dependent and cannot be used at other resolutions without re-estimation. Here, we present the multiscale Routing Model (mRM) that allows for a flexible choice of the routing resolution. mRM exploits the Multiscale Parameter Regionalization (MPR) included in the open-source mesoscale Hydrologic Model (mHM, www.ufz.de/mhm) that relates model parameters to physiographic properties and allows to estimate scale-independent model parameters. mRM is currently coupled to mHM and is presented here as stand-alone Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). The mRM source code is highly modular and provides a subroutine for internal re-use in any land surface scheme. mRM is coupled in this work to the state-of-the-art land surface model Noah-MP. Simulation results using mRM are compared with those available in WRF-HYDRO for the Red River during the period 1990-2000. mRM allows to increase the routing resolution from 100m to more than 10km without deteriorating the model performance. Therefore, it speeds up model calculation by reducing the contribution of routing to total runtime from over 80% to less than 5% in the case of WRF-HYDRO. mRM thus makes discharge data available to land surface modeling with only little extra calculations.
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Free, Brian A; Paley, Derek A
2018-03-14
Obstacles and swimming fish in flow create a wake with an alternating left/right vortex pattern known as a Kármán vortex street and reverse Kármán vortex street, respectively. An energy-efficient fish behavior resembling slaloming through the vortex street is called Kármán gaiting. This paper describes the use of a bioinspired array of pressure sensors on a Joukowski foil to estimate and control flow-relative position in a Kármán vortex street using potential flow theory, recursive Bayesian filtering, and trajectory-tracking feedback control. The Joukowski foil is fixed in downstream position in a flowing water channel and free to move on air bearings in the cross-stream direction by controlling its angle of attack to generate lift. Inspired by the lateral-line neuromasts found in fish, the sensing and control scheme is validated using off-the-shelf pressure sensors in an experimental testbed that includes a flapping device to create vortices. We derive a potential flow model that describes the flow over a Joukowski foil in a Kármán vortex street and identify an optimal path through a Kármán vortex street using empirical observability. The optimally observable trajectory is one that passes through each vortex in the street. The estimated vorticity and location of the Kármán vortex street are used in a closed-loop control to track either the optimally observable path or the energetically efficient gait exhibited by fish. Results from the closed-loop control experiments in the flow tank show that the artificial lateral line in conjunction with a potential flow model and Bayesian estimator allow the robot to perform fish-like slaloming behavior in a Kármán vortex street. This work is a precursor to an autonomous robotic fish sensing the wake of another fish and/or performing pursuit and schooling behavior.
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RPE and Velocity Relationships for the Back Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift in Powerlifters.
Helms, Eric R; Storey, Adam; Cross, Matt R; Brown, Scott R; Lenetsky, Seth; Ramsay, Hamish; Dillen, Carolina; Zourdos, Michael C
2017-02-01
Helms, ER, Storey, A, Cross, MR, Browm, SR, Lenetsky, S, Ramsay, H, Dillen, C, and Zourdos, MC. RPE and velocity relationships for the back squat, bench press, and deadlift in powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 292-297, 2017-The purpose of this study was to compare average concentric velocity (ACV) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) based on repetitions in reserve on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Fifteen powerlifters (3 women and 12 men, mean age 28.4 ± 8.5 years) worked up to a one repetition maximum (1RM) on each lift. Rating of perceived exertion was recorded on all sets, and the ACV was recorded for all sets performed at 80% of estimated 1RM and higher, up to 1RM. Rating of perceived exertion at 1RM on squat, bench press, and deadlift was 9.6 ± 0.5, 9.7 ± 0.4, and 9.6 ± 0.5, respectively and was not significantly different (p > 0.05). The ACV at 1RM on squat, bench press and deadlift was 0.23 ± 0.05, 0.10 ± 0.04, and 0.14 ± 0.05 m·second, respectively. Squat was faster than both bench press and deadlift (p > 0.001), and deadlift was faster than bench press (p = 0.05). Very strong relationships (r = 0.88-0.91) between percentage 1RM and RPE were observed on each lift. The ACV showed strong (r = -0.79 to -0.87) and very strong (r = -0.90 to 92) inverse relationships with RPE and percentage 1RM on each lift, respectively. We conclude that RPE may be a useful tool for prescribing intensity for squat, bench press, and deadlift in powerlifters, in addition to traditional methods such as percentage of 1RM. Despite high correlations between percentage 1RM and ACV, a "velocity load profile" should be developed to prescribe intensity on an individual basis with appropriate accuracy.
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Roller Massage: A Descriptive Survey of Allied Health Professionals.
Cheatham, Scott W
2018-04-13
In sports medicine, the interprofessional care of athletes has become a frequent practice. This type of care often involves different interventions used among professionals. One common intervention prescribed is roller massage (RM) or self-myofascial release. The trends in the use of RM among allied health professionals is non-existent. The surveillance of such responses has not been documented. To survey and document responses in the knowledge, clinical application, and use of RM devices among allied health professionals in the United States. Cross-sectional descriptive survey study. A 20 question survey was sent to allied health professionals including physical therapists, athletic trainers, and fitness professionals. The survey covered topics such as demographics, beliefs about RM, preferred devices, exercise prescription, and client education. Results One thousand forty-two professionals (N=1042) completed the survey. Most respondents believed that RM decreases pain (82%) and increases mobility (76%). A high percentage use a foam roller in their practice (81%), recommend a full-size foam roller (49%), and believe the medium density (48%) is the most effective. A high proportion of respondents prescribe RM for injury treatment (69%) and for pre-and post-exercise (61%). They also recommend rolling daily for 30 seconds to 2 minutes per muscle group (33%) at a self-paced cadence (46%). A high percentage of respondents use patient reported outcomes (74%), joint ROM (49%), and movement-based testing (48%) to measure effects of RM. Eighty-seven percent use live instruction to educate clients and 88% believe there is a gap in the research. The results of this survey document responses in the use of RM among allied health professionals. The reported responses provide insight into how professionals are using RM as an intervention and the potential gaps between the research and professional practice. Future studies are needed to further validate these findings.
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Brown, Helen L; Reuter, Mark; Hanman, Kate; Betts, Roy P; van Vliet, Arnoud H M
2015-01-01
The fastidious nature of the foodborne bacterial pathogen Campylobacter jejuni contrasts with its ability to survive in the food chain. The formation of biofilms, or the integration into existing biofilms by C. jejuni, is thought to contribute to food chain survival. As extracellular DNA (eDNA) has previously been proposed to play a role in C. jejuni biofilms, we have investigated the role of extracellular DNases (eDNases) produced by C. jejuni in biofilm formation. A search of 2791 C. jejuni genomes highlighted that almost half of C. jejuni genomes contains at least one eDNase gene, but only a minority of isolates contains two or three of these eDNase genes, such as C. jejuni strain RM1221 which contains the cje0256, cje0566 and cje1441 eDNase genes. Strain RM1221 did not form biofilms, whereas the eDNase-negative strains NCTC 11168 and 81116 did. Incubation of pre-formed biofilms of NCTC 11168 with live C. jejuni RM1221 or with spent medium from a RM1221 culture resulted in removal of the biofilm. Inactivation of the cje1441 eDNase gene in strain RM1221 restored biofilm formation, and made the mutant unable to degrade biofilms of strain NCTC 11168. Finally, C. jejuni strain RM1221 was able to degrade genomic DNA from C. jejuni NCTC 11168, 81116 and RM1221, whereas strain NCTC 11168 and the RM1221 cje1441 mutant were unable to do so. This was mirrored by an absence of eDNA in overnight cultures of C. jejuni RM1221. This suggests that the activity of eDNases in C. jejuni affects biofilm formation and is not conducive to a biofilm lifestyle. These eDNases do however have a potential role in controlling biofilm formation by C. jejuni strains in food chain relevant environments.
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Preparation of Reference Material 8504, Transformer Oil
Poster, Dianne L.; Schantz, Michele M.; Wise, Stephen A.
2005-01-01
A new reference material (RM), RM 8504, has been prepared for use as a diluent oil with Aroclors in transformer oil Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) 3075 to 3080 and SRM 3090 when developing and validating methods for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as Aroclors in transformer oil or similar matrices. SRMs 3075-3080 and SRM 3090 consist of individual Aroclors in the same transformer oil that was used to prepare RM 8504. A unit of RM 8504 consists of one bottle containing approximately 100 mL of transformer oil. No additional constituents have been added to the oil. PMID:27308183
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PET Using a GRPR Antagonist 68Ga-RM26 in Healthy Volunteers and Prostate Cancer Patients.
Zhang, Jingjing; Niu, Gang; Fan, Xinrong; Lang, Lixin; Hou, Guozhu; Chen, Libo; Wu, Huanwen; Zhu, Zhaohui; Li, Fang; Chen, Xiaoyuan
2018-06-01
This study was designed to analyze the safety, biodistribution, and radiation dosimetry of a gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) antagonist PET tracer, 68 Ga-RM26; to assess its clinical diagnostic value in prostate cancer patients; and to perform a direct comparison between GRPR antagonist 68 Ga-RM26 and agonist 68 Ga-BBN. Methods: Five healthy volunteers were enrolled to validate the safety of 68 Ga-RM26 and calculate dosimetry. A total of 28 patients with prostate cancer (17 newly diagnosed and 11 posttherapy) were recruited and provided written informed consent. All the cancer patients underwent PET/CT at 15-30 min after intravenous injection of 1.85 MBq (0.05 mCi) per kilogram of body weight of 68 Ga-RM26. Among them, 22 patients (11 newly diagnosed and 11 posttherapy) underwent 68 Ga-BBN PET/CT for comparison within 1 wk. 99m Tc-MDP (methylene diphosphonate) bone scans were obtained within 2 wk for comparison. GRPR immunohistochemical staining of tumor samples was performed. Results: The administration of 68 Ga-M26 was well tolerated by all subjects, with no adverse symptoms being noticed or reported during the procedure and at 2-wk follow-up. The total effective dose equivalent and effective dose were 0.0912 ± 0.0140 and 0.0657 ± 0.0124 mSv/MBq, respectively. In the 17 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer, 68 Ga-RM26 PET/CT showed positive prostate-confined findings in 15 tumors with an SUV max of 6.49 ± 2.37. In the 11 patients who underwent prostatectomy or brachytherapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy, 68 Ga-RM26 PET/CT detected 8 metastatic lymph nodes in 3 patients with an SUV max of 4.28 ± 1.25 and 21 bone lesions in 8 patients with an SUV max of 3.90 ± 3.07. Compared with 68 Ga-RM26 PET/CT, GRPR agonist 68 Ga-BBN PET/CT detected fewer primary lesions and lymph node metastases as well as demonstrated lower tracer accumulation. There was a significant positive correlation between SUV derived from 68 Ga-RM26 PET and the expression level of GRPR ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study indicates the safety and significant efficiency of GRPR antagonist 68 Ga-RM26. 68 Ga-RM26 PET/CT would have remarkable value in detecting both primary prostate cancer and metastasis. 68 Ga-RM26 is also expected to be better than GRPR agonist as an imaging marker to evaluate GRPR expression in prostate cancer. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
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Nonuniform continuum model for solvatochromism based on frozen-density embedding theory.
Shedge, Sapana Vitthal; Wesolowski, Tomasz A
2014-10-20
Frozen-density embedding theory (FDET) provides the formal framework for multilevel numerical simulations, such that a selected subsystem is described at the quantum mechanical level, whereas its environment is described by means of the electron density (frozen density; ${\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)}$). The frozen density ${\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)}$ is usually obtained from some lower-level quantum mechanical methods applied to the environment, but FDET is not limited to such choices for ${\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)}$. The present work concerns the application of FDET, in which ${\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)}$ is the statistically averaged electron density of the solvent ${\\left\\langle {\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)} \\right\\rangle }$. The specific solute-solvent interactions are represented in a statistical manner in ${\\left\\langle {\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)} \\right\\rangle }$. A full self-consistent treatment of solvated chromophore, thus involves a single geometry of the chromophore in a given state and the corresponding ${\\left\\langle {\\rho _{\\rm{B}} (\\vec r)} \\right\\rangle }$. We show that the coupling between the two descriptors might be made in an approximate manner that is applicable for both absorption and emission. The proposed protocol leads to accurate (error in the range of 0.05 eV) descriptions of the solvatochromic shifts in both absorption and emission. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Thisgaard, Helge; Rosenström, Ulrika; Dam, Johan Hygum; Larhed, Mats
2017-01-01
High gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) expression is associated with numerous cancers including prostate and breast cancer. The aim of the current study was to develop a 55Co-labeled PET agent based on GRPR antagonist RM26 for visualization of GRPR-expressing tumors. Labeling with 57Co and 55Co, stability, binding specificity, and in vitro and in vivo characteristics of 57Co-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 were studied. NOTA-PEG2-RM26 was successfully radiolabeled with 57Co and 55Co with high yields and demonstrated high stability. The radiopeptide showed retained binding specificity to GRPR in vitro and in vivo. 57Co-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 biodistribution in mice was characterized by rapid clearance of radioactivity from blood and normal non-GRPR-expressing organs and low hepatic uptake. The clearance was predominantly renal with a low degree of radioactivity reabsorption. Tumor-to-blood ratios were approximately 200 (3 h pi) and 1000 (24 h pi). The favorable biodistribution of cobalt-labeled NOTA-PEG2-RM26 translated into high contrast preclinical PET/CT (using 55Co) and SPECT/CT (using 57Co) images of PC-3 xenografts. The initial biological results suggest that 55Co-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 is a promising tracer for PET visualization of GRPR-expressing tumors. PMID:29097932
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A comparison of muscle activation between a Smith machine and free weight bench press.
Schick, Evan E; Coburn, Jared W; Brown, Lee E; Judelson, Daniel A; Khamoui, Andy V; Tran, Tai T; Uribe, Brandon P
2010-03-01
The bench press exercise exists in multiple forms including the machine and free weight bench press. It is not clear though how each mode differs in its effect on muscle activation. The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activation of the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, and pectoralis major during a Smith machine and free weight bench press at lower (70% 1 repetition maximum [1RM]) and higher (90% 1RM) intensities. Normalized electromyography amplitude values were used during the concentric phase of the bench press to compare muscle activity between a free weight and Smith machine bench press. Participants were classified as either experienced or inexperienced bench pressers. Two testing sessions were used, each of which entailed either all free weight or all Smith machine testing. In each testing session, each participant's 1RM was established followed by 2 repetitions at 70% of 1RM and 2 repetitions at 90% of 1RM. Results indicated greater activation of the medial deltoid on the free weight bench press than on the Smith machine bench press. Also, there was greater muscle activation at the 90% 1RM load than at the 70% 1RM load. The results of this study suggest that strength coaches should consider choosing the free weight bench press over the Smith machine bench press because of its potential for greater upper-body muscular development.
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Regional climate engineering by radiation management: Prerequisites and prospects
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Quaas, Johannes; Quaas, Martin F.; Boucher, Olivier; Rickels, Wilfried
2016-12-01
Radiation management (RM), as an option to engineer the climate, is highly controversial and suffers from a number of ethical and regulatory concerns, usually studied in the context of the objective to mitigate the global mean temperature. In this article, we discuss the idea that RM can be differentiated and scaled in several dimensions with potential objectives being to influence a certain climate parameter in a specific region. Some short-lived climate forcers (e.g., tropospheric aerosols) exhibit strong geographical and temporal variability, potentially leading to limited-area climate responses. Marine cloud brightening and thinning or dissolution of cirrus clouds could be operated at a rather local scale. It is therefore conceivable that such schemes could be applied with the objective to influence the climate at a regional scale. From a governance perspective, it is desirable to avoid any substantial climate effects of regional RM outside the target region. This, however, could prove impossible for a sustained, long-term RM. In turn, regional RM during limited time periods could prove more feasible without effects beyond the target area. It may be attractive as it potentially provides the opportunity to target the suppression of some extreme events such as heat waves. Research is needed on the traceability of regional RM, for example, using detection and attribution methods. Incentives and implications of regional RM need to be examined, and new governance options have to be conceived.
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Reliability Practice at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Pruessner, Paula S.; Li, Ming
2008-01-01
This paper describes in brief the Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) Programs performed directly by the reliability branch at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The mission assurance requirements flow down is explained. GSFC practices for PRA, reliability prediction/fault tree analysis/reliability block diagram, FMEA, part stress and derating analysis, worst case analysis, trend analysis, limit life items are presented. Lessons learned are summarized and recommendations on improvement are identified.
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-03-21
... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. RM07-16-000; RM01-5-000; RM12-3-000] Filing via the Internet; Electronic Tariff Filings; Revisions to Electric Quarterly Report Filing Process; Notice of Technical Conference Take notice that on April 16, 2013, the staff of the...
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Bigham, Abigail W.; Kiyamu, Melisa; León-Velarde, Fabiola; Parra, Esteban J.; Rivera-Ch, Maria; Shriver, Mark D.
2008-01-01
Abstract Bigham, Abigail W., Melisa Kiyamu, Fabiola León-Verlarde, Esteban J. Parra, Maria Rivera-Ch, Mark D. Shriver, and Tom D. Brutsaert. Angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype and arterial oxygen saturation at high altitude in Peruvian Quechua. High Alt. Med. Biol. 9:167–178, 2008.—The I-allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism has been associated with performance benefits at high altitude (HA). In n = 142 young males and females of largely Quechua origins in Peru, we evaluated 3 specific hypotheses with regard to the HA benefits of the I-allele: (1) the I-allele is associated with higher arterial oxygen saturation (\\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document}) at HA, (2) the I-allele effect depends on the acclimatization state of the subjects, and (3) the putative I-allele effect on \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document} is mediated by the isocapnic hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR, \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$$1 / {\\rm min}^{- 1} / \\%{\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}{- 1}$$\\end{document}). The subject participants comprised two different study groups including BLA subjects (born at low altitude) who were lifelong sea-level residents transiently exposed to hypobaric hypoxia (<24 h) and BHA subjects (born at HA) who were lifelong residents of HA. To control for the possibility of population stratification, Native American ancestry proportion (NAAP) was estimated as a covariate for each individual using a panel of 70 ancestry-informative molecular markers (AIMS). At HA, resting and exercise \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document} was strongly associated with the ACE genotype, p = 0.008 with ∼4% of the total variance in \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document} attributed to ACE genotype. Moreover, I/I individuals maintained ∼2.3 percentage point higher \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document} compared to I/D and D/D. This I-allele effect was evident in both BLA and BHA groups, suggesting that acclimatization state has little influence on the phenotypic expression of the ACE gene. Finally, ACE genotype was not associated with the isocapnic HVR, although HVR had a strong independent effect on \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document} (p = 0.001). This suggests that the I-allele effect on \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland,xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$${\\rm Sa}_{\\rm O_2}$$\\end{document} is not mediated by the peripheral control of breathing, but rather by some other central cardiopulmonary effect of the ACE gene on the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS). PMID:18578648
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Robino, C; Ralf, A; Pasino, S; De Marchi, M R; Ballantyne, K N; Barbaro, A; Bini, C; Carnevali, E; Casarino, L; Di Gaetano, C; Fabbri, M; Ferri, G; Giardina, E; Gonzalez, A; Matullo, G; Nutini, A L; Onofri, V; Piccinini, A; Piglionica, M; Ponzano, E; Previderè, C; Resta, N; Scarnicci, F; Seidita, G; Sorçaburu-Cigliero, S; Turrina, S; Verzeletti, A; Kayser, M
2015-03-01
Recently introduced rapidly mutating Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (RM Y-STR) loci, displaying a multiple-fold higher mutation rate relative to any other Y-STRs, including those conventionally used in forensic casework, have been demonstrated to improve the resolution of male lineage differentiation and to allow male relative separation usually impossible with standard Y-STRs. However, large and geographically-detailed frequency haplotype databases are required to estimate the statistical weight of RM Y-STR haplotype matches if observed in forensic casework. With this in mind, the Italian Working Group (GEFI) of the International Society for Forensic Genetics launched a collaborative exercise aimed at generating an Italian quality controlled forensic RM Y-STR haplotype database. Overall 1509 male individuals from 13 regional populations covering northern, central and southern areas of the Italian peninsula plus Sicily were collected, including both "rural" and "urban" samples classified according to population density in the sampling area. A subset of individuals was additionally genotyped for Y-STR loci included in the Yfiler and PowerPlex Y23 (PPY23) systems (75% and 62%, respectively), allowing the comparison of RM and conventional Y-STRs. Considering the whole set of 13 RM Y-STRs, 1501 unique haplotypes were observed among the 1509 sampled Italian men with a haplotype diversity of 0.999996, largely superior to Yfiler and PPY23 with 0.999914 and 0.999950, respectively. AMOVA indicated that 99.996% of the haplotype variation was within populations, confirming that genetic-geographic structure is almost undetected by RM Y-STRs. Haplotype sharing among regional Italian populations was not observed at all with the complete set of 13 RM Y-STRs. Haplotype sharing within Italian populations was very rare (0.27% non-unique haplotypes), and lower in urban (0.22%) than rural (0.29%) areas. Additionally, 422 father-son pairs were investigated, and 20.1% of them could be discriminated by the whole set of 13 RM Y-STRs, which was very close to the theoretically expected estimate of 19.5% given the mutation rates of the markers used. Results obtained from a high-coverage Italian haplotype dataset confirm on the regional scale the exceptional ability of RM Y-STRs to resolve male lineages previously observed globally, and attest the unsurpassed value of RM Y-STRs for male-relative differentiation purposes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brooks, Harold Burns
1995-01-01
The quinoprotein methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH), a type I copper protein, amicyanin, and cytochrome c _{55li} form a physiologic ternary complex (Chen et al. (1994) Science 264, 86-90) in which electrons are transferred from tryptophan tryptophylquinone to copper to heme. The reduction of MADH by rm H_3- and rm D_3 -methylamine, the reoxidation of MADH by amicyanin, and the reduction of cytochrome c_{55li } by reduced amicyanin in the presence of MADH have been studied by stopped-flow spectroscopy. When rm CD_3NH_2 was used as a substrate for MADH a deuterium kinetic isotope effect of 17.2 was measured for the hydrogen abstraction step. The maximum deuterium kinetic isotope effect that was measured in steady-state kinetic experiments was 3.0. The temperature dependencies of the rate constants for the reaction of methylamine with MADH were also determined. An iminosemiquinone intermediate for the oxidation of substrate-reduced MADH by amicyanin was detected using stopped-flow spectroscopy, and the presence of the substrate derived nitrogen was confirmed by electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy. Marcus theory, which was used to analyze the electron transfer reaction between the dithionite-generated redox forms of MADH and amicyanin, gave values of 218 kJ rm mol^{ -1} (2.3 eV) for the reorganizational energy (lambda ) and 11.6 rm cm^{-1} for the coupling rm (H_{AB}). In contrast, the oxidation of substrate-reduced MADH by amicyanin was a gated electron transfer reaction with values for DeltaH* of 76 kJ rm mol^ {-1} and DeltaS* of -41 J rm mol^{ -1} ^circ K^ {-1}. These studies are consistent with the formation of transient unstable intermediates preceeding electron transfer between MADH and amicyanin. Preliminary investigations of the ternary complex of MADH, amicyanin, and cytochrome c_{55li } suggest two distinct cytochrome c _{55li} binding sites on amicyanin. This conclusion is supported by the biphasic nature of the stopped -flow trace, the inhibition of the rm k^ {fast}_{obs} by MADH, and the ionic strength dependence of the two phases. The slow phase had a rate of 3.1 rm s^ {-1} which is consistent with electron transfer between amicyanin and cytochrome c_ {55li} within the ternary complex. The fast phase does not exhibit saturation behavior, must have an electron transfer rate greater than 1000 rm s^{-1}, and likely involves a complex of amicyanin and cytochrome c_{55li } near the hydrophobic patch of amicyanin.
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Matheoud, R; Ferrando, O; Valzano, S; Lizio, D; Sacchetti, G; Ciarmiello, A; Foppiano, F; Brambilla, M
2015-07-01
Resolution modeling (RM) of PET systems has been introduced in iterative reconstruction algorithms for oncologic PET. The RM recovers the loss of resolution and reduces the associated partial volume effect. While these methods improved the observer performance, particularly in the detection of small and faint lesions, their impact on quantification accuracy still requires thorough investigation. The aim of this study was to characterize the performances of the RM algorithms under controlled conditions simulating a typical (18)F-FDG oncologic study, using an anthropomorphic phantom and selected physical figures of merit, used for image quantification. Measurements were performed on Biograph HiREZ (B_HiREZ) and Discovery 710 (D_710) PET/CT scanners and reconstructions were performed using the standard iterative reconstructions and the RM algorithms associated to each scanner: TrueX and SharpIR, respectively. RM determined a significant improvement in contrast recovery for small targets (≤17 mm diameter) only for the D_710 scanner. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) increased when RM was applied using both scanners. The SUVmax of small targets was on average lower with the B_HiREZ than with the D_710. Sharp IR improved the accuracy of SUVmax determination, whilst TrueX showed an overestimation of SUVmax for sphere dimensions greater than 22 mm. The goodness of fit of adaptive threshold algorithms worsened significantly when RM algorithms were employed for both scanners. Differences in general quantitative performance were observed for the PET scanners analyzed. Segmentation of PET images using adaptive threshold algorithms should not be undertaken in conjunction with RM reconstructions. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Zabel, Markus; Müller-Riemenschneider, Falk; Geller, J Christoph; Brachmann, Johannes; Kühlkamp, Volker; Dissmann, Rüdiger; Reinhold, Thomas; Roll, Stephanie; Lüthje, Lars; Bode, Frank; Eckardt, Lars; Willich, Stefan N
2014-10-01
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) remote follow-up and ICD remote monitoring (RM) are established means of ICD follow-up. The reduction of the number of in-office visits and the time to decision is proven, but the true clinical benefit is still unknown. Cost and cost-effectiveness of RM remain leading issues for its dissemination. The MONITOR-ICD study has been designed to assess costs, cost-effectiveness, and clinical benefits of RM versus standard-care follow-up in a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. Patients indicated for single- or dual-chamber ICD are eligible for the study and are implanted an RM-capable Biotronik ICD (Lumax VR-T or Lumax DR-T; Biotronik SE & Co KG, Berlin, Germany). Implantable cardioverter defibrillator programming and alert-based clinical responses in the RM group are highly standardized by protocol. As of December 2011, recruitment has been completed, and 416 patients have been enrolled. Subjects are followed-up for a minimum of 12months and a maximum of 24months, ending in January 2013. Disease-specific costs from a societal perspective have been defined as primary end point and will be compared between RM and standard-care groups. Secondary end points include ICD shocks (including appropriate and inappropriate shocks), cardiovascular hospitalizations and cardiovascular mortality, and additional health economic end points. The MONITOR-ICD study will be an important randomized RM study to report data on a primary economic end point in 2014. Its results on ICD shocks will add to the currently available evidence on clinical benefit of RM. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Comparison of concentric and eccentric bench press repetitions to failure.
Kelly, Stephen B; Brown, Lee E; Hooker, Steven P; Swan, Pamela D; Buman, Matthew P; Alvar, Brent A; Black, Laurie E
2015-04-01
Eccentric muscle actions (ECC) are characterized by muscle lengthening, despite actin-myosin crossbridge formation. Muscles acting eccentrically are capable of producing higher levels of force compared with muscles acting concentrically. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ECC bench press yields greater strength than concentric (CON) as determined by 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Additionally, a comparison was made examining differences in the number of repetitions to failure at different relative intensities of 1RM. Thirty healthy men (age = 24.63 ± 5.6 years) were tested for 1RM in CON and ECC bench press and the number of repetitions completed at 60, 70, 80, and 90% 1RM. For CON repetitions, the weight was mechanically lowered to the chest, and the participant pressed it up until the elbows were fully extended. The ECC bench press consisted of lowering a barbell from a fully extended elbow position to the chest in a continuous controlled manner for 3 seconds as determined by electronic metronome. Paired t-tests showed that ECC 1RM (115.99 ± 31.08 kg) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater than CON 1RM (93.56 ± 26.56 kg), and the number of repetitions completed at 90% 1RM was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater in ECC (7.67 ± 3.24) as compared with CON (4.57 ± 2.21). There were no significant differences in number of completed repetitions during CON and ECC bench press at 60, 70, and 80% 1RM. These data indicate that ECC actions yield increased force capabilities (∼120%) as compared with CON in the bench press and may be less prone to fatigue, especially at higher intensities. These differences suggest a need to develop unique strategies for training eccentrically.
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Evaluating the Past, Present, and Future of Regenerative Medicine: A Global View.
Ronfard, Vincent; Vertès, Alain A; May, Michael H; Dupraz, Anne; van Dyke, Mark E; Bayon, Yves
2017-04-01
"Evaluating the Past and Present of Regenerative Medicine (RM)" was the first part of an Industry Symposium dedicated to the subject during the 2015 TERMIS World Congress in Boston. This working session presented a critical review of the current RM landscape in Europe and North America with possible projections for the future. Interestingly, the RM development cycle seems to obey the Gartner hype cycle, now at the enlightenment phase, after past exaggerated expectations and discouragements, as suggested by increasing numbers of clinical trials and recent market approvals of RM solutions in both Europe (Glybera and Holoclar ® from Chiesi Pharma and Strimvelis ® from GSK) and Japan (Remestemcel-L from Mesoblast ® ). The successful commercial translation of RM research is governed by five major drivers: (i) fully validated manufacturing capability for autologous or allogeneic products, (ii) reimbursement for targeted clinical indications with high and demonstrable medico-economic benefits versus standard of care, (iii) implication of regulatory bodies in the design and development plan of any RM solution, which should be well characterized, robust, with proven consistent efficacy and an acceptable and controlled positive benefit/risk ratio, (iv) collaborations facilitated by multicompetence hubs/consortia of excellence, (v) well-thought-out clinical development plans for reducing the risk of failure. Benefiting from past and present experience, the RM burgeoning industry is expected to accelerate the market release of cost-effective RM products with real curative potential for specific clinical indications with high unmet needs. This should be achieved by wisely leveraging all possible synergies of the different stakeholders, for example, patients, clinicians, reimbursement and health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, regulatory authorities, public/private investors, academia, and companies.
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2012-01-01
Background Recurrent/moderate (R/M) hypoglycemia is common in type 1 diabetes. Although mild or moderate hypoglycemia is not life-threatening, if recurrent, it may cause cognitive impairment. In the present study, we sought to determine whether R/M hypoglycemia leads to neuronal death, dendritic injury, or cognitive impairment. Methods The experiments were conducted in normal and in diabetic rats. Rats were subjected to moderate hypoglycemia by insulin without anesthesia. Oxidative stress was evaluated by 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal immunostaining and neuronal death was determined by Fluoro-Jade B staining 7 days after R/M hypoglycemia. To test whether oxidative injury caused by NADPH oxidase activation, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, apocynin, was used. Cognitive function was assessed by Barnes maze and open field tests at 6 weeks after R/M hypoglycemia. Results The present study found that oxidative injury was detected in the dendritic area of the hippocampus after R/M hypoglycemia. Sparse neuronal death was found in the cortex, but no neuronal death was detected in the hippocampus. Significant cognitive impairment and thinning of the CA1 dendritic region was detected 6 weeks after hypoglycemia. Oxidative injury, cognitive impairment, and hippocampal thinning after R/M hypoglycemia were more severe in diabetic rats than in non-diabetic rats. Oxidative damage in the hippocampal CA1 dendritic area and microglial activation were reduced by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor, apocynin. Conclusion The present study suggests that oxidative injury of the hippocampal CA1 dendritic region by R/M hypoglycemia is associated with chronic cognitive impairment in diabetic patients. The present study further suggests that NADPH oxidase inhibition may prevent R/M hypoglycemia-induced hippocampal dendritic injury. PMID:22830525
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García-Ramos, Amador; Padial, Paulino; Haff, G Gregory; Argüelles-Cienfuegos, Javier; García-Ramos, Miguel; Conde-Pipó, Javier; Feriche, Belén
2015-09-01
This study investigated the effect of introducing different interrepetition rest (IRR) periods on the ability to sustain maximum bench press throw velocity with a range of loads commonly used to develop upper-body power. Thirty-four physically active collegiate men (age: 21.5 ± 2.8 years; body mass: 75.2 ± 7.2 kg; height: 176.9 ± 4.9 cm) were tested during 2 consecutive weeks. During the first week, the maximum dynamic strength (repetition maximum [RM]) in bench press exercise was determined (RM = 76.7 ± 13.2 kg). The following week, 3 testing sessions were conducted with 48 hours apart in random order. In each day of evaluation, only 1 load (30%RM, 40%RM, or 50%RM) was assessed in the bench press throw exercise. With each load, subjects performed 3 single sets of 15 repetitions (15-minute interset rest) with 3 different sets configurations: continuous repetitions (CR), 6 seconds of IRR (IRR6), and 12 seconds of IRR (IRR12). The decrease of peak velocity (PV) was significantly lower for IRR12 compared with CR and IRR6 at least since the repetition 4. No differences between CR and IRR6 protocols were found until the repetition 7 at 30%RM and 40%RM and until the repetition 5 at 50%RM. The decrease of PV during the CR protocol was virtually linear for the 3 loads analyzed (r > 0.99); however, this linear relationship became weaker for IRR6 (r = 0.79-0.95) and IRR12 (r = 0.35-0.87). These results demonstrate that IRR periods allow increasing the number of repetitions before the onset of significant velocity losses.
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McNair, Peter J; Colvin, Matt; Reid, Duncan
2011-02-01
To compare the accuracy of 12 maximal strength (1-repetition maximum [1-RM]) equations for predicting quadriceps strength in people with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint. Eighteen subjects with OA of the knee joint attended a rehabilitation gymnasium on 3 occasions: 1) a familiarization session, 2) a session where the 1-RM of the quadriceps was established using a weights machine for an open-chain knee extension exercise and a leg press exercise, and 3) a session where the subjects performed with a load at which they could lift for approximately 10 repetitions only. The data were used in 12 prediction equations to calculate 1-RM strength and compared to the actual 1-RM data. Data were examined using Bland and Altman graphs and statistics, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and typical error values between the actual 1-RM and the respective 1-RM prediction equation data. Difference scores (predicted 1-RM--actual 1-RM) across the injured and control legs were also compared. For the knee extension exercise, the Brown, Brzycki, Epley, Lander, Mayhew et al, Poliquin, and Wathen prediction equations demonstrated the greatest levels of predictive accuracy. All of the ICCs were high (range 0.96–0.99), and typical errors were between 3% and 4%. For the knee press exercise, the Adams, Berger, Kemmler et al, and O'Conner et al equations demonstrated the greatest levels of predictive accuracy. All of the ICCs were high (range 0.95-0.98), and the typical errors ranged from 5.9-6.3%. This study provided evidence supporting the use of prediction equations to assess maximal strength in individuals with a knee joint with OA.
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da Silva, Bruno Victor C; Simim, Mário A de Moura; Marocolo, Moacir; Franchini, Emerson; da Mota, Gustavo R
2015-06-01
We determined the optimal load for the peak power output (PPO) during the bench press throw (BPT) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes and compared the PPO and maximal strength between advanced (AD) and nonadvanced (NA) athletes. Twenty-eight BJJ athletes (24.8 ± 5.7 years) performed the BPT at loads of 30, 40, 50, and 60% of their 1 repetition maximum (RM) in a randomized order (5-minute rest between BPTs). The PPO was determined by measuring the barbell displacement by an accelerometer (Myotest). The absolute (F = 7.25; p < 0.001; effect size [ES] = 0.21) and relative intensities were different (F = 7.11; p < 0.001; ES = 0.21) between the AD and NA. There was also a group and intensity interaction effect (F = 2.79; p = 0.046; ES = 0.10), but the differences were centered around the AD group, which achieved higher values using 40% (p = 0.001) and 50% of the 1RM (p < 0.001) than the PPO with 60% of 1RM. The AD athletes presented with higher 1RM than NA (p ≤ 0.05; ES = 1.0), but there was no difference (p > 0.05) in the PPO (30-60% 1RM). A polynomial adjustment indicated that the optimal load was ∼42% of 1RM for all groups and subgroups (R from 0.82 to 0.99). Our results suggest that there can be (1RM) differences between AD and NA BJJ athletes; however, there is no difference in the muscle power between the AD and NA groups. Additionally, ∼42% of 1RM seems to be the optimal load for developing maximal power using the BPT for the BJJ athletes.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Intercom, 1985
1985-01-01
In this simulation, which involves the location of a low-income housing project, secondary students simulate eight roles--citizens representing the interests of seven different neighborhoods and a federal arbiter. Skills developed by the simulation include analysis, decision making, and oral and written communication. (RM)
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The population dynamics of bacteria, phage and RM Systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Guet, Calin; Levin, Bruce; Pleska, Maros
Viruses drive and mediate bacterial evolution as parasites and vectors of horizontal gene transfer, respectively. Temperate bacteriophages, defined by the ability to lysogenize a fraction of hosts and to transmit horizontally as well as vertically in the form of prophages, frequently carry genes that increase fitness or contribute to bacterial pathogenicity. Restriction-modification (RM) systems, which are widely diverse and ubiquitous among bacteria, can prevent infections leading to lysis, but their effect on lysogeny is not clear. We show that RM systems prevent lytic and lysogenic infections to the same extent and therefore represent a molecular barrier to prophage acquisition. Surprisingly, we find that this negative effect can be overcome and even reversed at the population level, as a consequence of dynamic interactions between viruses, hosts and RM systems. Thus the population dynamics of bacteria carrying RM systems impacts bacterial genome-wide evolution. .
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Research Misconduct: The Peril of Publish or Perish
Al-Adawi, Samir; Ali, Badreldin H.; Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim
2016-01-01
There is a spurt of interest in research productivity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to lay the foundation for national development. From a global perspective, increased research productivity could conceivably be accompanied by an exponential increase in research misconduct (RM). Inevitably, erroneous or falsified data will be expected to adversely affect public health by misleading policy makers and clinicians alike into embarking on health policy and allocation of resources that are byproducts of RM. This will contribute significantly to the emerging crisis of confidence of the public in the integrity of scientific research. For a long time, RM has been considered only as plagiarism or data fabrication and falsification. However, the concept of RM nowadays encompasses more and, in this review, we discuss its possible implications in emerging economies, such as those of the GCC countries. We suggest that GCC countries ought to consider implementing remedial and punitive policies to deal with RM. PMID:26816563
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Prediction based active ramp metering control strategy with mobility and safety assessment
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fang, Jie; Tu, Lili
2018-04-01
Ramp metering is one of the most direct and efficient motorway traffic flow management measures so as to improve traffic conditions. However, owing to short of traffic conditions prediction, in earlier studies, the impact on traffic flow dynamics of the applied RM control was not quantitatively evaluated. In this study, a RM control algorithm adopting Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework to predict and assess future traffic conditions, which taking both the current traffic conditions and the RM-controlled future traffic states into consideration, was presented. The designed RM control algorithm targets at optimizing the network mobility and safety performance. The designed algorithm is evaluated in a field-data-based simulation. Through comparing the presented algorithm controlled scenario with the uncontrolled scenario, it was proved that the proposed RM control algorithm can effectively relieve the congestion of traffic network with no significant compromises in safety aspect.
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FARADAY ROTATION STRUCTURE ON KILOPARSEC SCALES IN THE RADIO LOBES OF CENTAURUS A
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Feain, I. J.; Ekers, R. D.; Norris, R. P.
2009-12-10
We present the results of an Australia Telescope Compact Array 1.4 GHz spectropolarimetric aperture synthesis survey of 34 deg{sup 2} centered on Centaurus A-NGC 5128. A catalog of 1005 extragalactic compact radio sources in the field to a continuum flux density of 3 mJy beam{sup -1} is provided along with a table of Faraday rotation measures (RMs) and linear polarized intensities for the 28% of sources with high signal to noise in linear polarization. We use the ensemble of 281 background polarized sources as line-of-sight probes of the structure of the giant radio lobes of Centaurus A. This is themore » first time such a method has been applied to radio galaxy lobes and we explain how it differs from the conventional methods that are often complicated by depth and beam depolarization effects. Assuming a magnetic field strength in the lobes of 1.3 B {sub 1} muG, where B {sub 1} = 1 is implied by equipartition between magnetic fields and relativistic particles, the upper limit we derive on the maximum possible difference between the average RM of 121 sources behind Centaurus A and the average RM of the 160 sources along sightlines outside Centaurus A implies an upper limit on the volume-averaged thermal plasma density in the giant radio lobes of (n{sub e} ) < 5 x 10{sup -5} B {sup -1} {sub 1} cm{sup -3}. We use an RM structure function analysis and report the detection of a turbulent RM signal, with rms sigma{sub RM} = 17 rad m{sup -2} and scale size 0.{sup 0}3, associated with the southern giant lobe. We cannot verify whether this signal arises from turbulent structure throughout the lobe or only in a thin skin (or sheath) around the edge, although we favor the latter. The RM signal is modeled as possibly arising from a thin skin with a thermal plasma density equivalent to the Centaurus intragroup medium density and a coherent magnetic field that reverses its sign on a spatial scale of 20 kpc. For a thermal density of n {sub 1} 10{sup -3} cm{sup -3}, the skin magnetic field strength is 0.8 n {sup -1} {sub 1} muG.« less
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Neuromuscular Control During the Bench Press Movement in an Elite Disabled and Able-Bodied Athlete
Zwierzchowska, Anna; Maszczyk, Adam; Wilk, Michał; Stastny, Petr; Zając, Adam
2017-01-01
Abstract The disabled population varies significantly in regard to physical fitness, what is conditioned by the damage to the locomotor system. Recently there has been an increased emphasis on the role of competitive sport in enhancing health and the quality of life of individuals with disability. One of the sport disciplines of Paralympics is the flat bench press. The bench press is one of the most popular resistance exercises used for the upper body in healthy individuals. It is used not only by powerlifters, but also by athletes in most strength-speed oriented sport disciplines. The objective of the study was to compare neuromuscular control for various external loads (from 60 to 100% 1RM) during the flat bench press performed by an elite able-bodied athlete and an athlete with lower limb disability. The research project is a case study of two elite bench press athletes with similar sport results: an able-bodied athlete (M.W., age 34 years, body mass 103 kg, body height 1.72 m, 1RM in the flat bench press 200 kg) and a disabled athlete (M.T., age 31 years, body mass 92 kg, body height 1.70 m, 1RM in the flat bench press 190 kg). The activity was recorded for four muscles: pectoralis major (PM), anterior deltoid (AD), as well as for the lateral and long heads of the triceps brachii (TBlat and TBlong). The T-test revealed statistically significant differences between peak activity of all the considered muscles (AD with p = 0.001; PM with p = 0.001; TBlat with p = 0.0021 and TBlong with p = 0.002) between the 2 athletes. The analysis of peak activity differences of M.W and M.T. in relation to the load revealed statistically significant differences for load changes between: 60 to 100% 1RM (p = 0.007), 70 to 100% 1RM (p = 0.016) and 80 to 100% 1RM (p = 0.032). The flat bench press performed without legs resting firmly on the ground leads to the increased engagement of upper body muscles and to their greater activation. Isolated initial positions can be used to generate greater engagement of muscle groups during the bench press exercise and evoke their higher activation. PMID:29340001
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Neuromuscular Control During the Bench Press Movement in an Elite Disabled and Able-Bodied Athlete.
Gołaś, Artur; Zwierzchowska, Anna; Maszczyk, Adam; Wilk, Michał; Stastny, Petr; Zając, Adam
2017-12-01
The disabled population varies significantly in regard to physical fitness, what is conditioned by the damage to the locomotor system. Recently there has been an increased emphasis on the role of competitive sport in enhancing health and the quality of life of individuals with disability. One of the sport disciplines of Paralympics is the flat bench press. The bench press is one of the most popular resistance exercises used for the upper body in healthy individuals. It is used not only by powerlifters, but also by athletes in most strength-speed oriented sport disciplines. The objective of the study was to compare neuromuscular control for various external loads (from 60 to 100% 1RM) during the flat bench press performed by an elite able-bodied athlete and an athlete with lower limb disability. The research project is a case study of two elite bench press athletes with similar sport results: an able-bodied athlete (M.W., age 34 years, body mass 103 kg, body height 1.72 m, 1RM in the flat bench press 200 kg) and a disabled athlete (M.T., age 31 years, body mass 92 kg, body height 1.70 m, 1RM in the flat bench press 190 kg). The activity was recorded for four muscles: pectoralis major (PM), anterior deltoid (AD), as well as for the lateral and long heads of the triceps brachii (TBlat and TBlong). The T-test revealed statistically significant differences between peak activity of all the considered muscles (AD with p = 0.001; PM with p = 0.001; TBlat with p = 0.0021 and TBlong with p = 0.002) between the 2 athletes. The analysis of peak activity differences of M.W and M.T. in relation to the load revealed statistically significant differences for load changes between: 60 to 100% 1RM (p = 0.007), 70 to 100% 1RM (p = 0.016) and 80 to 100% 1RM (p = 0.032). The flat bench press performed without legs resting firmly on the ground leads to the increased engagement of upper body muscles and to their greater activation. Isolated initial positions can be used to generate greater engagement of muscle groups during the bench press exercise and evoke their higher activation.
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The efficacy of incorporating partial squats in maximal strength training.
Bazyler, Caleb D; Sato, Kimitake; Wassinger, Craig A; Lamont, Hugh S; Stone, Michael H
2014-11-01
The purpose of our study was to examine the effects of 2 different training methods on dynamic and isometric measures of maximal strength. Seventeen recreationally trained men (1 repetition maximum [1RM] squat: 146.9 ± 22.4 kg) were assigned to 2 groups: full range of motion (ROM) squat (F) and full ROM with partial ROM squat (FP) for the 7-week training intervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that there was a statistically significant group-by-time interaction for impulse scaled at 50, 90, and 250 milliseconds at 90° of knee flexion and rate of force development at 200 milliseconds with 120° of knee flexion (p ≤ 0.05). There was also a statistically significant time effect (p ≤ 0.05) for the 1RM squat, 1RM partial squat, isometric squat peak force allometrically scaled (IPFa) 90°, IPFa 120°, and impulse allometrically scaled at 50, 90, 200, and 250 milliseconds at 90° and 120° of knee flexion. Additionally, the FP group achieved statistically larger relative training intensities (%1RM) during the final 3 weeks of training (p ≤ 0.05). There was a trend for FP to improve over F in 1RM squat (+3.1%, d = 0.53 vs. 0.32), 1RM partial squat (+4.7%, d = 0.95 vs. 0.69), IPFa 120° (+5.7%, d = 0.52 vs. 0.12), and impulse scaled at 50, 90, 200, and 250 milliseconds at 90° (+6.3 to 13.2%, d = 0.50-1.01 vs. 0.30-0.57) and 120° (+3.4 to 16.8%, d = 0.45-1.11 vs. 0.08-0.37). These larger effect sizes in the FP group can likely be explained their ability to train at larger relative training intensities during the final 3 weeks of training resulting in superior training adaptations. Our findings suggest that partial ROM squats in conjunction with full ROM squats may be an effective training method for improving maximal strength and early force-time curve characteristics in men with previous strength training experience. Practically, partial squats may be beneficial for strength and power athletes during a strength-speed mesocycle while peaking for competition.
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Rugged Metropolis sampling with simultaneous updating of two dynamical variables
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Berg, Bernd A.; Zhou, Huan-Xiang
2005-07-01
The rugged Metropolis (RM) algorithm is a biased updating scheme which aims at directly hitting the most likely configurations in a rugged free-energy landscape. Details of the one-variable (RM1) implementation of this algorithm are presented. This is followed by an extension to simultaneous updating of two dynamical variables (RM2) . In a test with the brain peptide Met-Enkephalin in vacuum RM2 improves conventional Metropolis simulations by a factor of about 4. Correlations between three or more dihedral angles appear to prevent larger improvements at low temperatures. We also investigate a multihit Metropolis scheme, which spends more CPU time on variables with large autocorrelation times.
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Crustal displacements due to continental water loading
Van Dam, T.; Wahr, J.; Milly, P.C.D.; Shmakin, A.B.; Blewitt, G.; Lavallee, D.; Larson, K.M.
2001-01-01
The effects of long-wavelength (> 100 km), seasonal variability in continental water storage on vertical crustal motions are assessed. The modeled vertical displacements (??rM) have root-mean-square (RMS) values for 1994-1998 as large as 8 mm, with ranges up to 30 mm, and are predominantly annual in character. Regional strains are on the order of 20 nanostrain for tilt and 5 nanostrain for horizontal deformation. We compare ??rM with observed Global Positioning System (GPS) heights (??rO) (which include adjustments to remove estimated effects of atmospheric pressure and annual tidal and non-tidal ocean loading) for 147 globally distributed sites. When the ??rO time series are adjusted by ??rM, their variances are reduced, on average, by an amount equal to the variance of the ??rM. Of the ??rO time series exhibiting a strong annual signal, more than half are found to have an annual harmonic that is in phase and of comparable amplitude with the annual harmonic in the ??rM. The ??rM time series exhibit long-period variations that could be mistaken for secular tectonic trends or post-glacial rebound when observed over a time span of a few years.
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Opioid microinjection into raphe magnus modulates cardiorespiratory function in mice and rats.
Hellman, Kevin M; Mendelson, Scott J; Mendez-Duarte, Marco A; Russell, James L; Mason, Peggy
2009-11-01
The raphe magnus (RM) participates in opioid analgesia and contains pain-modulatory neurons with respiration-related discharge. Here, we asked whether RM contributes to respiratory depression, the most prevalent lethal effect of opioids. To investigate whether opioidergic transmission in RM produces respiratory depression, we microinjected a mu-opioid receptor agonist, DAMGO, or morphine into the RM of awake rodents. In mice, opioid microinjection produced sustained decreases in respiratory rate (170 to 120 breaths/min), as well as heart rate (520 to 400 beats/min). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, indicative of enhanced parasympathetic activity, was prevalent in mice receiving DAMGO microinjection. We performed similar experiments in rats but observed no changes in breathing rate or heart rate. Both rats and mice experienced significantly more episodes of bradypnea, indicative of impaired respiratory drive, after opioid microinjection. During spontaneous arousals, rats showed less tachycardia after opioid microinjection than before microinjection, suggestive of an attenuated sympathetic tone. Thus, activation of opioidergic signaling within RM produces effects beyond analgesia, including the unwanted destabilization of cardiorespiratory function. These adverse effects on homeostasis consequent to opioid microinjection imply a role for RM in regulating the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic tone.
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Nisa-Martínez, Rafael; Jiménez-Zurdo, José I.; Martínez-Abarca, Francisco; Muñoz-Adelantado, Estefanía; Toro, Nicolás
2007-01-01
RmInt1 is a self-splicing and mobile group II intron initially identified in the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which encodes a reverse transcriptase–maturase (Intron Encoded Protein, IEP) lacking the C-terminal DNA binding (D) and DNA endonuclease domains (En). RmInt1 invades cognate intronless homing sites (ISRm2011-2) by a mechanism known as retrohoming. This work describes how the RmInt1 intron spreads in the S.meliloti genome upon acquisition by conjugation. This process was revealed by using the wild-type intron RmInt1 and engineered intron-donor constructs based on ribozyme coding sequence (ΔORF)-derivatives with higher homing efficiency than the wild-type intron. The data demonstrate that RmInt1 propagates into the S.meliloti genome primarily by retrohoming with a strand bias related to replication of the chromosome and symbiotic megaplasmids. Moreover, we show that when expressed in trans from a separate plasmid, the IEP is able to mobilize genomic ΔORF ribozymes that afterward displayed wild-type levels of retrohoming. Our results contribute to get further understanding of how group II introns spread into bacterial genomes in nature. PMID:17158161
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Barker, C.E.; Goldstein, R.H.
1990-01-01
The hypothesis that aqueous fluid inclusions in calcite can be used to establish maximum temperature (Tpeak) is tested. Fluid inclusion Th, mean random vitrinite reflectance (Rm), and present-day Tpeak from 46 diverse geologic systems that have been at Tpeak from 104 to 106 yr have been compiled. Present Tpeak ranged from 65 to 345??C, Th modes and means ranged from 59 to 350??C, and Rm data ranged from 0.4% to 4.6%, spanning the temperature and thermal maturity range associated with burial diagenesis, hydrothermal alteration, and low-grade metamorphism. Plots of Th and Tpeak data for systems thought to be currently at maximum temperature demonstrate close agreement between Th and present Tpeak in sedimentary basins. The relation suggests that Th of aqueous fluid inclusions in calcite may be a useful measure of maximum temperature. This study also compared Th to mean random vitrinite reflectance (Rm). Th correlates well with Rm and results in a curve similar to Rm vs. Tpeak calibrations determined by other workers. Strong correlation between Tpeak and Rm in these systems suggests that maximum temperature is the major control on thermal maturation. -after Authors
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Nisa-Martínez, Rafael; Jiménez-Zurdo, José I; Martínez-Abarca, Francisco; Muñoz-Adelantado, Estefanía; Toro, Nicolás
2007-01-01
RmInt1 is a self-splicing and mobile group II intron initially identified in the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which encodes a reverse transcriptase-maturase (Intron Encoded Protein, IEP) lacking the C-terminal DNA binding (D) and DNA endonuclease domains (En). RmInt1 invades cognate intronless homing sites (ISRm2011-2) by a mechanism known as retrohoming. This work describes how the RmInt1 intron spreads in the S.meliloti genome upon acquisition by conjugation. This process was revealed by using the wild-type intron RmInt1 and engineered intron-donor constructs based on ribozyme coding sequence (DeltaORF)-derivatives with higher homing efficiency than the wild-type intron. The data demonstrate that RmInt1 propagates into the S.meliloti genome primarily by retrohoming with a strand bias related to replication of the chromosome and symbiotic megaplasmids. Moreover, we show that when expressed in trans from a separate plasmid, the IEP is able to mobilize genomic DeltaORF ribozymes that afterward displayed wild-type levels of retrohoming. Our results contribute to get further understanding of how group II introns spread into bacterial genomes in nature.
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2014-01-01
Background Although serotype O157:H7 is the predominant enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), outbreaks of non-O157 EHEC that cause severe foodborne illness, including hemolytic uremic syndrome have increased worldwide. In fact, non-O157 serotypes are now estimated to cause over half of all the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cases, and outbreaks of non-O157 EHEC infections are frequently associated with serotypes O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. Currently, there are no complete genomes for O145 in public databases. Results We determined the complete genome sequences of two O145 strains (EcO145), one linked to a US lettuce-associated outbreak (RM13514) and one to a Belgium ice-cream-associated outbreak (RM13516). Both strains contain one chromosome and two large plasmids, with genome sizes of 5,737,294 bp for RM13514 and 5,559,008 bp for RM13516. Comparative analysis of the two EcO145 genomes revealed a large core (5,173 genes) and a considerable amount of strain-specific genes. Additionally, the two EcO145 genomes display distinct chromosomal architecture, virulence gene profile, phylogenetic origin of Stx2a prophage, and methylation profile (methylome). Comparative analysis of EcO145 genomes to other completely sequenced STEC and other E. coli and Shigella genomes revealed that, unlike any other known non-O157 EHEC strain, EcO145 ascended from a common lineage with EcO157/EcO55. This evolutionary relationship was further supported by the pangenome analysis of the 10 EHEC str ains. Of the 4,192 EHEC core genes, EcO145 shares more genes with EcO157 than with the any other non-O157 EHEC strains. Conclusions Our data provide evidence that EcO145 and EcO157 evolved from a common lineage, but ultimately each serotype evolves via a lineage-independent nature to EHEC by acquisition of the core set of EHEC virulence factors, including the genes encoding Shiga toxin and the large virulence plasmid. The large variation between the two EcO145 genomes suggests a distinctive evolutionary path between the two outbreak strains. The distinct methylome between the two EcO145 strains is likely due to the presence of a BsuBI/PstI methyltransferase gene cassette in the Stx2a prophage of the strain RM13514, suggesting a role of horizontal gene transfer-mediated epigenetic alteration in the evolution of individual EHEC strains. PMID:24410921
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Moore, Bria M.; Brady, Samuel L.; Mirro, Amy E.; Kaufman, Robert A.
2014-01-01
Purpose: To investigate the correlation of size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) with absorbed organ dose, and to develop a simple methodology for estimating patient organ dose in a pediatric population (5–55 kg). Methods: Four physical anthropomorphic phantoms representing a range of pediatric body habitus were scanned with metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters placed at 23 organ locations to determine absolute organ dose. Phantom absolute organ dose was divided by phantom SSDE to determine correlation between organ dose and SSDE. Organ dose correlation factors (\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}${\\rm CF}_{{\\rm SSDE}}^{{\\rm organ}}$\\end{document} CF SSDE organ ) were then multiplied by patient-specific SSDE to estimate patient organ dose. The \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}${\\rm CF}_{{\\rm SSDE}}^{{\\rm organ}}$\\end{document} CF SSDE organ were used to retrospectively estimate individual organ doses from 352 chest and 241 abdominopelvic pediatric CT examinations, where mean patient weight was 22 kg ± 15 (range 5–55 kg), and mean patient age was 6 yrs ± 5 (range 4 months to 23 yrs). Patient organ dose estimates were compared to published pediatric Monte Carlo study results. Results: Phantom effective diameters were matched with patient population effective diameters to within 4 cm; thus, showing appropriate scalability of the phantoms across the entire pediatric population in this study. Individual\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}${\\rm CF}_{{\\rm SSDE}}^{{\\rm organ}}$\\end{document} CF SSDE organ were determined for a total of 23 organs in the chest and abdominopelvic region across nine weight subcategories. For organs fully covered by the scan volume, correlation in the chest (average 1.1; range 0.7–1.4) and abdominopelvic region (average 0.9; range 0.7–1.3) was near unity. For organ/tissue that extended beyond the scan volume (i.e., skin, bone marrow, and bone surface), correlation was determined to be poor (average 0.3; range: 0.1–0.4) for both the chest and abdominopelvic regions, respectively. A means to estimate patient organ dose was demonstrated. Calculated patient organ dose, using patient SSDE and \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}${\\rm CF}_{{\\rm SSDE}}^{{\\rm organ}}$\\end{document} CF SSDE organ , was compared to previously published pediatric patient doses that accounted for patient size in their dose calculation, and was found to agree in the chest to better than an average of 5% (27.6/26.2) and in the abdominopelvic region to better than 2% (73.4/75.0). Conclusions: For organs fully covered within the scan volume, the average correlation of SSDE and organ absolute dose was found to be better than ±10%. In addition, this study provides a complete list of organ dose correlation factors (\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}${\\rm CF}_{{\\rm SSDE}}^{{\\rm organ}}$\\end{document} CF SSDE organ ) for the chest and abdominopelvic regions, and describes a simple methodology to estimate individual pediatric patient organ dose based on patient SSDE. PMID:24989395
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Hasan, N; Rafii, M Y; Abdul Rahim, H; Nusaibah, S A; Mazlan, N; Abdullah, S
2017-01-23
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) blast disease is one of the most destructive rice diseases in the world. The fungal pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae, is the causal agent of rice blast disease. Development of resistant cultivars is the most preferred method to achieve sustainable rice production. However, the effectiveness of resistant cultivars is hindered by the genetic plasticity of the pathogen genome. Therefore, information on genetic resistance and virulence stability are vital to increase our understanding of the molecular basis of blast disease resistance. The present study set out to elucidate the resistance pattern and identify potential simple sequence repeat markers linked with rice blast disease. A backcross population (BC 2 F 1 ), derived from crossing MR264 and Pongsu Seribu 2 (PS2), was developed using marker-assisted backcross breeding. Twelve microsatellite markers carrying the blast resistance gene clearly demonstrated a polymorphic pattern between both parental lines. Among these, two markers, RM206 and RM5961, located on chromosome 11 exhibited the expected 1:1 testcross ratio in the BC 2 F 1 population. The 195 BC 2 F 1 plants inoculated against M. oryzae pathotype P7.2 showed a significantly different distribution in the backcrossed generation and followed Mendelian segregation based on a single-gene model. This indicates that blast resistance in PS2 is governed by a single dominant gene, which is linked to RM206 and RM5961 on chromosome 11. The findings presented in this study could be useful for future blast resistance studies in rice breeding programs.
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Origin of orogenic remagnetizations in Mississippian carbonates, Sawtooth Range, Montana
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
O'Brien, V. J.; Moreland, K. M.; Elmore, R. D.; Engel, M. H.; Evans, M. A.
2007-06-01
Paleomagnetic results are presented from Mississippian Madison Group carbonates in the Sawtooth Range, northwestern Montana. Samples were collected from sites along two east-west trending transects perpendicular to the thrust faults in the Sun River Canyon and in the North and South Forks of the Teton River and from three folds. The Madison Group contains a widespread characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) that resides in magnetite with southerly declinations and moderately steep up inclinations. Tilt test results suggest that the ChRM is pretilting in the thrust sheets and Teton anticline but syntilting in the Clary Coulee and Swift Dam folds. The ChRMs all have the same characteristics and were probably caused by the same remagnetization event, yet the tilt test results are different. One explanation involves the difference in fold types between the Teton anticline (fault bend fold geometry) and the Clary Coulee and Swift Dam folds (fault propagation fold geometries). The deformation that produced the two geometries could have caused variations in strain/stress, which may have altered an original pretilting into a syntilting ChRM. A mean paleopole for the three pretilting tilt test results (67.2°N, 177.9°E; A95 = 13.1°) suggests remanence acquisition in the late Jurassic-early Tertiary. The ChRM is interpreted as a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM). Geochemical studies indicate that the Mississippian carbonates were altered by evolved fluids with radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr values, and petrographic analysis indicates that hydrocarbons migrated through the carbonates. The CRM is interpreted to be related to alteration by one of these fluids.
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Inoue, Yusuke; Ikka, Tsunakuni; Kishimoto, Atsuo
2018-01-01
Abstract Owing to the rapid progress in stem cell research (SCR) and regenerative medicine (RM), society's expectation and interest in these fields are increasing. For effective communication on issues concerning SCR and RM, surveys for understanding the interests of stakeholders is essential. For this purpose, we conducted a large‐scale survey with 2,160 public responses and 1,115 responses from the member of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine. Results showed that the public is more interested in the post‐realization aspects of RM, such as cost of care, countermeasures for risks and accidents, and clarification of responsibility and liability, than in the scientific aspects; the latter is of greater interest only to scientists. Our data indicate that an increased awareness about RM‐associated social responsibility and regulatory framework is required among scientists, such as those regarding its benefits, potential accidents, abuse, and other social consequences. Awareness regarding the importance of communication and education for scientists are critical to bridge the gaps in the interests of the public and scientists. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:251–257 PMID:29372590
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Fornili, Katherine S
2016-01-01
Part 1 of this two-part series (The Theoretical Basis for Recovery-Oriented Management of Substance Use Disorders in the Primary Care) explored the theoretical foundations for evidence-based substance Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) services. The aim was to produce possible explanations for why traditional SBIRT works well for individuals with unhealthy alcohol use but not as well for individuals who have more serious substance use disorders, including drug use and alcohol/drug dependence. Building on that analysis, through meaningful application of recovery management (RM) concepts within an integrated primary care/behavioral health context, a new, theory-based, recovery-oriented framework for primary care SBIRT is now introduced in Part 2. The proposed SBIRT Plus Recovery Management (SBIRT + RM) model moves traditional SBIRT from its original, limited, and narrow focus only on substance detection, brief intervention, and referral to its rightful, structured placement within a comprehensive, multidimensional, recovery-oriented system of care clinical practice environment. SBIRT+RM describes relevant strategies for improving recovery outcomes for individuals identified through primary care substance screening and defines primary care provider roles and responsibilities for sustained recovery support and long-term recovery maintenance.
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A comparison of successful and unsuccessful attempts in maximal bench pressing.
van den Tillaar, Roland; Ettema, Gertjan
2009-11-01
This study was designed to compare the differences in EMG and kinematics between successful and unsuccessful attempts in bench pressing at one repetition maximum (1RM) in recreational weight-trained subjects. We hypothesized that failure occurs during the sticking period (the period during which there is a temporary reduction in movement velocity). Eleven male subjects (age = 21.9 +/- 1.8 yr, mass = 80.0 +/- 11.2 kg, height = 1.79 +/- 0.08 m) with at least 1 yr of bench press training experience participated in this study. They performed attempts at 1RM and 1RM + 2.5 kg in bench press during which kinematics and muscle activity were recorded. One successful attempt and one unsuccessful attempt were used for further analysis. Both attempts showed the same sticking period, but only half of the failures occurred during that period. The main differences in the kinematics occurred during the sticking period. Muscle activity, in contrast, showed the same pattern in both attempts and only differed during the downward and the start of the upward movement of the lift. The sticking period occurs in both successful and unsuccessful attempts in maximal bench press. However, failure does not always occur during the sticking period.
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Kordrostami, Mojtaba; Rabiei, Babak; Hassani Kumleh, Hassan
2017-07-01
Changes in the antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, sodium and potassium, chlorophyll, H 2 O 2 and proline content were monitored in the leaves of 42 rice varieties which were not yet well-documented for the salinity tolerance under different salinity levels. The tolerant varieties (FL478, Hassani, Shahpasand, Gharib and Nemat) showed signs of tolerance (lower Na + /K + ratio, high proline accumulation, less membrane damage, lower H 2 O 2 production, and higher superoxide dismutase and catalase activity) very well. The positive relationship between the level of salt tolerance and the amount of proline accumulation in the rice varieties support the important role of proline under the salt stress. The varieties were genotyped for 12 microsatellite markers that were closely linked to SalTol QTL. The results of association analysis indicated that RM1287, RM8094, RM3412 and AP3206 markers had the high value of R 2 for the regression models of the studied traits. It shows the important role of SalTol in controlling physio-biochemical traits. The results can be used in the future marker assisted selection (MAS) directly, if the results are confirmed.
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Stationarity test with a direct test for heteroskedasticity in exchange rate forecasting models
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Khin, Aye Aye; Chau, Wong Hong; Seong, Lim Chee; Bin, Raymond Ling Leh; Teng, Kevin Low Lock
2017-05-01
Global economic has been decreasing in the recent years, manifested by the greater exchange rates volatility on international commodity market. This study attempts to analyze some prominent exchange rate forecasting models on Malaysian commodity trading: univariate ARIMA, ARCH and GARCH models in conjunction with stationarity test on residual diagnosis direct testing of heteroskedasticity. All forecasting models utilized the monthly data from 1990 to 2015. Given a total of 312 observations, the data used to forecast both short-term and long-term exchange rate. The forecasting power statistics suggested that the forecasting performance of ARIMA (1, 1, 1) model is more efficient than the ARCH (1) and GARCH (1, 1) models. For ex-post forecast, exchange rate was increased from RM 3.50 per USD in January 2015 to RM 4.47 per USD in December 2015 based on the baseline data. For short-term ex-ante forecast, the analysis results indicate a decrease in exchange rate on 2016 June (RM 4.27 per USD) as compared with 2015 December. A more appropriate forecasting method of exchange rate is vital to aid the decision-making process and planning on the sustainable commodities' production in the world economy.
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Lumor, Stephen E; Jones, Kerby C; Ashby, Rick; Strahan, Gary D; Kim, Byung Hee; Lee, Guan-Chiun; Shaw, Jei-Fu; Kays, Sandra E; Chang, Shu-Wei; Foglia, Thomas A; Akoh, Casimir C
2007-12-26
Incorporation of stearic acid into canola oil to produce trans-free structured lipid (SL) as a healthy alternative to partially hydrogenated fats for margarine formulation was investigated. Response surface methodology was used to study the effects of lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei and Candida rugosa lipase isoform 1 (LIP1) and two acyl donors, stearic acid and ethyl stearate, on the incorporation. Lipozyme RM IM and ethyl stearate gave the best result. Gram quantities of SLs were synthesized using lipozyme RM IM, and the products were compared to SL made by chemical catalysis and fat from commercial margarines. After short-path distillation, the products were characterized by GC and RPHPLC-MS to obtain fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles, 13C NMR spectrometry for regiospecific analysis, X-ray diffraction for crystal forms, and DSC for melting profile. Stearic acid was incorporated into canola oil, mainly at the sn-1,3 positions, for the lipase reaction, and no new trans fatty acids formed. Most SL products did not have adequate solid fat content or beta' crystal forms for tub margarine, although these may be suitable for light margarine formulation.
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Socio-economic determinants of nutritional status of children in rural peninsular Malaysia.
Marjan, Z M; Taib, M N; Lin, K G; Siong, T E
1998-12-01
The data presented is part of the findings from a four-year collaborative research project between Universiti Putra Malaysia, the Institute for Medical Research and the Ministry of Health Malaysia. The project assessed the nutritional status of the major functional groups in Peninsular Malaysia. Mukim Sayong and Pulau Kemiri in the District of Kuala Kangsar, Perak were two of the subdistricts selected to represent small rubber holdings in Peninsular Malaysia. This paper attempts to analyse the socio-economic profile of the households and the nutritional status of children below 9 years of age. A total of 307 households were studied. Approximately 63% of the households were involved in rubber activities and the majority of them were hired tappers. The average monthly income of the households was RM467 and the income ranged between RM30 to RM2120. Based on the per capita poverty line income of RM84.38, it was found that 14.1% of the households earned less than RM42.19, which can be considered as hard-core poor, while 32.7% were poor (monthly per capita income between RM42.19 and RM84.38). Slightly more than half (52.7%) earned income above the poverty line. The average family size was 4.5, ranging from 1 through to 16. The majority of the heads of households (56.6%) had between 3 and 6 years of education, and 14.5% did not receive any formal education. The prevalence of stunting among children 0-5 years of age was 26%, while 31.5% were underweight and 3.8% wasted. Among children aged between 5 and 9 years, almost the same pattern of nutritional status was noted. The overall percentages of stunting, underweight and wasting among these children were 29.2%, 26.1% and 0.62%, respectively. Analysis on nutritional status according to income level showed a noticeable difference in the prevalence of malnutrition in children above and below the poverty line income. The Student's t-test indicated significant differences in weight-for-age and weight-for-height between the two poverty line income for children below 5 years of age. Pearson's correlation coefficient showed a significant correlation between height-for-age with household size (r = -0.26, p<0.05), and monthly per capita income with weight-for-height (r = 0.25, p<0.05). There was a highly significant correlation between acreage of land cultivated and weight-for-height (r = 0.42, p<0.01), and weight-for-age (r = 0.25, p<0.05). The findings indicated the influence of socio-economic factors on the nutritional status of children.
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Chain-loaded variable resistance warm-up improves free-weight maximal back squat performance.
Mina, Minas A; Blazevich, Anthony J; Giakas, Giannis; Seitz, Laurent B; Kay, Anthony D
2016-11-01
The acute influence of chain-loaded variable resistance exercise on subsequent free-weight one-repetition maximum (1-RM) back squat performance was examined in 16 recreationally active men. The participants performed either a free-weight resistance (FWR) or chain-loaded resistance (CLR) back squat warm-up at 85% 1-RM on two separate occasions. After a 5-min rest, the participants attempted a free-weight 1-RM back squat; if successful, subsequent 5% load additions were made until participants failed to complete the lift. During the 1-RM trials, 3D knee joint kinematics and knee extensor and flexor electromyograms (EMG) were recorded simultaneously. Significantly greater 1-RM (6.2 ± 5.0%; p < .01) and mean eccentric knee extensor EMG (32.2 ± 6.7%; p < .01) were found after the CLR warm-up compared to the FWR condition. However, no difference (p > .05) was found in concentric EMG, eccentric or concentric knee angular velocity, or peak knee flexion angle. Performing a CLR warm-up enhanced subsequent free-weight 1-RM performance without changes in knee flexion angle or eccentric and concentric knee angular velocities; thus a real 1-RM increase was achieved as the mechanics of the lift were not altered. These results are indicative of a potentiating effect of CLR in a warm-up, which may benefit athletes in tasks where high-level strength is required.
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Busto, Raquel Vieira; Gonçalves, Maraisa; Coelho, Lúcia Helena Gomes
2016-09-01
This study aimed to investigate the use of red mud (RM) - a byproduct of aluminum production, as a photocatalyst, which was characterized physical-chemically and used in the photodegradation of the target compound bisphenol A (BPA). Chemical processing was performed in the RM (acid treatment, chemical reduction and calcination) to verify the most active catalyst. From the results obtained, a complete degradation kinetics of BPA was carried out using a synthetic matrix (BPA in deionized water) and a real matrix (BPA in wastewater) using natural RM/calcined and TiO 2 for comparison. The results indicated the potential use of the RM/calcined, which was able to degrade between 88 and 100% of the pollutant in a synthetic sample. Tests on a real effluent sample resulted in degradation rates that ranged from 59 to 100% with chemical oxygen demand reductions of up to 23% using natural RM/calcined in comparison to TiO 2 . The blank system (irradiation of the solution without the use of a photocatalyst) and the natural RM/calcined one, resulted in reductions of the toxicity in the effluent sample (measured by EC 20 using the marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri) of about 12 times, whereas the same treatment using TiO 2 resulted in a toxicity reduction of only seven times. Within these results, the RM/calcined showed potential to be used in wastewater treatment in polishing processes.
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Alizadeh, Nazila; Mosaferi, Elnaz; Farzadi, Laya; Majidi, Jafar; Monfaredan, Amir; Yousefi, Bahman; Baradaran, Behzad
2016-07-01
Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a non-classical class I molecule highly expressed by extravillous cytotrophoblast cells. Due to a single base pair deletion, its function can be compensated by other isoforms. Investigating the frequency of null allele in Recurrent Miscarriage (RM) subjects could be useful in understanding the relationship between frequency of this allele and RM in a given population. This study aimed to determine the frequency of HLA-G*0105N null allele and its potential association with down-regulation of HLA-G in subjects with RM. Western blotting was used to assess the level of HLA-G protein expression. For investigating the frequency of HLA-G*0105N null allele in RM subjects, PCR-RFLP method was used. Exon 3 of HLA-G gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Subsequently, PpuM-1 enzyme was employed to digest the PCR products and fragments were analyzed using gel electrophoresis. Digestion using restriction enzyme showed the presence of heterozygous HLA-G*0105N null allele in 10% of the test population. Western blotting results confirmed the decrease in expression of HLA-G in the placental tissue of subjects with RM compared to subjects who could give normal birth. The frequency of heterozygous HLA-G*0105N null allele was high to some extent in subjects with RM. The mutation rate in subjects suggested that there is a significant association between RM and frequency of mutations in this allele.
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Torrejón, Alejandro; Balsalobre-Fernández, Carlos; Haff, G Gregory; García-Ramos, Amador
2018-03-21
This study aimed to determine the suitability of the load-velocity relationship to prescribe the relative load (%1RM) in women, as well as to compare the load-velocity profile between sexes and participants with different strength levels. The load-velocity relationship of 14 men (1RM: 1.17 ± 0.19) and 14 women (1RM: 0.66 ± 0.13) were evaluated in the bench press exercise. The main findings revealed that: (I) the load-velocity relationship was always strong and linear (R 2 range: 0.987-0.993), (II) a steeper load-velocity profile was observed in men compared to women (Effect size [ES]: 1.09), with men showing higher velocities for light loads (ES: - 0.81 and - 0.40 for the y-intercept and 30%1RM, respectively), but women reporting higher velocities for the heavy loads (ES: 1.14 and 1.50 at 90%1RM and 100%1RM, respectively); and (III) while the slope of the load-velocity profile was moderately steeper for weak men compared to their strong counterpart (ES: 1.02), small differences were observed between strong and weak women (ES: - 0.39). While these results support the use of the individual load-velocity relationship to prescribe the %1RM in the bench press exercise for women, they also highlight the large disparities in their load-velocity profile compared to men.
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The Command and Control Reference Model for modeling, simulations, and technology applications
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mayk, Israel
1994-01-01
The C2RM provides a framework for the evolution of a coordinated and detailed definition of a command and control (C2) discipline. The C2RM embodies an integrated multidisciplinary approach. It is intended to be complete and self-consistent for the main levels of abstractions encountered in models, simulations, operational applications, functional descriptions, paradigms and metaphors of C2. The scope of the C2RM embraces C2 using all key physical and logical interactions associated with C2 systems. It is concerned with interactions, involving not only communications (e.g., radios), but transportations (e.g., vehicles), identifications (e.g., sensors), and inflictions (e.g., weapons), which take place between resources of the same, friendly, hostile or neutral C2 units. High levels of abstractions of user requirements for C2 across the broad spectrum of military and civil domains have led to the development of the C2RM. It applies to all phases of system acquisition from the laboratory to the field and from conceptualization to realization. The C2RM is based upon generic and analog extensions to the International Standards Organization (ISO) open system interconnection (OSI) reference model (RM) which go far beyond the scope of the ISO OSI RM. The major theme, however, of layering services is preserved to facilitate understanding, reuse of design, implementation, and interoperability to the maximum degree possible with available C2 technology.
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Youth Reflect on Hitler: A Cross-National Study.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McRoy, James J.
1985-01-01
A content analysis of essays written by students from Great Britain and the United States on the topic "What I have heard about Adolf Hitler" showed that today's youth have only a very superficial knowledge about the events surrounding Hitler and Nazism. (RM)
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Productivity--The Concept and its Uses.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Whitmarsh, David
1982-01-01
Defines various aspects of productivity and indicates appropriate ways of measuring them. The author explains how productivity ratios can be used to evaluate both the technical and allocative efficiency of economic systems. The use of productivity analysis in growth accounting is also examined. (Author/RM)
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Women and Economics Textbooks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hahn, Carole L.; Blankenship, Glen
1983-01-01
A content analysis of 22 secondary economics textbooks revealed the textbooks to be less sex-biased than the books examined in earlier studies. However, women are still underrepresented in most of the textbooks, and little attention is given to economic realities which women face. (Author/RM)
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Publications - GMC 65 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
DGGS GMC 65 Publication Details Title: X-ray diffraction clay analysis of Shell Western E & P Inc see our publication sales page for more information. Bibliographic Reference Shaver, R.M., 1986, X-ray
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UV TREATMENT FOR CONTROL OF AEROMONAS (RM.C.M.6)
The data and related interpretations that will be developed in this research will form the scientific basis for analysis, design, and regulation of polychromatic UV disinfection systems. At present, only minimal data regarding the wavelength-specific nature of microbial dose-resp...
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Looking/Learning Drawing: Trees.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hurwitz, Al; Blume, Sharon
1985-01-01
Secondary students are asked to study and compare three reproductions--Van Gogh's "Grove of Cypresses," Da Vinci's "Study of a Tree," and Mondrian's "Tree II." The activity will help students develop their powers of observation and analysis, powers that can be applied to their own drawings. (RM)
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Survey of heating and current drive for K-DEMO
Mikkelsen, D. R.; Kessel, C. E.; Poli, F. M.; ...
2018-01-22
Here, we present calculations of heating and current drive by neutral injection and by electromagnetic waves in the ion cyclotron, helicon, lower hybrid, and electron cyclotron frequency ranges for the steady state burn conditions in a K-DEMO configuration withmore » $$I_{\\rm p}=12.3$$ MA, a = 2.1 m, $$R_{\\rm o}=6.8$$ m, $$B_{\\rm o}=7.4$$ T, $$ \
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Survey of heating and current drive for K-DEMO
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Mikkelsen, D. R.; Kessel, C. E.; Poli, F. M.
Here, we present calculations of heating and current drive by neutral injection and by electromagnetic waves in the ion cyclotron, helicon, lower hybrid, and electron cyclotron frequency ranges for the steady state burn conditions in a K-DEMO configuration withmore » $$I_{\\rm p}=12.3$$ MA, a = 2.1 m, $$R_{\\rm o}=6.8$$ m, $$B_{\\rm o}=7.4$$ T, $$ \
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Geissman, J. W.; Gastaldo, R. A.; Neveling, J.; Makubalo, S.
2017-12-01
A multifaceted approach to understand the timing of interpreted environmental changes during the Late Permian to possibly Early Triassic (?) time in the Beaufort Group strata of the Karoo Basin includes work to establish robust magnetic polarity records for sections previously interpreted to encompass end-Permian extinction events. Demonstrating the preservation of an early-acquired remanence (RM) in Karoo strata is required for a robust magnetostratigraphy. Yet, this is challenging due to thermochemical effects related to the Early Jurassic (ca. 183 Ma) Karoo Large Igneous Province (LIP), and the NE to SW increase in burial diagenesis attending Cape Fold Belt tectonism. Documentation of a primary RM in these strata, which appears to be preserved in some areas, requires careful laboratory- and field-based assessment. We report data from 53 sites collected at the well-studied Bethulie section, Free State Province, in which several <2 m wide Karoo LIP dikes crop out. We obtained 7-10+ independent samples per individual horizon to assess ChRM uniformity. Strata well-removed from dikes yield both normal and reverse polarity ChRM. It is always the case that the first-removed RM is a NNW seeking, moderate to steep negative-inclination ChRM (normal polarity); NRM intensities are typically 1 to 5 mA/m. Sites BT15 and BT21, which are located in strata lying some 4 m below the often-cited "event bed" interval inferred to be the terrestrial expression of the Permian/Triassic boundary, is dominated by a well-defined reverse RM with a normal overprint RM unblocked below 400oC, implying elevated temperatures (i.e., 100 to 250oC+) for ca. 1 Ma (+/-). Contact tests are positive but complicated. Host strata collected in distances equal to or less than 1-2 dike widths from the intrusions have been thermally remagnetized and demonstrate high NRM intensities (> 50 mA/m). Collectively, we interpret these data to indicate that any ChRM, with the exception of those from host strata in baked contacts, that persists above Tlub of 425oC is pre-Karoo LIP in origin, and likely primary at the Bethulie locality.
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Semple, Bridgette D; Sadjadi, Raha; Carlson, Jaclyn; Chen, Yiran; Xu, Duan; Ferriero, Donna M; Noble-Haeusslein, Linda J
2016-01-01
Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBIs) culminate in neurological impairments and chronic neurodegeneration, which have wide-ranging implications for patient management and return-to-play decisions for athletes. Adolescents show a high prevalence of sports-related head injuries and may be particularly vulnerable to rmTBIs due to ongoing brain maturation. However, it remains unclear whether rmTBIs, below the threshold for acute neuronal injury or symptomology, influence long-term outcomes. To address this issue, we first defined a very mild injury in adolescent mice (postnatal day 35) as evidenced by an increase in Iba-1- labeled microglia in white matter in the acutely injured brain, in the absence of indices of cell death, axonal injury, and vasogenic edema. Using this level of injury severity and Avertin (2,2,2-tribromoethanol) as the anesthetic, we compared mice subjected to either a single mTBI or 2 rmTBIs, each separated by 48 h. Neurobehavioral assessments were conducted at 1 week and at 1 and 3 months postimpact. Mice subjected to rmTBIs showed transient anxiety and persistent and pronounced hypoactivity compared to sham control mice, alongside normal sensorimotor, cognitive, social, and emotional function. As isoflurane is more commonly used than Avertin in animal models of TBI, we next examined long-term outcomes after rmTBIs in mice that were anesthetized with this agent. However, there was no evidence of abnormal behaviors even with the addition of a third rmTBI. To determine whether isoflurane may be neuroprotective, we compared the acute pathology after a single mTBI in mice anesthetized with either Avertin or isoflurane. Pathological findings were more pronounced in the group exposed to Avertin compared to the isoflurane group. These collective findings reveal distinct behavioral phenotypes (transient anxiety and prolonged hypoactivity) that emerge in response to rmTBIs. Our findings further suggest that selected anesthetics may confer early neuroprotection after rmTBIs, and as such mask long-term abnormal phenotypes that may otherwise emerge as a consequence of acute pathogenesis. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Nagirnaja, Liina; Venclovas, Česlovas; Rull, Kristiina; Jonas, Kim C.; Peltoketo, Hellevi; Christiansen, Ole B.; Kairys, Visvaldas; Kivi, Gaily; Steffensen, Rudi; Huhtaniemi, Ilpo T.; Laan, Maris
2012-01-01
Heterodimeric hCG is one of the key hormones determining early pregnancy success. We have previously identified rare missense mutations in hCGβ genes with potential pathophysiological importance. The present study assessed the impact of these mutations on the structure and function of hCG by applying a combination of in silico (sequence and structure analysis, molecular dynamics) and in vitro (co-immunoprecipitation, immuno- and bioassays) approaches. The carrier status of each mutation was determined for 1086 North-Europeans [655 patients with recurrent miscarriage (RM)/431 healthy controls from Estonia, Finland and Denmark] using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The mutation CGB5 p.Val56Leu (rs72556325) was identified in a single heterozygous RM patient and caused a structural hindrance in the formation of the hCGα/β dimer. Although the amount of the mutant hCGβ assembled into secreted intact hCG was only 10% compared with the wild-type, a stronger signaling response was triggered upon binding to its receptor, thus compensating the effect of poor dimerization. The mutation CGB8 p.Pro73Arg (rs72556345) was found in five heterozygotes (three RM cases and two control individuals) and was inherited by two of seven studied live born children. The mutation caused ∼50% of secreted β-subunits to acquire an alternative conformation, but did not affect its biological activity. For the CGB8 p.Arg8Trp (rs72556341) substitution, the applied in vitro methods revealed no alterations in the assembly of intact hCG as also supported by an in silico analysis. In summary, the accumulated data indicate that only mutations with neutral or mild functional consequences might be tolerated in the major hCGβ genes CGB5 and CGB8. PMID:22554618
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Vulnerability of ground water to atrazine leaching in Kent County, Michigan
Holtschlag, D.J.; Luukkonen, C.L.
1997-01-01
A steady-state model of pesticide leaching through the unsaturated zone was used with readily available hydrologic, lithologic, and pesticide characteristics to estimate the vulnerability of the near-surface aquifer to atrazine contamination from non-point sources in Kent County, Michigan. The modelcomputed fraction of atrazine remaining at the water table, RM, was used as the vulnerability criterion; time of travel to the water table also was computed. Model results indicate that the average fraction of atrazine remaining at the water table was 0.039 percent; the fraction ranged from 0 to 3.6 percent. Time of travel of atrazine from the soil surface to the water table averaged 17.7 years and ranged from 2.2 to 118 years.Three maps were generated to present three views of the same atrazine vulnerability characteristics using different metrics (nonlinear transformations of the computed fractions remaining). The metrics were chosen because of the highly (right) skewed distribution of computed fractions. The first metric, rm = RMλ (where λ was 0.0625), depicts a relatively uniform distribution of vulnerability across the county with localized areas of high and low vulnerability visible. The second metric, rmλ-0.5, depicts about one-half the county at low vulnerability with discontinuous patterns of high vulnerability evident. In the third metric, rmλ-1.0 (RM), more than 95 percent of the county appears to have low vulnerability; small, distinct areas of high vulnerability are present.Aquifer vulnerability estimates in the RM metric were used with a steady-state, uniform atrazine application rate to compute a potential concentration of atrazine in leachate reaching the water table. The average estimated potential atrazine concentration in leachate at the water table was 0.16 μg/L (micrograms per liter) in the model area; estimated potential concentrations ranged from 0 to 26 μg/L. About 2 percent of the model area had estimated potential atrazine concentrations in leachate at the water table that exceeded the USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) maximum contaminant level of 3 μg/L.Uncertainty analyses were used to assess effects of parameter uncertainty and spatial interpolation error on the variability of the estimated fractions of atrazine remaining at the water table. Results of Monte Carlo simulations indicate that parameter uncertainty is associated with a standard error of 0.0875 in the computed fractions (in the rm metric). Results of kriging analysis indicate that errors in spatial interpolation are associated with a standard error of 0.146 (in the rm metric). Thus, uncertainty in fractions remaining is primarily associated with spatial interpolation error, which can be reduced by increasing the density of points where the leaching model is applied.A sensitivity analysis indicated which of 13 hydrologic, lithologic, and pesticide characteristics were influential in determining fractions of atrazine remaining at the water table. Results indicate that fractions remaining are most sensitive to the unit changes in pesticide half life and in organic-carbon content in soils and unweathered rocks, and least sensitive to infiltration rates.The leaching model applied in this report provides an estimate of the vulnerability of the near-surface aquifer in Kent County to contamination by atrazine. The vulnerability estimate is related to water-quality criteria developed by the USEPA to help assess potential risks from atrazine to the near-surface aquifer. However, atrazine accounts for only 28 percent of the herbicide use in the county; additional potential for contamination exists from other pesticides and pesticide metabolites. Therefore, additional work is needed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the relative risks associated with specific pesticides. The modeling approach described in this report provides a technique for estimating relative vulnerabilities to specific pesticides and for helping to assess potential risks.
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Rosi-Marshall, Emma J.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Kincaid, Dustin W.; Cross, Wyatt F.; Kelly, Holly A.W.; Behn, Kathrine A.; White, Tyler; Hall, Robert O.; Baxter, Colden V.
2010-01-01
Glen Canyon Dam has dramatically altered the physical environment (especially discharge regime, water temperatures, and sediment inputs) of the Colorado River. High-flow experiments (HFE) that mimic one aspect of the natural hydrograph (floods) were implemented in 1996, 2004, and 2008. The primary goal of these experiments was to increase the size and total area of sandbar habitats that provide both camping sites for recreational users and create backwaters (areas of stagnant flow in the lee of return-current eddies) that may be important as rearing habitat for native fish. Experimental flows might also positively or negatively alter the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) sport fishery in the clear tailwater reach below Glen Canyon Dam, Ariz., and native fish populations in downstream reaches (for example, endangered humpback chub, Gila cypha) through changes in available food resources. We examined the short-term response of benthic macroinvertebrates to the March 2008 HFE at three sites [river mile 0 (RM 0, 15.7 miles downriver from the dam), RM 62, and RM 225] along the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam by sampling immediately before and then 1, 7, 14, and 30 days after the HFE. We selected these sites because of their importance to management; RM 0 has a valuable trout fishery, and RM 62 is the location of the largest population of the endangered humpback chub in the Grand Canyon. In addition to the short-term collection of samples, as part of parallel investigations, we collected 3 years of monthly (quarterly for RM 62) benthic macroinvertebrate samples that included 15 months of post-HFE data for all three sites, but processing of the samples is only complete for one site (RM 0). At RM 0, the HFE caused an immediate 1.75 g AFDM/m2 (expressed as grams ash-free dry mass, or AFDM) reduction of macroinvertebrate biomass that was driven by significant reductions in the biomass of the two dominant taxa in this reach-Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mud snails) and Gammarus lacustris (scuds or side-swimmers)-and also biomass reductions of other common taxa (worms in the families Lumbricidae and Tubificidae). Invertebrate drift estimates during the HFE suggest that reductions in biomass of some taxa were because of export from the reach. Reductions in biomass of P. antipodarum and G. lacustris persisted at least 15 months after the HFE, when this study concluded, and coincided with a significant decline in the annual production of these taxa: P. antipodarum production of 11 to 13 g AFDM/m2/yr in two pre-HFE years versus 2 g AFDM/m2/yr in the post-HFE year, and G. lacustris production of 7 to 8 g AFDM/m2/yr in two pre-HFE years versus 3 g AFDM/m2/yr in the post-HFE year. There were not changes in invertebrate feeding habits in response to the HFE, as our 3-year dataset of invertebrate diets indicated no substantial changes. Our long-term analysis of the composition of the drift indicates that because of a reduction in P. antipodarum in the drift relative to digestible taxa, the quality of the drift as a food resource for fishes increased. At downstream sites, total assemblage biomass did not decline, likely because assemblages were dominated by blackflies (Simulium arcticum), which were not affected by the HFE. Similar to RM 0, G. lacustris and Tubificidae had significantly lower biomass after the HFE at RM 62 and RM 225. Chironomids were also significantly lower following the flood at both downstream sites. Our findings demonstrate that the effects of a HFE on invertebrates may persist up to at least 15 months in the clear tailwater below the dam, whereas in downstream reaches impacts were more short lived. If controlling the abundance of P. antipodarum is a goal of managers, our findings indicate that periodic HFEs on the order of every 2 to 3 years may be an effective strategy for meeting that goal. More frequent HFEs may cause a shift in the state of the benthic invertebrate assemblage of the tailwa
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Zhai, Xiang; Go, Maybelle K; O'Donoghue, AnnMarie C; Amyes, Tina L; Pegan, Scott D; Wang, Yan; Loria, J Patrick; Mesecar, Andrew D; Richard, John P
2014-06-03
Two mutations of the phosphodianion gripper loop in chicken muscle triosephosphate isomerase (cTIM) were examined: (1) the loop deletion mutant (LDM) formed by removal of residues 170-173 [Pompliano, D. L., et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 3186-3194] and (2) the loop 6 replacement mutant (L6RM), in which the N-terminal hinge sequence of TIM from eukaryotes, 166-PXW-168 (X = L or V), is replaced by the sequence from archaea, 166-PPE-168. The X-ray crystal structure of the L6RM shows a large displacement of the side chain of E168 from that for W168 in wild-type cTIM. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance data show that the L6RM results in significant chemical shift changes in loop 6 and surrounding regions, and that the binding of glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) results in chemical shift changes for nuclei at the active site of the L6RM that are smaller than those of wild-type cTIM. Interactions with loop 6 of the L6RM stabilize the enediolate intermediate toward the elimination reaction catalyzed by the LDM. The LDM and L6RM result in 800000- and 23000-fold decreases, respectively, in kcat/Km for isomerization of GAP. Saturation of the LDM, but not the L6RM, by substrate and inhibitor phosphoglycolate is detected by steady-state kinetic analyses. We propose, on the basis of a comparison of X-ray crystal structures for wild-type TIM and the L6RM, that ligands bind weakly to the L6RM because a large fraction of the ligand binding energy is utilized to overcome destabilizing electrostatic interactions between the side chains of E168 and E129 that are predicted to develop in the loop-closed enzyme. Similar normalized yields of DHAP, d-DHAP, and d-GAP are formed in LDM- and L6RM-catalyzed reactions of GAP in D2O. The smaller normalized 12-13% yield of DHAP and d-DHAP observed for the mutant cTIM-catalyzed reactions compared with the 79% yield of these products for wild-type cTIM suggests that these mutations impair the transfer of a proton from O-2 to O-1 at the initial enediolate phosphate intermediate. No products are detected for the LDM-catalyzed isomerization reactions in D2O of [1-(13)C]GA and HPi, but the L6RM-catalyzed reaction in the presence of 0.020 M dianion gives a 2% yield of the isomerization product [2-(13)C,2-(2)H]GA.
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The validation process for a moderate resolution leaf area index (LAI) product (i.e., MODIS) involves the creation of a high spatial resolution LAI reference map (Lai-RM), which when scaled to the moderate LAI resolution (i.e., >1 km) allows for comparison and analysis with this ...
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Association mapping for yield and grain quality traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
2010-01-01
Association analysis was applied to a panel of accessions of Embrapa Rice Core Collection (ERiCC) with 86 SSR and field data from two experiments. A clear subdivision between lowland and upland accessions was apparent, thereby indicating the presence of population structure. Thirty-two accessions with admixed ancestry were identified through structure analysis, these being discarded from association analysis, thus leaving 210 accessions subdivided into two panels. The association of yield and grain-quality traits with SSR was undertaken with a mixed linear model, with markers and subpopulation as fixed factors, and kinship matrix as a random factor. Eight markers from the two appraised panels showed significant association with four different traits, although only one (RM190) maintained the marker-trait association across years and cultivation. The significant association detected between amylose content and RM190 was in agreement with previous QTL analyses in the literature. Herein, the feasibility of undertaking association analysis in conjunction with germplasm characterization was demonstrated, even when considering low marker density. The high linkage disequilibrium expected in rice lines and cultivars facilitates the detection of marker-trait associations for implementing marker assisted selection, and the mining of alleles related to important traits in germplasm. PMID:21637426
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Systems Harmonization and Convergence - the GIGAS Approach
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Marchetti, P. G.; Biancalana, A.; Coene, Y.; Uslander, T.
2009-04-01
0.1 Background The GIGAS1 Support Action promotes the coherent and interoperable development of the GMES, INSPIRE and GEOSS initiatives through their concerted adoption of standards, protocols, and open architectures. 0.2 Preparing for Coordinated Data Access The GMES Coordinated Data Access System is under design and implementation2. This objective has motivated the definition of the interoperability standards between the contributing missions. The following elements have been addressed with associated papers submitted to OGC: The EO Product Metadata has been based on the OGC Geographic Markup Language, addressing sensor characteristics for optical, radar and atmospheric products. Collection and service discovery: an ISO extension package for CSW ebRim has been proposed. Catalogue Service (CSW): an Earth Observation extension package of the CSW ebRim has been proposed. Feasibility Analysis and Order: an Order interface control document and an Earth Observation profile of the Sensor Planning Service have been proposed. Online Data Access: an Earth Observation profile of the Web Map Services (WMS) for visualization and evaluation purposes has been proposed. Identity (user) management: the objective in the long term is to allow for a single sign-on to the Coordinated Data Access system by users registered in the various Earth Observation ground segments by providing a federated identity across participating ground segments, exploiting OASIS standards. 0.3 The GIGAS proposed harmonization approach The approach proposed by GIGAS is based on three elements: Technology watch Comparative analysis Shaping of initiatives and standards This paper concentrates on the methodology for technology watch and comparative analysis. The complexity of the GIGAS scenario involving huge systems (i.e. GEOSS, INSPIRE, GMES etc.) entails the interaction with different heterogeneous partners, each with a specific competence, expertise and know-how. 0.3.1 Technology watch The methodology proposed is based on an RM-ODP based study supported by interoperability use cases and scenarios used to derive requirements. GIGAS will monitor the INSPIRE, GMES and GEOSS evolution and analyze the requirements, the standards, the services and the architecture, the models, the processes and the consensus mechanisms with the same elements of the other systems under analysis. activities in the fields of standard development that are part of the three initiatives. This task will provide the basis for how these three initiatives will strategically support consensus and efficient standards development going forward. architecture, specifications, innovative concepts and software developments of past or ongoing FP6/FP7 research topics. The use of an RM-ODP approach is selected as: most of the architectural approaches to be compared are based on RM-ODP, it supports distributed processing, it aims at fostering interoperability across heterogeneous systems, it tries to hide distribution to systems developers. However, as most of the systems to be considered have the characteristic of a loosely-coupled network of systems and services instead of a "distributed processing system based on interacting objects", the RM-ODP concepts are tailored for the GIGAS needs. The usage of RM-ODP for GIGAS Requirements and Technology Watch is two-fold: Architectural analysis: It is performed for all projects and initiatives. Its purpose is to identify possibilities but also major obstacles for interoperability. Furthermore, it identifies the major use cases to be analysed in more detail. Use Case Implementation Analysis: It is used to describe how selected use cases of the projects and initiatives are implemented in the different architectures. Its purpose is to identify technological gaps and concrete problems of interoperability. It is performed only for selected use cases. The output of the Technology Watch is an RM-ODP based report containing parallel analysis on the same aspects on the three initiatives integrated by analysis of relevant FP6-FP7 projects and standardization activities. 0.3.2 Comparative Analysis Based on the outcomes of the previous monitoring tasks, GIGAS undertakes a comparative analysis on solutions, requirements, architecture, models, processes and consensus mechanisms used by INSPIRE, GMES and GEOSS, taking into account the inputs from the monitoring of FP6/FP7 research projects and the ongoing standardization activities. Initiative Contact Points will insure that the overall policy framework and schedules for each of the three initiatives will be factored in. The result of the Comparative Analysis includes: A list of recommendations to GEOSS, INSPIRE and GMES to be expanded and processed in depth in the following shaping phase The identification of technological gaps to be explored in the following shaping phase. Guidelines and objectives for the architectural approach within GIGAS Analysis on the schedules of the three initiatives and on the FP6/FP7 programs and standardization activities, with identification of key milestones or intervention points.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Samson, Thomas
Nous proposons une methode permettant d'obtenir une expression pour la conductivite de Hall de structures electroniques bidimensionnelles et nous examinons celle -ci a la limite d'une temperature nulle dans le but de verifier l'effet Hall quantique. Nous allons nous interesser essentiellement a l'effet Hall quantique entier et aux effets fractionnaires inferieurs a un. Le systeme considere est forme d'un gaz d'electrons en interaction faible avec les impuretes de l'echantillon. Le modele du gaz d'electrons consiste en un gaz bidimensionnel d'electrons sans spin expose perpendiculairement a un champ magnetique uniforme. Ce dernier est decrit par le potentiel vecteur vec{rm A} defini dans la jauge de Dingle ou jauge symetrique. Conformement au formalisme de la seconde quantification, l'hamiltonien de ce gaz est represente dans la base des etats a un-corps de Dingle |n,m> et exprime ainsi en terme des operateurs de creation et d'annihilation correspondants a_sp{ rm n m}{dag} et a _{rm n m}. Nous supposons de plus que les electrons du niveau fondamental de Dingle interagissent entre eux via le potentiel coulombien. La methode utilisee fait appel a une equation mai tresse a N-corps, de nature quantique et statistique, et verifiant le second principe de la thermodynamique. A partir de celle-ci, nous obtenons un systeme d'equations differentielles appele hierarchie d'equations quantique dont la resolution nous permet de determiner une equation a un-corps, dite de Boltzmann quantique, et dictant l'evolution de la moyenne statistique de l'operateur non-diagonal a _sp{rm n m}{dag } a_{rm n}, _{rm m}, sous l'action du champ electrique applique vec{rm E}(t). C'est sa solution Tr(p(t) a _sp{rm n m}{dag} a_{rm n},_ {rm m}), qui definit la relation de convolution entre la densite courant de Hall vec{rm J}_{rm H }(t) et le champ electrique vec {rm E}(t) dont la transformee de Laplace-Fourier du noyau nous fournit l'expression de la conductivite de Hall desiree. Pour une valeur de facteur d'occupation (nombre d'electrons/degenerescence des etats de Dingle) superieure a un, c'est-a-dire en absence d'interaction electron-electron, il nous sera facile d'evaluer cette conductivite a la limite d'une temperature nulle et de demontrer qu'elle tend vers l'une des valeurs quantiques qe^2/h conformement a l'effet Hall quantique entier. Cependant, pour une valeur du facteur d'occupation inferieure a un, c'est-a-dire en presence d'interaction electron-electron, nous ne pourrons evaluer cette limite et obtenir les resultats escomptes a cause de l'impossibilite de determiner l'un des termes impliques. Neanmoins, ce dernier etant de nature statistique, il pourra etre aisement mis en fonction du propagateur du gaz d'electrons dont on doit maintenant determiner une expression en regime effet Hall quantique fractionnaire. Apres avoir demontre l'impuissance de la theorie des perturbations, basee sur le theoreme de Wick et la technique des diagrammes de Feynman, a accomplir cette tache correctement, nous proposons une seconde methode. Celle -ci fait appel au formalisme de l'integrale fonctionnelle et a l'utilisation d'une transformation de Hubbard-Stratonovich generalisee permettant de substituer a l'interaction a deux-corps une interaction effective a un-corps. L'expression finale obtenue bien que non completement resolue, devrait pouvoir etre estimee par une bonne approximation analytique ou au pire numeriquement.
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Environmental Planning in Jonah's Basin: A Simulation Game and Experimental Analysis.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Horsley, Doyne
1982-01-01
Described is a successfully field tested simulation which will help high school or college level students become familiar with flood hazards. Students assume the roles of members of the Jonah's Basin planning commission and plan solutions to the area's flood problems. (RM)
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The lepton+jets Selection and Determination of the Lepton Fake Rate with the Full RunIIb Data Set
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Meister, Daniel
2013-01-01
This thesis presents the combined single top andmore » $$ t\\overline{ }\\ t $$ lepton+jets selection for the full RunIIb dataset of the DØ detector. The selection uses the newest soft- ware versions including all standard central object identifications and corrections and has various additions and improvements compared to the previous 7 . 3 fb - 1 $$ t\\overline{ }\\ t $$ selection and the previous single top selection in order to accommodate even more different analyses. The lepton fake rate $$\\epsilon_{\\rm QCD}$$ and the real lepton efficiency $$\\epsilon_{\\rm sig}$$ are estimated using the matrix method and different variations are considered in order to determine the systematic errors. The calculation has to be done for each run period and every set of analysis cuts separately. In addition the values for the exclusive jet bins and for the new single top analysis cuts have been derived and the thesis shows numerous control plots to demonstrate the excellent agreement between data and Monte Carlo.« less
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Von Kármán between Aachen and Pasadena
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Krause, Egon; Kalkmann, Ulrich
2013-05-01
In the Introduction the reader is referred back to the academic ceremonials held after Theodore von Kármán's death in Aachen in May 1963. His work as the first director of the Aerodynamisches Institut (Institute of Aerodynamics) of the RWTH Aachen University of Technology from 1913 on and his initiative to re-establish international cooperation after World War I, resulting in the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM), are commented on. The following chapter describes von Kármán's relation to his former teacher Ludwig Prandtl. Some of von Kármán's scientific contributions during his time in Aachen are briefly reviewed. Thereafter, his first contacts to the California Institute of Technology are covered. Finally, the scientific and political circumstances, which led to von Kármán's decision to leave Germany in the early thirties, are elucidated in some detail. The English translation of the titles of the Aachen papers is given in Appendix I.
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Support for non-locking parallel reception of packets belonging to a single memory reception FIFO
Chen, Dong [Yorktown Heights, NY; Heidelberger, Philip [Yorktown Heights, NY; Salapura, Valentina [Yorktown Heights, NY; Senger, Robert M [Yorktown Heights, NY; Steinmacher-Burow, Burkhard [Boeblingen, DE; Sugawara, Yutaka [Yorktown Heights, NY
2011-01-27
A method and apparatus for distributed parallel messaging in a parallel computing system. A plurality of DMA engine units are configured in a multiprocessor system to operate in parallel, one DMA engine unit for transferring a current packet received at a network reception queue to a memory location in a memory FIFO (rmFIFO) region of a memory. A control unit implements logic to determine whether any prior received packet destined for that rmFIFO is still in a process of being stored in the associated memory by another DMA engine unit of the plurality, and prevent the one DMA engine unit from indicating completion of storing the current received packet in the reception memory FIFO (rmFIFO) until all prior received packets destined for that rmFIFO are completely stored by the other DMA engine units. Thus, there is provided non-locking support so that multiple packets destined for a single rmFIFO are transferred and stored in parallel to predetermined locations in a memory.
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Riggs, Stanley R.; Ames, Dorothea V.
2007-01-01
The effect of storms on long-term dynamics of barrier islands was evaluated on Core Banks, a series of barrier islands that extend from Cape Lookout to Okracoke Inlet in the Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina. Shoreline and elevation changes were determined by comparing 77 profiles and associated reference markers established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Core Banks from June 1960 to July 1962 to a follow-up survey by Godfrey and Godfrey (G&G) in 1971 and a survey by the Department of Geology at East Carolina University (ECU) in 2001, in which 57 of the original 77 profiles were located. Evaluation of the baseline data associated with the USACE study supplies an important record of barrier island response to two specific storm events—Hurricane Donna in September 1960 and the Ash Wednesday extra-tropical cyclone in March 1962. The 1962 USACE survey was followed by 9 years characterized by no major storms; this low-energy period was captured by the G&G survey in 1971. The G&G survey was followed by 22 years characterized by occasional small to moderate storms. Starting in 1993, however, and continuing through 1999, the North Carolina coast experienced a major increase in storm activity, with seven major hurricanes impacting Core Banks. Both the USACE 1960–1962 and G&G 1962–1971 surveys produced short-term data sets that reflected very different sets of weather conditions. The ECU 2001 survey data were then compared with the USACE 1960 survey data to develop a long-term (41 years) data set for shoreline erosion on Core Banks. Those resulting long-term data were compared with the long-term (52 years) data sets by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (NCDCM) from 1940–1992 and 1946–1998; a strong positive correlation and very similar rates of average annual erosion resulted. However, the ECU and NCDCM long-term data sets did not correlate with either of the USACE and G&G short-term survey data and had very different average annual erosion rates. The average annual long-term rate of shoreline erosion for all of Core Banks and for both the ECU 1960–2001 and the NCDCM 1946–1998 surveys was -5 feet per year (ft/yr). These long-term rates of shoreline recession are in strong contrast with the short-term, storm-dominated rates of shoreline erosion for all of Core Banks developed by the USACE 1960–1961 and USACE 1961–1962 surveys, which have average annual erosion rates of -40 ft/yr and -26 ft/yr, respectively, and range from -226 feet (ft) to +153 ft. The combined short-term, storm-dominated shoreline erosion rate for the USACE surveys (1960–1962) was -36 ft/yr. In contrast, the average annual short-term, non-stormy period G&G 1962–1971 survey demonstrated shoreline accretion for all of Core Banks with an average annual rate of +12 ft/yr. In general, North Core Banks has higher erosion and accretion rates than South Core Banks. In the 1961 survey, the USACE installed 231 reference markers (RM-0 is closest to the ocean and RM-2 is farthest from the ocean) along the 77 profiles, as well as 33 reference markers labeled RM-4, RM-6, and RM-8 in the wider portions of the islands. The G&G survey recovered a total of 141 reference markers (61 percent), and the ECU survey recovered a total of 83 reference markers (36 percent) of the RM-0, RM-1, and RM-2 markers. The average ground elevation measured by the USACE in 1961 was RM-0 = +5.8 ft, RM-1 = +5.2 ft, and RM-2 = +4.8 ft. The G&G 1970 survey measured average ground elevations of RM-0 = +6.7 ft, RM-1 = +6.4 ft, and RM-2 = +6.1 ft, and the average ground elevation measured by ECU in 2001 was RM-0 = +10.1 ft, RM-1 = +9.1 ft, and RM-2 = +8.5 ft. The latter numbers represent approximately an overall 72-percent increase in island elevation from 1961 to 2001. Based on aerial photographic time-slice analyses, it is hypothesized that this increase in island elevation occurred during the post-1962 period with storm overwash systematically raising the island elevation through time, which in turn led to decreased numbers of overwash events. The latter processes and responses in turn led to a substantial increase in vegetative growth on the barrier island, as well as submerged aquatic vegetation on the back-barrier sand shoals. Integration of the USACE, G&G, ECU, and NCDCM shoreline erosion data for Core Banks shows several important points about shoreline recession. (1) The ECU and NCDCM data sets demonstrate that there is an ongoing net, long-term, but small-scale shoreline recession associated with Core Banks; (2) the USACE short-term data sets demonstrate that processes associated with individual storm events or sets of events produce extremely large-scale changes that include both erosion and accretion; (3) the short-term, non-stormy period data set of G&G demonstrates that if given enough time between storm events, barriers can rebuild to their pre-storm period conditions; and (4) the post-storm response generally tends to approach the pre-storm location, but rarely reaches it before the next storm or stormy period sets in. The result is the net long-term change documented by both the ECU 1960–2001 and NCDCM 1946–1998 Core Banks data sets that resulted in erosion rates ranging from 0 to -30 ft/yr with net annual average recession rates of -5 ft/yr. Analysis and comparison of these data sets supply important information for understanding the dynamics and responses of barrier island systems through time. In addition, the results of the present study on Core Banks supply essential process-response information that can be used to design and implement management plans for the Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores and for other seashores in the U.S. National Park Service system.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barry, John A.
2012-01-01
Some psychology students achieve high grades in all classes except for research methods (RM). Previous research has usually treated low levels of achievement in RM as a unitary phenomenon, without reference to the grades the student is achieving in other subjects. The present internet survey explored preferences for learning RM in 140 psychology…
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Yang, J X; Guo, Q J; Yang, J; Zhou, X Y; Ren, H Y; Zhang, H Z; Xu, R X; Wang, X D; Peters, M; Zhu, G X; Wei, R F; Tian, L Y; Han, X K
2016-01-01
Human activities have resulted in arsenic (As) and heavy metals accumulation in paddy soils in China. Phytoremediation has been suggested as an effective and low-cost method to clean up contaminated soils. A combined soil-sand pot experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of red mud (RM) supply on iron plaque formation and As and heavy metal accumulation in two wetland plant species (Cyperus alternifolius Rottb., Echinodorus amazonicus Rataj), using As and heavy metals polluted paddy soil combined with three rates of RM application (0, 2%, 5%). The results showed that RM supply significantly decreased As and heavy metals accumulation in shoots of the two plants due to the decrease of As and heavy metal availability and the enhancement of the formation of iron plaque on the root surface and in the rhizosphere. Both wetland plants supplied with RM tended to have more Fe plaque, higher As and heavy metals on roots and in their rhizospheres, and were more tolerant of As and heavy metal toxicity. The results suggest that RM-induced enhancement of the formation of iron plaque on the root surface and in the rhizosphere of wetland plants may be significant for remediation of soils contaminated with As and heavy metals.
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Exploring the Accretion Model of M87 and 3C 84 with the Faraday Rotation Measure Observations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Ya-Ping; Yuan, Feng; Xie, Fu-Guo
2016-10-01
Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) are believed to be powered by an accretion-jet model, consisting of an inner advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF), an outer truncated standard thin disk, and a jet; however, model degeneracy still exists in this framework. For example, the X-ray emission can originate from either the ADAF or the jet. The aim of the present work is to check these models with the Faraday rotation measure (RM) observations recently detected for two LLAGNs, M87 and 3C 84, in the sub-mm band. For M87, we find that the RM predicted by the model in which the X-ray emission originates from the ADAF is larger than the observed upper limit of RM by over two orders of magnitude, while the model in which the X-ray emission originates from the jet predicts a RM lower than the observed upper limit. For 3C 84, the sub-mm emission is found to be dominated by the jet component, while the Faraday screen is attributed to the ADAFs. This scenario can naturally explain the observed external origin of the RM and why the RM is found to be stable during a two-year interval although the sub-mm emission increases at the same period.
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Rafiee, Mitra; Gharagozloo, Marjan; Ghahiri, Ataollah; Mehrabian, Ferdous; Maracy, Mohammad R; Kouhpayeh, Shirin; Pieper, Ina Laura; Rezaei, Abbas
2015-12-01
Recurrent miscarriage (RM) affects 2-5% of pregnant women. Paternal lymphocyte immunotherapy is a common treatment for RM patients but the outcome has not been consistent. Therefore, combined therapy with other immunosuppressive drugs such as 1a, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin-D3 (vitamin D3) may improve the outcome. To investigate the effect of vitamin D3 on the balance of two essential T cells subsets, T helper (Th) 17 and T regulatory (Treg) cells, which contribute to the immune tolerance during pregnancy. The expression levels of CD4 and forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) in Treg cells, and the expression levels of CD4 and IL-17 in Th17 cells, were evaluated pre- and 3 months post-immunotherapy in RM patients treated with a combination of paternal lymphocytes and vitamin D3 compared with RM patients receiving lymphocyte immunotherapy alone. Vitamin D3 therapy decreased the frequency of Th17 cells in addition to reducing the Th17/Treg ratio in peripheral blood of RM patients compared with the control group (p<0.05). Considering that RM patients have a higher Th17/Treg ratio in peripheral blood, vitamin D3 may be a candidate therapeutic approach in this disease.
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Multiple forms of rhythmic movements in an adolescent boy with rhythmic movement disorder.
Su, Changjun; Miao, Jianting; Liu, Yu; Liu, Rui; Lei, Gesheng; Zhang, Wei; Yang, Ting; Li, Zhuyi
2009-12-01
Rhythmic movement disorder (RMD) refers to a group of stereotyped, repetitive movements involving large muscles, usually occurring prior to the onset of sleep and persisting into sleep. RMD more commonly exhibits only one or two forms of rhythmic movements (RM) in most reported cases. However, multiple RM forms of RMD occurring in a patient in the same night have rarely been reported. In this report, we present the unique case of a 15-year-old boy with RMD affected by multiple forms of RM in the same night, including four known forms (i.e., body rocking, head banging, leg rolling, and rhythmic feet movements) and two new kinds of RM (bilateral rhythmic arm rocking and rhythmic hands movements). Two video-polysomnographic recordings were performed in this patient before starting pharmacologic treatment and after long-term oral clonazepam treatment (1.0mg nightly for 3 months). The characteristics of RMD with multiple RM forms and the effectiveness of clonazepam on the RM episodes and polysomnographic findings observed in our patient are discussed. This report raises the fact that a patient with RMD may present with multiple complex rhythmic movements disrupting sleep, which emphasizes that better understanding of the clinical features of complex rhythmic movements during sleep in primary care settings is essential for early clinical diagnosis and optimal management.
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Impact of Remote Monitoring on Clinical Outcomes.
Varma, Niraj; Ricci, Renato Pietro
2015-12-01
Follow-up of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices is challenging due to both their increasing volume and technical complexity coupled to increasing clinical complexity of recipient patients. Remote monitoring (RM) offers an opportunity to resolve some of these difficulties by improving clinic efficiencies and providing a mechanism for device monitoring and patient management. Several recent randomized clinical trials and registries have demonstrated that RM may reduce in-hospital visit numbers, time required for patient follow-up, physician and nurse time, and hospital and social costs. Furthermore, patient retention and adherence to follow-up schedule are significantly improved by RM. Continuous wireless monitoring of data stored in the device memory with automatic alerts allows early detection of device malfunctions and of events, such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias, and heart failure suitable for clinical intervention. Early reaction may improve patient outcome. RM is easy to use and patients showed a high level of acceptance and satisfaction. Implementing RM in daily practice may require changes in clinic workflow. New organizational models promote significant efficiencies regarding physician and nursing time. Data management techniques are under development. Despite these demonstrable advantages of RM, adoption still remains modest, even in health care systems incentivized to use this follow-up method. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Ratamess, Nicholas A; Beller, Noah A; Gonzalez, Adam M; Spatz, Gregory E; Hoffman, Jay R; Ross, Ryan E; Faigenbaum, Avery D; Kang, Jie
2016-03-01
The transfer of training effects of multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training to dynamic exercise performance remain poorly understood. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the magnitude of isokinetic and dynamic one repetition-maximum (1RM) strength and local muscular endurance increases after 6 weeks of multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training. Seventeen women were randomly assigned to either an isokinetic resistance training group (IRT) or a non-exercising control group (CTL). The IRT group underwent 6 weeks of training (2 days per week) consisting of 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions at 75-85% of subjects' peak strength for the isokinetic chest press and seated row exercises at an average linear velocity of 0.15 m s(-1) [3-sec concentric (CON) and 3-sec eccentric (ECC) phases]. Peak CON and ECC force during the chest press and row, 1RM bench press and bent-over row, and maximum number of modified push-ups were assessed pre and post training. A 2 x 2 analysis of variance with repeated measures and Tukey's post hoc tests were used for data analysis. The results showed that 1RM bench press (from 38.6 ± 6.7 to 43.0 ± 5.9 kg), 1RM bent-over row (from 40.4 ± 7.7 to 45.5 ± 7.5 kg), and the maximal number of modified push-ups (from 39.5 ± 13.6 to 55.3 ± 13.1 repetitions) increased significantly only in the IRT group. Peak isokinetic CON and ECC force in the chest press and row significantly increased in the IRT group. No differences were shown in the CTL group for any measure. These data indicate 6 weeks of multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training increases dynamic muscle strength and local muscular endurance performance in addition to specific isokinetic strength gains in women. Key pointsMultiple-joint isokinetic resistance training increases dynamic maximal muscular strength, local muscular endurance, and maximal isokinetic strength in women.Multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training increased 1RM strength in the bench press (by 10.2%), bent-over barbell row (by 11.2%), and maximal modified push-up performance (by 28.6%) indicating a carryover of training effects to dynamic exercise performance.The carryover effects may be attractive to strength training and conditioning professionals seeking to include alternative modalities such as multiple-joint isokinetic dynamometers to resistance training programs.
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Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Beller, Noah A.; Gonzalez, Adam M.; Spatz, Gregory E.; Hoffman, Jay R.; Ross, Ryan E.; Faigenbaum, Avery D.; Kang, Jie
2016-01-01
The transfer of training effects of multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training to dynamic exercise performance remain poorly understood. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the magnitude of isokinetic and dynamic one repetition-maximum (1RM) strength and local muscular endurance increases after 6 weeks of multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training. Seventeen women were randomly assigned to either an isokinetic resistance training group (IRT) or a non-exercising control group (CTL). The IRT group underwent 6 weeks of training (2 days per week) consisting of 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions at 75-85% of subjects’ peak strength for the isokinetic chest press and seated row exercises at an average linear velocity of 0.15 m s-1 [3-sec concentric (CON) and 3-sec eccentric (ECC) phases]. Peak CON and ECC force during the chest press and row, 1RM bench press and bent-over row, and maximum number of modified push-ups were assessed pre and post training. A 2 x 2 analysis of variance with repeated measures and Tukey’s post hoc tests were used for data analysis. The results showed that 1RM bench press (from 38.6 ± 6.7 to 43.0 ± 5.9 kg), 1RM bent-over row (from 40.4 ± 7.7 to 45.5 ± 7.5 kg), and the maximal number of modified push-ups (from 39.5 ± 13.6 to 55.3 ± 13.1 repetitions) increased significantly only in the IRT group. Peak isokinetic CON and ECC force in the chest press and row significantly increased in the IRT group. No differences were shown in the CTL group for any measure. These data indicate 6 weeks of multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training increases dynamic muscle strength and local muscular endurance performance in addition to specific isokinetic strength gains in women. Key points Multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training increases dynamic maximal muscular strength, local muscular endurance, and maximal isokinetic strength in women. Multiple-joint isokinetic resistance training increased 1RM strength in the bench press (by 10.2%), bent-over barbell row (by 11.2%), and maximal modified push-up performance (by 28.6%) indicating a carryover of training effects to dynamic exercise performance. The carryover effects may be attractive to strength training and conditioning professionals seeking to include alternative modalities such as multiple-joint isokinetic dynamometers to resistance training programs. PMID:26957924
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Association Between Neuromuscular Tests and Kumite Performance on The Brazilian Karate National Team
Roschel, Hamilton; Batista, Mauro; Monteiro, Rodrigo; Bertuzzi, Romulo C.; Barroso, Renato; Loturco, Irineu; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Tricoli, Valmor; Franchini, Emerson
2009-01-01
The aim of this study was to verify the relationship of strength and power with performance on an international level karate team during official kumite simulations. Fourteen male black belt karate athletes were submitted to anthropometric data collection and then performed the following tests on two different days: vertical jump test, bench press and squat maximum dynamic strength (1RM) tests. We also tested power production for both exercises at 30 and 60%1RM and performed a kumite match simulation. Blood samples were obtained at rest and immediately after the kumite matches to measure blood lactate concentration. Karate players were separated by performance (winners vs. defeated) on the kumite matches. We found no significant differences between winners and defeated for strength, vertical jump height, anthropometric data and blood lactate concentration. Interestingly, winners were more powerful in the bench press and squat exercises at 30% 1RM. Maximum strength was correlated with absolute (30% 1RM r = 0.92; 60% 1RM r = 0.63) and relative power (30% 1RM r = 0.74; 60% 1RM r = 0.11, p > 0.05) for the bench press exercise. We concluded that international level karate players’ kumite match performance are influenced by higher levels of upper and lower limbs power production. Key Points Muscle power at low workloads seems to be a reasonable predictor of karate performance. There are differences in neuromuscular characteristics between winners and defeated karate players among an international level karate team. Karate players rely more on muscle power, rather than on muscle strength. PMID:24474882
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Alizadeh, Nazila; Mosaferi, Elnaz; Farzadi, Laya; Majidi, Jafar; Monfaredan, Amir; Yousefi, Bahman; Baradaran, Behzad
2016-01-01
Background: Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a non-classical class I molecule highly expressed by extravillous cytotrophoblast cells. Due to a single base pair deletion, its function can be compensated by other isoforms. Investigating the frequency of null allele in Recurrent Miscarriage (RM) subjects could be useful in understanding the relationship between frequency of this allele and RM in a given population. Objective: This study aimed to determine the frequency of HLA-G*0105N null allele and its potential association with down-regulation of HLA-G in subjects with RM. Materials and Methods: Western blotting was used to assess the level of HLA-G protein expression. For investigating the frequency of HLA-G*0105N null allele in RM subjects, PCR-RFLP method was used. Exon 3 of HLA-G gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Subsequently, PpuM-1 enzyme was employed to digest the PCR products and fragments were analyzed using gel electrophoresis. Results: Digestion using restriction enzyme showed the presence of heterozygous HLA-G*0105N null allele in 10% of the test population. Western blotting results confirmed the decrease in expression of HLA-G in the placental tissue of subjects with RM compared to subjects who could give normal birth. Conclusion: The frequency of heterozygous HLA-G*0105N null allele was high to some extent in subjects with RM. The mutation rate in subjects suggested that there is a significant association between RM and frequency of mutations in this allele. PMID:27525330
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Ryu, Seon Young; Lee, Sang Bong; Kim, Tae Woo; Lee, Taek Jun
2016-03-01
The diagnostic relevance of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains to be unresolved. The aim of this study is to determine clinical correlates of SMCs in MCI. Furthermore, we examined whether there are the differences due to different aspects of complaints (i.e. prospective memory (PM) versus retrospective memory (RM) complaints). We examined the cross-sectional associations between SMCs and depressive symptoms, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and cognitive measures in sixty-six individuals with MCI (mean age: 65.7 ± 8.01 years). The criteria for MCI included SMCs, objective cognitive impairment, normal general cognitive function, largely intact functional activities, and absence of dementia. SMCs were assessed using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ), which contains 16 items describing everyday memory failure of both PM and RM. SMC severity (i.e. PRMQ total score) was associated with stronger depressive symptoms and worse IADL performance. SMCs were not related to cognitive measures. For PM and RM subscores, both depressive symptoms and IADL were related to the PRMQ-PM and -RM scores. The main contributors to these PM and RM scores were depressive symptoms and IADL impairment, respectively. This study suggests that SMCs are more associated with depressive symptoms and IADL problems than with cognitive performance in individuals with MCI. Furthermore, while PM and RM complaints are related to both depressive symptoms and IADL, the differences between these main contributors suggest that RM complaints based on IADL could be more associated with the organically driven pathological features of MCI.
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Jiang, Ying; Zhang, Xuemei; Mu, Hongjie; Hua, Hongchen; Duan, Dongyu; Yan, Xiuju; Wang, Yiyun; Meng, Qingqing; Lu, Xiaoyan; Wang, Aiping; Liu, Wanhui; Li, Youxin; Sun, Kaoxiang
2018-11-01
A microsphere-gel in situ forming implant (MS-Gel ISFI) dual-controlled drug delivery system was applied to a high water-soluble small-molecule compound Rasagiline mesylate (RM) for effective treatment of Parkinson's disease. This injectable complex depot system combined an in situ phase transition gel with high drug-loading and encapsulation efficiency RM-MS prepared by a modified emulsion-phase separation method and optimized by Box-Behnken design. It was evaluated for in vitro drug release, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and in vivo pharmacodynamics. We found that the RM-MS-Gel ISFI system showed no initial burst release and had a long period of in vitro drug release (60 days). An in vivo pharmacokinetic study indicated a significant reduction (p < .01) in the initial high plasma drug concentration of the RM-MS-Gel ISFI system compared to that of the single RM-MS and RM-in situ gel systems after intramuscular injection to rats. A pharmacodynamic study demonstrated a significant reduction (p < .05) in 6-hydroxydopamine-induced contralateral rotation behavior and an effective improvement (p < .05) in dopamine levels in the striatum of the lesioned side after 28 days in animals treated with the RM-MS-Gel ISFI compared with that of animals treated with saline. MS-embedded in situ phase transition gel is superior for use as a biodegradable and injectable sustained drug delivery system with a low initial burst and long period of drug release for highly hydrophilic small molecule drugs.
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Bertram, Timothy A; Johnson, Peter C; Tawil, Bill J; Van Dyke, Mark; Hellman, Kiki B
2015-10-01
TERMIS-AM Industry Committee (TERMIS-AM/IC), in collaboration with the TERMIS-Europe (EU)/IC, conducted a symposium involving the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) toward building an understanding of the rational basis for regulatory decision-making and providing a framework for decisions made during the evaluation of safety and efficacy of TE/RM technologies. This symposium was held in August 2012 during the TERMIS-WC in Vienna, Austria. Emerging from this international initiative by the European Union and the United States, representatives from the respective agencies demonstrated that there are ongoing interagency efforts for developing common national practices toward harmonization of regulatory requirements for the TE/RM products. To extend a broad-based understanding of the role of science in regulatory decision-making, TERMIS-AM/IC, in cooperation with the FDA, organized a symposium at the 2014 TERMIS-AM Annual Meeting, which was held in Washington, DC. This event provided insights from leaders in the FDA and TERMIS on the current status of regulatory approaches for the approved TE/RM products, the use of science in making regulatory decisions, and TE/RM technologies that are in the development pipeline to address unmet medical needs. A far-ranging discussion with FDA representatives, industrialists, physicians, regenerative medicine biologists, and tissue engineers considered the gaps in today's scientific and regulatory understanding of TE/RM technologies. The identified gaps represent significant opportunities to advance TE/RM technologies toward commercialization.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.
2009-01-01
Examined are single- and bi-variate geomagnetic precursors for predicting the maximum amplitude (RM) of a sunspot cycle several years in advance. The best single-variate fit is one based on the average of the ap index 36 mo prior to cycle minimum occurrence (E(Rm)), having a coefficient of correlation (r) equal to 0.97 and a standard error of estimate (se) equal to 9.3. Presuming cycle 24 not to be a statistical outlier and its minimum in March 2008, the fit suggests cycle 24 s RM to be about 69 +/- 20 (the 90% prediction interval). The weighted mean prediction of 11 statistically important single-variate fits is 116 +/- 34. The best bi-variate fit is one based on the maximum and minimum values of the 12-mma of the ap index; i.e., APM# and APm*, where # means the value post-E(RM) for the preceding cycle and * means the value in the vicinity of cycle minimum, having r = 0.98 and se = 8.2. It predicts cycle 24 s RM to be about 92 +/- 27. The weighted mean prediction of 22 statistically important bi-variate fits is 112 32. Thus, cycle 24's RM is expected to lie somewhere within the range of about 82 to 144. Also examined are the late-cycle 23 behaviors of geomagnetic indices and solar wind velocity in comparison to the mean behaviors of cycles 2023 and the geomagnetic indices of cycle 14 (RM = 64.2), the weakest sunspot cycle of the modern era.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kaye, Andrew J.; Cho, Jaehyun; Basu, Nandita B.; Chen, Xiaosong; Annable, Michael D.; Jawitz, James W.
2008-11-01
This study investigated the benefits of partial removal of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones using enhanced dissolution in eight laboratory scale experiments. The benefits were assessed by characterizing the relationship between reductions in DNAPL mass and the corresponding reduction in contaminant mass flux. Four flushing agents were evaluated in eight controlled laboratory experiments to examine the effects of displacement fluid property contrasts and associated override and underride on contaminant flux reduction ( Rj) vs. mass reduction ( Rm) relationships ( Rj( Rm)): 1) 50% ethanol/50% water (less dense than water), 2) 40% ethyl-lactate/60% water (more dense than water), 3) 18% ethanol/26% ethyl-lactate/56% water (neutrally buoyant), and 4) 2% Tween-80 surfactant (also neutrally buoyant). For each DNAPL architecture evaluated, replicate experiments were conducted where source zone dissolution was conducted with a single flushing event to remove most of the DNAPL from the system, and with multiple shorter-duration floods to determine the path of the Rj( Rm) relationship. All of the single-flushing experiments exhibited similar Rj( Rm) relationships indicating that override and underride effects associated with cosolvents did not significantly affect the remediation performance of the agents. The Rj( Rm) relationship of the multiple injection experiments for the cosolvents with a density contrast with water tended to be less desirable in the sense that there was less Rj for a given Rm. UTCHEM simulations supported the observations from the laboratory experiments and demonstrated the capability of this model to predict Rj( Rm) relationships for non-uniformly distributed NAPL sources.
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Roller massage decreases spinal excitability to the soleus.
Young, James D; Spence, Alyssa-Joy; Behm, David G
2018-04-01
Roller massage (RM) interventions have shown acute increases in range of motion (ROM) and pain pressure threshold (PPT). It is unclear whether the RM-induced increases can be attributed to changes in neural or muscle responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of altered afferent input via application of RM on spinal excitability, as measured with the Hoffmann (H-) reflex. A randomized within-subjects design was used. Three 30-s bouts of RM were implemented on a rested, nonexercised, injury-free muscle with 30 s of rest between bouts. The researcher applied RM to the plantar flexors at three intensities of pain: high, moderate, and sham. Measures included normalized M-wave and H-reflex peak-to-peak amplitudes before, during, and up to 3 min postintervention. M-wave and H-reflex measures were highly reliable. RM resulted in significant decreases in soleus H-reflex amplitudes. High-intensity, moderate-intensity, and sham conditions decreased soleus H-reflex amplitudes by 58%, 43%, and 19%, respectively. H-reflexes induced with high-intensity rolling discomfort or pain were significantly lower than moderate and sham conditions. The effects were transient in nature, with an immediate return to baseline following RM. This is the first evidence of RM-induced modulation of spinal excitability. The intensity-dependent response observed indicates that rolling pressure or pain perception may play a role in modulation of the inhibition. Roller massage-induced neural modulation of spinal excitability may explain previously reported increases in ROM and PPT. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Recent evidence indicates that the benefits of foam rolling and roller massage are primarily accrued through neural mechanisms. The present study attempts to determine the neuromuscular response to roller massage interventions. We provide strong evidence of roller massage-induced neural modulation of spinal excitability to the soleus. It is plausible that reflex inhibition may explain subsequent increases in pain pressure threshold.
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Environmental Enrichment Mitigates Deficits after Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Liu, Xixia; Qiu, Jianhua; Alcon, Sasha; Hashim, Jumana; Meehan, William P; Mannix, Rebekah
2017-08-15
Although environmental enrichment has been shown to improve functional and histologic outcomes in pre-clinical moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), there are a paucity of pre-clinical data regarding enrichment strategies in the setting of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI). Given the vast numbers of athletes and those in the military who sustain rmTBI, the mounting evidence of the long-term and progressive sequelae of rmTBI, and the lack of targeted therapies to mitigate these sequelae, successful enrichment interventions in rmTBI could have large public health significance. Here, we evaluated enrichment strategies in an established pre-clinical rmTBI model. Seventy-one male C57BL/6 mice were randomized to two different housing conditions, environmental enrichment (EE) or normal condition (NC), then subjected to rmTBI injury (seven injuries in 9 days) or sham injury (anesthesia only). Functional outcomes in all four groups (NC-TBI, EE-TBI, NC-sham, and EE-sham) were assessed by motor, exploratory/anxiety, and mnemonic behavioral tests. At the synaptic level, N-methyl d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit expression of phosphorylated glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1), phosphorylated Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and calpain were evaluated by western blot. Compared to injured NC-TBI mice, EE-TBI mice had improved memory and decreased anxiety and exploratory activity post-injury. Treatment with enrichment also corresponded to normal NMDAR subunit expression, decreased GluR1 phosphorylation, decreased phosphorylated CaMKII, and normal calpain expression post-rmTBI. These data suggest that enrichment strategies may improve functional outcomes and mitigate synaptic changes post-rmTBI. Given that enrichment strategies are feasible in the clinical setting, particularly for athletes and soldiers for whom the risk of repetitive injury is greatest, these data suggest that clinical trials may be warranted.
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Heggelund, Jørn; Fimland, Marius S; Helgerud, Jan; Hoff, Jan
2013-06-01
This study compared maximal strength training (MST) with equal training volume (kg × sets × repetitions) of conventional strength training (CON) primarily with regard to work economy, and second one repetition maximum (1RM) and rate of force development (RFD) of single leg knee extension. In an intra-individual design, one leg was randomized to knee-extension MST (4 or 5RM) and the other leg to CON (3 × 10RM) three times per week for 8 weeks. MST was performed with maximal concentric mobilization of force while CON was performed with moderate velocity. Eight untrained or moderately trained men (26 ± 1 years) completed the study. The improvement in gross work economy was -0.10 ± 0.08 L min(-1) larger after MST (P = 0.011, between groups). From pre- to post-test the MST and CON improved net work economy with 31 % (P < 0.001) and 18 % (P = 0.01), respectively. Compared with CON, the improvement in 1RM and dynamic RFD was 13.7 ± 8.4 kg (P = 0.002) and 587 ± 679 N s(-1) (P = 0.044) larger after MST, whereas isometric RFD was of borderline significance 3,028 ± 3,674 N s(-1) (P = 0.053). From pre- to post-test, MST improved 1RM and isometric RFD with 50 % (P < 0.001) and 155 % (P < 0.001), respectively whereas CON improved 1RM and isometric RFD with 35 % (P < 0.001) and 83 % (P = 0.028), respectively. Anthropometric measures of quadriceps femoris muscle mass and peak oxygen uptake did not change. In conclusion, 8 weeks of MST was more effective than CON for improving work economy, 1RM and RFD in untrained and moderately trained men. The advantageous effect of MST to improve work economy could be due to larger improvements in 1RM and RFD.
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Chtourou, H; Souissi, N; Aouidet, A; Chamari, K
2016-01-01
This study was designed to assess the effect of strength and power training on throwing velocity and muscle strength in handball players according to their playing positions. Twenty-two male handball players were assigned to either an experimental group (n=11) or a control group (n=11) (age: 22.1 ± 3.0 years). They were asked to complete (i) the ball throwing velocity test and (ii) the one-repetition maximum (1-RM) tests for the half-back squat, the pull-over, the bench press, the developed neck, and the print exercises before and after 12 weeks of maximal power training. The training was designed to improve strength and power with an intensity of 85-95% of the 1RM. In addition to their usual routine handball training sessions, participants performed two sessions per week. During each session, they performed 3-5 sets of 3-8 repetitions with 3 min of rest in between. Then, they performed specific shots (i.e., 12 to 40). Ball-throwing velocity (p<0.001) was higher after the training period in rear line players (RL). The training programme resulted in an improvement of 1RM bench press (p<0.001), 1RM developed neck (p<0.001) and 1RM print (p<0.001) in both front line (FL) and RL. The control group showed a significant improvement only in ball-throwing velocity (p<0.01) and 1RM bench press (p<0.01) in RL. A significantly greater improvement was found in ball-throwing velocity (p<0.001), 1RM bench press (p<0.001), and 1RM half-back squat exercises in players of the central axis (CA) compared to the lateral axis (LA) (p<0.01). The power training programme induced significantly greater increases in ball-throwing velocity and muscle strength in FL than RL and in CA than LA axis players. PMID:28090144