Native Bee Diversity and Pollen Foraging Specificity in Cultivated Highbush Blueberry (Ericaceae: Vaccinium corymbosum) in Rhode Island.

PubMed

Scott, Zachary; Ginsberg, Howard S; Alm, Steven R

2016-12-01

We identified 41 species of native bees from a total of 1,083 specimens collected at cultivated highbush blueberry plantings throughout Rhode Island in 2014 and 2015. Andrena spp., Bombus spp., and Xylocopa virginica (L.) were collected most often. Bombus griseocollis (DeGeer), B. impatiens Cresson, B. bimaculatus Cresson, B. perplexus Cresson, and Andrena vicina Smith collected the largest mean numbers of blueberry pollen tetrads. The largest mean percent blueberry pollen loads were carried by the miner bees Andrena bradleyi Viereck (91%), A. carolina Viereck (90%), and Colletes validus Cresson (87%). The largest mean total pollen grain loads were carried by B. griseocollis (549,844), B. impatiens (389,558), X. virginica (233,500), and B. bimaculatus (193,132). Xylocopa virginica was the fourth and fifth most commonly collected bee species in 2014 and 2015, respectively. They exhibit nectar robbing and females carried relatively low blueberry pollen loads (mean 33%). Overall, we found 10 species of bees to be the primary pollinators of blueberries in Rhode Island. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Twenty-Two Years of U.S. Meat and Poultry Product Recalls: Implications for Food Safety and Food Waste.

PubMed

Gorton, Acton; Stasiewicz, Matthew J

2017-04-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service maintains a recall case archive of meat and poultry product recalls from 1994 to the present. In this study, we collected all recall records from 1994 to 2015 and extracted the recall date, meat or poultry species implicated, reason for recall, recall class, and pounds of product recalled and recovered. Of a total of 1,515 records analyzed, the top three reasons for recall were contamination with Listeria, undeclared allergens, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli . Class I recalls (due to a hazard with a reasonable probability of causing adverse health consequences or death) represented 71% (1,075 of 1,515) of the total recalls. The amounts of product recalled and recovered per event were approximately lognormally distributed. The mean amount of product recalled and recovered was 6,800 and 1,000 lb (3,087 and 454 kg), respectively (standard deviation, 1.23 and 1.56 log lb, respectively). The total amount of product recalled in the 22-year evaluation period was 690 million lb (313 million kg), and the largest single recall involved 140 million lb (64 million kg) (21% of the total). In every data category subset, the largest recall represented >10% of the total product recalled in the set. The amount of product recovered was known for only 944 recalls. In 12% of those recalls (110 of 944), no product was recovered. In the remaining recalls, the median recovery was 29% of the product. The number of recalls per year was 24 to 150. Recall counts and amounts of product recalled over the 22-year evaluation period did not regularly increase by year, in contrast to the regular increase in U.S. meat and poultry production over the same time period. Overall, these data suggest that (i) meat and poultry recalls were heavily skewed toward class I recalls, suggesting recalls were focused on improving food safety, (ii) numbers of products and amounts of each product recalled were highly variable but did not increase over time, and (iii) the direct contribution of recalls to the food waste stream was associated with the largest recalls.

Flow Cytometry of Human Primary Epidermal and Follicular Keratinocytes

PubMed Central

Gragnani, Alfredo; Ipolito, Michelle Zampieri; Sobral, Christiane S; Brunialti, Milena Karina Coló; Salomão, Reinaldo; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2008-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize using flow cytometry cultured human primary keratinocytes isolated from the epidermis and hair follicles by different methods. Methods: Human keratinocytes derived from discarded fragments of total skin and scalp hair follicles from patients who underwent plastic surgery in the Plastic Surgery Division at UNIFESP were used. The epidermal keratinocytes were isolated by using 3 different methods: the standard method, upon exposure to trypsin for 30 minutes; the second, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes; and the third, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes. Follicular keratinocytes were isolated using the standard method. Results: On comparing the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes, it was observed that the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in late apoptosis and necrosis with statistical significance, and no difference in apoptosis. When we compared the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with trypsin, the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in apoptosis with statistical significance, and no difference in late apoptosis and necrosis. When we compared the results of the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the results for follical isolation, there was a statistical difference in apoptosis and viable cells. Conclusion: The isolation method of treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes produced the largest number of viable cells and the smallest number of cells in apoptosis/necrosis. PMID:18350110

Flow cytometry of human primary epidermal and follicular keratinocytes.

PubMed

Gragnani, Alfredo; Ipolito, Michelle Zampieri; Sobral, Christiane S; Brunialti, Milena Karina Coló; Salomão, Reinaldo; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2008-02-19

The aim of this study was to characterize using flow cytometry cultured human primary keratinocytes isolated from the epidermis and hair follicles by different methods. Human keratinocytes derived from discarded fragments of total skin and scalp hair follicles from patients who underwent plastic surgery in the Plastic Surgery Division at UNIFESP were used. The epidermal keratinocytes were isolated by using 3 different methods: the standard method, upon exposure to trypsin for 30 minutes; the second, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes; and the third, by treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes. Follicular keratinocytes were isolated using the standard method. On comparing the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 30 minutes, it was observed that the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in late apoptosis and necrosis with statistical significance, and no difference in apoptosis. When we compared the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the group treated with trypsin, the first group presented the largest number of viable cells, the smallest number of cells in apoptosis with statistical significance, and no difference in late apoptosis and necrosis. When we compared the results of the group treated with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes with the results for follical isolation, there was a statistical difference in apoptosis and viable cells. The isolation method of treatment with dispase for 18 hours and with trypsin for 10 minutes produced the largest number of viable cells and the smallest number of cells in apoptosis/necrosis.

Morphological statistics of the cosmic web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shandarin, Sergei F.

2004-07-01

We report the first systematic study of the supercluster-void network in the ΛCDM concordance cosmology treating voids and superclusters on an equal footing. We study the dark matter density field in real space smoothed with the Ls = 5 h[minus sign]1Mpc Gaussian window. Superclusters and voids are defined as individual members of over-dense and under-dense excursion sets respectively. We determine the morphological properties of the cosmic web at a large number of dark matter density levels by computing Minkowski functionals for every supercluster and void. At the adopted smoothing scale individual superclusters totally occupy no more than about 5% of the total volume and contain no more than 20% of mass if the largest supercluster is excluded. Likewise, individual voids totally occupy no more than 14% of volume and contain no more than 4% of mass if the largest void is excluded. The genus of individual superclusters can be ˜ 5 while the genus of individual voids reaches ˜ 55, implying significant amount of substructure in superclusters and especially in voids. Large voids are typically distinctly non-spherical.

Trends in worldwide nanotechnology patent applications: 1991 to 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Yan; Zhang, Yulei; Fan, Li; Chen, Hsinchun; Roco, Mihail C.

2010-03-01

Nanotechnology patent applications published during 1991-2008 have been examined using the "title-abstract" keyword search on esp@cenet "worldwide" database. The longitudinal evolution of the number of patent applications, their topics, and their respective patent families have been evaluated for 15 national patent offices covering 98% of the total global activity. The patent offices of the United States (USA), People's Republic of China (PRC), Japan, and South Korea have published the largest number of nanotechnology patent applications, and experienced significant but different growth rates after 2000. In most repositories, the largest numbers of nanotechnology patent applications originated from their own countries/regions, indicating a significant "home advantage." The top applicant institutions are from different sectors in different countries (e.g., from industry in the US and Canada patent offices, and from academe or government agencies at the PRC office). As compared to 2000, the year before the establishment of the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), numerous new invention topics appeared in 2008, in all 15 patent repositories. This is more pronounced in the USA and PRC. Patent families have increased among the 15 patent offices, particularly after 2005. Overlapping patent applications increased from none in 1991 to about 4% in 2000 and to about 27% in 2008. The largest share of equivalent nanotechnology patent applications (1,258) between two repositories was identified between the US and Japan patent offices.

Trends in worldwide nanotechnology patent applications: 1991 to 2008.

PubMed

Dang, Yan; Zhang, Yulei; Fan, Li; Chen, Hsinchun; Roco, Mihail C

2010-03-01

Nanotechnology patent applications published during 1991-2008 have been examined using the "title-abstract" keyword search on esp@cenet "worldwide" database. The longitudinal evolution of the number of patent applications, their topics, and their respective patent families have been evaluated for 15 national patent offices covering 98% of the total global activity. The patent offices of the United States (USA), People's Republic of China (PRC), Japan, and South Korea have published the largest number of nanotechnology patent applications, and experienced significant but different growth rates after 2000. In most repositories, the largest numbers of nanotechnology patent applications originated from their own countries/regions, indicating a significant "home advantage." The top applicant institutions are from different sectors in different countries (e.g., from industry in the US and Canada patent offices, and from academe or government agencies at the PRC office). As compared to 2000, the year before the establishment of the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), numerous new invention topics appeared in 2008, in all 15 patent repositories. This is more pronounced in the USA and PRC. Patent families have increased among the 15 patent offices, particularly after 2005. Overlapping patent applications increased from none in 1991 to about 4% in 2000 and to about 27% in 2008. The largest share of equivalent nanotechnology patent applications (1,258) between two repositories was identified between the US and Japan patent offices.

Trends in worldwide nanotechnology patent applications: 1991 to 2008

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yulei; Fan, Li; Chen, Hsinchun; Roco, Mihail C.

2009-01-01

Nanotechnology patent applications published during 1991–2008 have been examined using the “title–abstract” keyword search on esp@cenet “worldwide” database. The longitudinal evolution of the number of patent applications, their topics, and their respective patent families have been evaluated for 15 national patent offices covering 98% of the total global activity. The patent offices of the United States (USA), People’s Republic of China (PRC), Japan, and South Korea have published the largest number of nanotechnology patent applications, and experienced significant but different growth rates after 2000. In most repositories, the largest numbers of nanotechnology patent applications originated from their own countries/regions, indicating a significant “home advantage.” The top applicant institutions are from different sectors in different countries (e.g., from industry in the US and Canada patent offices, and from academe or government agencies at the PRC office). As compared to 2000, the year before the establishment of the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), numerous new invention topics appeared in 2008, in all 15 patent repositories. This is more pronounced in the USA and PRC. Patent families have increased among the 15 patent offices, particularly after 2005. Overlapping patent applications increased from none in 1991 to about 4% in 2000 and to about 27% in 2008. The largest share of equivalent nanotechnology patent applications (1,258) between two repositories was identified between the US and Japan patent offices. PMID:21170123

South Dakota State University's Library: A History. Hilton M. Briggs Library Occasional Paper Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Philip

Tracing the history of South Dakota State University's Hilton M. Briggs Library over the past 102 years, this occasional paper describes the development of what is now the largest library (over 1.1 million total pieces) in the South Dakota Library Network from its inception as part of a small land grant college. Administrative eras are reviewed,…

Minnesota Developmental Achievement Centers: An Update to Welsch Policy Analysis Papers No. 6-9, 17, and 23. Policy Analysis Series, No. 25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, St. Paul.

This paper reports the results of analyzing financial, program, and client data collected from Minnesota's Developmental Achievement Centers (DACs) for 1986. A total of 4,883 adults were receiving services, with the largest group being severely mentally retarded. Persons with additional disabilities numbered 1,263, with severe behavior problems,…

Intellectual Property Rights and International Trade

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-20

countries from which the largest number of applications came were India, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia , Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia.7...industries. Other industries that indirectly benefit from IPR protection include retailers , traders, and CRS-7 8 Stephen E. Siwek, “Engines of Growth...of the total). Other popular items included wearing apparel ($27.0 million in value, 14%); consumer electronics ($16.0 million, 8%); handbags

Detection of asymmetric blotches (asymmetric structureless areas) in dermoscopy images of malignant melanoma using relative color

PubMed Central

Stoecker, William V.; Gupta, Kapil; Stanley, R. Joe; Moss, Randy H.; Shrestha, Bijaya

2011-01-01

Background Dermoscopy, also known as dermatoscopy or epiluminescence microscopy (ELM), is a non-invasive, in vivo technique, which permits visualization of features of pigmented melanocytic neoplasms that are not discernable by examination with the naked eye. One prominent feature useful for melanoma detection in dermoscopy images is the asymmetric blotch (asymmetric structureless area). Method Using both relative and absolute colors, blotches are detected in this research automatically by using thresholds in the red and green color planes. Several blotch indices are computed, including the scaled distance between the largest blotch centroid and the lesion centroid, ratio of total blotch areas to lesion area, ratio of largest blotch area to lesion area, total number of blotches, size of largest blotch, and irregularity of largest blotch. Results The effectiveness of the absolute and relative color blotch features was examined for melanoma/benign lesion discrimination over a dermoscopy image set containing 165 melanomas (151 invasive melanomas and 14 melanomas in situ) and 347 benign lesions (124 nevocellular nevi without dysplasia and 223 dysplastic nevi) using a leave-one-out neural network approach. Receiver operating characteristic curve results are shown, highlighting the sensitivity and specificity of melanoma detection. Statistical analysis of the blotch features are also presented. Conclusion Neural network and statistical analysis showed that the blotch detection method was somewhat more effective using relative color than using absolute color. The relative-color blotch detection method gave a diagnostic accuracy of about 77%. PMID:15998328

Microbiological monitoring of marine recreational waters in southern California.

PubMed

Schiff, K C; Weisberg, S B; Dorsey, J H

2001-01-01

An inventory was conducted to assess the number, type, spatial distribution, and costs of microbiological monitoring programs in southern California marine waters from Point Conception to the US/Mexico International Border. The location of each sampling site was determined using global positioning system (GPS), and estimates of geographic coverage were determined using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Twenty-one programs conducted 87,007 tests annually at 576 sites in the study area. The largest number of sites was sampled in Orange County, whereas the largest number of analyses was performed in Los Angeles County because monitoring programs in this area focused on daily monitoring. Fifteen of the 21 programs were managed by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted sewage effluent dischargers who sampled both offshore and shoreline waters and typically tested for three indicator bacteria (total coliform, fecal coliform, and enterococcus). Their combined efforts comprised 82% of all of the microbiological indicator analyses conducted on an annual basis. Five of the remaining monitoring organizations were public health agencies, which typically focus their efforts on testing only total coliforms. Laboratory methodology also varied considerably, with NPDES permittees predominantly utilizing membrane filtration while public health agencies generally used multiple tube fermentation or premanufactured test kits. Nearly three quarters of all the effort expended in southern California occurred along the shoreline as opposed to offshore locations. Two thirds of this shoreline effort was focused on high-use sandy beaches and in proximity to perennial fresh-water outlets (storm drains and creeks). Most sampling occurred at a set of fixed sites that were revisited frequently, but only represented about 7% of the total shoreline. We estimated that roughly $3 million is spent annually on monitoring bathing water quality in southern California, exceeding that spent in any other part of the country.

Federal Spending for Means Tested Programs, 2007 to 2027

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

child tax credits (which are refundable), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income. The largest non...child tax credits, and SNAP—have been or will be significantly affected by program changes that unfold over time: B Medicaid spending rose by 35...total outlays in the Part D program). Increases in the number of beneficiaries account for about one- third of that growth; the introduction of new

Do one percent of the forest fires cause ninety-nine percent of the damage? Forest Science

Treesearch

David Strauss; Larry Bednar; Romain Mees

1989-01-01

A relatively small number of forest fires are responsible for a very high proportion of the total damage. The proportion due to the fraction p of largest fires, when plotted against p, is a measure of variability of fire sizes that is especially sensitive to the important extreme events. We find the theoretical form of the plot for several commonly used distributions...

Academic Achievement and Classification of Students from the Freely Associated States in Guam Schools. REL 2017-260

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Joshua; Stringer, Katie; Arens, Sheila A.; Cicchinelli, Louis F.; San Nicolas, Heidi; Flores, Nieves

2017-01-01

Guam is home to the largest population of migrants from the Freely Associated States (FAS): the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. FAS students made up 22 percent of total student enrollment in Guam public schools in 2012. FAS students face a number of challenges when they enter Guam…

Epidemiological profile of thoracolumbar fracture (TLF) over a period of 10 years in Tianjin, China.

PubMed

Li, Bo; Sun, Chao; Zhao, Chenxi; Yao, Xue; Zhang, Yan; Duan, Huiquan; Hao, Jian; Guo, Xing; Fan, Baoyou; Ning, Guangzhi; Feng, Shiqing

2018-03-29

The objective of the research was to illustrate the epidemiology profile of thoracolumbar fracture (TLF) in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, China, from 2006-2015. Hospital-based retrospective study. Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. Medical records of inpatient patients with TLF from 1 January 2006 to December 2015 were collected. Detailed information on epidemiological characters were analyzed based on the medical records suffering from TLF from T11-L2 level, including incidence, age and sex, marital, occupation, etiology and fracture type, types of injuries. Totally 132 cases were identified. The incidence rate was 2.4 patient per million population at 2015. Male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1, with a mean age of 49.1 ± 17.7 years. The cases number in 46-60 group, totally 35 and accounting for 26.5%, was the largest. There is a significant differences of cases number between 2011-2015 group and 2006-2010 group. Retiree, taken up 48.5%, was the largest group among TLF patients. The most common injury level was T12 (34) accounting for 25.7%. Falls (57, 43.2%) (low falls and high falls) were the leading causes, followed by motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (23, 17.4%).Compression is the only type of osteoporosis and took up 55.3%. The incidence ratio is increased annually in TMUGH. Male was more vulnerable than female based on different social character. The average age was older in 2011-2015, retiree accounted for the main proportion and compression took up the largest percentage, the mean age increased and osteoporosis takes more in recent years.

A Demographic Analysis of American Geophysical Union Membership with Implications for Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, D. D.

2006-12-01

Demographers use population pyramids to characterize the age/gender structure of societal groups. Diagrams of the population of age cohorts for both sexes assume the shape of a pyramid in rapidly expanding groups, having many more young people than older adults. Stable populations have similar numbers of people in age cohorts from infants through middle-age adults. Shrinking populations have fewer children and relatively larger numbers of adults. Demographic analysis of the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) membership reveals significant differences among the numerous specialties and the membership as a whole. The population structure diagram of the total AGU membership is highly asymmetrical with 77.5% male and 22.5% female. Males outnumber females in every age cohort. This is most noticeable among members born prior to 1945. Males belonging to these cohorts make up 16.5% of the total membership, while female members of equivalent age include 0.8% of the total. The largest membership cohort (29% of the total) is comprised of males born between 1950 and 1964, a group that includes both the "baby boom" generation and post-war petroleum exploration expansion. In contrast, the female cohort with birth years from 1970 to 1979 is the largest grouping of women members (8.4% of AGU's membership). Furthermore, women comprise 36% of the members born since 1965, and only 14.5% of those born before 1965. Considered separately, the female membership's age structure is characteristic of a growing population, while the male side is in relative decline. The population structure of the entire membership is mirrored in some specialties, but there are remarkable differences in others. The largest specialty group (hydrology) includes 16.9% of the total AGU membership and has a population structure that differs little from that of the whole organization. Four specialties, Atmospheric Chemistry, Biogeosciences, and Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, and Marine Geochemistry differ significantly from the aggregate membership. The population structures of these groups are pyramidal, indicating a strong potential for growth. Women also comprise more than 30% of each of these groups and outnumber men in some recent cohorts. Growth potential is unevenly distributed throughout AGU's membership with traditional specialties likely to experience significant decline as the older cohorts retire and die. Strongest growth is most likely to occur in recently recognized interdisciplinary specialties, especially those in which women already constitute a significant fraction of the membership.

Brazil Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2015-01-01

In 2014, Brazil was the eighth-largest energy consumer in the world and the third-largest in the Americas, behind the United States and Canada, according to BP statistics. Total primary energy consumption in Brazil has nearly doubled in the past decade1 because of sustained economic growth. The largest share of Brazil's total energy consumption is oil and other liquid fuels, followed by hydroelectricity and natural gas

Re-evaluating the concept of "dominant/index tumor nodule" in multifocal prostate cancer.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng Cheng; Deng, Fang-Ming; Kong, Max X; Ren, Qinhu; Melamed, Jonathan; Zhou, Ming

2014-05-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) often presents as a multifocal disease with heterogeneity in Gleason score (GS) and genetic alterations. Dominant/index tumor nodule (DN), the largest nodule in a multifocal disease, is presumed to harbor the most aggressive biological behavior and therefore dictate the overall clinical behavior of PCa. In this study, we examined the pathological features of DN and re-evaluated the validity of the "DN" concept in multifocal PCa. A total of 201 consecutive radical prostatectomy specimens were totally submitted and examined. All independent cancer foci were recorded with prognostically important pathological parameters. Unifocal and multifocal disease was present in 25 (12.4 %) and 176 (87.6 %) cases, respectively. In 20 (11.3 %) multifocal cases, the highest GS, the largest tumor volume (TV), and extraprostatic extension (EPE) did not concur in the same tumor nodules. Non-DNs had a higher GS and EPE in 13 cases each and had both the highest GS and EPE in 5 cases. In the majority of multifocal prostate cancer (88.7 %), DNs have the highest GS and EPE. In these cases, DN is still a valid concept and can be used for assigning overall GS and procuring tissue for research. However, in a significant number of cases (11.3 %), the largest TV, the highest GS, and EPE did not concur in the same tumor nodules. In these cases, pathologists should de-emphasize the concept of DN. Instead, they should place the emphasis on the multifocal nature of the disease and document the pathological features of all independent tumor foci that have the largest TV, the highest GS, and EPE.

Efficiency of competitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Naim, E.; Hengartner, N. W.

2007-08-01

League competition is investigated using random processes and scaling techniques. In our model, a weak team can upset a strong team with a fixed probability. Teams play an equal number of head-to-head matches and the team with the largest number of wins is declared to be the champion. The total number of games needed for the best team to win the championship with high certainty T grows as the cube of the number of teams N , i.e., Ttilde N3 . This number can be substantially reduced using preliminary rounds where teams play a small number of games and subsequently, only the top teams advance to the next round. When there are k rounds, the total number of games needed for the best team to emerge as champion, Tk , scales as follows, Tk˜Nγk with γk=[1-(2/3)k+1]-1 . For example, γk=9/5,27/19,81/65 for k=1,2,3 . These results suggest an algorithm for how to infer the best team using a schedule that is linear in N . We conclude that league format is an ineffective method of determining the best team, and that sequential elimination from the bottom up is fair and efficient.

Medical students' creative projects on a third year pediatrics clerkship: a qualitative analysis of patient-centeredness and emotional connection.

PubMed

Shapiro, Johanna; Ortiz, Diane; Ree, You Ye; Sarwar, Minha

2016-03-16

Increasingly, medical educators are incorporating reflective writing and original creative work into educational practices with the goals of stimulating student self-awareness, appreciation of multiple perspectives, and comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty. This study investigated students' creative projects to assess the extent to which they adopted a patient/relationship-centered, emotionally connected position toward patients and families. Over a 10 year period, students on a required third year pediatrics clerkship individually or in groups completed either a reflection or an education project using a creative medium. 520 projects (representing 595 students, 74.7 % of total eligible students) were qualitatively analyzed according to various thematic and emotion-based dimensions. The majority of projects were personal narrative essays and poetry. The largest number of project themes related to the importance of patient/relationship-centered medicine with patients. The next largest number of projects focused on health education of parents, patients, or classmates. In telling their stories, students were more likely to use a personal voice representing either their or the patient's perspective than an objective, impersonal one. In terms of emotional tone, projects were more likely to be serious than humorous. The largest number of students' emotions expressed an empathic tone. Students identified a large number and wide range of both negative and positive feelings in themselves and their patients. The majority of student emotions were positive, while the majority of patient and family emotions were negative. Students' preference for patient-centered, relational themes, as well as their tendency to favor the first voice, empathic tone, and willingness to express a range of positive and negative emotions in presenting their projects, suggests that they valued emotional connection with patients and families during the pediatrics clerkship experience.

Growing Trend of China's Contribution to Global Diabetes Research

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiyan; Guo, Liangqing; Yuan, Mingze; He, Xinhui; Lin, Yiqun; Gu, Chengjuan; Li, Qingwei; Zhao, Linhua; Tong, Xiaolin

2016-01-01

Abstract China, as a rapidly developing country with the largest population in the world, is playing an increasingly important role in diabetes research. There are >10,000 diabetes doctors who care for a large population of diabetic patients. The quantity and quality of research on diabetes from 3 major regions of China, including Mainland China (ML), Taiwan (TW), and Hong Kong (HK), is unknown. We aimed to analyze the contributions of each of these 3 regions to diabetes research. Articles on diabetes originating from ML, TW, and HK that were published from 2005 to 2014 were retrieved from the Web of Science. The quantity of articles, citations, article types, and articles published in high-impact journals were analyzed. A total of 9302 articles were retrieved from the 3 regions of China. There were 6775 from ML, 1993 from TW, and 534 from HK, with an increasing trend in publications from 2005 to 2014. After 2006, the number of publications from ML exceeded TW and HK. The largest total number of citations (48,296) was from ML. The highest mean citations, however, were from HK (15.90). PLoS One was the most popular journal in all 3 regions. The greatest number of RCTs, clinical trials, meta-analyses, and articles published in high-impact journals were from ML. There has been a significant increase in the number of articles published on diabetes research from China during the past 10 years. Most of the articles were published by authors in ML, and an increasing trend began in 2006. HK had the highest quality research output in terms of mean citations per article. PMID:27149452

Chinese research on shock physics. Studies in Chinese Science

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

Mao, N.H.

1992-07-01

Shock wave research encompasses many different disciplines. This monograph limits the scope to Chinese research on solids and is based on available open literature sources. For the purpose of this monograph, the papers are divided into seven groups, i.e. review and tutorial; equations of state; phase transitions; geological materials; modeling and simulations; experimental techniques; and mechanical properties. The largest group of papers is experimental techniques and numbers 22, or about 40% of the total sources.

1291 cases of cholelithiasis treated with electric shock on otoacupoints.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Zhang, L; Yang, H; Zhang, H; Zhu, Y

1991-06-01

Since 1985, the authors began to use electric shock on otoacupoints of varying electric resistance for the treatment of cholelithiasis. The instrument used was the Channel Therapeutic Instrument made in China, and the otoacupoints of varying electric resistance were Sympathetic, Pancreas--Gall Bladder, Stomach, Liver, Sanjiao, Endocrine, and Ermigen. In the 1291 cases treated, the total effective rate was 99.69%, the rate of calculus excretion was 91.32%, and the rate of total excretion was 19.51%. The composition of the calculi was cholesterol crystals (31.25%), bilirubin crystals (28.17%), and mixed crystals (40.58%). The largest calculus excreted was an extrahepatic biliary duct calculus of 1.75 cm X 1.5 cm; the largest number of calculi excreted was 152 cholecystic stones 0.3 cm X 0.5 cm in size. In 100 random cases, the biliary system was shown to manifest vigorous dilations and constrictions under Ultrasonic B-scan when the relevant otoacupoints were stimulated with electric shock. Among the 78 control cases, no cholecystic stones were excreted, inspite of the Magnesium Sulfate, Folium Cassiae and fatty meals administered to many cases with constipation.

Impact of Resource-Based Practice Expenses on the Medicare Physician Volume

PubMed Central

Maxwell, Stephanie; Zuckerman, Stephen

2007-01-01

In 1999, Medicare implemented a resource-based relative value unit (RVU) system for physician practice expense payments, and increased the number of services for which practice expense payments differ by site. Using 1998-2004 data, we examined RVU growth and decomposed that growth into resource-based RVUs, site of service, and service quantity and mix. We found that the number services with site of service differentials doubled, and that shifts in site of service and introduction of resource-based practice expenses (RBPE) were important sources of change in practice expense RVU volume. Service quantity and mix remained the largest source of growth in total RVU volume. PMID:18435224

Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutson, Susan S.; Barber, Nancy L.; Kenny, Joan F.; Linsey, Kristin S.; Lumia, Deborah S.; Maupin, Molly A.

2004-01-01

Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 408 billion gallons per day (one thousand million gallons per day, abbreviated Bgal/d) were withdrawn for all uses during 2000. This total has varied less than 3 percent since 1985 as withdrawals have stabilized for the two largest uses?thermoelectric power and irrigation. Fresh ground-water withdrawals (83.3 Bgal/d) during 2000 were 14 percent more than during 1985. Fresh surface-water withdrawals for 2000 were 262 Bgal/d, varying less than 2 percent since 1985. About 195 Bgal/d, or 48 percent of all freshwater and saline-water withdrawals for 2000, were used for thermoelectric power. Most of this water was derived from surface water and used for once-through cooling at power plants. About 52 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals and about 96 percent of saline-water withdrawals were for thermoelectric-power use. Withdrawals for thermoelectric power have been relatively stable since 1985. Irrigation remained the largest use of freshwater in the United States and totaled 137 Bgal/d for 2000. Since 1950, irrigation has accounted for about 65 percent of total water withdrawals, excluding those for thermoelectric power. Historically, more surface water than ground water has been used for irrigation. However, the percentage of total irrigation withdrawals from ground water has continued to increase, from 23 percent in 1950 to 42 percent in 2000. Total irrigation withdrawals were 2 percent more for 2000 than for 1995, because of a 16-percent increase in ground-water withdrawals and a small decrease in surface-water withdrawals. Irrigated acreage more than doubled between 1950 and 1980, then remained constant before increasing nearly 7 percent between 1995 and 2000. The number of acres irrigated with sprinkler and microirrigation systems has continued to increase and now comprises more than one-half the total irrigated acreage. Public-supply withdrawals were more than 43 Bgal/d for 2000. Public-supply withdrawals during 1950 were 14 Bgal/d. During 2000, about 85 percent of the population in the United States obtained drinking water from public suppliers, compared to 62 percent during 1950. Surface water provided 63 percent of the total during 2000, whereas surface water provided 74 percent during 1950. Self-supplied industrial withdrawals totaled nearly 20 Bgal/d in 2000, or 12 percent less than in 1995. Compared to 1985, industrial self-supplied withdrawals declined by 24 percent. Estimates of industrial water use in the United States were largest during the years from 1965 to 1980, but during 2000, estimates were at the lowest level since reporting began in 1950. Combined withdrawals for self-supplied domestic, livestock, aquaculture, and mining were less than 13 Bgal/d for 2000, and represented about 3 percent of total withdrawals. California, Texas, and Florida accounted for one-fourth of all water withdrawals for 2000. States with the largest surface-water withdrawals were California, which had large withdrawals for irrigation and thermoelectric power, and Texas, which had large withdrawals for thermoelectric power. States with the largest ground-water withdrawals were California, Texas, and Nebraska, all of which had large withdrawals for irrigation.

Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, Keith R.; DeYoung,, John H.; Ludington, Stephen

1998-01-01

It has long been recognized that the largest mineral deposits contain most of the known mineral endowment (Singer and DeYoung, 1980). Sometimes called giant or world-class deposits, these largest deposits account for a very large share of historic and current mineral production and resources in industrial society (Singer, 1995). For example, Singer (1995) shows that the largest 10 percent of the world’s gold deposits contain 86 percent of the gold discovered to date. Many mineral resource issues and investigations are more easily addressed if limited to the relatively small number of deposits that contain most of the known mineral resources. An estimate of known resources using just these deposits would normally be sufficient, because considering smaller deposits would not add significantly to the total estimate. Land-use planning should treat mainly with these deposits due to their relative scarcity, the large share of known resources they contain, and the fact that economies of scale allow minerals to be produced much more cheaply from larger deposits. Investigation of environmental and other hazards that result from mining operations can be limited to these largest deposits because they account for most of past and current production.The National Mineral Resource Assessment project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled a database on the largest known deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States to complement the 1996 national assessment of undiscovered deposits of these same metals (Ludington and Cox, 1996). The deposits in this database account for approximately 99 percent of domestic production of these metals and probably a similar share of identified resources. These data may be compared with results of the assessment of undiscovered resources to characterize the nation’s total mineral endowment for these metals. This database is a starting point for any national or regional mineral-resource or mineral-environmental investigation.

Saudi Arabia Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2014-01-01

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest holder of crude oil proved reserves and was the largest exporter of total petroleum liquids in 2013. In 2013, Saudi Arabia was the world's second-largest petroleum liquids producer behind the United States and was the world's second-largest crude oil producer behind Russia. Saudi Arabia's economy remains heavily dependent on petroleum. Petroleum exports accounted for 85% of total Saudi export revenues in 2013, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)'s Annual Statistical Bulletin 2014. With the largest oil projects nearing completion, Saudi Arabia is expanding its natural gas, refining, petrochemicals, and electric power industries. Saudi Arabia's oil and natural gas operations are dominated by Saudi Aramco, the national oil and gas company and the world's largest oil company in terms of production. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Supreme Council for Petroleum and Minerals have oversight of the oil and natural gas sector and Saudi Aramco.

Hydrodynamic Trails Produced by Daphnia: Size and Energetics

PubMed Central

Wickramarathna, Lalith N.; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of to and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between and , respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers. PMID:24671019

Jets or vortices - what flows are generated by an inverse turbulent cascade?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frishman, Anna; Laurie, Jason; Falkovich, Gregory

An inverse cascade-energy transfer to progressively larger scales - is a salient feature of two-dimensional turbulence. If the cascade reaches the system scale, it creates a coherent flow expected to have the largest available scale and conform with the symmetries of the domain. In a doubly periodic rectangle, the mean flow with zero total momentum was therefore believed to be unidirectional, with two jets along the short side; while for an aspect ratio close to unity, a vortex dipole was expected. Using direct numerical simulations, we show that in fact neither the box symmetry is respected nor the largest scale is realized: the flow is never purely unidirectional since the inverse cascade produces coherent vortices, whose number and relative motion are determined by the aspect ratio. This spontaneous symmetry breaking is closely related to the hierarchy of averaging times. Long-time averaging restores translational invariance due to vortex wandering along one direction, and gives jets whose profile, however, can be deduced neither from the largest-available-scale argument, nor from the often employed maximum-entropy principle or quasi-linear approximation.

Jets or vortices—What flows are generated by an inverse turbulent cascade?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frishman, Anna; Laurie, Jason; Falkovich, Gregory

2017-03-01

An inverse cascade, energy transfer to progressively larger scales, is a salient feature of two-dimensional turbulence. If the cascade reaches the system scale, it creates a coherent flow expected to have the largest available scale and conform with the symmetries of the domain. In a doubly periodic rectangle, the mean flow with zero total momentum was therefore believed to be unidirectional, with two jets along the short side; while for an aspect ratio close to unity, a vortex dipole is expected. Using direct numerical simulations, we show that in fact neither is the box symmetry respected nor the largest scale realized: the flow is never purely unidirectional since the inverse cascade produces coherent vortices, whose number and relative motion are determined by the aspect ratio. This spontaneous symmetry breaking is closely related to the hierarchy of averaging times. Long-time averaging restores translational invariance due to vortex wandering along one direction, and gives jets whose profile, however, can neither be deduced from the largest-available-scale argument, nor from the often employed maximum-entropy principle or quasilinear approximation.

Confirming criticality safety of TRU waste with neutron measurements and risk analyses

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

Winn, W.G.; Hochel, R.D.

1992-04-01

The criticality safety of {sup 239}Pu in 55-gallon drums stored in TRU waste containers (culverts) is confirmed using NDA neutron measurements and risk analyses. The neutron measurements yield a {sup 239}Pu mass and k{sub eff} for a culvert, which contains up to 14 drums. Conservative probabilistic risk analyses were developed for both drums and culverts. Overall {sup 239}Pu mass estimates are less than a calculated safety limit of 2800 g per culvert. The largest measured k{sub eff} is 0.904. The largest probability for a critical drum is 6.9 {times} 10{sup {minus}8} and that for a culvert is 1.72 {times} 10{supmore » {minus}7}. All examined suspect culverts, totaling 118 in number, are appraised as safe based on these observations.« less

The Evolution of Academic Performance in Nine Subspecialties of Internal Medicine: An Analysis of Journal Citation Reports from 1998 to 2010

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xue-Guang; Zhang, Li; Liu, Shu-Wen; Cao, Xue-Ying; Wang, Yuan-Da; Wei, Ri-Bao; Cai, Guang-Yan; Chen, Xiang-Mei

2012-01-01

Background Internal medicine includes several subspecialties. This study aimed to describe change trend of impact factors in different subspecialties of internal medicine during the past 12 years, as well as the developmental differences among each subspecialty, and the possible influencing factors behind these changes and differences. Methods Nine subspecialties of internal medicine were chosen for comparison. All data were collected from the Science Citation Index Expanded and Journal Citation Reports database. Results (1) Journal numbers in nine subspecialties increased significantly from 1998 to 2010, with an average increment of 80.23%, in which cardiac and cardiovascular system diseases increased 131.2% rank the first; hematology increased 45% rank the least. (2) Impact Factor in subspecialties of infectious disease, cardiac and cardiovascular system diseases, gastroenterology and hepatology, hematology, endocrinology and metabolism increased significantly (p<0.05), in which gastroenterology and hepatology had the largest increase of 65.4%. (3) Journal impact factor of 0–2 had the largest proportion in all subspecialties. Among the journals with high impact factor (IF>6), hematology had the maximum proportion of 10%, nephrology and respiratory system disease had the minimum of 4%. Among the journal with low impact factor (IF<2), journal in nephrology and allergy had the most (60%), while endocrinology and metabolism had the least (40%). There were differences in median number of IF among the different subspecialties (p<0.05), in which endocrinology and metabolism had the highest, nephrology had the lowest. (4) The highest IF had a correlation with journal numbers and total paper numbers in each field. Conclusion The IF of internal medicine journals showed an increasingly positive trend, in which gastroenterology and hepatology increase the most. Hematology had more high IF journals. Endocrinology and metabolism had higher average IF. Nephrology remained the lowest position. Numbers of journals and total papers were associated with the highest IF. PMID:23118973

C3I (Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence) Teradata Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

data storage capacity of one trillion bytes. The largest configuration currently built consists of 60 processors and 60 disks. .--. ,[ -... "I i The DBC... FMEA ) was developed to l indicate potential points of failure in the configuration and their - effects on total system operation. -"ince the contract did...number or IrPs and AMPs Int is the Integer function Thus, for a maximum configuration (see Section 3.3) of 1024 processors, there are ten tiers in Uhe

Safe drinking water and waterborne outbreaks.

PubMed

Moreira, N A; Bondelind, M

2017-02-01

The present work compiles a review on drinking waterborne outbreaks, with the perspective of production and distribution of microbiologically safe water, during 2000-2014. The outbreaks are categorised in raw water contamination, treatment deficiencies and distribution network failure. The main causes for contamination were: for groundwater, intrusion of animal faeces or wastewater due to heavy rain; in surface water, discharge of wastewater into the water source and increased turbidity and colour; at treatment plants, malfunctioning of the disinfection equipment; and for distribution systems, cross-connections, pipe breaks and wastewater intrusion into the network. Pathogens causing the largest number of affected consumers were Cryptosporidium, norovirus, Giardia, Campylobacter, and rotavirus. The largest number of different pathogens was found for the treatment works and the distribution network. The largest number of affected consumers with gastrointestinal illness was for contamination events from a surface water source, while the largest number of individual events occurred for the distribution network.

Retailing in Tennessee 1980

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

Not Available

1980-01-01

Data on retail sales compiled from sales tax records are summarized. Contained in this report are retail sales estimates for the 95 counties in the State of Tennessee and 303 cities, towns, or parts of towns which are shown in various degrees of detail depending on disclosure restrictions. Number of firms is determined by the total number of reports submitted. Sales and percent distribution of sales are shown for the State of Tennessee and counties by Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) designation and by various county groupings based on the size of largest city. A list of counties by SMSAmore » designation and by size class of largest city is given in the Appendix. The number of firms and estimated retail sales are also shown for 10 business groups defined by the US Department of Commerce along with the total retail sales for each of the 95 counties in Tennessee and for 137 of the larger cities, towns, or parts of towns in the state. Sales for 37 smaller incorporated places or parts of towns are given. Any attempt to report retail activity in the same detail that is possible for large cities is hampered by disclosure restrictions for towns in this group. Through the use of fewer categories, the amount of information that can be revealed is maximized while maintaining confidentiality for individual businesses. A classification widely adopted by economists and planners is the use of the broad retail categories of shoppers' goods, convenience goods, and all other stores. Shoppers' goods stores include department and variety stores, apparel and accessory shops, and furniture and home furnishings outlets. Convenience goods stores are food stores, gasoline service stations, drug stores, and eating and drinking places. The remaining category of all other stores includes building materials, hardware, automotive, and miscellaneous retail stores. Total sales are given for 129 very small incorporated towns.« less

Metabolic constraint imposes tradeoff between body size and number of brain neurons in human evolution

PubMed Central

Fonseca-Azevedo, Karina; Herculano-Houzel, Suzana

2012-01-01

Despite a general trend for larger mammals to have larger brains, humans are the primates with the largest brain and number of neurons, but not the largest body mass. Why are great apes, the largest primates, not also those endowed with the largest brains? Recently, we showed that the energetic cost of the brain is a linear function of its numbers of neurons. Here we show that metabolic limitations that result from the number of hours available for feeding and the low caloric yield of raw foods impose a tradeoff between body size and number of brain neurons, which explains the small brain size of great apes compared with their large body size. This limitation was probably overcome in Homo erectus with the shift to a cooked diet. Absent the requirement to spend most available hours of the day feeding, the combination of newly freed time and a large number of brain neurons affordable on a cooked diet may thus have been a major positive driving force to the rapid increased in brain size in human evolution. PMID:23090991

Metabolic constraint imposes tradeoff between body size and number of brain neurons in human evolution.

PubMed

Fonseca-Azevedo, Karina; Herculano-Houzel, Suzana

2012-11-06

Despite a general trend for larger mammals to have larger brains, humans are the primates with the largest brain and number of neurons, but not the largest body mass. Why are great apes, the largest primates, not also those endowed with the largest brains? Recently, we showed that the energetic cost of the brain is a linear function of its numbers of neurons. Here we show that metabolic limitations that result from the number of hours available for feeding and the low caloric yield of raw foods impose a tradeoff between body size and number of brain neurons, which explains the small brain size of great apes compared with their large body size. This limitation was probably overcome in Homo erectus with the shift to a cooked diet. Absent the requirement to spend most available hours of the day feeding, the combination of newly freed time and a large number of brain neurons affordable on a cooked diet may thus have been a major positive driving force to the rapid increased in brain size in human evolution.

Whitewater-Baldy Fire

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2015-03-05

... June 12, 2012, it had burned a total of 278,708 acres (1,128 square kilometers), making it the largest wildfire on record in New Mexico. ... June 12, 2012, it had burned a total of 278,708 acres (1,128 square kilometers), making it the largest wildfire on record in New Mexico. The ...

Financial relationships between neurologists and industry: The 2015 Open Payments database.

PubMed

Ahlawat, Aditi; Narayanaswami, Pushpa

2018-05-04

To analyze research and nonresearch payments from the pharmaceutical and device industry to neurologists in 2015 using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments database. In this retrospective database analysis, we computed the percentage of neurologists in the United States receiving payments, the median/mean payments per neurologist, payment categories, regional trends, and sponsors. We computed the number of practicing neurologists from the Association of American Medical Colleges State Physician Workforce data book, 2015. In 2015, approximately 51% of US neurologists received nonresearch payments totaling $6,210,414. The median payment per physician was $81. Payments to the top 10% of compensated neurologists amounted to $5,278,852 (84.5%). Food and beverage was the most frequent category (86.5% of the total number of payments). The highest amount was paid for serving as faculty/speaker for non-continuing medical education activities (58%). The top sponsor of nonresearch payments was Teva Pharmaceuticals ($1,162,900; 18.5%). A total of 412 neurologists received $2,921,611 in research payments (median $1,132). Multiple sclerosis specialists received the largest proportion ($285,537; 9.7%). Daiichi Sankyo paid the largest amount in research payments ($826,029; 28%). The Open Payments program was established to foster transparent disclosure of physician compensation from industry, in response to legislative and public concerns over the effect of conflicts of interest on practice, education, and research. The effects of this program remain unclear and studies of changes in prescribing practices, costs, and other outcomes are necessary. CMS should ensure that incorrect information can be rectified quickly and easily. © 2018 American Academy of Neurology.

Offshore oil platforms and fouling communities in the southern Arabian Gulf (Abu Dhabi).

PubMed

Stachowitsch, Michael; Kikinger, Reinhard; Herler, Jürgen; Zolda, Pamela; Geutebrück, Ernst

2002-09-01

This study examined the fouling organisms on the legs of offshore oil platforms at two sites in the southern Arabian Gulf (offshore Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates). 100% of the metal structures was colonized by encrusting organisms. Both the number of individuals and the total biomass tended to decrease with depth. The total weight of dead shells always exceeded that of living organisms. Sessile filter feeders dominated the biomass, whereas small mobile forms had the largest number of individuals. The biomass at the deeper platform (22 m) was dominated by bivalves, barnacles and bryozoans, while polychaetes and amphipods had the greatest number of individuals. Biomass values here ranged from 1 g/0.1 m2 at 20 m to 147 g/0.1 m2 at 5 m; the corresponding individual numbers were 266 (20 m) and 11,814 indiv./0.1 m2 (5 m). The results at the shallower platform (11 m) differed in several respects: barnacles clearly dominated over bivalves, and sponges exceeded byrozoans, while total individual numbers fell due to a decline in polychaete dominance. Biomass values here ranged from 84 g/0.1 m2 at 10 m to 153 g/0.1 m2 at 0 m; the corresponding individual numbers were 695 (10 m) and 3,125 indiv./0.1 m2 (0 m). The potential role of such fouling communities on artificial structures in the Gulf is discussed.

Association of monthly frequencies of diverse diseases in the calls to the public emergency service of the city of Buenos Aires during 1999-2004 with meteorological variables and seasons.

PubMed

Alexander, P

2013-01-01

This work aims to study associations between monthly averages of meteorological variables and monthly frequencies of diverse diseases in the calls to the public ambulance emergency service of the city of Buenos Aires during the years 1999-2004. Throughout this time period no changes were made in the classification codes of the illnesses. Heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, cardiopulmonary arrest, angina pectoris, psychiatric diseases, stroke, transient ischemic attack, syncope and the total number of calls were analyzed against 11 weather variables and the four seasons. All illnesses exhibited some seasonal behavior, except cardiorespiratory arrest and angina pectoris. The largest frequencies of illnesses that exhibited some association with the meteorological variables used to occur in winter, except the psychiatric cases. Heart failure, stroke, psychiatric diseases and the total number of calls showed significant correlations with the 11 meteorological variables considered, and the largest indices (absolute values above 0.6) were found for the former two pathologies. On the other side, cardiorespiratory arrest and angina pectoris revealed no significant correlations and nearly null indices. Variables associated with temperature were the meteorological proxies with the largest correlations against diseases. Pressure and humidity mostly exhibited positive correlations, which is the opposite of variables related to temperature. Contrary to all other diseases, psychiatric pathologies showed a clear predominance of positive correlations. Finally, the association degree of the medical dataset with recurrent patterns was further evaluated through Fourier analysis, to assess the presence of statistically significant behavior. In the Northern Hemisphere high morbidity and mortality rates in December are usually assigned to diverse factors in relation to the holidays, but such an effect is not observed in the present analysis. There seems to be no clearly preferred meteorological proxy among the different types of temperatures used. It is shown that the amount of occurrences depends mainly on season rather on its strength quantified by temperature.

Association of monthly frequencies of diverse diseases in the calls to the public emergency service of the city of Buenos Aires during 1999-2004 with meteorological variables and seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, P.

2013-01-01

This work aims to study associations between monthly averages of meteorological variables and monthly frequencies of diverse diseases in the calls to the public ambulance emergency service of the city of Buenos Aires during the years 1999-2004. Throughout this time period no changes were made in the classification codes of the illnesses. Heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, cardiopulmonary arrest, angina pectoris, psychiatric diseases, stroke, transient ischemic attack, syncope and the total number of calls were analyzed against 11 weather variables and the four seasons. All illnesses exhibited some seasonal behavior, except cardiorespiratory arrest and angina pectoris. The largest frequencies of illnesses that exhibited some association with the meteorological variables used to occur in winter, except the psychiatric cases. Heart failure, stroke, psychiatric diseases and the total number of calls showed significant correlations with the 11 meteorological variables considered, and the largest indices (absolute values above 0.6) were found for the former two pathologies. On the other side, cardiorespiratory arrest and angina pectoris revealed no significant correlations and nearly null indices. Variables associated with temperature were the meteorological proxies with the largest correlations against diseases. Pressure and humidity mostly exhibited positive correlations, which is the opposite of variables related to temperature. Contrary to all other diseases, psychiatric pathologies showed a clear predominance of positive correlations. Finally, the association degree of the medical dataset with recurrent patterns was further evaluated through Fourier analysis, to assess the presence of statistically significant behavior. In the Northern Hemisphere high morbidity and mortality rates in December are usually assigned to diverse factors in relation to the holidays, but such an effect is not observed in the present analysis. There seems to be no clearly preferred meteorological proxy among the different types of temperatures used. It is shown that the amount of occurrences depends mainly on season rather on its strength quantified by temperature.

The roles of AMY1 copies and protein expression in human salivary α-amylase activity.

PubMed

Yang, Ze-Min; Lin, Jing; Chen, Long-Hui; Zhang, Min; Chen, Wei-Wen; Yang, Xiao-Rong

2015-01-01

Salivary α-amylase (sAA) activity has been extensively investigated in nutrition and psychology. But few studies were performed to assess the role played by sAA gene (AMY1) copies and protein expression in basal and stimulus-induced sAA activity. The sAA activity, amount and AMY1 copy number were determined from 184 saliva samples pre- and post-citric acid stimulation. Our findings showed that citric acid could induce significant increase in sAA activity, total sAA amount, and glycosylated sAA amount, among which the glycosylated sAA amount had the largest response. The correlation analysis showed that AMY1 copy number, total sAA amount and AMY1 copy number×total sAA amount had significantly positive and successively increasing correlations with sAA activity in unstimulated and stimulated saliva, respectively, and furthermore, we observed higher correlations in unstimulated saliva when compared with the corresponding correlations in stimulated saliva. We also observed significant correlations between glycosylated sAA amount and sAA activity in unstimulated and stimulated saliva, respectively. Interestingly, the correlations were higher in stimulated saliva than in unstimulated saliva, and the correlations between glycosylated sAA amount and sAA activity were higher than that of between total sAA amount and sAA activity in stimulated saliva. Moreover, total sAA amount ratio and glycosylated sAA amount ratio showed significantly positive correlation with sAA activity ratio. AMY1 copy number had no correlation with sAA activity ratio. These findings suggested that AMY1 copy number and sAA amount played crucial roles in sAA activity; however, the roles were attenuated after stimulation due to fortified release of glycosylated sAA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative determination of H2-utilizing acetogenic and sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea from digestive tract of different mammals.

PubMed

Morvan, B; Bonnemoy, F; Fonty, G; Gouet, P

1996-03-01

Total number of bacteria, cellulolytic bacteria, and H2-utilizing microbial populations (methanogenic archaea, acetogenic and sulfate-reducing bacteria) were enumerated in fresh rumen samples from sheep, cattle, buffaloes, deer, llamas, and caecal samples from horses. Methanogens and sulfate reducers were found in all samples, whereas acetogenes were not detected in some samples of each animal. Archaea methanogens were the largest H2-utilizing populations in all animals, and a correlation was observed between the numbers of methanogens and those of cellulolytic microorganisms. Higher counts of acetogens were found in horses and llamas (1 x 10(4) and 4 x 10(4) cells ml-1 respectively).

Water quality of Cedar Creek reservoir in northeast Texas, 1977 to 1984

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leibbrand, Norman F.; Gibbons, Willard J.

1987-01-01

The concentrations of total inorganic nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were largest during summer stagnation in water near the bottom at the deepest sites. At site Ac, the largest total phosphorus concentration was 5.3 milligrams per liter for a bottom sample. The maximum total inorganic nitrogen concentration for the same sample was 2.5 milligrams per liter. Water near the surface of Cedar Creek Reservoir during summer stagnation and throughout the reservoir during winter circulation had total phosphorus and total inorganic nitrogen concentrations of less than 0.1 milligram per liter. Total nitrogen concentrations near the surface ranged from 0.3 to 1.1 milligrams per liter from January 1980 to August 1984.

Periodic analysis of total ozone and its vertical distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, R. W.; Nastrom, G. D.; Belmont, A. D.

1975-01-01

Both total ozone and vertical distribution ozone data from the period 1957 to 1972 are analyzed. For total ozone, improved monthly zonal means for both hemispheres are computed by weighting individual station monthly means by a factor which compensates for the close grouping of stations in certain regions of latitude bands. Longitudinal variability show maxima in summer in both hemispheres, but, in winter, only in the Northern Hemisphere. The geographical distributions of the long term mean, and the annual, quasibiennial and semiannual waves in total ozone over the Northern Hemisphere are presented. The extratropical amplitude of the annual wave is by far the largest of the three, as much as 120 m atm cm over northern Siberia. There is a tendency for all three waves to have maxima in high latitudes. Monthly means of the vertical distribution of ozone determined from 3 to 8 years of ozonesonde data over North America are presented. Number density is highest in the Arctic near 18 km. The region of maximum number density slopes upward toward 10 N, where the long term mean is 45 x 10 to the 11th power molecules cm/3 near 26 km.

Geospatial approaches to characterizing agriculture in the Chincoteague Bay subbasin.

PubMed

Kutz, Frederick W; Morgan, John M; Monn, Jeremy; Petrey, Chad P

2012-01-01

Most agricultural information is reported by government sources on a state or county basis. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate use of geospatial data, the 2002 Agricultural Cropland Data Layer (CDL) for the mid-Atlantic region, to characterize agricultural, environmental, and other scientific parameters for the Chincoteague Bay subbasin using geographic information systems. This study demonstrated that agriculture can be characterized accurately on subbasin and subwatershed bases, thus complimenting various assessment technologies. Approximately 28% of the dry land of the subbasin was cropland. Field corn was the largest crop. Soybeans, either singly or double-cropped with wheat, were the second most predominant crop. Although the subbasin is relatively small, cropping practices in the northern part were different from those in the southern portion. Other crops, such as fresh vegetables and vegetables grown for processing, were less than 10% of the total cropland. A conservative approximation of the total pesticide usage in the subbasin in 2002 was over 277,000 lbs of active ingredients. Herbicides represented the most frequently used pesticides in the subbasin, both in number (17) and in total active ingredients (over 261,000 lbs). Ten insecticides predominated in the watershed, while only small quantities of three fungicides were used. Total pesticide usage and intensity were estimated using the CDL. Nutrient inputs to cropland from animal manure, chemical fertilizer, and atmospheric deposition were modeled at over 30 million pounds of nitrogen and over 7 million pounds of phosphorous. Crops under conservation tillage had the largest input of both nutrients.

Estimating the Propagation of Interdependent Cascading Outages with Multi-Type Branching Processes

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

Qi, Junjian; Ju, Wenyun; Sun, Kai

In this paper, the multi-type branching process is applied to describe the statistics and interdependencies of line outages, the load shed, and isolated buses. The offspring mean matrix of the multi-type branching process is estimated by the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm and can quantify the extent of outage propagation. The joint distribution of two types of outages is estimated by the multi-type branching process via the Lagrange-Good inversion. The proposed model is tested with data generated by the AC OPA cascading simulations on the IEEE 118-bus system. The largest eigenvalues of the offspring mean matrix indicate that the system ismore » closer to criticality when considering the interdependence of different types of outages. Compared with empirically estimating the joint distribution of the total outages, good estimate is obtained by using the multitype branching process with a much smaller number of cascades, thus greatly improving the efficiency. It is shown that the multitype branching process can effectively predict the distribution of the load shed and isolated buses and their conditional largest possible total outages even when there are no data of them.« less

47 CFR 54.1007 - Letter of credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 largest United States banks, determined on the basis of total assets as of the end of the calendar... agency); or (ii) Any non-U.S. bank that (A) Is among the 50 largest non-U.S. banks in the world, determined on the basis of total assets as of the end of the calendar year immediately preceding the issuance...

47 CFR 54.1007 - Letter of credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 largest United States banks, determined on the basis of total assets as of the end of the calendar... agency); or (ii) Any non-U.S. bank that (A) Is among the 50 largest non-U.S. banks in the world, determined on the basis of total assets as of the end of the calendar year immediately preceding the issuance...

47 CFR 54.1007 - Letter of credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 largest United States banks, determined on the basis of total assets as of the end of the calendar... agency); or (ii) Any non-U.S. bank that (A) Is among the 50 largest non-U.S. banks in the world, determined on the basis of total assets as of the end of the calendar year immediately preceding the issuance...

A checklist of land snails from the west coast islands of Sabah, Borneo (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

PubMed Central

Phung, Chee-Chean; Yu, Fred Tuh Yit; Liew, Thor-Seng

2017-01-01

Abstract Sabah, situated in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, has the largest number of islands in Malaysia with more than 500 of various sizes and degrees of isolation. However, information on the islands’ biodiversity is limited. This study provides an up-to-date checklist of land snail species found on 24 west coast islands in Sabah. A total of 67 species (nearly 20% of the total number of land snail species in the state) representing 37 genera and 19 families is enumerated based on systematic field surveys of 133 sampling plots, BORNEENSIS database records and species checklists published between 2000 and 2016. The number of species on the islands ranges from four to 29. Labuan Island has the highest number of species (29), followed by Tiga Island (25), Mantanani Besar Island (24) and Gaya Island (23). However, the populations of some land snail species may have declined as several previously recorded species on the islands were not found in a recent systematic field sampling. This checklist is provided as a baseline inventory for future island land snail studies and to better inform biodiversity conservation plans of marine parks and other islands on the Sabah west coast. PMID:28769672

Hydrodynamic trails produced by Daphnia: size and energetics.

PubMed

Wickramarathna, Lalith N; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of 1.8 x 10(-6) W/kg to 3.4 x 10(-6) W/kg and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between 1.3 x 10(-9) W and 1 x 10(-8) W, respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers.

Concentrations, loads, and yields of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment and bacteria concentrations in the Wister Lake Basin, Oklahoma and Arkansas, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buck, Stephanie D.

2014-01-01

The Poteau Valley Improvement Authority uses Wister Lake in southeastern Oklahoma as a public water supply. Total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediments from agricultural runoff and discharges from wastewater treatment plants and other sources have degraded water quality in the lake. As lake-water quality has degraded, water-treatment cost, chemical usage, and sludge production have increased for the Poteau Valley Improvement Authority. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Poteau Valley Improvement Authority, investigated and summarized concentrations of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, suspended sediment, and bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.) in surface water flowing to Wister Lake. Estimates of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment loads, yields, and flow-weighted mean concentrations of total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations were made for the Wister Lake Basin for a 3-year period from October 2010 through September 2013. Data from water samples collected at fixed time increments during base-flow conditions and during runoff conditions at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla. (USGS station 07247015), the Poteau River near Heavener, Okla. (USGS station 07247350), and the Fourche Maline near Leflore, Okla. (USGS station 07247650), water-quality stations were used to evaluate water quality over the range of streamflows in the basin. These data also were collected to estimate annual constituent loads and yields by using regression models. At the Poteau River stations, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment concentrations in surface-water samples were significantly larger in samples collected during runoff conditions than in samples collected during base-flow conditions. At the Fourche Maline station, in contrast, concentrations of these constituents in water samples collected during runoff conditions were not significantly larger than concentrations during base-flow conditions. Flow-weighted mean total phosphorus concentrations at all three stations from 2011 to 2013 were several times larger than the Oklahoma State Standard for Scenic Rivers (0.037 milligrams per liter [mg/L]), with the largest flow-weighted phosphorus concentrations typically being measured at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., station. Flow-weighted mean total nitrogen concentrations did not vary substantially between the Poteau River stations and the Fourche Maline near Leflore, Okla., station. At all of the sampled water-quality stations, bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.) concentrations were substantially larger in water samples collected during runoff conditions than in water samples collected during base-flow conditions from 2011 to 2013. Estimated annual loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the Poteau River stations during runoff conditions ranged from 82 to 98 percent of the total annual loads of those constituents. Estimated annual loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the Fourche Maline during runoff conditions ranged from 86 to nearly 100 percent of the total annual loads. Estimated seasonal total phosphorus loads generally were smallest during base-flow and runoff conditions in autumn. Estimated seasonal total phosphorus loads during base-flow conditions tended to be largest in winter and during runoff conditions tended to be largest in the spring. Estimated seasonal total nitrogen loads tended to be smallest in autumn during base-flow and runoff conditions and largest in winter during runoff conditions. Estimated seasonal suspended sediment loads tended to be smallest during base-flow conditions in the summer and smallest during runoff conditions in the autumn. The largest estimated seasonal suspended sediment loads during runoff conditions typically were in the spring. The estimated mean annual total phosphorus yield was largest at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station. The estimated mean annual total phosphorus yield was largest during base flow at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station and at both of the Poteau River water-quality stations during runoff conditions. The estimated mean annual total nitrogen yields were largest at the Poteau River water-quality stations. Estimated mean annual total nitrogen yields were largest during base-flow and runoff conditions at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station. The estimated mean annual suspended sediment yield was largest at the Poteau River near Heavener, Okla., water-quality station during base-flow and runoff conditions. Flow-weighted mean concentrations indicated that total phosphorus inputs from the Poteau River Basin in the Wister Lake Basin were larger than from the Fourche Maline Basin. Flow-weighted mean concentrations of total nitrogen did not vary spatially in a consistent manner. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total phosphorus loads of 137 to 278 tons per year (tons/yr) to Wister Lake. Between 89 and 95 percent of the annual total phosphorus loads were transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total nitrogen loads of 657 to 1,294 tons/yr, with 86 to 94 percent of the annual total nitrogen loads being transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total suspended sediment loads of 110,919 to 234,637 tons/yr, with 94 to 99 percent of the annual suspended sediment loads being transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. Most of the total phosphorus and suspended sediment were delivered to Wister Lake during runoff conditions in the spring. The majority of the total nitrogen was delivered to Wister Lake during runoff conditions in winter.

[National registry on cardiac electrophysiology (2010 and 2011)].

PubMed

Madeira, Francisco; Oliveira, Mário; Ventura, Miguel; Primo, João; Bonhorst, Daniel; Morais, Carlos

2013-02-01

Based on a survey sent to Portuguese centers that perform diagnostic and interventional electrophysiology and/or implant cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), the authors analyze the number and type of procedures performed during 2010 and 2011 and compare these data with previous years. In 2011, a total of 2533 diagnostic electrophysiologic procedures were performed, which were followed by ablation in 2013 cases, a steady increase over previous years. The largest share of this increase compared to 2010 was in atrial fibrillation, which is now the second most frequent indication for ablation, after atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. The total number of ICDs implanted in 2011 was 1084, of which 339 were biventricular (BiV) cardiac resynchronization devices (BiV ICDs). This represents an increase in the total number relative to previous years, 2011 being the first year in which the rate of new ICD implantations in Portugal exceeded 100 per million population. However, compared to 2010, the number of BiV ICDs implanted decreased, despite the recent publication of updated European guidelines on device therapy in heart failure, which clarified and expanded the indications for implantation of these devices. Some comments are made on the current status of cardiac electrophysiology in Portugal and on factors that may influence its development in the coming years. Copyright © 2012 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Statistical sampling of the distribution of uranium deposits using geologic/geographic clusters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finch, W.I.; Grundy, W.D.; Pierson, C.T.

1992-01-01

The concept of geologic/geographic clusters was developed particularly to study grade and tonnage models for sandstone-type uranium deposits. A cluster is a grouping of mined as well as unmined uranium occurrences within an arbitrary area about 8 km across. A cluster is a statistical sample that will reflect accurately the distribution of uranium in large regions relative to various geologic and geographic features. The example of the Colorado Plateau Uranium Province reveals that only 3 percent of the total number of clusters is in the largest tonnage-size category, greater than 10,000 short tons U3O8, and that 80 percent of the clusters are hosted by Triassic and Jurassic rocks. The distributions of grade and tonnage for clusters in the Powder River Basin show a wide variation; the grade distribution is highly variable, reflecting a difference between roll-front deposits and concretionary deposits, and the Basin contains about half the number in the greater-than-10,000 tonnage-size class as does the Colorado Plateau, even though it is much smaller. The grade and tonnage models should prove useful in finding the richest and largest uranium deposits. ?? 1992 Oxford University Press.

Comparing Medical Ecology, Utilization, and Expenditures Between 1996-1997 and 2011-2012.

PubMed

Johansen, Michael E

2017-07-01

This study compared ecology (number of individuals using a service), utilization (number of services used), and expenditures (dollars spent) for various categories of medical services between primarily 1996-1997 and 2011-2012. A repeated cross-sectional study was performed using nationally representative data mainly from the 1996, 1997, 2011, and 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). These data were augmented with the 2002-2003 MEPS as well as the 1999-2000 and 2011-2012 National Heath and Nutrition Examination Survey. Individuals (number per 1,000 people), utilization, and expenditures during an average month in 1996-1997 and 2011-2012 were determined for 15 categories of services. The number of individuals who used various medical services was unchanged for many categories of services (total, outpatient, outpatient physician, users of prescribed medications, primary care and specialty physicians, inpatient hospitalization, and emergency department). It was, however, increased for others (optometry/podiatry, therapy, and alternative/complementary medicine) and decreased for a few (dental and home health). The number of services used (utilization) largely mirrored the findings for individual use, with the exception of an increase in the number of prescribed medications and a decrease in number of primary care physician visits. There were large increases in dollars spent (expenditures) in every category with the exception of primary care physician and home health; the largest absolute increases were in prescribed medications, specialty physicians, emergency department visits, and likely inpatient hospitalizations. Although the number of individuals with visits during an average month and the total utilization of medical services were largely unchanged between the 2 time periods, total expenditures increased markedly. The increases in expenditure varied dramatically by category. © 2017 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Fault tree analysis for exposure to refrigerants used for automotive air conditioning in the United States.

PubMed

Jetter, J J; Forte, R; Rubenstein, R

2001-02-01

A fault tree analysis was used to estimate the number of refrigerant exposures of automotive service technicians and vehicle occupants in the United States. Exposures of service technicians can occur when service equipment or automotive air-conditioning systems leak during servicing. The number of refrigerant exposures of service technicians was estimated to be 135,000 per year. Exposures of vehicle occupants can occur when refrigerant enters passenger compartments due to sudden leaks in air-conditioning systems, leaks following servicing, or leaks caused by collisions. The total number of exposures of vehicle occupants was estimated to be 3,600 per year. The largest number of exposures of vehicle occupants was estimated for leaks caused by collisions, and the second largest number of exposures was estimated for leaks following servicing. Estimates used in the fault tree analysis were based on a survey of automotive air-conditioning service shops, the best available data from the literature, and the engineering judgement of the authors and expert reviewers from the Society of Automotive Engineers Interior Climate Control Standards Committee. Exposure concentrations and durations were estimated and compared with toxicity data for refrigerants currently used in automotive air conditioners. Uncertainty was high for the estimated numbers of exposures, exposure concentrations, and exposure durations. Uncertainty could be reduced in the future by conducting more extensive surveys, measurements of refrigerant concentrations, and exposure monitoring. Nevertheless, the analysis indicated that the risk of exposure of service technicians and vehicle occupants is significant, and it is recommended that no refrigerant that is substantially more toxic than currently available substitutes be accepted for use in vehicle air-conditioning systems, absent a means of mitigating exposure.

Application of concentration ratios to analyze the phenomenon of "next-door" pharmacy in Taiwan.

PubMed

Ji Chen, Tzeng; Chou, Li-Fang; Hwang, Shinn Jang

2006-08-01

In Taiwan, a policy of separation of prescribing and dispensing practices of practitioners at Western medical and dental clinics was implemented on an incremental basis in 1997. The purpose of this policy was to promote pharmacists' autonomy and increase the transparency and safety of prescribing medications. To avoid profit loss from no longer being able to dispense prescription medications, some clinics opened pharmacies located under the same roof as the clinic ("next-door" pharmacies) or hired an on-site pharmacist. This practice might compromise pharmacists' professional autonomy and patients' benefit in pharmaceutical care. The aim of the current study was to clarify the relationship between practicing pharmacies and clinics that resulted from contracts between pharmacies and the Bureau of National Health Insurance from 1996 to 2004. The National Health Research Institutes database in Taiwan supplied the complete claims data sets of practicing pharmacies from 1997 to 2004. The prescribing source of every dispensed prescription was used to calculate the 1-firm concentration ratio (CR-1) (ie, the proportion of prescriptions issued by the largest prescribing clinic/hospital in the total number of dispensed prescriptions of a pharmacy in each year). Similar processing was applied to the clinics. We identified each clinic's largest cooperating pharmacy and compared their CR-1s. Pharmacies that dispensed >900 prescriptions/mo during the study period were considered thriving. Pharmacies with a CR-1 > or =0.99 and whose largest cooperating clinic had a CR-1 > or =0.99 were considered to have a close business relationship, possibly indicating a next-door pharmacy. The total number of prescriptions dispensed at all pharmacies in the database grew from 226,901 in 1996 to 59,785,039 in 2004, and the number of pharmacies, from 481 to 3529. An increasing number of pharmacies had a higher CR-1 after 1999. We found that most prescriptions could be dispensed at only 1 pharmacy during the study period. In 2004, 1429 clinics had >900 prescriptions/mo dispensed externally and a CR-1 > or =0.99. They had released 75.8% of all prescriptions to be dispensed at practicing pharmacies; 811 of these clinics had a cooperating pharmacy with a CR-1 > or =0.99. In this data analysis in Taiwan, most prescriptions from practitioners at Western medical and dental clinics could be dispensed at only 1 pharmacy during the study period, suggesting that pharmacists' professional autonomy and the patients' benefit in pharmaceutical care might be compromised in Taiwan.

Polimedication: applicability of a computer tool to reduce polypharmacy in nursing homes.

PubMed

García-Caballero, Tomás M; Lojo, Juan; Menéndez, Carlos; Fernández-Álvarez, Roberto; Mateos, Raimundo; Garcia-Caballero, Alejandro

2018-05-11

ABSTRACTBackground:The risks of polypharmacy can be far greater than the benefits, especially in the elderly. Comorbidity makes polypharmacy very prevalent in this population; thus, increasing the occurrence of adverse effects. To solve this problem, the most common strategy is to use lists of potentially inappropriate medications. However, this strategy is time consuming. In order to minimize the expenditure of time, our group devised a pilot computer tool (Polimedication) that automatically processes lists of medication providing the corresponding Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions alerts and facilitating standardized reports. The drug lists for 115 residents in Santa Marta Nursing Home (Fundación San Rosendo, Ourense, Spain) were processed. The program detected 10.04 alerts/patient, of which 74.29% were not repeated. After reviewing these alerts, 12.12% of the total (1.30 alerts/patient) were considered relevant. The largest number of alerts (41.48%) involved neuroleptic drugs. Finally, the patient's family physician or psychiatrist accepted the alert and made medication changes in 62.86% of the relevant alerts. The largest number of changes (38.64%) also involved neuroleptic drugs. The mean time spent in the generation and review of the warnings was 6.26 minute/patient. Total changes represented a saving of 32.77 € per resident/year in medication. The application of Polimedication tool detected a high proportion of potentially inappropriate prescriptions in institutionalized elderly patients. The use of the computerized tool achieved significant savings in pharmaceutical expenditure, as well as a reduction in the time taken for medication review.

Space weather, socioeconomic factors, water quality and suicide in northwestern Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasatkina, Elena; Shumilov, Oleg; Novikova, Tatiana; Sutinen, Marja-Liisa; Chramov, Alexey

2013-04-01

Temporal variations in suicide occurrence in the town of Kirovsk (Kola peninsula, Murmansk region) earlier have been associated with geomagnetic disturbances (Kasatkina et al., GRA, V. 13, EGU20111630). Data on a total of 908 suicides were analyzed for the period from 1948 to 2010. The largest number of suicides occurred in 1949 (70.3 persons per 100 thousand people) and the smallest one occurred in 1985 (15.2). We have identified three maxima in the seasonal distribution of the number of suicides (March-May (P<0.001), July (P<0.01), October (P<0.001)), which coincide with maxima in the distribution of the most intense (Ap>150 nT) magnetic storms. Here we carried out the comparison of suicide occurrence temporal variations for three different towns of Murmansk region (Kirovsk, Apatity and Monchegorsk) depending on their drinking water content. Among Arctic regions, Kola peninsula is the most densely populated and industrially developed. The largest apatite-nepheline enterprise in Europe and Russia - "Apatit" is located close to the towns Kirovsk (67.6N, 33.7E) and Apatity (67.6N, 33.4E). The largest Russian nickel-copper plant "Severonikel" is located in the town of Monchegorsk (67.9N, 32.9E). In spite of some similarities of the suicide temporal trends, one can detect some differences. These differences, as we supposed, are connected to different content in drinking water of such metals as copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al). These elements may influence the incidence of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, senile dementia and Wilson's disease.

White Matter Correlates of Neuropsychological Dysfunction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Jung, Rex E.; Chavez, Robert S.; Flores, Ranee A.; Qualls, Clifford; Sibbitt, Wilmer L.; Roldan, Carlos A.

2012-01-01

Patients diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus have similar levels of neuropsychological dysfunction (i.e., 20–50%) as those with Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (NPSLE). We hypothesized a gradient between cognition and white matter integrity, such that strongest brain-behavior relationships would emerge in NPSLE, intermediate in non-NPSLE, and minimal in controls. We studied thirty-one patients (16 non-NPSLE; 15 NPSLE), ranging in age from 18 to 59 years old (100% female), and eighteen age and gender matched healthy controls. DTI examinations were performed on a 1.5T scanner. A broad neuropsychological battery was administered, tapping attention, memory, processing speed, and executive functioning. The Total z-score consisted of the combined sum of all neuropsychological measures. In control subjects, we found no significant FA-Total z-score correlations. NPSLE, non-NPSLE, and control subjects differed significantly in terms of Total z-score (NPSLE = −2.25+/−1.77, non-NPSLE = −1.22+/−1.03, Controls = −0.10+/−.57; F = 13.2, p<.001). In non-NPSLE subjects, FA within the right external capsule was significantly correlated with Total z-score. In NPSLE subjects, the largest FA-Total z-score clusters were observed within the left anterior thalamic radiation and right superior longitudinal fasciculus. In subsequent analyses the largest number of significant voxels linked FA with the Processing Speed z-score in NPSLE. The current results reflect objective white matter correlates of neuropsychological dysfunction in both NPSLE and (to a lesser degree) in non-NPSLE. non-NPSLE and NPSLE subjects did not differ significantly in terms of depression, as measured by the GDI; thus, previous hypotheses suggesting moderating effects of depression upon neuropsychological performance do not impact the current FA results. PMID:22291880

The Economic and Social Burden of Traumatic Injuries: Evidence from a Trauma Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

PubMed

Zuraik, Christopher; Sampalis, John; Brierre, Alexa

2018-06-01

The cost of traumatic injury is unknown in Haiti. This study aims to examine the burden of traumatic injury of patients treated and evaluated at a trauma hospital in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. A retrospective cross-sectional chart review study was conducted at the Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare for all patients evaluated for traumatic injury from December 2015 to January 2016, as described elsewhere (Zuraik and Sampalis in World J Surg, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-017-4088-2 , 2017). Direct medical costs were obtained from patient hospital bills. Indirect and intangible costs were calculated using the human capital approach. A total of 410 patients were evaluated for traumatic injury during the study period. Total costs for all patients were $501,706 with a mean cost of $1224. Indirect costs represented 63% of all costs, direct medical costs 19%, and intangible costs 18%. Surgical costs accounted for the majority of direct medical costs (29%). Patients involved in road traffic accidents accounted for the largest number of injuries (41%) and the largest percentage of total costs (51%). Patients with gunshot wounds had the highest total mean costs ($1566). Mean costs by injury severity ranged from $62 for minor injuries, $1269 for serious injuries, to $13,675 for critical injuries. Injuries lead to a significant economic burden for individuals treated at a semi-private trauma hospital in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Programs aimed at reducing injuries, particularly road traffic accidents, would likely reduce the economic burden to the nation.

Discrepancy between endoscopic forceps biopsy and endoscopic resection in gastric epithelial neoplasia.

PubMed

Lim, Hyun; Jung, Hwoon-Yong; Park, Young Soo; Na, Hee Kyong; Ahn, Ji Yong; Choi, Ji Young; Lee, Jeong Hoon; Kim, Mi-Young; Choi, Kwi-Sook; Kim, Do Hoon; Choi, Kee Don; Song, Ho June; Lee, Gin Hyug; Kim, Jin-Ho

2014-04-01

Endoscopic forceps biopsy (EFB) is a major diagnostic procedure for gastric epithelial neoplasia (GEN). However, discrepancy between the result of EFB and endoscopic resection (ER) is not uncommon. Thus, there is controversy over whether specimens obtained by EFB are optimal for diagnosis of GEN. We investigated the discrepancy between EFB and ER in the diagnosis of GEN. A total of 1,850 GEN cases were histologically diagnosed with EFB, including 954 low-grade dysplasias (LGDs), 315 high-grade dysplasias (HGDs), and 581 carcinomas. Following diagnosis with EFB, all patients were treated with ER. We retrospectively reviewed the pathologic findings and patient characteristics and analyzed predictors for the discrepancy between the two procedures (largest diameter, number of biopsy fragments, number of biopsy fragments/largest diameter, location, macroscopic type, color, surface unevenness, and erosion). The overall discrepancy rate between EFB and ER was 31.7 % (587/1,850). Among the discordant group, 440 (23.9 %) cases showed a higher grade of disease after ER; 229 of the 954 LGDs (24.0 %) were diagnosed as HGD or carcinoma, 166 of the 315 HGDs (52.7 %) as carcinoma, and 45 of the 581 differentiated carcinomas (7.7 %) as undifferentiated carcinoma. In the LGD group with EFB, the largest diameter (≥1.8 cm; P < 0.001), surface unevenness (P = 0.014), and depressed macroscopic type (P < 0.001) were factors associated with discrepancy. In the carcinoma group with EFB, flat macroscopic type (P = 0.043) was the only significant factor. In the HGD group with EFB, there were no significant factors for discrepancy. EFB can be insufficient for diagnosing GENs, and ER can be considered not only as treatment but also as a diagnostic modality in GEN. It is especially pertinent to all cases of HGD regardless of their endoscopic features and to cases of LGDs with the largest lesion diameter ≥1.8 cm, surface unevenness, or a depressed macroscopic type.

Design forms of total knee replacement.

PubMed

Walker, P S; Sathasivam, S

2000-01-01

The starting point of this article is a general design criterion applicable to all types of total knee replacement. This criterion is then expanded upon to provide more specifics of the required kinematics, and the forces which the total knee must sustain. A characteristic which differentiates total knees is the amount of constraint which is required, and whether the constraint is translational or rotational. The different forms of total knee replacement are described in terms of these constraints, starting with the least constrained unicompartments to the almost fully constrained fixed and rotating hinges. Much attention is given to the range of designs in between these two extreme types, because they constitute by far the largest in usage. This category includes condylar replacements where the cruciate ligaments are preserved or resected, posterior cruciate substituting designs and mobile bearing knees. A new term, 'guided motion knees', is applied to the growing number of designs which control the kinematics by the use of intercondylar cams or specially shaped and even additional bearing surfaces. The final section deals with the selection of an appropriate design of total knee for specific indications based on the design characteristics.

SU-E-T-605: Performance Evaluation of MLC Leaf-Sequencing Algorithms in Head-And-Neck IMRT

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

Jing, J; Lin, H; Chow, J

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the efficiency of three multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf-sequencing algorithms proposed by Galvin et al, Chen et al and Siochi et al using external beam treatment plans for head-and-neck intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods: IMRT plans for head-and-neck were created using the CORVUS treatment planning system. The plans were optimized and the fluence maps for all photon beams determined. Three different MLC leaf-sequencing algorithms based on Galvin et al, Chen et al and Siochi et al were used to calculate the final photon segmental fields and their monitor units in delivery. For comparison purpose, the maximum intensitymore » of fluence map was kept constant in different plans. The number of beam segments and total number of monitor units were calculated for the three algorithms. Results: From results of number of beam segments and total number of monitor units, we found that algorithm of Galvin et al had the largest number of monitor unit which was about 70% larger than the other two algorithms. Moreover, both algorithms of Galvin et al and Siochi et al have relatively lower number of beam segment compared to Chen et al. Although values of number of beam segment and total number of monitor unit calculated by different algorithms varied with the head-and-neck plans, it can be seen that algorithms of Galvin et al and Siochi et al performed well with a lower number of beam segment, though algorithm of Galvin et al had a larger total number of monitor units than Siochi et al. Conclusion: Although performance of the leaf-sequencing algorithm varied with different IMRT plans having different fluence maps, an evaluation is possible based on the calculated number of beam segment and monitor unit. In this study, algorithm by Siochi et al was found to be more efficient in the head-and-neck IMRT. The Project Sponsored by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (J2014HGXJ0094) and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry.« less

Spatio-temporal evolution of the 2011 Prague, Oklahoma aftershock sequence revealed using subspace detection and relocation

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, Nicole D; Aster, Richard C.; Yeck, William; McNamara, Daniel E.; Benz, Harley M.

2017-01-01

The 6 November 2011 Mw 5.7 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma is the second largest earthquake ever recorded in the state. A Mw 4.8 foreshock and the Mw 5.7 mainshock triggered a prolific aftershock sequence. Utilizing a subspace detection method, we increase by fivefold the number of precisely located events between 4 November and 5 December 2011. We find that while most aftershock energy is released in the crystalline basement, a significant number of the events occur in the overlying Arbuckle Group, indicating that active Meeker-Prague faulting extends into the sedimentary zone of wastewater disposal. Although the number of aftershocks in the Arbuckle Group is large, comprising ~40% of the aftershock catalog, the moment contribution of Arbuckle Group earthquakes is much less than 1% of the total aftershock moment budget. Aftershock locations are sparse in patches that experienced large slip during the mainshock.

Occurrence and overlap of natural disasters, complex emergencies and epidemics during the past decade (1995–2004)

PubMed Central

Spiegel, Paul B; Le, Phuoc; Ververs, Mija-Tesse; Salama, Peter

2007-01-01

Background The fields of expertise of natural disasters and complex emergencies (CEs) are quite distinct, with different tools for mitigation and response as well as different types of competent organizations and qualified professionals who respond. However, natural disasters and CEs can occur concurrently in the same geographic location, and epidemics can occur during or following either event. The occurrence and overlap of these three types of events have not been well studied. Methods All natural disasters, CEs and epidemics occurring within the past decade (1995–2004) that met the inclusion criteria were included. The largest 30 events in each category were based on the total number of deaths recorded. The main databases used were the Emergency Events Database for natural disasters, the Uppsala Conflict Database Program for CEs and the World Health Organization outbreaks archive for epidemics. Analysis During the past decade, 63% of the largest CEs had ≥1 epidemic compared with 23% of the largest natural disasters. Twenty-seven percent of the largest natural disasters occurred in areas with ≥1 ongoing CE while 87% of the largest CEs had ≥1 natural disaster. Conclusion Epidemics commonly occur during CEs. The data presented in this article do not support the often-repeated assertion that epidemics, especially large-scale epidemics, commonly occur following large-scale natural disasters. This observation has important policy and programmatic implications when preparing and responding to epidemics. There is an important and previously unrecognized overlap between natural disasters and CEs. Training and tools are needed to help bridge the gap between the different type of organizations and professionals who respond to natural disasters and CEs to ensure an integrated and coordinated response. PMID:17411460

Open shop scheduling problem to minimize total weighted completion time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Danyu; Zhang, Zhihai; Zhang, Qiang; Tang, Mengqian

2017-01-01

A given number of jobs in an open shop scheduling environment must each be processed for given amounts of time on each of a given set of machines in an arbitrary sequence. This study aims to achieve a schedule that minimizes total weighted completion time. Owing to the strong NP-hardness of the problem, the weighted shortest processing time block (WSPTB) heuristic is presented to obtain approximate solutions for large-scale problems. Performance analysis proves the asymptotic optimality of the WSPTB heuristic in the sense of probability limits. The largest weight block rule is provided to seek optimal schedules in polynomial time for a special case. A hybrid discrete differential evolution algorithm is designed to obtain high-quality solutions for moderate-scale problems. Simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

Scientific publications in nephrology and urology journals from Chinese authors in East Asia: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Xu, Jing; Mao, Zhi-Guo; Kong, Mei; Hu, Liang-Hao; Ye, Chao-Yang; Xu, Cheng-Gang; Rong, Shu; Sun, Li-Jun; Wu, Jun; Dai, Bing; Chen, Dong-Ping; Zhu, Yu-Xian; Zhang, Yi-Xiang; Zhang, Yu-Qiang; Zhao, Xue-Zhi; Mei, Chang-Lin

2011-04-08

Diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary tract are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we compared the quantity and quality of nephrological and urological articles published in international journals from the three major regions of China: the mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW). Nephrological and urological articles originating from ML, TW, and HK that were published in 61 journals from 1999-2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the numbers of total articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case reports, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in the leading general-medicine journals. We used these data to compare the quantity and quality of publication output from the three regions. The total number of articles increased significantly from 1999 to 2008 in the three regions. The number of articles from ML has exceeded that from HK since 2004, and surpassed that from TW in 2008. Publications from TW had the highest accumulated IF, total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading general-medicine journals. However, HK publications had the highest average IF. Although ML produced the largest quantity of articles, it exhibited the lowest quality among the three regions. The number of nephrological and urological publications originating from the three major regions of China increased significantly from 1999 to 2008. The annual number of publications by ML researchers exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK was higher than that from ML.

The sow endometrium at different stages of the oestrous cycle: studies on morphological changes and infiltration by cells of the immune system.

PubMed

Kaeoket, K; Persson, E; Dalin, A M

2001-01-31

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of leukocytes and the morphological changes of the sow endometrium throughout the oestrous cycle. Fifteen crossbred multiparous sows (Swedish Landrace x Swedish Yorkshire), with an average parity number of 3.4 +/- 0.7 (mean +/- S.D.) were used. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein 1h before slaughter for analyses of oestradiol-17beta and progesterone levels. Uterine samples from the mesometrial side of both horns, taken immediately after slaughter at late dioestrus, prooestrus, oestrus, early dioestrus and dioestrus, were fixed, embedded in plastic resin and stained with toluidine blue. The surface and glandular epithelium as well as subepithelial and glandular connective tissue layers were examined by light microscopy. The significantly highest surface and the glandular epithelium were observed at oestrus and dioestrus, respectively. The largest number of capillaries (underneath the surface epithelium) was found at oestrus. In the surface epithelium, the largest number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs, round nucleus) was found at early dioestrus. The largest number of lymphocytes and macrophages within the glandular epithelium were found at early dioestrus and oestrus, respectively. In the subepithelial connective tissue layer, the most common type of leukocytes during all stages was the lymphocyte. The largest numbers of lymphocytes and neutrophils were found at oestrus while the largest number of eosinophils was found at dioestrus. The dominating cells of the immune system in the connective tissue of the glandular layer were lymphocytes and macrophages. The significantly largest numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells were found at early dioestrus and dioestrus, respectively. The number of lymphocytes in the connective tissue of the glandular layer and the number of plasma cells in the subepithelial layer were positively correlated with the plasma level of progesterone (P < or = 0.05). The numbers of capillaries and neutrophils in the subepithelial layer underneath the surface epithelium as well as the number of macrophages in both surface and glandular epithelium were positively correlated with the plasma level of oestradiol-17beta (P < or = 0.05). In conclusion, the present study showed a variation in the infiltration and distribution of lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, mast cells and plasma cells in the sow endometrium during different stages of the oestrous cycle. Also morphological parameters (e.g. height of surface and glandular epithelium, capillaries density and degree of oedema) varied throughout the oestrous cycle.

Corrigendum to "The sow endometrium at different stages of the oestrus cycle: studies on morphological changes and infiltration by cells of the immune system." [Anim. Reprod. Sci. 65 (2001) 95-114].

PubMed

Kaeoket, K; Persson, E; Dalin, A-M

2002-09-16

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of leukocytes and the morphological changes of the sow endometrium throughout the oestrous cycle. Fifteen crossbred multiparous sows (Swedish Landrace x Swedish Yorkshire), with an average parity number of 3.4+/-0.7 (mean+/-S.D.) were used. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein 1 h before slaughter for analyses of oestradiol-17beta and progesterone levels. Uterine samples from the mesometrial side of both horns, taken immediately after slaughter at late dioestrus, prooestrus, oestrus, early dioestrus and dioestrus, were fixed, embedded in plastic resin and stained with toluidine blue. The surface and glandular epithelium as well as subepithelial and glandular connective tissue layers were examined by light microscopy (LM). The significantly highest surface and the glandular epithelium were observed at oestrus and dioestrus, respectively. The largest number of capillaries (underneath the surface epithelium) was found at oestrus. In the surface epithelium, the largest number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs, round nucleus) was found at early dioestrus. The largest number of lymphocytes and macrophages within the glandular epithelium were found at early dioestrus and oestrus, respectively. In the subepithelial connective tissue layer, the most common type of leukocytes during all stages was the lymphocyte. The largest numbers of lymphocytes and neutrophils were found at oestrus while the largest number of eosinophils was found at dioestrus. The dominating cells of the immune system in the connective tissue of the glandular layer were lymphocytes and macrophages. The significantly largest numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells were found at early dioestrus and dioestrus, respectively. The number of lymphocytes in the connective tissue of the glandular layer and the number of plasma cells in the subepithelial layer were positively correlated with the plasma level of progesterone (P < or = 0.05). The numbers of capillaries and neutrophils in the subepithelial layer underneath the surface epithelium as well as the number of macrophages in both surface and glandular epithelium were positively correlated with the plasma level of oestradiol-17beta (P < or = 0.05). In conclusion, the present study showed a variation om the infiltration and distrobution of lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, mast cells, and plasma cells in the sow endometrium during different stages of the oestrous cycle. Also morphological parameters (e.g. height of surface and glandular epithelium, capillaries density and degree of oedema) varied throughout the oestrous cycle. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Wood in New Zealand's Native Forest Streams. Recent Advances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mark, M. A.; Davies-Colley, R.

2005-05-01

We conducted a series of research projects to investigate the importance of wood in native forested streams of New Zealand. We examined abundance and geomorphic role of wood in 18 pristine native forest streams (channel width: 3-6 m) throughout New Zealand. Forest type and geographic location had no discernable influence on wood abundance, possibly reflecting the confounding influences of local features (e.g., tree fall regime) and methodology (`snap-shot' survey of a dynamic system). Number (18-66 per 100 m) and dead wood volume (85-470 m3 ha-1) of stream logs were at the high end of the international range. Living trees contributed up to 25% of total wood, and tree ferns were strongly represented (up to 11% of volume). The largest 10% of pieces contributed 75% of the total volume. The importance of the large wood pieces (>10 m3) was explored further with surveys within that watershed containing the site with the greatest wood volume. The largest pieces were rare but seemed relatively uniformly distributed. To explore the biological consequences of stream wood, we studied use of wood-related micro-habitat by the crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons White). Our findings suggest that wood is an important component of New Zealand's forested stream ecosystems.

Estimation of Breast Cancer Incident Cases and Medical Care Costs Attributable to Alcohol Consumption Among Insured Women Aged <45 Years in the U.S.

PubMed

Ekwueme, Donatus U; Allaire, Benjamin T; Parish, William J; Thomas, Cheryll C; Poehler, Diana; Guy, Gery P; Aldridge, Arnie P; Lahoti, Sejal R; Fairley, Temeika L; Trogdon, Justin G

2017-09-01

This study estimated the percentage of breast cancer cases, total number of incident cases, and total annual medical care costs attributable to alcohol consumption among insured younger women (aged 18-44 years) by type of insurance and stage at diagnosis. The study used the 2012-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, cancer incidence data from two national registry programs, and published relative risk measures to estimate the: (1) alcohol-attributable fraction of breast cancer cases among younger women by insurance type; (2) total number of breast cancer incident cases attributable to alcohol consumption by stage at diagnosis and insurance type among younger women; and (3) total annual medical care costs of treating breast cancer incident cases attributable to alcohol consumption among younger women. Analyses were conducted in 2016; costs were expressed in 2014 U.S. dollars. Among younger women enrolled in Medicaid, private insurance, and both groups, 8.7% (95% CI=7.4%, 10.0%), 13.8% (95% CI=13.3%, 14.4%), and 12.3% (95% CI=11.4%, 13.1%) of all breast cancer cases, respectively, were attributable to alcohol consumption. Localized stage was the largest proportion of estimated attributable incident cases. The estimated total number of breast cancer incident alcohol-attributable cases was 1,636 (95% CI=1,570, 1,703) and accounted for estimated total annual medical care costs of $148.4 million (95% CI=$140.6 million, $156.1 million). Alcohol-attributable breast cancer has estimated medical care costs of nearly $150 million per year. The current findings could be used to support evidence-based interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in younger women. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A report on 5(th) congress of Asia Pacific Pediatric Cardiac Society, New Delhi, India, 6-9 March 2014.

PubMed

Gupta, Saurabh K; Saxena, Anita

2015-01-01

The 5(th) Congress of Asia Pacific Pediatric Cardiac Society was held in New Delhi from 6-9 March 2014. This article describes the journey of preparing and hosting one of the largest international events in the specialty of Pediatric Cardiac Care ever held in India. A total of 938 delegates, including 400 from outside India, participated. The scientific program was inclusive keeping in mind the diverse background of delegates from the member nations. Large numbers of research papers were presented, mostly by fellows in training.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Brucellosis in Serbia, 1980-2008

PubMed Central

Čekanac, Radovan; Mladenović, Jovan; Ristanović, Elizabeta; Lazić, Srđan

2010-01-01

Aim To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Serbia from 1980 to 2008 and the most important factors affecting its emergence and spread. Methods Public sources of data on brucellosis were used, including official reports of infectious diseases and epidemics, as well as monthly and annual reports of the Serbia and Vojvodina Institutes of Public Health. Results From 1980 through 2008, there were 1521 human brucellosis cases in Serbia. The annual number ranged from 2 in 2000 to 324 in 1991. Infections occurred more often in men (67% of cases) than in women (odds ratio, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-3.00; χ2 = 24.52, P < 0.001). The largest number of patients over the entire study period (1184) was recorded in Kosovo and Metohija, which accounted for 78% of the total number of patients. The maximum incidence rate in Kosovo and Metohija was 12 per 100 000 in 1991. In Vojvodina, the first autochthonous human cases of brucellosis were recorded in 1999, and 101 affected persons were registered by the end of 2008. During the period 1994-2008, the largest number of patients in Serbia was recorded from June to September (310 of 623 cases, 50%). The disease was most prevalent among people aged 30-49 years, accounting for 81 of 177 (46%) of the cases in Serbia from 1999 to 2008. Conclusion Brucellosis has been a significant public health concern in Serbia. This problem may be solved by joint efforts of all relevant factors, first of all human and veterinary medical services. PMID:20718087

Tidal Love and Shida numbers estimated by geodetic VLBI.

PubMed

Krásná, Hana; Böhm, Johannes; Schuh, Harald

2013-10-01

Frequency-dependent Love and Shida numbers, which characterize the Earth response to the tidal forces, were estimated in a global adjustment of all suitable geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) sessions from 1984.0 to 2011.0. Several solutions were carried out to determine the Love and Shida numbers for the tidal constituents at periods in the diurnal band and in the long-period band in addition to values of the Love and Shida numbers common for all tides of degree two. Adding up all twelve diurnal tidal waves that were estimated, the total differences in displacement with respect to the theoretical conventional values of the Love and Shida numbers calculated from an Earth model reach 1.73 ± 0.29 mm in radial direction and 1.15 ± 0.15 mm in the transverse plane. The difference in the radial deformation following from the estimates of the zonal Love numbers is largest for the semi-annual tide S sa with 1.07 ± 0.19 mm.

Tidal Love and Shida numbers estimated by geodetic VLBI☆

PubMed Central

Krásná, Hana; Böhm, Johannes; Schuh, Harald

2013-01-01

Frequency-dependent Love and Shida numbers, which characterize the Earth response to the tidal forces, were estimated in a global adjustment of all suitable geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) sessions from 1984.0 to 2011.0. Several solutions were carried out to determine the Love and Shida numbers for the tidal constituents at periods in the diurnal band and in the long-period band in addition to values of the Love and Shida numbers common for all tides of degree two. Adding up all twelve diurnal tidal waves that were estimated, the total differences in displacement with respect to the theoretical conventional values of the Love and Shida numbers calculated from an Earth model reach 1.73 ± 0.29 mm in radial direction and 1.15 ± 0.15 mm in the transverse plane. The difference in the radial deformation following from the estimates of the zonal Love numbers is largest for the semi-annual tide Ssa with 1.07 ± 0.19 mm. PMID:26523082

Scientific publications in ophthalmic journals from China and other top-ranking countries: a 12-year review of the literature.

PubMed

Huang, Wenbin; Wang, Wei; Zhan, Jiao; Zhou, Minwen; Chen, Shida; Zhang, Xiulan

2013-06-26

Eye diseases with increasing mortality are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we study the publication characteristics in international ophthalmic journals of the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and China. Articles published in 53 ophthalmic journals from 2000 to 2011 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the number of articles published each year, analyzed the publication type, and evaluated the accumulated and average impact factors (IFs), and the distribution of articles in ophthalmic journals in relation to IFs. The characteristics of publication outputs from China and other top-ranking countries were compared. The total number of articles increased significantly during the past 12 years, with an increase of 51.0%. The growth in the annual number of articles from the US, the UK, Australia, and China showed a significantly positive trend. Publications from the US exceeded those from any other country and had the highest IFs, largest number of total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading ophthalmic journals. During the past 12 years, China contributed 3.5% of the total publications, and the number of Chinese articles showed a more than 6-fold increase (from 99 to 605, R2 =0.947, P<0.001). The numbers of IFs and citations of articles originating in China were mostly lower than for other top-ranking counties. Research on ophthalmic journals has maintained an upward growing trend from 2000 to 2011. Chinese ophthalmology research has developed rapidly, but the gap still exists between China and other top-ranking countries for the advanced level of research.

Public funding for contraceptive, sterilization and abortion services, 1994.

PubMed

Sollom, T; Gold, R B; Saul, R

1996-01-01

In 1994, federal and state funding for contraceptive services and supplies reached +715 million. Funding totaled +148 million for contraceptive sterilization and +90 million for abortion services. According to a survey of state health, Medicaid and social service agencies, reported spending on contraceptive services and supplies increased by 11% between 1992 and 1994. In the same period, spending under Title X rose by 37%, making it the third largest public funding source for contraceptive services and supplies. The largest source of public funds for family planning services continues to be the joint federal-state Medicaid program. Medicaid family planning expenditures increased by only 4% between 1992 and 1994, a sizable decrease in growth from previous years. State funds continue to be the second largest source, providing almost one-quarter of reported public expenditures in 1994. The maternal and child health and social services block grants remain relatively minor sources of support nationally, although in a handful of states they provide the majority of public-sector funds. State governments were virtually the sole source of public support for the 203,200 abortions provided in 1994 to low-income women. Despite the loosening of federal abortion funding criteria in FY 1994 permitting payment in cases of rape and incest, federally funded abortions numbered only 282.

Nurse staffing and deficiencies in the largest for-profit nursing home chains and chains owned by private equity companies.

PubMed

Harrington, Charlene; Olney, Brian; Carrillo, Helen; Kang, Taewoon

2012-02-01

To compare staffing levels and deficiencies of the 10 largest U.S. for-profit nursing home chains with five other ownership groups and chain staffing and deficiencies before and after purchase by four private equity (PE) companies. Facilities for the largest for-profit chains were identified through Internet searches and company reports and matched with federal secondary data for 2003-2008 for each ownership group. Descriptive statistics and generalized estimation equation panel regression models examined staffing and deficiencies by ownership groups in the 2003-2008 period, controlling for facility characteristics, resident acuity, and market factors with state fixed effects. The top 10 for-profit chains had lower registered nurse and total nurse staffing hours than government facilities, controlling for other factors. The top 10 chains received 36 percent higher deficiencies and 41 percent higher serious deficiencies than government facilities. Other for-profit facilities also had lower staffing and higher deficiencies than government facilities. The chains purchased by PE companies showed little change in staffing levels, but the number of deficiencies and serious deficiencies increased in some postpurchase years compared with the prepurchase period. There is a need for greater study of large for-profit chains as well as those chains purchased by PE companies. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Predation by fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) on Pacific salmon eggs in the Salmon River, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, J. H.; Nack, C.C.; Chalupnicki, M.A.

2009-01-01

Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) are the largest native cyprinid in the northeastern United States and are the most abundant native species in the Salmon River, New York. The Salmon River is a high-quality spawning and nursery river for Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) migrating from Lake Ontario. Because of the large number of Pacific salmon spawning in the river in the fall extensive redd superimposition occurs resulting in salmonid eggs being available on the substrate. We examined the fall diet of 647 fallfish in 2007 and 2008 to determine the extent of predation on Pacific salmon eggs. The contribution of eggs in the diet significantly increased once fallfish attained a size of 100 mm total length. The largest size category of fallfish examined (≥150 mm) had the highest proportion (86.1%) of salmon eggs in their diet. The contribution of Zooplankton and chironomids in the diet of fallfish decreased with fish size. Except for the two largest groups of fallfish examined (i.e., 100–149 mm and ≥150 mm) diet overlap among size groups was low. The high contribution in the diet during the fall and high caloric value of Pacific salmon eggs could increase growth and survival of this species in the Salmon River.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in poisoning: 8 years' experience of a university hospital.

PubMed

Dişel, Nezihat Rana; Akpınar, Ayça Açıkalın; Sebe, Ahmet; Karakoç, Emre; Sürer, Selen; Turhan, Ferda Tekin; Matyar, Selçuk

2015-10-01

This study examined the extracorporeal methods for the elimination of toxic substances in poisoned patients that are used by clinicians taking care of such patients. Here we present our experience in the use of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest number of poisoning cases ever reported in a study. This is a retrospective study conducted at the Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, with the permission of the ethical committee of the medical faculty. The study includes patients who had undergone TPE because of poisoning between January 2007 and May 2015. We summarize the clinical data and outcomes of the patients with available files. A total of 36 cases among the 42 patients who underwent TPE in this 8-year period were included in the study. More than 20 identified toxic substances, most of which were pesticides, were found to be the causes of poisoning. Twenty-three healthy discharges and 12 deaths are discussed in the study. We believe that our study reports the largest ever number of poisoning cases treated with TPE in the literature. When applicable, TPE may be a promising extracorporeal elimination and treatment technique in poisoned patients when performed in selected cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Industrial distributions of severe occupational injuries among workers in Thailand.

PubMed

Yamakawa, Michiyo; Sithisarankul, Pornchai; Yorifuji, Takashi; Hengpraprom, Sarunya; Hiransuthikul, Narin; Doi, Hiroyuki; Takao, Soshi

2014-01-01

In industrializing countries, occupational safety and health have been affected by globalization. However, a lack of reliable data prevents evaluation of this situation. Therefore, we examined industrial distributions and risks of severe occupational injuries among workers in Thailand, which is one of the few industrializing countries that compiles nationwide data. Data on workers who made claims for occupational injuries from 2007 to 2009 were extracted from the Workmen's Compensation Fund records in Thailand. Among 501,334 claimants, we evaluated the industrial distributions of severe occupational injuries (i.e., permanent disability and death). We then examined the associations between industry and those injuries, using proportionate ratios (PRs) between each industrial category and the overall distribution of occupational injuries. The number of workers in manufacturing making claims for severe occupational injuries was the largest among all industrial categories (319,114/501,334 injuries), although the total number of occupational injuries recently declined. Additionally, workers in manufacturing experienced severe occupational injuries more often compared with the overall distribution of occupational injuries. The PRs (95% confidence interval) for manufacturing were 1.17 (1.14-1.20) in men and 1.33 (1.27-1.38) in women. After adjusting for individual characteristics, the results did not substantially change. Manufacturing seems to have the largest burden of occupational injuries in industrializing countries like Thailand.

Legal suits: pharmaceutical industry strategies to introduce new drugs in the Brazilian public healthcare system.

PubMed

Chieffi, Ana Luiza; Barata, Rita de Cássia Barradas

2010-06-01

To assess the distribution rate of legal suits according to drug (manufacturer), prescribing physician, and attorney filing the lawsuit. A descriptive study was carried out to assess the lawsuits in the São Paulo State (Southeastern Brazil) courts registry in 2006, and amounts spent in complying with these lawsuits, and total costs with medication thus resulting. In 2006, the São Paulo State Administration spent 65 million Brazilian reais in compliance with court decisions to provide medication to approximately 3,600 individuals. The total cost of the medication was 1.2 billion Brazilian reais. In the period studied, 2,927 lawsuits were examined. These lawsuits were filed by 565 legal professionals, among which 549 were attorneys engaged by private individuals (97.17% of the total legal professionals). The drugs scope of the lawsuits had been prescribed by 878 different physicians. By assessing the number of lawsuits filed per attorney, it was found that 35% of them were brought before the courts by 1% of them. The data related to the lawsuits and to the medication classified according to manufacturer, show that a small number of attorneys is responsible for the largest number of lawsuits filed to obtain these drugs. The finding that more than 70% of the lawsuits filed for certain drugs are the responsibility of one single attorney, may suggest a close connection between this professional and the manufacturer.

A vegan or vegetarian diet substantially alters the human colonic faecal microbiota.

PubMed

Zimmer, J; Lange, B; Frick, J-S; Sauer, H; Zimmermann, K; Schwiertz, A; Rusch, K; Klosterhalfen, S; Enck, P

2012-01-01

Consisting of ≈10(14) microbial cells, the intestinal microbiota represents the largest and the most complex microbial community inhabiting the human body. However, the influence of regular diets on the microbiota is widely unknown. We examined faecal samples of vegetarians (n=144), vegans (n=105) and an equal number of control subjects consuming ordinary omnivorous diet who were matched for age and gender. We used classical bacteriological isolation, identification and enumeration of the main anaerobic and aerobic bacterial genera and computed absolute and relative numbers that were compared between groups. Total counts of Bacteroides spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae spp. were significantly lower (P=0.001, P=0.002, P=0.006 and P=0.008, respectively) in vegan samples than in controls, whereas others (E. coli biovars, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., other Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Citrobacter spp. and Clostridium spp.) were not. Subjects on a vegetarian diet ranked between vegans and controls. The total microbial count did not differ between the groups. In addition, subjects on a vegan or vegetarian diet showed significantly (P=0.0001) lower stool pH than did controls, and stool pH and counts of E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae were significantly correlated across all subgroups. Maintaining a strict vegan or vegetarian diet results in a significant shift in the microbiota while total cell numbers remain unaltered.

Spectral analyses, climatology, and interannual variability of Nimbus-7 TOMS version 6 total column ozone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanford, J. L.; Ziemke, J. R.; Mcpeters, R. D.; Krueger, A. J.; Bhartia, P. K.

1995-01-01

This reference publication presents selected results from space-time spectral analyses of 13 years of version 6 daily global ozone fields from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS). One purpose is to illustrate more quantitatively the well-known richness of structure and variation in total ozone. A second purpose is to provide, for use by modelers and for comparison with other analysts' work, quantitative measures of zonal waves 1, 2, 3, and medium-scale waves 4-7 in total ozone. Their variations throughout the year and at a variety of latitudes are presented, from equatorial to polar regions. The 13-year averages are given, along with selected individual years which illustrate year-to-year variability. The largest long wave amplitudes occur in the polar winters and early springs of each hemisphere, and are related to strong wave amplification during major warning events. In low attitudes total ozone wave amplitudes are an order of magnitude smaller than at high latitudes. However, TOMS fields contain a number of equatorial dynamical features, including Rossby-gravity and Kelvin waves.

Scientific publications in critical care medicine journals from Chinese authors: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Li, Zhi; Liao, Zhuan; Wu, Fei-Xiang; Yang, Li-Qun; Sun, Yu-Ming; Yu, Wei-Feng

2010-10-01

People of Chinese ethnicity are the largest population in the world. Critical care medicine in China is developing rapidly and has achieved great advances in recent 20 years. The research contribution in critical care medicine among Chinese individuals in the three major regions of China--Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW)--is unknown. Articles published in 18 journals on critical care medicine originating from ML, TW, and HK from 1999 to 2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database and Science Citation Index Expanded. Quantity and quality analyses were conducted for the total numbers of articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in high-impact journals. There were 932 articles from ML (268), TW (506), and HK (158) from 1999 to 2008. The annual total numbers of articles of the three regions increased gradually from 1999 to 2008 (from 57 to 157). From 2002 onward, the number of articles published from ML exceeded that from HK, but TW still has the dominance in both annual and total number of articles published compared with ML and HK. The accumulated IF of articles from TW (1676.67) was higher than that from ML (708.25) and HK (449.51). TW had the highest average IF of 3.31 followed by HK of 2.85 and ML of 2.64. HK had the highest average citations of each article of 10.73, followed by TW of 6.74 and ML of 5.34. The Journal of Trauma was the most popular journal in the three regions. The total numbers of articles in China increased markedly from 1999 to 2008. TW published the most number of articles, clinical trials, and randomised controlled trials among the three regions. The Journal of Trauma was the most popular journal in the three regions.

Drought Impacts on Reservoir Storage and Hydro-electricity Production in Southeastern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, B. R.; Melo, D. D.; Yin, L.; Wendland, E.

2015-12-01

Brazilian hydroelectric plants (HP) generate ~85% of the total electricity in the country (138 GW). More than half of the number largest reservoirs are located in the Southeast/Midwest region, where ~50% of the population (~100 million) lives. The 2014 drought raised several questions about the resilience of the water sources when several urban centers, including Brazilian's largest metropolis (São Paulo, 20 million people), had their water supply threatened. Such drought also affected reservoirs of hydroelectric plants. This study assesses how the storage and, thus the electricity generation, in 14 of the largest reservoirs were affected by drought events within the past 20 years. We computed the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to identify rainfall anomalies throughout the analyzed period. To evaluate the impacts on surface water, we assessed the changes in total (surface+ subsurface) runoff and soil moisture from Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) and in Total Water Storage (TWS) from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data. We evaluated the anomalies and significance of the changes in reservoir storage (RS) and electricity generation. The results show that severe dry years (-1.5 < SPI <-2.0) reduce reservoir storage (RS) by up to ~60% of its total capacity. Both electricity generation and reservoir storage showed strong negative trends between 2011 and 2014. Our results also indicate that within the past 20 years, two major depletions in reservoir storage occurred: 2001 and 2014. However, due to lower soil moisture in 2013 compared to that in 2000, distinct impacts were observed on the reservoirs with much stronger impacts on reservoir storage in 2014 relative to those in 2001. No meaningful changes in runoff were shown by GLDAS during the 2014 drought. The observed depletion in the RS in 2014 was similar to that in the TWS, as shown by GRACE data. In 2014, the electricity production by the HP declined by ~20%. As a result, the electricity generated by such source decreased to ~70% of the total production, compared to 82% and 93% in 2013 and 2012, respectively. This analysis highlights the vulnerability of surface water resources and electricity generation to extreme droughts and underscores the need to develop coping mechanisms to enhance drought resilience in the future.

Sources and sinks of filtered total mercury and concentrations of total mercury of solids and of filtered methylmercury, Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2007-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paulson, Anthony J.; Dinicola, Richard S.; Noble, Marlene A.; Wagner, Richard J.; Huffman, Raegan L.; Moran, Patrick W.; DeWild, John F.

2012-01-01

The majority of filtered total mercury in the marine water of Sinclair Inlet originates from salt water flowing from Puget Sound. About 420 grams of filtered total mercury are added to Sinclair Inlet each year from atmospheric, terrestrial, and sedimentary sources, which has increased filtered total mercury concentrations in Sinclair Inlet (0.33 nanograms per liter) to concentrations greater than those of the Puget Sound (0.2 nanograms per liter). The category with the largest loading of filtered total mercury to Sinclair Inlet included diffusion of porewaters from marine sediment to the water column of Sinclair Inlet and discharge through the largest stormwater drain on the Bremerton naval complex, Bremerton, Washington. However, few data are available to estimate porewater and stormwater releases with any certainty. The release from the stormwater drain does not originate from overland flow of stormwater. Rather total mercury on soils is extracted by the chloride ions in seawater as the stormwater is drained and adjacent soils are flushed with seawater by tidal pumping. Filtered total mercury released by an unknown freshwater mechanism also was observed in the stormwater flowing through this drain. Direct atmospheric deposition on the Sinclair Inlet, freshwater discharge from creek and stormwater basins draining into Sinclair Inlet, and saline discharges from the dry dock sumps of the naval complex are included in the next largest loading category of sources of filtered total mercury. Individual discharges from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and from the industrial steam plant of the naval complex constituted the loading category with the third largest loadings. Stormwater discharge from the shipyard portion of the naval complex and groundwater discharge from the base are included in the loading category with the smallest loading of filtered total mercury. Presently, the origins of the solids depositing to the sediment of Sinclair Inlet are uncertain, and consequently, concentrations of sediments can be qualitatively compared only to total mercury concentrations of solids suspended in the water column. Concentrations of total mercury of suspended solids from creeks, stormwater, and even wastewater effluent discharging into greater Sinclair Inlet were comparable to concentrations of solids suspended in the water column of Sinclair Inlet. Concentrations of total mercury of suspended solids were significantly lower than those of marine bed sediment of Sinclair Inlet; these suspended solids have been shown to settle in Sinclair Inlet. The settling of suspended solids in the greater Sinclair Inlet and in Operable Unit B Marine of the naval complex likely will result in lower concentrations of total mercury in sediments. Such a decrease in total mercury concentrations was observed in the sediment of Operable Unit B Marine in 2010. However, total mercury concentrations of solids discharged from several sources from the Bremerton naval complex were higher than concentrations in sediment collected from Operable Unit B Marine. The combined loading of solids from these sources is small compared to the amount of solids depositing in OU B Marine. However, total mercury concentration in sediment collected at a monitoring station just offshore one of these sources, the largest stormwater drain on the Bremerton naval complex, increased considerably in 2010. Low methylmercury concentrations were detected in groundwater, stormwater, and effluents discharged from the Bremerton naval complex. The highest methylmercury concentrations were measured in the porewaters of highly reducing marine sediment in greater Sinclair Inlet. The marine sediment collected off the largest stormwater drain contained low concentrations of methylmercury in porewater because these sediments were not highly reducing.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CH4 and hot methane continuum hybrid line list (Yurchenko+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yurchenko, S. N.; Amundsen, D. S.; Tennyson, J.; Waldmann, I. P.

2017-07-01

The states file ch4_e50.dat contains a list of rovibrational states. Each state is labelled with: nine normal mode vibrational quantum numbers and the vibrational symmetry; three rotational quantum numbers including the total angular momentum J and rotational symmetry; the total symmetry quantum number Gamma and the running number in the same (J,Gamma) block. In addition there are nine local mode vibrational numbers and the largest coefficient used to assign the state in question. Each rovibrational state has a unique number, which is the number of the row in which it appears in the file. This number is the means by which the state is related to the second part of the data system, the transitions files. The total degeneracy is also given to facilitate the intensity calculations. Because of their size, the transitions are listed in 120 separate files, each containing all the transitions in a 100cm-1 frequency range. These transition files t_*.dat contain the strong methane lines lines consisting of three columns: the reference number in the energy file of the upper state, that of the lower state, the Einstein A coefficient of the transition and the transition wavenumber. These entries are ordered by increasing frequency. The name of the file includes the lowest frequency in the range; thus the t-00500.dat file contains all the transitions in the frequency range 500-600cm-1. 19 histograms xYYYYK.dat files contain CH4_ super-lines representing the continuum computed at the temperature T=YYYYK using R=1000000 (7090081 super-lines each) covering the wavenumber range from 10 to 12000cm-1. The energy file, the transitions files and the histograms files are bzipped, and need to be extracted before use. The pressure broadening parameters used in the calculations are listed in broad.dat. A programme ExoCross to generate synthetic spectra from these line lists can be obtained at www.exomol.com. (4 data files).

Allium Sativum Methanolic Extract (garlic) Improve Therapeutic Efficacy of Albendazole Against Hydatid Cyst: In Vivo Study.

PubMed

Haji Mohammadi, K H; Heidarpour, M; Borji, H

2018-04-25

After gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of prepared methanolic extract of Allium sativum, 40 laboratory BALB/c mice were infected intraperitoneally by injection of 1,500 viable protoscoleces. Five months after infection, the infected mice were allocated into four treatment groups, including 1- Albendazole (100 mg/kg); 2- Allium sativum methanolic extract (10 mL/L); 3- A. sativum methanolic extract (10 mL/L) + Albendazole (50 mg /kg); and 4- untreated control group. After 30 days of daily treatment, total number and weight of cysts and size of the largest cyst as well as blood serum bilirubin and liver enzymes were compared between the mice of different groups. The total number and weight of cysts and size of the largest cyst were significantly lower in treated groups A. sativum 10 mL/L + Albendazole 50 and Albendazole 100 in comparison to those of the control group (p < 0.05). The activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzyme and bilirubin concentration were significantly lower in the mice treated with A. sativum 10 mL/L and A. sativum 10 mL/L + Albendazole 50, when compared to the control group. In addition, bilirubin concentration revealed significant decrease in A. sativum 10 mL/L and A. sativum 10 mL/L + Albendazole 50 groups, when compared to the Albendazole group. In conclusion, administration of A. sativum 10 mL/L improved the anti-hydatidosis activity of Albendazole 50 mg /kg, due to parasitological effects similar to Albendazole 100 mg /kg but less hepatotoxic effects.

Application of the FUN3D Unstructured-Grid Navier-Stokes Solver to the 4th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop Cases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.; Hammond, Dana P.; Nielsen, Eric J.; Pirzadeh, S. Z.; Rumsey, Christopher L.

2010-01-01

FUN3D Navier-Stokes solutions were computed for the 4th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop grid convergence study, downwash study, and Reynolds number study on a set of node-based mixed-element grids. All of the baseline tetrahedral grids were generated with the VGRID (developmental) advancing-layer and advancing-front grid generation software package following the gridding guidelines developed for the workshop. With maximum grid sizes exceeding 100 million nodes, the grid convergence study was particularly challenging for the node-based unstructured grid generators and flow solvers. At the time of the workshop, the super-fine grid with 105 million nodes and 600 million elements was the largest grid known to have been generated using VGRID. FUN3D Version 11.0 has a completely new pre- and post-processing paradigm that has been incorporated directly into the solver and functions entirely in a parallel, distributed memory environment. This feature allowed for practical pre-processing and solution times on the largest unstructured-grid size requested for the workshop. For the constant-lift grid convergence case, the convergence of total drag is approximately second-order on the finest three grids. The variation in total drag between the finest two grids is only 2 counts. At the finest grid levels, only small variations in wing and tail pressure distributions are seen with grid refinement. Similarly, a small wing side-of-body separation also shows little variation at the finest grid levels. Overall, the FUN3D results compare well with the structured-grid code CFL3D. The FUN3D downwash study and Reynolds number study results compare well with the range of results shown in the workshop presentations.

IMAA (Integrated Measurements of Aerosol in Agri valley) campaign: Multi-instrumental observations at the largest European oil/gas pre-treatment plant area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvello, Mariarosaria; Caggiano, Rosa; Esposito, Francesco; Lettino, Antonio; Sabia, Serena; Summa, Vito; Pavese, Giulia

2017-11-01

A short-term intensive multi-instrumental measurement campaign (Integrated Measurements of Aerosol in Agri valley - IMAA) was carried out near the largest European oil and gas pre-treatment plant (Centro Olio Val d'Agri - COVA) in a populated area, where, so far, ample characterization of aerosol loading is missing. As such, between the 2 and 17 July in 2013, using a number of instruments analyses were carried out on physical, chemical, morphological and optical properties of aerosol at this distinctive site, at both ground and over the atmospheric column, including the investigation of the mixing and transformation of particles. The observation of slag silicates with a rough surface texture is consistent with the presence of oil-related activities which represent the only industrial activity in the area. Desulfurization/sulfur liquefaction processes occurring at COVA can explain the peculiar morphology of calcium-sodium-aluminum particles. The common COVA source was associated with high concentrations of sulfur, nickel and zinc, and with significant correlations between zinc-sulfur and zinc-nickel. The Optical Particle Sizer (OPS) data, hygroscopicity and optical properties of atmospheric aerosol are consistent with the typical oil-derived gaseous emissions (e.g. sulfur dioxide and methane) that strongly influence the mixing state of particles and their size distributions. Continuous combustion processes at COVA were found to be responsible for Equivalent Black Carbon (EBC) concentrations from their relevant contribution to the total number of fine particles. The expected significant contribution of WS (water soluble) and BC (Black Carbon) components to the total Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) are consistent with the results from the radiometric model especially for July 3 and 16.

Shift of extreme spring streamflow on the Belorussian rivers and its association with changes of cyclonic activity over Eastern Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Partasenok, Irina; Chekan, Gregory

2014-05-01

The intra-annual distribution of precipitation is the most variable component of the water resources of Belarus. This distribution is controlled by extratropical cyclones from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean that bring most of precipitation to the nation. That's why the aim of our study was to quantify major characteristics of these cyclones and to estimate effects of their passing through the Belorussian territory on regional water budget including floods and low water conditions. We documented the long-term fluctuations of streamflow and occurrence of extreme phenomena on the rivers of Belarus during the post-World War II period. It was established that annual water budget of the nation vary from year to year without systematic tendencies. At the same time, analysis of intra-annual distribution of streamflow reveals significant changes since the 1970s: increase of winter and decrease of spring runoff. As a result, the frequency of extreme spring floods has decreased. These changes in water regime are associated with climatic anomalies caused by large-scale alterations in atmospheric circulation, specifically in trajectories of cyclones. As a manifestation of these circulation changes, we observe increase of the surface air temperatures, more frequent cold season thaws, redistribution of seasonal precipitation totals, and decrease of the fraction of frozen precipitation in the shoulder seasons. Analysis of cyclonic activity over Belarus during the past 60 years in the cold season (December through February) shows the largest number of cyclones in 1950-1970. During this period, the largest number of spring floods caused by snowmelt on the rivers of Belarus was reported. Since 1970, we observe a decrease in the total number of cyclones but also an increasing strength (deepening) of the remaining cyclones in the cold season. That has led to some precipitation increase. During the last four decades, more frequent zonal air movement in the atmosphere and substantial surface air temperature increase in the winter season provoked the prevalence of winter thaw conditions. The thaws interfered with accumulation of snowpack before the beginning of spring snowmelt and promoted decrease in the number of spring floods on the rivers of Belarus.

Estimated Withdrawals and Other Elements of Water Use in the Great Lakes Basin of the United States in 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mills, Patrick C.; Sharpe, Jennifer B.

2010-01-01

Estimates of water withdrawals in the United States part of the Great Lakes Basin and 107 of its watersheds designated by the 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUCs) indicate that about 30.3 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn for practically all categories of use in 2005. Virtually all water withdrawn was freshwater. Surface-water withdrawals totaled 28.8 Bgal/d, or 95 percent of total withdrawals; about 24 Bgal/d was withdrawn from the Great Lakes or their connecting channels. Total withdrawals, and total surface-water withdrawals, decreased 7 percent from 1995 to 2005, generally following the withdrawal trends of industrial use and that of the largest use-thermoelectric power. Groundwater withdrawals increased 3 percent from 1995 to 2005 and 33 percent during 1985-2005. The substantial increase since 1985 results primarily from increases in irrigation and self-supplied domestic withdrawals. In 2005, withdrawals for public supply, domestic, and irrigation use accounted for 81 percent of groundwater withdrawals. About 21.9 Bgal/d, or 72 percent of total withdrawals for 2005, was used for thermoelectric power. Virtually all of this water was derived from surface water and used for once-through cooling at powerplants. As such, the reuse potential of this water in the basin is high, with the majority of the withdrawn water returned to its surface-water source. Public-supply withdrawals were 3.81 Bgal/d (13 percent), with withdrawals declining by about 13 percent from 1995 to 2005. In 2005, about 77 percent of the population in the Great Lakes Basin obtained drinking water from public suppliers, compared to about 78 percent in 1995 and 83 percent in 1985. Surface water consistently provided about 88 percent of the total withdrawals for public supply since 1985. Self-supplied industrial withdrawals in 2005 totaled 2.93 Bgal/d (10 percent), possibly as much as 30 percent less than in 1995. Surface water was the source for 95 percent of industrial withdrawals. Combined withdrawals for mining, irrigation, domestic, aquaculture, and livestock use (in order of decreasing rate) were 1.63 Bgal/d, or only 5 percent of total withdrawals; the withdrawals were distributed almost equally between surface-water and groundwater sources. Withdrawals for each of these uses, except livestock, increased almost continuously during 1985-2005. Withdrawals for mining increased 103 percent and for irrigation 94 percent during 1985-2005; livestock withdrawals decreased 25 percent from their peak in 1990. The number of irrigated acres increased 56 percent since 1985, totaling 750,000 acres in 2005. No use of reclaimed wastewater for industrial or irrigation applications was reported; however, sources of information regarding its use were sparse. Within the basin, the Lake Michigan watershed accounted for 15.0 Bgal/d, or 49 percent, of total water withdrawals for 2005; an estimated 12.3 Bgal/d was withdrawn directly from Lake Michigan. The State of Michigan accounted for 38 percent of total water withdrawals, representing the largest surface-water withdrawals (primarily for thermoelectric power use) and groundwater withdrawals (primarily for public supply and self-supplied domestic use). A disproportionately large percentage of surface-water withdrawals (6 percent, 1.80 Bgal/d) were in Illinois, given this state represents less than 1 percent of the land area of the basin. Ninety percent of the Illinois population served by the water withdrawn from Lake Michigan for public supply resides outside the basin. Within land-based HUCs, the Lower Maumee (04100009) of Ohio accounted for the largest total withdrawal and total surface-water withdrawal (about 0.75 Bgal/d). The St. Joseph (04050001) of Michigan and Indiana accounted for the largest total groundwater withdrawal (0.25 Bgal/d).

Cyanide Poisoning Deaths Detected at the National Forensic Service Headquarters in Seoul of Korea: A Six Year Survey (2005~2010)

PubMed Central

Rhee, Jong Sook; Yum, Hye Sun

2012-01-01

The records of 255 cyanide poisoning deaths obtained from National Forensic Service (NFS) headquarters, located in Seoul of Korea, from 2005 to 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 41.88 ± 13.09 and range was 6~80 years (unknown in seven cases). The number of deaths of males and females were 200 and 53, respectively (unknown in two cases). The largest number of cases occurred in people aged 40-49 years (81 cases, 31.8%), followed by the age groups 30~39 years (51 cases, 20%), 50~59 years (44 cases, 17.2%) and 20~29 years (43 cases, 16.9%). The total number of deaths among other age groups (below 10, 10~19, 60~69, 70~79, over 80 years and unknown) were 36, representing only 14.1%. Of all cyanide poisoning deaths, 97.3% were due to suicide, and 14.5% of the total number who died received medical treatment. The most frequent site for ingestion was the person's own residence (120 cases, 47.1%) and the route of administration was mainly oral (252, 98.8%). From the total of 255 cyanide poisoning cases, white powders were submitted for analysis in 92 cases. Potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide occupied 51 and 41 cases, respectively. This study showed that poisoning deaths due to cyanide are one of the continuously reported public health problems in Korea. Enforcement of regulations and safety education to prevent cyanide poisoning should be carried out by the government. PMID:24278610

Pelagic nekton abundance and distribution in the northern Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feyrer, Frederick; Slater, Steven B.; Portz, Donald E.; Odom, Darren; Morgan-King, Tara L.; Brown, Larry R.

2017-01-01

Knowledge of the habitats occupied by species is fundamental for the development of effective conservation and management actions. The collapse of pelagic fish species in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, has triggered a need to better understand factors that drive their distribution and abundance. A study was conducted in summer–fall 2014 in an attempt to identify physical and biological habitat conditions that drive the abundance and distribution of pelagic species in the northern region of the system. The study was conducted in the three largest channels in the northern Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta by dimension, volume, and flow capacity. The pelagic community was dominated by three nonnative species, Siberian prawn Exopalaemon modestus, which comprised 56% of the total number of organisms, and two fish species, Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense and Mississippi Silversides Menidia audens, which together comprised 43% of the total number of organisms. Total fish and total shrimp abundance were sensitive to the most extreme values of turbidity and temperature encountered and positively associated with total zooplankton biomass. The results suggested that habitat conditions in terminal channels, historically a common feature on the landscape, support higher abundances of pelagic species and zooplankton than open-ended channels. These results provide resource managers with useful information on the habitat associations of pelagic species and on how the future distribution and abundance of pelagic species will likely change in response to climate or other ecological factors.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Rapana venosa (Gastropoda, Muricidae).

PubMed

Sun, Xiujun; Yang, Aiguo

2016-01-01

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of the veined rapa whelk, Rapana venosa, was determined using genome walking techniques in this study. The total length of the mt genome sequence of R. venosa was 15,271 bp, which is comparable to the reported Muricidae mitogenomes to date. It contained 13 protein-coding genes, 21 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. A bias towards a higher representation of nucleotides A and T (69%) was detected in the mt genome of R. venosa. A small number of non-coding nucleotides (302 bp) was detected, and the largest non-coding region was 74 bp in length.

Unfulfilled Expectations After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Surgery: There Is a Need for Better Preoperative Patient Information and Education.

PubMed

Tilbury, Claire; Haanstra, Tsjitske M; Leichtenberg, Claudia S; Verdegaal, Suzan H M; Ostelo, Raymond W; de Vet, Henrica C W; Nelissen, Rob G H H; Vliet Vlieland, Thea P M

2016-10-01

The aims of this study were to assess patients' preoperative expectations of the outcome of total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) regarding specific aspects of functioning and to determine to what extent each expectation was fulfilled after 1 year. This was a prospective cohort study. Preoperative expectations and their fulfillment after 1 year were measured with the Hospital for Special Surgery Hip/Knee arthroplasty Expectations Surveys. Preoperative and postoperative scores were subtracted to calculate whether expectations were unfulfilled, fulfilled, or exceeded. A total of 343 THA and 322 TKA patients with complete follow-up were included. Preoperatively, >60% of patients (both THA/TKA) expected to get back to normal or have much improvement in 19 of 20 (THA) and 12 of 19 (TKA) items. Expectations were fulfilled or exceeded in >60% of patients in all 20 items for THA and 17 of 19 items for TKA. In THA, items with the largest proportions patients with unfulfilled expectations (>30%) were "improvement in walking ability: long distances" (31%), "walking stairs" (33%), and "improve ability to cut toenails" (38%). In TKA, expectations for 12 of 19 items were unfulfilled in >30% of patients, with the largest proportions seen for "being able to kneel down" (44%) and "being able to squat" (47%). Although for most items, >60% of THA and TKA patients indicated that their expectations were met or exceeded, there was a substantial number of patients, particularly TKA patients, having unfulfilled expectations. These need more attention in preoperative patient information and education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Injuries in a Professional Ballet Dance Company: A 10-year Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Ramkumar, Prem N; Farber, Joseph; Arnouk, Johnny; Varner, Kevin E; Mcculloch, Patrick C

2016-03-01

Ballet dancers are high-performance athletes who are particularly susceptible to a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries. However, they are relatively understudied, and data on their injury rates are lacking. This retrospective study features the largest aggregate data on professional ballet dancers to date and aims to identify the most common diagnoses and areas of injury in this unique population to better direct preventative and clinical practices. The study encompassed a 10-year period from January 2000 to December 2010 of dancers from a single company. Data regarding the dancers' age, gender, location of injury, and diagnosis were collected from workers' compensation claims, company records, and medical records maintained by the treating doctors. These were analyzed to determine metrics on injury incidence, frequency, and diagnosis. Over the 10-year span, 574 injuries occurred. There were approximately 52 dancers per year for a total of 153 who danced at least one complete season during the study period. The average age was 27, and 53% were female. Given turnover with retirement and replacements, the total number of dancer-years was 520, indicating an injury incidence per annum of 1.10 (574 injuries per 520 dancer-years). The most common locations of injury were foot and ankle and the lumbar spine, with the three most common diagnoses making up greater than a third (37%) of the total. As the current largest study in professional ballet, the findings set the benchmark metrics for musculoskeletal injury to the foot, ankle, and lumbar spine sites. Future studies should aim to identify injury risk factors and modalities for prevention of these injuries.

Global Anthropogenic Phosphorus Loads to Fresh Water, Grey Water Footprint and Water Pollution Levels: A High-Resolution Global Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mekonnen, M. M.; Hoekstra, A. Y. Y.

2014-12-01

We estimated anthropogenic phosphorus (P) loads to freshwater, globally at a spatial resolution level of 5 by 5 arc minute. The global anthropogenic P load to freshwater systems from both diffuse and point sources in the period 2002-2010 was 1.5 million tonnes per year. China contributed about 30% to this global anthropogenic P load. India was the second largest contributor (8%), followed by the USA (7%), Spain and Brazil each contributing 6% to the total. The domestic sector contributed the largest share (54%) to this total followed by agriculture (38%) and industry (8%). Among the crops, production of cereals had the largest contribution to the P loads (32%), followed by fruits, vegetables, and oil crops, each contributing about 15% to the total. We also calculated the resultant grey water footprints, and relate the grey water footprints per river basin to runoff to calculate the P-related water pollution level (WPL) per catchment.

Dermatology in Doximity.

PubMed

Ashack, Kurt A; Burton, Kyle A; Dellavalle, Robert P

2016-02-17

Doximity, currently the largest online social networking service for United States (US) health care professionals and medical students, provides a wide variety of content to a large audience. In fact, its database includes 1,078,305 physicians in the US. It is therefore important to evaluate this content from time to time. Our objective is to analyze both the residency rankings and news content presented in Doximity, with respect to dermatology. The study compared the residency rankings created by Doximity to another dermatology residency ranking system that used a different algorithm. In terms of dermatology content, seven dermatology-related search terms were entered into the Doximity search query and data was collected on the first 20 "relevant" articles. Our study evaluated a total of 140 articles. The search term "skin cancer" yielded the most articles totaling 6,001. Informative articles were the most common type of article for each content item searched except for "dermatology", yielding research articles as the most common content type (70%). The search term "melanoma awareness" had the largest number of shares (19,032). In comparing dermatology residency rankings on Doximity with another ranking system that accounted for scholarly achievement, there was 50% overlap. In conclusion, it is vital to evaluate content on social media websites that are utilized by US medical students and health care professionals. We hope this information presented provides an up-to-date analysis on the quality of one particular social media platform.

Initiating and maintaining recreational walking: a longitudinal study on the influence of neighborhood green space.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Takemi; Giles-Corti, Billie; Summers, Jacqui; du Toit, Lorinne; Leslie, Eva; Owen, Neville

2013-09-01

This study examined prospective relationships of green space attributes with adults initiating or maintaining recreational walking. Postal surveys were completed by 1036 adults living in Adelaide, Australia, at baseline (two time points in 2003-04) and follow-up (2007-08). Initiating or maintaining recreational walking was determined using self-reported walking frequency. Green space attributes examined were perceived presence, quality, proximity, and the objectively measured area (total and largest) and number of green spaces within a 1.6 km buffer drawn from the center of each study neighborhood. Multilevel regression analyses examined the odds of initiating or maintaining walking separately for each green space attribute. At baseline, participants were categorized into non-regular (n = 395), regular (n = 286), and irregular walkers (n = 313). Among non-regular walkers, 30% had initiated walking, while 70% of regular walkers had maintained walking at follow-up. No green space attributes were associated with initiating walking. However, positive perceptions of the presence of and proximity to green spaces and the total and largest areas of green space were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of walking maintenance over four years. Neighborhood green spaces may not assist adults to initiate walking, but their presence and proximity may facilitate them to maintain recreational walking over time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in Characteristics and Practice Patterns of Ontario Psychiatrists.

PubMed

Kurdyak, Paul; Zaheer, Juveria; Cheng, Joyce; Rudoler, David; Mulsant, Benoit H

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in demographic, geographic, and practice characteristics of all Ontario psychiatrists between 2003 and 2013 and their implication for access to psychiatrists. We included all psychiatrists who were clinically active in Ontario in any year from 2003 to 2013. For each psychiatrist, we reported age, sex, years since medical school graduation, geographic practice region, and practice characteristics such as total number of inpatients, outpatients, and outpatient visit frequencies. In 2013, there were 2070 psychiatrists, with nearly half (47%) more than 30 years since medical school graduation. Female psychiatrists comprised 41% of all psychiatrists in 2013 but 56% of all psychiatrists within 15 years of medical school graduation. Between 2003 and 2013, there was a 17% increase in the total number of psychiatrists, with the largest growth in psychiatrists occurring in the group more than 30 years from medical school graduation. Over these 11 years, the mean (SD) number of unique outpatients seen by a psychiatrist annually increased from 208 (228) to 249 (275) (19.5%; P = 0.001), with male psychiatrists, on average, seeing more outpatients annually than female psychiatrists. The number of outpatients seen by psychiatrists is slowly increasing. However, the large proportion of aging psychiatrists, the high concentration of psychiatrists in urban settings, and the increase in the number of female psychiatrists with smaller practices suggest that without radical changes to the way psychiatrists practice, access to psychiatrists will remain a challenge in Ontario.

Changes in Characteristics and Practice Patterns of Ontario Psychiatrists

PubMed Central

Zaheer, Juveria; Cheng, Joyce; Rudoler, David; Mulsant, Benoit H.

2016-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in demographic, geographic, and practice characteristics of all Ontario psychiatrists between 2003 and 2013 and their implication for access to psychiatrists. Methods: We included all psychiatrists who were clinically active in Ontario in any year from 2003 to 2013. For each psychiatrist, we reported age, sex, years since medical school graduation, geographic practice region, and practice characteristics such as total number of inpatients, outpatients, and outpatient visit frequencies. Results: In 2013, there were 2070 psychiatrists, with nearly half (47%) more than 30 years since medical school graduation. Female psychiatrists comprised 41% of all psychiatrists in 2013 but 56% of all psychiatrists within 15 years of medical school graduation. Between 2003 and 2013, there was a 17% increase in the total number of psychiatrists, with the largest growth in psychiatrists occurring in the group more than 30 years from medical school graduation. Over these 11 years, the mean (SD) number of unique outpatients seen by a psychiatrist annually increased from 208 (228) to 249 (275) (19.5%; P = 0.001), with male psychiatrists, on average, seeing more outpatients annually than female psychiatrists. Conclusion: The number of outpatients seen by psychiatrists is slowly increasing. However, the large proportion of aging psychiatrists, the high concentration of psychiatrists in urban settings, and the increase in the number of female psychiatrists with smaller practices suggest that without radical changes to the way psychiatrists practice, access to psychiatrists will remain a challenge in Ontario. PMID:27550804

Nurse Staffing and Deficiencies in the Largest For-Profit Nursing Home Chains and Chains Owned by Private Equity Companies

PubMed Central

Harrington, Charlene; Olney, Brian; Carrillo, Helen; Kang, Taewoon

2012-01-01

Objective To compare staffing levels and deficiencies of the 10 largest U.S. for-profit nursing home chains with five other ownership groups and chain staffing and deficiencies before and after purchase by four private equity (PE) companies. Data Sources Facilities for the largest for-profit chains were identified through Internet searches and company reports and matched with federal secondary data for 2003–2008 for each ownership group. Study Design Descriptive statistics and generalized estimation equation panel regression models examined staffing and deficiencies by ownership groups in the 2003–2008 period, controlling for facility characteristics, resident acuity, and market factors with state fixed effects. Principal Findings The top 10 for-profit chains had lower registered nurse and total nurse staffing hours than government facilities, controlling for other factors. The top 10 chains received 36 percent higher deficiencies and 41 percent higher serious deficiencies than government facilities. Other for-profit facilities also had lower staffing and higher deficiencies than government facilities. The chains purchased by PE companies showed little change in staffing levels, but the number of deficiencies and serious deficiencies increased in some postpurchase years compared with the prepurchase period. Conclusions There is a need for greater study of large for-profit chains as well as those chains purchased by PE companies. PMID:22091627

75 FR 21597 - Business Development Trade Mission to Baghdad, Iraq

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-26

... total in Iraq), it is the largest city in Iraq and the second largest in the region. Iraq's gross... by participating in Embassy briefings, and explore additional opportunities at networking receptions...--Participants arrive in pre-arranged departure city and assemble on the preferred flight. Day 2--Security...

Dental health status in two groups of refugees in Sweden.

PubMed

Zimmerman, M; Bornstein, R; Martinsson, T

1988-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine dental health status in two separate groups of Chilean and Polish refugees in Sweden. In Scandinavia, Sweden has the largest number of immigrants--1 million out of a population of 8.3 million. Since 1975, most immigrants have been refugees and their families. During 1978-82 Sweden granted residency to 20,000 refugees, the two largest groups being Chileans and Poles. In 1981-83 a sample of 193 Chilean and 92 Polish refugees in the county of Stockholm were selected for this study. The investigation consisted of a questionnaire followed by clinical examination, including roentgenograms. The average age was 34.0 years in the Chilean group and 34.8 years in the Polish group. The Chileans had been in Sweden for 17.3 months on an average and the Poles for 16.0 months. The Chileans had an average of 10.0 carious surfaces, D(s), and the Poles 11.3. Gingivitis was recorded in 87% of the total number of sites examined in the Chilean group. The corresponding figure in the Polish group was 79%. Of the Chileans 36.5% and of the Poles 32.5% had periodontal pockets measuring more than 5 mm. The results indicate that, when compared with Swedish individuals of a corresponding age, the refugee groups have a high prevalence of caries and periodontal disease.

What Dominates a Craters Size, the Largest Single Explosion of the Formation Process or the Cumulative Energy of Many? Results of Multiblast Crater Evolution Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonder, I.; Graettinger, A. H.; Valentine, G. A.

2015-12-01

Craters of explosive volcanic eruptions are products of many explosions. Such craters are different than products of single events such as meteorite impacts or those produced by military testing because they typically result from multiple, rather than single, explosions. We analyzed the evolution of experimental craters that were created by several detonations of chemical explosives in layered aggregates. A method to calculate an effective explosion depth for non-flat topography (e.g. for explosions below existing craters) is derived, showing how multi-blast crater sizes differ from the single blast case. It is shown that sizes of natural caters (radii, volumes) are not characteristic of the number of explosions, and therefore not characteristic for the total acting energy, that formed a crater. Also the crater size is not simply related to the largest explosion in a sequence, but depends upon that explosion and the energy of that single blast and on the cumulative energy of all blasts that formed the crater. The two energies can be combined to form an effective number of explosions that is characteristic for the crater evolution. The multi-blast crater size evolution implies that it is not correct to estimate explosion energy of volcanic events from crater size using previously published relationships that were derived for single blast cases.

Trends in ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole and miscarriage in the largest obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in China from 2003 to 2013.

PubMed

Li, Xue-Lian; Du, Dan-Feng; Chen, Shang-Jie; Zheng, Sai-Hua; Lee, Arier C; Chen, Qi

2016-05-20

Ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages and hydatidiform moles are the major types of pathological pregnancies in the early gestations of pregnancy and constitute an important public health problem. The trends and incidences of these pathological pregnancies may vary by ethnicity and geographical regions. This has not been fully investigated in the Chinese population. In this study we retrospectively report the trends of pathological pregnancies in Chinese population. Data on 22,511 women with ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole and miscarriage were collected from the largest obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in China from 2003 to 2013. Data included age at diagnosis and the annual number of women with diagnosed ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole and miscarriage. The total number of ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole and miscarriage was increased 3.5folds in 2013 compared to 2003. Ectopic pregnancy is the leading pathological pregnancy and miscarriage is increasing at a greater rate among the pathological pregnancies. The median age of women with hydatidiform mole at diagnosis significantly increased from 25.5 years to 29 years (p = 0.002), however the median age for other pathological pregnancies was not different between 2003 and 2013. The number of women with hydatidiform mole at diagnosis who were over 40 years old has increased. The mean maternal age is increased from 28.1 years old in 2003 to 29.4 years old in 2013 in this hospital. We speculate that the increased maternal age may contribute to the increase in these pathological pregnancies between 2003 and 2013 in China.

The recovery of online drug markets following law enforcement and other disruptions.

PubMed

Van Buskirk, Joe; Bruno, Raimondo; Dobbins, Timothy; Breen, Courtney; Burns, Lucinda; Naicker, Sundresan; Roxburgh, Amanda

2017-04-01

Online drug markets operating on the 'darknet' ('cryptomarkets') facilitate the trade of illicit substances at an international level. The present study assessed the longitudinal impact on cryptomarket trading of two major disruptions: a large international law enforcement operation, 'Operation Onymous'; and the closure of the largest cryptomarket, Evolution. Almost 1150 weekly snapshots of a total of 39 cryptomarkets were collected between October 2013 and November 2015. Data were collapsed by month and the number of unique vendor aliases operating across markets was assessed using interrupted time series regression. Following both Operation Onymous and the closure of Evolution, significant drops of 627 (p=0.014) and 910 vendors (p<0.001) were observed, respectively. However, neither disruption significantly affected the rate at which vendor numbers increased overall. Operation Onymous and the closure of Evolution were associated with considerable, though temporary, reductions in the number of vendors operating across cryptomarkets. Vendor numbers, however, recovered at a constant rate. While these disruptions likely impacted cryptomarket trading at the time, these markets appear resilient to disruption long-term. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Irrigation market for solar thermal parabolic dish systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habib-Agahi, H.; Jones, S. C.

1981-01-01

The potential size of the onfarm-pumped irrigation market for solar thermal parabolic dish systems in seven high-insolation states is estimated. The study is restricted to the displacement of three specific fuels: gasoline, diesel and natural gas. The model was developed to estimate the optimal number of parabolic dish modules per farm based on the minimum cost mix of conventional and solar thermal energy required to meet irrigation needs. The study concludes that the potential market size for onfarm-pumped irrigation applications ranges from 101,000 modules when a 14 percent real discount rate is assumed to 220,000 modules when the real discount rate drops to 8 percent. Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas account for 98 percent of the total demand for this application, with the natural gas replacement market accounting for the largest segment (71 percent) of the total market.

Mixing Enhancement by Tabs in Round Supersonic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seiner, John M.; Grosch, C. E.

1998-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze jet plume mass flow entrainment rates associated with the introduction of counter-rotating streamwise vorticity by prism shaped devices (tabs) located at the lip of the nozzle. We have examined the resulting mixing process through coordinated experimental tests and numerical simulations of the supersonic flow from a model axisymmetric nozzle. In the numerical simulations, the total induced vorticity was held constant while varying the distribution of counter-rotating vorticity around the nozzle lip training edge. In the experiment, the number of tabs applied was varied while holding the total projected area constant. Evaluations were also conducted on initial vortex strength. The results of this work show that the initial growth rate of the jet shear layer is increasingly enhanced as more tabs are added, but that the lowest tab count results in the largest entrained mass flow. The numerical simulations confirm these results.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ExoMol line lists for CH4 (Yurchenko+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yurchenko, S. N.; Tennyson, J.

2014-02-01

The data are in two parts. The first, ch4_0-39.dat contains a list of 7,819,352 rovibrational states. Each state is labelled with: nine normal mode vibrational quantum numbers and the vibrational symmety; three rotational quantum numbers including the total angular momentum J and rotational symmetry; the total symmetry quantum number Gamma and the running number in the same (J,Gamma,Polyad) combination, where Polyad is a polyad number (see paper). In addition there are nine local mode vibrational numbers and the largest coefficient used to assign the state in question. Each rovibrational state has a unique number, which is the number of the row in which it appears in the file. This number is the means by which the state is related to the second part of the data system, the transitions files. The total degeneracy is also given to facilitate the intensity calculations. Because of their size, the transitions are listed in 120 separate files, each containing all the transitions in a 100cm-1 frequency range. These and their contents are ordered by increasing frequency. The name of the file includes the lowest frequency in the range; thus the a-00500.dat file contains all the transitions in the frequency range 500-600cm-1. The transition files contain three columns: the reference number in the energy file of the upper state; that of the lower state; and the Einstein A coefficient of the transition. The energy file and the transitions files are zipped, and need to be extracted before use. There is a Fortran 90 programme, s_10to10.f90 which may be used to generate synthetic spectra (see s_10to10.txt for details). Using this, it is possible to generate absorption or emission spectra in either 'stick' form or else cross-sections convoluted with a gaussian with the half-width at half maximum being specified by the user, or with a the temperature-dependent doppler half-width. Sample input files s*.inp for use with s10to10.f90 are supplied. (9 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ExoMol line lists for H216O2 (Al-Refaie+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Refaie, A. F.; Polyansky, O. L.; Tennyson, J.; Yurchenko, S. N.

2016-06-01

The data are in two parts. The first, h2o20-85.dat contains a list of 7,560,352 rovibrational states. Each state is labelled with: six normal mode vibrational quantum numbers the torsional symmetry number (tau) and the vibrational symmetry; three rotational quantum numbers including the total angular momentum J and rotational symmetry; the total symmetry quantum number Gamma and the running number in the same J,Gamma block. In addition there are six local mode vibrational numbers and the largest coefficient used to assign the state in question. Each rovibrational state has a unique number, which is the number of the row in which it appears in the file. This number is the means by which the state is related to the second part of the data system, the transitions files. The total degeneracy is also given to facilitate the intensity calculations. Because of their size, the transitions are listed in 60 separate files, each containing all the transitions in a 100cm-1 frequency range. These and their contents are ordered by increasing frequency. The name of the file includes the lowest frequency in the range; thus the a-0500.dat file contains all the transitions in the frequency range 500-600cm-1. The transition files contain three columns: the reference number in the energy file of the upper state; that of the lower state; and the Einstein A coefficient of the transition. The energy file and the transitions files are zipped, and need to be extracted before use. There is a Fortran 90 programme, s_APTY.f90 which may be used to generate synthetic spectra (see s_APTY.txt for details). Using this, it is possible to generate absorption or emission spectra in either 'stick' form or else cross-sections convoluted with a gaussian with the half-width at half maximum being specified by the user, or with a the temperature-dependent doppler half-width. Sample input files s*.inp for use with sAPTY.f90 are supplied. (10 data files).

Association between sequence variants in panicle development genes and the number of spikelets per panicle in rice.

PubMed

Jang, Su; Lee, Yunjoo; Lee, Gileung; Seo, Jeonghwan; Lee, Dongryung; Yu, Yoye; Chin, Joong Hyoun; Koh, Hee-Jong

2018-01-15

Balancing panicle-related traits such as panicle length and the numbers of primary and secondary branches per panicle, is key to improving the number of spikelets per panicle in rice. Identifying genetic information contributes to a broader understanding of the roles of gene and provides candidate alleles for use as DNA markers. Discovering relations between panicle-related traits and sequence variants allows opportunity for molecular application in rice breeding to improve the number of spikelets per panicle. In total, 142 polymorphic sites, which constructed 58 haplotypes, were detected in coding regions of ten panicle development gene and 35 sequence variants in six genes were significantly associated with panicle-related traits. Rice cultivars were clustered according to their sequence variant profiles. One of the four resultant clusters, which contained only indica and tong-il varieties, exhibited the largest average number of favorable alleles and highest average number of spikelets per panicle, suggesting that the favorable allele combination found in this cluster was beneficial in increasing the number of spikelets per panicle. Favorable alleles identified in this study can be used to develop functional markers for rice breeding programs. Furthermore, stacking several favorable alleles has the potential to substantially improve the number of spikelets per panicle in rice.

Determination of the melon chloroplast and mitochondrial genome sequences reveals that the largest reported mitochondrial genome in plants contains a significant amount of DNA having a nuclear origin

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The melon belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, whose economic importance among vegetable crops is second only to Solanaceae. The melon has a small genome size (454 Mb), which makes it suitable for molecular and genetic studies. Despite similar nuclear and chloroplast genome sizes, cucurbits show great variation when their mitochondrial genomes are compared. The melon possesses the largest plant mitochondrial genome, as much as eight times larger than that of other cucurbits. Results The nucleotide sequences of the melon chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes were determined. The chloroplast genome (156,017 bp) included 132 genes, with 98 single-copy genes dispersed between the small (SSC) and large (LSC) single-copy regions and 17 duplicated genes in the inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb). A comparison of the cucumber and melon chloroplast genomes showed differences in only approximately 5% of nucleotides, mainly due to short indels and SNPs. Additionally, 2.74 Mb of mitochondrial sequence, accounting for 95% of the estimated mitochondrial genome size, were assembled into five scaffolds and four additional unscaffolded contigs. An 84% of the mitochondrial genome is contained in a single scaffold. The gene-coding region accounted for 1.7% (45,926 bp) of the total sequence, including 51 protein-coding genes, 4 conserved ORFs, 3 rRNA genes and 24 tRNA genes. Despite the differences observed in the mitochondrial genome sizes of cucurbit species, Citrullus lanatus (379 kb), Cucurbita pepo (983 kb) and Cucumis melo (2,740 kb) share 120 kb of sequence, including the predicted protein-coding regions. Nevertheless, melon contained a high number of repetitive sequences and a high content of DNA of nuclear origin, which represented 42% and 47% of the total sequence, respectively. Conclusions Whereas the size and gene organisation of chloroplast genomes are similar among the cucurbit species, mitochondrial genomes show a wide variety of sizes, with a non-conserved structure both in gene number and organisation, as well as in the features of the noncoding DNA. The transfer of nuclear DNA to the melon mitochondrial genome and the high proportion of repetitive DNA appear to explain the size of the largest mitochondrial genome reported so far. PMID:21854637

Preventing Obesity in the USA: Impact on Health Service Utilization and Costs.

PubMed

Cecchini, Michele; Sassi, Franco

2015-07-01

With more than two-thirds of the US population overweight or obese, the obesity epidemic is a major threat for population health and the financial sustainability of the healthcare service. Whether, and to what extent, effective prevention interventions may offer the opportunity to 'bend the curve' of rising healthcare costs is still an object of debate. This study evaluates the potential economic impact of a set of prevention programmes, including education, counselling, long-term drug treatment, regulation (e.g. of advertising or labelling) and fiscal measures, on national healthcare expenditure and use of healthcare services in the USA. The study was carried out as a retrospective evaluation of alternative scenarios compared with a 'business as usual' scenario. An advanced econometric approach involving the use of logistic regression and generalized linear models was used to calculate the number of contacts with key healthcare services (inpatient, outpatient, drug prescriptions) and the associated cost. Analyses were carried out on the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (1997-2010). In 2010, prevention interventions had the potential to decrease total healthcare expenditure by up to $US2 billion. This estimate does not include the implementation costs. The largest share of savings is produced by reduced use and costs of inpatient care, followed by reduced use of drugs. Reduction in expenditure for outpatient care would be more limited. Private insurance schemes benefit from the largest savings in absolute terms; however, public insurance schemes benefit from the largest cost reduction per patient. People in the lowest income groups show the largest economic benefits. Prevention interventions aimed at tackling obesity and associated risk factors may produce a significant decrease in the use of healthcare services and expenditure. Savings become substantial when a long-term perspective is taken.

Patterns of Abundance and Host Specificity of Bat Ectoparasites in the Central Balkans.

PubMed

Burazerovic, J; Orlova, M; Obradovic, M; Cirovic, D; Tomanovic, S

2018-01-10

Bats are hosts to a number of ectoparasites-acarines (ticks, chiggers, other mites), bat flies, and fleas. Bat ectoparasites might have significant ecological and public health importance as they may be potential vectors of zoonotic agents. It is important to identify their distribution, diversity, and host-parasite associations. Bat ectoparasites in the central Balkans have been largely understudied. The present research was conducted in 45 localities at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. In total, 1,143 individuals of 18 species of bats have been examined for the presence and abundance of ectoparasite species during 3 yr of research. In total, 21 ectoparasite species have been identified: three species of ticks, seven species of mites (including one species of chigger), eight species of bat flies, and three species of fleas. In total, 80 host-parasite associations have been identified. The largest number of ectoparasites parasitized primarily only one host species. The highest total number of hosts was identified for ectoparasite species Ixodes vespertilionis Koch, Nycteribia schmidlii Schiner, and Spinturnix myoti Kolenati. The spinturnicid mite Spinturnix psi Kolenati was the most abundant ectoparasite species and together with Penicilidia dufouri Westwood the most widely distributed species of bat ectoparasite, being present at 21 localities in the central Balkans. The presented data include the first systematic records of patterns of prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance, and host specificity for bat ectoparasites in the central Balkans. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Complete genome sequencing and analysis of Saprospira grandis str. Lewin, a predatory marine bacterium

PubMed Central

Saw, Jimmy H. W.; Yuryev, Anton; Kanbe, Masaomi; Hou, Shaobin; Young, Aaron G.; Aizawa, Shin-Ichi

2012-01-01

Saprospira grandis is a coastal marine bacterium that can capture and prey upon other marine bacteria using a mechanism known as ‘ixotrophy’. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Saprospira grandis str. Lewin isolated from La Jolla beach in San Diego, California. The complete genome sequence comprises a chromosome of 4.35 Mbp and a plasmid of 54.9 Kbp. Genome analysis revealed incomplete pathways for the biosynthesis of nine essential amino acids but presence of a large number of peptidases. The genome encodes multiple copies of sensor globin-coupled rsbR genes thought to be essential for stress response and the presence of such sensor globins in Bacteroidetes is unprecedented. A total of 429 spacer sequences within the three CRISPR repeat regions were identified in the genome and this number is the largest among all the Bacteroidetes sequenced to date. PMID:22675601

110 Years of change in urban tree stocks and associated carbon storage.

PubMed

Díaz-Porras, Daniel F; Gaston, Kevin J; Evans, Karl L

2014-04-01

Understanding the long-term dynamics of urban vegetation is essential in determining trends in the provision of key resources for biodiversity and ecosystem services and improving their management. Such studies are, however, extremely scarce due to the lack of suitable historical data. We use repeat historical photographs from the 1900s, 1950s, and 2010 to assess general trends in the quantity and size distributions of the tree stock in urban Sheffield and resultant aboveground carbon storage. Total tree numbers declined by a third from the 1900s to the 1950s, but increased by approximately 50% from the 1900s-2010, and by 100% from the 1950s-2010. Aboveground carbon storage in urban tree stocks had doubled by 2010 from the levels present in the 1900s and 1950s. The initial decrease occurred at a time when national and regional tree stocks were static and are likely to be driven by rebuilding following bombing of the urban area during the Second World War and by urban expansion. In 2010, trees greater than 10 m in height comprised just 8% of those present. The increases in total tree numbers are thus largely driven by smaller trees and are likely to be associated with urban tree planting programmes. Changes in tree stocks were not constant across the urban area but varied with the current intensity of urbanization. Increases from 1900 to 2010 in total tree stocks, and smaller sized trees, tended to be greatest in the most intensely urbanized areas. In contrast, the increases in the largest trees were more marked in areas with the most green space. These findings emphasize the importance of preserving larger fragments of urban green space to protect the oldest and largest trees that contribute disproportionately to carbon storage and other ecosystem services. Maintaining positive trends in urban tree stocks and associated ecosystem service provision will require continued investment in urban tree planting programmes in combination with additional measures, such as revisions to tree preservation orders, to increase the retention of such trees as they mature.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ExoMol line lists for phosphine (PH3) (Sousa-Silva+,

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sousa-Silva, C.; Al-Refaie, A. F.; Tennyson, J.; Yurchenko, S. N.

2014-11-01

The data are in two parts. The first, ph3_0-46.dat contains a list of 9,787,832 rovibrational states. Each state is labelled with: 6 normal mode vibrational quantum numbers, 1 multiplexed L quantum number and the vibrational symmetry; three rotational quantum numbers including the total angular momentum J, the projection of J in the z-axis K,rotational symmetry and the total symmetry quantum number Gamma In addition there are nine local mode vibrational numbers and the largest coefficient used to assign the state in question. Each rovibrational state has a unique number, which is the number of the row in which it appears in the file. This number is the means by which the state is related to the second part of the data system, the transitions files. The total degeneracy is also given to facilitate the intensity calculations. Because of their size, the transitions are listed in 100 separate files, each containing all the transitions in a 100cm-1 frequency range. These and their contents are ordered by increasing frequency. The name of the file includes the lowest frequency in the range; thus the a-00500.dat file contains all the transitions in the frequency range 500-600cm-1. The transition files contain three columns: the reference number in the energy file of the upper state; that of the lower state; and the Einstein A coefficient of the transition. The energy file and the transitions files are zipped, and need to be extracted before use. There is a Fortran 90 programme, s_SAlTY.f90 which may be used to generate synthetic spectra (see s_SAlTY.txt for details). Using this, it is possible to generate absorption or emission spectra in either 'stick' form or else cross-sections convoluted with a gaussian with the half-width at half maximum being specified by the user, or with a the temperature-dependent doppler half-width. Sample input files s*.inp for use with sSAlTY.f90 are supplied. (10 data files).

Venezuela Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2015-01-01

Venezuela is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of crude oil. The country has been one of the largest exporters of crude oil in the Americas. As a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Venezuela is an important player in the global oil market. Although oil production has declined since its peak in the late 1990s, Venezuela has been among the top exporters of crude oil to the United States have been among the largest in the world. In recent years, through significant upfront investment, an increasing share of Venezuela’s exports has been delivered to China. While Venezuela is important to the global oil market, the government’s reinvestment of oil revenues into social programs instead of reinvestment into exploration, production, and refining has led to declines in output. In 2014, Venezuela consumed 3.3 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of total energy.1 Oil continues to represent most of the country’s total energy consumed, and natural gas consumption has increased in the past five years. Hydroelectric power meets less than 25% of total demand, and coal represents less than 1%.

[Methodologies of publications in the Revista de Investigación Clínica during the last 20 years].

PubMed

López-Jiménez, F; Borovoy, J

1997-01-01

To characterize the clinical research methods published in the Revista de Investigación Clínica for the past 20 years. Comparative study of methods used in the RIC articles published in 3-years periods representing three decades (1972-74, 1982-84, 1992-94). Out of 273 original papers, 218 (80%) were of clinical research. There was an increased percentage of longitudinal vs cross-sectional studies, with cohort and randomized clinical trials showing the largest increase. The total number of research manuscripts also increased. The clinical research methods of the papers in the RIC have shown an increased rate of designs with a higher scientific value.

Sources and loads of nutrients in the South Platte River, Colorado and Nebraska, 1994-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Litke, D.W.

1996-01-01

The South Platte River Basin was one of 20 river basins selected in 1991 for investigation as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water- Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Nationwide, nutrients have been identified as one of the primary nationwide water-quality concerns and are of particular interest in the South Platte River Basin where nutrient concentrations are large compared to concentrations in other NAWQA river basins. This report presents estimates of the magnitude of nutrient-source inputs to the South Platte River Basin, describes nutrient concen- trations and loads in the South Platte River during different seasons, and presents comparisons of nutrient inputs to instream nutrient loads. Annual nutrient inputs to the basin were estimated to be 306,000 tons of nitrogen and 41,000 tons of phosphorus. The principal nutrient sources were wastewater-treatment plants, fertilizer and manure applications, and atmospheric deposition. To characterize nutrient concentrations and loads in the South Platte River during different seasons, five nutrient synoptic samplings were conducted during 1994 and 1995. Upstream from Denver, Colorado, during April 1994 and January 1995, total nitrogen concentrations were less than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and total phosphorus concentrations were less than 0.2 mg/L. The water in the river at this point was derived mostly from forested land in the mountains west of Denver. Total nutrient concentrations increased through the Denver metropolitan area, and concentration peaks occurred just downstream from each of Denver's largest wastewater-treatment plants with maximum concentrations of 13.6 mg/L total nitrogen and 2.4 mg/L total phosphorus. Nutrient concen- concentrations generally decreased downstream from Denver. Upstream from Denver during April 1994 and January 1995, total nitrogen loads were less than 1,000 pounds per day (lb/d), and total phosphorus loads were less than 125 lb/d. Total nutrient loads increased through the Denver metropolitan area, and load peaks occurred just downstream from each of Denver's largest wastewater-treatment plants, with a maximum load of 14,000 lb/d total nitrogen and 2,300 lb/d total phosphorus. In April 1994, nutrient loads generally decreased from Henderson, Colorado, to North Platte, Nebraska. In January 1995, however, nutrient loads increased from Henderson to Kersey, Colorado (maximum loads of 31,000 lb/d total nitrogen and 3,000 lb/d total phosphorus), and then decreased from Kersey to North Platte. Seasonal nutrient loads primarily were dependent on streamflow. Total nitrogen loads were largest in June 1994 and January 1995 when streamflows also were largest. During June, streamflow was large, but nitrogen concentrations were small, which indicated that snowmelt runoff diluted the available supply of nitrogen. Total phosphorus loads were largest in June, when streamflow and phosphorus concentrations were large, which indicated an additional source of phosphorus during snowmelt runoff. Streamflow along the South Platte River was smallest in April and August 1994, and nutrient loads also were smallest during these months. The downstream pattern for nutrient loads did not vary much by season. Loads were large at Henderson, decreased between Henderson and Kersey, and usually were largest at Kersey. The magnitude of the decrease in loads between Henderson and Kersey varied between synoptics and was dependent on the amount of water removed by irrigation ditches. Nutrient loads leaving the basin were very small compared to the estimated total nutrient inputs to the basin. Streamflow balances indicated that the South Platte River is a gaining river throughout much of its length; streamflow-balance residuals were as large as 15 cubic feet per second per mile. Nutrient-load balances indicated that increases in river nitrate loads were, in some places, due to nitrification and, elsewhere, were due to the influx of nitrate-enriched ground water to

Comparison of the Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Phenolics from the Fruiting Bodies of Cultivated Asian Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms.

PubMed

Lin, Shaoling; Ching, Lai Tsz; Ke, Xinxin; Cheung, Peter Chi Keung

2016-01-01

The composition profile and the antioxidant properties of phenolics in water extracts obtained from the fresh fruiting bodies of 4 common cultivated Asian edible mushrooms-Agrocybe aegerita, Pleurotus ostreatus, P. eryngii, and Pholiota nameko were compared. The water extract from A. aegerita (AaE) had the highest total phenolic content (TPC) at 54.18 ± 0.27 gallic acid equivalents (μmol/L)/mg extract (P < 0.05), as measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and consisted of the largest number (including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid) and total amounts of phenolic acids identified by Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The water extract of Ph. nameko was found to have the second-highest TPC (43.55 ± 0.10 gallic acid equivalents [μmol/L]/mg extract), followed by the water extract of P. eryngii and the water extract of P. ostreatus (39.55 ± 0.25 and 39.02 ± 0.30 gallic acid equivalents/mg extract, respectively). The scavenging activities of the water extracts from these mushrooms were evaluated against 2,2-diphenyl-l-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide. Based on halfmaximal effective concentrations, AaE was more effective in scavenging hydrogen peroxide (<0.05), followed by DPPH (0.51 mg/mL), superoxide anion radicals (0.85 mg/mL) and hydroxyl radicals (5.94 mg/mL), then the other mushroom water extracts. The differences in the half-maximal effective concentrations of individual mushroom water extracts were probably the result of the different numbers and amounts of individual phenolic acids in the extracts. The antioxidant activities of the mushroom water extracts were correlated with their TPC. The strongest antioxidant properties of AaE were consistent with its highest TPC and with the largest number and amount of phenolics identified in the extract. These results indicated that cultivated edible mushrooms could be a potential source of natural antioxidants with free radical scavenging properties for application as a functional food ingredient.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities in incidence of acute myocardial infarction: a cohort study quantifying age- and gender-specific differences in relative and absolute terms.

PubMed

Koopman, Carla; van Oeffelen, Aloysia A M; Bots, Michiel L; Engelfriet, Peter M; Verschuren, W M Monique; van Rossem, Lenie; van Dis, Ineke; Capewell, Simon; Vaartjes, Ilonca

2012-08-07

Socioeconomic status has a profound effect on the risk of having a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Information on socioeconomic inequalities in AMI incidence across age-gender-groups is lacking. Our objective was to examine socioeconomic inequalities in the incidence of AMI considering both relative and absolute measures of risk differences, with a particular focus on age and gender. We identified all patients with a first AMI from 1997 to 2007 through linked hospital discharge and death records covering the Dutch population. Relative risks (RR) of AMI incidence were estimated by mean equivalent household income at neighbourhood-level for strata of age and gender using Poisson regression models. Socioeconomic inequalities were also shown within the stratified age-gender groups by calculating the total number of events attributable to socioeconomic disadvantage. Between 1997 and 2007, 317,564 people had a first AMI. When comparing the most deprived socioeconomic quintile with the most affluent quintile, the overall RR for AMI was 1.34 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.32-1.36) in men and 1.44 (95 % CI: 1.42-1.47) in women. The socioeconomic gradient decreased with age. Relative socioeconomic inequalities were most apparent in men under 35 years and in women under 65 years. The largest number of events attributable to socioeconomic inequalities was found in men aged 45-74 years and in women aged 65-84 years. The total proportion of AMIs that was attributable to socioeconomic inequalities in the Dutch population of 1997 to 2007 was 14 % in men and 18 % in women. Neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities were observed in AMI incidence in the Netherlands, but the magnitude across age-gender groups depended on whether inequality was expressed in relative or absolute terms. Relative socioeconomic inequalities were high in young persons and women, where the absolute burden of AMI was low. Absolute socioeconomic inequalities in AMI were highest in the age-gender groups of middle-aged men and elderly women, where the number of cases was largest.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities in incidence of acute myocardial infarction: a cohort study quantifying age- and gender-specific differences in relative and absolute terms

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Socioeconomic status has a profound effect on the risk of having a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Information on socioeconomic inequalities in AMI incidence across age- gender-groups is lacking. Our objective was to examine socioeconomic inequalities in the incidence of AMI considering both relative and absolute measures of risk differences, with a particular focus on age and gender. Methods We identified all patients with a first AMI from 1997 to 2007 through linked hospital discharge and death records covering the Dutch population. Relative risks (RR) of AMI incidence were estimated by mean equivalent household income at neighbourhood-level for strata of age and gender using Poisson regression models. Socioeconomic inequalities were also shown within the stratified age-gender groups by calculating the total number of events attributable to socioeconomic disadvantage. Results Between 1997 and 2007, 317,564 people had a first AMI. When comparing the most deprived socioeconomic quintile with the most affluent quintile, the overall RR for AMI was 1.34 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.32 – 1.36) in men and 1.44 (95 % CI: 1.42 – 1.47) in women. The socioeconomic gradient decreased with age. Relative socioeconomic inequalities were most apparent in men under 35 years and in women under 65 years. The largest number of events attributable to socioeconomic inequalities was found in men aged 45–74 years and in women aged 65–84 years. The total proportion of AMIs that was attributable to socioeconomic inequalities in the Dutch population of 1997 to 2007 was 14 % in men and 18 % in women. Conclusions Neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities were observed in AMI incidence in the Netherlands, but the magnitude across age-gender groups depended on whether inequality was expressed in relative or absolute terms. Relative socioeconomic inequalities were high in young persons and women, where the absolute burden of AMI was low. Absolute socioeconomic inequalities in AMI were highest in the age-gender groups of middle-aged men and elderly women, where the number of cases was largest. PMID:22870916

Training and the European Working Time Directive: a 7 year review of paediatric anaesthetic trainee caseload data.

PubMed

Fernandez, E; Williams, D G

2009-10-01

The implementation of the European Working Time Directive (WTD) has reduced the hours worked by trainees in the UK to a maximum of 56 h per week. With a further and final reduction to 48 h per week scheduled for August 2009, there is concern amongst doctors about the impact on training and on patient care. Paediatric anaesthesia is one of the specialist areas of anaesthesia for which the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) recommends a minimum caseload during the period of advanced training. We conducted a retrospective analysis of theatre logbook data from 62 Specialist Registrars (SpRs) who had completed a 12 month period of advanced training in paediatric anaesthesia in our institution between 2000 and 2007. After the implementation of the WTD 56 h week in 2004, the mean total number of cases performed by SpRs per year decreased from 441 to 336, a 24% reduction. We found a statistically significant reduction across all age groups with the largest reduction in the under 1 month of age group. The post-WTD group did not meet the RCoA recommended total minimum caseload or the minimum number of cases of <1 yr of age. Since the implementation of the WTD, there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases performed by SpRs in paediatric anaesthesia and they are no longer achieving the RCoA recommended minimum numbers for advanced training.

[Dynamics of Quercus variabilis seed rain and soil seed bank in different habitats on the north slope of Qinling Mountains].

PubMed

Wu, Min; Zhang, Wen-Hui; Zhou, Jian-Yun; Ma, Chuang; Ma, Li-Wei

2011-11-01

In order to explore the dynamics of Quercus variabilis seed rain and soil seed bank in different habitats on the north slope of Qinling Mountains, three kinds of micro-habitats (understory, forest gap, and forest edge) were selected, with the seed rain quantity and quality of Q. variabilis, seed amount and viability in soil seed bank, as well as the seedling development of Q. variabilis studied. The seed rain of Q. variabilis started from mid August, reached the peak in mid September-early October, and ended at the beginning of November, and there existed differences in the dissemination process, occurrence time, and composition of the seed rain among the three micro-habitats. The seed rain had the maximum intensity (39.55 +/- 5.56 seeds x m(-2)) in understory, the seeds had the earliest landing time, the longest lasting duration, and the highest viability in forest gap, and the mature seeds had the largest proportion in forest edge, accounting for 58.7% of the total. From the ending time of seed rain to next August, the total reserve of soil seed bank was the largest in understory and the smallest in forest edge. In the three habitats, the amount of mature and immature seeds, that of seeds eaten by animals, and the seed viability in soil seed bank all decreased with time. In contrast, the number of moldy seeds increased. The seeds were mainly concentrated in litter layer, a few of them were in 0-2 cm soil layer, and few were in 2-5 cm soil layer. The density of the seedlings varied with habitats, being the largest in forest gap, followed by in forest edge, and the least in understory, which suggested that forest gap was more suitable for the seed germination and seedling growth of Q. variabilis, and thus, appropriate thinning should be taken to increase forest gap to provide favorable conditions for the natural regeneration of Q. variabilis forest.

Development course of peanut harvest mechanization technology of the United States and enlightenment to China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut is a very important crop for food and edible oil in the world. China is the largest peanut producer in total annual production accounted for about 40.26% and the second-largest in peanut planting area accounted for about 16.68% in the world. China, India and Nigeria, United States, Argentina ...

Surface-Water Quality and Nutrient Loads in the Nepaug Reservoir Watershed, Northwestern Connecticut, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, Jonathan; Colombo, Michael J.

2006-01-01

Water quality was characterized at three tributary watersheds to the Nepaug Reservoir-Nepaug River, Phelps Brook, and Clear Brook-from October 1998 through September 2001 to document existing water-quality conditions and evaluate potential future effects of the removal of sand and gravel from areas of the watershed. Some removal operations may include removal of vegetation and top soil and steepening of slopes. Routine water samples collected monthly in all three watersheds were analyzed for nutrients, organic carbon, major ions, and fecal indicator bacteria. Results of the analyses indicate that, in general, the water quality in all three tributary watersheds is good and meets standards established for drinking-water supplies for nitrate, but does not always meet contact-recreation standards for bacteria. Median concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon were highest in the routine monthly samples from Phelps Brook and lowest from Clear Brook. Samples also were collected during selected storms to examine changes in concentrations of nutrients during periods of high streamflow. The maximum values measured for total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon were in storm samples from Clear Brook. The Nepaug River watershed delivered the largest loads of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon to the reservoir. Yields of nutrients and organic carbon differed significantly from year to year and among the three watersheds. Yields of total nitrogen and total organic carbon were largest from Phelps Brook and smallest from Clear Brook. The yields of total phosphorus were largest from Nepaug River and smallest from Phelps Brook. In comparison to other watersheds in Connecticut, annual loads and yields from the three streams were lower than those of developed urban areas and comparable to those of other rural and forested basins. Delivery of nutrients and organic carbon to the reservoir took place mostly during the spring with the exception of those constituents delivered during Tropical Storm Floyd, a large fall storm.

Time compression of soil erosion by the effect of largest daily event. A regional analysis of USLE database.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Hidalgo, J. C.; Batalla, R.; Cerda, A.; de Luis, M.

2009-04-01

When Thornes and Brunsden wrote in 1977 "How often one hears the researcher (and no less the undergraduate) complain that after weeks of observation "nothing happened" only to learn that, the day after his departure, a flood caused unprecedent erosion and channel changes!" (Thornes and Brunsden, 1977, p. 57), they focussed on two different problems in geomorphological research: the effects of extreme events and the temporal compression of geomorphological processes. The time compression is one of the main characteristic of erosion processes. It means that an important amount of the total soil eroded is produced in very short temporal intervals, i.e. few events mostly related to extreme events. From magnitude-frequency analysis we know that few events, not necessarily extreme by magnitude, produce high amount of geomorphological work. Last but not least, extreme isolated events are a classical issue in geomorphology by their specific effects, and they are receiving permanent attention, increased at present because of scenarios of global change. Notwithstanding, the time compression of geomorphological processes could be focused not only on the analysis of extreme events and the traditional magnitude-frequency approach, but on new complementary approach based on the effects of largest events. The classical approach define extreme event as a rare event (identified by its magnitude and quantified by some deviation from central value), while we define largest events by the rank, whatever their magnitude. In a previous research on time compression of soil erosion, using USLE soil erosion database (Gonzalez-Hidalgo et al., EGU 2007), we described a relationship between the total amount of daily erosive events recorded by plot and the percentage contribution to total soil erosion of n-largest aggregated daily events. Now we offer a further refined analysis comparing different agricultural regions in USA. To do that we have analyzed data from 594 erosion plots from USLE database with different record periods, and located in different climatic regions. Results indicate that there are no significant differences in the mean contribution of aggregated 5-largest daily erosion events between different agricultural divisions (i.e. different regional climate), and the differences detected can be attributed to specific site and plots conditions. Expected contribution of 5-largest daily event for 100 total daily events recorded is estimated around 40% of total soil erosion. We discuss the possible causes of such results and the applicability of them to the design of field research on soil erosion plots.

Cesarean Section Rate Analysis in University Hospital Tuzla - According to Robson's Classification.

PubMed

Fatusic, Jasenko; Hudic, Igor; Fatusic, Zlatan; Zildzic-Moralic, Aida; Zivkovic, Milorad

2016-06-01

For last decades, there has public concern about increasing Cesarean Section (CS) rates, and it is an issue of international public health concern. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) there is no justification to have more than 10-15% CS births. WHO proposes the Robson ten-group classification, as a global standard for assessing, monitoring and comparing cesarean section rates. The aim of this study was to investigate Cesarean section rate at University Hospital Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cross sectional study was conducted for one-year period, 2015. Statistical analysis and graph-table presentation was performed using Excel 2010 and Microsoft Office programs. Out of 3,672 births, a total of 936 births were performed by CS. Percentage of the total number of CS to the total birth number was 25,47%. According to Robson classification, the largest was group 5 with relative contribution of 29,80%. On second and third place were group 1 and 2 with relative contribution of 26,06% and 15,78% respectively. Groups 1, 2, 5 made account of realtive contribution of 71,65%. All other groups had entirely relative contribution of 28,35%. Robson 10-group classification provides easy way in collecting information about CS rate. It is important that efforts to reduce the overall CS rate should focus on reducing the primary CS. Data from our study confirm this attitude.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ExoMol line lists for formaldehyde H2CO (Al-Refaie+,

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Refaie, A. F.; Yachmenev, A.; Tennyson, J.; Yurchenko, S. N.

2015-01-01

The data are in two parts. The first, h2co_0-70.dat contains a list of 10,296,998 rovibrational states. Each state is labelled with: 6 normal mode vibrational quantum numbers, and the vibrational symmetry; three rotational quantum numbers including the total angular momentum J, the projection of J in the z-axis K,rotational symmetry and the total symmetry quantum number Gamma In addition there are six local mode vibrational numbers and the largest coeffecient used to assign the state in question. Each rovibrational state has a unique number, which is the number of the row in which it appears in the file. This number is the means by which the state is related to the second part of the data system, the transitions files. The total degeneracy is also given to facilitate the intensity calculations. Because of their size, the transitions are listed in 100 separate files, each containing all the transitions in a 100cm-1 frequency range. These and their contents are ordered by increasing frequency. The name of the file includes the lowest frequency in the range; thus the a-00500.dat file contains all the transitions in the frequency range 500-600cm-1. The transition files contain three columns: the reference number in the energy file of the upper state; that of the lower state; and the Einstein A coefficient of the transition. The energy file and the transitions files are zipped, and need to be extracted before use. There is a Fortran 90 programme, s_AYTY.f90 which may be used to generate synthetic spectra (see s_AYTY.txt for details). Using this, it is possible to generate absorption or emission spectra in either 'stick' form or else cross-sections convoluted with a gaussian with the half-width at half maximum being specified by the user, or with a the temperature-dependent doppler half-width. Sample input files s*.inp for use with sSAlTY.f90 are supplied. (9 data files).

The Vertical Distribution of Thin Features Over the Arctic Analysed from CALIPSO Observations. Part 2; Aerosols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devasthale, Abhya; Tjernstrom, Michael; Omar, Ali H.

2010-01-01

Influx of aerosols from the mid-latitudes has a wide range of impacts on the Arctic atmosphere. In this study, the capability of the CALIPSO-CALIOP instrument to provide accurate observations of aerosol layers is exploited to characterize their vertical distribution, probability density functions (PDFs) of aerosol layer thickness, base and top heights, and optical depths over the Arctic for the 4-yr period from June 2006 to May 2010. It is shown that the bulk of aerosols, from about 65% in winter to 45% in summer, are confined below the lowermost kilometer of the troposphere. In the middle troposphere (3-5 km), spring and autumn seasons show slightly higher aerosol amounts compared to other two seasons. The relative vertical distribution of aerosols shows that clean continental aerosol is the largest contributor in all seasons except in summer, when layers of polluted continental aerosols are almost as large. In winter and spring, polluted continental aerosols are the second largest contributor to the total number of observed aerosol layers, whereas clean marine aerosol is the second largest contributor in summer and autumn. The PDFs of the geometrical thickness of the observed aerosol layers peak about 400-700 m. Polluted continental and smoke aerosols, which are associated with the intrusions from mid-latitudes, have much broader distributions of optical and geometrical thicknesses, suggesting that they appear more often optically thicker and higher up in the troposphere.

Primary care physician referral patterns in Ontario, Canada: a descriptive analysis of self-reported referral data.

PubMed

Liddy, Clare; Arbab-Tafti, Sadaf; Moroz, Isabella; Keely, Erin

2017-08-22

In many countries, the referral-consultation process faces a number of challenges from inefficiencies and rising demand, resulting in excessive wait times for many specialties. We collected referral data from a sample of family doctors across the province of Ontario, Canada as part of a larger program of research. The purpose of this study is to describe referral patterns from primary care to specialist and allied health services from the primary care perspective. We conducted a prospective study of patient referral data submitted by primary care providers (PCP) from 20 clinics across Ontario between June 2014 and January 2016. Monthly referral volumes expressed as a total number of referrals to all medical and allied health professionals per month. For each referral, we also collected data on the specialty type, reason for referral, and whether the referral was for a procedure. PCPs submitted a median of 26 referrals per month (interquartile range 11.5 to 31.8). Of 9509 referrals eligible for analysis, 97.8% were directed to medical professionals and 2.2% to allied health professionals. 55% of medical referrals were directed to non-surgical specialties and 44.8% to surgical specialties. Medical referrals were for procedures in 30.8% of cases and non-procedural in 40.9%. Gastroenterology received the largest share (11.2%) of medical referrals, of which 62.3% were for colonoscopies. Psychology received the largest share (28.3%) of referrals to allied health professionals. We described patterns of patient referral from primary care to specialist and allied health services for 30 PCPs in 20 clinics across Ontario. Gastroenterology received the largest share of referrals, nearly two-thirds of which were for colonoscopies. Future studies should explore the use of virtual care to help manage non-procedural referrals and examine the impact that procedural referrals have on wait times for gastroenterology.

Seasonal variability of faecal indicator bacteria numbers and die-off rates in the Red River basin, North Viet Nam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Huong Thi Mai; Le, Quynh Thi Phuong; Garnier, J.; Janeau, J.-L.; Rochelle-Newall, E.

2016-02-01

The Red River is the second largest river in Viet Nam and constitutes the main water source for a large percentage of the population of North Viet Nam. Here we present the results of an annual survey of Escherichia coli (EC) and Total Coliforms (TC) in the Red River basin, North Viet Nam. The objective of this work was to obtain information on faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) numbers over an annual cycle and, secondly, to determine the die-off rates of these bacterial indicators. Monthly observations at 10 stations from July 2013-June 2014 showed that TC and EC reached as high as 39100 cfu (colony forming units) 100 ml-1 and 15300 colonies 100 ml-1, respectively. We observed a significant seasonal difference for TC (p < 0.05) with numbers being higher during the wet season. In contrast, no significant seasonal difference was found for EC. The FIB die-off rates ranged from 0.01 d-1 to a maximum of 1.13 d-1 for EC and from 0.17 d-1 to 1.33 d-1 for TC. Die-off rates were significantly higher for free bacteria than for total (free + particle attached) bacteria, suggesting that particle attachment provided a certain level of protection to FIB in this system.

Seasonal variability of faecal indicator bacteria numbers and die-off rates in the Red River basin, North Viet Nam.

PubMed

Nguyen, Huong Thi Mai; Le, Quynh Thi Phuong; Garnier, J; Janeau, J-L; Rochelle-Newall, E

2016-02-12

The Red River is the second largest river in Viet Nam and constitutes the main water source for a large percentage of the population of North Viet Nam. Here we present the results of an annual survey of Escherichia coli (EC) and Total Coliforms (TC) in the Red River basin, North Viet Nam. The objective of this work was to obtain information on faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) numbers over an annual cycle and, secondly, to determine the die-off rates of these bacterial indicators. Monthly observations at 10 stations from July 2013-June 2014 showed that TC and EC reached as high as 39100 cfu (colony forming units) 100 ml(-1) and 15300 colonies 100 ml(-1), respectively. We observed a significant seasonal difference for TC (p < 0.05) with numbers being higher during the wet season. In contrast, no significant seasonal difference was found for EC. The FIB die-off rates ranged from 0.01 d(-1) to a maximum of 1.13 d(-1) for EC and from 0.17 d(-1) to 1.33 d(-1) for TC. Die-off rates were significantly higher for free bacteria than for total (free + particle attached) bacteria, suggesting that particle attachment provided a certain level of protection to FIB in this system.

Reducing the environmental impact of trials: a comparison of the carbon footprint of the CRASH-1 and CRASH-2 clinical trials

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background All sectors of the economy, including the health research sector, must reduce their carbon emissions. The UK National Institute for Health Research has recently prepared guidelines on how to minimize the carbon footprint of research. We compare the carbon emissions from two international clinical trials in order to identify where emissions reductions can be made. Methods We conducted a carbon audit of two clinical trials (the CRASH-1 and CRASH-2 trials), quantifying the carbon dioxide emissions produced over a one-year audit period. Carbon emissions arising from the coordination centre, freight delivery, trial-related travel and commuting were calculated and compared. Results The total emissions in carbon dioxide equivalents during the one-year audit period were 181.3 tonnes for CRASH-1 and 108.2 tonnes for CRASH-2. In total, CRASH-1 emitted 924.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents compared with 508.5 tonnes for CRASH-2. The CRASH-1 trial recruited 10,008 patients over 5.1 years, corresponding to 92 kg of carbon dioxide per randomized patient. The CRASH-2 trial recruited 20,211 patients over 4.7 years, corresponding to 25 kg of carbon dioxide per randomized patient. The largest contributor to emissions in CRASH-1 was freight delivery of trial materials (86.0 tonnes, 48% of total emissions), whereas the largest contributor in CRASH-2 was energy use by the trial coordination centre (54.6 tonnes, 30% of total emissions). Conclusions Faster patient recruitment in the CRASH-2 trial largely accounted for its greatly increased carbon efficiency in terms of emissions per randomized patient. Lighter trial materials and web-based data entry also contributed to the overall lower carbon emissions in CRASH-2 as compared to CRASH-1. Trial Registration Numbers CRASH-1: ISRCTN74459797 CRASH-2: ISRCTN86750102 PMID:21291517

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States1

PubMed Central

Rebich, Richard A; Houston, Natalie A; Mize, Scott V; Pearson, Daniel K; Ging, Patricia B; Evan Hornig, C

2011-01-01

Abstract SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two-thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%). PMID:22457582

Cost Evaluation of Reproductive and Primary Health Care Mobile Service Delivery for Women in Two Rural Districts in South Africa

PubMed Central

Schnippel, Kathryn; Lince-Deroche, Naomi; van den Handel, Theo; Molefi, Seithati; Bruce, Suann; Firnhaber, Cynthia

2015-01-01

Background Cervical cancer screening is a critical health service that is often unavailable to women in under-resourced settings. In order to expand access to this and other reproductive and primary health care services, a South African non-governmental organization established a van-based mobile clinic in two rural districts in South Africa. To inform policy and budgeting, we conducted a cost evaluation of this service delivery model. Methods The evaluation was retrospective (October 2012–September 2013 for one district and April–September 2013 for the second district) and conducted from a provider cost perspective. Services evaluated included cervical cancer screening, HIV counselling and testing, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), breast exams, provision of condoms, contraceptives, and general health education. Fixed costs, including vehicle purchase and conversion, equipment, operating costs and mobile clinic staffing, were collected from program records and public sector pricing information. The number of women accessing different services was multiplied by ingredients-based variable costs, reflecting the consumables required. All costs are reported in 2013 USD. Results Fixed costs accounted for most of the total annual costs of the mobile clinics (85% and 94% for the two districts); the largest contributor to annual fixed costs was staff salaries. Average costs per patient were driven by the total number of patients seen, at $46.09 and $76.03 for the two districts. Variable costs for Pap smears were higher than for other services provided, and some services, such as breast exams and STI and tuberculosis symptoms screening, had no marginal cost. Conclusions Staffing costs are the largest component of providing mobile health services to rural communities. Yet, in remote areas where patient volumes do not exceed nursing staff capacity, incorporating multiple services within a cervical cancer screening program is an approach to potentially expand access to health care without added costs. PMID:25751528

Cost evaluation of reproductive and primary health care mobile service delivery for women in two rural districts in South Africa.

PubMed

Schnippel, Kathryn; Lince-Deroche, Naomi; van den Handel, Theo; Molefi, Seithati; Bruce, Suann; Firnhaber, Cynthia

2015-01-01

Cervical cancer screening is a critical health service that is often unavailable to women in under-resourced settings. In order to expand access to this and other reproductive and primary health care services, a South African non-governmental organization established a van-based mobile clinic in two rural districts in South Africa. To inform policy and budgeting, we conducted a cost evaluation of this service delivery model. The evaluation was retrospective (October 2012-September 2013 for one district and April-September 2013 for the second district) and conducted from a provider cost perspective. Services evaluated included cervical cancer screening, HIV counselling and testing, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), breast exams, provision of condoms, contraceptives, and general health education. Fixed costs, including vehicle purchase and conversion, equipment, operating costs and mobile clinic staffing, were collected from program records and public sector pricing information. The number of women accessing different services was multiplied by ingredients-based variable costs, reflecting the consumables required. All costs are reported in 2013 USD. Fixed costs accounted for most of the total annual costs of the mobile clinics (85% and 94% for the two districts); the largest contributor to annual fixed costs was staff salaries. Average costs per patient were driven by the total number of patients seen, at $46.09 and $76.03 for the two districts. Variable costs for Pap smears were higher than for other services provided, and some services, such as breast exams and STI and tuberculosis symptoms screening, had no marginal cost. Staffing costs are the largest component of providing mobile health services to rural communities. Yet, in remote areas where patient volumes do not exceed nursing staff capacity, incorporating multiple services within a cervical cancer screening program is an approach to potentially expand access to health care without added costs.

Country Contributions to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuenemann, K. C.

2016-12-01

An assignment called "Country Contributions to Climate Change" is used in an introductory Global Climate Change course and answers the question, "Who is responsible for climate change?" This assignment is used about a third of the way into the course, which fulfills a science requirement, but also a Global Diversity requirement within the university. The assignment involves taking a trip to the computer lab to learn how to create graphs in Excel. Two graphs are created, the Keeling Curve, and a graph on total carbon emissions by country since 1900. Students are given data for a few key countries, then are sent to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) website to find data on their assigned country. Students create a graph to compare emissions over time from each of these countries. Using this data and the data from the CDIAC, students are asked to draw conclusions about which country is the largest emitter, then on a per capita basis, which people are the largest emitters. Later in the semester they will calculate their own carbon footprint and compare to these numbers. Finally, students are asked to add up emissions by country since 1900 to find out how the countries compare in cumulative emissions, and we learn why this number is relevant. Students also learn the difference between carbon emissions and concentrations, tying together some lessons on the carbon cycle. Students discover the complex role of several countries in climate change, showing them how complicated a climate change solution policy can be.

Characterization of Resistance Gene Analogues (RGAs) in Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) and Their Evolutionary History of the Rosaceae Family

PubMed Central

Baldo, Angela; Righetti, Laura; Bailey, Aubrey; Fontana, Paolo; Velasco, Riccardo; Malnoy, Mickael

2014-01-01

The family of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) with a nucleotide-binding site (NBS) domain accounts for the largest number of disease resistance genes and is one of the largest gene families in plants. We have identified 868 RGAs in the genome of the apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’. This represents 1.51% of the total number of predicted genes for this cultivar. Several evolutionary features are pronounced in M. domestica, including a high fraction (80%) of RGAs occurring in clusters. This suggests frequent tandem duplication and ectopic translocation events. Of the identified RGAs, 56% are located preferentially on six chromosomes (Chr 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 15), and 25% are located on Chr 2. TIR-NBS and non-TIR-NBS classes of RGAs are primarily exclusive of different chromosomes, and 99% of non-TIR-NBS RGAs are located on Chr 11. A phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted to study the evolution of RGAs in the Rosaceae family. More than 1400 RGAs were identified in six species based on their NBS domain, and a neighbor-joining analysis was used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships among the protein sequences. Specific phylogenetic clades were found for RGAs of Malus, Fragaria, and Rosa, indicating genus-specific evolution of resistance genes. However, strikingly similar RGAs were shared in Malus, Pyrus, and Prunus, indicating high conservation of specific RGAs and suggesting a monophyletic origin of these three genera. PMID:24505246

Characterization of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) and their evolutionary history of the Rosaceae family.

PubMed

Perazzolli, Michele; Malacarne, Giulia; Baldo, Angela; Righetti, Laura; Bailey, Aubrey; Fontana, Paolo; Velasco, Riccardo; Malnoy, Mickael

2014-01-01

The family of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) with a nucleotide-binding site (NBS) domain accounts for the largest number of disease resistance genes and is one of the largest gene families in plants. We have identified 868 RGAs in the genome of the apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) cultivar 'Golden Delicious'. This represents 1.51% of the total number of predicted genes for this cultivar. Several evolutionary features are pronounced in M. domestica, including a high fraction (80%) of RGAs occurring in clusters. This suggests frequent tandem duplication and ectopic translocation events. Of the identified RGAs, 56% are located preferentially on six chromosomes (Chr 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 15), and 25% are located on Chr 2. TIR-NBS and non-TIR-NBS classes of RGAs are primarily exclusive of different chromosomes, and 99% of non-TIR-NBS RGAs are located on Chr 11. A phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted to study the evolution of RGAs in the Rosaceae family. More than 1400 RGAs were identified in six species based on their NBS domain, and a neighbor-joining analysis was used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships among the protein sequences. Specific phylogenetic clades were found for RGAs of Malus, Fragaria, and Rosa, indicating genus-specific evolution of resistance genes. However, strikingly similar RGAs were shared in Malus, Pyrus, and Prunus, indicating high conservation of specific RGAs and suggesting a monophyletic origin of these three genera.

The exceptionally wet year of 2014 over Greece: a statistical and synoptical-atmospheric analysis over the region of Thessaloniki

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolika, Konstantia; Maheras, Panagiotis; Anagnostopoulou, Christina

2018-05-01

The highest rainfall totals (912.2 mm) and the largest number of raindays (133 days), since 1958, were recorded in Thessaloniki during the year of 2014. Extreme precipitation heights were also observed on a seasonal, monthly and daily basis. The examined year presented the highest daily rainfall intensity, the maximum daily precipitation and the largest number of heavy precipitation days (greater than 10 mm), and it also exceeded the previous amounts of precipitation of very wet (95th percentile) and extremely wet (99th percentile) days. According to the automatic circulation type classification scheme that was used, it was found that during this exceptionally wet year, the frequency of occurrence of cyclonic types at the near surface geopotential level increases, while the same types decreased at a higher atmospheric level (500 hPa). The prevailing type was type C which is located at the centre of the study area (Greece), but several other cyclonic types changed during this year not only their frequency but also their percentage of rainfall as well as their daily precipitation intensity. It should be highlighted that these findings differentiated on the seasonal-scale analysis. Moreover, out of the three teleconnection patterns that were examined (Scandinavian Pattern, Eastern Mediterranean Teleconnection Pattern and North Sea-Caspian Pattern), the Scandinavian one (SCAND) was detected during the most of the months of 2014 meaning that it was highly associated with intense precipitation over Greece.

Trends in gynaecological cancers in the largest obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in China from 2003 to 2013.

PubMed

Li, XueLian; Zheng, SaiHua; Chen, ShangJie; Qin, Feng; Lau, Sandy; Chen, Qi

2015-07-01

The incidence and the trend of gynaecological cancers have been suggested to vary by ethnicity and geographical regions. Whether the incidence and type of gynaecological cancers in China is different have not been fully investigated. In this study, we reported the trend of gynaecological cancers in China. Data on 13,518 women with gynaecological cancers were collected from the largest obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in China from 2003 to 2013. Data included age at diagnosis and the annual number of women with diagnosed endometrial, ovarian, cervical cancer and other gynaecological cancers. The number of women with diagnosed gynaecological cancers increased by almost sixfold in 2013 compared to that in 2003. It was largely due to the increase of women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. The percentage of women with endometrial and ovarian cancer within total gynaecological cancers was decreased, whilst the percentage of cervical cancer significantly increased between 2003 and 2013. The mean age of women with endometrial or ovarian cancer at diagnosis was 53 or 48 years, respectively, which was no difference over 11 years. However, the mean age of women with cervical cancer at diagnosis was significantly delayed from 42 years in 2003 to 46 years since 2011. This was also confirmed by the age-specific distribution of gynaecological cancers over 11 years. Our study found that the age onset of endometrial and ovarian cancer has not changed over 11 years. But the age onset of cervical cancer is delayed since 2011 in China.

The distribution of, and relation among, mercury and methylmercury, organic carbon, carbonate, nitrogen and phosphorus, in periphyton of the south florida ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simon, N.S.; Spencer, R.; Cox, T.

1999-01-01

Periphyton samples from Water Conservation Areas, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Everglades National Park in south Florida were analyzed for concentrations of total mercury, methylmercury, nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and inorganic carbon. Concentrations of total mercury in periphyton decrease slightly along a gradient from north-to-south. Both total mercury and methylmercury are positively correlated with organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in periphyton. In horizontal sections of periphyton mats, total mercury concentrations tend to be largest at the tops and bottoms of the mats. Methylmercury concentrations tend to be the largest near the bottom of mats. These localized elevated concentrations of methylmercury suggest that there are "hot spots" of methylmercury in periphyton. ?? 1999 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Science Publishers imprint.

The national biennial RCRA hazardous waste report (based on 1999 data) : state detail analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-06-01

The State Detail Analysis is a detailed look at each State's waste handling practices, including overall totals for generation, management, and shipments and receipts, as well as totals for the largest fifty facilities.

Proteomic analysis and food-grade enzymes of Moringa oleifer Lam. a Lam. flower.

PubMed

Shi, Yanan; Wang, Xuefeng; Huang, Aixiang

2018-08-01

Moringa oleifer Lam. flower contain high-proteins and function nutrients. Many advances have been made to it, but there is still no proteomic information of this species. Total protein from the flowers applied shotgun 2DLC-MS/MS proteomic identified 9443 peptides corresponding to 4004 high-confidence proteins by Proteome Discoverer™ Software 2.1. These proteins were mostly distributed ranging between 40 and 70 kDa. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the largest of the proteins were cytoplasm 72.7%, catalytic activity 61.5% and macromolecule metabolism 43.7%, and KEGG analysis revealed that the largest group of 129 proteins was involved in Ribosome to directing protein synthesis (translation). Moreover, a number of commercially important food-grade enzymes were commented, 261 proteins were annotated as carbohydrate-active enzymes, 16 protease, 22 proteins are assigned to the citrate cycle, which the top proteins were assigned to GH family, cysteine synthase and serine/threonine-protein phosphatase. These enzymes indicated that is a new source with potential use for fermentation and brewing industry, fruit and vegetable storage and the development of function peptides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethnobotany of religious and supernatural beliefs of the Mising tribes of Assam with special reference to the 'Dobur Uie'.

PubMed

Sharma, Uma Kanta; Pegu, Shyamanta

2011-06-02

Assam is very rich in plant biodiversity as well as in ethnic diversity and has a great traditional knowledge base in plant resources. It is inhabited by the largest number of tribes and they lead an intricate life totally dependent on forest plants. The Mising is the major section and second largest tribal community of Assam and have a rich tradition of religion and culture. Their religious practices and beliefs are based on supernaturalism. A study of the plants related to magico religious beliefs in Dobur Uie of Mising is carried out. The results revealed the use of 30 plants belonging to 23 families. All plant species are used both in religious purpose as well as in the treatment of different ailments. Details of the uses of plants and conservational practices employed in Dobur Uie are provided. Our findings on the use of plants in Dobur Uie ritual reflect that some plants are facing problems for survival and they need urgent conservation before their elimination. Because this elimination may threat the rich tradition of Mising culture. Most of the plants that are domesticated for different rituals are almost same in all Mising populated areas.

Ethnobotany of religious and supernatural beliefs of the Mising tribes of Assam with special reference to the 'Dobur Uie'

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Assam is very rich in plant biodiversity as well as in ethnic diversity and has a great traditional knowledge base in plant resources. It is inhabited by the largest number of tribes and they lead an intricate life totally dependent on forest plants. The Mising is the major section and second largest tribal community of Assam and have a rich tradition of religion and culture. Their religious practices and beliefs are based on supernaturalism. A study of the plants related to magico religious beliefs in Dobur Uie of Mising is carried out. The results revealed the use of 30 plants belonging to 23 families. All plant species are used both in religious purpose as well as in the treatment of different ailments. Details of the uses of plants and conservational practices employed in Dobur Uie are provided. Our findings on the use of plants in Dobur Uie ritual reflect that some plants are facing problems for survival and they need urgent conservation before their elimination. Because this elimination may threat the rich tradition of Mising culture. Most of the plants that are domesticated for different rituals are almost same in all Mising populated areas. PMID:21635766

Neurolab: Final Report for the Ames Research Center Payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maese, A. Christopher (Editor); Ostrach, Louis H. (Editor); Dalton, Bonnie P. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Neurolab, the final Spacelab mission, launched on STS-90 on April 17, 1998, was dedicated to studying the nervous system. NASA cooperated with domestic and international partners to conduct the mission. ARC's (Ames Research Center's) Payload included 15 experiments designed to study the adaptation and development of the nervous system in microgravity. The payload had the largest number of Principal and Co-Investigators, largest complement of habitats and experiment unique equipment flown to date, and most diverse distribution of live specimens ever undertaken by ARC, including rodents, toadfish, swordtail fish, water snails, hornweed and crickets To facilitate tissue sharing and optimization of science objectives, investigators were grouped into four science discipline teams: Neuronal Plasticity, Mammalian Development, Aquatic, and Neurobiology. Several payload development challenges were experienced and required an extraordinary effort, by all involved, to meet the launch schedule. With respect to hardware and the total amount of recovered science, Neurolab was regarded as an overall success. However, a high mortality rate in one rodent group and several hardware anomalies occurred inflight that warranted postflight investigations. Hardware, science, and operations lessons were learned that should be taken into consideration by payload teams developing payloads for future Shuttle missions and the International Space Station.

Biologically important compounds in synfuels processes

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

Clark, B R; Ho, C; Griest, W H

1980-01-01

Crude products, by-products and wastes from synfuel processes contain a broad spectrum of chemical compounds - many of which are active in biological systems. Discerning which compound classes are most important is necessary in order to establish effective control over release or exposure. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), multialkylated PAH, primary aromatic amines and N-heterocyclic PAH are significant contributors to the overall mutagenic activities of a large number of materials examined. Ames test data show that the basic, primary aromatic amine fraction is the most active. PAHs, multialkylated PAHs and N-heterocyclic PAHs are all components of the neutral fraction. In nearlymore » all cases, the neutral fractions contribute the largest portion of the mutagenic activity, while the basic primary aromatic amine fractions have the highest specific activity. Neutral fractions are usually the largest (wt %) whereas the total basic fractions are small by comparison; thus, the overall greater contribution of the neutral fraction to the mutagenic activity of most samples. Biologically active constituents are isolated in preparative scale amounts from complex mixtures utilizing combinations of liquid-liquid extraction and various liquid chromatographic column-eluant combinations. Fractions are characterized using a combination of spectroscopic techniques and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.« less

Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in korean adults: results of a 2009 korean community health survey.

PubMed

Oh, Dong Hoon; Kim, Shin Ah; Lee, Hye Young; Seo, Joo Youn; Choi, Bo-Youl; Nam, Jung Hyun

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in the largest number of Korean individuals examined to date. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 229,595 Korean adults aged 19 yr and above who participated in a Korean Community Health Survey conducted in 2009. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used as the measurement tool for depressive symptoms (CES-D score over 16) and definite depression (CES-D score over 25). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associations between sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms. The percentages of depressive symptoms and definite depression in the total study population were 11% (7.8% for men, 14.0% for women) and 3.7%, (2.4% for men, 5.0% for women), respectively. Female gender, older age, disrupted marital status, low education and income level, multigenerational household composition and metropolitan residence were associated with greater risk of depressive symptoms. The present study provides a valid prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms, using the largest representative sample of the Korean general population to date. Various sociodemographic factors contribute to the prevalence and effects of depressive symptoms in Korea.

Two new species of Scirtothrips genus-group (Thripidae) of Northern Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Ng, Y F; Mound, L A

2016-03-07

The survey of Thysanoptera in peninsular Malaysia has been concentrated largely in areas growing crops and flowers around Kuala Lumpur, and the Cameron Highlands, and there are few records of these insects from native forests particularly in the northern part of the country. The two species described here were collected during a recent visit to Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, in Perak State, part of the second largest forested area on the peninsular, and connected to the Bang Lang National Park, in Yala Province, Thailand. This forest has been well known as home to a number of endangered animals, including Malayan tigers and Asian elephants, as well as remarkable plant species such as Rafflesia with the world's largest flowers (Abdullah et al. 2011). Despite this, forest areas are facing a major challenge from the insatiable demand for timber, palm oil and minerals, with an 80% increase in deforestation rate in Malaysia between 1990 and 2005 (FAO 2010). Forested land in peninsular Malaysia has been estimated at 5.88 million-ha or 44% of total area, but the coverage of reserved virgin forest is about 0.40 % or 23,002-ha (Dahlan 2008).

Understanding geographic origins and history of admixture among chimpanzees in European zoos, with implications for future breeding programmes.

PubMed

Hvilsom, C; Frandsen, P; Børsting, C; Carlsen, F; Sallé, B; Simonsen, B T; Siegismund, H R

2013-06-01

Despite ample focus on this endangered species, conservation planning for chimpanzees residing outside Africa has proven a challenge because of the lack of ancestry information. Here, we analysed the largest number of chimpanzee samples to date, examining microsatellites in >100 chimpanzees from the range of the species in Africa, and 20% of the European zoo population. We applied the knowledge about subspecies differentiation throughout equatorial Africa to assign origin to chimpanzees in the largest conservation management programme globally. A total of 63% of the genotyped chimpanzees from the European zoos could be assigned to one of the recognized subspecies. The majority being of West African origin (40%) will help consolidate the current breeding programme for this subspecies and the identification of individuals belonging to the two other subspecies so far found in European zoos can form the basis for breeding programmes for these. Individuals of various degree of mixed ancestry made up 37% of the genotyped European zoo population and thus highlight the need for appropriate management programmes guided by genetic analysis to preserve maximum genetic diversity and reduce hybridization among subspecies.

Understanding geographic origins and history of admixture among chimpanzees in European zoos, with implications for future breeding programmes

PubMed Central

Hvilsom, C; Frandsen, P; Børsting, C; Carlsen, F; Sallé, B; Simonsen, B T; Siegismund, H R

2013-01-01

Despite ample focus on this endangered species, conservation planning for chimpanzees residing outside Africa has proven a challenge because of the lack of ancestry information. Here, we analysed the largest number of chimpanzee samples to date, examining microsatellites in >100 chimpanzees from the range of the species in Africa, and 20% of the European zoo population. We applied the knowledge about subspecies differentiation throughout equatorial Africa to assign origin to chimpanzees in the largest conservation management programme globally. A total of 63% of the genotyped chimpanzees from the European zoos could be assigned to one of the recognized subspecies. The majority being of West African origin (40%) will help consolidate the current breeding programme for this subspecies and the identification of individuals belonging to the two other subspecies so far found in European zoos can form the basis for breeding programmes for these. Individuals of various degree of mixed ancestry made up 37% of the genotyped European zoo population and thus highlight the need for appropriate management programmes guided by genetic analysis to preserve maximum genetic diversity and reduce hybridization among subspecies. PMID:23531981

Characterization of Sound Radiation by Unresolved Scales of Motion in Computational Aeroacoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubinstein, Robert; Zhou, Ye

1999-01-01

Evaluation of the sound sources in a high Reynolds number turbulent flow requires time-accurate resolution of an extremely large number of scales of motion. Direct numerical simulations will therefore remain infeasible for the forseeable future: although current large eddy simulation methods can resolve the largest scales of motion accurately the, they must leave some scales of motion unresolved. A priori studies show that acoustic power can be underestimated significantly if the contribution of these unresolved scales is simply neglected. In this paper, the problem of evaluating the sound radiation properties of the unresolved, subgrid-scale motions is approached in the spirit of the simplest subgrid stress models: the unresolved velocity field is treated as isotropic turbulence with statistical descriptors, evaluated from the resolved field. The theory of isotropic turbulence is applied to derive formulas for the total power and the power spectral density of the sound radiated by a filtered velocity field. These quantities are compared with the corresponding quantities for the unfiltered field for a range of filter widths and Reynolds numbers.

Low Copy Numbers of DC-SIGN in Cell Membrane Microdomains: Implications for Structure and Function

PubMed Central

Liu, Ping; Wang, Xiang; Itano, Michelle S.; Neumann, Aaron K.; de Silva, Aravinda M.; Jacobson, Ken; Thompson, Nancy L.

2014-01-01

Presently, there are few estimates of the number of molecules occupying membrane domains. Using a total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) imaging approach, based on comparing the intensities of fluorescently labeled microdomains with those of single fluorophores, we measured the occupancy of DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin, in membrane microdomains. DC-SIGN or its mutants were labeled with primary monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in either dendritic cells (DCs) or NIH3T3 cells, or expressed as GFP fusions in NIH3T3 cells. The number of DC-SIGN molecules per microdomain ranges from only a few to over 20, while microdomain dimensions range from the diffraction limit to > 1μm. The largest fraction of microdomains, appearing at the diffraction limit, in either immature DCs or 3T3 cells contains only 4-8 molecules of DC-SIGN, consistent with our preliminary super-resolution Blink microscopy estimates. We further show that these small assemblies are sufficient to bind and efficiently internalize a small (~50nm) pathogen, dengue virus, leading to infection of host cells. PMID:24313910

Structural forms of the human amylase locus and their relationships to SNPs, haplotypes, and obesity

PubMed Central

Usher, Christina L; Handsaker, Robert E; Esko, Tõnu; Tuke, Marcus A; Weedon, Michael N; Hastie, Alex R; Cao, Han; Moon, Jennifer E; Kashin, Seva; Fuchsberger, Christian; Metspalu, Andres; Pato, Carlos N; Pato, Michele T; McCarthy, Mark I; Boehnke, Michael; Altshuler, David M; Frayling, Timothy M; Hirschhorn, Joel N; McCarroll, Steven A

2016-01-01

Hundreds of genes reside in structurally complex, poorly understood regions of the human genome1-3. One such region contains the three amylase genes (AMY2B, AMY2A, and AMY1) responsible for digesting starch into sugar. The copy number of AMY1 is reported to be the genome’s largest influence on obesity4, though genome-wide association studies for obesity have found this locus unremarkable. Using whole genome sequence analysis3,5, droplet digital PCR6, and genome mapping7, we identified eight common structural haplotypes of the amylase locus that suggest its mutational history. We found that AMY1 copy number in individuals’ genomes is generally even (rather than odd) and partially correlates to nearby SNPs, which do not associate with BMI. We measured amylase gene copy number in 1,000 obese or lean Estonians and in two other cohorts totaling ~3,500 individuals. We had 99% power to detect the lower bound of the reported effects on BMI4, yet found no association. PMID:26098870

Results of the 2014 National Resident Matching Program®: family medicine.

PubMed

Kozakowski, Stanley M; Crosley, Philip W; Bentley, Ashley

2014-10-01

The 2014 National Residency Matching Program® results reveal that the number of family medicine positions offered in the Match® by programs accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education has increased compared to 2013 (3,132 versus 3,062), while the total of all other primary care specialties combined has remained unchanged (784). The number of US seniors matching into family medicine also increased in 2014 over the prior year (1,416 versus 1,374). The percentage of US seniors who matched into family medicine programs grew modestly in 2014 compared to 2013 (8.6% versus 8.4%). Approximately four out of five primary care positions offered in the Match are in family medicine residency programs (3,132 versus 784). Similarly, three out of four US seniors matching into a primary care specialty match into a family medicine program (1,416 versus 520). By way of comparison, nearly five times the number of US seniors matched into family medicine as compared to medicine-pediatrics, the next largest primary care specialty.

Reduced-rank technique for joint channel estimation in TD-SCDMA systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamil Marzook, Ali; Ismail, Alyani; Mohd Ali, Borhanuddin; Sali, Adawati; Khatun, Sabira

2013-02-01

In time division-synchronous code division multiple access systems, increasing the system capacity by exploiting the inserting of the largest number of users in one time slot (TS) requires adding more estimation processes to estimate the joint channel matrix for the whole system. The increase in the number of channel parameters due the increase in the number of users in one TS directly affects the precision of the estimator's performance. This article presents a novel channel estimation with low complexity, which relies on reducing the rank order of the total channel matrix H. The proposed method exploits the rank deficiency of H to reduce the number of parameters that characterise this matrix. The adopted reduced-rank technique is based on truncated singular value decomposition algorithm. The algorithms for reduced-rank joint channel estimation (JCE) are derived and compared against traditional full-rank JCEs: least squares (LS) or Steiner and enhanced (LS or MMSE) algorithms. Simulation results of the normalised mean square error showed the superiority of reduced-rank estimators. In addition, the channel impulse responses founded by reduced-rank estimator for all active users offers considerable performance improvement over the conventional estimator along the channel window length.

Public Higher Education Governance: An Empirical Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowles, Jacob

2010-01-01

Public higher education is a large enterprise in the United States. Total state expenditures for higher education totaled nearly $152 billion dollars in FY2008, accounting for over ten percent of total state expenditures and representing the single largest category of discretionary spending in most states (NASBO, 2009). The last three decades have…

Integration of remote sensing and GIS for studying a short-term flashflood in the El Arish Catchment (Egypt)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badawy, M.

2012-04-01

Wadi El Arish is the largest drainage system in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. The Wadi was subject to severe thunderstorms on 17 and 18 January 2010 followed by an extreme and violent flood that had not been known in Sinai since 1980. The flood claimed six victims, injured tens of people, and devastated vital infrastructure and hundreds of houses. Hydrologic characteristics of the Wadi are not fully understood due to substantial lack of the detailed hydro-meteorological information. Hence, remote sensing and GIS techniques were used to provide better spatial understanding of rainfall characteristics and drainage basin response. The study was based on the analysis of the TRMM images and 6 hourly average HYDIS data of rainfall analyses. A hydrological model was constructed using ASTER DEMs. The empirical black box model was used depending on the curve number approach to predict stream runoff. Landcover and hydrological soil groups were identified from the Landsat ETM+ mosaic using multispectral supervised classification. The curve numbers were adjusted to ARC I (dry condition) as the total rain in a 5-day period preceding the storm were very low (≤5 mm). We found, that the Wadi received a total rain volume of 665.4 x 106 m3. Most of it fell on 17 January, when the rain intensity ranged between 4-8 mm/hr. The estimated total surface runoff Q was 123.3 x 103 mm and the total runoff volume was 124 x 106 m3 that constitutes 18.8 % of the total rain volume. The results are in agreement with the observed values in the Wadi and highly required for many applications related to water harvesting and flood protection studies.

Observed Recent Trends in Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Over Major Ocean Basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, K. M.; Zhou, Y. P.

2011-01-01

In this study, we use Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) rainfall data together with historical storm track records to examine the trend of tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall in major ocean basins during recent decades (1980-2007). We find that accumulated total rainfall along storm tracks for all tropical cyclones shows a weak positive trend over the whole tropics. However, total rainfall associated with weak storms, and intense storms (Category 4-5) both show significant positive trends, while total rainfall associated with intermediate storms (Category1-3) show a significant negative trend. Storm intensity defined as total rain produced per unit storm also shows increasing trend for all storm types. Basin-wide, from the first half (1980-1993) to the second half (1994-2007) of the data period, the North Atlantic shows the pronounced increase in TC number and TC rainfall while the Northeast Pacific shows a significant decrease in all storm types. Except for the Northeast Pacific, all other major basins (North Atlantic, Northwest Pacific, Southern Oceans, and Northern Indian Ocean) show a significant increase in total number and rainfall amount in Category 4-5 storms. Overall, trends in TC rainfall in different ocean basins are consistent with long-term changes in the ambient large-scale environment, including SST, vertical wind shear, sea level pressure, mid-tropospheric humidity, and Maximum Potential Intensity (MPI). Notably the pronounced positive (negative) trend of TC rainfall in the North Atlantic (Northeast Pacific) appears to be related to the most (least) rapid increase in SST and MPI, and the largest decrease (increase) in vertical wind shear in the region, relative to other ocean basins.

[Appearance of hepatitis B in a family environment].

PubMed

Marinković, V; Letica, Z; Zivanović-Marinković, V; Mijusković, P; Kapulica, I; Dokić, M

1981-01-01

The study comprised 20 families with total of 83 members of whom 45 with hepatitis B. The selection was made of families with at least two members diseased which was the most common case, the marital couples being in question. Of other families, three families had three members and one family four members with hepatitis B virus infection. The largest number had severe clinical picture (44%) and 13 (28%) chronic active hepatitis. Four patients with the most severe clinical picture of chronic active hepatitis, together with HBeantigens, had positive HBeantigen for more than two years since the onset of the disease. Importance of damaged skin and mucosa in spreading of hepatitis B infection in family environment has been pointed out.

Using PETRIMES to estimate mercury deposits in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, P.J.; Singer, D.A.

1994-01-01

In this article, we examine the use of an unconventional procedure, PETRIMES, to estimate mineral resources of mercury deposits in California. The study, which is based on the nonparametric discovery process model and Q-Q plots, suggests that a lognormal distribution is appropriate for the mercury deposits in California. The results of the assessment are summarized as follows: (1) the total number of mercury deposits in the population is approximately 165; (2) the median value of the largest undiscovered deposit size is 487 flasks; (3) the mean of the remaining mercury potential is 2,500 flasks; and (4) the population resource ranges from 1,040,000 to 4,300,000 flasks (at a 0.9 probability level). ?? 1994 Oxford University Press.

Matrix partitioning and EOF/principal component analysis of Antarctic Sea ice brightness temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, C. W., Jr.; Mueller, J. L.; Zwally, H. J.

1984-01-01

A field of measured anomalies of some physical variable relative to their time averages, is partitioned in either the space domain or the time domain. Eigenvectors and corresponding principal components of the smaller dimensioned covariance matrices associated with the partitioned data sets are calculated independently, then joined to approximate the eigenstructure of the larger covariance matrix associated with the unpartitioned data set. The accuracy of the approximation (fraction of the total variance in the field) and the magnitudes of the largest eigenvalues from the partitioned covariance matrices together determine the number of local EOF's and principal components to be joined by any particular level. The space-time distribution of Nimbus-5 ESMR sea ice measurement is analyzed.

Electroconvulsive therapy for depression in Parkinson's disease: systematic review of evidence and recommendations.

PubMed

Borisovskaya, Anna; Bryson, William Culbertson; Buchholz, Jonathan; Samii, Ali; Borson, Soo

2016-04-01

We performed a systematic review of evidence regarding treatment of depression in Parkinson's disease (PD) utilizing electroconvulsive therapy. The search led to the inclusion of 43 articles, mainly case reports or case series, with the largest number of patients totaling 19. The analysis included 116 patients with depression and PD; depression improved in 93.1%. Where motor symptoms' severity was reported, 83% of patients improved. Cognition did not worsen in the majority (94%). Many patients experienced delirium or transient confusion, sometimes necessitating discontinuation of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Little is known about maintenance ECT in this population. ECT can benefit patients suffering from PD and depression. We recommend an algorithm for treatment of depression in PD, utilizing ECT sooner rather than later.

Status and historical changes in the fish community in Erhai Lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jianfeng; Ye, Shaowen; Li, Wei; Liu, Jiashou; Zhang, Tanglin; Guo, Zhiqiang; Zhu, Fengyue; Li, Zhongjie

2013-07-01

Erhai Lake is the second largest freshwater lake on the Yunnan Plateau, Southwest China. In recent decades, a number of exotic fish species have been introduced into the lake and the fish community has changed considerably. We evaluated the status of the fish community based on surveys with multimesh gillnet, trap net, and benthic fyke-net between May 2009 and April 2012. In addition, we evaluated the change in the community using historical data (1952-2010) describing the fish community and fishery harvest. The current fish community is dominated by small-sized fishes, including Pseudorasbora parva, Rhinogobius giurinus, Micropercops swinhonis, Hemiculter leucisculus, and Rhinogobius cliffordpopei. These accounted for 87.7% of the 22 546 total specimens collected. Omnivorous and carnivorous species dominated the community. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) plot revealed that the distribution of fishes in the lake is influenced by aquatic plants, water temperature, pH, and season. The abundance of indigenous species has declined sharply, and a majority of endemic species have been extirpated from the lake (a decrease from seven to two species). In contrast, the number of exotic species has increased since the 1960s to a total of 22 at present. The fishery harvest decreased initially following the 1960s, but has since increased due to the introduction of non-native fish and stocking of native fish. The fishery harvest was significantly correlated with total nitrogen, not total phosphorus, during the past 20 years. Based on our results, we discuss recommendations for the restoration and conservation of the fish resources in Erhai Lake.

Industry Financial Relationships in Neurosurgery in 2015: Analysis of the Sunshine Act Open Payments Database.

PubMed

de Lotbiniere-Bassett, Madeleine P; McDonald, Patrick J

2018-06-01

The 2013 Physician Payments Sunshine Act mandates that all U.S. drug and device manufacturers disclose payments to physicians. All payments are made available annually in the Open Payments Database (OPD). Our aim was to determine prevalence, magnitude, and nature of these payments to physicians performing neurologic surgery in 2015 and to discuss the role that financial conflicts of interest play in neurosurgery. All records of industry financial relationships with physicians identified by the neurological surgery taxonomy code in 2015 were accessed via the OPD. Data were analyzed in terms of type and amounts of payments, companies making payments, and comparison with previous studies. In 2015, 83,690 payments (totaling $99,048,607) were made to 7613 physicians by 330 companies. Of these, 0.01% were >$1 million, and 73.2% were <$100. The mean payment ($13,010) was substantially greater than the median ($114). Royalties and licensing accounted for the largest monetary value of payments (74.2%) but only 1.7% of the total number. Food and beverage payments were the most commonly reported transaction (75%) but accounted for only 2.5% of total reported monetary value. Neurologic surgery had the second highest average total payment per physician of any specialty. The neurological surgery specialty receives substantial annual payments from industry in the United States. The overall value is driven by a small number of payments of high monetary value. The OPD provides a unique opportunity for increased transparency in industry-physician relationships facilitating disclosure of financial conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic characterization of Italian tomato varieties and their traceability in tomato food products-Sardaro-2012-Food Science & Nutrition-Wiley Online Library

PubMed Central

Sardaro, Maria Luisa Savo; Marmiroli, Marta; Maestri, Elena; Marmiroli, Nelson

2013-01-01

Genetic diversity underlies the improvement of crops by plant breeding. Landraces of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) can contain valuable alleles not common in modern germplasms. The aim was to measure genetic diversity present in 47 most common tomato varieties grown in Italy, 35 were varieties used for processing and 12 were landraces considered “salad varieties”. Furthermore, we demonstrated the possibility that the variety traceability can be extended through the entire production chain. Diversity was measured using 11 microsatellite markers and 94 genotypes. Among the markers used, a total of 48 alleles were detected. A dendrogram based on total microsatellite polymorphism grouped 47 varieties into three major clusters at 0.75 similarity coefficient, differentiating the modern varieties from tomatoes landraces. The DNA markers developed confirmed the possibility to support the genotype identification all along the tomato production chain. The number of alleles and genotypes identified in the present work is the largest considering papers on food traceability. PMID:24804014

Genetic characterization of Italian tomato varieties and their traceability in tomato food products-Sardaro-2012-Food Science & Nutrition-Wiley Online Library.

PubMed

Sardaro, Maria Luisa Savo; Marmiroli, Marta; Maestri, Elena; Marmiroli, Nelson

2013-01-01

Genetic diversity underlies the improvement of crops by plant breeding. Landraces of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) can contain valuable alleles not common in modern germplasms. The aim was to measure genetic diversity present in 47 most common tomato varieties grown in Italy, 35 were varieties used for processing and 12 were landraces considered "salad varieties". Furthermore, we demonstrated the possibility that the variety traceability can be extended through the entire production chain. Diversity was measured using 11 microsatellite markers and 94 genotypes. Among the markers used, a total of 48 alleles were detected. A dendrogram based on total microsatellite polymorphism grouped 47 varieties into three major clusters at 0.75 similarity coefficient, differentiating the modern varieties from tomatoes landraces. The DNA markers developed confirmed the possibility to support the genotype identification all along the tomato production chain. The number of alleles and genotypes identified in the present work is the largest considering papers on food traceability.

The Estimated Annual Cost of Uterine Leiomyomata in the United States

PubMed Central

CARDOZO, Eden R.; CLARK, Andrew D.; BANKS, Nicole K.; HENNE, Melinda B.; STEGMANN, Barbara J.; SEGARS, James H.

2011-01-01

Objective To estimate the total annual societal cost of uterine fibroids in the United States, based on direct and indirect costs, including associated obstetric complications. Study Design A systematic review of the literature was conducted to estimate the number of women seeking treatment for symptomatic fibroids annually, the costs of medical and surgical treatment, work lost and obstetric complications attributable to fibroids. Total annual costs were converted to 2010 U.S. dollars. A sensitivity analysis was performed. Results The estimated annual direct costs (surgery, hospital admissions, outpatient visits, medications) were $4.1 to $9.4 billion. Estimated lost work costs ranged from $1.55 to $17.2 billion annually. Obstetric outcomes attributed to fibroids resulted in a cost of $238 million to $7.76 billion annually. Uterine fibroids were estimated to cost the US $5.9 to $34.4 billion annually. Conclusions Obstetric complications associated with fibroids contributed significantly to their economic burden. Lost work costs may account for the largest proportion of societal costs due to fibroids. PMID:22244472

2-D eddy resolving simulations of flow past a circular array of cylindrical plant stems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Kyoungsik; Constantinescu, George; Park, Sanghyun

2018-04-01

In the present study, 2-D large eddy simulations (LES) are conducted for flow past a porous circular array with a solid volume fraction (SVF) of 8.8%, 15.4% and 21.5%. Such simulations are relevant to understanding flow in natural streams and channels containing patches of emerged vegetation. In the simulations discussed in the paper, the porous cylinder of diameter D contains a variable number of identical solid circular cylinders (rigid plant stems) of diameter d = 0.048 D. Most of the simulations are conducted at a Reynolds number of 2 100 based on the diameter D and the velocity of the steady uniform incoming flow. Though in all cases wake billows are shed in the regions where the separated shear layers (SSLs) forming on the sides of the porous cylinder interact, the effect of these wake billows on the mean drag is different. While in the high SVF case (21.5%), the total drag force oscillates quasi-regularly in time, similar to the canonical case of a large solid cylinder, in the cases with a lower SVF the shedding of the wake billows takes place sufficiently far from the cylinder such that the unsteady component of the total drag force is negligible. The mean amplitude of the oscillations of the drag force on the individual cylinders is the largest in a streamwise band centered around the center of the porous cylinder, where the wake to wake interactions are the strongest. In all cases the maximum drag force on the individual cylinders is the largest for the cylinders directly exposed to the flow, but this force is always smaller than the one induced on a small isolated cylinder and the average magnitude of the force on the cylinders directly exposed to the flow decreases monotonically with the increase in the SVF. Predictions of the global drag coefficients, Strouhal numbers associated with the wake vortex shedding and individual forces on the cylinders in the array from the present LES are in very good agreement with those of 2-D direct numerical simulations conducted on finer meshes, which suggests LES is a better option to numerically investigate flow in channels containing canopy patches, given that LES is computationally much less expensive than DNS at high Reynolds number. To prove this point, the paper also discusses results of 2-D LES conducted at a much higher Reynolds number, where the near-wake flow is strongly turbulent. For the higher Reynolds number cases, where the influence of the turbulence model is important, the effect of the sub-grid scale model and the predictive capabilities of the unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach to predict flow past porous cylinders are discussed.

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rebich, R.A.; Houston, N.A.; Mize, S.V.; Pearson, D.K.; Ging, P.B.; Evan, Hornig C.

2011-01-01

SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two-thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%). ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Meta-analysis as Statistical and Analytical Method of Journal's Content Scientific Evaluation.

PubMed

Masic, Izet; Begic, Edin

2015-02-01

A meta-analysis is a statistical and analytical method which combines and synthesizes different independent studies and integrates their results into one common result. Analysis of the journals "Medical Archives", "Materia Socio Medica" and "Acta Informatica Medica", which are located in the most eminent indexed databases of the biomedical milieu. The study has retrospective and descriptive character, and included the period of the calendar year 2014. Study included six editions of all three journals (total of 18 journals). In this period was published a total of 291 articles (in the "Medical Archives" 110, "Materia Socio Medica" 97, and in "Acta Informatica Medica" 84). The largest number of articles was original articles. Small numbers have been published as professional, review articles and case reports. Clinical events were most common in the first two journals, while in the journal "Acta Informatica Medica" belonged to the field of medical informatics, as part of pre-clinical medical disciplines. Articles are usually required period of fifty to fifty nine days for review. Articles were received from four continents, mostly from Europe. The authors are most often from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Iran, Kosovo and Macedonia. The number of articles published each year is increasing, with greater participation of authors from different continents and abroad. Clinical medical disciplines are the most common, with the broader spectrum of topics and with a growing number of original articles. Greater support of the wider scientific community is needed for further development of all three of the aforementioned journals.

Study on the total amount control of atmospheric pollutant based on GIS.

PubMed

Wang, Jian-Ping; Guo, Xi-Kun

2005-08-01

To provide effective environmental management for total amount control of atmospheric pollutants. An atmospheric diffusion model of sulfur dioxide on the surface of the earth was established and tested in Shantou of Guangdong Province on the basis of an overall assessment of regional natural environment, social economic state of development, pollution sources and atmospheric environmental quality. Compared with actual monitoring results in a studied region, simulation values fell within the range of two times of error and were evenly distributed in the two sides of the monitored values. Predicted with the largest emission model method, the largest emission of sulfur dioxide would be 54,279.792 tons per year in 2010. The mathematical model established and revised on the basis of GIS is more rational and suitable for the regional characteristics of total amount control of air pollutants.

Morphological and molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in revegetated iron-mining site has the same magnitude of adjacent pristine ecosystems.

PubMed

Vieira, Caroline Krug; Marascalchi, Matheus Nicoletti; Rodrigues, Arthur Vinicius; de Armas, Rafael Dutra; Stürmer, Sidney Luiz

2018-05-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important during revegetation of mining sites, but few studies compared AMF community in revegetated sites with pristine adjacent ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess AMF species richness in a revegetated iron-mining site and adjacent ecosystems and to relate AMF occurrence to soil chemical parameters. Soil samples were collected in dry and rainy seasons in a revegetated iron-mining site (RA) and compared with pristine ecosystems of forest (FL), canga (NG), and Cerrado (CE). AMF species were identified by spore morphology from field and trap cultures and by LSU rDNA sequencing using Illumina. A total of 62 AMF species were recovered, pertaining to 18 genera and nine families of Glomeromycota. The largest number of species and families were detected in RA, and Acaulospora mellea and Glomus sp1 were the most frequent species. Species belonging to Glomeraceae and Acaulosporaceae accounted for 42%-48% of total species richness. Total number of spores and mycorrhizal inoculum potential tended to be higher in the dry than in the rainy season, except in RA. Sequences of uncultured Glomerales were dominant in all sites and seasons and five species were detected exclusively by DNA-based identification. Redundancy analysis evidenced soil pH, organic matter, aluminum, and iron as main factors influencing AMF presence. In conclusion, revegetation of the iron-mining site seems to be effective in maintaining a diverse AMF community and different approaches are complementary to reveal AMF species, despite the larger number of species being identified by traditional identification of field spores. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Trends of spinal tuberculosis research (1994-2015): A bibliometric study.

PubMed

Wang, Yiran; Wang, Qijin; Zhu, Rongbo; Yang, Changwei; Chen, Ziqiang; Bai, Yushu; Li, Ming; Zhai, Xiao

2016-09-01

Spinal tuberculosis is the most common form of skeletal tuberculosis. However, there were limited data to evaluate the trend of spinal tuberculosis research. This study aims to investigate the trend of spinal tuberculosis research and compare the contribution of research from different countries and authors. Spinal tuberculosis-related publications from 1994 to 2015 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Excel 2013, GraphPad Prism 5, and VOSviewer software were used to analyze the search results for number of publications, cited frequency, H-index, and country contributions. A total of 1558 papers were identified and were cited 16,152 times as of January 25, 2016. The United States accounted for 15.1% of the articles, 22.3% of the citations, and the highest H-index (33). China ranked third in total number of articles, fifth in citation frequency (815), and ranked seventh in H-index (13). The journal Spine (IF 2.297) had the highest number of publications. The author Jain A.K. has published the most papers in this field (20). The article titled "Tuberculosis of the spine: Controversies and a new challenge" was the most popular article and cited a total of 1138 times. The keyword "disease" was mentioned the most for 118 times and the word "bone fusion" was the latest hotspot by 2015. Literature growth in spinal tuberculosis is slowly expanding. Although publications from China are increasing, the quality of the articles still requires improvements. Meanwhile, the United States continues to be the largest contributor in the field of spinal tuberculosis. According to our bibliometric study, bone fusion may be an emerging topic within spinal tuberculosis research and is something that should be closely observed.

DDT residue contamination in sediments from Lake Sibaya in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: implications for conservation in a World Heritage Site.

PubMed

Humphries, Marc S

2013-11-01

Maputaland in northern KwaZulu-Natal is a biodiversity hotspot and host to a number of ecologically important systems, including Lake Sibaya, southern Africa's largest natural freshwater lake. The region is malaria endemic and this study reports the presence of DDT and its metabolites in the sediments of Lake Sibaya that have resulted from the widespread and continued use of DDT in the region. DDT residues (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE) were detected at all 11 sites sampled, with total concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 123 ng g(-1). Total DDT concentrations at Lake Sibaya represent some of the highest levels reported in South Africa, with most samples exceeding sediment quality guideline values. The findings from this study raise concerns and indicate that urgent further work is needed to investigate the potential for bioaccumulation, which could adversely affect breeding fish, bird, and crocodile populations in the region. While this study represents the first report on DDT contamination in Lake Sibaya, results have important implications for a number of other aquatic ecosystems within the Maputaland ecoregion, as well as the many local people who depend on them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detectability of galactic supernova neutrinos coherently scattered on xenon nuclei in XMASS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, K.; Hiraide, K.; Ichimura, K.; Kishimoto, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, M.; Moriyama, S.; Nakagawa, K.; Nakahata, M.; Norita, T.; Ogawa, H.; Sekiya, H.; Takachio, O.; Takeda, A.; Yamashita, M.; Yang, B. S.; Kim, N. Y.; Kim, Y. D.; Tasaka, S.; Liu, J.; Martens, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Fujita, R.; Hosokawa, K.; Miuchi, K.; Oka, N.; Onishi, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Kim, Y. H.; Lee, J. S.; Lee, K. B.; Lee, M. K.; Fukuda, Y.; Itow, Y.; Kegasa, R.; Kobayashi, K.; Masuda, K.; Takiya, H.; Uchida, H.; Nishijima, K.; Fujii, K.; Murayama, I.; Nakamura, S.; Xmass Collaboration

2017-03-01

The coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) plays a crucial role at the final evolution of stars. The detection of it would be of importance in astroparticle physics. Among all available neutrino sources, galactic supernovae give the highest neutrino flux in the MeV range. Among all liquid xenon dark matter experiments, XMASS has the largest sensitive volume and light yield. The possibility to detect galactic supernova via the CEvNS-process on xenon nuclei in the current XMASS detector was investigated. The total number of events integrated in about 18 s after the explosion of a supernova 10 kpc away from the Earth was expected to be from 3.5 to 21.1, depending on the supernova model used to predict the neutrino flux, while the number of background events in the same time window was measured to be negligible. All lead to very high possibility to detect CEvNS experimentally for the first time utilizing the combination of galactic supernovae and the XMASS detector. In case of a supernova explosion as close as Betelgeuse, the total observable events can be more than ∼ 104, making it possible to distinguish different supernova models by examining the evolution of neutrino event rate in XMASS.

Echinacea purpurea: A Proprietary Extract of Echinacea purpurea Is Shown to be Safe and Effective in the Prevention of the Common Cold.

PubMed

Ross, Stephanie Maxine

2016-01-01

The research study in this review represents the largest clinical trial to date that evaluated the safety and efficacy of Echinacea purpurea for prophylactic treatment of the common cold, in addition to investigating its risk-benefit in a long-term treatment period. The clinical application of the proprietary standardized Echinacea purpurea extract(Echinaforce) demonstrated efficacy as a preventive cold treatment option over a 4-month duration. This study showed that Echinacea’s long-term prevention was associated with a reduction in the total number of cold episodes, a reduction in the number of days with colds, and a reduction in cold episodes requiring additional medication. Furthermore, the Echinacea test agent inhibited virally confirmed colds, exhibited maximal effects on recurrent infections, and demonstrated that its preventive effects increased relative to therapy compliance and adherence to the protocol. In summary, Echinacea purpurea when taken as recommended for the prevention of the common cold appears to provide a positive risk to benefit ratio.

A bibliometric analysis of two PubMed-indexed high-impact factor endodontic journals: A comparison of India with other countries

PubMed Central

Mishra, Lora; Pattnaik, Prajna; Kumar, Manoj; Aggarwal, Sonia; Misra, Satya Ranjan

2016-01-01

Aim: The present study was conducted with an aim to determine the number and trends of published articles in the International Endodontic Journal (IEJ) and Journal of Endodontics (JOE) from 2009 to 2014. Settings and Designs: A retrospective observational study was conducted for IEJ and JOE. Subjects and Methods: All issues of IEJ and JOE were electronically and hand searched for the following parameters: Amount of papers, publication year, affiliated organizations, and countries. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were organized and analyzed using software SPSS version 21.0; descriptive statistics was used. Results: A total of 872 articles were analyzed in the IEJ and JOE with 1606 papers. Brazil had the largest number of articles (170) mainly in IEJ, and the USA (350) in JOE. Indians published more of their research in JOE than IEJ. Conclusions: Original articles in endodontic publication from different universities in India have considerably increased, showing that research is becoming more important. PMID:27795645

[A million football fans in a city of 120,000 inhabitants--a nightmare for emergency medicine and disaster management? Euro 2008 and the "Orange wonder of Berne"].

PubMed

Martinolli, L; Tanyeli, E; Hasler, R M; Burkhardt, P; Bähler, H; Neff, F; Rupp, P; Zimmermann, H; Exadaktylos, A K

2011-01-01

The 2008 European Football Championship 2008 (Euro 08) is the largest sporting event ever organized in Switzerland. One million visitors came to the city of Berne during the event and the local airport in Bern/Belp registered 261 extra flights. For each football game there were 33,000 fans in the stadium and 100,000 fans in the public viewing zones.The ambulance corps and the Department of Emergency Medicine (ED) at Inselspital, University Hospital Berne, were responsible for basic medical care and emergency medical management. Injuries and illnesses were analyzed by a standardized score (NACA score). The preparation strategy as well as costs and patient numbers are presented in detail.A total of 30 additional ambulance vehicles were used, 4,723 additional working days (one-third medical professionals) were accumulated, 662 ambulance calls were registered and 240 persons needed medical care (62% Swiss, 28% Dutch and 10% other nationalities). Among those needing treatment 51 were treated in 1 of the 4 city hospitals. No injuries with NACA grades VI and VII occurred (NACA I: 4, NACA II: 17, NACA III: 16, NACA IV: 10 and NACA V: 4 patients). The city of Berne compensated the Inselspital Bern with a total of 112,603 Euros for extra medical care costs. The largest amount was spent on security measures (50,300 Euros) and medical staff (medical doctors 22,600 Euros, nurses 29,000 Euros). Because of the poor weather and the exemplary behavior of the fans, the course of events was rather peaceful.

Tree species affect cation exchange capacity (CEC) and cation binding properties of organic matter in acid forest soils.

PubMed

Gruba, Piotr; Mulder, Jan

2015-04-01

Soil organic matter (SOM) in forest soil is of major importance for cation binding and acid buffering, but its characteristics may differ among soils under different tree species. We investigated acidity, cation exchange properties and Al bonding to SOM in stands of Scots pine, pedunculate oak, Norway spruce, European beech and common hornbeam in southern Poland. The content of total carbon (Ct) was by far the major contributor to total cation exchange capacity (CECt) even in loamy soils and a strong relationship between Ct and CECt was found. The slope of the regression of CECt to Ct increased in the order hornbeam≈oak

Characterization of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) in Apple (Malus 6domestica Borkh.) and their evolutionary history of the Rosaceae family

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The family of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) with a nucleotide-binding site (NBS) domain accounts for the largest number of disease resistance genes and is one of the largest gene families in plants. We have identified 868 RGAs in the genome of the apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) cultivar ‘Golden...

A Converse of a Result about the Floor Function by Hermite

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mortici, Cristinel

2012-01-01

The floor function maps a real number to the largest previous integer. More precisely, floor(x)=[x] is the largest integer not greater than x. The square bracket notation [x] for the floor function was introduced by Gauss in his third proof of quadratic reciprocity in 1808. The floor function is also called the greatest integer or entier (French…

Novel fiber optic sensor probe with a pair of highly reflected connectors and a vessel of water absorption material for water leak detection.

PubMed

Cho, Tae-Sik; Choi, Ki-Sun; Seo, Dae-Cheol; Kwon, Il-Bum; Lee, Jung-Ryul

2012-01-01

The use of a fiber optic quasi-distributed sensing technique for detecting the location and severity of water leakage is suggested. A novel fiber optic sensor probe is devised with a vessel of water absorption material called as water combination soil (WCS) located between two highly reflected connectors: one is a reference connector and the other is a sensing connector. In this study, the sensing output is calculated from the reflected light signals of the two connectors. The first reflected light signal is a reference and the second is a sensing signal which is attenuated by the optical fiber bending loss due to the WCS expansion absorbing water. Also, the bending loss of each sensor probe is determined by referring to the total number of sensor probes and the total power budget of an entire system. We have investigated several probe characteristics to show the design feasibility of the novel fiber sensor probe. The effects of vessel sizes of the probes on the water detection sensitivity are studied. The largest vessel probe provides the highest sensitivity of 0.267 dB/mL, while the smallest shows relatively low sensitivity of 0.067 dB/mL, and unstable response. The sensor probe with a high output value provides a high sensitivity with various detection levels while the number of total installable sensor probes decreases.

Comprehensive smoke-free laws--50 largest U.S. cities, 2000 and 2012.

PubMed

2012-11-16

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults and several health conditions in children. Only completely eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from SHS. State and local laws can provide this protection in enclosed workplaces and public places by completely eliminating smoking in these settings. CDC considers a smoke-free law to be comprehensive if it prohibits smoking in all indoor areas of private workplaces, restaurants, and bars, with no exceptions. In response to growing evidence on the health effects of SHS, communities and states have increasingly adopted comprehensive smoke-free (CSF) laws in recent years. To assess trends in protecting the population from SHS exposure, CDC and the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation (ANRF) compared coverage by local or state CSF laws in the 50 largest U.S. cities as of December 31, 2000, and October 5, 2012. The analysis focused on smoking restrictions in the 50 largest cities because these cities represent an important indicator of nationwide trends in local and state policy and because they are home to an estimated 47 million persons, or nearly 15% of the U.S. population. The analysis found that the number of these cities covered by local and/or state CSF laws increased from one city (2%) in 2000 to 30 cities (60%) in 2012. A total of 20 cities (40%) were not covered by a CSF law at either the local or state level in 2012, although 14 of these cities had 100% smoke-free provisions in place at the local or state level in at least one of the three settings considered. The results of this analysis indicate that substantial progress has been achieved during 2000-2012 in implementing CSF laws in the 50 largest U.S. cities. However, gaps in coverage, especially in the southern United States and in states with laws that preempt local smoking restrictions, are contributing to disparities in SHS protections.

Inventory of the freshwater fishes from a densely collected area in South America-a case study of the current knowledge of Neotropical fish diversity.

PubMed

Bertaco, Vinicius A; Ferrer, Juliano; Carvalho, Fernando R; Malabarba, Luiz R

2016-07-18

We herein analyse the history of the description of the freshwater fish fauna from three drainages in one of the most densely collected areas of Brazil, and possibly of South America, the Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. An updated inventory of the freshwater fish species from rio Uruguay (partial) in Brazil, Laguna dos Patos (complete) and rio Tramandaí basins (complete) is presented. We found the number of new species described in these drainages increased nearly 56% since 1981, reaching a total of 422 species, but even now 10% of this number still corresponds to undescribed species. This rate of species description suggests that previous estimates of the Neotropical fish fauna are low, and we predict a final number of Neotropical fishes larger than the largest prediction estimate (8,000 species), after other regions of South and Central Americas become densely sampled. We discuss and attempt to demonstrate that species diversity knowledge is historically and strictly related to collecting efforts. We also demonstrate that the ecoregions in eastern South America with the highest density of species per area correspond to the areas more densely sampled in collections, and this may represent a bias in such kinds of analyses. This uneven sampling in Brazilian regions is apparently associated with the uneven distribution of Zoological research centers in different regions of the country. Small-sized species represents an important source of new species, along with little explored regions or little explored habitats, sometimes associated with restricted range species, and species complexes that need revisionary work. In contrast to other Neotropical regions, Atheriniformes are relatively diverse, sharing the fifth place in species richness with Gymnotiformes, and there is a remarkably high number of species of Rivulidae. Eight species are endemic to the rio Tramandaí drainage, 68 to the Laguna dos Patos system, and 78 to the rio Uruguay drainage. Almost 10% of the freshwater fish species are "Critically Endangered", "Endangered" or "Vulnerable" according to the IUCN criteria, with Rivulidae as the family with the largest number of threatened species.

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

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients (more » $$C_{D}$$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $$4~\\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\\text{m}$$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number$$M_{s}=1.2$$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured$$C_{D}$$values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number,$$Kn^{\\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$$, where the particle Reynolds number ($$Re_{p}$$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Also, some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($$C_{D,us}$$) until the particle attains$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 0.5{-}1.0$$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($$C_{D,qs}$$) increases almost linearly with$$Kn^{\\ast }$$, intersects the$$C_{D,us}$$at$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 2$$and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as$$Re_{p}\\rightarrow 0$$. Finally, there are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.« less

Postmortem structural studies of the thalamus in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Dorph-Petersen, Karl-Anton; Lewis, David A.

2017-01-01

In this review, we seek to answer the following question: Do findings in the current literature support the idea that thalamo-cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia is due to structural abnormalities in the thalamus? We base our review on the existing literature of design-unbiased stereological studies of the postmortem thalamus from subjects with schizophrenia. Thus, all reported results are based upon the use of unbiased principles of sampling to determine volume and/or total cell numbers of thalamus or its constituent nuclei. We found 28 such papers covering 26 studies. In a series of tables we list all positive and negative findings from the total thalamus, the mediodorsal, pulvinar and anterior nuclei, as well as less frequently studied thalamic regions. Only four studies examined the entire thalamus and the results were inconsistent. We found largely consistent evidence for structural changes (reduced volume and cell numbers) in the pulvinar located in the posterior thalamus. In contrast, findings in the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus are inconsistent, with the largest and most recent studies generally failing to support earlier reports of a lower number of neurons in schizophrenia. Thus, the current findings of stereological studies of the thalamus in schizophrenia support the idea that thalamo-cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia might be attributable, at least in part, to structural alterations in the pulvinar that could impair thalamic inputs to higher order cortical association areas in the frontal and parietal lobes. However, more studies are needed before robust conclusions can be drawn. PMID:27567291

Comparative study of lipids in mature seeds of six Cordia species (family Boraginaceae) collected in different regions of Brazil.

PubMed

Carvalho, Patricía de O; Arrebola, Melissa B; Sawaya, Alexandra C H F; Cunha, Ildenize B S; Bastos, Deborah H M; Eberlin, Marcos N

2006-08-01

The oil content, FA, and lipid class composition of the mature seeds of six Cordia species were analyzed. Mature seeds of each species were collected in their natural habitat from 2002 to 2004. The total lipid content varied from 1.9% to 13.2%, there being significant differences between the results found in different years for each species and between the species analyzed. The contents of FFA varied from 2.0% to 7.9% of total lipids. Neutral lipids (NL) were the largest class, making up between 89.6% and 96.4% of the total lipids; the phospholipids (PL) were the second largest class (3.0% to 8.9% of the total lipids), and the glycolipids (GL) were the smallest class (0.6 to 3.4%). The presence of GLA was determined in each class of lipids; it is predominant in the NL. Levels of GLA ranged from 1.2% to 6.8% of total seed FA. This is, to our knowledge the first study of lipid composition in seeds of species of Cordia from Brazil.

Seasonal occurrence and production effects of the biting louse Damalinia limbata on Angora goats and 2 treatment options.

PubMed

Brown, L; van der Linde, T C de K; Fourie, L J; Horak, I G

2005-06-01

Adult biting lice Damalinia limbata (Gervais 1844) were most numerous on Angora goats in southwestern Free State Province from November to May with the smallest numbers present during August. Nymphs were most numerous from January to March with the smallest numbers present during July. The largest proportion of adult lice was present on the ventral surface of goats during winter, when population numbers were lowest, and the largest proportion of nymphs during summer, when population numbers were highest. Infestation did not affect the body weight of goats, but adversely affected both the quantity and quality of mohair produced. A single treatment with deltamethrin, applied as a pour-on along the mid-line of the backs of the goats, effectively controlled infestation and resulted in a significant increase in mohair production compared with untreated goats. Deltamethrin sprayed along the sides of the animals was equally effective in controlling infestation.

Bargaining.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Janet M.

The most significant change appearing in the collective bargaining area in 1989 was the drop in number of cases compared to recent years. The largest number of cases challenged the specifics of fair share fee level establishment and the processes in place for collection of fees. There were also a significant number of cases surrounding issues of…

Hong Kong's domestic health spending--financial years 1989/90 through 2004/05.

PubMed

Leung, G M; Tin, K Y K; Yeung, G M K; Leung, E S K; Tsui, E L H; Lam, D W S; Tsang, C S H; Fung, A Y K; Lo, S V

2008-04-01

This report presents the latest estimates of Hong Kong's domestic health spending between fiscal years 1989/90 and 2004/05, cross-stratified and categorised by financing source, provider and function on an annual basis. Total expenditure on health was HK$67,807 million in fiscal year 2004/05. In real terms, total expenditure on health showed positive growth averaging 7% per annum throughout the period covered in this report while gross domestic product grew at 4% per annum on average, indicating a growing percentage of health spending relative to gross domestic product, from 3.5% in 1989/90 to 5.2% in 2004/05. This increase was largely driven by the rise in public spending, which rose 9% per annum on average in real terms over the period, compared with 5% for private spending. This represents a growing share of public spending from 40% to 55% of total expenditure on health during the period. While public spending was the dominant source of health financing in 2004/05, private household out-of-pocket expenditure accounted for the second largest share of total health spending (32%). The remaining sources of health finance were employer-provided group medical benefits (8%), privately purchased insurance (5%), and other private sources (1%). Of the $67,807 million total health expenditure in 2004/05, current expenditure comprised $65,429 million (96%) while $2378 million (4%) were capital expenses (ie investment in medical facilities). Services of curative care accounted for the largest share of total health spending (67%) which were made up of ambulatory services (35%), in-patient curative care (28%), day patient hospital services (3%), and home care (1%). The next largest share of total health expenditure was spent on medical goods outside the patient care setting (10%). Analysed by health care provider, hospitals accounted for the largest share (46%) and providers of ambulatory health care the second largest share (30%) of total health spending in 2004/05. We observed a system-wide trend towards service consolidation at institutions (as opposed to free-standing ambulatory clinics, most of which are staffed by solo practitioner). In 2004/05, public expenditure on health amounted to $35,247 million (53.9% of total current expenditure), which was mostly incurred at hospitals (76.5%), whilst private expenditure ($30,182 million) was mostly incurred at providers of ambulatory health care (54.6%). This reflects the mixed health care economy of Hong Kong where public hospitals generally account for about 90% of total bed-days and private doctors (including Western and Chinese medicine practitioners) provide 75% to 80% of out-patient care. While both public and private spending were mostly expended on personal health care services and goods (92.9%), the distributional patterns among functional categories differed. Public expenditure was targeted at in-patient care (54.2%) and substantially less on out-patient care (24.5%), especially low-intensity first-contact care. In comparison, private spending was mostly concentrated on out-patient care (49.6%), whereas medical goods outside the patient care setting (22.6%) and in-patient care (18.8%) comprised the majority of the remaining share. Compared to OECD countries, Hong Kong has devoted a relatively low percentage of gross domestic product to health in the last decade. As a share of total spending, public funding (either general government revenue or social security funds) was also lower than in most comparably developed economies, although commensurate with its public revenue collection base.

[Analysis of the characteristics of toxins in 6005 cases of acute poisoning in Guangxi].

PubMed

Jiang, Dong-fang; Zhang, Zhen-ming; Hu, De-hong; Liu, Qing-hua

2013-07-01

To investigate the toxin characteristics of toxins in patients of acute poisoning in the Guangxi area. A retrospective study was conducted. The data of acute poisoning cases and the causative toxins collected from 63 hospitals of Guangxi, including 36 city hospitals, 12 county hospitals, and 15 township health centers from January 2005 to December 2009 were collected. The data were descriptively analyzed and classified by year. A total of 6005 cases with acute poisoning induced by 532 kinds of poisons were enrolled. The 532 kinds of toxin were classified by high-occurrence (producing poisoning for 5 continuous years), low-occurrence (leading to poisoning for 2-4 continuous years) and newly occurred categories (leading to poisoning only in 1 year). The numbers of poisons of these 3 categories accounted for 10.15% (54 kinds), 29.70% (158 kinds), 60.15% (320 kinds) of total number of poisons, respectively. There were 4688 (78.07%), 780 (12.99%), and 537 (8.94%) cases for each category respectively. And the poisoning cases of each toxin involved from 8 to 837, 2 to 25, and 1 to 69 cases respectively. 77.78% (42/54) of high-occurrence poisons affect more than 20 cases, and 89.87% (142/158), 98.75% (316/320) of low-occurrence and new-occurrence poisons involved less than 10 cases. In the dynamic analyses for 5 years, frequency of toxin caused by high-occurrence, low-occurrence and newly occurred poisons in 5 years were 5 times, 2.6 times, and 1 time, respectively. The number of poisons caused by the high-occurrence toxin each year were same, but the average-annual growth rates of poison numbers caused by the low-occurrence and new-occurrence poisons each year were 17.61% and 20.10%. The average-annual growth rates of poisoning cases caused by the 3 categories of poisons were 14.08%, 16.53%, 31.96%, and the average-annual growth rates of poisoning cases caused by each categories were 10.28%, 1.13%, 11.45%, respectively. In the high-occurrence category, the poison species was least, the poisoning cases were most, the variety of the affected cases by each poison was largest, and the case involved by each toxin was increased by year. But in the newly occurred category, the poison constituent ratio was largest, but the poisoning population was the least, the disparity of each poison was least, and the toxin increased and the population affected each year were elevated. The characteristics of low-occurrence poison were between high-occurrence poison and newly occurred poison.

Permitted water use in Iowa, 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkle, D.L.; Newman, J.L.; Shields, E.M.

1985-01-01

This report summarizes where, how much and for what purpose water is allocated for use in Iowa with permits issued by the Department of Water, Air and Waste Management. In Iowa, from a total permitted water use of 855,175.45 million gallons per year, about 58 percent is from surface-water sources and about 42 percent is from ground-water sources. Streams are 80.5 percent of the total surface-water use and wells make up 80.1 percent of the total ground-water use, with 65.4 percent of ground water coming from surficial aquifers. Power generation is the use category that is permitted the largest amount of total water use, 46.6 percent, with surface water being the source of 96.7 percent and 77.9 percent of the surface water is from streams. The public water suppliers' category is the next largest use type with 15.7 percent of the total permitted water. Ground water constitutes 74.4 percent of the public water supplier category with 51.7 percent from surficial aquifers. Surface water makes up 25.6 percent of this category with 83.0 percent of the surface water withdrawn from streams. Mining comprises 13.4 percent of the total water use and is the third largest water-use category. Ground water is the source of 63.3 percent of permitted mining water use with 94.3 percent of this from quarries and sand and gravel pits. Surface water is the source of 36.7 percent of the permitted mining water use with 97.6 percent from streams. Irrigation is the fourth largest permitted use type using 12.0 percent of the total water use. Eighty-eight percent of irrigation is from ground-water sources where surficial aquifers account for 94.7 percent. Streams are 81.1 percent of irrigational surface-water use. Self-supplied industrial users are permitted 10.6 percent of the total permitted water use with 85.5 percent of this from ground-water sources and 14.5 percent from surface-water sources. Of the self-supplied industrial ground-water use, 47.9 percent comes from surficial aquifers and of the self-supplied industrial surface-water use 86.1 percent is from streams. Self-supplied commercial use is allocated 1.5 percent of the total permitted water. Surface-water is the source of 37.7 percent of this and 62.3 percent is from ground-water sources. Agricultural (non-irrigation) use is 0.3 percent of the total permitted water with 73.3 percent from groundwater sources and 26.7 percent from surface-water sources. The areas that are allocated the most water permits are east-central Iowa and west-central Iowa.

Isolation and characterization of formacell Lignins from oil empty fruits bunches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayati, S.; Zuidar, A. S.; Satyajaya, W.; Murhadi; Retnowati, D.

2018-04-01

Lignin is the largest component in black liquor, it is about 46% of solids total and can be isolated by precipitation using acid and base method. The purpose of this study was to get the best NaOH concentration to produce lignin with yield, solids total content, metoxyle lignins content, weights equivalent of lignin in the black liquor by pulping formacell process from oil empty fruits bunches. This study was done with isolation lignin process in black liquor used by NaOH concentration were 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% from volume black liquor and then precipitationed for 10 hours. The result of this research showed the isolation of lignin with NaOH concentration 30% get the pH 5,42%, yield of lignin was 5,67%, solids black liquor total was 65,11%, levels of metoxyle lignin 14,61%, and equivalent weights of lignin was 1787,23. The result of FT-IR identifications of isolates lignin in NaOH concentration 25 and 30% showed a pattern infiltration spektro IR that almost a part that have the same infiltration at the wave numbers that showed lignin had one of the rings lignin was guaiasil, it was building blocks of non wood lignin.

The impact of patient volume on surgical trauma training in a Scandinavian trauma centre.

PubMed

Gaarder, Christine; Skaga, Nils Oddvar; Eken, Torsten; Pillgram-Larsen, Johan; Buanes, Trond; Naess, Paal Aksel

2005-11-01

Some of the problems faced in trauma surgery are increasing non-operative management of abdominal injuries, decreasing work hours and increasing sub-specialisation. We wanted to document the experience of trauma team leaders at the largest trauma centre in Norway, hypothesising that the patient volume would be inadequate to secure optimal trauma care. Patients registered in the hospital based Trauma Registry during the 2-year period from 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2002 were included. Of a total of 1667 patients registered, 645 patients (39%) had an Injury Severity Score (ISS)>15. Abdominal injuries were diagnosed in 205 patients with a median ISS of 30. An average trauma team leader assessed a total of 119 trauma cases a year (46 patients with ISS>15) and participated in 10 trauma laparotomies. Although the total number of trauma cases seems adequate, the experience of the trauma team leaders with challenging abdominal injuries is limited. With increasing sub-specialisation and general surgery vanishing, fewer surgical specialties provide operative competence in dealing with complicated torso trauma. A system of additional education and quality assurance measures is a prerequisite of high quality, and has consequently been introduced in our institution.

[Allocation analysis of central government AIDS special funding in priority sites of HIV/AIDS prevention and control].

PubMed

Wu, Di; Zhao, Yuan; Liu, Hui; Yin, Wenyuan; Zhang, Dapeng; Li, Hui; Hu, Yifei

2015-06-01

To analyze the allocation and trend of central government AIDS special funding in 4 priority sites of HIV/AIDS prevention and control across calendar years. Information about the allocation of central government special AIDS funding and cumulative HIV/AIDS survivor numbers of Z city, D prefecture, L prefecture and D prefecture were collected until 2013. Data were collected from 2004-2013 for Z city and D prefecture, and data from 2009-2013 were collected for L and Y prefecture. Funding allocation among all working areas and their trend over time were analyzed. From 2004-2013, the total amount of special funding in Z prefecture was 110.15 million RMB. The largest three areas of allocation were key population response (29%, 3 190/11 015), surveillance and testing (23%, 2 535/11 015) and human resource (13%, 1 498/11 015). The least area of allocation was follow-up and prevention of discordant couple transmission (2%, 251/11 015). The total amount of special funding in D prefecture from 2004-2013 was 109.77 million RMB. The largest three areas of allocation were treatment and care (25%, 2 691/10 977), follow-up and prevention of discordant couple transmission (17%, 1 843/10 977) and surveillance and testing (15%, 1 656/10 977). The least area was blood safety (1%, 135/10 977). From 2009 to 2013, the total amount of special funding in L prefecture was 55 million RMB. The largest three areas of allocation were surveillance and testing (60%, 3 298/5 500), high risk population intervention (14%, 768/5 500) and follow up and prevention of discordant couple transmission (12%, 675/5 500). The least area was blood safety (0.1%, 8/5 500). From 2009-2013, the total amount of special funding in Y prefecture was 55 million RMB and the largest three areas of allocation were project management and others (28%, 1 527/5 500), key population response (19%, 1 046/5 500) and high risk population intervention (17%, 922/5 500). The least area of special funding was blood safety (2%, 106/5 500). Among three HIV/AIDS epidemic related key areas (surveillance and testing, follow-up and prevention of discordant couple transmission, treatment and care), 2004-2013, allocated funds were between 2.96-3.36, 0-0.37, 0.37-1.97 million RMB in Z city; 0.64-2.35, 0.00-3.00, 2.00-4.70 million RMB in D prefecture; 2009-2013, allocated funds were between 2.67-8.85, 0.41-2.39, 0.35-1.84 million RMB in L prefecture, 1.18-2.84, 0.70-1.05, 0.46-0.89 million RMB in Y prefecture. The allocation patterns of central government AIDS special funding among key working areas were different across 4 different sites; in each individual site, the trend of special funding allocation was stable among HIV epidemic related key areas over calendar years.

Resistance to rocuronium of rat diaphragm as compared with limb muscles.

PubMed

Huang, Lina; Yang, Meirong; Chen, Lianhua; Li, Shitong

2014-12-01

Skeletal muscles are composed of different muscle fiber types. We investigated the different potency to rocuronium among diaphragm (DIA), extensor digitorum longus (EDL), and soleus (SOL) in vitro as well as to investigate the differences of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) among these three typical kinds of muscles. The isolated left hemidiaphragm nerve-muscle preparations, the EDL sciatic nerve-muscle preparations, and the SOL sciatic nerve-muscle preparations were established to evaluate the potency to rocuronium. Concentration-response curves were constructed and the values of IC50 were obtained. The density of AChRs at the end plate and the number of AChRs per unit fiber cross fiber area (CSA), AChR affinity for muscle relaxants were evaluated. The concentration-twitch tension curves of rocuronium were significantly different. The curves demonstrated a shift to the right of the DIA compared with the EDL and SOL (P < 0.01), whereas no significant difference was observed between EDL and SOL (P > 0.05). IC50 was significantly largest in DIA, second largest in SOL, and smallest in EDL (P < 0.05). The number of AChRs per unit fiber CSA was largest in DIA, second largest in EDL, and smallest in SOL (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The DIA showed the lowest affinity of the AChRs, whereas the SOL showed the highest affinity. The resistance to rocuronium of DIA compared with EDL and SOL was verified. The DIA was characterized by the largest number of AChRs per unit fiber CSA and the lowest affinity of the AChRs. Although compared with SOL, EDL was proved to have larger number of AChRs per unit fiber CSA and the lower affinity of the AChRs. These findings may be the mechanisms of different potency to rocuronium in DIA, EDL, and SOL. The results of the study could help to explain the relationship between different composition of muscle fibers and the potency to muscle relaxants. Extra caution should be taken in clinical practice when monitoring muscle relaxation in anesthetic management using different muscles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Iran Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2015-01-01

Iran holds the world's fourth-largest proved crude oil reserves and the world's second-largest natural gas reserves. Despite the country's abundant reserves, Iran's crude oil production has substantially declined, and natural gas production growth has been slower than expected over the past few years. International sanctions have profoundly affected Iran's energy sector and have prompted a number of cancellations or delays of upstream oil and gas projects.

Chloride concentrations, loads, and yields in four watersheds along Interstate 95, southeastern Connecticut, 2008-11: factors that affect peak chloride concentrations during winter storms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Craig J.; Mullaney, John R.; Morrison, Jonathan; Martin, Joseph W.; Trombley, Thomas J.

2015-07-01

The addition of a lane mile in both directions on I–95 would result in an estimate of approximately 2 to 11 percent increase in Cl- input from deicers applied to I–95 and other roads maintained by Connecticut Department of Transportation. The largest estimated increase in Cl- load was in the watersheds with the greatest number miles of I–95 corridor relative to the total lane miles maintained by Connecticut Department of Transportation. On the basis of these estimates and the estimated peak Cl- concentrations during the study period, it is unlikely that the increased use of deicers on the additional lanes would lead to Cl- concentrations that exceed the aquatic habitat criteria.

Systematic screening for CYP3A4 genetic polymorphisms in a Han Chinese population.

PubMed

Hu, Guo-Xin; Dai, Da-Peng; Wang, Hao; Huang, Xiang-Xin; Zhou, Xiao-Yang; Cai, Jie; Chen, Hao; Cai, Jian-Ping

2017-03-01

To systematically investigate the genetic polymorphisms of the CYP3A4 gene in a Han Chinese population. The promoter and exons of CYP3A4 gene in 1114 unrelated, healthy Han Chinese subjects were amplified and genotyped by direct sequencing. In total, five previously reported alleles (*1G, *4, *5, *18B and *23) were detected, of which one allele (*23) was reported for the first time in Han Chinese population. Additionally, seven novel exonic variants were also identified and designated as new alleles CYP3A4*28-*34. This study provides the most comprehensive data of CYP3A4 polymorphisms in Han Chinese population and detects the largest number of novel CYP3A4 alleles in one ethnic group.

Comparing the variation of needle and wood terpenoids in Scots pine provenances.

PubMed

Manninen, A M; Tarhanen, S; Vuorinen, M; Kainulaine, P

2002-01-01

We determined variation in both the concentration and composition of terpenoids in needles and wood within nine Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) provenances. Seedlings of different provenances representing a 1200-km N-S transect from Estonia to northern Finland were cultivated in Suonenjoki nursery field, central Finland, for seven years. Growth of seedlings and the number of vertical resin ducts in wood were also determined. alpha-Pinene and 3-carene were the major monoterpenes both in the needles and wood. The total monoterpene concentration was about five times higher in the needles than in the wood. A strong positive correlation was found between proportional quantities of several terpenes of the needles and wood, particularly for 3-carene, sabinene, and terpinolene. The needles contained both labdane-type and tricyclic resin acids, whereas the wood contained only tricyclic ones. The wood had a four times higher tricyclic resin acid concentration than the needles. The highest total monoterpene concentration in the needles and in the wood occurred in the most northern Muonio provenance and in the most southern Saaremaa provenance plants, respectively. The amount of high 3-carene genotype trees decreased among the northern provenances. The wood of the most northern Muonio provenance showed the lowest total resin acid concentration, but provenance did not affect total tricyclic resin acids in the needles. Korpilahti provenance trees from central Finland had the best growth in height. In addition, Korpilahti and Ruokolahti provenance trees showed largest radial growth of stem and smallest number of vertical resin ducts. The results suggest that especially the proportional quantity of 3-carene in the needles could be used in estimating the amount of this compound in the wood and vice versa.

Recruitment strategy cost and impact on minority accrual to a breast cancer prevention trial.

PubMed

Dew, Alexander; Khan, Seema; Babinski, Christie; Michel, Nancy; Heffernan, Marie; Stephan, Stefanie; Jordan, Neil; Jovanovic, Borko; Carney, Paula; Bergan, Raymond

2013-04-01

Recruitment of minorities to cancer prevention trials is difficult and costly. Early-phase cancer prevention trials have fewer resources to promote recruitment. Identifying cost-effective strategies that can replace or supplement traditional recruitment methods and improve minority accrual to small, early-phase cancer prevention trials are of critical importance. To compare the costs of accrual strategies used in a small breast cancer prevention trial and assess their impact on recruitment and minority accrual. A total of 1196 potential subjects with a known recruitment source contacted study coordinators about the SOY study, a breast cancer prevention trial. Recruitment strategies for this study included recruitment from within the Northwestern University network (internal strategy), advertisements placed on public transportation (Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)), health-related events, media (print/radio/television), and direct mail. Total recruitment strategy cost included the cost of study personnel and material costs calculated from itemized receipts. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated to compare the relative cost-effectiveness of each recruitment strategy. If a strategy was more costly and less effective than its comparator, then that strategy was considered dominated. Scenarios that were not dominated were compared. The primary effectiveness measure was the number of consents. Separate ICERs were calculated using the number of minority consents as the effectiveness measure. The total cost of SOY study recruitment was US$164,585, which included the cost of materials (US$26,133) and personnel (US$138,452). The internal referral strategy was the largest source of trial contacts (748/1196; 63%), consents (107/150; 71%), and minority consents (17/34; 50%) and was the most expensive strategy (US$139,033). CTA ads generated the second largest number of trial contacts (326/1196; 27%), the most minority contacts (184/321; 57%), and 16 minority consents (16/34; 47%), at a total cost of US$15,562. The other three strategies yielded many fewer contacts and consents. The methods of health events, CTA ads, and the internal strategy showed some evidence of cost-effectiveness (ICER: US$581, US$717, and US$1524, respectively). The CTA strategy was the most cost-effective strategy for minority accrual (ICER: US$908). Recall bias may have limited the accuracy of estimated time spent on recruitment by study personnel. Also, costs spent specifically on minority accrual were unobtainable; results may not be generalizable to other settings; and cost-effectiveness data for the methods of media, health events, and direct mail should be interpreted with caution since these methods generated few consents. Public transportation ads have the potential to generate numerous minority contacts and consents at a reasonable cost within an urban setting. Combined with traditional methods of recruitment, this method can lead to timelier study completion and increased minority accrual. Future research should prospectively track recruitment and costs in order to better assess the cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods used to target minority populations.

Spectral analysis of Chinese language: Co-occurrence networks from four literary genres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Wei; Chen, Guanrong

2016-05-01

The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the adjacency matrix of a network contain essential information about its topology. For each of the Chinese language co-occurrence networks constructed from four literary genres, i.e., essay, popular science article, news report, and novel, it is found that the largest eigenvalue depends on the network size N, the number of edges, the average shortest path length, and the clustering coefficient. Moreover, it is found that their node-degree distributions all follow a power-law. The number of different eigenvalues, Nλ, is found numerically to increase in the manner of Nλ ∝ log N for novel and Nλ ∝ N for the other three literary genres. An ;M; shape or a triangle-like distribution appears in their spectral densities. The eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue is mostly localized to a node with the largest degree. For the above observed phenomena, mathematical analysis is provided with interpretation from a linguistic perspective.

Estimating quality-adjusted life-year loss due to noncommunicable diseases in Korean adults through to the year 2040.

PubMed

Ock, Minsu; Han, Jung Won; Lee, Jin Yong; Kim, Seon-Ha; Jo, Min-Woo

2015-01-01

To estimate the loss in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) in Korean adults due to 13 noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in 2010 and predict changes in QALY loss through to the year 2040. Thirteen NCDs (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, stroke, myocardial infarction, angina, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, cataract, and depression) were selected from the Korean Community Health Survey 2010. The EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire index from the Korean Community Health Survey 2010 and the Korean valuation set were used to estimate utility weights according to sex, age, and disease. Morbidity data were also obtained from the Korean Community Health Survey 2010. Mortality data according to disease and life expectancy were retrieved from the Korean Statistical Information Service. To predict future QALY loss, future population projection data from the Korean Statistical Information Service were used as substitutes for 2010 population size. Among the assessed 13 NCDs, the largest total QALY loss was for hypertension (513,113 QALYs; units are omitted hereafter), followed by arthritis (509,317) and stroke (431,049). The largest QALY loss due to mortality was stroke (306,733), whereas the largest QALY loss due to morbidity was arthritis (502,513). By applying the middle estimate of future population, the largest increase in total QALY loss between 2010 and 2040 was for hypertension (840,582), followed by stroke (719,076) and diabetes mellitus (474,607). Hypertension, arthritis, and stroke are important in terms of total QALY loss, which will continuous to increase because of aging. These results could be used to develop cost-effective interventions that reduce the burden of NCDs. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Pedometer-determined segmented physical activity patterns of fourth- and fifth-grade children.

PubMed

Brusseau, Timothy A; Kulinna, Pamela H; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Ferry, Matthew; van der Mars, Hans; Darst, Paul W

2011-02-01

The need to understand where and how much physical activity (PA) children accumulate has become important in assisting the development, implementation, and evaluation of PA interventions. The purpose of this study was to describe the daily PA patterns of children during the segmented school-week. 829 children participated by wearing pedometers (Yamax-Digiwalker SW-200) for 5 consecutive days. Students recorded their steps at arrival/departure from school, Physical Education (PE), recess, and lunchtime. Boys took significantly more steps/day than girls during most PA opportunities; recess, t(440)=8.80, P<.01; lunch, t(811)=14.57, P<.01; outside of school, t(763)=5.34, P<.01; school, t(811)=10.61, P<.01; and total day, t(782)=7.69, P<.01. Boys and girls accumulated a similar number of steps t(711) .69, P=.09 during PE. For boys, lunchtime represented the largest single source of PA (13.4%) at school, followed by PE (12.7%) and recess (9.5%). For girls, PE was the largest (14.3%), followed by lunchtime (11.7%) and recess (8.3%). An understanding of the contributions of the in-school segments can serve as baseline measures for practitioners and researchers to use in school-based PA interventions.

Transfusion practice in Helsinki University Central Hospital: an analysis of diagnosis-related groups (DRG).

PubMed

Syrjälä, M T; Kytöniemi, I; Mikkolainen, K; Ranimo, J; Lauharanta, J

2001-12-01

Transfusion data combined with data automatically recorded in hospital databases provides an outstanding tool for blood utilization reporting. When the reporting is performed with an online analytical processing (OLAP) tool, real time reporting can be provided to blood subscribers. When this data is combined with a common patient classification system, Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG), it is possible to produce statistical results, that are similar in different institutions and may provide a means for international transfusion bench-marking and cost comparison. We use a DRG classification to describe the transfusion practice in Helsinki University Central Hospital. The key indicators include the percentage of transfused patients, the number of transfused units and costs in different DRG groups, as well as transfusion rates per DRG weighted treatment episodes. Ninety-three per cent of all transfusions could be classified into different DRGs. The largest blood-using DRG group was acute adult leukaemia (DRG 473), which accounted for 10.4% of all transfusion costs. The 13 largest blood consuming DRGs accounted for half the total costs in 1998. Currently, there is a lack of an internationally accepted standardized way to report institutional or national transfusion practices. DRG-based transfusion reporting might serve as a means for transfusion benchmarking and thus aid studies of variations in transfusion practice.

Reproductive traits of the small Patagonian octopus Octopus tehuelchus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storero, Lorena P.; Narvarte, Maite A.; González, Raúl A.

2012-12-01

This study evaluated the reproductive features of Octopus tehuelchus in three coastal environments of San Matías Gulf (Patagonia). Monthly samples of O. tehuelchus were used to estimate size at maturity, compare seasonal changes in oocyte size frequency distributions between sites as well as oocyte number and size between female maturity stage and sites. Females in Islote Lobos had a smaller size at maturity than females in San Antonio Bay and El Fuerte, probably as a consequence of a generally smaller body size. Males in San Antonio Bay were smaller at maturity than females. O. tehuelchus is a simultaneous terminal spawner. Fecundity (expressed as number of vitellogenic oocytes in ovary) was lower in Islote Lobos, and an increase in oocyte number in relation to female total weight was found. Females in San Antonio Bay had the largest oocytes, which may indicate higher energy reserves for the embryo and therefore higher juvenile survival. There was a close relationship between reproduction, growth and condition, represented as size at maturity, number and size of vitellogenic oocytes and period of maturity and spawning. Given the local variation in some reproductive features of O. tehuelchus, studies should focus on the environmental factors, which bring about this variation, and on how it affects the dynamics of local populations.

The Presence of New Psychoactive Substances in a Tor Network Marketplace Environment.

PubMed

Dolliver, Diana S; Kuhns, Joseph B

2016-01-01

Prior research has documented the availability of drugs on many Tor Network websites, with the Internet playing a particularly vital role in the global new psychoactive substances (NPS) market. The primary objective of this research was to document types of NPS for sale on the largest operating Tor site (Agora) over a period of four months. Secondary objectives were to analyze countries and vendors sourcing NPS on Agora. Data from Agora were collected in February and June 2015. The number of total advertisements on Agora increased from 20,742 to 27,431 over the four months, while the number of NPS advertisements increased from 2,205 to 2,271 and the number of vendors increased from 157 to 288. The composition of NPS listings and source countries for NPS advertised on Agora diversified over time. Advertisements for ketamine and unclassified NPS experienced substantial growth, while the availability of phenethylamines decreased. However, phenethylamines remained the most frequently advertised NPS type. China and the U.S. were found to be the top two countries by volume selling NPS on Agora over the fpir months, but the number of countries identified as advertising NPS increased by nearly 43%. The United States housed the most NPS vendors.

SHARP {Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program}

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glasco, Deborah (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Year 2002 was another successful year for SHARP. Even after 22 years of SHARP, the Program continues to grow. There were 12 NASA Field Installations with a total of 210 apprentices who participated in the summer 2002 Program supported by 215 mentors in the fields of science and engineering. The apprentices were chosen from a pool of 1,379 applicants. This was a record year for applications exceeding the previous year by over 60%. For the second consecutive year, the number of female participants exceeded the number of males with 53% female and 47% male participants in the program. The main thrust of our recruiting efforts is still focused on underrepresented populations; especially African American, Hispanic, and Native American. At the conclusion of the summer program, most SHARP Apprentices indicated on the EDCATS that they would be interested in pursuing careers in Aerospace (56.2%) while the second largest career choice was a job at NASA (45.7%). The smallest number (11.9%) were interested in careers in the government. The table of responses is listed in the Appendix. Once again this year we were fortunate in that the SHARP COTR, Ms. Deborah Glasco, gained the support of MURED funding sources at NASA to fully fund additional apprentices and boost the number of apprentices to 210.

Scientific publications from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in integrative and complementary medicine journals: a ten-year literature survey.

PubMed

Li, Xiao-Qian; Tao, Kun-Ming; Zhou, Qing-Hui; Ling, Chang-Quan

2011-01-01

Practitioners and researchers from China, the largest user of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), have been publishing an increasing number of scientific articles in world-famous CAM journals in recent years. However, the status of CAM research in the three major regions of China, the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong has, until now, not been reported. In this study, we compared articles from these three regions published in international CAM journals from 2000 to 2009 using PubMed database and the Journal Citation Reports. The study results showed that the number of published articles from Mainland China increased significantly from 2000 to 2009, particularly since 2005. Meanwhile, the number of published articles from Taiwan also increased, whereas those from Hong Kong remained steady. Clinical trials and randomized controlled trials from Chinese authors both took a small percentage of the total. The impact factors of the journals in which these articles were published suggested similar academic levels whereas the average number of citation of articles from the Mainland was less than those from the other two regions. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, American Journal of Chinese Medicine, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine were the most popular journals for Chinese authors.

Open abdominal surgical training differences experienced by integrated vascular and general surgery residents.

PubMed

Tanious, Adam; Wooster, Mathew; Jung, Andrew; Nelson, Peter R; Armstrong, Paul A; Shames, Murray L

2017-10-01

As the integrated vascular residency program reaches almost a decade of maturity, a common area of concern among trainees is the adequacy of open abdominal surgical training. It is our belief that although their overall exposure to open abdominal procedures has decreased, integrated vascular residents have an adequate and focused exposure to open aortic surgery during training. National operative case log data supplied by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were compiled for both graduating integrated vascular surgery residents (IVSRs) and graduating categorical general surgery residents (GSRs) for the years 2012 to 2014. Mean total and open abdominal case numbers were compared between the IVSRs and GSRs, with more in-depth exploration into open abdominal procedures by organ system. Overall, the mean total 5-year case volume of IVSRs was 1168 compared with 980 for GSRs during the same time frame (P < .0001). IVSRs reported nearly double the number of surgeon-chief cases compared with GSRs (452 vs 239; P < .0001). GSRs reported more than double the number of open abdominal procedures compared with IVSRs (205 vs 83; P < .0001). Sixty-five percent of the open abdominal experience for IVSRs was focused on procedures involving the aorta and its branches, with an average of 54 open aortic cases recorded throughout their training. The largest single contributor to open surgical experience for a GSR was alimentary tract surgery, representing 57% of all open abdominal cases. GSRs completed an average of 116 open alimentary tract surgeries during their training. Open abdominal surgery represented an average of 7.1% of the total vascular case volume for the vascular residents, whereas open abdominal surgery represented 21% of a GSR's total surgical experience. IVSRs reported almost double the number of total cases during their training, with double chief-level cases. Sixty-five percent of open abdominal surgeries performed by IVSRs involved the aorta or its renovisceral branches. Whereas open abdominal surgery represented 7.1% of an IVSR's surgical training, GSRs had a far broader scope of open abdominal procedures, completing nearly double those of IVSRs. The differences in open abdominal procedures pertain to the differing diseases treated by GSRs and IVSRs. Copyright © 2017 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tracking the metal of the goblins: cobalt's cycle of use.

PubMed

Harper, E M; Kavlak, G; Graedel, T E

2012-01-17

Cobalt is a vital element in many technological applications, which, together with its increasing end-use in batteries, makes it important to quantify its cycle of use. We have done so for the planet as a whole and for the three principal cobalt-using countries - China, Japan, and the United States - for 2005. Together, China, Japan, and the United States accounted for approximately 65% of the cobalt fabricated and manufactured into end-use products (a total of 37 Gg Co). A time residence model allowed calculations of in-use stock accumulation and recycled and landfilled flows. China had the largest accumulation of in-use stock at some 4.3 Gg Co, over half of which was comprised of consumer battery stock. More than half of the stock accumulation in the United States was estimated to be in aircraft, rocket, and gas turbine engines, with a total in-use stock accumulation of approximately 3 Gg Co. The largest amounts of cobalt landfilled in China, the United States, and the planet were from the "chemical and other uses" category, and Japan's largest landfilled flow was in consumer batteries.

Structuring of Bacterioplankton Diversity in a Large Tropical Bay

PubMed Central

Gregoracci, Gustavo B.; Nascimento, Juliana R.; Cabral, Anderson S.; Paranhos, Rodolfo; Valentin, Jean L.; Thompson, Cristiane C.; Thompson, Fabiano L.

2012-01-01

Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of specific niche partitions have been demonstrated only for a limited number of colder water environments. In order to better understand the physical chemical and biological parameters that may influence bacterioplankton diversity and abundance, we examined their productivity, abundance and diversity in the second largest Brazilian tropical bay (Guanabara Bay, GB), as well as seawater physical chemical and biological parameters of GB. The inner bay location with higher nutrient input favored higher microbial (including vibrio) growth. Metagenomic analysis revealed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in this location, while GB locations with lower nutrient concentration favored Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. According to the subsystems (SEED) functional analysis, GB has a distinctive metabolic signature, comprising a higher number of sequences in the metabolism of phosphorus and aromatic compounds and a lower number of sequences in the photosynthesis subsystem. The apparent phosphorus limitation appears to influence the GB metagenomic signature of the three locations. Phosphorus is also one of the main factors determining changes in the abundance of planktonic vibrios, suggesting that nutrient limitation can be observed at community (metagenomic) and population levels (total prokaryote and vibrio counts). PMID:22363639

Dental sciences related articles data published in a Basic Medical Sciences Journal from Iran.

PubMed

Shamim, Thorakkal

2018-04-01

This data aimed to audit the dental sciences related articles published in Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (IJBMS) from 2007 to 2015 over a 9 year period performed using web-based search. The data were analyzed for topic of dental sciences, type of article, international collaborations, source of funding, number of authors and authorship trends. Out of the total 18 data related to dental sciences, original articles (12), review articles (4) and short communications (2) contribute the major share. Regarding the relationship with dental sciences, the maximum number of data were related to oral pathology and microbiology (16) followed by oral medicine and radiology (7) and periodontics (7). Among the data related to dental sciences, oral cancer (3) and gingival and periodontal diseases (3) followed by dental plaque and caries (2) and orthodontic tooth movement (2) form the major attraction of the contributors. The largest numbers of data related to dental sciences were received from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad (4) and Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran (2).The present data were compared with previous bibliometric studies done related to dental sciences (Shamim et al., 2017a, 2017b).

Long-term effects of copper and pH on the nematode community in an agroecosystem

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

Korthals, G.W.; Lexmond, T.M.; Kammenga, J.E.

1996-06-01

Four copper (0, 250, 500, and 750 kg Cu-ha{sup {minus}1}) and pH (4.0, 4.7, 5.4, and 6.1 in 1 M KCl) treatments were applied to an arable agroecosystem., Effects on the nematode community were assessed after 10 years of exposure under field conditions. Both copper and pH had major influences on nematodes. The effect of copper was generally enhanced with decreasing soil pH. The lowest copper application rate which had a significant negative effect on the total number of nematodes was 250 kg{center_dot}ha{sup {minus}1} at pH 4.0, which is equivalent to a copper concentration of 0.32 mg{center_dot}L{sup {minus}1} in 0.01more » M calcium chloride (Cu-CaCl{sub 2}). Species composition and the abundance of trophic groups were more sensitive than the total number of nematodes. Combinations of high copper and low pH significantly reduced the number of bacterial-feeding nematodes, whereas the number of hyphal-feeding nematodes increased. Omnivorous and predacious nematodes showed the most sensitive response, becoming extinct when Cu-CaCl{sub 2} was 0.8 to 1.4 mg{center_dot}L{sup {minus}1}. Plant-feeding nematodes showed the largest differences in abundance and appeared to reflect the effects of copper and pH on primary production. The results suggest that the nematode community was also affected indirectly by copper and pH via other components of the soil food web. It is concluded that nematodes offer excellent perspectives to assess effects of pollutants at the community level.« less

Meta-analysis as Statistical and Analytical Method of Journal’s Content Scientific Evaluation

PubMed Central

Masic, Izet; Begic, Edin

2015-01-01

Introduction: A meta-analysis is a statistical and analytical method which combines and synthesizes different independent studies and integrates their results into one common result. Goal: Analysis of the journals “Medical Archives”, “Materia Socio Medica” and “Acta Informatica Medica”, which are located in the most eminent indexed databases of the biomedical milieu. Material and methods: The study has retrospective and descriptive character, and included the period of the calendar year 2014. Study included six editions of all three journals (total of 18 journals). Results: In this period was published a total of 291 articles (in the “Medical Archives” 110, “Materia Socio Medica” 97, and in “Acta Informatica Medica” 84). The largest number of articles was original articles. Small numbers have been published as professional, review articles and case reports. Clinical events were most common in the first two journals, while in the journal “Acta Informatica Medica” belonged to the field of medical informatics, as part of pre-clinical medical disciplines. Articles are usually required period of fifty to fifty nine days for review. Articles were received from four continents, mostly from Europe. The authors are most often from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Iran, Kosovo and Macedonia. Conclusion: The number of articles published each year is increasing, with greater participation of authors from different continents and abroad. Clinical medical disciplines are the most common, with the broader spectrum of topics and with a growing number of original articles. Greater support of the wider scientific community is needed for further development of all three of the aforementioned journals. PMID:25870484

Characteristics of Latrines in Central Tanzania and Their Relation to Fly Catches

PubMed Central

Irish, Seth; Aiemjoy, Kristen; Torondel, Belen; Abdelahi, Faraji; Ensink, Jeroen H. J.

2013-01-01

The disposal of human excreta in latrines is an important step in reducing the transmission of diarrhoeal diseases. However, in latrines, flies can access the latrine contents and serve as a mechanical transmitter of diarrhoeal pathogens. Furthermore, the latrine contents can be used as a breeding site for flies, which may further contribute to disease transmission. Latrines do not all produce flies, and there are some which produce only a few, while others can produce thousands. In order to understand the role of the latrine in determining this productivity, a pilot study was conducted, in which fifty latrines were observed in and around Ifakara, Tanzania. The characteristics of the latrine superstructure, use of the latrine, and chemical characteristics of pit latrine contents were compared to the numbers of flies collected in an exit trap placed over the drop hole in the latrine. Absence of a roof was found to have a significant positive association (t=3.17, p=0.003) with the total number of flies collected, and temporary superstructures, particularly as opposed to brick superstructures (z=4.26, p<0.001), and increased total solids in pit latrines (z=2.57, p=0.01) were significantly associated with increased numbers of blowflies leaving the latrine. The number of larvae per gram was significantly associated with the village from which samples were taken, with the largest difference between two villages outside Ifakara (z=2.12, p=0.03). The effect of latrine superstructure (roof, walls) on fly production may indicate that improvements in latrine construction could result in decreases in fly populations in areas where they transmit diarrhoeal pathogens. PMID:23874475

Profile of a Woman Officer; Findings of a Study of Executives in America's 1300 Largest Companies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1978

The typical woman officer from the nation's largest industrial, banking, retail and utility companies is married, at least 50 years of age, has had some college, was born into a family of low or lower middle class income, and has a work salary of less than $30,000. While the number of women officers in leading business organizations is small, the…

Sampling for Global Epidemic Models and the Topology of an International Airport Network

PubMed Central

Bobashev, Georgiy; Morris, Robert J.; Goedecke, D. Michael

2008-01-01

Mathematical models that describe the global spread of infectious diseases such as influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and tuberculosis (TB) often consider a sample of international airports as a network supporting disease spread. However, there is no consensus on how many cities should be selected or on how to select those cities. Using airport flight data that commercial airlines reported to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) in 2000, we have examined the network characteristics of network samples obtained under different selection rules. In addition, we have examined different size samples based on largest flight volume and largest metropolitan populations. We have shown that although the bias in network characteristics increases with the reduction of the sample size, a relatively small number of areas that includes the largest airports, the largest cities, the most-connected cities, and the most central cities is enough to describe the dynamics of the global spread of influenza. The analysis suggests that a relatively small number of cities (around 200 or 300 out of almost 3000) can capture enough network information to adequately describe the global spread of a disease such as influenza. Weak traffic flows between small airports can contribute to noise and mask other means of spread such as the ground transportation. PMID:18776932

Aerosol Fluxes over Amazon Rain Forest Measured with the Eddy Covariance Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahlm, L.; Nilsson, E. D.; Krejci, R.; Mårtensson, E. M.; Vogt, M.; Artaxo, P.

2008-12-01

We present measurements of vertical aerosol fluxes over the Amazon carried out on top of K34, a 50 meter high tower in the Cuieiras Reserve about 50 km north of Manaus in northern Brazil. The turbulent fluxes were measured with the eddy covariance method. The covariance of vertical wind speed from a sonic anemometer Gill Windmaster and total aerosol number concentration from a condensation particle counter (CPC) TSI 3010 provided the total number flux (diameter >0.01 μm). The covariance of vertical wind speed and size resolved number concentrations from an optical particle counter (OPC) Grimm 1.109 provided size resolved number fluxes in 15 bins from 0.25 μm to 2.5 μm diameter. Additionally fluxes of CO2 and H2O were derived from Li-7500 observations. The observational period, from early March to early August, includes both wet and dry season. OPC fluxes generally show net aerosol deposition both during wet and dry season with the largest downward fluxes during midday. CPC fluxes show different patterns in wet and dry season. During dry season, when number concentrations are higher, downward fluxes clearly dominate. In the wet season however, when number concentrations are lower, our data indicates that upward and downward fluxes are quite evenly distributed during course of a day. On average there is a peak in upward flux during late morning and another peak during the afternoon. Since the OPC fluxes in the same time show net deposition, there is an indication of net source of primary aerosol particles with diameters between 10 and 250 nm emitted from the rain forest. Future data analysis will hopefully shed light on origin and formation mechanism of these particles and thus provide a deeper insight in the rain forest - atmosphere interactions. The aerosol flux measurements were carried out as a part of the AMAZE project in collaboration with University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and financial support was provided by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

An overview of the U.S. commercial space launch infrastructure : Quarterly Launch Report : special report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The commercial space transportation industry has witnessed unparalleled growth in the number of commercial launches over the past few years. Last year witnessed the largest number yet, 35 commercial launches worldwide, nearly twice the 21 commercial ...

Farm Management in Organic and Conventional Dairy Production Systems Based on Pasture in Southern Brazil and Its Consequences on Production and Milk Quality

PubMed Central

Kuhnen, Shirley; Stibuski, Rudinei Butka; Honorato, Luciana Aparecida; Pinheiro Machado Filho, Luiz Carlos

2015-01-01

Simple Summary This study provides the characteristics of the conventional high input (C-HI), conventional low input (C-LI), and organic low input (O-LI) pasture-based production systems used in Southern Brazil, and its consequences on production and milk quality. C-HI farms had larger farms and herds, annual pasture with higher inputs and milk yield, whereas O-LI had smaller farms and herds, perennial pastures with lowest input and milk yields; C-LI was in between. O-LI farms may contribute to eco-system services, but low milk yield is a major concern. Hygienic and microbiological milk quality was poor for all farms and needs to be improved. Abstract Pasture-based dairy production is used widely on family dairy farms in Southern Brazil. This study investigates conventional high input (C-HI), conventional low input (C-LI), and organic low input (O-LI) pasture-based systems and their effects on quantity and quality of the milk produced. We conducted technical site visits and interviews monthly over one year on 24 family farms (n = 8 per type). C-HI farms had the greatest total area (28.9 ha), greatest percentage of area with annual pasture (38.7%), largest number of lactating animals (26.2) and greatest milk yield per cow (22.8 kg·day−1). O-LI farms had the largest perennial pasture area (52.3%), with the greatest botanical richness during all seasons. Area of perennial pasture was positively correlated with number of species consumed by the animals (R2 = 0.74). Milk from O-LI farms had higher levels of fat and total solids only during the winter. Hygienic and microbiological quality of the milk was poor for all farms and need to be improved. C-HI farms had high milk yield related to high input, C-LI had intermediate characteristics and O-LI utilized a year round perennial pasture as a strategy to diminish the use of supplements in animal diets, which is an important aspect in ensuring production sustainability. PMID:26479369

The large lungs of elite swimmers: an increased alveolar number?

PubMed

Armour, J; Donnelly, P M; Bye, P T

1993-02-01

In order to obtain further insight into the mechanisms relating to the large lung volumes of swimmers, tests of mechanical lung function, including lung distensibility (K) and elastic recoil, pulmonary diffusion capacity, and respiratory mouth pressures, together with anthropometric data (height, weight, body surface area, chest width, depth and surface area), were compared in eight elite male swimmers, eight elite male long distance athletes and eight control subjects. The differences in training profiles of each group were also examined. There was no significant difference in height between the subjects, but the swimmers were younger than both the runners and controls, and both the swimmers and controls were heavier than the runners. Of all the training variables, only the mean total distance in kilometers covered per week was significantly greater in the runners. Whether based on: (a) adolescent predicted values; or (b) adult male predicted values, swimmers had significantly increased total lung capacity ((a) 145 +/- 22%, (mean +/- SD) (b) 128 +/- 15%); vital capacity ((a) 146 +/- 24%, (b) 124 +/- 15%); and inspiratory capacity ((a) 155 +/- 33%, (b) 138 +/- 29%), but this was not found in the other two groups. Swimmers also had the largest chest surface area and chest width. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was largest in the swimmers ((b) 122 +/- 17%) and FEV1 as a percentage of forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC)% was similar for the three groups. Pulmonary diffusing capacity (DLCO) was also highest in the swimmers (117 +/- 18%). All of the other indices of lung function, including pulmonary distensibility (K), elastic recoil and diffusion coefficient (KCO), were similar. These findings suggest that swimmers may have achieved greater lung volumes than either runners or control subjects, not because of greater inspiratory muscle strength, or differences in height, fat free mass, alveolar distensibility, age at start of training or sternal length or chest depth, but by developing physically wider chests, containing an increased number of alveoli, rather than alveoli of increased size. However, in this cross-sectional study, hereditary factors cannot be ruled out, although we believe them to be less likely.

Long-term projections of temperature-related mortality risks for ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and acute ischemic heart disease under changing climate in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Li, Tiantian; Horton, Radley M; Bader, Daniel A; Liu, Fangchao; Sun, Qinghua; Kinney, Patrick L

2018-03-01

Changing climates have been causing variations in the number of global ischemic heart disease and stroke incidences, and will continue to affect disease occurrence in the future. To project temperature-related mortality for acute ischemic heart disease, and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke with concomitant climate warming. We estimated the exposure-response relationship between daily cause-specific mortality and daily mean temperature in Beijing. We utilized outputs from 31 downscaled climate models and two representative concentration pathways (RCPs) for the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s. This strategy was used to estimate future net temperature along with heat- and cold-related deaths. The results for predicted temperature-related deaths were subsequently contrasted with the baseline period. In the 2080s, using the RCP8.5 and no population variation scenarios, the net total number of annual temperature-related deaths exhibited a median value of 637 (with a range across models of 434-874) for ischemic stroke; this is an increase of approximately 100% compared with the 1980s. The median number of projected annual temperature-related deaths was 660 (with a range across models of 580-745) for hemorrhagic stroke (virtually no change compared with the 1980s), and 1683 (with a range across models of 1351-2002) for acute ischemic heart disease (a slight increase of approximately 20% compared with the 1980s). In the 2080s, the monthly death projection for hemorrhagic stroke and acute ischemic heart disease showed that the largest absolute changes occurred in summer and winter while the largest absolute changes for ischemic stroke occurred in summer. We projected that the temperature-related mortality associated with ischemic stroke will increase dramatically due to climate warming. However, projected temperature-related mortality pertaining to acute ischemic heart disease and hemorrhagic stroke should remain relatively stable over time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 52.23 - Deployment of long-term database methods for number portability by LECs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Deployment of long-term database methods for... database methods for number portability by LECs. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, all... LECs must provide a long-term database method for number portability in the 100 largest Metropolitan...

47 CFR 52.23 - Deployment of long-term database methods for number portability by LECs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Deployment of long-term database methods for... database methods for number portability by LECs. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, all... LECs must provide a long-term database method for number portability in the 100 largest Metropolitan...

47 CFR 52.23 - Deployment of long-term database methods for number portability by LECs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Deployment of long-term database methods for... database methods for number portability by LECs. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, all... LECs must provide a long-term database method for number portability in the 100 largest Metropolitan...

47 CFR 52.23 - Deployment of long-term database methods for number portability by LECs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Deployment of long-term database methods for... database methods for number portability by LECs. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, all... LECs must provide a long-term database method for number portability in the 100 largest Metropolitan...

47 CFR 52.23 - Deployment of long-term database methods for number portability by LECs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deployment of long-term database methods for... database methods for number portability by LECs. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, all... LECs must provide a long-term database method for number portability in the 100 largest Metropolitan...

Dietary intake and development of a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire for a lifestyle intervention to reduce the risk of chronic diseases in Canadian First Nations in north-western Ontario.

PubMed

Sharma, Sangita; Cao, Xia; Gittelsohn, Joel; Ho, Lara S; Ford, Elizabeth; Rosecrans, Amanda; Harris, Stewart; Hanley, Anthony Jg; Zinman, Bernard

2008-08-01

To characterise the diet of First Nations in north-western Ontario, highlight foods for a lifestyle intervention and develop a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (QFFQ). Cross-sectional survey using single 24 h dietary recalls. Eight remote and semi-remote First Nations reserves in north-western Ontario. 129 First Nations (Oji-Cree and Ojibway) men and women aged between 18 and 80 years. The greatest contributors to energy were breads, pasta dishes and chips (contributing over 20 % to total energy intake). 'Added fats' such as butter and margarine added to breads and vegetables made up the single largest source of total fat intake (8.4 %). The largest contributors to sugar were sugar itself, soda and other sweetened beverages (contributing over 45 % combined). The mean number of servings consumed of fruits, vegetables and dairy products were much lower than recommended. The mean daily meat intake was more than twice that recommended. A 119-item QFFQ was developed including seven bread items, five soups or stews, 24 meat- or fish-based dishes, eight rice or pasta dishes, nine fruits and 14 vegetables. Frequency of consumption was assessed by eight categories ranging from 'Never or less than one time in one month' to 'two or more times a day'. We were able to highlight foods for intervention to improve dietary intake based on the major sources of energy, fat and sugar and the low consumption of fruit and vegetable items. The QFFQ is being used to evaluate a diet and lifestyle intervention in First Nations in north-western Ontario.

Incidence and Costs of Clostridium difficile Infections in Canada.

PubMed

Levy, Adrian R; Szabo, Shelagh M; Lozano-Ortega, Greta; Lloyd-Smith, Elisa; Leung, Victor; Lawrence, Robin; Romney, Marc G

2015-09-01

Background.  Limited data are available on direct medical costs and lost productivity due to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Canada. Methods.  We developed an economic model to estimate the costs of managing hospitalized and community-dwelling patients with CDI in Canada. The number of episodes was projected based on publicly available national rates of hospital-associated CDI and the estimate that 64% of all CDI is hospital-associated. Clostridium difficile infection recurrences were classified as relapses or reinfections. Resource utilization data came from published literature, clinician interviews, and Canadian CDI surveillance programs, and this included the following: hospital length of stay, contact with healthcare providers, pharmacotherapy, laboratory testing, and in-hospital procedures. Lost productivity was considered for those under 65 years of age, and the economic impact was quantified using publicly available labor statistics. Unit costs were obtained from published sources and presented in 2012 Canadian dollars. Results.  There were an estimated 37 900 CDI episodes in Canada in 2012; 7980 (21%) of these were relapses, out of a total of 10 900 (27%) episodes of recurrence. The total cost to society of CDI was estimated at $281 million; 92% ($260 million) was in-hospital costs, 4% ($12 million) was direct medical costs in the community, and 4% ($10 million) was due to lost productivity. Management of CDI relapses alone accounted for $65.1 million (23%). Conclusions.  The largest proportion of costs due to CDI in Canada arise from extra days of hospitalization. Interventions reducing the severity of infection and/or relapses leading to rehospitalizations are likely to have the largest absolute effect on direct medical costs.

Incidence and Costs of Clostridium difficile Infections in Canada

PubMed Central

Levy, Adrian R.; Szabo, Shelagh M.; Lozano-Ortega, Greta; Lloyd-Smith, Elisa; Leung, Victor; Lawrence, Robin; Romney, Marc G.

2015-01-01

Background. Limited data are available on direct medical costs and lost productivity due to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Canada. Methods. We developed an economic model to estimate the costs of managing hospitalized and community-dwelling patients with CDI in Canada. The number of episodes was projected based on publicly available national rates of hospital-associated CDI and the estimate that 64% of all CDI is hospital-associated. Clostridium difficile infection recurrences were classified as relapses or reinfections. Resource utilization data came from published literature, clinician interviews, and Canadian CDI surveillance programs, and this included the following: hospital length of stay, contact with healthcare providers, pharmacotherapy, laboratory testing, and in-hospital procedures. Lost productivity was considered for those under 65 years of age, and the economic impact was quantified using publicly available labor statistics. Unit costs were obtained from published sources and presented in 2012 Canadian dollars. Results. There were an estimated 37 900 CDI episodes in Canada in 2012; 7980 (21%) of these were relapses, out of a total of 10 900 (27%) episodes of recurrence. The total cost to society of CDI was estimated at $281 million; 92% ($260 million) was in-hospital costs, 4% ($12 million) was direct medical costs in the community, and 4% ($10 million) was due to lost productivity. Management of CDI relapses alone accounted for $65.1 million (23%). Conclusions. The largest proportion of costs due to CDI in Canada arise from extra days of hospitalization. Interventions reducing the severity of infection and/or relapses leading to rehospitalizations are likely to have the largest absolute effect on direct medical costs. PMID:26191534

Effects of the August 2003 blackout on the New York City healthcare delivery system: a lesson for disaster preparedness.

PubMed

Prezant, David J; Clair, John; Belyaev, Stanislav; Alleyne, Dawn; Banauch, Gisela I; Davitt, Michelle; Vandervoorts, Kathy; Kelly, Kerry J; Currie, Brian; Kalkut, Gary

2005-01-01

On August 14, 2003, the United States and Canada suffered the largest power failure in history. We report the effects of this blackout on New York City's healthcare system by examining the following: 1) citywide 911 emergency medical service (EMS) calls and ambulance responses; and 2) emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions to one of New York City's largest hospitals. Citywide EMS calls and ambulance responses were categorized by 911 call type. Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) ED visits and hospital admissions were categorized by diagnosis and physician-reviewed for relationship to the blackout. Comparisons were made to the week pre- and postblackout. Citywide EMS calls numbered 5,299 on August 14, 2003, and 5,021 on August 15, 2003, a 58% increase (p < .001). During the blackout, there were increases in "respiratory" (189%; p < .001), "cardiac" (68%; p = .016), and "other" (40%; p < .001) EMS call categories, but when expressed as a percent of daily totals, "cardiac" was no longer significant. The MMC-ED reflected this surge with only "respiratory" visits significantly increased (expressed as percent of daily total visits; p < .001). Respiratory device failure (mechanical ventilators, positive pressure breathing assist devices, nebulizers, and oxygen compressors) was responsible for the greatest burden (65 MMC-ED visits, with 37 admissions) as compared with 0 pre- and postblackout. The blackout dramatically increased EMS and hospital activity, with unexpected increases resulting from respiratory device failures in community-based patients. Our findings suggest that current capacity to respond to public health emergencies could be easily overwhelmed by widespread/prolonged power failure(s). Disaster preparedness planning would be greatly enhanced if fully operational, backup power systems were mandated, not only for acute care facilities, but also for community-based patients dependent on electrically powered lifesaving devices.

Sudden and unexpected childhood deaths investigated at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory, South Africa, 2007 - 2011.

PubMed

Van Deventer, B S; Rossouw, S H; Du Toit-Prinsloo, L

2016-09-06

 Sudden and unexpected death is well known to occur in infants, and although sudden deaths are less frequent after the first birthday, they still account for a significant proportion of childhood deaths. In 2009, 1.9% of the total deaths in the USA were childhood deaths. In South Africa (SA) this proportion was much higher at 11.85%. According to the law, sudden and unexpected deaths are generally investigated as unnatural deaths. Establishing an exact underlying anatomical cause of death will depend on available resources and can be difficult in a substantial proportion of cases.  A retrospective descriptive case audit was conducted at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory (PMLL), SA, from 1 January 2007 through to 31 December 2011. All children aged 1 - 18 years who died suddenly and unexpectedly were included.  Ninety-eight cases were identified, which constituted nearly 1% of total admissions to the PMLL. The majority of the deaths were of children aged 1 - 5 years, and the male/female ratio was 1.04:1. In the largest proportion of cases (n=28, 28.6%), the medicolegal investigation, including autopsy and ancillary investigations, did not establish an underlying anatomical cause of death. In the cases where a cause of death was established, pneumonia was the most common diagnosis (n=22, 22.4%).  The fact that the cause of the largest proportion of deaths could not be ascertained emphasises the need for consideration of additional investigative techniques, such as molecular/genetic screening, which have provided an underlying cause of death in a significant number of cases in other countries. There is a lack of published research on the causes and incidence of sudden unexpected deaths in children in SA, and further research in this area is needed.

STUDY DESIGN FOR A PILOT STUDY OF CHILDREN'S TOTAL EXPOSURE TO PERSISTENT PESTICIDES AND OTHER PERSISTENT ORGANIC PESTICIDES "CTEPP"

EPA Science Inventory

The Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent Pollutant (CTEPP) study is one of the largest aggregate exposure studies of young children in the United States. The CTEPP study examines the exposures of about 260 preschool children and their primary ad...

Update on the diagnostic radiology employment market: findings through 2005.

PubMed

Licurse, Adam; Saket, Daniel D; Sunshine, Jonathan H; Maynard, C Douglas; Forman, Howard P

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze and summarize the latest data describing the diagnostic radiologist employment market. Three sources of data--vacancies in academic radiology departments as of July 1, 2005; the ratio of job listings to job seekers at a major placement service; and the number of positions advertised in the American Journal of Roentgenology and Radiology-are presented and compared with previous data. Vacancies in academic departments averaged 4.5 in 2005, an increase of 16% from 2004 but a decrease of 16% from the 2001 peak. Vacancies increased from 2004 in all specialties except nuclear medicine and "other," and vacancies decreased from 2001 in all specialties except pediatric radiology and purely research positions. Job listings per job seeker increased 8% from 2004 but remain far below peak levels. The total number of positions advertised decreased by 6% from 2004, reaching the lowest level since 1998. In 2005, 42% of the total advertised jobs were academic, as compared with 45% in 2004. Proportional decreases were seen between 2004 and 2005 in total advertisements per region except the Northwest and California. The largest proportional increases in subspecialties occurred in general radiology, abdominal imaging, and "other." Data from the American College of Radiology Professional Bureau and a survey of academic radiology departments show an increased demand for diagnostic radiologists in 2005, whereas data from the help wanted index show a decrease. In addition, the regional distribution of advertisements and the proportion of advertisements for certain specialties have shown some shifting in 2005. We believe the job market remains strong, with regional and specialty shifting.

Health care and nonhealth care costs in the treatment of patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure in Spain.

PubMed

Delgado, Juan F; Oliva, Juan; Llano, Miguel; Pascual-Figal, Domingo; Grillo, José J; Comín-Colet, Josep; Díaz, Beatriz; Martínez de La Concha, León; Martí, Belén; Peña, Luz M

2014-08-01

Chronic heart failure is associated with high mortality and utilization of health care and social resources. The objective of this study was to quantify the use of health care and nonhealth care resources and identify variables that help to explain variability in their costs in Spain. This prospective, multicenter, observational study with a 12-month follow-up period included 374 patients with symptomatic heart failure recruited from specialized cardiology clinics. Information was collected on the socioeconomic characteristics of patients and caregivers, health status, health care resources, and professional and nonprofessional caregiving. The monetary cost of the resources used in caring for the health of these patients was evaluated, differentiating among functional classes. The estimated total cost for the 1-year follow-up ranged from € 12,995 to € 18,220, depending on the scenario chosen (base year, 2010). The largest cost item was informal caregiving (59.1%-69.8% of the total cost), followed by health care costs (26.7%- 37.4%), and professional care (3.5%). Of the total health care costs, the largest item corresponded to hospital costs, followed by medication. Total costs differed significantly between patients in functional class II and those in classes III or IV. Heart failure is a disease that requires the mobilization of a considerable amount of resources. The largest item corresponds to informal care. Both health care and nonhealth care costs are higher in the population with more advanced disease. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

[Carotenogenesis of five strains of the algae Dunaliella sp. (Chlorophyceae) isolated from Venezuelan hypersaline lagoons].

PubMed

Guevara, Miguel; Lodeiros, César; Gómez, Olga; Lemus, Nathalie; Núñez, Paulino; Romero, Lolymar; Vásquez, Aléikar; Rosales, Néstor

2005-01-01

We evaluated discontinuous cultures (Algal medium at 0.5 mM of NaNO3, and 27% NaCI) of five strains of Dunaliella sp. isolated from Venezuelan hypersaline lagoons (Araya, Coche, Peonia, Cumaraguas. and Boca Chica) and one strain from a reference collection (Dunaliella salina, LB1644). Cultures were maintained to 25+/-1 degrees C, with constant aeration, photoperiod 12:12, and two light intensities (195 and 390 microE.m(-2).s(-1)) during 30 days. Cell count was recorded on a daily basis using a Neubaüer camera. Totals of chlorophyll a and carotenoids were measured at the end of the experiment. The largest cellular densities were measured during the smallest light intensities. The strain with the largest cellular density was isolated from Boca Chica (8 xl0(6) and 2.5 xl0(6) cel.ml(-1) a 390 and 195microE.m(-2).s(-1), respectively). The increment of light intensity produced a significant reduction of growth rates in all strains. Totals of carotenoids by volume were as large as 390 microE.m(-2).s(-1). Strains LB 1644, from Coche and Araya were those that produced the largest amount of carotenoids (38.4; 32.8 and 21.0 microg.ml(-1), respectively). Differences total carotenoids by cell between treatments were significant. The largest concentration was 390 microE.m(-2).s(-1). The strains LB 1644 and Coche produced the highest values of carotenes (137.14 and 106.06 pg.cel(-1), respectively). Differences in the relation carotenoid:chlorophyll a between the strains at various light intensities was significant. Strains LB1644 presented the largest value of the relation carotenoids:chlorophyll a (20:1) at 195 microE.m(-2).s(-1). No significant differences were detected in the strain Coche (15:1). All the other strains showed relations lower than one. Our results suggest that the strains of Coche and Araya show potential to be used in the biotechnology of carotenoids production.

Youth Sports in America: An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seefeldt, Vern D.; Ewing, Martha E.

1997-01-01

This newsletter issue documents the number of children and adolescents participating in sports and examines gender differences, barriers to participation, and benefits of sports participation. The largest number of participants is enrolled in agency-sponsored programs (45 percent), followed by recreational programs (30 percent). Gender data reveal…

Social media in radiology: early trends in Twitter microblogging at radiology's largest international meeting.

PubMed

Hawkins, C Matthew; Duszak, Richard; Rawson, James V

2014-04-01

Twitter is a social media microblogging platform that allows rapid exchange of information between individuals. Despite its widespread acceptance and use at various other medical specialty meetings, there are no published data evaluating its use at radiology meetings. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the use of Twitter as a microblogging platform at recent RSNA annual meetings. Twitter activity meta-data tagged with official meeting hashtags #RSNA11 and #RSNA12 were collected and analyzed. Multiple metrics were evaluated, including daily and hourly Twitter activity, frequency of microblogging activity over time, characteristics of the 100 most active Twitter users at each meeting, characteristics of meeting-related tweets, and the geographic origin of meeting microbloggers. The use of Twitter microblogging increased by at least 30% by all identifiable meaningful metrics between the 2011 and 2012 RSNA annual meetings, including total tweets, tweets per day, activity of the most active microbloggers, and total number of microbloggers. Similar increases were observed in numbers of North American and international microbloggers. Markedly increased use of the Twitter microblogging platform at recent RSNA annual meetings demonstrates the potential to leverage this technology to engage meeting attendees, improve scientific sessions, and promote improved collaboration at national radiology meetings. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of pituitary dwarfism in the mouse on fast and slow skeletal muscles.

PubMed

Stickland, N C; Crook, A R; Sutton, C M

1994-01-01

The Snell dwarf mouse exhibits impaired growth of the anterior pituitary resulting in reduced levels of growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone. Ten dwarf mice and 10 phenotypically normal littermates were killed at 33 days of age. M. biceps brachii (a predominantly fast muscle) and m. soleus (a relatively slow muscle) were removed from each animal and complete frozen transverse sections obtained. Serial sections were reacted for various enzyme activities in order to identify muscle fibre types. There was no difference in the total number of muscle fibres in m. biceps brachii but a small difference in m. soleus between normal and dwarf mice. There were marked differences in the size of all fibre types between normal and dwarf mice with the largest differences in m. soleus. The percentage of slow oxidative fibres was similar (about 32%) in both groups of mice for m. soleus but there was a marked difference for this fibre type in m. biceps brachii being about 1.5% in normal mice and 8.0% in dwarf mice. This may be related to a difference in levels of thyroid hormone. Nuclear density was very significantly greater in dwarf muscles although total nuclear numbers were less than in normal muscles. These differences are most likely due to growth hormone levels. Differences in nuclear content were much greater in m. soleus than in m. biceps brachii.

Aircraft-type dependency of contrail evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unterstrasser, S.; Görsch, N.

2014-12-01

The impact of aircraft type on contrail evolution is assessed using a large eddy simulation model with Lagrangian ice microphysics. Six different aircraft ranging from the small regional airliner Bombardier CRJ to the largest aircraft Airbus A380 are taken into account. Differences in wake vortex properties and fuel flow lead to considerable variations in the early contrail geometric depth and ice crystal number. Larger aircraft produce contrails with more ice crystals (assuming that the number of initially generated ice crystals per kilogram fuel is constant). These initial differences are reduced in the first minutes, as the ice crystal loss during the vortex phase is stronger for larger aircraft. In supersaturated air, contrails of large aircraft are much deeper after 5 min than those of small aircraft. A parameterization for the final vertical displacement of the wake vortex system is provided, depending only on the initial vortex circulation and stratification. Cloud resolving simulations are used to examine whether the aircraft-induced initial differences have a long-lasting mark. These simulations suggest that the synoptic scenario controls the contrail cirrus evolution qualitatively. However, quantitative differences between the contrail cirrus properties of the various aircraft remain over the total simulation period of 6 h. The total extinctions of A380-produced contrails are about 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than those from contrails of a Bombardier CRJ.

Universities scale like cities.

PubMed

van Raan, Anthony F J

2013-01-01

Recent studies of urban scaling show that important socioeconomic city characteristics such as wealth and innovation capacity exhibit a nonlinear, particularly a power law scaling with population size. These nonlinear effects are common to all cities, with similar power law exponents. These findings mean that the larger the city, the more disproportionally they are places of wealth and innovation. Local properties of cities cause a deviation from the expected behavior as predicted by the power law scaling. In this paper we demonstrate that universities show a similar behavior as cities in the distribution of the 'gross university income' in terms of total number of citations over 'size' in terms of total number of publications. Moreover, the power law exponents for university scaling are comparable to those for urban scaling. We find that deviations from the expected behavior can indeed be explained by specific local properties of universities, particularly the field-specific composition of a university, and its quality in terms of field-normalized citation impact. By studying both the set of the 500 largest universities worldwide and a specific subset of these 500 universities--the top-100 European universities--we are also able to distinguish between properties of universities with as well as without selection of one specific local property, the quality of a university in terms of its average field-normalized citation impact. It also reveals an interesting observation concerning the working of a crucial property in networked systems, preferential attachment.

Research and collaboration overview of Institut Pasteur International Network: a bibliometric approach toward research funding decisions.

PubMed

Mostafavi, Ehsan; Bazrafshan, Azam

2014-01-01

Institut Pasteur International Network (IPIN), which includes 32 research institutes around the world, is a network of research and expertise to fight against infectious diseases. A scientometric approach was applied to describe research and collaboration activities of IPIN. Publications were identified using a manual search of IPIN member addresses in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) between 2006 and 2011. Total publications were then subcategorized by geographic regions. Several scientometric indicators and the H-index were employed to estimate the scientific production of each IPIN member. Subject and geographical overlay maps were also applied to visualize the network activities of the IPIN members. A total number of 12667 publications originated from IPIN members. Each author produced an average number of 2.18 papers and each publication received an average of 13.40 citations. European Pasteur Institutes had the largest amount of publications, authored papers, and H-index values. Biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases were the most important research topics, respectively. Geographic mapping of IPIN publications showed wide international collaboration among IPIN members around the world. IPIN has strong ties with national and international authorities and organizations to investigate the current and future health issues. It is recommended to use scientometric and collaboration indicators as measures of research performance in IPIN future policies and investment decisions.

Solar Irradiance Variations on Active Region Time Scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labonte, B. J. (Editor); Chapman, G. A. (Editor); Hudson, H. S. (Editor); Willson, R. C. (Editor)

1984-01-01

The variations of the total solar irradiance is an important tool for studying the Sun, thanks to the development of very precise sensors such as the ACRIM instrument on board the Solar Maximum Mission. The largest variations of the total irradiance occur on time scales of a few days are caused by solar active regions, especially sunspots. Efforts were made to describe the active region effects on total and spectral irradiance.

Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts in the United States: 2003-04. Statistical Analysis Report. NCES 2006-329

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton, Ben; Sable, Jennifer; Hoffman, Lee

2006-01-01

The purpose of this publication is to provide basic descriptive information about the 100 largest school districts (ranked by student membership, that is, the number of students enrolled at the beginning of the school year) for the 2003-04 school year in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the…

Strategic Supply

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

differentiation. Wal-Mart is the largest company and retailer in the world with a reported $256 billion in 2004 sales. If its sales were ranked...against other countries’ GDP, it would place 23rd in the world , between Austria and Saudi Arabia. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in North...person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number

Human related mortality of birds in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banks, R.C.

1979-01-01

Modern man serves as both a direct and an indirect cause of the death of birds. In the early 1970's, human activity was responsible for the death of approximately 196 million birds per year, or about 1.9% of the wild birds of the continental United States that died each year. Hunting was the largest direct mortality factor and accounted for about 61% of human related bird deaths. Control or prevention of avian depredations took about 1% of the total, and all research and propagation about 0.5%. Collision with man-made objects was the greatest indirect human cause of avian deaths. accounting for about 32% of the human related deaths. Pollution and poisoning caused the death of about 2% of the total. A relatively few species account for most of this mortality but continue to maintain large, harvestable populations, suggesting that the numbers of most bird species are essentially unaffected by the human activities discussed. Other activities of man that do not necessarily result in the death of birds but rather reduce reproductive potential are more likely to have long-term effects on avian populations.

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

Kelly, K.; Singer, M.

The largest source of funding for alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure projects in the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program's history came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). In 2009, the 25 cost-share projects totaled nearly $300 million in federal government investment. This effort included the involvement of 50 Clean Cities coalitions and their nearly 700 stakeholder partners who provided an additional $500 million in matching funds to support projects in their local communities. In total, those 25 projects established 1,380 alternative fueling stations and put more than 9,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles onmore » the road. Together, these projects displaced 154 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) of petroleum and averted 254,000 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while supporting U.S. energy independence and contributing to regional economic development. During post-project interviews, project leaders consistently cited a number of key components - ranging from technical and logistical factors, to administrative capabilities - for accomplishing an effective and impactful project. This report summarizes the high-level project design and administrative considerations for conducting a successful transportation project.« less

Delineation of the motor disorder of Lesch–Nyhan disease

PubMed Central

Jinnah, H. A.; Visser, Jasper E.; Harris, James C.; Verdu, Alfonso; Larovere, Laura; Ceballos-Picot, Irene; Gonzalez-Alegre, Pedro; Neychev, Vladimir; Torres, Rosa J.; Dulac, Olivier; Desguerre, Isabelle; Schretlen, David J.; Robey, Kenneth L.; Barabas, Gabor; Bloem, Bastiaan R.; Nyhan, William; De Kremer, Raquel; Eddey, Gary E.; Puig, Juan G.; Reich, Stephen G.

2012-01-01

Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND) is caused by deficiency of the purine salvage enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). Affected individuals exhibit over-production of uric acid, along with a characteristic neurobehavioural syndrome that includes mental retardation, recurrent self-injurious behaviour and motor disability. Prior studies involving relatively small numbers of patients have provided different conclusions on the nature of the motor disorder. The current study includes the results of a multi-centre international prospective study of the motor disorder in the largest cohort of patients studied to date. A total of 44 patients ranging from 2 to 38 years presented a characteristic motor syndrome that involved severe action dystonia superimposed on baseline hypotonia. Although some patients also displayed other extrapyramidal or pyramidal signs, these were always less prominent than dystonia. These results are compared with a comprehensive review of 122 prior reports that included a total of 254 patients. Explanations for the differing observations available in the literature are provided, along with a summary of how the motor disorder of LND relates to current understanding of its pathophysiology involving the basal ganglia. PMID:16549399

Water use in Kansas, 1990-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kenny, Joan F.; Hansen, Cristi V.

2004-01-01

This fact sheet compares water use in 1990, 1995, and 2000 for the 12 major river basins in Kansas. Of these 3 years, irrigation water use was largest in 1990 and smallest in 1995, largely because of differing climatic conditions. Irrigation averaged about 85 percent of total water use in Kansas each year, and ground water pumped in the western part of the State provided most of the irrigation water used. Water use for public supply, industry, and livestock increased between 1990 and 2000. Total State population increased 8 percent between 1990 and 2000, and the number of people served by public water suppliers increased 12 percent. Surface water withdrawn for public supply increased 24 percent because of population growth in the northeastern and south-central parts of the State and decreasing reliance on ground water by the city of Wichita. From 1990 to 2000, ground-water withdrawals for livestock and meat processing increased in western Kansas, and surface-water withdrawals for sand dredging increased in eastern Kansas. This fact sheet was produced as part of an ongoing cooperative program supported in part by the Kansas State Water Plan Fund.

A ‘Simple Anterior Fish Excluder’ (SAFE) for Mitigating Penaeid-Trawl Bycatch

PubMed Central

McHugh, Matthew J.; Broadhurst, Matt K.; Sterling, David J.; Millar, Russell B.

2015-01-01

Various plastic strips and sheets (termed ‘simple anterior fish excluders’−SAFEs) were positioned across the openings of penaeid trawls in attempts at reducing the unwanted bycatches of small teleosts. Initially, three SAFEs (a single wire without, and with small and large plastic panels) were compared against a control (no SAFE) on paired beam trawls. All SAFEs maintained targeted Metapenaeus macleayi catches, while the largest plastic SAFE significantly reduced total bycatch by 51% and the numbers of Pomatomus saltatrix, Mugil cephalus and Herklotsichthys castelnaui by up to 58%. A redesigned SAFE (‘continuous plastic’) was subsequently tested (against a control) on paired otter trawls, significantly reducing total bycatch by 28% and P. saltatrix and H. castelnaui by up to 42%. The continuous-plastic SAFE also significantly reduced M. macleayi catches by ~7%, but this was explained by ~5% less wing-end spread, and could be simply negated through otter-board refinement. Further work is required to refine the tested SAFEs, and to quantify species-specific escape mechanisms. Nevertheless, the SAFE concept might represent an effective approach for improving penaeid-trawl selectivity. PMID:25837892

The impact on emergency department visits for respiratory illness during the southern california wildfires.

PubMed

Dohrenwend, Paul B; Le, Minh V; Bush, Jeff A; Thomas, Cyril F

2013-03-01

In 2007 wildfires ravaged Southern California resulting in the largest evacuation due to a wildfire in American history. We report how these wildfires affected emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory illness. We extracted data from a Kaiser Permanente database for a single metropolitan community ED. We compared the number of visits due to respiratory illness at time intervals of 2 weeks before and during the time when the fires were burning. We counted the total number of patients with chief complaint of dyspnea, cough, and asthma and final international classification of disease 9 coding diagnosis of asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory syndrome, and analyzed data for both total number and proportion of ED visits. We evaluated the data using Early Aberration Reporting System software to determine significant single-visit increases compared to expected counts. We also analyzed the average length of ED stay. Data on air quality were extracted from the http://www.airnow.gov site. There were significant differences between pre-fire and fire period average visit counts for the chief complaints of dyspnea and asthma. Dypnea complaints increased by 3.2 visits per day. During the fire the diagnoses of asthma increased significantly by 2.6 patients per day. Air quality reached air quality index values of 300, indicating very unhealthy conditions. Average ED length of stay times remained unchanged during the fire period compared to the pre-fire period. The 2007 Southern California wildfires caused significant surges in the volume of ED patients seeking treatment for respiratory illness. Disaster plans should prepare for these surges when future wildfires occur.

Relaxation drag history of shock accelerated microparticles

DOE PAGES

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine

2017-06-21

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients (more » $$C_{D}$$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $$4~\\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\\text{m}$$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number$$M_{s}=1.2$$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured$$C_{D}$$values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number,$$Kn^{\\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$$, where the particle Reynolds number ($$Re_{p}$$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Also, some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($$C_{D,us}$$) until the particle attains$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 0.5{-}1.0$$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($$C_{D,qs}$$) increases almost linearly with$$Kn^{\\ast }$$, intersects the$$C_{D,us}$$at$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 2$$and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as$$Re_{p}\\rightarrow 0$$. Finally, there are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.« less

Relaxation drag history of shock accelerated microparticles

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

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients (more » $$C_{D}$$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $$4~\\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\\text{m}$$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number$$M_{s}=1.2$$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured$$C_{D}$$values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number,$$Kn^{\\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$$, where the particle Reynolds number ($$Re_{p}$$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Also, some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($$C_{D,us}$$) until the particle attains$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 0.5{-}1.0$$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($$C_{D,qs}$$) increases almost linearly with$$Kn^{\\ast }$$, intersects the$$C_{D,us}$$at$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 2$$and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as$$Re_{p}\\rightarrow 0$$. Finally, there are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.« less

Ten Steps to Improve Quality of the Journal Materia Socio-Medica.

PubMed

Donev, Doncho M; Masic, Izet

2017-03-01

Materia Socio-Medica is one of the oldest public health journals in Europe, established in 1978, and among the most important journals for public health in South-Eastern Europe. The Journal covers all important public health professional, academic and research areas in this field. The aim of the paper is to analyze the journal articles and statistical facts in 2016 and to point out the directions for action and planned further activities for improving the quality of the published papers and visibility of the journal. Review and analysis of documentation and production of the journal, evidence of submitted and rejected manuscripts and published papers in 2016. Total number of 111 articles was published in Materia Socio-Medica during 2016. The most of them were original articles (64,5%). Articles from the fields of Health promotion and prevention were predominant (82,7%), which is one of the primary scope of the journal. Authors of the published articles in 2016 are dispersed to three continents (Europe, Asia and North America) and 15 different countries. The largest number of articles was submitted by authors from the country of origin of the journal, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The acceptance rate of Materia Socioi-Medica in 2016 was 35.7%. Total number of 116 reviewers participated in the manuscript review process in 2016. Materia Socio-Medica will continue to improve the quality of the published papers in 2017 and beyond through education of potential authors, reviewers and Editorial Board members, quality selection of reviewers, supportive editing of articles, and clearly defining instructions and ethical standards of the journal.

Sizing the cannabis market: a demand-side and user-specific approach in seven European countries.

PubMed

van Laar, Margriet; Frijns, Tom; Trautmann, Franz; Lombi, Linda

2013-06-01

Demand-based estimates of total cannabis consumption rarely consider differences among different user types and variation across countries. To describe cannabis consumption patterns and estimate annual consumption for different user types across EU Member States, a web survey in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and United Kingdom (England & Wales) collected data on cannabis use patterns from 3,922 persons who had consumed cannabis at least once in the past year. They were classified into four groups based on their number of use days in the past 12 months: infrequent users or chippers (<11 days), occasional users (11-50 days), regular users (51-250 days) and intensive users (>250 days). User type specific data on typical amounts consumed were matched with data on numbers of users per user type estimated from existing population surveys, taking differences in mode of consumption, age and gender into account. Estimates were supplemented with data from populations of problem users to compensate for under coverage. Results showed remarkably consistent differences among user groups across countries. Both the average number of units consumed per typical use day and the average amount of cannabis consumed per unit increased across user types of increasing frequency of use. In all countries except Portugal, intensive users formed the smallest group of cannabis users but were responsible for the largest part of total annual cannabis consumption. Annual cannabis consumption varied across countries but confidence intervals were wide. Results are compared with previous estimates and discussed in the context of improving estimation methods.

Smoking-related deaths averted due to three years of policy progress

PubMed Central

Ellis, Jennifer A; Mays, Darren; Huang, An-Tsun

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate the global impact of adopting highest-level MPOWER tobacco control policies in different countries and territories from 2007 to 2010. Methods Policy effect sizes based on previously-validated SimSmoke models were applied to determine the reduction in the number of smokers as a result of policy adoption during this period. Based on previous research suggesting that half of all smokers die from smoking, we also derived the estimated smoking-attributable deaths (SADs) averted due to MPOWER policy implementation. The results from use of this simple yet powerful method are consistent with those predicted by using previously validated SimSmoke models. Findings In total, 41 countries adopted at least one highest-level MPOWER policy between 2007 and 2010. As a result of all policies adopted during this period, the number of smokers is estimated to have dropped by 14.8 million, with a total of 7.4 million SADs averted. The largest number of SADs was averted as a result of increased cigarette taxes (3.5 million), smoke-free air laws (2.5 million), health warnings (700 000), cessation treatments (380 000), and bans on tobacco marketing (306 000). Conclusion From 2007 to 2010, 41 countries and territories took action that will collectively prevent nearly 7.5 million smoking-related deaths globally. These findings demonstrate the magnitude of the actions already taken by countries and underscore the potential for millions of additional lives to be saved with continued adoption of MPOWER policies. PMID:23825878

Baseline Profile of Participants in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

PubMed

Michikawa, Takehiro; Nitta, Hiroshi; Nakayama, Shoji F; Yamazaki, Shin; Isobe, Tomohiko; Tamura, Kenji; Suda, Eiko; Ono, Masaji; Yonemoto, Junzo; Iwai-Shimada, Miyuki; Kobayashi, Yayoi; Suzuki, Go; Kawamoto, Toshihiro

2018-02-05

The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), known as Ecochil-Chosa in Japan, is a nationwide birth cohort study investigating the environmental factors that might affect children's health and development. We report the baseline profiles of the participating mothers, fathers, and their children. Fifteen Regional Centres located throughout Japan were responsible for recruiting women in early pregnancy living in their respective recruitment areas. Self-administered questionnaires and medical records were used to obtain such information as demographic factors, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, environmental exposure, medical history, and delivery information. In the period up to delivery, we collected bio-specimens, including blood, urine, hair, and umbilical cord blood. Fathers were also recruited, when accessible, and asked to fill in a questionnaire and to provide blood samples. The total number of pregnancies resulting in delivery was 100,778, of which 51,402 (51.0%) involved program participation by male partners. Discounting pregnancies by the same woman, the study included 95,248 unique mothers and 49,189 unique fathers. The 100,778 pregnancies involved a total of 101,779 fetuses and resulted in 100,148 live births. The coverage of children in 2013 (the number of live births registered in JECS divided by the number of all live births within the study areas) was approximately 45%. Nevertheless, the data on the characteristics of the mothers and children we studied showed marked similarity to those obtained from Japan's 2013 Vital Statistics Survey. Between 2011 and 2014, we established one of the largest birth cohorts in the world.

Baseline Profile of Participants in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

PubMed Central

Nitta, Hiroshi; Nakayama, Shoji F.; Yamazaki, Shin; Isobe, Tomohiko; Tamura, Kenji; Suda, Eiko; Ono, Masaji; Yonemoto, Junzo; Iwai-Shimada, Miyuki; Kobayashi, Yayoi; Suzuki, Go; Kawamoto, Toshihiro

2018-01-01

Background The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS), known as Ecochil-Chosa in Japan, is a nationwide birth cohort study investigating the environmental factors that might affect children’s health and development. We report the baseline profiles of the participating mothers, fathers, and their children. Methods Fifteen Regional Centres located throughout Japan were responsible for recruiting women in early pregnancy living in their respective recruitment areas. Self-administered questionnaires and medical records were used to obtain such information as demographic factors, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, environmental exposure, medical history, and delivery information. In the period up to delivery, we collected bio-specimens, including blood, urine, hair, and umbilical cord blood. Fathers were also recruited, when accessible, and asked to fill in a questionnaire and to provide blood samples. Results The total number of pregnancies resulting in delivery was 100,778, of which 51,402 (51.0%) involved program participation by male partners. Discounting pregnancies by the same woman, the study included 95,248 unique mothers and 49,189 unique fathers. The 100,778 pregnancies involved a total of 101,779 fetuses and resulted in 100,148 live births. The coverage of children in 2013 (the number of live births registered in JECS divided by the number of all live births within the study areas) was approximately 45%. Nevertheless, the data on the characteristics of the mothers and children we studied showed marked similarity to those obtained from Japan’s 2013 Vital Statistics Survey. Conclusions Between 2011 and 2014, we established one of the largest birth cohorts in the world. PMID:29093304

Inequality in the distribution of rheumatologists in Brazil: correlation with local of medical residency, Gross Domestic Product and Human Development Index.

PubMed

de Albuquerque, Cleandro Pires

2014-01-01

To assess the distribution of rheumatologists in Brazil and their correlation with Medical Residency specialization offer, Gross Domestic Product (Gdp) And Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M) of units of the federation (UFs). Query to various official databases, data summarization by techniques for descriptive statistics and cross-referenced information. For correlation analysis, we used the Spearman correlation coefficient (r). There were 1229 rheumatologists regularly registered in the country. The Northern region had only 3.6% of the total (n = 44), while the Southeast had 42.2% (n = 519). The State capitals, added to the five largest municipalities in each UF, concentrated 75.8% of these specialists (n = 931). In total, 49.9% of rheumatologists offered treatment at SUS. A general ratio of 157,809 inhabitants per rheumatologist in Brazil was determined, but with wide variation among UFs with respect to this ratio. In the years 2000-2012, there were 593 Rheumatology Residency graduated physicians in Brazil. We observed a positive correlation among number of rheumatologists compared with GDP (r = 0.94), HDI-M of the State capitals (r = 0.77) and number of Rheumatology Residency graduated physicians (r = 0.79) in UFs. We noted a strong concentration of rheumatologists in State capitals and larger municipalities, with noticeable inequalities also between UFs and country regions. The distribution of these professionals accompanied GDP, HDI-M of the State capital and number of Rheumatology Residency graduated physicians, suggesting that factors related to income opportunities and human development and the place of speciality training may influence the geographical fixation of rheumatologists.

Little science, big science: strategies for research portfolio selection in academic surgery departments.

PubMed

Shah, Anand; Pietrobon, Ricardo; Cook, Chad; Sheth, Neil P; Nguyen, Lam; Guo, Lucie; Jacobs, Danny O; Kuo, Paul C

2007-12-01

To evaluate National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for academic surgery departments and to determine whether optimal portfolio strategies exist to maximize this funding. The NIH budget is expected to be relatively stable in the foreseeable future, with a modest 0.7% increase from 2005 to 2006. Funding for basic and clinical science research in surgery is also not expected to increase. NIH funding award data for US surgery departments from 2002 to 2004 was collected using publicly available data abstracted from the NIH Information for Management, Planning, Analysis, and Coordination (IMPAC) II database. Additional information was collected from the Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP) database regarding research area (basic vs. clinical, animal vs. human, classification of clinical and basic sciences). The primary outcome measures were total NIH award amount, number of awards, and type of grant. Statistical analysis was based on binomial proportional tests and multiple linear regression models. The smallest total NIH funding award in 2004 to an individual surgery department was a single $26,970 grant, whereas the largest was more than $35 million comprising 68 grants. From 2002 to 2004, one department experienced a 336% increase (greatest increase) in funding, whereas another experienced a 73% decrease (greatest decrease). No statistically significant differences were found between departments with decreasing or increasing funding and the subspecialty of basic science or clinical research funded. Departments (n = 5) experiencing the most drastic decrease (total dollars) in funding had a significantly higher proportion of type K (P = 0.03) grants compared with departments (n = 5) with the largest increases in total funding; the latter group had a significantly increased proportion of type U grants (P = 0.01). A linear association between amount of decrease/increase was found with the average amount of funding per grant and per investigator (P < 0.01), suggesting that departments that increased their total funding relied on investigators with large amounts of funding per grant. Although incentives to junior investigators and clinicians with secondary participation in research are important, our findings suggest that the best strategy for increasing NIH funding for surgery departments is to invest in individuals with focused research commitments and established track records of garnering large and multiple research grants.

The London 2012 Summer Olympic Games: an analysis of usage of the Olympic Village 'Polyclinic' by competing athletes.

PubMed

Vanhegan, Ivor S; Palmer-Green, Debbie; Soligard, Torbjørn; Steffen, Kathrin; O'Connor, Philip; Bethapudi, Sarath; Budgett, Richard; Haddad, Fares S; Engebretsen, Lars

2013-05-01

The London 2012 Summer Olympic Games involved 10 568 elite athletes representing 204 competing nations. To manage the varied healthcare needs of this diverse population, a Polyclinic was constructed in the athletes' village. This work aims to summarise the usage of the Polyclinic by competing athletes and the facilities available to them. All Polyclinic encounters were entered into a database from which data were exported for the time frame 28 July-12 August 2012, inclusive to cover the first to last full day of competition. Only Polyclinic data involving accredited athletes were analysed. All types of encounters were collected for analysis, not just sports-related issues. There were a total of 3220 encounters within the Polyclinic. This figure combines medical consultations, radiology/pathology investigations and prescriptions dispensed. Of these 3220 encounters, there were 2105 medical consultations; musculoskeletal comprised the greatest number (52%), followed by dental (30%) and ophthalmic (9%). The most frequently used imaging modality was MRI and diagnostic CT was used the least. After correction for multiple entries, Africa provided the largest proportion of athletes attending the Polyclinic (44%) and Europe the least (9%). Peak usage of all facilities was seen around days 9 and 10 of competition, reflecting the busiest time of the competition and the largest number of athletes in the village. The Polyclinic managed a wide variety of both sports-related and non-sports-related injuries and illnesses. The breadth of specialists available for consultation was appropriate as was the ease of access to them. The radiology department was able to satisfy the demand, as were the pharmacy and pathology services. We would recommend a similar structure of facilities and available expertise in one clinic when planning future mass participation sporting events.

Assessment of clinical biochemical parameters in Roma minority residing in eastern Slovakia compared with the majority population.

PubMed

Hubková, Beáta; Maslanková, Jana; Stupák, Marek; Guzy, Juraj; Kovácová, Anna; Pella, Daniel; Jarcuska, Peter; Mareková, Mária

2014-03-01

Roma constitute the largest ethnic minority in Europe and the second largest minority in Slovakia. Their health problems originate mainly from their low socioeconomic status, certain cultural aspects and their health-threatening lifestyle as well as the psycho-social burden arising from poverty and frequent migration. Evaluation of glucose, albumin, triacylglycerol (TAG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations did not reveal any clue about the presumed deteriorated health of the Roma population. Higher proportions of subjects with elevated serum total cholesterol were found in Roma women as compared to both control groups of women (p = 0.027, p = 0.006) and in Roma men as compared to the male control group living in standard conditions. Only the low level of HDL-cholesterol gives a glimpse of their deteriorated health. Significantly lower levels of serum HDL-C were reported in Roma men and women compared to the respondents in both control groups with a p value of p < 0.001. Comparing the ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C yielded significant differences between the number of physiological values in Roma men and men from the control group 1 (p = 0.022) in favour of the control group. When comparing the number of people with physiological values of cholesterols and with worsening TAG parameters at the same time, the increased risk of Roma men compared with men from the control group 1 became evident, with a level of significance of p = 0.023. Evaluation of urine samples pointed to significantly higher concentrations of urinary protein in Roma women compared with women in the control group 1 (p = 0.012).

Structure-Function Modeling of Optical Coherence Tomography and Standard Automated Perimetry in the Retina of Patients with Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa

PubMed Central

Smith, Travis B.; Parker, Maria; Steinkamp, Peter N.; Weleber, Richard G.; Smith, Ning; Wilson, David J.

2016-01-01

Purpose To assess relationships between structural and functional biomarkers, including new topographic measures of visual field sensitivity, in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Methods Spectral domain optical coherence tomography line scans and hill of vision (HOV) sensitivity surfaces from full-field standard automated perimetry were semi-automatically aligned for 60 eyes of 35 patients. Structural biomarkers were extracted from outer retina b-scans along horizontal and vertical midlines. Functional biomarkers were extracted from local sensitivity profiles along the b-scans and from the full visual field. These included topographic measures of functional transition such as the contour of most rapid sensitivity decline around the HOV, herein called HOV slope for convenience. Biomarker relationships were assessed pairwise by coefficients of determination (R2) from mixed-effects analysis with automatic model selection. Results Structure-function relationships were accurately modeled (conditional R2>0.8 in most cases). The best-fit relationship models and correlation patterns for horizontally oriented biomarkers were different than vertically oriented ones. The structural biomarker with the largest number of significant functional correlates was the ellipsoid zone (EZ) width, followed by the total photoreceptor layer thickness. The strongest correlation observed was between EZ width and HOV slope distance (marginal R2 = 0.85, p<10−10). The mean sensitivity defect at the EZ edge was 7.6 dB. Among all functional biomarkers, the HOV slope mean value, HOV slope mean distance, and maximum sensitivity along the b-scan had the largest number of significant structural correlates. Conclusions Topographic slope metrics show promise as functional biomarkers relevant to the transition zone. EZ width is strongly associated with the location of most rapid HOV decline. PMID:26845445

Graduation of fertility schedules: an analysis of fertility patterns in London in the 1980s and an application to fertility forecasts.

PubMed

Congdon, P

1990-08-01

London's average total fertility rate (TFR) stood at 1.75. Using a cluster analysis to compare the 1985-1987 fertility patterns of different boroughs of London, demographers learned that 5 natural groupings occurred. 4 boroughs in a central London cluster have the distinction of having a low TFR (1.38) and late fertility (average age of 29.58 years). The researchers attributed these occurrences to the high levels of employment and career attachment and low rates of marriage among women in this cluster. 2 inner city boroughs constituted the smallest cluster and had the largest TFR (2.37), mainly due to high numbers of births to the ethnic minorities. The largest cluster consisted of 12 boroughs located mainly along the periphery with 2 centrally located boroughs (TFR, 1.79). Some of the upper class outer boroughs characterized another cluster with a TFR of 1.61. Another cluster made up of inner and outer boroughs in east and southeast London had a ample proportion of manual worker (TFR, 2.04). Social class most likely accounted for the contrast in TFRs between the 2 aformentioned clusters. Demographers observed that cyclical fluctuation of fertility occurred as opposed to secular trends. Due to these fluctuations, demographers used autoregressive moving average forecast models to time series of the fertility variables in London since 1952. They also applied structural time series models which included regression variables and the influence of cyclical and/or trend behavior. The results showed that large cohorts and the increase in female economic activity caused a delay in the modal age of births and a reduction in the number of births.

Structure-Function Modeling of Optical Coherence Tomography and Standard Automated Perimetry in the Retina of Patients with Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa.

PubMed

Smith, Travis B; Parker, Maria; Steinkamp, Peter N; Weleber, Richard G; Smith, Ning; Wilson, David J

2016-01-01

To assess relationships between structural and functional biomarkers, including new topographic measures of visual field sensitivity, in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography line scans and hill of vision (HOV) sensitivity surfaces from full-field standard automated perimetry were semi-automatically aligned for 60 eyes of 35 patients. Structural biomarkers were extracted from outer retina b-scans along horizontal and vertical midlines. Functional biomarkers were extracted from local sensitivity profiles along the b-scans and from the full visual field. These included topographic measures of functional transition such as the contour of most rapid sensitivity decline around the HOV, herein called HOV slope for convenience. Biomarker relationships were assessed pairwise by coefficients of determination (R2) from mixed-effects analysis with automatic model selection. Structure-function relationships were accurately modeled (conditional R(2)>0.8 in most cases). The best-fit relationship models and correlation patterns for horizontally oriented biomarkers were different than vertically oriented ones. The structural biomarker with the largest number of significant functional correlates was the ellipsoid zone (EZ) width, followed by the total photoreceptor layer thickness. The strongest correlation observed was between EZ width and HOV slope distance (marginal R(2) = 0.85, p<10(-10)). The mean sensitivity defect at the EZ edge was 7.6 dB. Among all functional biomarkers, the HOV slope mean value, HOV slope mean distance, and maximum sensitivity along the b-scan had the largest number of significant structural correlates. Topographic slope metrics show promise as functional biomarkers relevant to the transition zone. EZ width is strongly associated with the location of most rapid HOV decline.

Youth exposure to alcohol advertising on television--25 markets, United States, 2010.

PubMed

2013-11-08

Excessive alcohol consumption accounted for an estimated 4,700 deaths and 280,000 years of potential life lost among youths aged <21 years each year during 2001-2005. Exposure to alcohol marketing increases the likelihood to varying degrees that youths will initiate drinking and drink at higher levels. By 2003, the alcohol industry voluntarily agreed not to advertise on television programs where >30% of the audience is reasonably expected to be aged <21 years. However, the National Research Council/Institute of Medicine (NRC/IOM) proposed in 2003 that "the industry standard should move toward a 15% threshold for television advertising". Because local media markets might have different age distributions, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, evaluated the proportion of advertisements that appeared on television programs in 25 local television markets* and resulting youth exposure that exceeded the industry standard (i.e., >30% aged 2-20 years) or the proposed NRC/IOM standard (i.e., >15% aged 12-20 years). Among national television programs with alcohol advertising, placements were assessed for the 10 programs with the largest number of youth viewers within each of four program categories: network sports, network nonsports, cable sports, and cable nonsports (40 total). Of the 196,494 alcohol advertisements that aired on television programs with the largest number of youth viewers in these local markets, placement of 23.7% exceeded the industry threshold and 35.4% exceeded the NRC/IOM threshold. These results indicate that the alcohol industry's self-regulation of its advertising could be improved, and youth exposure to alcohol advertising could be further reduced by adopting and complying with the NRC/IOM standard. In addition, continued public health surveillance would allow for sustained assessment of youth exposure to alcohol advertising and inform future interventions.

A review of medication incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System in England and Wales over 6 years (2005–2010)

PubMed Central

Cousins, David H; Gerrett, David; Warner, Bruce

2012-01-01

A review of all medication incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) in England in Wales between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2010 was undertaken. The 526 186 medication incident reports represented 9.68% of all patient safety incidents. Medication incidents from acute general hospitals (394 951) represented 75% of reports. There were relatively smaller numbers of medication incident reports (44 952) from primary care, representing 8.5% of the total. Of 86 821 (16%) medication incidents reporting actual patient harm, 822 (0.9%) resulted in death or severe harm. The incidents involving medicine administration (263 228; 50%) and prescribing (97 097; 18%) were the process steps with the largest number of reports. Omitted and delayed medicine (82 028; 16%) and wrong dose (80 170; 15%) represented the largest error categories. Thirteen medicines or therapeutic groups accounted for 377 (46%) of the incidents with outcomes of death or severe harm. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued guidance to help minimize incidents with many of these medicines. Many recent incidents could have been prevented if the NPSA guidance had been better implemented. It is recommended that healthcare organizations in all sectors establish an effective infrastructure to oversee and promote safe medication practice, including an annual medication safety report. In the future, preventable harms from medication incidents can be further minimized by; the continued use of the NRLS to identify and prioritize important actions to improve medication safety, a central organization continuing to issue medication safety guidance to the service and better methods to ensure that the National Health Service has implemented this guidance. PMID:22188210

Outbreaks-of Ebola virus disease in the West African sub-region.

PubMed

Osungbade, K O; Oni, A A

2014-06-01

Five West African countries, including Nigeria are currently experiencing the largest, most severe, most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history. This paper provided a chronology of outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in the West African sub-region and provided an update on efforts at containing the present outbreak. Literature from Pubmed (MEDLINE), AJOL, Google Scholar and Cochrane database were reviewed. Outbreaks of Ebola, virus disease had frequently occurred mainly in Central and East African countries. Occasional outbreaks reported from outside of Africa were due to laboratory contamination and imported monkeys in quarantine facilities. The ongoing outbreak in West Africa is the largest and first in the sub-region; the number of suspected cases and deaths from this single current outbreak is already about three times the total of all cases and deaths from previous known outbreaks in 40 years. Prevention and control efforts are hindered not only by lack of a known vaccine and virus-specific treatment, but also by weak health systems, poor sanitation, poor personal hygiene and cultural beliefs and practices, including myths and misconceptions about Ebola virus disease--all of which are prevalent in affected countries. Constrained by this situation, the World Health Organisation departed from the global standard and recommended the use of not yet proven treatments to treat or prevent the disease in humans on ethical and evidential grounds. The large number of people affected by the present outbreak in West Africa and the high case-fatality rate calls for accelerated evaluation and development of the investigational medical interventions for life saving and curbing the epidemic. Meanwhile, existing interventions such as early detection and isolation, contact tracing and monitoring, and adherence to rigorous procedures of infection prevention and control should be intensified.

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

PubMed

Jocić, Tatiana; Latinović Bošnjak, Olgica; Hadnađev, Ljiljana; Damjanov, Dragomir; Savić, Željka; Orlić, Tihomir

2014-01-01

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding accounts for approximately 20% of all acute gastrointestinal hemorrhages, and they are the most common urgent cases in gastroenterology. The aim of this study was to determine the most common etiology, efficacy in diagnostics and therapy, and the outcome in patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Data were collected from the medical records of 86 patients who had been hospitalized for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding in 2009 at the Ward of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina. The average age of the patients was 70.4 years (ranging from 37 to 88), and the largest number of patients 41/86 (47.7%) were between the ages 71 and 80. Colon diverticulosis was the most common cause of bleeding, and it occurred in 21 patients from the study sample (24.4%), and the other causes were malignant tumors (12/86, i.e. 13.9%), polyps (10/86, i.e. 11.6%), anorectal diseases (7/86, i.e. 8.3%/0) and colitis (8/86, i.e. 9.3%). No diagnostic procedures were performed in 15 patients (17.4%) due to their poor medical condition and comorbidities. The total mortality rate was 6/86 (6.9%), and the largest number of deaths occurred (5/86 i.e. 5.8%) due to a multisystem organ failure and underlying diseases which were not associated with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Uncontrolled bleeding was the cause of death in only 1 patient (1.2%). Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding is most commonly found in the older population, whose age, comorbidities, and ongoing therapy have impact on bleeding lesions, diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and the outcomes of bleeding. Endoscopic procedures are still the gold standard in diagnostics.

A comparison of sea lice, Caligus rogercresseyi, fecundity in four areas in southern Chile.

PubMed

Bravo, S; Erranz, F; Lagos, C

2009-01-01

A survey was carried out between March 2006 and February 2007 on the fecundity of Caligus rogercresseyi in four areas of Region X (Lat 42 degrees S) in Chile. An average length of 4.83 +/- 0.4 mm for gravid females and 4.78 +/- 0.56 mm for males was recorded from the four areas, with no significant differences in length between sexes. Although females were largest in spring and summer, egg strings were longer and there were higher number of eggs per string in winter. The lowest salinity values were recorded in the Hornopirén area, which had the largest gravid females and the highest number of eggs per string during the study. The number of lice treatments showed no influence on the fecundity rate in the four areas. Prevalence and abundance of C. rogercresseyi were influenced by salinity and temperature.

Resource utilization and disability outcome assessment of combat casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

PubMed

Masini, Brendan D; Waterman, Scott M; Wenke, Joseph C; Owens, Brett D; Hsu, Joseph R; Ficke, James R

2009-04-01

Injuries are common during combat operations. The high costs of extremity injuries both in resource utilization and disability are well known in the civilian sector. We hypothesized that, similarly, combat-related extremity injuries, when compared with other injures from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, require the largest percentage of medical resources, account for the greatest number of disabled soldiers, and have greater costs of disability benefits. Descriptive epidemiologic study and cost analysis. The Department of Defense Medical Metrics (M2) database was queried for the hospital admissions and billing data of a previously published cohort of soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan between October 2001 and January 2005 and identified from the Joint Theater Trauma Registry. The US Army Physical Disability Administration database was also queried for Physical Evaluation Board outcomes for these soldiers, allowing calculation of disability benefit cost. Primary body region injured was assigned using billing records that gave a primary diagnosis International Classification of Diseases Ninth Edition code, which was corroborated with Joint Theater Trauma Registry injury mechanisms and descriptions for accuracy. A total of 1333 soldiers had complete admission data and were included from 1566 battle injuries not returned to duty of 3102 total casualties. Extremity-injured patients had the longest average inpatient stay at 10.7 days, accounting for 65% of the $65.3-million total inpatient resource utilization, 64% of the 464 patients found "unfit for duty," and 64% of the $170-million total projected disability benefit costs. Extrapolation of data yields total disability costs for this conflict, approaching $2 billion. Combat-related extremity injuries require the greatest utilization of resources for inpatient treatment in the initial postinjury period, cause the greatest number of disabled soldiers, and have the greatest projected disability benefit costs. This study highlights the need for continued or increased funding and support for military orthopaedic surgeons and extremity trauma research efforts.

The first complete inventory of the local glaciers and ice caps on Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rastner, P.; Bolch, T.; Mölg, N.; Machguth, H.; Le Bris, R.; Paul, F.

2012-12-01

Glacier inventories provide essential baseline information for the determination of water resources, glacier-specific changes in area and volume, climate change impacts as well as past, potential and future contribution of glaciers to sea-level rise. Although Greenland is heavily glacierised and thus highly relevant for all of the above points, a complete inventory of its glaciers was not available so far. Here we present the results and details of a new and complete inventory that has been compiled from more than 70 Landsat scenes (mostly acquired between 1999 and 2002) using semi-automated glacier mapping techniques. A digital elevation model (DEM) was used to derive drainage divides from watershed analysis and topographic attributes for each glacier entity. To serve the needs of different user communities, we assigned to each glacier one of three connectivity levels with the ice sheet (CL0, CL1, CL2; i.e. no, weak, and strong connection) to clearly, but still flexibly, distinguish the local glaciers and ice caps (GIC) from the ice sheet and its outlet glaciers. In total, we mapped ~ 20 300 glaciers larger than 0.05 km2 (of which ~ 900 are marine terminating), covering an area of 130 076 ± 4032 km2, or 89 720 ± 2781 km2 without the CL2 GIC. The latter value is about 50% higher than the mean value of more recent previous estimates. Glaciers smaller than 0.5 km2 contribute only 1.5% to the total area but more than 50% (11 000) to the total number. In contrast, the 25 largest GIC (> 500 km2) contribute 28% to the total area, but only 0.1% to the total number. The mean elevation of the GIC is 1700 m in the eastern sector and around 1000 m otherwise. The median elevation increases with distance from the coast, but has only a weak dependence on mean glacier aspect.

Compressed Symmetric Nested Arrays and Their Application for Direction-of-Arrival Estimation of Near-Field Sources.

PubMed

Li, Shuang; Xie, Dongfeng

2016-11-17

In this paper, a new sensor array geometry, called a compressed symmetric nested array (CSNA), is designed to increase the degrees of freedom in the near field. As its name suggests, a CSNA is constructed by getting rid of some elements from two identical nested arrays. The closed form expressions are also presented for the sensor locations and the largest degrees of freedom obtainable as a function of the total number of sensors. Furthermore, a novel DOA estimation method is proposed by utilizing the CSNA in the near field. By employing this new array geometry, our method can identify more sources than sensors. Compared with other existing methods, the proposed method achieves higher resolution because of increased array aperture. Simulation results are demonstrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

[Anthropogenic ammonia emission inventory and characteristics in the Pearl River Delta Region].

PubMed

Yin, Sha-sha; Zheng, Jun-yu; Zhang, Li-jun; Zhong, Liu-ju

2010-05-01

Based on the collected activity data and emission factors of anthropogenic ammonia sources, a 2006-based anthropogenic ammonia emission inventory was developed for the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region by source categories and cities with the use of appropriate estimation methods. The results show: (1) the total NH3 emission from anthropogenic sources in the PRD region was 194. 8 kt; (2) the agriculture sources were major contributors of anthropogenic ammonia sources, in which livestock sources shared 62.1% of total NH3 emission and the contribution of application of nitrogen fertilizers was 21.7%; (3) the broiler was the largest contributor among the livestock sources, accounting for 43.4% of the livestock emissions, followed by the hog with a contribution of 32.1%; (4) Guangzhou was the largest ammonia emission city in the PRD region, and then Jiangmen, accounting for 23.4% and 19.1% of total NH3 emission in the PRD region respectively, with major sources as livestock sources and application of nitrogen fertilizers.

The SDSS-III DR12 MARVELS radial velocity data release: the first data release from the multiple object Doppler exoplanet survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Jian; Thomas, Neil B.; Li, Rui; Senan Seieroe Grieves, Nolan; Ma, Bo; de Lee, Nathan M.; Lee, Brian C.; Liu, Jian; Bolton, Adam S.; Thakar, Aniruddha R.; Weaver, Benjamin; SDSS-Iii Marvels Team

2015-01-01

We present the first data release from the SDSS-III Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS) through the SDSS-III DR12. The data include 181,198 radial velocity (RV) measurements for a total of 5520 different FGK stars with V~7.6-12, of which more than 80% are dwarfs and subdwarfs while remainders are GK giants, among a total of 92 fields nearly randomly spread out over the entire northern sky taken with a 60-object MARVELS dispersed fixed-delay interferometer instrument over four years (2008-2012). There were 55 fields with a total of 3300 FGK stars which had 14 or more observations over about 2-year survey window. The median number of observations for these plates is 27 RV measurements. This represents the largest homogeneous sample of precision RV measurements of relatively bright stars. In this first released data, a total of 18 giant planet candidates, 16 brown dwarfs, and over 500 binaries with additional 96 targets having RV variability indicative of a giant planet companion are reported. The released data were produced by the MARVELS finalized 1D pipeline. We will also report preliminary statistical results from the MARVELS 2D data pipeline which has produced a median RV precision of ~30 m/s for stable stars.

A Nationwide Survey on the Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in the Republic of Korea, 2004

PubMed Central

Kim, Tong-Soo; Cho, Shin-Hyeong; Huh, Sun; Kong, Yoon; Sohn, Woon-Mok; Hwang, Seung-Sik; Chai, Jong-Yil; Lee, Soon-Hyung; Park, Yun-Kyu; Oh, Dae-Kyu

2009-01-01

National surveys on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections have been carried out every 5-7 years since 1971 in the Republic of Korea in order to establish control measures. The present nationwide survey was conducted from June to December 2004. The 10% population sampling data of Population and Housing Census by the Korean government in 2000 was used as the survey population. One sample was selected randomly from each of the 22,858 registered subjects, and a total of 20,541 people were ultimately included in this survey. Fecal examinations were performed by the cellophane thick smear and saturated brine flotation techniques. Pinworm infection was examined by cello-tape anal swab method. This survey also included a questionnaire study for a socioeconomic analysis. The total helminth egg positive rate was 3.7%, and the estimated total positive number among nationwide people was 1,780,000. The rates in urban and rural areas were 3.1% and 6.8%, respectively. As the total egg positive rate in the 6th survey in 1997 was 2.4%, the present survey showed that there was a considerable degree of increase in the prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infections over the 7-year period following the 6th survey. The largest increases occurred in the egg positive rates of Clonorchis sinensis and heterophyids including Metagonimus yokogawai. PMID:19290090

Evidence for the Importance of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition to Eutrophic Lake Dianchi, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, X.; Bo, Y.; Zhou, F.; Liu, X.; Paerl, H. W.; Shen, J.; Wang, R.; Li, F. R.; Tao, S.; Yanjun, D.; Tang, X.

2017-12-01

Elevated atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has significantly influenced aquatic ecosystems, especially with regard to their N budgets and phytoplankton growth potentials. Compared to a considerable number of studies on oligotrophic lakes and oceanic waters, little evidence for the importance of N deposition has been generated for eutrophic lakes, even though emphasis has been placed on reducing external N inputs to control eutrophication in these lakes. Our high-resolution observations of atmospheric depositions and riverine inputs of biologically reactive N species into eutrophic Lake Dianchi (the sixth largest freshwater lake in China) shed new light onto the contribution of N deposition to total N loads. Annual N deposition accounted for 15.7% to 16.6% of total N loads under variable precipitation conditions, 2-fold higher than previous estimates (7.6%) for the Lake Dianchi. The proportion of N deposition to total N loads further increased to 27-48% in May and June when toxic blooms of the ubiquitous non-N2 fixing cyanobacteria Microcystis spp. are initiated and proliferate. Our observations reveal that reduced N (59%) contributes a greater amount than oxidized N to total N deposition, reaching 56-83% from late spring to summer. Progress toward mitigating eutrophication in Lake Dianchi and other bloom-impacted eutrophic lakes will be difficult without reductions in ammonia emissions and subsequent N deposition.

Modelling and Optimal Control of Typhoid Fever Disease with Cost-Effective Strategies.

PubMed

Tilahun, Getachew Teshome; Makinde, Oluwole Daniel; Malonza, David

2017-01-01

We propose and analyze a compartmental nonlinear deterministic mathematical model for the typhoid fever outbreak and optimal control strategies in a community with varying population. The model is studied qualitatively using stability theory of differential equations and the basic reproductive number that represents the epidemic indicator is obtained from the largest eigenvalue of the next-generation matrix. Both local and global asymptotic stability conditions for disease-free and endemic equilibria are determined. The model exhibits a forward transcritical bifurcation and the sensitivity analysis is performed. The optimal control problem is designed by applying Pontryagin maximum principle with three control strategies, namely, the prevention strategy through sanitation, proper hygiene, and vaccination; the treatment strategy through application of appropriate medicine; and the screening of the carriers. The cost functional accounts for the cost involved in prevention, screening, and treatment together with the total number of the infected persons averted. Numerical results for the typhoid outbreak dynamics and its optimal control revealed that a combination of prevention and treatment is the best cost-effective strategy to eradicate the disease.

Diet of western Burrowing Owls wintering in southern Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Littles, C.J.; Williford, D.; Skoruppa, M.K.; Woodin, M.C.; Hickman, G.C.

2007-01-01

Winter diets of the western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are little known. We determined the diet of western Burrowing Owls wintering in southern Texas by analyzing the contents of 182 pellets collected over four winters (1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, and 2003-2004) in three habitat types (agricultural, mainland grassland, and barrier island). Remains of a total of 7476 prey items were recovered, 98% of which were arthropods. Gryllidae (crickets) formed the largest component (50%) of the prey, followed by lepidopteran larvae (13%), beetles (8%), spiders (7%), and earwigs (6%). Although vertebrates, primarily small mammals and birds, represented only 2% of prey items by number, they represented most (71%) of the biomass. Northern pygmy mice (Baiomys taylori) and fulvous harvest mice (Reithrodontomys fulveccens) were the two most frequently consumed vertebrate species. In all habitats, arthropods, especially orthopterans, were the primary prey item by number, whereas vertebrates, primarily small mammals, were the most important by biomass. Greater consumption of arthropods by Burrowing Owls in agricultural areas may be a factor contributing to owl use of these highly altered environments. ?? 2007 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

Isolation of Notl sites from chromosome 22q11

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

Ten Hoeve, J.; Groffen, J.; Heisterkamp, N.

1993-12-01

Chromosome 22q11 contains a large number of interesting loci, including genes associated with cancer and developmental defects. The region is also the site of the lambda immunoglobulin variable and constants regions and the BCR, [gamma]-glutamyl transpeptidase, and GGT-like activity multigene families. Because of the complexities associated with mapping highly related gene families, the authors have examined the utility of mapping large areas of DNA using a defined approach. A total of 21 complete NotI sites from band q11 were cloned and ordered into six noncontiguous clusters of sites using a combination of somatic cell hybrid panels, NotI jumping and linkingmore » libraries, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The largest cluster spanned an estimated 2 Mb of NotI fragments, the smallest 115 kb. Approximately 3.5 Mb of band q11 could be examined for rearrangements in NotI restriction enzyme fragments. A number of conserved sequences, two genes, and a minimum of two families of related sequences were identified adjacent to NotI sites. 51 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.« less

The geography of graduate medical education: imbalances signal need for new distribution policies.

PubMed

Mullan, Fitzhugh; Chen, Candice; Steinmetz, Erika

2013-11-01

Graduate medical education (GME) determines the overall number, specialization mix, and geographic distribution of the US physician workforce. Medicare GME payments-which represent the largest single public investment in health workforce development-are allocated based on an inflexible system whose rationale, effectiveness, and balance are increasingly being scrutinized. We analyzed Medicare cost reports from teaching hospitals and found large state-level differences in the number of Medicare-sponsored residents per 100,000 population (1.63 in Montana versus 77.13 in New York), total Medicare GME payments ($1.64 million in Wyoming versus $2 billion in New York), payments per person ($1.94 in Montana versus $103.63 in New York), and average payments per resident ($63,811 in Louisiana versus $155,135 in Connecticut). Ways to address these imbalances include revising Medicare's GME funding formulas and protecting those states that receive less Medicare GME support in case funding is decreased and making them a priority if it is increased. The GME system badly needs a coordinating body to deliberate and make policy about public investments in graduate medical education.

Southern pulpwood production, 1973

Treesearch

Thomas R. Bellamy

1973-01-01

Southern pulpwood production in 1973 increased 6 percent to over 47.1 million cords--over 66 percent of the Nation's total. Plant byproducts used for pulping made the largest volume gain in history and now account for 27 percent of the total pulpwood production Southern pulpwood was processed at 126 mills, of which 111 are in the South. Pulping capacity in the 12...

Vortices in Saturn’s Northern Hemisphere (2008–2015) Observed by Cassini ISS

PubMed Central

Trammell, Harold Justin; Li, Liming; Jiang, Xun; Pan, Yefeng; Smith, Mark A.; Bering, Edgar A.; Hörst, Sarah M.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; Ingersoll, Andrew P.; Janssen, Michael A.; West, Robert A.; Porco, Carolyn C.; Li, Cheng; Simon, Amy A.; Baines, Kevin H.

2018-01-01

We use observations from the Imaging Science Subsystem on Cassini to create maps of Saturn’s Northern Hemisphere (NH) from 2008 to 2015, a time period including a seasonal transition (i.e., Spring Equinox in 2009) and the 2010 giant storm. The processed maps are used to investigate vortices in the NH during the period of 2008–2015. All recorded vortices have diameters (east-west) smaller than 6000 km except for the largest vortex that developed from the 2010 giant storm. The largest vortex decreased its diameter from ~11000 km in 2011 to ~5000 km in 2015, and its average diameter is ~6500 km during the period of 2011–2015. The largest vortex lasts at least 4 years, which is much longer than the lifetimes of most vortices (less than 1 year). The largest vortex drifts to north, which can be explained by the beta drift effect. The number of vortices displays varying behaviors in the meridional direction, in which the 2010 giant storm significantly affects the generation and development of vortices in the middle latitudes (25–45°N). In the higher latitudes (45–90°N), the number of vortices also displays strong temporal variations. The solar flux and the internal heat do not directly contribute to the vortex activities, leaving the temporal variations of vortices in the higher latitudes (45–90°N) unexplained. PMID:29629249

Spotting Epidemic Keystones by R0 Sensitivity Analysis: High-Risk Stations in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

PubMed Central

Yashima, Kenta; Sasaki, Akira

2016-01-01

How can we identify the epidemiologically high-risk communities in a metapopulation network? The network centrality measure, which quantifies the relative importance of each location, is commonly utilized for this purpose. As the disease invasion condition is given from the basic reproductive ratio R0, we have introduced a novel centrality measure based on the sensitivity analysis of this R0 and shown its capability of revealing the characteristics that has been overlooked by the conventional centrality measures. The epidemic dynamics over the commute network of the Tokyo metropolitan area is theoretically analyzed by using this centrality measure. We found that, the impact of countermeasures at the largest station is more than 1,000 times stronger compare to that at the second largest station, even though the population sizes are only around 1.5 times larger. Furthermore, the effect of countermeasures at every station is strongly dependent on the existence and the number of commuters to this largest station. It is well known that the hubs are the most influential nodes, however, our analysis shows that only the largest among the network plays an extraordinary role. Lastly, we also found that, the location that is important for the prevention of disease invasion does not necessarily match the location that is important for reducing the number of infected. PMID:27607239

Microphysical modeling of cirrus. 2: Sensitivity studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, Eric J.; Toon, Owen B.; Westphal, Douglas L.; Kinne, Stefan; Heymsfield, Andrew J.

1994-01-01

The one-dimensional cirrus model described in part 1 of this issue has been used to study the sensitivity of simulated cirrus microphysical and radiative properties to poorly known model parameters, poorly understood physical processes, and environmental conditions. Model parameters and physical processes investigated include nucleation rate, mode of nucleation (e.g., homogeneous freezing of aerosols and liquid droplets or heterogeneous deposition), ice crystal shape, and coagulation. These studies suggest that the leading sources of uncertainty in the model are the phase change (liquid-solid) energy barrier and the ice-water surface energy which dominate the homogeneous freezing nucleation rate and the coagulation sticking efficiency at low temperatures which controls the production of large ice crystals (radii greater than 100 mcirons). Environmental conditions considered in sensitivity tests were CN size distribution, vertical wind speed, and cloud height. We found that (unlike stratus clouds) variations in the total number of condensation nuclei (NC) have little effect on cirrus microphysical and radiative properties, since nucleation occurs only on the largest CN at the tail of the size distribution. The total number of ice crystals which nucleate has little or no relationship to the number of CN present and depends primarily on the temperature and the cooling rate. Stronger updrafts (more rapid cooling) generate higher ice number densities, ice water content, cloud optical depth, and net radiative forcing. Increasing the height of the clouds in the model leads to an increase in ice number density, a decrease in effective radius, and a decrease in ice water content. The most prominent effect of increasing cloud height was a rapid increase in the net cloud radiative forcing which can be attributed to the change in cloud temperature as well as change in cloud ice size distributions. It has long been recognized that changes in cloud height or cloud area have the greatest potential for causing feedbacks on climate change. Our results suggest that variations in vertical velocity or cloud microphysical changes associatd with cloud height changes may also be important.

Hypsometry and the distribution of high-alpine lakes in the European Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasicek, Günther; Otto, Jan-Christoph; Buckel, Johannes; Keuschnig, Markus

2017-04-01

Climate change strongly affects alpine landscapes. Cold-climate processes shape the terrain in a typical way and ice-free overdeepenings in cirques and glacial valleys as well as different types of moraines favor the formation of lakes. These water bodies act as sediment sinks and high-alpine water storage but may also favor outburst and flooding events. Glacier retreat worldwide is associated with an increasing number and size of high-alpine lakes which implies a concurrent expansion of sediment retention and natural hazard potential. Rising temperatures are regarded to be the major cause for this development, but other factors such as the distribution of area over elevation and glacier erosional and depositional dynamics may play an important role as well. While models of ice flow and glacial erosion are employed to understand the impact of glaciers on mountain landscapes, comprehensive datasets and analyses on the distribution of existing high-alpine lakes are lacking. In this study we present an exhaustive database of natural lakes in the European Alps and analyze lake distribution with respect to hypsometry. We find that the distribution of lake number and lake area over elevation only weakly coincides with hypsometry. Unsurprisingly, largest lakes are often tectonically influenced and located at the fringe of the mountain range and in prominent inter-montane basins. With increasing elevation, however, the number of lakes, lake area and total area decrease until a local minimum is reached around the equilibrium line latitude (ELA) of the last glacial maximum (LGM). Above the LGM ELA, total area further decreases, but lake number and area increase again. A local maximum in lake area coincides with an absolute maximum in lake number between the ELAs of the LGM and the little ice age around 2500 m. We conclude that glacial erosional and depositional dynamics control the distribution and size of high-alpine lakes and thus demand for exceptional attention when predicting future lake development.

Current Scientific Impact of Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia in the Scopus Database (1960-2014).

PubMed

Spiroski, Mirko

2015-03-15

The aim of this study was to analyze current scientific impact of Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia in the Scopus Database (1960-2014). Affiliation search of the Scopus database was performed on November 23, 2014 in order to identify published papers from the Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje (UC&M), Republic of Macedonia. A total number of 3960 articles (3055 articles from UC&M, 861 articles from Faculty of Medicine, UC&M, and 144 articles from Faculty of Pharmacy, UC&M) were selected for analysis (1960-2014). SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) and h-index were calculated from the Scopus database. The number of published papers was sharply increased with maximum of 379 papers in 2012 year. The largest number of papers has been published in Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, Journal of Molecular Structure, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Acta Pharmecutica, and Macedonian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The biggest SJR and SNIP has journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. First three places of the top ten authors belong to Dimirovski GM, Gavrilovska L, and Gusev M. Top three places based on Scopus h-index (total number of published papers) belong to Kocarev L, Stafilov T, and Polenakovic M. The majority of papers originate from UC&M, but significant numbers of papers are affiliated to Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Chemistry as members of UC&M, as well as Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Articles are the most dominant type of documents followed by conference papers, and review articles. Medicine is the most represented subject. Officials of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje should undertake more effective and proactive policies for journal publishers and their Editorial Boards in order to include more journals from UC&M in the Scopus database.

Current Scientific Impact of Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia in the Scopus Database (1960-2014)

PubMed Central

Spiroski, Mirko

2015-01-01

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze current scientific impact of Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia in the Scopus Database (1960-2014). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Affiliation search of the Scopus database was performed on November 23, 2014 in order to identify published papers from the Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje (UC&M), Republic of Macedonia. A total number of 3960 articles (3055 articles from UC&M, 861 articles from Faculty of Medicine, UC&M, and 144 articles from Faculty of Pharmacy, UC&M) were selected for analysis (1960-2014). SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) and h-index were calculated from the Scopus database. RESULTS: The number of published papers was sharply increased with maximum of 379 papers in 2012 year. The largest number of papers has been published in Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, Journal of Molecular Structure, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Acta Pharmecutica, and Macedonian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The biggest SJR and SNIP has journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. First three places of the top ten authors belong to Dimirovski GM, Gavrilovska L, and Gusev M. Top three places based on Scopus h-index (total number of published papers) belong to Kocarev L, Stafilov T, and Polenakovic M. The majority of papers originate from UC&M, but significant numbers of papers are affiliated to Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Chemistry as members of UC&M, as well as Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Articles are the most dominant type of documents followed by conference papers, and review articles. Medicine is the most represented subject. CONCLUSION: Officials of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje should undertake more effective and proactive policies for journal publishers and their Editorial Boards in order to include more journals from UC&M in the Scopus database. PMID:27275188

Nuclear emulsion measurements of the astronauts' radiation exposure on the Apollo-Soyuz mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaefer, H. J.; Sullivan, J. J.

1976-01-01

On the Apollo-Soyuz mission each astronaut carried one passive dosimeter containing nuclear photographic emulsions, plastic foils, TLD chips, and neutron-activation foils for recording radiation exposure. This report is limited to the presentation of data retrieved from nuclear emulsions. Protons, most of them trapped particles encountered in numerous passes through the South Atlantic Anomaly, contributed by far the largest share to the mission dose. Their linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum was established from track and grain counts in a G.5 emulsion which is used for medium and high energies, and from ender counts in a K.2 emulsion which is used for low energies. The total mission fluence of protons was found to be equivalent to a unidirectional beam of 448,500 square centimeters. The broad spectrum was broken down into small LET intervals, which allowed for the computation of absorbed doses and dose equivalents. The totals are 51 millirad and 74 millirem. Counts of disintegration stars in K.2 emulsion are incomplete at present. While a total of 467 stars were identified, counting their prong numbers is still in progress. It was concluded that the Apollo-Soyuz astronauts' radiation exposure as such did not contain anything out of the ordinary that would seem to require special attention.

Enterobacteria identification and detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in a Port Complex

PubMed Central

Costa, Clarissa Frota Macatrão; Neto, Valério Monteiro; Santos, Bruno Rafael de Carvalho; Costa, Bruno Rafael Rabelo; Azevedo, Alexandre; Serra, Josilene Lima; Mendes, Hermínio Benítez Rabello; Nascimento, Adenilde Ribeiro; Mendes, Mariana Bonfim Pinto; Kuppinger, Oliver

2014-01-01

The Port Complex of Maranhão (PCM) is the second largest port complex in Brazil, receiving ships with large volumes of ballast water. To evaluate the microbiological quality of its waters, physicochemical parameters (pH and salinity), the number of coliforms (thermotolerants and totals), and the presence of enterobacterias and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains were analyzed. In order to identify the presence of E. coli virulence genes target regions of the stx, elt, est, aggR, CVD432, ipaH and eae nucleotide sequences were studied. The presence of totals and thermotolerants coliforms were positive. Analyzing the salinity parameter, a significant increase in total coliforms was observed during the rainy season. We identified the species Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella ozaenae, Morganella morganii, Enterobacter cloacae and Edwardsiella tarda. Out of the 51 E. coli isolated, two were positive for the elt gene and one was positive for the CVD432 sequence, features of enterotoxigenic and enteroaggregative strains, respectively. This study reveals that the PCM is contaminated by enterobacteria and diarrheagenic E.coli thus providing evidence regarding the risk of these bacteria being carried by ships to other countries, and draws attention to the input of fecal bacteria brought by ships in the port waters of Maranhão. PMID:25477930

Top 100 Most-cited Articles on Pituitary Adenoma: A Bibliometric Analysis.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaopeng; Gao, Lu; Wang, Zihao; Feng, Chenzhe; Xing, Bing

2018-06-02

Many articles have been published on pituitary adenomas. Bibliometric analyses are helpful for determining the most impactful studies within a field. To identify the top 100 most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas using the bibliometric analysis method. We searched the Thomson Reuters Web of Science on March 31, 2018. Articles were listed in descending order by the total citation (TC) number, and the most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas were identified and analyzed. The most-cited articles were published between 1970 and 2014, with 1999 as the most prolific year. Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma was the most commonly studied tumor subtype (43%), and in clinical studies, treatment options and follow-up were the most important research focuses (62%). The average number of TCs was 326, and the average number of annual citations (ACs) was 17. More review articles were published in the last decade, and the average number of ACs was higher for this decade than for previous decades. Twenty-one articles were recognized as "Citation Classics" with a TC number>400. Twenty-five journals published the top 100 works; the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the most articles (25%). The most articles (43%) were published in the United States. S. Melmed authored the greatest number of publications (14%). Departments of Medicine (32%) and Endocrinology (32%) contributed to the largest number of articles. This study identified the research focuses and trends regarding pituitary adenoma and provides key references for investigators in guiding future pituitary adenoma research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome Wide Characterization of Short Tandem Repeat Markers in Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)

PubMed Central

Biswas, Manosh Kumar; Xu, Qiang; Mayer, Christoph; Deng, Xiuxin

2014-01-01

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is one of the major cultivated and most-consumed citrus species. With the goal of enhancing the genomic resources in citrus, we surveyed, developed and characterized microsatellite markers in the ≈347 Mb sequence assembly of the sweet orange genome. A total of 50,846 SSRs were identified with a frequency of 146.4 SSRs/Mbp. Dinucleotide repeats are the most frequent repeat class and the highest density of SSRs was found in chromosome 4. SSRs are non-randomly distributed in the genome and most of the SSRs (62.02%) are located in the intergenic regions. We found that AT-rich SSRs are more frequent than GC-rich SSRs. A total number of 21,248 SSR primers were successfully developed, which represents 89 SSR markers per Mb of the genome. A subset of 950 developed SSR primer pairs were synthesized and tested by wet lab experiments on a set of 16 citrus accessions. In total we identified 534 (56.21%) polymorphic SSR markers that will be useful in citrus improvement. The number of amplified alleles ranges from 2 to 12 with an average of 4 alleles per marker and an average PIC value of 0.75. The newly developed sweet orange primer sequences, their in silico PCR products, exact position in the genome assembly and putative function are made publicly available. We present the largest number of SSR markers ever developed for a citrus species. Almost two thirds of the markers are transferable to 16 citrus relatives and may be used for constructing a high density linkage map. In addition, they are valuable for marker-assisted selection studies, population structure analyses and comparative genomic studies of C. sinensis with other citrus related species. Altogether, these markers provide a significant contribution to the citrus research community. PMID:25148383

Genome wide characterization of short tandem repeat markers in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis).

PubMed

Biswas, Manosh Kumar; Xu, Qiang; Mayer, Christoph; Deng, Xiuxin

2014-01-01

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is one of the major cultivated and most-consumed citrus species. With the goal of enhancing the genomic resources in citrus, we surveyed, developed and characterized microsatellite markers in the ≈347 Mb sequence assembly of the sweet orange genome. A total of 50,846 SSRs were identified with a frequency of 146.4 SSRs/Mbp. Dinucleotide repeats are the most frequent repeat class and the highest density of SSRs was found in chromosome 4. SSRs are non-randomly distributed in the genome and most of the SSRs (62.02%) are located in the intergenic regions. We found that AT-rich SSRs are more frequent than GC-rich SSRs. A total number of 21,248 SSR primers were successfully developed, which represents 89 SSR markers per Mb of the genome. A subset of 950 developed SSR primer pairs were synthesized and tested by wet lab experiments on a set of 16 citrus accessions. In total we identified 534 (56.21%) polymorphic SSR markers that will be useful in citrus improvement. The number of amplified alleles ranges from 2 to 12 with an average of 4 alleles per marker and an average PIC value of 0.75. The newly developed sweet orange primer sequences, their in silico PCR products, exact position in the genome assembly and putative function are made publicly available. We present the largest number of SSR markers ever developed for a citrus species. Almost two thirds of the markers are transferable to 16 citrus relatives and may be used for constructing a high density linkage map. In addition, they are valuable for marker-assisted selection studies, population structure analyses and comparative genomic studies of C. sinensis with other citrus related species. Altogether, these markers provide a significant contribution to the citrus research community.

On the Number of Non-equivalent Ancestral Configurations for Matching Gene Trees and Species Trees.

PubMed

Disanto, Filippo; Rosenberg, Noah A

2017-09-14

An ancestral configuration is one of the combinatorially distinct sets of gene lineages that, for a given gene tree, can reach a given node of a specified species tree. Ancestral configurations have appeared in recursive algebraic computations of the conditional probability that a gene tree topology is produced under the multispecies coalescent model for a given species tree. For matching gene trees and species trees, we study the number of ancestral configurations, considered up to an equivalence relation introduced by Wu (Evolution 66:763-775, 2012) to reduce the complexity of the recursive probability computation. We examine the largest number of non-equivalent ancestral configurations possible for a given tree size n. Whereas the smallest number of non-equivalent ancestral configurations increases polynomially with n, we show that the largest number increases with [Formula: see text], where k is a constant that satisfies [Formula: see text]. Under a uniform distribution on the set of binary labeled trees with a given size n, the mean number of non-equivalent ancestral configurations grows exponentially with n. The results refine an earlier analysis of the number of ancestral configurations considered without applying the equivalence relation, showing that use of the equivalence relation does not alter the exponential nature of the increase with tree size.

Dimensionality of genomic information and performance of the Algorithm for Proven and Young for different livestock species.

PubMed

Pocrnic, Ivan; Lourenco, Daniela A L; Masuda, Yutaka; Misztal, Ignacy

2016-10-31

A genomic relationship matrix (GRM) can be inverted efficiently with the Algorithm for Proven and Young (APY) through recursion on a small number of core animals. The number of core animals is theoretically linked to effective population size (N e ). In a simulation study, the optimal number of core animals was equal to the number of largest eigenvalues of GRM that explained 98% of its variation. The purpose of this study was to find the optimal number of core animals and estimate N e for different species. Datasets included phenotypes, pedigrees, and genotypes for populations of Holstein, Jersey, and Angus cattle, pigs, and broiler chickens. The number of genotyped animals varied from 15,000 for broiler chickens to 77,000 for Holsteins, and the number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms used for genomic prediction varied from 37,000 to 61,000. Eigenvalue decomposition of the GRM for each population determined numbers of largest eigenvalues corresponding to 90, 95, 98, and 99% of variation. The number of eigenvalues corresponding to 90% (98%) of variation was 4527 (14,026) for Holstein, 3325 (11,500) for Jersey, 3654 (10,605) for Angus, 1239 (4103) for pig, and 1655 (4171) for broiler chicken. Each trait in each species was analyzed using the APY inverse of the GRM with randomly selected core animals, and their number was equal to the number of largest eigenvalues. Realized accuracies peaked with the number of core animals corresponding to 98% of variation for Holstein and Jersey and closer to 99% for other breed/species. N e was estimated based on comparisons of eigenvalue decomposition in a simulation study. Assuming a genome length of 30 Morgan, N e was equal to 149 for Holsteins, 101 for Jerseys, 113 for Angus, 32 for pigs, and 44 for broilers. Eigenvalue profiles of GRM for common species are similar to those in simulation studies although they are affected by number of genotyped animals and genotyping quality. For all investigated species, the APY required less than 15,000 core animals. Realized accuracies were equal or greater with the APY inverse than with regular inversion. Eigenvalue analysis of GRM can provide a realistic estimate of N e .

Survey of the Urban Bell in the Belfry of St. Trinity Church in Krosno

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oleniacz, Grzegorz; Skrzypczak, Izabela; Ślęczka, Lucjan; Świętoń, Tomasz; Rymar, Marta

2017-06-01

Urban is one of the three bells in the belfry of St. Trinity Church in Krosno. It is the largest one, with diameter equal to 1,535 mm and it is commonly considered as one of the largest historical bells in Poland. The total mass of all the three bells is close to 4,200 kilograms, so the dynamic actions produced by swinging have a great effect on the supporting structure and on the tower. However, the exact weight of the biggest bell isn't known, and for safety reasons it should be estimated in order to verify the real dynamic forces affecting the structure. The paper describes the method of Urban bell's survey using terrestrial laser scanning and a total station as a task to estimate its weight by determining its volume.

Current trends in Natural Gas Flaring Observed from Space with VIIRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhizhin, M. N.; Elvidge, C.; Baugh, K.

2017-12-01

The five-year survey of natural gas flaring in 2012-2016 has been completed with nighttime Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data. The survey identifies flaring site locations, annual duty cycle, and provides an estimate of the flared gas volumes in methane equivalents. VIIRS is particularly well-.suited for detecting and measuring the radiant emissions from gas flares through the collection of shortwave and near-infrared data at night, recording the peak radiant emissions from flares. The total flared gas volume is estimated at 140 +/-30 billion cubic meters (BCM) per year, corresponding to 3.5% of global natural gas production. While Russia leads in terms of flared gas volume (>20 BCM), the U.S. has the largest number of flares (8,199 of 19,057 worldwide). The two countries have opposite trends in flaring: while for the U.S. the peak was reached in 2015, for Russia it was the minimum. On the regional scale in the U.S., Texas has the maximum number of flares (3749), with North Dakota, the second highest, having one half of this number (2,003). The number of flares for most of the states has decreased in the last 3 years following the trend in oil prices. The presentation will compare the global estimates, and regional trends observed in the U.S. regions. Preliminary estimates for global gas flaring in 2017 will be presented

Leading Efforts to Increase Organ Donation Through Professionalization of Organ Procurement Organizations and Establishment of Organ and Tissue Donor Registries.

PubMed

Vertanous, T; Czer, L S C; de Robertis, M; Kiankhooy, A; Kobashigawa, J; Esmailian, F; Trento, A

2016-01-01

The influence of new donor registrations through the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry on the local OneLegacy Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) was examined during a 6-year period. Publicly available data from Donate Life America for California were examined for the 6 calendar years of 2009-2014. Performance data from OneLegacy for the same 6 years for organ donors and number of transplants were also examined. The donor designation rate (DDR) was defined as the rate at which new individuals joined the state donor registry as a percentage of all driver licenses and ID cards issued within a calendar year. The total donor designation (TDD) was defined as the sum of the new and existing people who were registered organ donors. Donor designation share (DDS) was the total number of designated donors as a percentage of all residents of the state who were ≥18 years old. The business practices and educational efforts of the OneLegacy OPO were examined as well. In California, from 2009 through 2014, the DDR was 25.5%-28%. When added to the existing donor registrations, the TDD and DDS increased each year from 2009 through 2014. With the current level of growth, it is projected that California will be able to reach a DDS of 50% by 2017. For the OneLegacy OPO, designated donors from the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry made up 15% of the total donations in 2009, and 39% of the total donations in 2014, increasing by ∼5% each year since 2009. By increasing professionalization and transparency, and widening its educational and training efforts, OneLegacy was able to take advantage of an increasing percentage of donors who were designated donors and to increase the overall number of donors and organs transplanted, becoming one of the largest OPOs in the nation. This can be a model for OPOs in other donor service areas, and it may set the stage for the United States to serve as an example to the global community in the practice of organ donation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A NEW APPROACH TO IDENTIFYING THE MOST POWERFUL GRAVITATIONAL LENSING TELESCOPES

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

Wong, Kenneth C.; Zabludoff, Ann I.; Ammons, S. Mark

2013-05-20

The best gravitational lenses for detecting distant galaxies are those with the largest mass concentrations and the most advantageous configurations of that mass along the line of sight. Our new method for finding such gravitational telescopes uses optical data to identify projected concentrations of luminous red galaxies (LRGs). LRGs are biased tracers of the underlying mass distribution, so lines of sight with the highest total luminosity in LRGs are likely to contain the largest total mass. We apply this selection technique to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and identify the 200 fields with the highest total LRG luminosities projected withinmore » a 3.'5 radius over the redshift range 0.1 {<=} z {<=} 0.7. The redshift and angular distributions of LRGs in these fields trace the concentrations of non-LRG galaxies. These fields are diverse; 22.5% contain one known galaxy cluster and 56.0% contain multiple known clusters previously identified in the literature. Thus, our results confirm that these LRGs trace massive structures and that our selection technique identifies fields with large total masses. These fields contain two to three times higher total LRG luminosities than most known strong-lensing clusters and will be among the best gravitational lensing fields for the purpose of detecting the highest redshift galaxies.« less

Construction of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

NASA Image and Video Library

1948-06-21

The 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory was the nation’s largest supersonic facility when it began operation in April 1949. The emergence of new propulsion technologies such as turbojets, ramjets, and rockets during World War II forced the NACA and the aircraft industry to develop new research tools. In late 1945 the NACA began design work for new large supersonic wind tunnels at its three laboratories. The result was the 4- by 4-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, 6- by 6-foot supersonic wind tunnel at Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, and the largest facility, the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel in Cleveland. The two former tunnels were to study aerodynamics, while the 8- by 6 facility was designed for supersonic propulsion. The 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel was used to study propulsion systems, including inlets and exit nozzles, combustion fuel injectors, flame holders, exit nozzles, and controls on ramjet and turbojet engines. Flexible sidewalls alter the tunnel’s nozzle shape to vary the Mach number during operation. A seven-stage axial compressor, driven by three electric motors that yield a total of 87,000 horsepower, generates air speeds from Mach 0.36 to 2.0. A section of the tunnel is seen being erected in this photograph.

The burden of disease from indoor air pollution in developing countries: comparison of estimates.

PubMed

Smith, Kirk R; Mehta, Sumi

2003-08-01

Four different methods have been applied to estimate the burden of disease due to indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use in developing countries (LDCs). The largest number of estimates involves applying exposure-response information from urban ambient air pollution studies to estimate indoor exposure concentrations of particulate air pollution. Another approach is to construct child survival curves using the results of large-scale household surveys, as has been done for India. A third approach involves cross-national analyses of child survival and household fuel use. The fourth method, referred to as the 'fuel-based' approach, which is explored in more depth here, involves applying relative risk estimates from epidemiological studies that use exposure surrogates, such as fuel type, to estimates of household solid fuel use to determine population attributable fractions by disease and age group. With this method and conservative assumptions about relative risks, 4-5 percent of the global LDC totals for both deaths and DALYs (disability adjusted life years) from acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, asthma, lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, and blindness can be attributed to solid fuel use in developing countries. Acute respiratory infections in children under five years of age are the largest single category of deaths (64%) and DALYs (81%) from indoor air pollution, apparently being responsible globally for about 1.2 million premature deaths annually in the early 1990s.

Spring-fall asymmetry of substorm strength, geomagnetic activity and solar wind: Implications for semiannual variation and solar hemispheric asymmetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marsula, K.; Tanskanen, E.; Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

We study the seasonal variation of substorms, geomagnetic activity and their solar wind drivers in 1993–2008. The number of substorms and substorm mean duration depict an annual variation with maxima in Winter and Summer, respectively, reflecting the annual change of the local ionosphere. In contradiction, substorm mean amplitude, substorm total efficiency and global geomagnetic activity show a dominant annual variation, with equinoctial maxima alternating between Spring in solar cycle 22 and Fall in cycle 23. The largest annual variations were found in 1994 and 2003, in the declining phase of the two cycles when high-speed streams dominate the solar wind. A similar, large annual variation is found in the solar wind driver of substorms and geomagnetic activity, which implies that the annual variation of substorm strength, substorm efficiency and geomagnetic activity is not due to ionospheric conditions but to a hemispherically asymmetric distribution of solar wind which varies from one cycle to another. Our results imply that the overall semiannual variation in global geomagnetic activity has been seriously overestimated, and is largely an artifact of the dominant annual variation with maxima alternating between Spring and Fall. The results also suggest an intimate connection between the asymmetry of solar magnetic fields and some of the largest geomagnetic disturbances, offering interesting new pathways for forecasting disturbances with a longer lead time to the future.

Proportional costs in trauma and acute care surgery patients: dominant role of intensive care unit costs.

PubMed

Fakhry, Samir M; Martin, Brad; Al Harakeh, Hasan; Norcross, E Douglas; Ferguson, Pamela L

2013-04-01

Controlling inpatient costs is increasingly important. Identifying proportionately larger cost categories may help focus cost control efforts. The purpose of this study was to identify proportionate patient cost categories in trauma and acute care surgery (TACS) patients and determine subgroups in which the largest opportunities for cost savings might exist. Administrative data from our academic, urban, level I trauma center were used to identify all adult TACS patients from FY07 through FY11. We determined, on average, what proportion of the whole each cost category contributed to patients' total costs and examined the same proportions for subgroups of patients. We identified 6,008 TACS patients. Trauma patients (n = 3,904) made up 65% of the cohort (mean Injury Severity Score 13.2). Payers were: 22% government (Medicare, Medicaid, Champus), 27% private, 43% self-pay/indigent, 3% other, and 5% workers compensation. Nontrauma (general surgery) patients (n = 2,104) made up 35% of the cohort. Payers were: 44% government, 24% private, 29% self-pay/indigent, 2% other, and 1% workers compensation. Total inpatient costs were $141,304,993. Per patient costs rose from $17,245 in FY07 to $26,468 in FY11. In the aggregate, supplies, ICU stays, and ward stays represented the largest proportionate cost categories. On a per patient basis, however, ICU stays were by far the largest cost. Patients with ICU stay greater than 10 days were only 7% of all patients but accounted for 41% of total costs. Trauma and acute care surgery patients represent a significant and increasing institutional cost. Per patient ICU costs were the largest single category, suggesting that cost control efforts should focus heavily on critically ill patients. Nontrauma patients who require critical care have the highest per patient ICU costs and may represent a previously underappreciated opportunity for cost control. Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The academic majors of students taking American soil science classes: 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Vaughan, Karen L.; Parikh, Sanjai J.; Dolliver, Holly; Lindbo, David; Steffan, Joshua J.; Weindorf, David; McDaniel, Paul; Mbila, Monday; Edinger-Marshall, Susan

2017-04-01

Many papers have been written in recent years discussing the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aspects of soil science. Therefore, it would make sense that soil science courses would be taken by students in a wide array of academic majors. To investigate this, we collected data from eight different American universities on the declared academic majors of students enrolled in soil science courses over a 10 year time period (2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years). Data was collected for seven different classes taught at the undergraduate level: introduction to soil science, soil fertility, soil management, pedology, soil biology/microbiology, soil chemistry, and soil physics. Overall trends and trends for each class were evaluated. Generally, environmental science and crop science/horticulture/agronomy students were enrolled in soil science courses in the greatest numbers. Environmental science and engineering students showed rapid increases in enrollment over the 10 years of the study, while the number of crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students declined. In the introduction to soil science classes, environmental science and crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students were enrolled in the greatest numbers, while declared soil science majors only made up 6.6% of the average enrollment. The highest enrollments in soil fertility were crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students and other agricultural students (all agricultural majors except crop science, horticulture, agronomy, or soil science). In both the soil management and pedology classes, environmental science and other agricultural students were the largest groups enrolled. Other agricultural students and students from other majors (all majors not otherwise expressly investigated) were the largest enrolled groups in soil biology/microbiology courses, and environmental science and soil science students were the largest enrolled groups in soil chemistry classes. Soil physics was the only class investigated where declared soil science students made up the largest single group of students, with other agricultural students being the second largest group. Results of the study showed that students from many different academic majors take soil science classes at American universities, and the most common majors in these classes depended on the class and the material it addressed.

How networks split when rival leaders emerge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krawczyk, Malgorzata J.; Kułakowski, Krzysztof

2018-02-01

In a model social network, two hubs are appointed as leaders. Consecutive cutting of links on a shortest path between them splits the network in two. Next, the network is growing again till the initial size. Both processes are cyclically repeated. We investigate the size of a cluster containing the largest hub, the degree, the clustering coefficient, the closeness centrality and the betweenness centrality of the largest hub, as dependent on the number of cycles. The results are interpreted in terms of the leader's benefits from conflicts.

Defense Health Care: Availability and Quality Measurement of Women’s Health Care Services in U.S. Military Hospitals

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

survey of 27 domestic Army installations. (See GAO, DOD Health Care: Domestic Health Care for Female Servicemembers, GAO-13-205 (Washington, D.C...Jan. 29, 2013).) That survey focused on general and specialty health care services identified by Army health care providers as services that should...major diagnostic categories related to 1) pregnancy and childbirth and 2) newborns—accounted for the largest and the second largest number of direct

Stressful life events and leucocyte telomere length: Do lifestyle factors, somatic and mental health, or low grade inflammation mediate this relationship? Results from a cohort of Danish men born in 1953.

PubMed

Osler, Merete; Bendix, Laila; Rask, Lene; Rod, Naja Hulvej

2016-11-01

Exposure to psychosocial stress is associated with increased risk of a number of somatic and mental disorders with relation to immune system functioning. We aimed to explore whether stressful events in early and recent life was associated with leucocyte telomere length (TL), which is assumed to reflect the accumulated burden of inflammation and oxidative stress occurring during the life course. We specifically aimed to address whether childhood constitutes a sensitive period and how much of the relation between stressful life events and TL is mediated through somatic and mental health, lifestyle, and markers of low-grade inflammation. A cohort of Danish men born in 1953 has been followed since birth in the Metropolit Cohort. These men underwent a health examination including blood sampling in 2010 and a subset of 324 also had a quantitative PCR-based measurement of TL. The relation between stressful life events and TL was analysed using structural equation modelling, which also provided an estimate of the proportion of the total effect mediated by somatic and mental health (cardiovascular disease, body mass and depressive mood), lifestyle factors, and low grade inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10). Total number of stressful events experienced during the life course was not associated with TL. In terms of sensitive periods, we found that number of stressful events in childhood was associated with shorter TL (β per number stressful events in childhood =-0.02(SE=-0.02); P=0.05). This relation was particularly strong for being placed away from home (β=-0.16; P<0.000). Thirty percent of the total effect of stressful events in childhood on TL was mediated by the included variables, with the largest proportion being mediated through depressive mood (16%) and CRP (9%). This study suggests that stressful events in childhood are associated with shorter TL in middle-aged men and that part of this relation is explained by depressive mood and low grade inflammation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alcohol-Related Blackouts, Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences, and Motivations for Drinking Reported by Newly Matriculating Transgender College Students.

PubMed

Tupler, Larry A; Zapp, Daniel; DeJong, William; Ali, Maryam; O'Rourke, Sarah; Looney, John; Swartzwelder, H Scott

2017-05-01

Many transgender college students struggle with identity formation and other emotional, social, and developmental challenges associated with emerging adulthood. A potential maladaptive coping strategy employed by such students is heavy drinking. Prior literature has suggested greater consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences (ARCs) in transgender students compared with their cisgender peers, but little is known about their differing experiences with alcohol-related blackouts (ARBs). We examined the level of alcohol consumption, the frequency of ARBs and other ARCs, and motivations for drinking reported by the largest sample of transgender college students to date. A Web survey from an alcohol-prevention program, AlcoholEdu for College™, assessed student demographics and drinking-related behaviors, experiences, and motivations of newly matriculating first-year college students. A self-reported drinking calendar was used to examine each of the following measures over the previous 14 days: number of drinking days, total number of drinks, and maximum number of drinks on any single day. A 7-point Likert scale was used to measure ARCs, ARBs, and drinking motivations. Transgender students of both sexes were compared with their cisgender peers. A total of 989 of 422,906 students (0.2%) identified as transgender. Over a 14-day period, transgender compared with cisgender students were more likely to consume alcohol over more days, more total drinks, and a greater number of maximum drinks on a single day. Transgender students (36%) were more likely to report an ARB than cisgender students (25%) as well as more negative academic, confrontation-related, social, and sexual ARCs. Transgender respondents more often cited stress reduction, social anxiety, self-esteem issues, and the inherent properties of alcohol as motivations for drinking. For nearly all measures, higher values were yielded by male-to-female than female-to-male transgender students. Transgender compared with cisgender first-year students engage in higher-risk drinking patterns and experience more ARBs and other negative ARCs. Broad institutional efforts are required to address the unique circumstances of transgender men and women and to reduce negative ARCs in college students, regardless of their sex or gender identity. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Southern pulpwood production, 1964

Treesearch

Joe F. Christopher

1965-01-01

In 1964, for the sixth consecutive year, pulpwood production in the South established a new record. Gains in 11 of the 12 States raised the total 8 percent above that of 1963. The cordage increases were largest in Alabama and Georgia. These two States also led in volume harvested; together they accounted for more than a third of the 1964 total. All but three of the...

Changes in output of industrial timber products in Georgia, 1971-1974

Treesearch

Richard L. Welch; Thomas R. Bellamy

1976-01-01

The total output of industrial timber products in Georgia amounted to almost 986 million cubic feet in 1974, 7 percent more than in 1971. Production of all major roundwood products and plant byproducts from softwood and hardwood species increased. Of the five Forest survey Regions in the State, the Southeast Region had the largest total output, the Southwest Region had...

Training in the Food and Beverages Sector in Denmark. Report for the FORCE Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holst, Ole

A study of the food sector in Denmark was limited to the slaughterhouse, dairy, beverages sectors. The food sector was the most important single industry in the Danish economy. It was the largest manufacturing sector, generated one-third of total manufacturing, and comprised approximately 8 percent of the total Danish gross domestic product. It…

Comparative analyses of the neuron numbers and volumes of the amygdaloid complex in old and new world primates.

PubMed

Carlo, C N; Stefanacci, L; Semendeferi, K; Stevens, C F

2010-04-15

The amygdaloid complex (AC), a key component of the limbic system, is a brain region critical for the detection and interpretation of emotionally salient information. Therefore, changes in its structure and function are likely to provide correlates of mood and emotion disorders, diseases that afflict a large portion of the human population. Previous gross comparisons of the AC in control and diseased individuals have, however, mainly failed to discover these expected correlations with diseases. We have characterized AC nuclei in different nonhuman primate species to establish a baseline for more refined comparisons between the normal and the diseased amygdala. AC nuclei volume and neuron number in 19 subdivisions are reported from 13 Old and New World primate brains, spanning five primate species, and compared with corresponding data from humans. Analysis of the four largest AC nuclei revealed that volume and neuron number of one component, the central nucleus, has a negative allometric relationship with total amygdala volume and neuron number, which is in contrast with the isometric relationship found in the other AC nuclei (for both neuron number and volume). Neuron density decreases across all four nuclei according to a single power law with an exponent of about minus one-half. Because we have included quantitative comparisons with great apes and humans, our conclusions apply to human brains, and our scaling laws can potentially be used to study the anatomical correlates of the amygdala in disorders involving pathological emotion processing. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[A critical perspective on the global research activity in the field of bladder cancer].

PubMed

Schöffel, N; Domnitz, F; Brüggmann, D; Klingelhöfer, D; Bendels, M H K; Groneberg, D A

2016-11-01

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common forms of cancer world-wide. This underestimated disease can cause severe morbidity and mortality in individuals. Increasing awareness can be depicted by the increasing numbers of publications since the 1990s. Hence, it is challenging for a scientist to obtain an overview of the topic. To quantify the global research activity in this field, a scientometric investigation was conducted. Using the database Web of Science, the bibliometric data of publications on the topic of BC was acquired for the period 1900-2007. According to the NewQIS protocol, different visualization techniques and scientometric methods were applied. A total of 19,651 publications were evaluated. The USA takes a leading position in terms of the overall number of publications, institutions, and collaborations. International collaboration on BC has changed considerably in terms of quantity during the past 20 years. The largest number of articles and the highest number of citations regarding BC are found in the Journal of Urology. Thus, it is considered the most prolific journal. Furthermore, the productivity (i. e., publication numbers) of authors and scientific impact (i. e., citation rates) vary greatly. The field of BC continues to progress, whereby the influence of international co-operation on scientific progress is of increasing importance. New evaluation factors/tools have to be established for a more reliable evaluation of scientific work.

Quality Evalution of Potato Clones as Processed Material Cultivated in Lembang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, S. T.; Handayani, T.; Levianny, P. S.

2017-03-01

Potatoes are widely grown in the temperate as well as tropical zones and are the fourth largest staple crop in the world after maize, wheat and rice. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of several potato clones as raw material on potato based products (chips and boiled). The study was conducted at Indonesian Vegetable Research Institute, Lembang about 1200 m asl height, in 2016. The design used was a randomized complete block design with three replications. The samples tested were 5 clones selection (clones number 1,2,3,4,10). In this study, variety Granola (Clone number 6) and Atlantic (Clone number 7) were used as a susceptible control, meanwhile the Katahdin (Clone number 8) and SP 951 (Clone number 9) were used as the resistant control. Chemical properties tested were starch, reduction sugar, water content, specific gravity, and Total Soluble Solute (TSS). The organoleptic assessment method used was hedonic test with scale of 1-5 (very like until very dislike) which had been done by 15 untrained panelists. Data was statisticaly analized by Duncan’s test (5%). Clone 1 and 2 were preferred by panelist as raw material for potato chips, which got score of ‘very like’ until ‘like’ for color, size, taste, and texture parameters. Although there was no significant difference on color and size parameters for all samples of that boiled potato there, however, clone no 8 can be considered as the most favourite based on taste and texture parameters.

Annual tendency of research papers used ICR mice as experimental animals in biomedical research fields.

PubMed

Kim, Ji Eun; Nam, Jung Hoon; Cho, Joon Young; Kim, Kil Soo; Hwang, Dae Youn

2017-06-01

Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice have been widely used in various research fields including toxicology, oncology, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical product safety testing for decades. However, annual tendency of research papers involving ICR mice in various biomedical fields has not been previously analyzed. In this study, we examined the numbers of papers that used ICR mice as experimental animals in the social science, natural science, engineering, medicine-pharmacy, marine agriculture-fishery, and art-kinesiology fields by analyzing big data. Numbers of ICR mouse-used papers gradually increased from 1961 to 2014, but small decreases were observed in 2015 and 2016. The largest number of ICR-used papers were published in the medicine-pharmacy field, followed by natural science and art-kinesiology fields. There were no ICR mouse-used papers in other fields. Furthermore, ICR mice have been widely employed in cell biology studies within the natural science field as well as in biochemistry and pathology in the medicine-pharmacy field. Few ICR mouse-used papers were published in exercise biochemistry and exercise nutrition in the art-kinesiology field. Regardless in most fields, the total numbers of published papers involving ICR mice were higher in 2014 than in other years, although the numbers in some fields including dentistry, veterinary science, and dermatology were high in 2016. Taken together, the present study shows that various ICR stocks, including Korl:ICR mice, are widely employed as experimental animals in various biomedical research fields.

Annual tendency of research papers used ICR mice as experimental animals in biomedical research fields

PubMed Central

Kim, Ji Eun; Nam, Jung Hoon; Cho, Joon Young; Kim, Kil Soo

2017-01-01

Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice have been widely used in various research fields including toxicology, oncology, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical product safety testing for decades. However, annual tendency of research papers involving ICR mice in various biomedical fields has not been previously analyzed. In this study, we examined the numbers of papers that used ICR mice as experimental animals in the social science, natural science, engineering, medicine-pharmacy, marine agriculture-fishery, and art-kinesiology fields by analyzing big data. Numbers of ICR mouse-used papers gradually increased from 1961 to 2014, but small decreases were observed in 2015 and 2016. The largest number of ICR-used papers were published in the medicine-pharmacy field, followed by natural science and art-kinesiology fields. There were no ICR mouse-used papers in other fields. Furthermore, ICR mice have been widely employed in cell biology studies within the natural science field as well as in biochemistry and pathology in the medicine-pharmacy field. Few ICR mouse-used papers were published in exercise biochemistry and exercise nutrition in the art-kinesiology field. Regardless in most fields, the total numbers of published papers involving ICR mice were higher in 2014 than in other years, although the numbers in some fields including dentistry, veterinary science, and dermatology were high in 2016. Taken together, the present study shows that various ICR stocks, including Korl:ICR mice, are widely employed as experimental animals in various biomedical research fields. PMID:28747984

50 CFR 403.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... largest supportable within the ecosystem to the population level that results in maximum net productivity. Maximum net productivity is the greatest net annual increment in population numbers or biomass resulting...

Astrometric Observations of Comets and Asteroids and Subsequent Orbital Investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsden, Brian G.; McCrosky, Richard E.

1997-01-01

An earlier series of photographic observations was made with the 1.5-m reflector from 1972 to 1989. The start of the series to which this report refers occurred shortly before the conversion from photographic to CCD operation in August 1989, at which point there was a dramatic increase in the productivity of the program. This is evident gives a month-by-month summary of the observations; the earlier data refer to the measurement or remeasurement of photographic plates previously taken with the same telescope. The total number of observations made was 24,423, of which 1338 were of comets. Of the 23,085 observations of asteroids, 21,529 referred to asteroids that were unnumbered when the observations were made. Since an important emphasis of the program was to improve knowledge of the orbits to the point where asteroids can be numbered, the fact that only 4262 of the observations refer to asteroids that are still unnumbered is a measure of the program's success, with 30-35 percent of all the new numberings being habitually made solely because of the recent data from the Oak Ridge program, which even at the time of McCrosky's retirement was still the fourth largest comet-asteroid astrometric program in the world.

Search for uranium in western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKelvey, Vincent Ellis

1953-01-01

The search for uranium in the United States is one of the most intensive ever made for any metal during our history. The number of prospectors and miners involved is difficult to estimate but some measure of the size of the effort is indicated by the fact that about 500 geologists are employed by government and industry in the work--more than the total number of geologists engaged in the study of all other minerals together except oil. The largest part of the effort has been concentrated in the western states. No single deposit of major importance by world standards has been discovered but the search has led to the discovery of important minable deposits of carnotite and related minerals on the Colorado Plateau; of large, low grade deposits of uranium in phosphates in the northwestern states and in lignites in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico; and of many new and some promising occurrences of uranium in carnotite-like deposits and in vein deposits. Despite the fact that a large number of the districts considered favorable for the occurrence of uranium have already been examined, the outlook for future discoveries is bright, particularly for uranium in vein and in carnotite-like deposits in the Rocky Mountain States.

Health education in primary school textbooks in iran in school year 2010-2011.

PubMed

Kazemian, Reza; Ghasemi, Hadi; Movahhed, Taraneh; Kazemian, Ali

2014-09-01

Health education in schools is one of the most effective ways of promoting health in a society. Studies have shown the effectiveness of health interventions aimed at improving students' knowledge, attitude, and behaviors about health issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate health issues in primary school textbooks in Iran. In school year 2010-2011, the contents of all primary school textbooks in Iran were assessed in accordance to their health-related teachings. Health lessons of these 27 textbooks in the form of picture and text were retrieved and analyzed using content analysis method. In total, 502 health-related lessons were found. The textbooks of the third grade contained the highest (144) and those of the fourth grade had the lowest (26) number of health lessons. Among health-related issues, the largest number (87) of lessons were about personal hygiene, while prevention of high risk behaviors comprised the least number (8). Some important health issues such as nutrition, oral health, and prevention of high-risk behaviors were not adequately discussed in the textbooks. The potential of primary school textbooks in delivering health messages has been neglected in Iran. Taking the critical importance of school ages into account, incorporating health issues in textbooks should be more strongly emphasized.

Tracking urban carbon footprints from production and consumption perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jianyi; Hu, Yuanchao; Cui, Shenghui; Kang, Jiefeng; Ramaswami, Anu

2015-05-01

Cities are hotspots of socio-economic activities and greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of this study was to extend the research range of the urban carbon footprint (CF) to cover emissions embodied in products traded among regions and intra-city sectors. Using Xiamen City as a study case, the total urban-related emissions were evaluated, and the carbon flows among regions and intra-city sectors were tracked. Then five urban CF accountings were evaluated, including purely geographic accounting (PGA), community-wide infrastructure footprint (CIF), and consumption-based footprint (CBF) methods, as well as the newly defined production-based footprint (PBF) and purely production footprint (PPF). Research results show that the total urban-related emissions of Xiamen City in 2010 were 55.2 Mt CO2e/y, of which total carbon flow among regions or intra-city sectors accounted for 53.7 Mt CO2e/y. Within the total carbon flow, import and export respectively accounted for 59 and 65%, highlighting the importance of emissions embodied in trade. By regional trade balance, North America and Europe were the largest net carbon exported-to regions, and Mainland China and Taiwan the largest net carbon imported-from regions. Among intra-sector carbon flows, manufacturing was the largest emission-consuming sector of the total urban carbon flow, accounting for 77.4, and 98% of carbon export was through industrial products trade. By the PBF, PPF, CIF, PGA and CBF methods, the urban CFs were respectively 53.7 Mt CO2e/y, 44.8 Mt CO2e/y, 28.4 Mt CO2e/y, 23.7 Mt CO2e/y, and 19.0 Mt CO2e/y, so all of the other four CFs were higher than the CBF. All of these results indicate that urban carbon mitigation must consider the supply chain management of imported goods, the production efficiency within the city, the consumption patterns of urban consumers, and the responsibility of the ultimate consumers outside the city.

Consumer products and activities associated with dental injuries to children treated in United States emergency departments, 1990-2003.

PubMed

Stewart, Gregory B; Shields, Brenda J; Fields, Sarah; Comstock, R Dawn; Smith, Gary A

2009-08-01

Describe the association of consumer products and activities with dental injuries among children 0-17 years of age treated in United States emergency departments. A retrospective analysis of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, 1990-2003. There was an average of 22 000 dental injuries annually among children <18 years of age during the study period, representing an average annual rate of 31.6 dental injuries per 100 000 population. Children with primary dentition (<7 years) sustained over half of the dental injuries recorded, and products/activities associated with home structures/furniture were the leading contributors. Floors, steps, tables, and beds were the consumer products within the home most associated with dental injuries. Outdoor recreational products/activities were associated with the largest number of dental injuries among children with mixed dentition (7-12 years); almost half of these were associated with the bicycle, which was the consumer product associated with the largest number of dental injuries. Among children with permanent teeth (13- to 17-year olds), sports-related products/activities were associated with the highest number of dental injuries. Of all sports, baseball and basketball were associated with the largest number of dental injuries. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate dental injuries among children using a national sample. We identified the leading consumer products/activities associated with dental injuries to children with primary, mixed, and permanent dentition. Knowledge of these consumer products/activities allows for more focused and effective prevention strategies.

How to Search, Write, Prepare and Publish the Scientific Papers in the Biomedical Journals

PubMed Central

Masic, Izet

2011-01-01

This article describes the methodology of preparation, writing and publishing scientific papers in biomedical journals. given is a concise overview of the concept and structure of the System of biomedical scientific and technical information and the way of biomedical literature retreival from worldwide biomedical databases. Described are the scientific and professional medical journals that are currently published in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also, given is the comparative review on the number and structure of papers published in indexed journals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are listed in the Medline database. Analyzed are three B&H journals indexed in MEDLINE database: Medical Archives (Medicinski Arhiv), Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences and Medical Gazette (Medicinki Glasnik) in 2010. The largest number of original papers was published in the Medical Archives. There is a statistically significant difference in the number of papers published by local authors in relation to international journals in favor of the Medical Archives. True, the Journal Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences does not categorize the articles and we could not make comparisons. Journal Medical Archives and Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences by percentage published the largest number of articles by authors from Sarajevo and Tuzla, the two oldest and largest university medical centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The author believes that it is necessary to make qualitative changes in the reception and reviewing of papers for publication in biomedical journals published in Bosnia and Herzegovina which should be the responsibility of the separate scientific authority/ committee composed of experts in the field of medicine at the state level. PMID:23572850

Current Research on Chinese Students Studying Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henze, Jurgen; Zhu, Jiani

2012-01-01

As a result of China's growing participation and importance in the process of internationalization and globalization a continuously rising number of Chinese students has gone abroad for further study. By the end of the last decade the number of Chinese students abroad made up the largest group of international students in the USA (surpassing those…

NOVA Gold: Building Skills for Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Ervinia; Narney, Pam; Hintz, Sue

Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), the third largest community college in the nation, is tackling the area's need for skilled workers. The number of jobs available in the northern Virginia region increased 103% in the last year. But there are substantial numbers of students at NVCC who are lacking the skills necessary to obtain employment…

Physical and chemical characteristics including total and geochemical forms of phosphorus in sediment from the top 30 centimeters of cores collected in October 2006 at 26 sites in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simon, Nancy S.; Ingle, Sarah N.

2011-01-01

μThis study of phosphorus (P) cycling in eutrophic Upper Klamath Lake (UKL), Oregon, was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Lakebed sediments from the upper 30 centimeters (cm) of cores collected from 26 sites were characterized. Cores were sampled at 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm. Prior to freezing, water content and sediment pH were determined. After being freeze-dried, all samples were separated into greater than 63-micron (μm) particle-size (coarse) and less than 63-μm particle-size (fine) fractions. In the surface samples (0.5 to 4.5 cm below the sediment water interface), approximately three-fourths of the particles were larger than 63-μm. The ratios of the coarse particle-size fraction (>63 μm) and the fine particle-size fraction (<63 μm) were approximately equal in samples at depths greater than 10 cm below the sediment water interface. Chemical analyses included both size fractions of freeze-dried samples. Chemical analyses included determination of total concentrations of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), carbon (C), iron (Fe), poorly crystalline Fe, nitrogen (N), P, and titanium (Ti). Total Fe concentrations were the largest in sediment from the northern portion of UKL, Howard Bay, and the southern portion of the lake. Concentrations of total Al, Ca, and Ti were largest in sediment from the northern, central, and southernmost portions of the lake and in sediment from Howard Bay. Concentrations of total C and N were largest in sediment from the embayments and in sediment from the northern arm and southern portion of the lake in the general region of Buck Island. Concentrations of total C were larger in the greater than 63-μm particle-size fraction than in the less than 63-μm particle-size fraction. Sediments were sequentially extracted to determine concentrations of inorganic forms of P, including loosely sorbed P, P associated with poorly crystalline Fe oxides, and P associated with mineral phases. The difference between the concentration of total P and sum of the concentrations of inorganic forms of P is referred to as residual P. Residual P was the largest fraction of P in all of the sediment samples. In UKL, the correlation between concentrations of total P and total Fe in sediment is poor (R2<0.1). The correlation between the concentrations of total P and P associated with poorly crystalline Fe oxides is good (R2=0.43) in surface sediment (0.5-4.5 cm below the sediment water interface) but poor (R2<0.1) in sediments at depths between 10 cm and 30 cm. Phosphorus associated with poorly crystalline Fe oxides is considered bioavailable because it is released when sediment conditions change from oxidizing to reducing, which causes dissolution of Fe oxides.

Travel-associated Legionnaires disease in Europe in 2009.

PubMed

Joseph, C A; Ricketts, K D; Yadav, R; Patel, S

2010-10-14

A total of 818 cases of Legionnaires' disease with onset of illness in 2009 were reported from 22 European and two non-European countries to the European Surveillance Scheme for Travel-Associated Legionnaires' Disease (EWGLINET). This is a decrease of 52 cases compared with 2008 and 129 fewer than in 2007 - the peak year of reporting to date. A total of 794 (97.1%) cases were reported as confirmed and 24 as presumptive cases. Outcome of illness was reported for 561 (68.6%) cases. Of these cases 28 (5%) were reported to have died. More than half, of the cases in 2009 (n=469, 57.3%) were reported within 20 days of symptom onset. Cases visited 53 countries and were infected in all months of the year, with a peak in September (n=146). By country of residence of the cases, the United Kingdom (UK) reported the highest number of cases (n=173). Italy reported the second highest number of cases (n=169) and was also the country associated with the most cases by country of infection (n=209). A total of 88 new clusters (75 in Europe and 13 outside Europe) were detected in 2009 and were associated with 196 cases. The largest cluster occurred in Italy and involved seven cases. Without the scheme's international database, thirty three (37.5%) of the newly detected clusters would not have been identified. In 49 of the accommodation sites with clusters of cases, environmental samples were found to be positive for Legionella spp. Details of 10 sites were published on the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) website for failure to return information on the status of environmental investigations.

Shift Work and Occupational Stress in Police Officers

PubMed Central

Ma, Claudia C.; Andrew, Michael E.; Fekedulegn, Desta; Gu, Ja K.; Hartley, Tara A.; Charles, Luenda E.; Violanti, John M.; Burchfiel, Cecil M.

2014-01-01

Background Shift work has been associated with occupational stress in health providers and in those working in some industrial companies. The association is not well established in the law enforcement workforce. Our objective was to examine the association between shift work and police work-related stress. Methods The number of stressful events that occurred in the previous month and year was obtained using the Spielberger Police Stress Survey among 365 police officers aged 27–66 years. Work hours were derived from daily payroll records. A dominant shift (day, afternoon, or night) was defined for each participant as the shift with the largest percentage of total time a participant worked (starting time from 4:00 AM to 11:59 AM, from 12 PM to 7:59 PM, and from 8:00 PM to 3:59 AM for day, afternoon, and night shift, respectively) in the previous month or year. Analysis of variance and covariance were used to examine the number of total and subscale (administrative/professional pressure, physical/psychological danger, or organizational support) stressful events across the shift. Results During the previous month and year, officers working the afternoon and night shifts reported more stressful events than day shift officers for total stress, administrative/professional pressure, and physical/psychological danger (p < 0.05). These differences were independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, and police rank. The frequency of these stressful events did not differ significantly between officers working the afternoon and night shifts. Conclusion Non–day shift workers may be exposed to more stressful events in this cohort. Interventions to reduce or manage police stress that are tailored by shift may be considered. PMID:25830066

The cost of asthma in Kuwait.

PubMed

Khadadah, Mousa

2013-01-01

To evaluate the direct costs of treating asthma in Kuwait. Population figures were obtained from the 2005 census and projected to 2008. Treatment profiles were obtained from the Asthma Insights and Reality for the Gulf and Near East (AIRGNE) study. Asthma prevalence and unit cost estimates were based on results from a Delphi technique. These estimates were applied to the total Kuwaiti population aged 5 years and over to obtain the number of people diagnosed with asthma. The estimates from the Delphi exercise and the AIRGNE results were used to determine the number of asthma patients managed in government facilities. Direct drug costs were provided by the Ministry of Health. Treatment costs (Kuwaiti dinars, KD) were also calculated using the Delphi exercise and the AIRGNE data. The prevalence of asthma was estimated to be 15% of adults and 18% of children (93,923 adults; 70,158 children). Of these, 84,530 (90%) adults and 58,932 (84.0%) children were estimated to be using government healthcare facilities. Inpatient visits accounted for the largest portion of total direct costs (43%), followed by emergency room visits (29%), outpatient visits (21%) and medications (7%). The annual cost of treatment, excluding medications, was KD 29,946,776 (USD 107,076,063) for adults and KD 24,295,439 (USD 86,869,450) for children. Including medications, the total annual direct cost of asthma treatment was estimated to be over KD 58 million (USD 207 million). Asthma costs Kuwait a huge sum of money, though the estimates were conservative because only Kuwaiti nationals were included. Given the high medical expenditures associated with emergency room and inpatient visits, relative to lower medication costs, efforts should be focused on improving asthma control rather than reducing expenditure on procurement of medication. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Improvements in medical quality and patient safety through implementation of a case bundle management strategy in a large outpatient blood collection center.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuzhen; He, Lujia; Feng, Chenchen; He, Xiaoli

2018-06-01

Laboratory errors in blood collection center (BCC) are most common in the preanalytical phase. It is, therefore, of vital importance for administrators to take measures to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.In 2015, a case bundle management strategy was applied in a large outpatient BCC to improve its medical quality and patient safety.Unqualified blood sampling, complications, patient waiting time, largest number of patients waiting during peak hours, patient complaints, and patient satisfaction were compared over the period from 2014 to 2016.The strategy reduced unqualified blood sampling, complications, patient waiting time, largest number of patients waiting during peak hours, and patient complaints, while improving patient satisfaction.This strategy was effective in improving BCC healthcare quality and patient safety.

Catalase-positive microperoxisomes in rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscle fiber types

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riley, Danny A.; Bain, James L. W.; Ellis, Stanley

1988-01-01

The size, distribution, and content of catalase-reactive microperoxisomes were investigated cytochemically in three types of muscle fibers from the soleus and the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) of male rats. Muscle fibers were classified on the basis of the mitochondrial content and distribution, the Z-band widths, and the size and shape of myofibrils as the slow-twitch oxidative (SO), the fast-twitch oxidative glycolytic (FOG), and the fast-twitch glycolytic (FG) fibers. It was found that both the EDL and soleus SO fibers possessed the largest microperoxisomes. A comparison of microperoxisome number per muscle fiber area or the microperoxisome area per fiber area revealed following ranking, starting from the largest number and the area-ratio values: soleus SO, EDL SO, EDL FOG, and EDL FG.

Prognostic impact of number of resected and involved lymph nodes at complete resection on survival in non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Saji, Hisashi; Tsuboi, Masahiro; Yoshida, Koichi; Kato, Yasufumi; Nomura, Masaharu; Matsubayashi, Jun; Nagao, Toshitaka; Kakihana, Masatoshi; Usuda, Jitsuo; Kajiwara, Naohiro; Ohira, Tatsuo; Ikeda, Norihiko

2011-11-01

Lymph node (LN) status is a major determinant of stage and survival in patients with lung cancer. In the 7th edition of the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, the number of involved LNs is included in the definition of pN factors in breast, stomach, esophageal, and colorectal cancer, and the pN status significantly correlates with prognosis. We retrospectively investigated the prognostic impact of the number of resected LNs (RLNs) and involved LNs in the context of other established clinical prognostic factors, in a series of 928 consecutive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent complete resection at our institution between 2000 and 2007. The mean number of RLNs was 15. There was a significant difference in the total number of RLNs categorized between less than 10 and ≥10 (p = 0.0129). Although the incidence of LN involvement was statistically associated with poor prognosis, the largest statistically significant increase in overall survival was observed between 0 to 3 and ≥4 involved LNs (hazard ratio = 7.680; 95% confidence interval = 5.051-11.655, p < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, we used the ratio between the number of involved LNs and RLNs. The number of RLNs was found to be a strong independent prognostic factor for NSCLC (hazard ratio = 6.803; 95% confidence interval = 4.137-11.186, p < 0.0001). Complete resection including 10 or more LNs influenced survival at complete NSCLC resection. Four involved LNs seemed to be a benchmark for NSCLC prognosis. The number of involved LNs is a strong independent prognostic factor in NSCLC, and the results of this study may provide new information for determining the N category in the next tumor, node, metastasis classification.

QTL fine mapping with Bayes C(π): a simulation study.

PubMed

van den Berg, Irene; Fritz, Sébastien; Boichard, Didier

2013-06-19

Accurate QTL mapping is a prerequisite in the search for causative mutations. Bayesian genomic selection models that analyse many markers simultaneously should provide more accurate QTL detection results than single-marker models. Our objectives were to (a) evaluate by simulation the influence of heritability, number of QTL and number of records on the accuracy of QTL mapping with Bayes Cπ and Bayes C; (b) estimate the QTL status (homozygous vs. heterozygous) of the individuals analysed. This study focussed on the ten largest detected QTL, assuming they are candidates for further characterization. Our simulations were based on a true dairy cattle population genotyped for 38,277 phased markers. Some of these markers were considered biallelic QTL and used to generate corresponding phenotypes. Different numbers of records (4387 and 1500), heritability values (0.1, 0.4 and 0.7) and numbers of QTL (10, 100 and 1000) were studied. QTL detection was based on the posterior inclusion probability for individual markers, or on the sum of the posterior inclusion probabilities for consecutive markers, estimated using Bayes C or Bayes Cπ. The QTL status of the individuals was derived from the contrast between the sums of the SNP allelic effects of their chromosomal segments. The proportion of markers with null effect (π) frequently did not reach convergence, leading to poor results for Bayes Cπ in QTL detection. Fixing π led to better results. Detection of the largest QTL was most accurate for medium to high heritability, for low to moderate numbers of QTL, and with a large number of records. The QTL status was accurately inferred when the distribution of the contrast between chromosomal segment effects was bimodal. QTL detection is feasible with Bayes C. For QTL detection, it is recommended to use a large dataset and to focus on highly heritable traits and on the largest QTL. QTL statuses were inferred based on the distribution of the contrast between chromosomal segment effects.

Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GeoCAPE) Wide Angle Spectrometer (WAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotecki, Carl; Chu, Martha; Mannino, Antonio; Marx, Catherine Trout; Bowers, Gregory A.; Bolognese, Jeffrey A.; Matson, Elizabeth A.; McBirney, Thomas R.; Earle, Cleland P.; Choi, Michael K.;

Jamaica’s Critically Endangered Butterfly: A Review of the Biology and Conservation Status of the Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius)

PubMed Central

Kramer, Valerie R.; Rawlins, John E.; Verdecia, Vanessa; Daniels, Jaret C.

2017-01-01

The Homerus swallowtail, Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius, is listed as an endangered species and is endemic to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere, P. homerus once inhabited seven of Jamaica’s 14 parishes and consisted of at least three populations; however, now only two stronghold populations remain, a western population in the rugged Cockpit Country and an eastern population in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Despite numerous studies of its life history, much about the population biology, including estimates of total numbers of individuals in each population, remains unknown. In addition, a breeding program is needed to establish an experimental population, which could be used to augment wild populations and ensure the continued survival of the species. Here, we present a review of the biology of P. homerus and recommendations for a conservation plan. PMID:28698508

Human plague--four states, 2006.

PubMed

2006-09-01

Plague is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. In 2006, a total of 13 human plague cases have been reported among residents of four states: New Mexico (seven cases), Colorado (three cases), California (two cases), and Texas (one case). This is the largest number of cases reported in a single year in the United States since 1994. Dates of illness onset ranged from February 16 to August 14; two (15%) cases were fatal. The median age of patients was 43 years (range: 13-79 years); eight (62%) patients were female. Five (38%) patients had primary septicemic plague, and the remaining eight (62%) had bubonic plague. Two (15%) patients developed secondary plague pneumonia, leading to administration of antibiotic prophylaxis to their health-care providers. This report summarizes six of the 13 cases, highlighting the severity and diverse clinical presentations of plague and underscoring the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment when plague is suspected.

Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants of Hezar Mountain Allocated in South East of Iran

PubMed Central

Rajaei, Peyman; Mohamadi, Neda

2012-01-01

This manuscript is the result of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology survey on the Hezar Mountain in SE of Iran. Traditional botanical medicine is the primary mode of healthcare for most of the population of this region. The plants were collected in and around Hezar mountain from 2008-2010. The authors have conducted an interview of total 75 informants; The traditional uses of 92 species belonging to 35 vascular plant families and 78 genera have been recorded. The largest number of medicinal species came from Lamiaceae (15.2%). The most common preparations were decoction and infusion. These species are utilized to treat several ailments which the most common of them are digestive disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, (25.4%), renal and genital disorders (13%), respiratory tract system disorders (11.8%), and heart-blood circulatory system disorders (10.2%) respectively. PMID:24250549

Musculoskeletal disorder costs and medical claim filing in the US retail trade sector.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Anasua; Leigh, J Paul

2011-01-01

The average costs of Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) and odds ratios for filing medical claims related to MSD were examined. The medical claims were identified by ICD 9 codes for four US Census regions within retail trade. Large private firms' medical claims data from Thomson Reuters Inc. MarketScan databases for the years 2003 through 2006 were used. Average costs were highest for claims related to lumbar region (ICD 9 Code: 724.02) and number of claims were largest for low back syndrome (ICD 9 Code: 724.2). Whereas the odds of filing an MSD claim did not vary greatly over time, average costs declined over time. The odds of filing claims rose with age and were higher for females and southerners than men and non-southerners. Total estimated national medical costs for MSDs within retail trade were $389 million (2007 USD).

Corrosion Behavior of Aqua-Blasted and Laser-Engraved Type 316L Stainless Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krawczyk, B.; Cook, P.; Hobbs, J.; Engelberg, D. L.

2017-12-01

The effect of aqua blasting and laser engraving on surface microstructure development, residual stress and corrosion resistance of type 316L stainless steel has been investigated. Aqua blasting resulted in a deformed near-surface microstructure containing compressive residual stresses. Subsequent laser engraving produced a surface layer with tensile residual stresses reaching to a depth of 200 microns. Changes of surface roughness topography were accompanied by the development of a thick oxide/hydroxide film after laser engraving. The atmospheric corrosion behavior of all surfaces with MgCl2-laden droplets was compared to their electrochemical response in 1M NaCl and 0.7 M HCl aqueous solutions. The measured total volume loss after atmospheric corrosion testing was similar for all investigated surface conditions. Laser-engraved surface exhibited the smallest number of corrosion sites, but the largest mean corrosion depth.

Reconstruction of three-dimensional grain structure in polycrystalline iron via an interactive segmentation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Min-nan; Wang, Yu-cong; Wang, Hao; Liu, Guo-quan; Xue, Wei-hua

2017-03-01

Using a total of 297 segmented sections, we reconstructed the three-dimensional (3D) structure of pure iron and obtained the largest dataset of 16254 3D complete grains reported to date. The mean values of equivalent sphere radius and face number of pure iron were observed to be consistent with those of Monte Carlo simulated grains, phase-field simulated grains, Ti-alloy grains, and Ni-based super alloy grains. In this work, by finding a balance between automatic methods and manual refinement, we developed an interactive segmentation method to segment serial sections accurately in the reconstruction of the 3D microstructure; this approach can save time as well as substantially eliminate errors. The segmentation process comprises four operations: image preprocessing, breakpoint detection based on mathematical morphology analysis, optimized automatic connection of the breakpoints, and manual refinement by artificial evaluation.

Floristic and phytosociology in dense "terra firme" rainforest in the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant influence area, Pará, Brazil.

PubMed

Lemos, D A N; Ferreira, B G A; Siqueira, J D P; Oliveira, M M; Ferreira, A M

2015-08-01

The objective of the present study was to characterise the floristic and phytosociological composition on a stretch of dense "Terra Firme" rainforest located in the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant area of influence, located in the state of Pará, Brazil. All trees with DAP >10 cm situated in 75 permanent plots of 1 ha were inventoried. 27,126 individuals trees (361 ind.ha-1), distributed in 59 botanical families, comprising 481 species were observed. The families with the largest number of species were Fabaceae (94), Araceae (65) and Arecaceae (43), comprising 43.7% of total species. The species Alexa grandiflora (4.41), Cenostigma tocantinum (2.50) and Bertholletia excelsa (2.28) showed the highest importance values (IV). The ten species with greater IV are concentrated (22%). The forest community has high species richness and can be classified as diverse age trees, heterogeneous and of medium conservation condition.

Tracking and Navigation of Future NASA Spacecraft with the Square Kilometer Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resch, G. M.; Jones, D. L.; Connally, M. J.; Weinreb, S.; Preston, R. A.

2001-12-01

The international radio astronomy community is currently working on the design of an array of small radio antennas with a total collecting area of one square kilometer - more than a hundred times that of the largest existing (100-m) steerable antennas. An array of this size would provide obvious advantages for high data rate telemetry reception and for spacecraft navigation. Among these advantages are a two-orders-of-magnitude increase in sensitivity for telemetry downlink, flexible sub-arraying to track multiple spacecraft simultaneously, increased reliability through the use of large numbers of identical array elements, very accurate real-time angular spacecraft tracking, and a dramatic reduction in cost per unit area. NASA missions in many disciplines, including planetary science, would benefit from this increased ground-based tracking capability. The science return from planned missions could be increased, and opportunities for less expensive or completely new kinds of missions would be created.

Uncertainty Analysis of the NASA Glenn 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, Julia; Hubbard, Erin; Walter, Joel; McElroy, Tyler

2016-01-01

This paper presents methods and results of a detailed measurement uncertainty analysis that was performed for the 8- by 6-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel located at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The statistical methods and engineering judgments used to estimate elemental uncertainties are described. The Monte Carlo method of propagating uncertainty was selected to determine the uncertainty of calculated variables of interest. A detailed description of the Monte Carlo method as applied for this analysis is provided. Detailed uncertainty results for the uncertainty in average free stream Mach number as well as other variables of interest are provided. All results are presented as random (variation in observed values about a true value), systematic (potential offset between observed and true value), and total (random and systematic combined) uncertainty. The largest sources contributing to uncertainty are determined and potential improvement opportunities for the facility are investigated.

Jamaica's Critically Endangered Butterfly: A Review of the Biology and Conservation Status of the Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius).

PubMed

Lehnert, Matthew S; Kramer, Valerie R; Rawlins, John E; Verdecia, Vanessa; Daniels, Jaret C

2017-07-10

The Homerus swallowtail, Papilio ( Pterourus ) homerus Fabricius, is listed as an endangered species and is endemic to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere, P. homerus once inhabited seven of Jamaica's 14 parishes and consisted of at least three populations; however, now only two stronghold populations remain, a western population in the rugged Cockpit Country and an eastern population in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Despite numerous studies of its life history, much about the population biology, including estimates of total numbers of individuals in each population, remains unknown. In addition, a breeding program is needed to establish an experimental population, which could be used to augment wild populations and ensure the continued survival of the species. Here, we present a review of the biology of P. homerus and recommendations for a conservation plan.

The epigenetic control of the Athila family of retrotransposons in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Slotkin, R Keith

2010-08-16

Retrotransposons are major constituents of both plant and animal genomes. In the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which is known for its small size and low repeat content, the Athila retrotransposon family occupies over 2.7% of the total genome and is a major building block of the centromere. However, the copy number and location of Athila elements fail to tell the complete story, as recent experiments have demonstrated that Athila is not only literally at the center of each chromosome, but figuratively at the center of Arabidopsis epigenetic regulation. The silencing of Athila retrotransposons has come to the forefront of Arabidopsis small RNA regulation, the control of the centromere core, as well as potentially playing a role in speciation. This review explores what studying one of the largest transposable element families in one of the smallest plant genomes can tell us about the epigenetic regulation of the genome.

Use of an Expansion Tube to Examine Scramjet Combustion at Hypersonic Velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizkalla, Oussama; Bakos, Robert J.; Chinitz, Wallace; Pulsonetti, Maria V; Erdos, John I.

1989-01-01

Combustion testing at total enthalpy conditions corresponding to flight Math numbers in excess of 12 requires the use of impulse facilities. The expansion tube is the only operational facility of its size which can provide these conditions without excessive oxygen dissociation or driver gas contamination. Expansio tube operation is described herein and the operational parameters having the largest impact on its performance are determined. These are: driver-to-intermediate chamber pressure ratio, driver gas molecular weight and specific heat ratio, and driver gas temperature. Increases in the lase named parameter will markedly affect the test section static pressure. Preliminary calibration tests are discussed and test gas conditions which have been achieved are presented. Calculated and experimental test times are compared and the parameters affecting test time are discussed. The direction of future work using this important experimental tool is indicated.

Use of an expansion tube to examine scramjet combustion at hypersonic velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizkalla, O.; Bakos, R. J.; Pulsonetti, M.; Chinitz, Wallace; Erdos, John I.

1989-01-01

Combustion testing at total enthalpy conditions corresponding to flight Mach numbers in excess of 12 requires the use of impulse facilities. The expansion tube is the only operational facility of its size which can provide these conditions without excessive oxygen dissociation or driver gas contamination. Expansion tube operation is described herein and the operational parameters having the largest impact on its performance are determined. These are: driver-to-intermediate chamber pressure ratio, driver gas molecular weight and specific heat ratio, and driver gas temperature. Increases in the last-named parameter will markedly affect the test section static pressure. Preliminary calibration tests are discussed and test gas conditions which have been achieved are presented. Calculated and experimental test times are compared and the parameters affecting test time are discussed. The direction of future work using this important experimental tool is indicated.

Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis, England and Wales, 1945–2011

PubMed Central

Lane, Christopher R.; LeBaigue, Susan; Esan, Oluwaseun B.; Awofisyo, Adedoyin A.; Adams, Natalie L.; Fisher, Ian S.T.; Grant, Kathie A.; Peters, Tansy M.; Larkin, Lesley; Davies, Robert H.

2014-01-01

In England and Wales, the emergence of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis resulted in the largest and most persistent epidemic of foodborne infection attributable to a single subtype of any pathogen since systematic national microbiological surveillance was established. We reviewed 67 years of surveillance data to examine the features, underlying causes, and overall effects of S. enterica ser. Enteritidis. The epidemic was associated with the consumption of contaminated chicken meat and eggs, and a decline in the number of infections began after the adoption of vaccination and other measures in production and distribution of chicken meat and eggs. We estimate that >525,000 persons became ill during the course of the epidemic, which caused a total of 6,750,000 days of illness, 27,000 hospitalizations, and 2,000 deaths. Measures undertaken to control the epidemic have resulted in a major reduction in foodborne disease in England and Wales. PMID:24960614

Inertial Confinement Fusion and the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

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

Ross, P.

2012-08-29

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) seeks to provide sustainable fusion energy by compressing frozen deuterium and tritium fuel to extremely high densities. The advantages of fusion vs. fission are discussed, including total energy per reaction and energy per nucleon. The Lawson Criterion, defining the requirements for ignition, is derived and explained. Different confinement methods and their implications are discussed. The feasibility of creating a power plant using ICF is analyzed using realistic and feasible numbers. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is shown as a significant step forward toward making a fusion power plant based on ICF.more » NIF is the world’s largest laser, delivering 1.8 MJ of energy, with a peak power greater than 500 TW. NIF is actively striving toward the goal of fusion energy. Other uses for NIF are discussed.« less

Evaluation of active and passive recruitment methods used in randomized controlled trials targeting pediatric obesity

PubMed Central

RAYNOR, HOLLIE A.; OSTERHOLT, KATHRIN M.; HART, CHANTELLE N.; JELALIAN, ELISSA; VIVIER, PATRICK; WING, RENA R.

2016-01-01

Objective Evaluate enrollment numbers, randomization rates, costs, and cost-effectiveness of active versus passive recruitment methods for parent-child dyads into two pediatric obesity intervention trials. Methods Recruitment methods were categorized into active (pediatrician referral and targeted mailings, with participants identified by researcher/health care provider) versus passive methods (newspaper, bus, internet, television, and earning statements; fairs/community centers/schools; and word of mouth; with participants self-identified). Numbers of enrolled and randomized families and costs/recruitment method were monitored throughout the 22-month recruitment period. Costs (in USD) per recruitment method included staff time, mileage, and targeted costs of each method. Results A total of 940 families were referred or made contact, with 164 families randomized (child: 7.2±1.6 years, 2.27±0.61 standardized body mass index [zBMI], 86.6% obese, 61.7% female, 83.5% white; parent: 38.0±5.8 years, 32.9±8.4 BMI, 55.2% obese, 92.7% female, 89.6% white). Pediatrician referral, followed by targeted mailings, produced the largest number of enrolled and randomized families (both methods combined producing 87.2% of randomized families). Passive recruitment methods yielded better retention from enrollment to randomization (p <0.05), but produced few families (21 in total). Approximately $91 000 was spent on recruitment, with cost per randomized family at $554.77. Pediatrician referral was the most cost-effective method, $145.95/randomized family, but yielded only 91 randomized families over 22-months of continuous recruitment. Conclusion Pediatrician referral and targeted mailings, which are active recruitment methods, were the most successful strategies. However, recruitment demanded significant resources. Successful recruitment for pediatric trials should use several strategies. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT00259324, NCT00200265 PMID:19922036

The Impact on Emergency Department Visits for Respiratory Illness During the Southern California Wildfires

PubMed Central

Dohrenwend, Paul B.; Le, Minh V.; Bush, Jeff A.; Thomas, Cyril F.

2013-01-01

Introduction: In 2007 wildfires ravaged Southern California resulting in the largest evacuation due to a wildfire in American history. We report how these wildfires affected emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory illness. Methods: We extracted data from a Kaiser Permanente database for a single metropolitan community ED. We compared the number of visits due to respiratory illness at time intervals of 2 weeks before and during the time when the fires were burning. We counted the total number of patients with chief complaint of dyspnea, cough, and asthma and final international classification of disease 9 coding diagnosis of asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory syndrome, and analyzed data for both total number and proportion of ED visits. We evaluated the data using Early Aberration Reporting System software to determine significant single-visit increases compared to expected counts. We also analyzed the average length of ED stay. Data on air quality were extracted from the http://www.airnow.gov site. Results: There were significant differences between pre-fire and fire period average visit counts for the chief complaints of dyspnea and asthma. Dypnea complaints increased by 3.2 visits per day. During the fire the diagnoses of asthma increased significantly by 2.6 patients per day. Air quality reached air quality index values of 300, indicating very unhealthy conditions. Average ED length of stay times remained unchanged during the fire period compared to the pre-fire period. Conclusion: The 2007 Southern California wildfires caused significant surges in the volume of ED patients seeking treatment for respiratory illness. Disaster plans should prepare for these surges when future wildfires occur. PMID:23599837

The Edge-Disjoint Path Problem on Random Graphs by Message-Passing.

PubMed

Altarelli, Fabrizio; Braunstein, Alfredo; Dall'Asta, Luca; De Bacco, Caterina; Franz, Silvio

2015-01-01

We present a message-passing algorithm to solve a series of edge-disjoint path problems on graphs based on the zero-temperature cavity equations. Edge-disjoint paths problems are important in the general context of routing, that can be defined by incorporating under a unique framework both traffic optimization and total path length minimization. The computation of the cavity equations can be performed efficiently by exploiting a mapping of a generalized edge-disjoint path problem on a star graph onto a weighted maximum matching problem. We perform extensive numerical simulations on random graphs of various types to test the performance both in terms of path length minimization and maximization of the number of accommodated paths. In addition, we test the performance on benchmark instances on various graphs by comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms and results found in the literature. Our message-passing algorithm always outperforms the others in terms of the number of accommodated paths when considering non trivial instances (otherwise it gives the same trivial results). Remarkably, the largest improvement in performance with respect to the other methods employed is found in the case of benchmarks with meshes, where the validity hypothesis behind message-passing is expected to worsen. In these cases, even though the exact message-passing equations do not converge, by introducing a reinforcement parameter to force convergence towards a sub optimal solution, we were able to always outperform the other algorithms with a peak of 27% performance improvement in terms of accommodated paths. On random graphs, we numerically observe two separated regimes: one in which all paths can be accommodated and one in which this is not possible. We also investigate the behavior of both the number of paths to be accommodated and their minimum total length.

Ten Steps to Improve Quality of the Journal Materia Socio-Medica

PubMed Central

Donev, Doncho M.; Masic, Izet

2017-01-01

Introduction and aim: Materia Socio-Medica is one of the oldest public health journals in Europe, established in 1978, and among the most important journals for public health in South-Eastern Europe. The Journal covers all important public health professional, academic and research areas in this field. The aim of the paper is to analyze the journal articles and statistical facts in 2016 and to point out the directions for action and planned further activities for improving the quality of the published papers and visibility of the journal. Methods: Review and analysis of documentation and production of the journal, evidence of submitted and rejected manuscripts and published papers in 2016. Results: Total number of 111 articles was published in Materia Socio-Medica during 2016. The most of them were original articles (64,5%). Articles from the fields of Health promotion and prevention were predominant (82,7%), which is one of the primary scope of the journal. Authors of the published articles in 2016 are dispersed to three continents (Europe, Asia and North America) and 15 different countries. The largest number of articles was submitted by authors from the country of origin of the journal, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The acceptance rate of Materia Socioi-Medica in 2016 was 35.7%. Total number of 116 reviewers participated in the manuscript review process in 2016. Conclusion: Materia Socio-Medica will continue to improve the quality of the published papers in 2017 and beyond through education of potential authors, reviewers and Editorial Board members, quality selection of reviewers, supportive editing of articles, and clearly defining instructions and ethical standards of the journal. PMID:28484345

Evaluation of active and passive recruitment methods used in randomized controlled trials targeting pediatric obesity.

PubMed

Raynor, Hollie A; Osterholt, Kathrin M; Hart, Chantelle N; Jelalian, Elissa; Vivier, Patrick; Wing, Rena R

2009-01-01

Evaluate enrollment numbers, randomization rates, costs, and cost-effectiveness of active versus passive recruitment methods for parent-child dyads into two pediatric obesity intervention trials. Recruitment methods were categorized into active (pediatrician referral and targeted mailings, with participants identified by researcher/health care provider) versus passive methods (newspaper, bus, internet, television, and earning statements; fairs/community centers/schools; and word of mouth; with participants self-identified). Numbers of enrolled and randomized families and costs/recruitment method were monitored throughout the 22-month recruitment period. Costs (in USD) per recruitment method included staff time, mileage, and targeted costs of each method. A total of 940 families were referred or made contact, with 164 families randomized (child: 7.2+/-1.6 years, 2.27+/-0.61 standardized body mass index [zBMI], 86.6% obese, 61.7% female, 83.5% Caucasian; parent: 38.0+/-5.8 years, 32.9+/-8.4 BMI, 55.2% obese, 92.7% female, 89.6% caucasian). Pediatrician referral, followed by targeted mailings, produced the largest number of enrolled and randomized families (both methods combined producing 87.2% of randomized families). Passive recruitment methods yielded better retention from enrollment to randomization (p<0.05), but produced few families (21 in total). Approximately $91,000 was spent on recruitment, with cost per randomized family at $554.77. Pediatrician referral was the most cost-effective method, $145.95/randomized family, but yielded only 91 randomized families over 22-months of continuous recruitment. Pediatrician referral and targeted mailings, which are active recruitment methods, were the most successful strategies. However, recruitment demanded significant resources. Successful recruitment for pediatric trials should use several strategies. NCT00259324, NCT00200265.

The Edge-Disjoint Path Problem on Random Graphs by Message-Passing

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We present a message-passing algorithm to solve a series of edge-disjoint path problems on graphs based on the zero-temperature cavity equations. Edge-disjoint paths problems are important in the general context of routing, that can be defined by incorporating under a unique framework both traffic optimization and total path length minimization. The computation of the cavity equations can be performed efficiently by exploiting a mapping of a generalized edge-disjoint path problem on a star graph onto a weighted maximum matching problem. We perform extensive numerical simulations on random graphs of various types to test the performance both in terms of path length minimization and maximization of the number of accommodated paths. In addition, we test the performance on benchmark instances on various graphs by comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms and results found in the literature. Our message-passing algorithm always outperforms the others in terms of the number of accommodated paths when considering non trivial instances (otherwise it gives the same trivial results). Remarkably, the largest improvement in performance with respect to the other methods employed is found in the case of benchmarks with meshes, where the validity hypothesis behind message-passing is expected to worsen. In these cases, even though the exact message-passing equations do not converge, by introducing a reinforcement parameter to force convergence towards a sub optimal solution, we were able to always outperform the other algorithms with a peak of 27% performance improvement in terms of accommodated paths. On random graphs, we numerically observe two separated regimes: one in which all paths can be accommodated and one in which this is not possible. We also investigate the behavior of both the number of paths to be accommodated and their minimum total length. PMID:26710102

Airport quarantine inspection, follow-up observation, and the prevention of pandemic influenza.

PubMed

Fujita, Masanori; Sato, Hiroki; Kaku, Koki; Tokuno, Shinichi; Kanatani, Yasuhiro; Suzuki, Shinya; Shinomiya, Nariyoshi

2011-08-01

After a report of H1N1 novel influenza in Mexico and North America, Japan conducted onboard quarantine inspections from late April 2009. The detection rate in border quarantine inspection is low due to incubation period and thus inspection is considered to be ineffective in blocking the entry of influenza. However, little is known about the concomitant effects of such inspection, such as increased traceability, upon secondary transmission. Epidemiological data were collected from the web sites of the Department of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan. The number of weekly patients with H1N1 pandemic influenza in eight districts of Japan was summarized. The number of patients who passed through quarantine inspection at the airports was also calculated. A person with overseas travel history was defined as a person who had a flight only from the United States, Canada, or Mexico and passed through the quarantine inspection (according to the quarantine policy of the Japanese government). The numbers were adjusted for the population of each district and expressed as the number of patients per one million people. Despite Kanto district having the largest population, the number of patients with H1N1 novel influenza was relatively small. The total number of cases in each district correlated inversely to the percentage of cases with airport quarantine inspection. Quarantine inspection at the airports, follow-up observation by local authorities, and overall concomitant efforts may have contributed to secondary infection control in Japan.

Maternal-related deaths and impoverishment among adolescent girls in India and Niger: findings from a modelling study

PubMed Central

Verguet, Stéphane; Nandi, Arindam; Filippi, Véronique; Bundy, Donald A P

2016-01-01

Background High levels of maternal mortality and large associated inequalities exist in low-income and middle-income countries. Adolescent pregnancies remain common, and pregnant adolescent women face elevated risks of maternal mortality and poverty. We examined the distribution across socioeconomic groups of maternal deaths and impoverishment among adolescent girls (15–19 years old) in Niger, which has the highest total fertility rate globally, and India, which has the largest number of maternal deaths. Methods In Niger and India, among adolescent girls, we estimated the distribution per income quintile of: the number of maternal deaths; and the impoverishment, measured by calculating the number of cases of catastrophic health expenditure incurred, caused by complicated pregnancies. We also examined the potential impact on maternal deaths and poverty of increasing adolescent girls' level of education by 1 year. We used epidemiological and cost inputs sourced from surveys and the literature. Results The number of maternal deaths would be larger among the poorer adolescents than among the richer adolescents in Niger and India. Impoverishment would largely incur among the richer adolescents in Niger and among the poorer adolescents in India. Increasing educational attainment of adolescent girls might avert both a large number of maternal deaths and a significant number of cases of catastrophic health expenditure in the 2 countries. Conclusions Adolescent pregnancies can lead to large equity gaps and substantial impoverishment in low-income and middle-income countries. Increasing female education can reduce such inequalities and provide financial risk protection and poverty alleviation to adolescent girls. PMID:27670517

Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in Vermont, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horn, M.A.; Medalie, Laura

1996-01-01

Estimated freshwater withdrawals during 1990 in Vermont totaled about 632 million gallons per day. The largest withdrawals were for thermoelectric- power generation (82 percent), industrial use (7 percent), and public supply (6 percent). Most withdrawals, 587 million gallons per day, were made from surface-water sources as compared to 44.9 million gallons per day from ground-water sources. The largest withdrawals were in the Upper Connecticut-Mascomo River Basin (525 million gallons per day). About 17,700 million gallons per day were used instream for hydroelectric-poser generation, the largest of which were in the Upper Connecticut-Mascoma and Otter River Basins. Other information describing water-use patters is shown in tables, bar graphs, pie charts, maps, and accompanying text. The data are aggregated by river basin (hydrologic cataloging unit), and all amounts are reports in million gallons per day.

Assessment of Multiple Solvents for Extraction and Direct GC-MS Determination of the Phytochemical Inventory of Sansevieria Extrafoliar Nectar Droplets.

PubMed

Gaylor, Michael O; Juntunen, Hope L; Hazelwood, Donna; Videau, Patrick

2018-04-01

Considerable effort has been devoted to analytical determinations of sugar and amino acid constituents of plant nectars, with the primary aim of understanding their ecological roles, yet few studies have reported more exhaustive organic compound inventories of plant nectars or extrafoliar nectars. This work evaluated the efficacy of four solvents (ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, toluene and hexane) to extract the greatest number of organic compound classes and unique compounds from extrafoliar nectar drops produced by Sansevieria spp. Aggregation of the results from each solvent revealed that 240 unique compounds were extracted in total, with 42.5% of those detected in multiple extracts. Aliphatic hydrocarbons dominated in all but the ethyl acetate extracts, with 44 unique aliphatic hydrocarbons detected in dichloromethane (DCM) extracts, followed by 41, 19 and 8 in hexane, toluene and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. Hexane extracted the most unique compounds (79), followed by DCM (73), ethyl acetate (56) and toluene (32). Integrated total ion chromatographic peak areas of extracted compound classes were positively correlated with numbers of unique compounds detected within those classes. In addition to demonstrating that multi-solvent extraction with direct GC-MS detection is a suitable analytical approach for determining secondary nectar constituents, to the best of our knowledge, this study also represents: (i) the first attempt to inventory the secondary phytochemical constituents of Sansevieria spp. extrafoliar nectar secretions and (ii) the largest organic solvent extractable compound inventory reported for any plant matrix to date.

Scenario of solid waste reuse in Khulna city of Bangladesh

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

Bari, Quazi H., E-mail: qhbari@yahoo.com; Mahbub Hassan, K.; Haque, R.

2012-12-15

The reuse and recycling of waste materials are now sincerely considered to be an integral part of solid waste management in many parts of the world. In this context, a vast number of options ranging from small scale decentralized to larger scale centralized plants have been adopted. This study aimed at investigating the waste reuse schemes in Khulna city located in the southern part of Bangladesh and ranked third largest city in the country. The shops for reusable material (SRM) were mostly situated around railway, waterway, and truck station markets which provided easy transportation to further locations. For the reusesmore » of waste materials and products, a chain system was found to collect reusable wastes under a total number of 310 identified SRM with 859 persons directly or indirectly involved in the scheme. This was a decentralized waste management system with self sufficient (autonomous) management. According to mass balance, about 38.52 tons d{sup -1} solid wastes were reused in Khulna city area, accounting for 7.65% of the total generated wastes. This study revealed that apparently a silent, systematic, smooth, and clean reuse chain has been established in Khulna city area under private initiatives, whose sustainability was confirmed over the years in the country without any official or formal funds. However, proper adjustment between the higher and lower chain in the materials flow path, as well as personal hygiene training for the workers, would further improve the achievements of the established reuse scheme.« less

Scenario of solid waste reuse in Khulna city of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bari, Quazi H; Mahbub Hassan, K; Haque, R

2012-12-01

The reuse and recycling of waste materials are now sincerely considered to be an integral part of solid waste management in many parts of the world. In this context, a vast number of options ranging from small scale decentralized to larger scale centralized plants have been adopted. This study aimed at investigating the waste reuse schemes in Khulna city located in the southern part of Bangladesh and ranked third largest city in the country. The shops for reusable material (SRM) were mostly situated around railway, waterway, and truck station markets which provided easy transportation to further locations. For the reuses of waste materials and products, a chain system was found to collect reusable wastes under a total number of 310 identified SRM with 859 persons directly or indirectly involved in the scheme. This was a decentralized waste management system with self sufficient (autonomous) management. According to mass balance, about 38.52 tons d(-1) solid wastes were reused in Khulna city area, accounting for 7.65% of the total generated wastes. This study revealed that apparently a silent, systematic, smooth, and clean reuse chain has been established in Khulna city area under private initiatives, whose sustainability was confirmed over the years in the country without any official or formal funds. However, proper adjustment between the higher and lower chain in the materials flow path, as well as personal hygiene training for the workers, would further improve the achievements of the established reuse scheme. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current costs & projected financial needs of India's Universal Immunization Programme.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Susmita; Pant, Manish; Haldar, Pradeep; Aggarwal, Mahesh Kumar; Laxminarayan, Ramanan

2016-06-01

India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is one of the largest programmes in the world in terms of quantities of vaccines administered, number of beneficiaries, number of immunization sessions, and geographical extent and diversity of areas covered. Strategic planning for the Programme requires credible information on the cost of achieving the objectives and the financial resources needed at national, State, and district levels. We present here expenditures on immunization services in India in 2012 (baseline) and projected costs for five years (2013-2017). Data were collected from the Immunization Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and immunization partners, such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The cost components were immunization personnel, vaccines and injection supplies, transportation, trainings, social mobilization, advocacy and communication activities, disease surveillance, Programme management, maintenance of cold chain and other equipment, and capital costs. Total baseline expenditure was ₹ 3,446 crore [1 crore = 10 million] (US$718 million), including shared personnel costs. In 2012, the government paid for 90 per cent of the Programme. Total resource requirements for 2013-2017 are ₹ 34,336 crore (US$ 5, 282 million). Allocations for vaccines increase from ₹ 511 crore in 2013 to ₹ 3,587 crore in 2017 as new vaccines are assumed to be introduced in the Programme. The projections show that the government immunization budget will be double in 2017 as compared to 2013. It will increase from ₹ 4,570 crore in 2013 to ₹ 9,451 crore in 2017.

Generation and characterization of gasoline engine exhaust inhalation exposure atmospheres.

PubMed

McDonald, Jacob D; Barr, Edward B; White, Richard K; Kracko, Dean; Chow, Judith C; Zielinska, Barbara; Grosjean, Eric

2008-10-01

Exposure atmospheres for a rodent inhalation toxicology study were generated from the exhaust of a 4.3-L gasoline engine coupled to a dynamometer and operated on an adapted California Unified Driving Cycle. Exposure levels were maintained at three different dilution rates. One chamber at the lowest dilution had particles removed by filtration. Each exposure atmosphere was characterized for particle mass, particle number, particle size distribution, and detailed chemical speciation. The majority of the mass in the exposure atmospheres was gaseous carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organics, with small amounts of particle-bound carbon/ions and metals. The atmospheres varied according to the cycle, with the largest spikes in volatile organic and inorganic species shown during the "cold start" portion of the cycle. Ammonia present from the exhaust and rodents interacted with the gasoline exhaust to form secondary inorganic particles, and an increase in exhaust resulted in higher proportions of secondary inorganics as a portion of the total particle mass. Particle size had a median of 10-20 nm by number and approximately 150 nm by mass. Volatile organics matched the composition of the fuel, with large proportions of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons coupled to low amounts of oxygenated organics. A new measurement technique revealed organics reacting with nitrogen oxides have likely resulted in measurement bias in previous studies of combustion emissions. Identified and measured particle organic species accounted for about 10% of total organic particle mass and were mostly aliphatic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Universities Scale Like Cities

PubMed Central

van Raan, Anthony F. J.

2013-01-01

Recent studies of urban scaling show that important socioeconomic city characteristics such as wealth and innovation capacity exhibit a nonlinear, particularly a power law scaling with population size. These nonlinear effects are common to all cities, with similar power law exponents. These findings mean that the larger the city, the more disproportionally they are places of wealth and innovation. Local properties of cities cause a deviation from the expected behavior as predicted by the power law scaling. In this paper we demonstrate that universities show a similar behavior as cities in the distribution of the ‘gross university income’ in terms of total number of citations over ‘size’ in terms of total number of publications. Moreover, the power law exponents for university scaling are comparable to those for urban scaling. We find that deviations from the expected behavior can indeed be explained by specific local properties of universities, particularly the field-specific composition of a university, and its quality in terms of field-normalized citation impact. By studying both the set of the 500 largest universities worldwide and a specific subset of these 500 universities -the top-100 European universities- we are also able to distinguish between properties of universities with as well as without selection of one specific local property, the quality of a university in terms of its average field-normalized citation impact. It also reveals an interesting observation concerning the working of a crucial property in networked systems, preferential attachment. PMID:23544062

Health and Safety Concerns over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-28

of imported dolls, toys, and games ; these totaled $14.6 billion and accounted for 86% of total U.S. imports of these products. China was the largest...Product Imports From China As a % of Total U.S. Imports (%) Dolls, toys, and games 14,593 1 86.0 Fish and other marine products (fresh, chilled, or...importers. They further counter that some imported U.S. products (such as soybeans, meats , and fruit) have failed to meet Chinese standards. However

Linking giant earthquakes with the subduction of oceanic fracture zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landgrebe, T. C.; Müller, R. D.; EathByte Group

2011-12-01

Giant subduction earthquakes are known to occur in areas not previously identified as prone to high seismic risk. This highlights the need to better identify subduction zone segments potentially dominated by relatively long (up to 1000 years and more) recurrence times of giant earthquakes. Global digital data sets represent a promising source of information for a multi-dimensional earthquake hazard analysis. We combine the NGDC global Significant Earthquakes database with a global strain rate map, gridded ages of the ocean floor, and a recently produced digital data set for oceanic fracture zones, major aseismic ridges and volcanic chains to investigate the association of earthquakes as a function of magnitude with age of the downgoing slab and convergence rates. We use a so-called Top-N recommendation method, a technology originally developed to search, sort, classify, and filter very large and often statistically skewed data sets on the internet, to analyse the association of subduction earthquakes sorted by magnitude with key parameters. The Top-N analysis is used to progressively assess how strongly particular "tectonic niche" locations (e.g. locations along subduction zones intersected with aseismic ridges or volcanic chains) are associated with sets of earthquakes in sorted order in a given magnitude range. As the total number N of sorted earthquakes is increased, by progressively including smaller-magnitude events, the so-called recall is computed, defined as the number of Top-N earthquakes associated with particular target areas divided by N. The resultant statistical measure represents an intuitive description of the effectiveness of a given set of parameters to account for the location of significant earthquakes on record. We use this method to show that the occurrence of great (magnitude ≥ 8) earthquakes on overriding plate segments is strongly biased towards intersections of oceanic fracture zones with subduction zones. These intersection regions are linked with 8 of the largest 10, 18 of the largest 25, about half of the largest 100 subduction earthquakes, as well as with the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Subduction zone intersections with volcanic chains are not found to be associated with a significantly elevated risk for great earthquakes globally. This difference likely arises from subducting fracture zone ridges leading to stronger seismic coupling than subducting volcanic chains.

Rio’s Mountainous Region (“Região Serrana”) 2011 Landslides: Impact on Public Mental Health System

PubMed Central

Dell'Aringa, Marcelo; Ranzani, Otavio; Bierens, Joost; Murray, Virginia

2018-01-01

INTRODUCTION In January 2011 landslides and floods followed heavy rain in the Mountainous Region of Rio de Janeiro State (“Região Serrana”), in southeastern Brazil. These events led to the largest disaster registered in Brazilian recent history. Few studies addressed the impacts of this disaster on public health, and we found none addressing the impact on mental health. This study reviewed the consequences of the 2011 disaster in the “Região Serrana”, by comparing the demand for public mental health assistance data from time periods before and after the even  METHODS  We performed an ecologic study, analysing the aggregate data from “Região Serrana” during the period two years before and after the disaster, exporting data from the Brazilian open access public health database. The primary outcome was defined as Mental Health Care Demand, and for that we calculated the number of mental health care visits per month, the proportion of visits due to mental health care and the monthly absolute number of mental health care visits per CAPS – “Centro de Atenção Psicossocial” (Psychosocial Care Centre). For secondary outcomes we evaluated the total number of deaths by any reason, and the total number of hospitalizations. The other health administrative regions of Rio de Janeiro state were used as control group.  RESULTS  We observed that there was an important increase in the rate of visits due to mental health in the six months after the landslides, from 13,875 to 17,690, reaching its maximum one year after the event totalizing 21,980 visits (Dec 2011). It was also observed that the proportion of visits due to mental health disorders increased after the event in the “Região Serrana”, as well as the number of mental health care visits per CAPS.   DISCUSSION  In conclusion, we observed that the 2011 Landslides in “Região Serrana” led to a sustained higher burden to public mental health care. There was an increase in the demand for mental health visits, and the ratio of visits per CAPS was higher during most part of the studied period after the event, even with the region having more CAPS than before. PMID:29623240

Rio's Mountainous Region ("Região Serrana") 2011 Landslides: Impact on Public Mental Health System.

PubMed

Dell'Aringa, Marcelo; Ranzani, Otavio; Bierens, Joost; Murray, Virginia

2018-01-25

INTRODUCTION In January 2011 landslides and floods followed heavy rain in the Mountainous Region of Rio de Janeiro State ("Região Serrana"), in southeastern Brazil. These events led to the largest disaster registered in Brazilian recent history. Few studies addressed the impacts of this disaster on public health, and we found none addressing the impact on mental health. This study reviewed the consequences of the 2011 disaster in the "Região Serrana", by comparing the demand for public mental health assistance data from time periods before and after the even  METHODS  We performed an ecologic study, analysing the aggregate data from "Região Serrana" during the period two years before and after the disaster, exporting data from the Brazilian open access public health database. The primary outcome was defined as Mental Health Care Demand, and for that we calculated the number of mental health care visits per month, the proportion of visits due to mental health care and the monthly absolute number of mental health care visits per CAPS - "Centro de Atenção Psicossocial" (Psychosocial Care Centre). For secondary outcomes we evaluated the total number of deaths by any reason, and the total number of hospitalizations. The other health administrative regions of Rio de Janeiro state were used as control group.  RESULTS  We observed that there was an important increase in the rate of visits due to mental health in the six months after the landslides, from 13,875 to 17,690, reaching its maximum one year after the event totalizing 21,980 visits (Dec 2011). It was also observed that the proportion of visits due to mental health disorders increased after the event in the "Região Serrana", as well as the number of mental health care visits per CAPS.   DISCUSSION  In conclusion, we observed that the 2011 Landslides in "Região Serrana" led to a sustained higher burden to public mental health care. There was an increase in the demand for mental health visits, and the ratio of visits per CAPS was higher during most part of the studied period after the event, even with the region having more CAPS than before.

100 Companies Receiving the Largest Dollar Volume of Prime Contract Awards, fiscal Year 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

Fiscal Year 1989 Accession For NTIS GRA&I DTIC TAB0 Unannounced ju3t if iat ion Distribution/ AvailabilitY Codes Dit special. TABLE OF CONTENTS Invir...CORPORATION 9,625 TOTAL 118,089 0.09 66.11 98 CONTINENTAL MARITIME INDS 33,818 CONTINNTAL MRTIME OF SAN DIEGO 82,791 TOTAL 116,609 0 09 66.20 99

Biological and associated water-quality data for lower Olmos Creek and upper San Antonio River, San Antonio, Texas, April - September 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, R. Lynn; Ferreira, Rodger F.

1995-01-01

Biological and associated water-quality data were collected from lower Olmos Creek and upper San Antonio River in San Antonio, Texas, during April-September 1989. Benthic macroinvertebrate, periphyton, and phytoplankton communities were sampled at three sites along the Olmos Creek/San Antonio River system. Total mean densities of benthic macroinvertebrates for the three sites ranged from 670 to 10,000 organisms per square meter. The most abundant macroinvertebrates were the class Insecta (insects). Total densities of periphyton ranged from 2,900 to 110,000 cells per square millimeter. Cyanophyta (blue-green algae) and Bacillariophyta (diatoms) were the predominant periphyton organisms. Total densities of phyto- plankton ranged from 5,000 to 47,000 cells per square milliliter. Blue-green algae accounted for more than one- half of the phytoplankton in each sample. Hardness ranged from 160 to 250 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate, and alkalinity ranged from 130 to 220 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate. The largest dissolved nitrite concentration was 0.038 milligram per liter. The largest total phosphorus concentration was 0.150 milligram per liter, over one-half of which was dissolved orthophosphate. Total aluminum and total iron were the only trace elements in water to exceed the reporting threshold by large concen- trations. Total aluminum concentrations ranged from 70 to 280 micrograms per liter, and total iron concentrations ranged from 70 to 340 micrograms per liter. Lead was the most prominent trace element in bottom-material samples, with concentrations ranging from 30 to 230 micrograms per gram.

Dominance of a corporate institutional elite: the extended power of energy

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

Purdy, D.A.

1983-01-01

The objective of this study was to outline the patterns whereby large corporations may exert extensive influence over various aspects of socio-political-economic life. By focusing on the largest sector of the economy, energy corporation - and one on which all other sectors are at least partially dependent - the structure through which this corporate influence can be exercised is examined. Results demonstrate the extreme dominance of the entire energy field by the 20 largest petroleum corporations and intrusion of the petroleum industry's vast number of tenacles into all other sectors of the economy. In addition, the excessive number of interconnectionsmore » between the largest petroleum corporations provide an extensive communication network among so-called competitors. Two major conclusions reached from this analysis were: (1) that within the fragile technostructure of modern America, the energy industry has reached approximate parity with the banking industry concerning its importance to society; and (2) that America during the latter half of the twentieth century has undergone a transition from social rule by a wealthy, social elite class to that of a corporate elite class through their interconnected roles on behalf of the mammoth corporations.« less

Surface-water nutrient conditions and sources in the United States Pacific Northwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wise, D.R.; Johnson, H.M.

2011-01-01

The SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model was used to perform an assessment of surface-water nutrient conditions and to identify important nutrient sources in watersheds of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States (U.S.) for the year 2002. Our models included variables representing nutrient sources as well as landscape characteristics that affect nutrient delivery to streams. Annual nutrient yields were higher in watersheds on the wetter, west side of the Cascade Range compared to watersheds on the drier, east side. High nutrient enrichment (relative to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended nutrient criteria) was estimated in watersheds throughout the region. Forest land was generally the largest source of total nitrogen stream load and geologic material was generally the largest source of total phosphorus stream load generated within the 12,039 modeled watersheds. These results reflected the prevalence of these two natural sources and the low input from other nutrient sources across the region. However, the combined input from agriculture, point sources, and developed land, rather than natural nutrient sources, was responsible for most of the nutrient load discharged from many of the largest watersheds. Our results provided an understanding of the regional patterns in surface-water nutrient conditions and should be useful to environmental managers in future water-quality planning efforts.

Spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution in the Dongjiang River basin in south China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Q. Q.; Su, M. R.; Yang, Z. F.; Cai, Y. P.; Yue, W. C.; Dang, Z.

2018-02-01

In this research, the Dongjiang River basin was taken as the study area to analyze the spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution, based on the export coefficient model. The results showed that the annual total nitrogen and phosphorus (i.e. TN and TP) loads from the Dongjiang River basin were 67916114.6 and 7215279.707 kg, respectively. Residents, forestland and pig were the main contributors for the TN load in the Dongjiang River basin, while residents, forestland and rainfed croplands were the three largest contributors for the TP load. The NPS pollution had a significant spatial variation in this area. The pollution loads overall decreased from the northeast to the southwest part of the basin. Also, the pollution loads from the gentle slope area were larger than those from steep slope areas. Among the ten tributary watersheds in the Dongjiang River basin, the TN and TP loads from the Hanxi River watershed were the largest. On the contrary, the Gongzhuang River watershed contributed least to the total pollution loads of the Dongjiang River basin. For the average pollution load intensities, Hanxi River watershed was still the largest. However, the smallest average TN and TP load intensities were in the Xinfeng River watershed.

A Quantitative Evaluation of Gender, Nationality, and Generational/Age Influence on Academic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rush, Karen

2013-01-01

Universities are challenged with finding ways to motivate the increasing number of diverse students so that the largest number of students can be expected to succeed. University success is measured by retention and graduation rates, which affect profit. A lack of academic motivation among increasingly diverse students influences student retention,…

The College Experiences of International Black Women in the United States: A Caribbean Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talley Matthews, Sheikia T.

2017-01-01

Institutions of higher education in the United States enroll the largest number of international students in the world each year (Bain & Cummings, 2005). In 2014-2015, the United States hosted 974,926 international students from around the globe (Open Doors, 2016). The number of students attending college in the United States from Latin…

A Comparative Analysis of Numbers and Biology Content Domains between Turkey and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Incikabi, Lutfi; Ozgelen, Sinan; Tjoe, Hartono

2012-01-01

This study aimed to compare Mathematics and Science programs focusing on TIMSS content domains of Numbers and Biology that produced the largest achievement gap among students from Turkey and the USA. Specifically, it utilized the content analysis method within Turkish and New York State (NYS) frameworks. The procedures of study included matching…

Non-Catholics in Catholic Schools: A Challenge to Evangelization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schillo, Genevieve

The number of non-Catholic students in Roman Catholic elementary and secondary schools is growing at both the national and local levels. In the school system of the Archdiocese of Omaha (Nebraska), the largest number of non-Catholic students come from mostly poor and black families in inner-city or changing neighborhoods. Other non-Catholics are…

Select Agent Recovery and Identification Using Aptamer-Linked Immoblized Sorbent Assay

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

GTG T 5’ BHQ2 (Black Hole Quencher 2). The numbers of moles of the two strands were compared. The strand with the largest number of nanomoles was...the Shiga toxin (black bars) or ovalbumin control ( gray bars) was immobilized in each well of the microtiter plate and quantum dot suspension was

Report on Transfers and Degrees and Certificates Awarded, 1997-98.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Community Colleges, Sacramento. Office of the Chancellor.

This document is a summary of the degrees, awards, and certificates completed at community colleges in California during the 1997-1998 academic year. Table 1 presents the number of degrees and certificates awarded by district and college. The largest number of degrees and certificates were awarded in Los Angeles (4,693), Los Rios (2,610), Ventura…

Searching the inclusive l{gamma}Ee{sub T}+b-quark signature for radiative top quark decay and non-standard-model processes

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

Aaltonen, T.; Maki, T.; Mehtala, P.

We compare the inclusive production of events containing a lepton (l), a photon ({gamma}), significant transverse momentum imbalance (Ee{sub T}), and a jet identified as containing a b-quark, to SM predictions. The search uses data produced in proton-antiproton collisions at {radical}(s)=1.96 TeV corresponding to 1.9 fb{sup -1} of integrated luminosity taken with the CDF detector. We find 28 l{gamma}bEe{sub T} events versus an expectation of 31.0{sub -3.5}{sup +4.1} events. If we further require events to contain at least three jets and large total transverse energy, the largest SM source is radiative top-quark pair production, tt+{gamma}. In the data we observemore » 16 tt{gamma} candidate events versus an expectation from SM sources of 11.2{sub -2.1}{sup +2.3}. Assuming the difference between the observed number and the predicted non-top-quark total of 6.8{sub -2.0}{sup +2.2} is due to SM top-quark production, we estimate the tt{gamma} cross section to be 0.15{+-}0.08 pb.« less

Preliminary results on the search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with the cuoricino experiment

DOE PAGES

Nucciotti, A.

2003-11-18

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay (DBD-0ν) is a powerful tool to establish the correct neutrino mass hierarchy and whether the neutrino is a Majorana or Dirac particle. The Milano group has run several experiments using thermal detectors to search for the 130Te DBD-0ν. The Cuoricino experiment consists of an array of 62 TeO 2 thermal detectors for a total mass of about 40 kg, by far the largest cryogenic experiment in the world. The detector installation in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory has been recently completed. After a test phase the experiment is now taking data and wemore » report here the preliminary results. In conclusion, Cuoricino is the first step toward the CUORE experiment, which will consists of 1000 TeO 2 thermal detectors for a total mass of about 760 kg: in this paper we discuss also the physics potential of both stages for what concerns the DBD-0ν search. PACS: 11.30.Fs Lepton number – 14.60.Pq Neutrino mass and mixing – 23.40.Bw Weak interactions in beta decay« less

Selecting the optimum number of partial least squares components for the calibration of attenuated total reflectance-mid-infrared spectra of undesigned kerosene samples.

PubMed

Gómez-Carracedo, M P; Andrade, J M; Rutledge, D N; Faber, N M

2007-03-07

Selecting the correct dimensionality is critical for obtaining partial least squares (PLS) regression models with good predictive ability. Although calibration and validation sets are best established using experimental designs, industrial laboratories cannot afford such an approach. Typically, samples are collected in an (formally) undesigned way, spread over time and their measurements are included in routine measurement processes. This makes it hard to evaluate PLS model dimensionality. In this paper, classical criteria (leave-one-out cross-validation and adjusted Wold's criterion) are compared to recently proposed alternatives (smoothed PLS-PoLiSh and a randomization test) to seek out the optimum dimensionality of PLS models. Kerosene (jet fuel) samples were measured by attenuated total reflectance-mid-IR spectrometry and their spectra where used to predict eight important properties determined using reference methods that are time-consuming and prone to analytical errors. The alternative methods were shown to give reliable dimensionality predictions when compared to external validation. By contrast, the simpler methods seemed to be largely affected by the largest changes in the modeling capabilities of the first components.

Designing a Successful Transportation Project: Lessons Learned from the Clean Cities American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Projects

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

Kelly, Kay L.; Singer, Mark R.

The largest source of funding for alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure projects in the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program's history came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). In 2009, the 25 cost-share projects totaled nearly $300 million in federal government investment. This effort included the involvement of 50 Clean Cities coalitions and their nearly 700 stakeholder partners who provided an additional $500 million in matching funds to support projects in their local communities. In total, those 25 projects established 1,380 alternative fueling stations and put more than 9,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles onmore » the road. Together, these projects displaced 154 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) of petroleum and averted 254,000 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while supporting U.S. energy independence and contributing to regional economic development. During post-project interviews, project leaders consistently cited a number of key components - ranging from technical and logistical factors, to administrative capabilities - for accomplishing an effective and impactful project. This report summarizes the high-level project design and administrative considerations for conducting a successful transportation project.« less

United Arab Emirates Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is among the world's 10 largest oil producers and is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). The UAE is currently the seventh-largest petroleum producer in the world, and hydrocarbon export revenues are projected to account for $65 billion in 2017, roughly 20% of all export revenue. The share of hydrocarbon export revenues, which amounted to $129 billion (35% of total export revenue), has fallen since 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a result of the decline in oil prices

2013 Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Forecast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scavia, Donald; Evans, Mary Anne; Obenour, Dan

2013-01-01

The Gulf of Mexico annual summer hypoxia forecasts are based on average May total nitrogen loads from the Mississippi River basin for that year. The load estimate, recently released by USGS, is 7,316 metric tons per day. Based on that estimate, we predict the area of this summer’s hypoxic zone to be 18,900 square kilometers (95% credible interval, 13,400 to 24,200), the 7th largest reported and about the size of New Jersey. Our forecast hypoxic volume is 74.5 km3 (95% credible interval, 51.5 to 97.0), also the 7th largest on record.

Validation Test Report for WAVEWATCH III

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-30

scales relevant to operation of a zodiac , to larger length-scales, relevant to activities on the largest ships, such as ship-to-ship transfer of...average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data...display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT

JPRS Report, Science and Technology USSR: Life Sciences.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-26

newly observed smut flowers infected with Ustilago vaillantii smut, infection parasite does not destroy the host, so it probably does of its spores by...designed to further expand studies on transgenic plants. selected on hygromycin B. All characterized clones syn- pABDI was constructed from Escherichia coli...they numbered more than 2,000 in July- farms into four groups, according to number of workers: September. In livestock breeding , the largest number of

Climate Change Research in View of Bibliometrics

PubMed Central

Haunschild, Robin; Bornmann, Lutz; Marx, Werner

2016-01-01

This bibliometric study of a large publication set dealing with research on climate change aims at mapping the relevant literature from a bibliometric perspective and presents a multitude of quantitative data: (1) The growth of the overall publication output as well as (2) of some major subfields, (3) the contributing journals and countries as well as their citation impact, and (4) a title word analysis aiming to illustrate the time evolution and relative importance of specific research topics. The study is based on 222,060 papers (articles and reviews only) published between 1980 and 2014. The total number of papers shows a strong increase with a doubling every 5–6 years. Continental biomass related research is the major subfield, closely followed by climate modeling. Research dealing with adaptation, mitigation, risks, and vulnerability of global warming is comparatively small, but their share of papers increased exponentially since 2005. Research on vulnerability and on adaptation published the largest proportion of very important papers (in terms of citation impact). Climate change research has become an issue also for disciplines beyond the natural sciences. The categories Engineering and Social Sciences show the strongest field-specific relative increase. The Journal of Geophysical Research, the Journal of Climate, the Geophysical Research Letters, and Climatic Change appear at the top positions in terms of the total number of papers published. Research on climate change is quantitatively dominated by the USA, followed by the UK, Germany, and Canada. The citation-based indicators exhibit consistently that the UK has produced the largest proportion of high impact papers compared to the other countries (having published more than 10,000 papers). Also, Switzerland, Denmark and also The Netherlands (with a publication output between around 3,000 and 6,000 papers) perform top—the impact of their contributions is on a high level. The title word analysis shows that the term climate change comes forward with time. Furthermore, the term impact arises and points to research dealing with the various effects of climate change. The discussion of the question of human induced climate change towards a clear fact (for the majority of the scientific community) stimulated research on future pathways for adaptation and mitigation. Finally, the term model and related terms prominently appear independent of time, indicating the high relevance of climate modeling. PMID:27472663

Climate Change Research in View of Bibliometrics.

PubMed

Haunschild, Robin; Bornmann, Lutz; Marx, Werner

2016-01-01

This bibliometric study of a large publication set dealing with research on climate change aims at mapping the relevant literature from a bibliometric perspective and presents a multitude of quantitative data: (1) The growth of the overall publication output as well as (2) of some major subfields, (3) the contributing journals and countries as well as their citation impact, and (4) a title word analysis aiming to illustrate the time evolution and relative importance of specific research topics. The study is based on 222,060 papers (articles and reviews only) published between 1980 and 2014. The total number of papers shows a strong increase with a doubling every 5-6 years. Continental biomass related research is the major subfield, closely followed by climate modeling. Research dealing with adaptation, mitigation, risks, and vulnerability of global warming is comparatively small, but their share of papers increased exponentially since 2005. Research on vulnerability and on adaptation published the largest proportion of very important papers (in terms of citation impact). Climate change research has become an issue also for disciplines beyond the natural sciences. The categories Engineering and Social Sciences show the strongest field-specific relative increase. The Journal of Geophysical Research, the Journal of Climate, the Geophysical Research Letters, and Climatic Change appear at the top positions in terms of the total number of papers published. Research on climate change is quantitatively dominated by the USA, followed by the UK, Germany, and Canada. The citation-based indicators exhibit consistently that the UK has produced the largest proportion of high impact papers compared to the other countries (having published more than 10,000 papers). Also, Switzerland, Denmark and also The Netherlands (with a publication output between around 3,000 and 6,000 papers) perform top-the impact of their contributions is on a high level. The title word analysis shows that the term climate change comes forward with time. Furthermore, the term impact arises and points to research dealing with the various effects of climate change. The discussion of the question of human induced climate change towards a clear fact (for the majority of the scientific community) stimulated research on future pathways for adaptation and mitigation. Finally, the term model and related terms prominently appear independent of time, indicating the high relevance of climate modeling.

Type of Evidence Behind Point-of-Care Clinical Information Products: A Bibliometric Analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Point-of-care (POC) products are widely used as information reference tools in the clinical setting. Although usability, scope of coverage, ability to answer clinical questions, and impact on health outcomes have been studied, no comparative analysis of the characteristics of the references, the evidence for the content, in POC products is available. Objective The objective of this study was to compare the type of evidence behind five POC clinical information products. Methods This study is a comparative bibliometric analysis of references cited in monographs in POC products. Five commonly used products served as subjects for the study: ACP PIER, Clinical Evidence, DynaMed, FirstCONSULT, and UpToDate. The four clinical topics examined to identify content in the products were asthma, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Four indicators were measured: distribution of citations, type of evidence, product currency, and citation overlap. The type of evidence was determined based primarily on the publication type found in the MEDLINE bibliographic record, as well as the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), both assigned by the US National Library of Medicine. MeSH is the controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles in MEDLINE/PubMed. Results FirstCONSULT had the greatest proportion of references with higher levels of evidence publication types such as systematic review and randomized controlled trial (137/153, 89.5%), although it contained the lowest total number of references (153/2330, 6.6%). DynaMed had the largest total number of references (1131/2330, 48.5%) and the largest proportion of current (2007-2009) references (170/1131, 15%). The distribution of references cited for each topic varied between products. For example, asthma had the most references listed in DynaMed, Clinical Evidence, and FirstCONSULT, while hypertension had the most references in UpToDate and ACP PIER. An unexpected finding was that the rate of citation overlap was less than 1% for each topic across all five products. Conclusions Differences between POC products are revealed by examining the references cited in the monographs themselves. Citation analysis extended to include key content indicators can be used to compare the evidence levels of the literature supporting the content found in POC products. PMID:21335319

Vertebrate diets derived from trophically transmitted fish parasites in the Bothnian Bay.

PubMed

Valtonen, E T; Marcogliese, David J; Julkunen, Markku

2010-01-01

Parasites that are transmitted through predator-prey interactions may be used as indicators of trophic relationships between organisms. Yet, they are rarely used as such in the construction of topological (predator-prey) food webs. We constructed food webs of vertebrate trophic interactions using observed diet alone, trophically transmitted parasites alone, and the combination of the two based on data from 31 species of fish from the Bothnian Bay, Finland. The fish food web contained 530 links derived from observed diet, 724 links inferred from parasitism, and 1,058 links calculated from a combination of both stomach contents and parasites. This sub-web constructed from stomach contents had a mean of 17.1 links per fish species, while that using parasites had 23.4 links per fish. Combining the two diet indicators yielded 34.1 links per fish species, illustrating the complementarity of the two methods. Mean number of prey species per fish species was 12.5 using observed diet items, 15.8 using parasites, and 24.5 using both measures together. Mean number of predators per fish species was 7.4 using observed diet, 11.7 using parasites and 15.0 using both. A positive correlation was found between the mean number of parasites and the number of prey taxa in the diet among the fishes. Omnivorous fish had the highest diversity of both parasite species and prey items, while benthophagous fish had among the lowest. Mean total abundance and mean total prevalence of parasites correlated positively with fish size, with piscivores being the largest with the highest abundance and prevalence, while planktivores and benthivores had the lowest. Trophically transmitted parasites may be used to help construct vertebrate sub-webs and derive information about food web processes. Parasites alone provided equivalent if not more information than observed diet. However, resolution is improved by using parasites and observed diet together.

The Comparative Genomics and Phylogenomics of Leishmania amazonensis Parasite.

PubMed

Tschoeke, Diogo A; Nunes, Gisele L; Jardim, Rodrigo; Lima, Joana; Dumaresq, Aline Sr; Gomes, Monete R; de Mattos Pereira, Leandro; Loureiro, Daniel R; Stoco, Patricia H; de Matos Guedes, Herbert Leonel; de Miranda, Antonio Basilio; Ruiz, Jeronimo; Pitaluga, André; Silva, Floriano P; Probst, Christian M; Dickens, Nicholas J; Mottram, Jeremy C; Grisard, Edmundo C; Dávila, Alberto Mr

2014-01-01

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by Leishmania species. Leishmania amazonensis is a New World Leishmania species belonging to the Mexicana complex, which is able to cause all types of leishmaniasis infections. The L. amazonensis reference strain MHOM/BR/1973/M2269 was sequenced identifying 8,802 codifying sequences (CDS), most of them of hypothetical function. Comparative analysis using six Leishmania species showed a core set of 7,016 orthologs. L. amazonensis and Leishmania mexicana share the largest number of distinct orthologs, while Leishmania braziliensis presented the largest number of inparalogs. Additionally, phylogenomic analysis confirmed the taxonomic position for L. amazonensis within the "Mexicana complex", reinforcing understanding of the split of New and Old World Leishmania. Potential non-homologous isofunctional enzymes (NISE) were identified between L. amazonensis and Homo sapiens that could provide new drug targets for development.

The Comparative Genomics and Phylogenomics of Leishmania amazonensis Parasite

PubMed Central

Tschoeke, Diogo A; Nunes, Gisele L; Jardim, Rodrigo; Lima, Joana; Dumaresq, Aline SR; Gomes, Monete R; de Mattos Pereira, Leandro; Loureiro, Daniel R; Stoco, Patricia H; de Matos Guedes, Herbert Leonel; de Miranda, Antonio Basilio; Ruiz, Jeronimo; Pitaluga, André; Silva, Floriano P; Probst, Christian M; Dickens, Nicholas J; Mottram, Jeremy C; Grisard, Edmundo C; Dávila, Alberto MR

2014-01-01

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by Leishmania species. Leishmania amazonensis is a New World Leishmania species belonging to the Mexicana complex, which is able to cause all types of leishmaniasis infections. The L. amazonensis reference strain MHOM/BR/1973/M2269 was sequenced identifying 8,802 codifying sequences (CDS), most of them of hypothetical function. Comparative analysis using six Leishmania species showed a core set of 7,016 orthologs. L. amazonensis and Leishmania mexicana share the largest number of distinct orthologs, while Leishmania braziliensis presented the largest number of inparalogs. Additionally, phylogenomic analysis confirmed the taxonomic position for L. amazonensis within the “Mexicana complex”, reinforcing understanding of the split of New and Old World Leishmania. Potential non-homologous isofunctional enzymes (NISE) were identified between L. amazonensis and Homo sapiens that could provide new drug targets for development. PMID:25336895

Twenty years of global groundwater research: A Science Citation Index Expanded-based bibliometric survey (1993-2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Beibei; Loáiciga, Hugo A.; Wang, Zhen; Zhan, F. Benjamin; Hong, Song

2014-11-01

A bibliometric analysis was conducted to evaluate groundwater research from different perspectives in the period 1993-2012 based on the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) database. The bibliometric analysis summarizes output, categorical, geographical, and institutional patterns, as well as research hotspots in global groundwater studies. Groundwater research experienced notable growth in the past two decades. ;Environmental sciences;, ;water resources; and ;multidisciplinary geosciences; were the three major subject categories. The Journal of Hydrology published the largest number of groundwater-related publications in the surveyed period. Major author clusters and research regions are located in the United States, Western Europe, Eastern and Southern Asia, and Eastern Australia. The United States was a leading contributor to global groundwater research with the largest number of independent and collaborative papers, its dominance affirmed by housing 12 of the top 20 most active institutions reporting groundwater-related research. The US Geological Survey, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service were the three institutions with the largest number of groundwater-related publications. A keywords analysis revealed that groundwater quality and contamination, effective research technologies, and treatment technologies for water-quality improvement were the main research areas in the study period. Several keywords such as ;arsenic;, ;climate change;, ;fluoride;, ;groundwater management;, ;hydrogeochemistry;, ;uncertainty;, ;numerical modeling;, ;seawater intrusion;, ;adsorption;, ;remote sensing;, ;land use;, ;USA;(as study site), and ;water supply; received dramatically increased attention during the study period, possibly signaling future research trends.

Effects of Consumptive Water Use on Biodiversity in Wetlands of International Importance

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Wetlands are complex ecosystems that harbor a large diversity of species. Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems on our planet, due to human influences such as conversion and drainage. We assessed impacts from water consumption on the species richness of waterbirds, nonresidential birds, water-dependent mammals, reptiles and amphibians in wetlands, considering a larger number of taxa than previous life cycle impact assessment methods. Effect factors (EF) were derived for 1184 wetlands of international importance. EFs quantify the number of global species-equivalents lost per m2 of wetland area loss. Vulnerability and range size of species were included to reflect conservation values. Further, we derived spatially explicit characterization factors (CFs) that distinguish between surface water and groundwater consumption. All relevant watershed areas that are contributing to feeding the respective wetlands were determined for CF applications. In an example of rose production, we compared damages of water consumption in Kenya and The Netherlands. In both cases, the impact was largest for waterbirds. The total impact from water consumption in Kenya was 67 times larger than in The Netherlands, due to larger species richness and species’ vulnerability in Kenya, as well as more arid conditions and larger amounts of water consumed. PMID:24087849

Measurement and characterization of lift forces on drops and bubbles in microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stan, Claudiu; Guglielmini, Laura; Ellerbee, Audrey; Caviezel, Daniel; Whitesides, George; Stone, Howard

2013-11-01

The transverse motion of drops and bubbles within liquids flowing in pipes and channels is determined by the combination of several types of hydrodynamic lift forces with external forces. In microfluidic channels, lift forces have been used to position and sort particles with high efficiency and high accuracy. We measured lift forces on drops and bubbles and discriminated between different lift mechanisms under conditions characterized by low particle capillary numbers (0.0003 < CaP < 0.3) and low particle Reynolds numbers (0.0001 < ReP < 0.1). The measured lift forces were often much larger (up to a factor of 1000) than the predictions of analytical models of inertial and deformation-induced lift, indicating that another lift mechanism was the largest contributor to the total lift force. The systems we investigated exhibited either (i) a deformation-induced lift force enhanced by confinement effects, or (ii) a lift force for which to our best knowledge is based on physicochemical effects at the interfaces of drops and bubbles. We will present new experimental data that supports a dynamic interfacial mechanism for the second type of lift force, and discuss possible avenues for creating an analytical model for it.

Drugs of abuse in urban groundwater. A case study: Barcelona.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurado, A.; Mastroianni, N.; Vazquez-Suñe, E.; Carrera, J.; Tubau, I.; Pujades, E.; Postigo, C.; Lopez de Alda, M.; Barceló, D.

2012-04-01

This study is concerned with drugs of abuse (DAs) and their metabolites in urban groundwater at field scale in relation to (1) the spatial distribution of the groundwater samples, (2) the depth of the groundwater sample, (3) the presence of DAs in recharge sources, and (4) the identification of processes affecting the fate of DAs in groundwater. To this end, urban groundwater samples were collected in the city of Barcelona and a total of 21 drugs were analyzed including cocainics, amphetamine-like compounds, opioids, lysergics and cannabinoids and the prescribed drugs benzodiazepines. Overall, the highest groundwater concentrations and the largest number of detected DAs were found in zones basically recharged by a river that receives large amounts of effluents from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). In contrast, the urbanized areas yielded not only lower concentrations but also a much smaller number of drugs, which suggests a local origin. In fact, cocaine and its metabolite were dominant in more prosperous neighbourhoods, whereas the cheaper (MDMA) was the dominant DA in poorer districts. Concentrations of DAs estimated mainly from the waste water fraction in groundwater samples were consistently higher than the measured ones, suggesting that DAs undergo removal processes in both reducing and oxidizing conditions.

Economic savings and costs of periodic mammographic screening in the workplace.

PubMed

Griffiths, R I; McGrath, M M; Vogel, V G

1996-03-01

This article discusses the costs and benefits of mammographic screening in the workplace. The cost of mammography itself and of diagnostic work-up are two of the largest costs involved. Therefore, the most efficient approach to providing mammography depends on the number of employees receiving mammography; and the diagnostic accuracy of mammography and underlying incidence of breast cancer in the screened population strongly influence the number of suspicious mammograms that are not associated with breast cancer. The health benefit of mammographic screening is due to reduced mortality and morbidity through early detection and more effective treatment, which may also result in economic savings if early-stage cancer is less expensive to treat. However, the total lifetime cost of treating early-stage cancer may be greater than treating late-stage cancer because of improved survival of early-stage patients. Thus, although periodic mammographic screening is not likely to result in overall economic savings, in many populations of working-age women, especially those with identifiable risk factors, screening is cost-effective because the expenditure required to save a year of life through early detection of breast cancer is low compared to other types of health services for which employers commonly pay.

Patent trend and competitive analysis of cancer immunotherapy in the United States.

PubMed

Pan, Chia-Lin; Chen, Feng-Chi

2017-11-02

Immunotherapy has brought high hopes for cancer treatment, and attracted tremendous resources from the biopharmaceutical community. Here we analyze cancer immunotherapy-related patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the past decade (2006-2016). A total of 2,229 patents were identified in 13 subfields. The growth of patent number in this field has outpaced the background rate, with cytokine-related therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and natural killer cell therapies growing the most rapidly. The top 15 assignees possess 27.6% (616) of the patents. Amgen is the largest patent holder, followed by Novartis, and then by Chugai Seiyaku. The top assignees have focused on different subfields, and collaborated with each other for technology development. Our competitive analysis reveals that Novartis, Chugai Seiyaku, and Abbvie lead in both patent number and average quality of patents. Meanwhile, Immunomedics owns a high-quality though relatively small patent portfolio in single-chain variable fragment technology, which is not the focus of the abovementioned forerunners. Overall, our analysis illustrates an ecosystem where industry giants and smaller-size players each occupies a niche. Selection and succession are expected to continue for years in this young ecosystem.

CORC: An Online Data Quality Tool For CUORE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welliver, Bradford

2017-09-01

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a large neutrinoless double beta decay search experiment. Currently CUORE is actively taking data at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). These searches can address fundamental questions about the nature of the neutrino and may provide insight into the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe leading to beyond standard model physics via lepton number violation. CUORE is the largest array of crystal bolometers in the world, containing a total of 988 TeO2 crystals with a mass of 742kg and is expected to achieve a sensitivity on the 130Te 0 νββ half-life of T1 / 2 = 9 × 1025 years (90% C.L.) after 5 years of operation. The large number of individual crystals in CUORE presents challenges for monitoring data quality and determination of time periods of detector behavior suitable for analysis. We will discuss the current state of the online run diagnostic system that allows for easy monitoring of all crystals, provides an overview of performance over time, and gives an ability to set flags for periods of bad detector behavior as well as set phone and email alarms on various cryostat parameters.

Effects of consumptive water use on biodiversity in wetlands of international importance.

PubMed

Verones, Francesca; Saner, Dominik; Pfister, Stephan; Baisero, Daniele; Rondinini, Carlo; Hellweg, Stefanie

2013-01-01

Wetlands are complex ecosystems that harbor a large diversity of species. Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems on our planet, due to human influences such as conversion and drainage. We assessed impacts from water consumption on the species richness of waterbirds, nonresidential birds, water-dependent mammals, reptiles and amphibians in wetlands, considering a larger number of taxa than previous life cycle impact assessment methods. Effect factors (EF) were derived for 1184 wetlands of international importance. EFs quantify the number of global species-equivalents lost per m(2) of wetland area loss. Vulnerability and range size of species were included to reflect conservation values. Further, we derived spatially explicit characterization factors (CFs) that distinguish between surface water and groundwater consumption. All relevant watershed areas that are contributing to feeding the respective wetlands were determined for CF applications. In an example of rose production, we compared damages of water consumption in Kenya and The Netherlands. In both cases, the impact was largest for waterbirds. The total impact from water consumption in Kenya was 67 times larger than in The Netherlands, due to larger species richness and species' vulnerability in Kenya, as well as more arid conditions and larger amounts of water consumed.

Characterizing pollutant emissions from mosquito repellents incenses and implications in risk assessment of human health.

PubMed

Wang, Lina; Zheng, Xinran; Stevanovic, Svetlana; Xiang, Zhiyuan; Liu, Jing; Shi, Huiwen; Liu, Jing; Yu, Mingzhou; Zhu, Chun

2018-01-01

Mosquito-repellent incense is one of the most popular products used for dispelling mosquitos during summer in China. It releases large amounts of particulate and gaseous pollutants which constitute a potential hazard to human health. We conducted chamber experiment to characterize major pollutants from three types of mosquito-repellent incenses, further assessed the size-fractionated deposition in human respiratory system, and evaluated the indoor removing efficiency by fresh air. Results showed that the released pollutant concentrations were greater than permissible levels in regulations in GB3095-2012, as well as suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). Formaldehyde accounted for 10-20% of the total amount of pollutants. Fine particles dominated in the total particulate concentrations. Geometric standard deviation (GSD) of particle number size distributions was in the range of 1.45-1.93. Count median diameter (CMD) ranged from 100 to 500 nm. Emission rates, burning rates and emission factors of both particulate and gaseous pollutants were compared and discussed. The deposition fractions in pulmonary airway from the disc solid types reached up to 52.7% of the total deposition, and the largest deposition appeared on juvenile group. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modellings indicated air-conditioner on and windows closed was the worst case. The highest concentration was 180-200 times over the standard limit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost analysis of long-term outcomes of an urban mental health court.

PubMed

Kubiak, Sheryl; Roddy, Juliette; Comartin, Erin; Tillander, Elizabeth

2015-10-01

Multiple studies have demonstrated decreased recidivism and increased treatment engagement for individuals with serious mental illness involved in Mental Health Courts (MHC). However, the limited availability of social and fiscal resources requires an analysis of the relationship between a program's effectiveness and its costs. Outcome costs associated with a sample of 105 participants discharged for more than 1 year - and grouped by completion status - were compared to an eligible sample not enrolled (n=45). Transactional costs analysis (TCA) was used to calculate outcomes associated with treatment, arrest, and confinement in the 12-month post-MHC. Total outcome costs for the Successful Group ($16,964) significantly differed from the Unsuccessful ($32,258) and Compare Groups ($39,870). Costs associated with the higher number of arrests for those in the Compare Group created the largest differences. Total cost savings between Successful and Compare (M=$22,906) equated to $916,240 and savings between Unsuccessful and Compare (M=$7612) were $494,708. The total combined cost savings for participants in the 12-month post-MHC period was $1,411,020. While it is important to understand that MHCs and the individuals that they serve vary and these results are for a felony-level court, policy makers and researchers can use these results to guide their decision-making. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in residential and agricultural soils from an electronic waste polluted region in South China: distribution, compositional profile, and sources.

PubMed

Zhang, Shaohui; Xu, Xijin; Wu, Yousheng; Ge, Jingjing; Li, Weiqiu; Huo, Xia

2014-05-01

A detailed investigation was conducted to understand the concentration, distribution, profile and possible source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in residential and agricultural soils from Guiyu, Shantou, China, one of the largest electronic waste (e-waste) recycling and dismantling areas in the world. Ten PBDEs were analyzed in 46 surface soil samples in terms of individual and total concentrations, together with soil organic matter concentrations. Much higher concentrations of the total PBDEs were predicted in the residential areas (more than 2000 ng g(-1)), exhibiting a clear urban source, while in the agricultural areas, concentrations were lower than 1500 ng g(-1). PBDE-209 was the most dominant congener among the study sites, indicating the prevalence of commercial deca-PBDE. However signature congeners from commercial octa-PBDE were also found. The total PBDE concentrations were significantly correlated with each individual PBDE. Principal component analysis indicated that PBDEs were mainly distributed in three groups according to the number of bromine atoms on the phenyl rings, and potential source. This study showed that the informal e-waste recycling has already introduced PBDEs into surrounding areas as pollutant which thus warrants an urgent investigation into the transport of PBDEs in the soil-plant system of agricultural areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airport Catchment Area- Example Warsaw Modlin Airport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Błachut, Jakub

2017-10-01

The form and functions of airports change over time, just like the form and function of cities. Historically, airports are understood as places of aircraft landing, control towers operation and location of other facilities used for communication and transport. This traditional model is giving way to the concept of so-called Airport Cities, based on the assumption that, in addition to its infrastructure and air services, also non-air services are performed, constituting a source of income. At the same time, their reach and impact on the economy of the areas around the airport are expanding. Idea City Airport appeared in the United States in the late twentieth century. The author is J. D. Kasarda, he believes that it is around these big air ports that airport cities develop. In the world, there are currently 45 areas which can be classified in this category, out of which 12 are located in Europe. Main air traffic hubs in Europe are not only the most important passenger traffic junctions, but also largest centres dispatching goods (cargo). It can be said that, among the 30 largest airports, 24 are the largest in terms of both passenger and freight traffic. These airports cover up to 89.9% of the total freight transport of all European airports. At the same time, they serve 56.9% of all passengers in Europe. Based on the concept of Airport City was developed document THE INTEGRATED REGIONAL POLYCENTRIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE WARSAW MODLIN AIRPORT CATCHMENT AREA. The plan developed takes into account the findings of the Mazovian voivodeship spatial development plan, specifying the details of its provisions where possible. The development is the first step for the implementation of the concept of the Modlin Airport City. The accomplishment of this ambitious vision will only be possible with hard work of a number of entities, as well as taking into account the former Modlin Fortress, currently under revitalisation, in concepts and plans.

A substantial number of scientific publications originate from non-university hospitals.

PubMed

Fedder, Jens; Nielsen, Gunnar Lauge; Petersen, Lars J; Rasmussen, Claus; Lauszus, Finn F; Frost, Lars; Hornung, Nete; Lederballe, Ole; Andersen, Jens Peter

2011-11-01

As we found no recent published reports on the amount and kind of research published from Danish hospitals without university affiliation, we have found it relevant to conduct a bibliometric survey disclosing these research activities. We retrieved all scientific papers published in the period 2000-2009 emanating from all seven Danish non-university hospitals in two regions, comprising 1.8 million inhabitants, and which were registered in a minimum of one of the three databases: PubMed MEDLINE, Thomson Reuters Web of Science and Elsevier's Scopus. In 878 of 1,252 papers, the first and/or last author was affiliated to a non-university hospital. Original papers made up 69% of these publications versus 86% of publications with university affiliation on first or last place. Case reports and reviews most frequently had authors from regional hospitals as first and/or last authors. The total number of publications from regional hospitals increased by 48% over the 10-year period. Publications were cited more often if the first or last author was from a university hospital and even more so if they were affiliated to foreign institutions. Cardiology, gynaecology and obstetrics, and environmental medicine were the three specialities with the largest number of regional hospital publications. A substantial number of scientific publications originate from non-university hospitals. Almost two thirds of the publications were original research published in international journals. Variations between specialities may reflect local conditions. not relevant. not relevant.

A long-time limit for world subway networks.

PubMed

Roth, Camille; Kang, Soong Moon; Batty, Michael; Barthelemy, Marc

2012-10-07

We study the temporal evolution of the structure of the world's largest subway networks in an exploratory manner. We show that, remarkably, all these networks converge to a shape that shares similar generic features despite their geographical and economic differences. This limiting shape is made of a core with branches radiating from it. For most of these networks, the average degree of a node (station) within the core has a value of order 2.5 and the proportion of k = 2 nodes in the core is larger than 60 per cent. The number of branches scales roughly as the square root of the number of stations, the current proportion of branches represents about half of the total number of stations, and the average diameter of branches is about twice the average radial extension of the core. Spatial measures such as the number of stations at a given distance to the barycentre display a first regime which grows as r(2) followed by another regime with different exponents, and eventually saturates. These results--difficult to interpret in the framework of fractal geometry--confirm and yield a natural explanation in the geometric picture of this core and their branches: the first regime corresponds to a uniform core, while the second regime is controlled by the interstation spacing on branches. The apparent convergence towards a unique network shape in the temporal limit suggests the existence of dominant, universal mechanisms governing the evolution of these structures.

A long-time limit for world subway networks

PubMed Central

Roth, Camille; Kang, Soong Moon; Batty, Michael; Barthelemy, Marc

2012-01-01

We study the temporal evolution of the structure of the world's largest subway networks in an exploratory manner. We show that, remarkably, all these networks converge to a shape that shares similar generic features despite their geographical and economic differences. This limiting shape is made of a core with branches radiating from it. For most of these networks, the average degree of a node (station) within the core has a value of order 2.5 and the proportion of k = 2 nodes in the core is larger than 60 per cent. The number of branches scales roughly as the square root of the number of stations, the current proportion of branches represents about half of the total number of stations, and the average diameter of branches is about twice the average radial extension of the core. Spatial measures such as the number of stations at a given distance to the barycentre display a first regime which grows as r2 followed by another regime with different exponents, and eventually saturates. These results—difficult to interpret in the framework of fractal geometry—confirm and yield a natural explanation in the geometric picture of this core and their branches: the first regime corresponds to a uniform core, while the second regime is controlled by the interstation spacing on branches. The apparent convergence towards a unique network shape in the temporal limit suggests the existence of dominant, universal mechanisms governing the evolution of these structures. PMID:22593096

New plastic recycling technology

EPA Science Inventory

Greater than 60% of the total plastic content of municipal solid waste is comprised of polyolefins (high-density, low-density, and linear polyethylene and polypropylene. Polyethylene (PE) is the largest-volume component but presents a challenge due to the absence of low-energy de...

Financial Reporting for the Defense Logistics Agency - General Funds at Defense Finance and Accounting Service Columbus

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-18

the largest net abnormal balances, totaling $20.9 million (finding A). We audited the financial reporting procedures that Defense Finance and Accounting Service Columbus used to report on Treasury Index 97 funds.

Astronomy for Astronomical Numbers: A Worldwide Massive Open Online Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Impey, Chris D.; Wenger, Matthew C.; Austin, Carmen L.

2015-01-01

Astronomy: State of the Art is a massive, open, online class (MOOC) offered through Udemy by an instructional team at the University of Arizona. With nearly 24,000 enrolled as of early 2015, it is the largest astronomy MOOC available. The astronomical numbers enrolled do not translate into a similar level of engagement. The content consists of 14…

Partnerships for Effective Training to Work Transitions: A Case Study of the Skillman Alliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crisonà, Giovanni

2017-01-01

Europe hosts a significant number of global organizations in the transport market, the largest industrial R&D investor in the EU [European Union]. The market contains a significant number of jobs, and thus, there is a need for learning solutions in its domain. One of the pillars for its expansion is advanced manufacturing technology. The EU…

Supply and Demand of Educational Personnel for Wisconsin Public Schools. An Examination of Data Trends, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lauritzen, Paul

This report presents 1997 supply and demand information about Wisconsin Public School educational personnel using Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) data. The analysis found a large supply of teachers in most subjects. The largest number of new licenses was in fields that already had surplus educators. The number of teachers prepared…

A Multiple Comparison Case Study of Factors Related to Success of Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wieting, Shelley

2017-01-01

The nursing profession is facing a serious shortage of registered nurses based on current numbers, projected retirements, and estimates of future need. Nursing schools accept the largest numbers of students that they are able to accommodate, but many of these students do not complete the programs; this is especially true for associate degree…

Water quality and the composition of fish and macroinvertebrate communities in the Devils and Pecos Rivers within and upstream from the Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas, 2005-7

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moring, J. Bruce

2012-01-01

The total number of fish species collected was the same in the Devils River and Pecos River, but the species found in the two rivers varied slightly. The number of fish species generally increased from the site farthest upstream to the site farthest downstream in the Devils River, and decreased between the site farthest upstream and site farthest downstream in the Pecos River. The redbreast sunfish was the most abundant species collected in the Devils River, and the blacktail shiner was the most abundant species collected in the Pecos River. Comparing the species from each river, the percentage of omnivorous fish species was larger at the more downstream sites closer to Amistad Reservoir, and the percentage of species tolerant of environmental stressors was larger in the Pecos River. The fish community, assessed on the basis of the number of shared species among the sites sampled, was more similar to the fish community at the other sites on the same river than it was to the fish community from any other site in the other river. More macroinvertebrate taxa were collected in the Devils River than in the Pecos River. The largest number of macroinvertebrate taxa were from the site second farthest downstream on the Devils River, and the smallest numbers of macroinvertebrate taxa were from the farthest downstream site on the Pecos River. Mayflies were more common in the Devils River, and caddisflies were less common than mayflies at most sites. Net-spinning caddisflies were more common at the Devils River sites. The combined percent of mayfly, caddisfly, and stonefly taxa was generally larger at the Pecos River sites. Riffle beetles were the most commonly collected beetle taxon among all sites, and water-penny beetles were only collected at the Pecos River sites. A greater number of true midge taxa were collected more than any other taxa at the genus and species taxonomic level. Non-insect macroinvertebrate taxa were more common at the Devils River sites. Corbicula sp. (presumably the introduced Asian clam) was found at sites in both rivers, and amphipods were more abundant in the Devils River. The Margalef species richness index, based on aquatic insect taxa only, was larger at the Devils River sites than at the Pecos River sites. The Hilsenhoff's biotic index was largest at the site farthest downstream in the Devils River and smallest at the site second farthest downstream in the Pecos River. Overall similarity among sites based on the number of shared macroinvertebrate taxa indicated that each site is more similar to other sites on the same river than to sites on the other river.

Economic analysis of electronic waste recycling: modeling the cost and revenue of a materials recovery facility in California.

PubMed

Kang, Hai-Yong; Schoenung, Julie M

2006-03-01

The objectives of this study are to identify the various techniques used for treating electronic waste (e-waste) at material recovery facilities (MRFs) in the state of California and to investigate the costs and revenue drivers for these techniques. The economics of a representative e-waste MRF are evaluated by using technical cost modeling (TCM). MRFs are a critical element in the infrastructure being developed within the e-waste recycling industry. At an MRF, collected e-waste can become marketable output products including resalable systems/components and recyclable materials such as plastics, metals, and glass. TCM has two main constituents, inputs and outputs. Inputs are process-related and economic variables, which are directly specified in each model. Inputs can be divided into two parts: inputs for cost estimation and for revenue estimation. Outputs are the results of modeling and consist of costs and revenues, distributed by unit operation, cost element, and revenue source. The results of the present analysis indicate that the largest cost driver for the operation of the defined California e-waste MRF is the materials cost (37% of total cost), which includes the cost to outsource the recycling of the cathode ray tubes (CRTs) (dollar 0.33/kg); the second largest cost driver is labor cost (28% of total cost without accounting for overhead). The other cost drivers are transportation, building, and equipment costs. The most costly unit operation is cathode ray tube glass recycling, and the next are sorting, collecting, and dismantling. The largest revenue source is the fee charged to the customer; metal recovery is the second largest revenue source.

Estimates of evapotranspiration from the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge area, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada, May 1999-October 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, David L.; Johnson, Michael J.; Tumbusch, Mary L.; Mackay, Jeffrey

2001-01-01

The Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Ruby Valley, Nevada, contains the largest area of perennial wetlands in northeastern Nevada and provides habitat to a large number of migratory and nesting waterfowl. The long-term preservation of the refuge depends on the availability of sufficient water to maintain optimal habitat conditions. In the Ruby Valley water budget, evapotranspiration (ET) from the refuge is one of the largest components of natural outflow. To help determine the amount of inflow needed to maintain wetland habitat, estimates of ET for May 1999 through October 2000 were made at major habitats throughout the refuge. The Bowen-ratio method was used to estimate daily ET at four sites: over open water, in a moderate-to-dense cover of bulrush marsh, in a moderate cover of mixed phreatophytic shrubs, and in a desert-shrub upland. The eddy-correlation method was used to estimate daily ET for periods of 2 to 12 weeks at a meadow site and at four sites in a sparse-to-moderate cover of phreatophytic shrubs. Daily ET rates ranged from less than 0.010 inch per day at all of the sites to a maximum of 0.464 inch per day at the open-water site. Average daily ET rates estimated for open water and a bulrush marsh were about four to five times greater than in areas of mixed phreatophytic shrubs, where the depth to ground water is less than 5 feet. Based on the seasonal distribution of major habitats in the refuge and on winter and summer ET rates, an estimated total of about 89,000 acre-feet of water was consumed by ET during October 1999-September 2000 (2000 water year). Of this total, about 49,800 acre-feet was consumed by ET in areas of open water and bulrush marsh.

Prevalence, genetic relatedness and antibiotic resistance of hospital-acquired clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 018 strains.

PubMed

Seo, Mi-Ran; Kim, Jieun; Lee, Yangsoon; Lim, Dong-Gyun; Pai, Hyunjoo

2018-05-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major healthcare-associated infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic relatedness of the endemic C. difficile PCR ribotype 018 strains in an institution and changes to their characteristics during a five-year period. A total of 207 isolates from inpatients at Hanyang University Hospital from 2009 to 2013 were analysed using multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of several antibiotics were determined. In total, 204 (98.6%) were genetically related, with a summed tandem-repeat distance (STRD) ≤ 10. Minimum-spanning-tree analysis identified 78 MLVA types, categorized into six clonal complexes (CCs). The largest cluster, CC-I, included 51 MLVA types from 148 isolates (71.5%) and the second largest cluster, CC-II, included 10 MLVA types from 36 isolates (17.4%). Resistance rates for antibiotics were: clindamycin (CLI), 97.6%; moxifloxacin (MXF), 98.6%; vancomycin (VAN), 1.4%; and rifaximin (RFX), 8.2%. All isolates were susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) and metronidazole (MTZ). Comparing the MICs of antibiotics for the isolates each year from 2009 to 2013, MICs of antibiotics that promote CDI, such as CLI, MXF, TZP and RFX, increased over the five-year period (P-value by Kruskal-Wallis test: < 0.0001, <0.0001, <0.0001, and <0.0001 respectively); however, MICs of VAN or MTZ, antibiotics for treatment of CDI, did not increase or decreased over the same time period (P-value by Kruskal-Wallis test: 0.166, <0.0001). C. difficile RT018 isolates in a tertiary hospital over a five-year period presented a close clonal relationship. MICs of antibiotics promoting CDI increased with this clonal expansion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Readability of Patient Education Materials From the Web Sites of Orthopedic Implant Manufacturers.

PubMed

Yi, Meghan M; Yi, Paul H; Hussein, Khalil I; Cross, Michael B; Della Valle, Craig J

2017-12-01

Prior studies indicate that orthopedic patient education materials are written at a level that is too high for the average patient. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of online patient education materials provided by orthopedic implant manufacturers. All patient education articles available in 2013 from the web sites of the 5 largest orthopedic implant manufacturers were identified. Each article was evaluated with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. The number of articles with readability ≤ the eighth-grade level (average reading ability of US adults) and the sixth-grade level (recommended level for patient education materials) was determined. Mean readability levels of each company's articles were compared using analysis of variance (significance set at P < .05). A total of 581 articles were reviewed from the 5 largest implant manufacturers. The mean overall FK grade level was 10.9 (range, 3.8-16.1). Only 58 articles (10%) were written ≤ the eighth-grade level, and only 13 (2.2%) were ≤ the sixth-grade level. The mean FK grade level was significantly different among groups (Smith & Nephew = 12.0, Stryker = 11.6, Biomet = 11.3, DePuy = 10.6, Zimmer = 10.1; P < .0001). The majority of patient education materials from implant manufacturers are written at a level too high to be comprehended by the average patient. Future efforts should be made to improve the readability of orthopedic patient education materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Chemical and Microphysical Evolution of Droplet Spectra In Clean and Polluted Environment During Ace-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, S.; Osborne, S.; Smith, M. H.

The stratocumulus cloud widely studied during the ACE-2 (Aerosol Characterisation Experiment-2) campaign was contaminated on certain days with European pollution. This led to some modification of the aerosol and the cloud properties and forms the basis of this observational and modelling study. Model results showed that much of the pH levels for the ammonium sulphate based droplets ranged between 4-6 indicating that sulphate production was effected predominantly by hydrogen peroxide and to some extent, when the pH was above 5.5, by ozone causing a very substantial increase in the total amount of sulphate. Our paper has also examined the alteration of the radiative properties induced by SO2 pollution. Under clean conditions (26 June 1997) the optical thickness was the lowest with the largest droplet effective diameters. Under the most polluted conditions (18 July 1997) when the SO2 level was the maximum the optical thickness was the high- est with the lowest droplet effective diameter. The following day (19 July) was less polluted with lower SO2 concentration and the optical depth and the effective diame- ters were in between the two. For the most polluted case the geometric cloud thickness was also the largest, and our sensitivity studies performed over 4 horizontal sectional runs showed that the droplet number concentrations changed considerably, and since the cloud thickness and the LWC did not vary much over these sections, the overall optical properties did not show much horizontal variablity.

In situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles in exponentially-growing layer-by-layer films

PubMed Central

Shen, Liyan; Rapenne, Laetitia; Chaudouet, Patrick; Ji, Jian; Picart, Catherine

2014-01-01

In situ synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) in polyelectrolytes multilayers (PEMs) has recently gained much attention. Due to the versatility of their composition, PEMs offer a unique opportunity to synthesize a variety of NPs. So far, mostly cationic precursors have been used and only few studies have investigated the possibility of using amine groups to bind anionic precursors. Here, we use exponentially growing poly(L-lysine)/hyaluronan (PLL/HA) films as a nanoreservoir to bind and sequester aurochlorate (AuCl4−) anions thanks to the large number of free amine groups. The polypeptide-polysaccharide reactive template enabled the formation in a spatially-confined environment of gold NP at a very high yield. The synthesized gold NPs were homogenous and well-dispersed in the nanocomposite. Importantly, there was no particular effect of the film-ending layer (either PLL or HA). The largest particles of ~ 9 nm and the largest amount of gold were obtained at acidic pH of 3. When the pH was increased, smaller and more numerous NPs were synthesized but the total amount of gold was lower. Based on UV-visible spectrometry, FTIR and TEM data, we finally propose a scheme for the mechanism of gold NPs formation, in which several groups of PLL and HA contribute to the binding of gold ions, the nucleation and growth of NPs, and their stabilization in the “bulk” of the film. PMID:22981588

Design implementation of lean supply chain management: A case study on loading process of fertilizer at PT Petrokimia Gresik port

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibowo, Agus Tri; Handayani, Naniek Utami

2017-11-01

Petrokimia Gresik is one of the largest fertilizer producer in Indonesia which has a cross-country network of supply chain and distribution throughout the archipelago, either in bulk fertilizer or in bag fertilizer. This research was conducted at PT. PG port which is the main point of the logistics activities in the firm itself, either loading or unloading. This research focus on the process of loading the in bag fertilizer. Problems that occur in this process are due to the inefficiency of the flow of the Supply Chain, caused by the presence of waste and non-value-added activities. The purpose of this study was to determine what kind of waste that occurs during the process, as well as suggestions for improvements using the concept of Lean Supply Chain and Value Stream Mapping, and look for the cause of the problem using the 5 Whys method. The most influential types of waste during the process stream is Waiting Time (20.42%), and Non-Value Added activies of 51.9%. By using 5Whys, the largest cause of waste found are the length of the truck waiting for the cargo, numbers of crane are already inproper, and the absence of the scheduling and charge allocation. Recommended solutions are scheduling and allocation, creation of special line in the warehouse, and supplying cranes with appropriate load speed. Based on improvement suggestions, total NVA predicted to be reduced to 59.8%.

Spring-fall asymmetry of substorm strength, geomagnetic activity and solar wind: Implications for semiannual variation and solar hemispheric asymmetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mursula, K.; Tanskanen, E.; Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

We study the seasonal variation of substorms, geomagnetic activity and their solar wind drivers in 1993-2008. The number of substorms and substorm mean duration depict an annual variation with maxima in Winter and Summer, respectively, reflecting the annual change of the local ionosphere. In contradiction, substorm mean amplitude, substorm total efficiency and global geomagnetic activity show a dominant annual variation, with equinoctial maxima alternating between Spring in solar cycle 22 and Fall in cycle 23. The largest annual variations were found in 1994 and 2003, in the declining phase of the two cycles when high-speed streams dominate the solar wind. A similar, large annual variation is found in the solar wind driver of substorms and geomagnetic activity, which implies that the annual variation of substorm strength, substorm efficiency and geomagnetic activity is not due to ionospheric conditions but to a hemispherically asymmetric distribution of solar wind which varies from one cycle to another. Our results imply that the overall semiannual variation in global geomagnetic activity has been seriously overestimated, and is largely an artifact of the dominant annual variation with maxima alternating between Spring and Fall. The results also suggest an intimate connection between the asymmetry of solar magnetic fields and some of the largest geomagnetic disturbances, offering interesting new pathways for forecasting disturbances with a longer lead time to the future. Copyright ?? 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Evaluating How Post-Bronchodilator Vital Capacities Affect the Diagnosis of Obstruction in Pulmonary Function Tests.

PubMed

Blagev, Denitza P; Sorenson, Dean; Linares-Perdomo, Olinto; Bamberg, Stacy; Hegewald, Matthew; Morris, Alan H

2016-11-01

Although the ratio of FEV 1 to the vital capacity (VC) is universally accepted as the cornerstone of pulmonary function test (PFT) interpretation, FVC remains in common use. We sought to determine what the differences in PFT interpretation were when the largest measured vital capacity (VC max ) was used instead of the FVC. We included 12,238 consecutive PFTs obtained for routine clinical care. We interpreted all PFTs first using FVC in the interpretation algorithm and then again using the VC max , obtained either before or after administration of inhaled bronchodilator. Six percent of PFTs had an interpretive change when VC max was used instead of FVC. The most common changes were: new diagnosis of obstruction and exclusion of restriction (previously suggested by low FVC without total lung capacity measured by body plethysmography). A nonspecific pattern occurred in 3% of all PFT interpretations with FVC. One fifth of these 3% produced a new diagnosis of obstruction with VC max . The largest factors predicting a change in PFT interpretation with VC max were a positive bronchodilator response and the administration of a bronchodilator. Larger FVCs decreased the odds of PFT interpretation change. Surprisingly, the increased numbers of PFT tests did not increase odds of PFT interpretation change. Six percent of PFTs have a different interpretation when VC max is used instead of FVC. Evaluating borderline or ambiguous PFTs using the VC max may be informative in diagnosing obstruction and excluding restriction. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

State laws and the provision of family planning and abortion services in 1985.

PubMed

Sollom, T; Donovan, P

1985-01-01

65 laws relating to fertility were enacted by the 49 state legislatures that held sessions in 1985. This was the largest enacted since 1973, and the 2nd largest total since. Some of the 1985 abortion laws are designed to protect abortion rights. Several states in the US took action to severely punish the perpetrators of violence against abortion clinics. Lesislation dealing with the delivery of family planning services was subjected to public funding restrictions in 1985. Attempts have been made recently on the federal level to prevent Title X recipients from being provided with information on abortion in their pregnancy counseling sessions. These actions are similar to some of the state laws attempting to reach the same end. Many states included funds for family planning in general appropriations bills. Differences among legislators regarding the right of minors to consent to reproductive health care have led to 2 patterns of response: 1) affirmation of the right of minors to receive family planning services on their own consent; or 2) laws mandating parental involvement in a minor's abortion decision. The most troubling aspect of the fertility related legislation endated in 1985 is the effort by a number of legislatures to attach restrictions on abortion counseling and referral to family planning appropriations bills. In 1985, state laws were enacted to regulate the disposal of fetal remains, to prohibit the use of fetal remains for commercial purposes and to impose criminal sanctions for causing the miscarriage of a fetus during a felony.

A test of bone mobilization relative to reproductive demand: skeletal quality is improved in cannibalistic females with large litters.

PubMed

Hood, Wendy R

2012-01-01

In species with repeated bouts of reproduction, a female's ability to retain sufficient tissue for self-maintenance is essential to her survival and capacity for future reproduction. Loss of bone mineral content results in bone fragility and the possibility of reduced survival, so females should guard against the overuse of their bone mineral during reproduction. Given these constraints, I predicted that bone mobilization would increase with litter size in mice but plateau before maximum litter size was reached. To test this idea, I manipulated the litter sizes of house mice on the day of parturition to 3, 8, 13, and 18 offspring. At weaning, I euthanized the females and calculated whole-body and bone mineral composition. The total mineral content of females' femurs dropped as litter size increased to the average litter size for this strain of mouse (13) but surprisingly, femoral mineral content was higher for females assigned the largest litter sizes (18). Seven of the nine females assigned 18 young cannibalized some of their offspring. For females assigned to these larger litters, femoral ash content was not correlated with number of young consumed, suggesting that mineral recycling had little effect on final bone mineral content. However, nursing effort (accounting for young lost to cannibalism) was correlated with maternal femoral ash at weaning. These finding suggest that the high bone mineral content of females assigned the largest litters was associated with a reduction in endogenous mineral allocated to the litter.

Mercury speciation in the Valdeazogues River-La Serena Reservoir system: influence of Almadén (Spain) historic mining activities.

PubMed

Berzas Nevado, Juan J; Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios, Rosa C; Moreno, María Jiménez

2009-03-15

Mercury (Hg) speciation and partitioning have been investigated in a river-reservoir system impacted by the Almadén mining activities, the world's largest Hg district. This study is the first to simultaneously investigate Hg dynamics from above the mining district and into the La Serena Reservoir (3219 Hm(3)), being the third largest reservoir in Europe and the largest in Spain. Water, sediment and biota were sampled at different seasons during a 2-year study from the Valdeazogues River, which flows east-west from the mining District, to La Serena Reservoir. Simultaneously, a comprehensive study was undertaken to determine the influence of some major physico-chemical parameters that potentially influence the fate of Hg within the watershed. Concentrations of dissolved Hg in water were below 0.14 microg/L, whereas particulate Hg ranged from 0.1 to 87 microg/g, with significant seasonal variation. Total Hg concentrations varied from 7 to 74 microg/g in sediment from the Valdeazogues River, while in sediments from La Serena Reservoir were below 2 microg/g. On the other hand, methyl-Hg reached concentrations up to 0.3 ng/L in water and 6 ng/g in sediment from La Serena Reservoir, whereas maximum concentrations in Valdeazogues River were 5 ng/L and 880 ng/g in water and sediment, respectively. The distribution of Hg species in the Valdeazogues River-La Serena Reservoir system indicated a source of Hg from the mine waste distributed along the river. Total Hg in water was strongly correlated with total dissolved solids and chlorophyll a concentrations, whereas organic carbon and Fe concentrations seem to play a role in methylation of inorganic Hg in sediment. Total Hg concentrations were low in fish from Valdeazogues River (0.8-8.6 ng/g, wet weight) and bivalves from La Serena Reservoir (10-110 ng/g, wet weight), but most was present as methyl-Hg.

Male and Female Summer Interns in Engineering from 2007-2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Cathy W.; Brush, Kimberly M.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the colleges and universities from which engineering interns were chosen for the Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars (LARSS) internship program over a six year period. While the initial question was where the interns were from, information was also obtained on these colleges and universities' rankings with respect to female faculty in tenure/tenure-track positions as well as research expenditures according to the American Society for Engineering Education's (ASEE) 2012 Annual Report. The majority of interns were selected from 14 institutions. Eight of the institutions for female interns and 7 for male interns were also cited as having the largest percentages/numbers of female faculty according to ASEE data. In 10 of the 14 institutions for male interns and 9 of 14 for female interns, the institutions were cited as having some of the highest research expenditures. Last, data from ASEE's report on bachelor degrees awarded in 2011 was assessed with respect to the 21 institutions listed as having higher numbers of women in tenure/tenure-track positions. The majority of these institutions represented larger engineering programs with a sizeable number of engineering faculty. These 21institutions accounted for 24.4% of the total engineering bachelor degrees awarded in 2011, with 27.4% of all female and 23.8% of all male graduates in the U.S.

Comparison of Freshwater Mollusc Assemblages between Dry and Rainy Season in Situ Gede System, Bogor, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priawandiputra, W.; Nasution, D. J.; Prawasti, T. S.

2017-03-01

Anthropogenic activities, which reduced and damaged natural situ (freshwater ponds), also reduced fauna diversity in its aquatic ecosystem. Freshwater molluscs in the situ, one of the largest numbers of animals group with documented extinction, may also be impacted. The aims of this study were to record and to compare the abundance and species composition of freshwater molluscs between dry and rainy season in three situ. The freshwater molluscs were determined by twelve sampling points in Situ Gede (SG), Situ Panjang (SP) and Situ Burung (SB). Samplings were conducted once during dry season (August 2015) and rainy season (February 2016). Total abundance of molluscs encountered was 4321 individuals, which was comprised of 76 bivalve individuals (1.75 %) and 4245 gastropods individuals (98.44%). The abundance of molluscs were generally higher in rainy season than in dry season in all situ, while species richness showed the contrary. The species composition was significantly different between dry and rainy season in SP and SB but no significant differences was found in SG. From eight dominant species, there were six dominant species such as Filopaludina javanica, Melanoides tuberculata, Thiara scabra, Sermyla requeti, Pila scutata (gastropods) and Pilsbryoconcha exilis (bivalve) which were found in high numbers during dry season while two gastropod species (Pomacea canaliculata and Wattebledia crosseana) was numbered higher in rainy season than dry season.

Traditional uses of medicinal animals in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The present work presents an inventory of the traditional medicinal uses of animals in the municipality of Bom Sucesso in Paraíba State (PB) in the semiarid northeastern region of Brazil. Information was obtained through the use of semi-structured interviews with 50 people who use zootherapeutic products. A total of 25 animal species used for medicinal purposes were identified (18 vertebrates and seven invertebrates) distributed among five taxonomic categories; the groups with the largest numbers of citations were: mammals (8 citations), insects (7), and reptiles (5). The most cited animal species were: Tubinambis merianae “teju” lizards (44 citations); Apis mellifera Italian honeybees (318 citations); Gallus gallus chickens (31 citations); Ovis aries sheep (31 citations); Crotalus durissus rattlesnakes (14 citations); Boa constrictor (12 citations); and Bos taurus cattle (12 citations). A significant number of illnesses and conditions treated with animal-based medicines were cited, and the category with the greatest number of citations was “problems affecting the respiratory system”. Our results suggest that the use of zootherapeutics in the region is persistent, and that knowledge about these curative practices is an integral part of the regional culture. As such, studies concerning the uses of zootherapeutics are important windows to understanding human/environmental/cultural interactions and a pathway to conciliating regional cultures with efforts to conserve the native fauna. PMID:23050756

Overseas visitors admitted to Queensland hospitals for water-related injuries.

PubMed

Wilks, J; Coory, M

2000-09-01

To determine the number of overseas visitors admitted to Queensland hospitals for water-related injuries over three years, the causes of their injuries, the resulting conditions treated, and the type of hospitals to which they were admitted. Retrospective analysis of admissions of overseas visitors to Queensland hospitals over the three financial years 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98. 296 overseas visitors admitted for water-related injuries, identified from hospital records by their usual place of residence. Number of admissions, causes of injuries, conditions treated, and bed days occupied by these patients at different types of hospitals (metropolitan, regional and rural public hospitals, and private hospitals). The 296 overseas visitors accounted for a total of 596 separate admissions, many of these the result of patients with decompression illness being admitted several times to a regional hospital hyperbaric chamber for treatment as day patients. The largest number of injuries involved the use of diving equipment. The main conditions treated were decompression illness (54.7%), fractures and dislocations (15.5%), and drowning and non-fatal submersion (14.9%). Overall, overseas visitors admitted to hospital following a water-related incident occupied 1215 bed days; 90% of these admissions were to regional hospitals. The main reason for admission of overseas visitors is for decompression illness, suggesting that the prevention of injuries among scuba divers requires further coordinated efforts by health and tourism authorities.

Patterns of methadone maintenance treatment provision in Ontario: Policy success or pendulum excess?

PubMed

Kurdyak, Paul; Jacob, Binu; Zaheer, Juveria; Fischer, Benedikt

2018-02-01

To describe recent trends and patterns in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) practice regionally and over time in the province of Ontario. Population-based descriptive study using health administrative data between September 1, 2011, and December 31, 2014. Ontario. All active MMT-prescribing physicians and patients receiving MMT in the study period. Characteristics of MMT-prescribing physicians, including age, sex, specialty type, practice region, and practice volume; characteristics of patients receiving MMT, including age, sex, neighbourhood income, and region of residence. Between September 1, 2011, and December 31, 2014, the number of MMT-prescribing physicians and patients who received MMT increased by 26% and 42%, respectively. In 2014, there was a total of 312 MMT-prescribing physicians and 49 703 patients receiving MMT. In 2014 and on a per capita basis, patients receiving MMT were more prevalent in rural regions; and within rural regions, there were disproportionately large numbers of young female MMT patients residing in low-income neighbourhoods. The number of physicians prescribing MMT and patients receiving MMT has increased substantially between 2011 and 2014, with the largest per capita distribution occurring in rural regions and involving young adults. While availability of and access to MMT has improved considerably from before 2000 to levels of high use, these developments are likely influenced by recent trends in the proliferation of prescription opioid misuse across general populations. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

The flavor of citrus fruit

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Citrus is the largest cultivated fruit tree crop in the world, with total production of more than 100 million tons per year. The genus Citrus consists of different species, including several producing economically important crops, such as oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, pummelo, lemons and limes, c...

The World's Largest Photovoltaic Concentrator System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Harry V.

1982-01-01

The Mississippi County Community College large-scale energy experiment, featuring the emerging high technology of solar electricity, is described. The project includes a building designed for solar electricity and a power plant consisting of a total energy photovoltaic system, and features two experimental developments. (MLW)

Methodological Considerations When Quantifying High-Intensity Efforts in Team Sport Using Global Positioning System Technology.

PubMed

Varley, Matthew C; Jaspers, Arne; Helsen, Werner F; Malone, James J

2017-09-01

Sprints and accelerations are popular performance indicators in applied sport. The methods used to define these efforts using athlete-tracking technology could affect the number of efforts reported. This study aimed to determine the influence of different techniques and settings for detecting high-intensity efforts using global positioning system (GPS) data. Velocity and acceleration data from a professional soccer match were recorded via 10-Hz GPS. Velocity data were filtered using either a median or an exponential filter. Acceleration data were derived from velocity data over a 0.2-s time interval (with and without an exponential filter applied) and a 0.3-second time interval. High-speed-running (≥4.17 m/s 2 ), sprint (≥7.00 m/s 2 ), and acceleration (≥2.78 m/s 2 ) efforts were then identified using minimum-effort durations (0.1-0.9 s) to assess differences in the total number of efforts reported. Different velocity-filtering methods resulted in small to moderate differences (effect size [ES] 0.28-1.09) in the number of high-speed-running and sprint efforts detected when minimum duration was <0.5 s and small to very large differences (ES -5.69 to 0.26) in the number of accelerations when minimum duration was <0.7 s. There was an exponential decline in the number of all efforts as minimum duration increased, regardless of filtering method, with the largest declines in acceleration efforts. Filtering techniques and minimum durations substantially affect the number of high-speed-running, sprint, and acceleration efforts detected with GPS. Changes to how high-intensity efforts are defined affect reported data. Therefore, consistency in data processing is advised.

Estimated numbers of men and women infected with HIV/AIDS in Tijuana, Mexico.

PubMed

Brouwer, Kimberly C; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Magis-Rodríguez, Carlos; Bravo-García, Enrique; Gayet, Cecilia; Patterson, Thomas L; Bertozzi, Stefano M; Hogg, Robert S

2006-03-01

Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, California, is located by the busiest land border crossing in the world. Although UNAIDS considers Mexico to be a country of "low prevalence, high risk," recent surveillance data among sentinel populations in Tijuana suggests HIV prevalence is increasing. The aim of this study was to estimate the number of men and women aged 15 to 49 years infected with HIV in Tijuana. Gender and age-specific estimates of the Tijuana population were obtained from the 2000 Mexican census. Population and HIV prevalence estimates for at-risk groups were obtained from published reports, community based studies, and data from the Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH/SIDA (CENSIDA). Age-specific fertility rates for Mexico were used to derive the number of low and high-risk pregnant women. Numbers of HIV-positive men and women were estimated for each at-risk group and then aggregated. A high growth scenario based on current HIV prevalence and a conservative, low growth estimate were determined. A total of 686,600 men and women in Tijuana were aged 15 to 49 years at the time of the 2000 census. Considering both scenarios, the number of infected persons ranged from 1,803 to 5,472 (HIV prevalence: 0.26 to 0.80%). The majority of these persons were men (>70%). The largest number of infected persons were MSM (N = 1,146 to 3,300) and IDUs (N = 147 to 650). Our data suggest that up to one in every 125 persons aged 15-49 years in Tijuana is HIV-infected. Interventions to reduce ongoing spread of HIV are urgently needed.

Maternal-related deaths and impoverishment among adolescent girls in India and Niger: findings from a modelling study.

PubMed

Verguet, Stéphane; Nandi, Arindam; Filippi, Véronique; Bundy, Donald A P

2016-09-26

High levels of maternal mortality and large associated inequalities exist in low-income and middle-income countries. Adolescent pregnancies remain common, and pregnant adolescent women face elevated risks of maternal mortality and poverty. We examined the distribution across socioeconomic groups of maternal deaths and impoverishment among adolescent girls (15-19 years old) in Niger, which has the highest total fertility rate globally, and India, which has the largest number of maternal deaths. In Niger and India, among adolescent girls, we estimated the distribution per income quintile of: the number of maternal deaths; and the impoverishment, measured by calculating the number of cases of catastrophic health expenditure incurred, caused by complicated pregnancies. We also examined the potential impact on maternal deaths and poverty of increasing adolescent girls' level of education by 1 year. We used epidemiological and cost inputs sourced from surveys and the literature. The number of maternal deaths would be larger among the poorer adolescents than among the richer adolescents in Niger and India. Impoverishment would largely incur among the richer adolescents in Niger and among the poorer adolescents in India. Increasing educational attainment of adolescent girls might avert both a large number of maternal deaths and a significant number of cases of catastrophic health expenditure in the 2 countries. Adolescent pregnancies can lead to large equity gaps and substantial impoverishment in low-income and middle-income countries. Increasing female education can reduce such inequalities and provide financial risk protection and poverty alleviation to adolescent girls. 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/

Treatment Effect in Earlier Trials of Patients With Chronic Medical Conditions: A Meta-Epidemiologic Study.

PubMed

Alahdab, Fares; Farah, Wigdan; Almasri, Jehad; Barrionuevo, Patricia; Zaiem, Feras; Benkhadra, Raed; Asi, Noor; Alsawas, Mouaz; Pang, Yifan; Ahmed, Ahmed T; Rajjo, Tamim; Kanwar, Amrit; Benkhadra, Khalid; Razouki, Zayd; Murad, M Hassan; Wang, Zhen

2018-03-01

To determine whether the early trials in chronic medical conditions demonstrate an effect size that is larger than that in subsequent trials. We identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating a drug or device in patients with chronic medical conditions through meta-analyses (MAs) published between January 1, 2007, and June 23, 2015, in the 10 general medical journals with highest impact factor. We estimated the prevalence of having the largest effect size or heterogeneity in the first 2 published trials. We evaluated the association of the exaggerated early effect with several a priori hypothesized explanatory variables. We included 70 MAs that had included a total of 930 trials (average of 13 [range, 5-48] RCTs per MA) with average follow-up of 24 (range, 1-168) months. The prevalence of the exaggerated early effect (ie, proportion of MAs with largest effect or heterogeneity in the first 2 trials) was 37%. These early trials had an effect size that was on average 2.67 times larger than the overall pooled effect size (ratio of relative effects, 2.67; 95% CI, 2.12-3.37). The presence of exaggerated effect was not significantly associated with trial size; number of events; length of follow-up; intervention duration; number of study sites; inpatient versus outpatient setting; funding source; stopping a trial early; adequacy of random sequence generation, allocation concealment, or blinding; loss to follow-up or the test for publication bias. Trials evaluating treatments of chronic medical conditions published early in the chain of evidence commonly demonstrate an exaggerated treatment effect compared with subsequent trials. At the present time, this phenomenon remains unpredictable. Considering the increasing morbidity and mortality of chronic medical conditions, decision makers should act on early evidence with caution. Copyright © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional characterization and distribution of fabrication defects in bilayered lithium disilicate glass-ceramic molar crowns.

PubMed

Jian, Yutao; He, Zi-Hua; Dao, Li; Swain, Michael V; Zhang, Xin-Ping; Zhao, Ke

2017-04-01

To investigate and characterize the distribution of fabrication defects in bilayered lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (LDG) crowns using micro-CT and 3D reconstruction. Ten standardized molar crowns (IPS e.max Press; Ivoclar Vivadent) were fabricated by heat-pressing on a core and subsequent manual veneering. All crowns were scanned by micro-CT and 3D reconstructed. Volume, position and sphericity of each defect was measured in every crown. Each crown was divided into four regions-central fossa (CF), occlusal fossa (OF), cusp (C) and axial wall (AW). Porosity and number density of each region were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed using Welch two sample t-test, Friedman one-way rank sum test and Nemenyi post-hoc test. The defect volume distribution type was determined based on Akaike information criterion (AIC). The core ceramic contained fewer defects (p<0.001) than the veneer layer. The size of smaller defects, which were 95% of the total, obeyed a logarithmic normal distribution. Region CF showed higher porosity (p<0.001) than the other regions. Defect number density of region CF was higher than region C (p<0.001) and region AW (p=0.029), but no difference was found between region CF and OF (p>0.05). Four of ten specimens contained the largest pores in region CF, while for the remaining six specimens the largest pore was in region OF. LDG core ceramic contained fewer defects than the veneer ceramic. LDG strength estimated from pore size was comparable to literature values. Large defects were more likely to appear at the core-veneer interface of occlusal fossa, while small defects also distributed in every region of the crowns but tended to aggregate in the central fossa region. Size distribution of small defects in veneer obeyed a logarithmic normal distribution. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Consumption and costs of antihypertensive drugs in Mexico: are diuretic agents a standing technological trajectory?

PubMed

Altagracia-Martínez, M; Kravzov-Jinich, J; Guadarrama-Atrizco, M D; Rubio-Poo, C; Wertheimer, A I

2006-03-01

Little is known about hypertension medication consumption and costs in Mexico. Hypertension control is a pharmacological challenge and a public health issue. (a) To compare drug sales, number of written prescriptions, and monthly treatment costs among 5 classes of antihypertensive drugs and (b) to analyze diuretic drug sales and prescriptions to determine whether these antihypertensive agents represent an established technological trajectory. A retrospective time series data study from 1999 to 2003. Data sources used were International Marketing Services of Mexico drug sales and the Mexico Prescription Audit databases. The 5 different classes of antihypertensive drugs were accommodated into 4 main technological trajectories according to their main biological mechanisms of action. Each technological trajectory was assessed using consumption and prescription data. Daily defined dose was used to calculate drug treatment costs. The market for cardiovascular agents is one of the largest, and in 2003 accounted for a value market share of 59 billion US dollar and a unit share of 40.7 million. Among cardiovascular agents, antihypertensive drugs made up a large percentage of market shares. Calcium channel blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors I had the biggest share value of the total cardiovascular market. Amlodipine had the highest share among calcium channel blockers, and enalapril and captopril had the largest share among angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors I. The top-selling diuretic drug was furosemide. The trend in number of prescriptions was parallel to that in sales. The diuretic spironolactone was the most expensive drug treatment (59 US dollar). Treatment with spironolactone might represent 47% of the income of a Mexican family if their household income was close to minimum wage (124 US dollar). The most effective and least expensive drugs-diuretics-had the smallest market share of all antihypertensive agents in Mexico. Nevertheless, diuretic agents are still in use and kept over time a steady market share both in value and in units.

Gravity at the horizon: on relativistic effects, CMB-LSS correlations and ultra-large scales in Horndeski's theory

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

Renk, Janina; Zumalacárregui, Miguel; Montanari, Francesco, E-mail: renk@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de, E-mail: miguel.zumalacarregui@nordita.org, E-mail: francesco.montanari@helsinki.fi

2016-07-01

We address the impact of consistent modifications of gravity on the largest observable scales, focusing on relativistic effects in galaxy number counts and the cross-correlation between the matter large scale structure (LSS) distribution and the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Our analysis applies to a very broad class of general scalar-tensor theories encoded in the Horndeski Lagrangian and is fully consistent on linear scales, retaining the full dynamics of the scalar field and not assuming quasi-static evolution. As particular examples we consider self-accelerating Covariant Galileons, Brans-Dicke theory and parameterizations based on the effective field theory of dark energy, using the himore » class code to address the impact of these models on relativistic corrections to LSS observables. We find that especially effects which involve integrals along the line of sight (lensing convergence, time delay and the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect—ISW) can be considerably modified, and even lead to O(1000%) deviations from General Relativity in the case of the ISW effect for Galileon models, for which standard probes such as the growth function only vary by O(10%). These effects become dominant when correlating galaxy number counts at different redshifts and can lead to ∼ 50% deviations in the total signal that might be observable by future LSS surveys. Because of their integrated nature, these deep-redshift cross-correlations are sensitive to modifications of gravity even when probing eras much before dark energy domination. We further isolate the ISW effect using the cross-correlation between LSS and CMB temperature anisotropies and use current data to further constrain Horndeski models. Forthcoming large-volume galaxy surveys using multiple-tracers will search for all these effects, opening a new window to probe gravity and cosmic acceleration at the largest scales available in our universe.« less

Higher-order derivative correlations and the alignment of small-scale structures in isotropic numerical turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerr, R. A.

1983-01-01

In a three dimensional simulation higher order derivative correlations, including skewness and flatness factors, are calculated for velocity and passive scalar fields and are compared with structures in the flow. The equations are forced to maintain steady state turbulence and collect statistics. It is found that the scalar derivative flatness increases much faster with Reynolds number than the velocity derivative flatness, and the velocity and mixed derivative skewness do not increase with Reynolds number. Separate exponents are found for the various fourth order velocity derivative correlations, with the vorticity flatness exponent the largest. Three dimensional graphics show strong alignment between the vorticity, rate of strain, and scalar-gradient fields. The vorticity is concentrated in tubes with the scalar gradient and the largest principal rate of strain aligned perpendicular to the tubes. Velocity spectra, in Kolmogorov variables, collapse to a single curve and a short minus 5/3 spectral regime is observed.

Algorithm to determine the percolation largest component in interconnected networks.

PubMed

Schneider, Christian M; Araújo, Nuno A M; Herrmann, Hans J

2013-04-01

Interconnected networks have been shown to be much more vulnerable to random and targeted failures than isolated ones, raising several interesting questions regarding the identification and mitigation of their risk. The paradigm to address these questions is the percolation model, where the resilience of the system is quantified by the dependence of the size of the largest cluster on the number of failures. Numerically, the major challenge is the identification of this cluster and the calculation of its size. Here, we propose an efficient algorithm to tackle this problem. We show that the algorithm scales as O(NlogN), where N is the number of nodes in the network, a significant improvement compared to O(N(2)) for a greedy algorithm, which permits studying much larger networks. Our new strategy can be applied to any network topology and distribution of interdependencies, as well as any sequence of failures.

Richness of ectoparasitic flies (Diptera: Streblidae) of bats (Chiroptera)-a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in Brazil.

PubMed

Lourenço, Elizabete Captivo; Almeida, Juliana Cardoso; Famadas, Kátia Maria

2016-11-01

The family Streblidae consists of obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of bats. The richness of Streblidae may be affected by environmental and host-related variables, collection methods, and sampling effort. The purposes of this study were to list the Streblidae species recorded in Brazil, verify their distribution in the Brazilian biomes and states, and pinpoint the parameters that favored the greatest richness. Through queries in online databases and libraries, 86 publications were found containing records of 83 species in 24 genera. The state with the largest number of publications was São Paulo and Federal District presented the highest richness of Streblidae. The largest number of records of Streblidae species was in Cerrado biome. The meta-analyses utilizing 26 Brazilian inventories showed that the richness of Streblidae was positively correlated with the number of flies and richness and abundance of Phyllostomidae. We hope that the results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of research on Streblidae in Brazil and confirming the specificity between Streblidae and Phyllostomidae.

Skeletal-related events significantly impact health-related quality of life in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: data from PREVAIL and AFFIRM trials.

PubMed

Saad, F; Ivanescu, C; Phung, D; Loriot, Y; Abhyankar, S; Beer, T M; Tombal, B; Holmstrom, S

2017-03-01

We investigated the impact of skeletal-related events (SREs) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in phase III trials of enzalutamide versus placebo. Patients with mCRPC experiencing at least one SRE during AFFIRM and PREVAIL were assessed for trajectory-adjusted mean change in HRQoL by first SRE using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P; AFFIRM, three domains, and PREVAIL, nine domains) and EQ-5D (PREVAIL) instruments. First SREs caused HRQoL deterioration in both trials. Spinal cord compression had the largest impact, with clinically meaningful reductions in seven of nine FACT-P domains in PREVAIL and all three in AFFIRM (mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) change in FACT-P total score -16.95 (-26.47, -7.44) and -9.69 (-16.10, -3.27), respectively). In PREVAIL, first SREs caused clinically meaningful declines in EQ-5D utility index, irrespective of category; spinal cord compression had the largest impact (mean (95% CI) change -0.24 (-0.39, -0.08)). In AFFIRM, FACT-P and FACT-General total scores showed clinically meaningful declines after radiation/surgery to bone. SREs were associated with clinically meaningful functional declines in the daily lives of patients with mCRPC. Spinal cord compression had the largest impact on HRQoL.

Impacts of Groundwater Recharge from Rubber Dams on the Hydrogeological Environment in Luoyang Basin, China

PubMed Central

Dong, Shaogang; Liu, Baiwei; Liu, Huamin; Wang, Shidong; Wang, Lixin

2014-01-01

In the rubber dam's impact area, the groundwater total hardness (TH) has declined since 2000, ultimately dropping to 100–300 mg/L in 2012. pH levels have shown no obvious changes. NH4-N concentration in the groundwater remained stable from 2000 to 2006, but it increased from 2007 to 2012, with the largest increase up to 0.2 mg/L. NO3-N concentration in the groundwater generally declined in 2000–2006 and then increased from 2007; the largest increase was to 10 mg/L in 2012. Total dissolved solids (TDS) of the groundwater showed a general trend of decline from 2000 to 2009, but levels increased after 2010, especially along the south bank of the Luohe River where the largest increase recorded was approximately 100 mg/L. This study has shown that the increases in the concentrations of NH4-N and NO3-N were probably caused by changes in groundwater levels. Nitrates adsorbed by the silt clay of aeration zone appear to have entered the groundwater through physical and chemical reactions. TDS increased because of groundwater evaporation and some soluble ions entered the groundwater in the unsaturated zone. The distance of the contaminant to the surface of the aquifer became shorter due to the shallow depth of groundwater, resulting in the observed rise in pollutant concentrations more pronounced. PMID:25126593

Estimated use of water in the New England States, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Korzendorfer, B.A.; Horn, M.A.

1995-01-01

Data on freshwater withdrawals in 1990 were compiled for the New England States. An estimated 4,160 Mgal/d (million gallons per day) of freshwater was withdrawn in 1990 in the six States. Of this total, 1,430 Mgal/d was withdrawn by public suppliers and delivered to users, and 2,720 Mgal/d was withdrawn by domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, mining, and thermoelectric power-generation users. More than 83 percent of the freshwater was from surface-water sources. Massachusetts, with the largest population, had the largest withdrawals of water. Data on saline water withdraw, and instream flow at hydroelectric plants were also compiled. An estimated 9, 170 Mgal/d of saline water was used for thermoelectric-power generation and industrial use in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Return flow fro public wastewater-treatment plants totaled 1,750 Mgal/d; more than half (55 percent) of this return flow was in Massachusetts. In addition, about 178,000 Mgal/d was used for instream hydroelectric power generation; the largest users were Maine (about 83,000 Mgal/d) and New Hampshire (46,000 Mgal/d). These data, some of which were based on site-specific water-use information and some based on estimation techniques, were compiled through joint efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey and State cooperators for the 1990 national water-use compilation.

Surface-Water Nutrient Conditions and Sources in the United States Pacific Northwest1

PubMed Central

Wise, Daniel R; Johnson, Henry M

2011-01-01

Abstract The SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model was used to perform an assessment of surface-water nutrient conditions and to identify important nutrient sources in watersheds of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States (U.S.) for the year 2002. Our models included variables representing nutrient sources as well as landscape characteristics that affect nutrient delivery to streams. Annual nutrient yields were higher in watersheds on the wetter, west side of the Cascade Range compared to watersheds on the drier, east side. High nutrient enrichment (relative to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended nutrient criteria) was estimated in watersheds throughout the region. Forest land was generally the largest source of total nitrogen stream load and geologic material was generally the largest source of total phosphorus stream load generated within the 12,039 modeled watersheds. These results reflected the prevalence of these two natural sources and the low input from other nutrient sources across the region. However, the combined input from agriculture, point sources, and developed land, rather than natural nutrient sources, was responsible for most of the nutrient load discharged from many of the largest watersheds. Our results provided an understanding of the regional patterns in surface-water nutrient conditions and should be useful to environmental managers in future water-quality planning efforts. PMID:22457584

Nonlinear consolidation in randomly heterogeneous highly compressible aquitards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata-Norberto, Berenice; Morales-Casique, Eric; Herrera, Graciela S.

2018-05-01

Severe land subsidence due to groundwater extraction may occur in multiaquifer systems where highly compressible aquitards are present. The highly compressible nature of the aquitards leads to nonlinear consolidation where the groundwater flow parameters are stress-dependent. The case is further complicated by the heterogeneity of the hydrogeologic and geotechnical properties of the aquitards. The effect of realistic vertical heterogeneity of hydrogeologic and geotechnical parameters on the consolidation of highly compressible aquitards is investigated by means of one-dimensional Monte Carlo numerical simulations where the lower boundary represents the effect of an instant drop in hydraulic head due to groundwater pumping. Two thousand realizations are generated for each of the following parameters: hydraulic conductivity ( K), compression index ( C c), void ratio ( e) and m (an empirical parameter relating hydraulic conductivity and void ratio). The correlation structure, the mean and the variance for each parameter were obtained from a literature review about field studies in the lacustrine sediments of Mexico City. The results indicate that among the parameters considered, random K has the largest effect on the ensemble average behavior of the system when compared to a nonlinear consolidation model with deterministic initial parameters. The deterministic solution underestimates the ensemble average of total settlement when initial K is random. In addition, random K leads to the largest variance (and therefore largest uncertainty) of total settlement, groundwater flux and time to reach steady-state conditions.

Size of the California Brown Pelican Metapopulation During a Non-El Nino Year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Daniel W.; Henny, Charles J.; Godinez-Reyes, Carlos; Gress, Franklin; Palacios, Eduardo L.; Santos del Prado, Karina; Bredy, James

2007-01-01

Overall, we estimated a total metapopulation within the geographical range of the California brown pelican subspecies (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) as about 70,680 ? 2,640 breeding pairs (mean ? SD). Little change in at least three decades is indicated in the total metapopulation south of the Southern California Bight (SCB) subpopulation, but significant improvements in the breeding subpopulation size in the SCB reported elsewhere, support the present high numbers observed in this northernmost subpopulation. The largest breeding aggregation within the entire range (consisting of three immediately adjacent sub-colonies), at the San Lorenzo Archipelago, consisted of about 17,225 breeding pairs, or about 24.4% of the metapopulation in 2006. Other, smaller colonies are no less important, however, although each subpopulation defined by us seemed to have a single or small number of large 'core' breeding colonies, plus many smaller colonies (for example, in 2006, one colony consisted of only 2 breeding pairs). Small colonies (< about 70 nests) comprised about 35.6% of the total occupied colonies, but only about 0.87% of the total estimated numbers (values corrected for detectability). The modal colony-size throughout the range was much smaller (about 230 to 1,300 breeding pairs, depending on subpopulation), indicating that small, scattered colonies and sub-colonies, especially on the range peripheries, function in brown pelican population dynamics and are no less important from a conservation viewpoint. These smaller breeding colonies probably represent some colonies of antiquity, but also range expansions and contractions that occur within the typically-defined metapopulation, and local manifestations of source-sink phenomena. Given such dynamics, even unoccupied islands within the range in 2006 have conservation importance from the viewpoint of such dynamics as potential alternate nesting sites. Natural variations in the estimated population levels seem to be related to the natural cycles of El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena where very low breeding populations (as low as no nesting in many areas) might be expected to occur in these same areas censused in 2006 at least 40% of the time. From the 2006 aerial survey, extensive commercial and sport-fishing activity, resort/tourist developments and associated human activities along the coastal areas and at offshore islands, and extensive aquacultural (and to a lesser degree, agricultural) developments seen from the Rio Colorado Delta region, Sonora, south at least through San Blas, Nayarit (the southern terminus of our 2006 aerial survey) may result in substantial loss of breeding habitat. Juvenile (young of the 2005 breeding season) plus subadult brown pelicans comprised 28.1% ? 0.33% (mean ? 95% CI) of the total numbers in age-ratio samples. Thus, our overall metapopulation estimate for P. o. californicus in 2006 was 195,900 ? 7,225 individuals.

Open University Courses in Science and Technology Applicable to the Education of Teachers of Integrated Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pentz, M. J.

The Open University, founded in 1969, has already become the largest university in Britain in terms of the number of undergraduate students, with an enrollment of 41,000 in 1973. This paper is concerned with three areas of discussion: (1) the number of teachers studying Open University courses; (2) the courses available or planned in science and…

A Space Imaging Concept Based on a 4-meter Spun-Cast Borosilicate Monolithic Primary Mirror

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

borosilicate monolithic primary mirror 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Steve West, S.H... Mirror Technology Days, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 7-9 June 2010. 14. ABSTRACT The goal of this effort is to produce the largest monolithic telescope...capable of being lifted by a Delta IV or Atlas V EELV to 500 km. A strategy using a 4 m borosilicate mirror is proposed. A preliminary architecture was

Origin, imports and exports of HIV-1 subtype C in South Africa: A historical perspective.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Eduan; Rasmussen, David; Ratmann, Oliver; Stadler, Tanja; Engelbrecht, Susan; de Oliveira, Tulio

2016-12-01

While the HIV epidemic in South Africa had a later onset than epidemics in other southern African countries, prevalence grew rapidly during the 1990's when the country was going through socio-political changes with the end of Apartheid. South Africa currently has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world and the epidemic is dominated by a unique subtype, HIV-1 subtype C. This large epidemic is also characterized by high level of genetic diversity. We hypothesize that this diversity is due to multiple introductions of the virus during the period of change. In this paper, we apply novel phylogeographic methods to estimate the number of viral imports and exports from the start of the epidemic to the present. We assembled 11,289 unique subtype C pol sequences from southern Africa. These represent one of the largest sequence datasets ever analyzed in the region. Sequences were stratified based on country of sampling and levels of genetic diversity were estimated for each country. Sequences were aligned and a maximum-likelihood evolutionary tree was inferred. Least-Squares Dating was then used to obtain a dated phylogeny from which we estimated the number of introductions into and exports out of South Africa using parsimony-based ancestral location reconstructions. Our results identified 189 viral introductions into South Africa with the largest number of introductions attributed to Zambia (n=109), Botswana (n=32), Malawi (n=26) and Zimbabwe (n=13). South Africa also exported many viral lineages to its neighbours. The bulk viral imports and exports appear to have occurred between 1985 and 2000, coincident with the period of socio-political transition. The high level of subtype C genetic diversity in South Africa is related to multiple introductions of the virus to the country. While the number of viral imports and exports we identified was highly sensitive to the number of samples included from each country, they mostly clustered around the period of rapid political and socio-economic change in South Africa. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Combusting vegetable oils in diesel engines: the impact of unsaturated fatty acids on particle emissions and mutagenic effects of the exhaust.

PubMed

Bünger, Jürgen; Bünger, Jörn F; Krahl, Jürgen; Munack, Axel; Schröder, Olaf; Brüning, Thomas; Hallier, Ernst; Westphal, Götz A

2016-06-01

High particle emissions and strong mutagenic effects were observed after combustion of vegetable oil in diesel engines. This study tested the hypothesis that these results are affected by the amount of unsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids of vegetable oils. Four different vegetable oils (coconut oil, CO; linseed oil, LO; palm tree oil, PO; and rapeseed oil, RO) and common diesel fuel (DF) were combusted in a heavy-duty diesel engine. The exhausts were investigated for particle emissions and mutagenic effects in direct comparison with emissions of DF. The engine was operated using the European Stationary Cycle. Particle masses were measured gravimetrically while mutagenicity was determined using the bacterial reverse mutation assay with tester strains TA98 and TA100. Combustion of LO caused the largest amount of total particulate matter (TPM). In comparison with DF, it particularly raised the soluble organic fraction (SOF). RO presented second highest TPM and SOF, followed by CO and PO, which were scarcely above DF. RO revealed the highest number of mutations of the vegetable oils closely followed by LO. PO was less mutagenic, but still induced stronger effects than DF. While TPM and SOF were strongly correlated with the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the vegetable oils, mutagenicity had a significant correlation with the amount of total unsaturated fatty acids. This study supports the hypothesis that numbers of double bounds in unsaturated fatty acids of vegetable oils combusted in diesel engines influence the amount of emitted particles and the mutagenicity of the exhaust. Further investigations have to elucidate the causal relationship.

Annual ambient atmospheric mercury speciation measurement from Longjing, a rural site in Taiwan.

PubMed

Fang, Guor-Cheng; Lo, Chaur-Tsuen; Cho, Meng-Hsien; Zhuang, Yuan-Jie; Tsai, Kai-Hsiang; Huang, Chao-Yang; Xiao, You-Fu

2017-08-01

The main purpose of this study was to monitor ambient air particulates and mercury species [RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury] concentrations and dry depositions over rural area at Longjing in central Taiwan during October 2014 to September 2015. In addition, passive air sampler and knife-edge surrogate surface samplers were used to collect the ambient air mercury species concentrations and dry depositions, respectively, in this study. Moreover, direct mercury analyzer was directly used to detect the mercury Hg(p) and RGM concentrations. The result indicated that: (1) The average highest RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, and dry depositions were observed in January, prevailing dust storm occurred in winter season was the possible major reason responsible for the above findings. (2) The highest average RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, dry depositions and velocities were occurred in winter. This is because that China is the largest atmospheric mercury (Hg) emitter in the world. Its Hg emissions and environmental impacts need to be evaluated. (3) The results indicated that the total mercury ratios of Kaohsiung to that of this study were 5.61. This is because that Kaohsiung has the largest industry density (~60 %) in Taiwan. (4) the USA showed average lower mercury species concentrations when compared to those of the other world countries. The average ratios of China/USA values were 89, 76 and 160 for total mercury, RGM and Hg(p), respectively, during the years of 2000-2012.

Are we headed towards the defaunation of the last large Atlantic Forest remnants? Poaching activities in one of the largest remnants of the Tabuleiro forests in southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Sousa, José Adelson C; Srbek-Araujo, Ana C

2017-03-01

Hunting is a problem to animal conservation in different parts of the world and it has caused the local extinction of several species. The aim of this study was to characterize the poaching activities in one of the main tabuleiro forest remnants of Brazil, the Linhares-Sooretama Block (LSB). Poaching records from 2010 to 2013 were gathered from the agencies responsible for monitoring and combating environmental crimes in the LSB. A total of 693 records (mean = 173 events/year) were collected involving direct (hunted animals, firearms, handmade firearms, traps, poachers, and various hunting supplies) and indirect (tree stands, baits, and poacher signs) evidences of poaching. No differences in the monthly cumulative number of records were found among years, but the distribution of records differed according to the type of evidence. A total of 40 animal seizure events were recorded involving a total of at least 15 taxa directly affected by poaching (reptiles = 2, birds = 6, mammals = 7) and 75 individuals seized (19 individuals/year). Five of the poached species are threatened. Lowland paca (Cuniculus paca) and armadillos were the most poached mammals in the region. Most of the poachers conduct such activities for fun (entertainment) and/or professionally (commercial hunting). The collected data show an approximately 32% increase in the number of poaching events in the region compared with the historical data available for LSB. It may have resulted from a gradual decrease in protection, both in terms of the number of agents deployed and the levels of effort of the teams, which began in 2009. The data demonstrate that poaching is a significant threat to the conservation of the LSB fauna, as it is in other Atlantic Forest remnants and in other regions of the world. Protection activities must be intensified to effectively combat the impacts of poaching in the LSB region, thereby contributing to the conservation of species in one of the few Atlantic Forest remnants whose original species composition still remains intact.

Contaminants of emerging concern in fresh leachate from landfills in the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masoner, Jason R.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Furlong, Edward T.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Gray, James L.; Schwab, Eric A.

2014-01-01

To better understand the composition of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in landfill leachate, fresh leachate from 19 landfills was sampled across the United States during 2011. The sampled network included 12 municipal and 7 private landfills with varying landfill waste compositions, geographic and climatic settings, ages of waste, waste loads, and leachate production. A total of 129 out of 202 CECs were detected during this study, including 62 prescription pharmaceuticals, 23 industrial chemicals, 18 nonprescription pharmaceuticals, 16 household chemicals, 6 steroid hormones, and 4 plant/animal sterols. CECs were detected in every leachate sample, with the total number of detected CECs in samples ranging from 6 to 82 (median = 31). Bisphenol A (BPA), cotinine, and N,N-diethyltoluamide (DEET) were the most frequently detected CECs, being found in 95% of the leachate samples, followed by lidocaine (89%) and camphor (84%). Other frequently detected CECs included benzophenone, naphthalene, and amphetamine, each detected in 79% of the leachate samples. CEC concentrations spanned six orders of magnitude, ranging from ng L−1 to mg L−1. Industrial and household chemicals were measured in the greatest concentrations, composing more than 82% of the total measured CEC concentrations. Maximum concentrations for three household and industrial chemicals, para-cresol (7020000 ng L−1), BPA (6380000 ng L−1), and phenol (1550000 ng L−1), were the largest measured, with these CECs composing 70% of the total measured CEC concentrations. Nonprescription pharmaceuticals represented 12%, plant/animal sterols 4%, prescription pharmaceuticals 1%, and steroid hormones <1% of the total measured CEC concentrations. Leachate from landfills in areas receiving greater amounts of precipitation had greater frequencies of CEC detections and concentrations in leachate than landfills receiving less precipitation.

ALMA Observing Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggs, Andy

2018-03-01

The ALMA Observing Tool (OT) is a Java-based tool used to prepare ALMA observations. In this talk, I highlight the particular features relevant to setting up single dish observations when these are needed to observe sources where the largest angular scale requires the addition of the total power antennas.

Environmental Issues Related to Conventional Hydropower

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

Deng, Zhiqun; Colotelo, Alison HA; Brown, Richard S.

Hydropower is the largest renewable electrical energy source in the world and has a total global capacity of approximately 1,010 GW from 150 countries. Although hydropower has many environmental advantages, hydropower dams have potential adverse ecological impacts such as fish passage, water quality, and habitat alterations.

Wisconsin Indians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lurie, Nancy Oestreich

Wisconsin encompasses an astonishingly representative illustration of the total historical development of federal Indian policy and Indian reactions to it. Wisconsin's Indian population (at least 25,000 people) is the third largest east of the Mississippi River and offers great diversity (3 major linguistic stocks, 6 broad tribal affiliations, and…

Impact of wine production on the fractionation of copper and iron in Chardonnay wine: Implications for oxygen consumption.

PubMed

Rousseva, Michaela; Kontoudakis, Nikolaos; Schmidtke, Leigh M; Scollary, Geoffrey R; Clark, Andrew C

2016-07-15

Copper and iron in wine can influence oxidative, reductive and colloidal stability. The current study utilises a solid phase extraction technique to fractionate these metals into hydrophobic, cationic and residual forms, with quantification by ICP-OES. The impact of aspects of wine production on the metal fractions was examined, along with the relationship between metal fractions and oxygen decay rates. Addition of copper and iron to juice, followed by fermentation, favoured an increase in all of their respective metal fractions in the wine, with the largest increase observed for the cationic form of iron. Bentonite fining of the protein-containing wines led to a significant reduction in the cationic fraction of copper and an increase in the cationic form of iron. Total copper correlated more closely with oxygen consumption in the wine compared to total iron, and the residual and cationic forms of copper provided the largest contribution to this impact. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A method for reducing the largest relative errors in Monte Carlo iterated-fission-source calculations

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

Hunter, J. L.; Sutton, T. M.

2013-07-01

In Monte Carlo iterated-fission-source calculations relative uncertainties on local tallies tend to be larger in lower-power regions and smaller in higher-power regions. Reducing the largest uncertainties to an acceptable level simply by running a larger number of neutron histories is often prohibitively expensive. The uniform fission site method has been developed to yield a more spatially-uniform distribution of relative uncertainties. This is accomplished by biasing the density of fission neutron source sites while not biasing the solution. The method is integrated into the source iteration process, and does not require any auxiliary forward or adjoint calculations. For a given amountmore » of computational effort, the use of the method results in a reduction of the largest uncertainties relative to the standard algorithm. Two variants of the method have been implemented and tested. Both have been shown to be effective. (authors)« less

Medical Total Force Management: Assessing Readiness and Cost

DTIC Science & Technology

The military medical force is an essential element of Department of Defense (DoD) warfighting capability, saving life and limb on the battlefield and...and retirees. The medical force is also one of the largest and most costly forces to maintain in DoD. The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel... Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The office of Total Force Manpower and Resources (TFM and RS), within USD(P and R), is responsible for force mix

Effects of shading on growth and development of northern red oak, black oak, black cherry, and red maple seedlings. II. biomass partitioning and prediction

Treesearch

Kurt W. Gottschalk

1987-01-01

Northern red oak, black oak, black cherry, and red maple seedlings were grown under light treatments ranging from 8 to 94% of full sunlight for 2 years. Growth was least at the lowest light level and total dry weight increased with increasing light. Total dry-weight rankings (largest to smallest) at all light levels were black cherry, northern red oak, black oak, and...

Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of eight pear cultivars.

PubMed

Li, Xia; Zhang, Jun-Ying; Gao, Wen-Yuan; Wang, Ying; Wang, Hai-Yang; Cao, Jing-Guo; Huang, Lu-Qi

2012-09-05

The contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, and total triterpenes of eight pear samples were determined, and the monomeric compounds were identified and quantitated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The in vitro antioxidant and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of the different pear cultivars were compared. Arbutin and catechin were the dominant polyphenol compounds in the eight pear varieties, followed by chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and rutin. In addition, Xuehua pear and Nanguo pear had significantly higher total phenolics and flavonoids contents, while Dangshansu pear had the largest total triterpenes value (209.2 mg/100 g). Xuehua pear and Nanguo pear also were the highest in total anthocyanins. The pears with high total phenolics and total flavonoids contents had significantly higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities than those of other species. Anthocyanins were correlated to antioxidant capacity in pears, whereas total triterpenoids were strongly correlated to anti-inflammatory activity.

Effects of particle-fluid density ratio on the interactions between the turbulent channel flow and finite-size particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhaosheng; Lin, Zhaowu; Shao, Xueming; Wang, Lian-Ping

2017-09-01

A parallel direct-forcing fictitious domain method is employed to perform fully resolved numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow laden with finite-size particles. The effects of the particle-fluid density ratio on the turbulence modulation in the channel flow are investigated at the friction Reynolds number of 180, the particle volume fraction of 0.84 % , and the particle-fluid density ratio ranging from 1 to 104.2. The results show that the variation of the flow drag with the particle-fluid density ratio is not monotonic, with a larger flow drag for the density ratio of 10.42, compared to those of unity and 104.2. A significant drag reduction by the particles is observed for large particle-fluid density ratios during the transient stage, but not at the statistically stationary stage. The intensity of particle velocity fluctuations generally decreases with increasing particle inertia, except that the particle streamwise root-mean-square velocity and streamwise-transverse velocity correlation in the near-wall region are largest at the density ratio of the order of 10. The averaged momentum equations are derived with the spatial averaging theorem and are used to analyze the mechanisms for the effects of the particles on the flow drag. The results indicate that the drag-reduction effect due to the decrease in the fluid Reynolds shear stress is counteracted by the drag-enhancement effect due to the increase in the total particle stress or the interphase drag force for the large particle-inertia case. The sum of the total Reynolds stress and particle inner stress contributions to the flow drag is largest at the density ratio of the order of 10, which is the reason for the largest flow drag at this density ratio. The interphase drag force obtained from the averaged momentum equation (the balance theory) is significantly smaller than (but agrees qualitatively with) that from the empirical drag formula based on the phase-averaged slip velocity for large density ratios. For the neutrally buoyant case, the balance theory predicts a positive interphase force on the particles arising from the negative gradient of the particle inner stress, which cannot be predicted by the drag formula based on the phase-averaged slip velocity. In addition, our results show that both particle collision and particle-turbulence interaction play roles in the formation of the inhomogeneous distribution of the particles at the density ratio of the order of 10.

Effects of particle-fluid density ratio on the interactions between the turbulent channel flow and finite-size particles.

PubMed

Yu, Zhaosheng; Lin, Zhaowu; Shao, Xueming; Wang, Lian-Ping

2017-09-01

A parallel direct-forcing fictitious domain method is employed to perform fully resolved numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow laden with finite-size particles. The effects of the particle-fluid density ratio on the turbulence modulation in the channel flow are investigated at the friction Reynolds number of 180, the particle volume fraction of 0.84%, and the particle-fluid density ratio ranging from 1 to 104.2. The results show that the variation of the flow drag with the particle-fluid density ratio is not monotonic, with a larger flow drag for the density ratio of 10.42, compared to those of unity and 104.2. A significant drag reduction by the particles is observed for large particle-fluid density ratios during the transient stage, but not at the statistically stationary stage. The intensity of particle velocity fluctuations generally decreases with increasing particle inertia, except that the particle streamwise root-mean-square velocity and streamwise-transverse velocity correlation in the near-wall region are largest at the density ratio of the order of 10. The averaged momentum equations are derived with the spatial averaging theorem and are used to analyze the mechanisms for the effects of the particles on the flow drag. The results indicate that the drag-reduction effect due to the decrease in the fluid Reynolds shear stress is counteracted by the drag-enhancement effect due to the increase in the total particle stress or the interphase drag force for the large particle-inertia case. The sum of the total Reynolds stress and particle inner stress contributions to the flow drag is largest at the density ratio of the order of 10, which is the reason for the largest flow drag at this density ratio. The interphase drag force obtained from the averaged momentum equation (the balance theory) is significantly smaller than (but agrees qualitatively with) that from the empirical drag formula based on the phase-averaged slip velocity for large density ratios. For the neutrally buoyant case, the balance theory predicts a positive interphase force on the particles arising from the negative gradient of the particle inner stress, which cannot be predicted by the drag formula based on the phase-averaged slip velocity. In addition, our results show that both particle collision and particle-turbulence interaction play roles in the formation of the inhomogeneous distribution of the particles at the density ratio of the order of 10.