The New Zealand-Born Chinese Community of Auckland: Aspects of Language Maintenance and Shift.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Susan

1999-01-01

Examines the Chinese immigrant community in Auckland, New Zealand and how they address the question of first language maintenance in their largely new English-speaking environment. Shows that language maintenance, especially the written language is going to be an uphill struggle. (Author/VWL)

Exposure of aircraft maintenance technicians to organophosphates from hydraulic fluids and turbine oils: a pilot study.

PubMed

Schindler, Birgit Karin; Koslitz, Stephan; Weiss, Tobias; Broding, Horst Christoph; Brüning, Thomas; Bünger, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Hydraulic fluids and turbine oils contain organophosphates like tricresyl phosphate isomers, triphenyl phosphate and tributyl phosphate from very small up to high percentages. The aim of this pilot study was to determine if aircraft maintenance technicians are exposed to relevant amounts of organophosphates. Dialkyl and diaryl phosphate metabolites of seven organophosphates were quantified in pre- and post-shift spot urine samples of technicians (N=5) by GC-MS/MS after solid phase extraction and derivatization. Pre- and post shift values of tributyl phosphate metabolites (dibutyl phosphate (DBP): median pre-shift: 12.5 μg/L, post-shift: 23.5 μg/L) and triphenyl phosphate metabolites (diphenyl phosphate (DPP): median pre-shift: 2.9 μg/L, post-shift: 3.5 μg/L) were statistically higher than in a control group from the general population (median DBP: <0.25 μg/L, median DPP: 0.5 μg/L). No tricresyl phosphate metabolites were detected. The aircraft maintenance technicians were occupationally exposed to tributyl and triphenyl phosphate but not to tricresyl phosphate, tri-(2-chloroethyl)- and tri-(2-chloropropyl)-phosphate. Further studies are necessary to collect information on sources, routes of uptake and varying exposures during different work tasks, evaluate possible health effects and to set up appropriate protective measures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Maintenance of Sri Lankan Languages in Australia--Comparing the Experience of the Sinhalese and Tamils in the Homeland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perera, Nirukshi

2015-01-01

In the study of language maintenance and shift for migrant groups in Australia, scholars have tended to focus on how personal factors or aspects of life in the host society shape language maintenance patterns. In this study, I explore how factors originating in the homeland affect language maintenance for Sri Lankan migrants in Australia. The aim…

Transmodal comparison of auditory, motor, and visual post-processing with and without intentional short-term memory maintenance.

PubMed

Bender, Stephan; Behringer, Stephanie; Freitag, Christine M; Resch, Franz; Weisbrod, Matthias

2010-12-01

To elucidate the contributions of modality-dependent post-processing in auditory, motor and visual cortical areas to short-term memory. We compared late negative waves (N700) during the post-processing of single lateralized stimuli which were separated by long intertrial intervals across the auditory, motor and visual modalities. Tasks either required or competed with attention to post-processing of preceding events, i.e. active short-term memory maintenance. N700 indicated that cortical post-processing exceeded short movements as well as short auditory or visual stimuli for over half a second without intentional short-term memory maintenance. Modality-specific topographies pointed towards sensory (respectively motor) generators with comparable time-courses across the different modalities. Lateralization and amplitude of auditory/motor/visual N700 were enhanced by active short-term memory maintenance compared to attention to current perceptions or passive stimulation. The memory-related N700 increase followed the characteristic time-course and modality-specific topography of the N700 without intentional memory-maintenance. Memory-maintenance-related lateralized negative potentials may be related to a less lateralised modality-dependent post-processing N700 component which occurs also without intentional memory maintenance (automatic memory trace or effortless attraction of attention). Encoding to short-term memory may involve controlled attention to modality-dependent post-processing. Similar short-term memory processes may exist in the auditory, motor and visual systems. Copyright © 2010 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The different oscillation patterns of alpha band in the early and later stages of working memory maintenance.

PubMed

Xie, Yuanjun; Feng, Zhengquan; Xu, Yuanyuan; Bian, Chen; Li, Min

2016-10-28

A putative functional role for alpha oscillations in working memory remains controversial. However, recent evidence suggests that such oscillation may reflect distinct phases of working memory processing. The present study investigated alpha band (8-13Hz) activity during the maintenance stage of working memory using a modified Sternberg working memory task. Our results reveal that alpha power was concentrated primarily in the occipital cortex and was decreased during the early stage of maintenance (0-600ms), and subsequently increased during the later stage of maintenance (1000-1600ms). We suggest that reduced alpha power may be involved in focused attention during the working memory maintenance, whereas increased alpha power may reflect suppression of visual stimuli to facilitate internal processing related to the task. This interpretation is generally consistent with recent reports suggesting that variations in alpha power are associated with the representation and processing of information in the discrete time intervals during the working memory maintenance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Big Shift: How the University of Houston Libraries Moved Everything

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpe, Paul A.

2012-01-01

More than a project, The Big Shift is an epic library tale for the ages. What starts as a simple collection shift grows into a major space-planning project, a lesson in catalog maintenance, and thanks to Hurricane Ike, a disaster recovery effort. The Big Shift tells the story of how the University of Houston Libraries handled the numerous…

Mesodermal and neuronal retinoids regulate the induction and maintenance of limb innervating spinal motor neurons.

PubMed

Ji, Sheng-Jian; Zhuang, BinQuan; Falco, Crystal; Schneider, André; Schuster-Gossler, Karin; Gossler, Achim; Sockanathan, Shanthini

2006-09-01

During embryonic development, the generation, diversification and maintenance of spinal motor neurons depend upon extrinsic signals that are tightly regulated. Retinoic acid (RA) is necessary for specifying the fates of forelimb-innervating motor neurons of the Lateral Motor Column (LMC), and the specification of LMC neurons into medial and lateral subtypes. Previous studies implicate motor neurons as the relevant source of RA for specifying lateral LMC fates at forelimb levels. However, at the time of LMC diversification, a significant amount of retinoids in the spinal cord originates from the adjacent paraxial mesoderm. Here we employ mouse genetics to show that RA derived from the paraxial mesoderm is required for lateral LMC induction at forelimb and hindlimb levels, demonstrating that mesodermally synthesized RA functions as a second source of signals to specify lateral LMC identity. Furthermore, reduced RA levels in postmitotic motor neurons result in a decrease of medial and lateral LMC neurons, and abnormal axonal projections in the limb; invoking additional roles for neuronally synthesized RA in motor neuron maintenance and survival. These findings suggest that during embryogenesis, mesodermal and neuronal retinoids act coordinately to establish and maintain appropriate cohorts of spinal motor neurons that innervate target muscles in the limb.

Mandibular kinematic changes after unilateral cross-bite with lateral shift correction.

PubMed

Venancio, F; Alarcon, J A; Lenguas, L; Kassem, M; Martin, C

2014-10-01

The aim of this randomised prospective study was to evaluate the effects of slow maxillary expansion with expansion plates and Hyrax expanders on the kinematics of the mandible after cross-bite correction. Thirty children (15 boys and 15 girls), aged 7·1-11·8, with unilateral cross-bite and functional shift were divided into two groups: expansion plate (n = 15) and Hyrax expander (n = 15). Thirty children with normal occlusion (14 boys and 16 girls, aged 7·3-11·6) served as control group. The maximum vertical opening, lateral mandibular shift (from maximum vertical opening to maximum intercuspation, from rest position to maximum intercuspation and from maximum vertical opening to rest position) and lateral excursions were recorded before and 4 months after treatment. After treatment, the expansion plate group showed a greater lateral shift from rest position to maximum intercuspation than did the control group. The expansion plate patients also presented greater left/contralateral excursion than did the control group. Comparisons of changes after treatment in the cross-bite groups showed significant decreases in the lateral shift from the maximum vertical opening to maximum intercuspation and from the maximum vertical opening to rest position, a significant increase in the homolateral excursion and a significant decrease in the contralateral excursion in the Hyrax expander group, whereas no significant differences were found in the expansion plate group. In conclusion, the Hyrax expander showed better results than did the expansion plate. The Hyrax expander with acrylic occlusal covering significantly improved the mandibular lateral shift and normalised the range of lateral excursion. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language Loyalty in the United States: The Maintenance and Perpetuation of Non-English Mother Tongues by American Ethnic and Religious Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishman, Joshua A.; And Others

This is a study of cultural-linguistic self-maintenance efforts, rationales, and accomplishments of non-English speaking immigrants in America. Trend analyses, contrast of separate cultural and linguistic groups, internal comparisons, and the examination of language maintenance and language shift phenomena contribute in the major effort to reveal…

Language Maintenance and Shift across Generations in Inner Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puthuval, Sarala

2017-01-01

Language shift happens when a group of people stops using one language in favor of another, such that subsequent generations no longer acquire the original language. Research on the sociolinguistics of language shift has tended to focus on languages in advanced states of endangerment, where most or all children in the community have already…

Commentary on the shifting processes model: a conceptual model for weight management.

PubMed

Pagoto, Sherry; Rodrigues, Stephanie

2013-12-01

Macchi and colleagues propose a theoretical model that merges concepts from the biopsychosocial model and family systems theory to produce a broader framework for understanding weight loss and maintenance (see record 2013-28564-001). The Shifting Processes Model views individual weight loss and maintenance in the context of family dynamics, including family eating and exercise habits, home environment, and family relationships. The authors reason that traditional models put the burden of change on the individual rather than the family system, when the latter is an important context of individual behavior.

The effect of low versus high approach-motivated positive affect on the balance between maintenance and flexibility.

PubMed

Liu, Liting; Xu, Baihua

2016-05-27

Successful goal-directed behavior in a constantly changing environment requires a balance between maintenance and flexibility. Although some studies have found that positive affect influences this balance differently than neutral affect, one recent study found that motivational intensity of positive affective states influences this balance in a cognitive set-shifting paradigm. However, working memory updating and set shifting are interrelated but distinct components of cognitive control. The present study examined the effect of low versus high approach-motivated positive affect on the balance between maintenance and flexibility in working memory. A simple cuing paradigm (the AX Continuous Performance Task) was employed, and neutral affect and high and low approach-motivated positive affect were induced using affective pictures. The results revealed that, relative to neutral affect, low approach-motivated positive affect attenuated maintenance and increased flexibility, whereas high approach-motivated positive affect promoted maintenance and decreased flexibility. These findings offer further evidence that the effects of positive affect on cognitive control are modulated by approach motivational intensity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pupillary correlates of covert shifts of attention during working memory maintenance.

PubMed

Unsworth, Nash; Robison, Matthew K

2017-04-01

The pupillary light reflex (PLR) was used to track covert shifts of attention to items maintained in visual working memory (VWM). In three experiments, participants performed a change detection task in which rectangles appeared on either side of fixation and at test participants indicated if the cued rectangle changed its orientation. Prior to presentation or during the delay, participants were cued to the light or dark side of the screen. When cued to the light side, the pupil constricted, and when cued to the dark side, the pupil dilated, suggesting that the PLR tracked covert shifts of attention. Similar covert shifts of attention were seen when the target stimuli remained onscreen and during a blank delay period, suggesting similar effects for attention to perceptual stimuli and attention to stimuli maintained in VWM. Furthermore, similar effects were demonstrated when participants were pre-cued or retro-cued to the prioritized location, suggesting that shifts of covert attention can occur both before and after target presentation. These results are consistent with prior research, suggesting an important role of covert shifts of attention during VWM maintenance and that the PLR can be used to track these covert shifts of attention.

Determination of Track Lateral Resistance from Lateral Pull Tests

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-04-01

Thermal buckling of railroad tracks in the lateral plane is an important problem in the design and maintenance of continuous welded rail (CWR) track. The severity of the problem is manifested through the number of derailments which are attributable t...

Degradation modeling of mid-power white-light LEDs by using Wiener process.

PubMed

Huang, Jianlin; Golubović, Dušan S; Koh, Sau; Yang, Daoguo; Li, Xiupeng; Fan, Xuejun; Zhang, G Q

2015-07-27

The IES standard TM-21-11 provides a guideline for lifetime prediction of LED devices. As it uses average normalized lumen maintenance data and performs non-linear regression for lifetime modeling, it cannot capture dynamic and random variation of the degradation process of LED devices. In addition, this method cannot capture the failure distribution, although it is much more relevant in reliability analysis. Furthermore, the TM-21-11 only considers lumen maintenance for lifetime prediction. Color shift, as another important performance characteristic of LED devices, may also render significant degradation during service life, even though the lumen maintenance has not reached the critical threshold. In this study, a modified Wiener process has been employed for the modeling of the degradation of LED devices. By using this method, dynamic and random variations, as well as the non-linear degradation behavior of LED devices, can be easily accounted for. With a mild assumption, the parameter estimation accuracy has been improved by including more information into the likelihood function while neglecting the dependency between the random variables. As a consequence, the mean time to failure (MTTF) has been obtained and shows comparable result with IES TM-21-11 predictions, indicating the feasibility of the proposed method. Finally, the cumulative failure distribution was presented corresponding to different combinations of lumen maintenance and color shift. The results demonstrate that a joint failure distribution of LED devices could be modeled by simply considering their lumen maintenance and color shift as two independent variables.

Midline shift and lateral guidance angle in adults with unilateral posterior crossbite.

PubMed

Rilo, Benito; da Silva, José Luis; Mora, María Jesús; Cadarso-Suárez, Carmen; Santana, Urbano

2008-06-01

Unilateral posterior crossbite is a malocclusion that, if not corrected during infancy, typically causes permanent asymmetry. Our aims in this study were to evaluate various occlusal parameters in a group of adults with uncorrected unilateral posterior crossbite and to compare findings with those obtained in a group of normal subjects. Midline shift at maximum intercuspation, midline shift at maximum aperture, and lateral guidance angle in the frontal plane were assessed in 25 adults (ages, 17-26 years; mean, 19.6 years) with crossbites. Midline shift at maximum intercuspation was zero (ie, centric midline) in 36% of the crossbite subjects; the remaining subjects had a shift toward the crossbite side. Midline shift at maximum aperture had no association with crossbite side. Lateral guidance angle was lower on the crossbite side than on the noncrossbite side. No parameter studied showed significant differences with respect to the normal subjects. Adults with unilateral posterior crossbite have adaptations that compensate for the crossbite and maintain normal function.

Nutrition and the commercialization of agriculture: ten years later.

PubMed

DeWalt, K M

1993-06-01

This paper reviews the results of studies examining the impacts of agricultural commercialization on food consumption and nutritional status carried out over the last 10 years. Several conclusions can be drawn. First, the income effects of shifts to cash cropping are highly dependent on pricing policy for cash crops. Short term gains seen in some schemes are often highly dependent on the maintenance of high prices for commercial crops. Second, those schemes in which subsistence production is protected or stabilized are more likely to show positive results with an increase in income generated from cash cropping. Third, increased income does not translate directly into increased food consumption at either the household or individual (child) level. Shifts in control of income from women to men are important. Fourth, morbidity, especially from diarrheal disease is an important predictor of child growth. A failure to improve morbidity of children may offset gains in food consumption and in some instances a decrease in the time women have to care for their children as a result of commercialization has resulted in greater morbidity among children. Finally, the question "Who benefits and who loses?" is rarely addressed in these studies. The impacts of commercialization are mixed. They are highly dependent on the nature of the crop, the control of production and income, the allocation of household labor, the maintenance of subsistence production, land tenure, and pricing policies for both cash crops and food stuffs. It is these 'intervening' factors, not crop choice, that appear to be the most crucial in the nutritional status of rural people. Economic, food and agricultural policies and programs that advantage the most vulnerable population groups are the most likely to provide positive benefits in terms of food security and nutritional status. To place the emphasis on commercialization per se is to misplace it.

AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 2. UNIT XXIII, MICHIGAN/CLARK TRANSMISSION--HYDRAULIC SHIFT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

THIS MODULE OF A 25-MODULE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SHIFTING AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS OF A SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION USED ON DIESEL POWERED EQUIPMENT. TOPICS ARE MECHANICAL AND HYDRAULIC SHIFTING, AND OIL FLOW THROUGH THE CONTROL VALVE. THE MODULE CONSISTS OF A SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMED TRAINING FILM "MICHIGAN/CLARK…

Language Lateralization Shifts with Learning by Adults

PubMed Central

Plante, Elena; Almryde, Kyle; Patterson, Dianne K.; Vance, Christopher J.; Asbjørnsen, Arve E.

2014-01-01

For the majority of the population, language is a left hemisphere lateralized function. During childhood, a pattern of increasing left lateralization for language has been described in brain imaging studies, suggesting this trait develops. This development could reflect change due to brain maturation or change due to skill acquisition, given that children acquire and refine language skills as they mature. We test the possibility that skill acquisition, independent of age-associated maturation can result in shifts in language lateralization in classic language cortex. We imaged adults exposed to unfamiliar language during three successive fMRI scans. Participants were then asked to identify specific words embedded in Norwegian sentences. Exposure to these sentences, relative to complex tones, resulted in consistent activation in the left and right superior temporal gyrus. Activation in this region became increasingly left lateralized with repeated exposure to the unfamiliar language. These results demonstrate that shifts in lateralization can be produced in the short-term within a learning context, independent of maturation. PMID:25285756

Coherent control of the Goos-Hänchen shift via Fano interference

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

Liu, Shaopeng; Yang, Wen-Xing, E-mail: wenxingyang@seu.edu.cn; Zhu, Zhonghu

2016-04-14

A scheme of enhanced Goos-Hänchen (GH) shifts in reflected and transmitted light beams is exploited in a cavity, where an asymmetric double AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well structure with resonant tunneling to a common continuum is employed as the intracavity medium. With the help of Fano-type interference induced by resonant tunneling, the generated GH shifts that contain a negative lateral shift in reflected light beam and a positive lateral shift in transmitted light beam are found to be significantly enhanced. More interestingly, these GH shifts in reflected and transmitted light beams are modulated by means of a control beam and external biasmore » voltage, in which maximum negative shift of 1.86 mm and positive shift of 0.37 mm are achievable.« less

Social medicine vs professional dominance: the German experience.

PubMed Central

Light, D W; Liebfried, S; Tennstedt, F

1986-01-01

This article describes the efforts by German workers' groups and pioneering social physicians to design health care services oriented to prevention and cost-effective treatment. Jews played a key role in developing these prototypes of today's health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs). The growing success of these services threatened private practitioners in a number of ways. They formed a trade union and took militant action. Stage by stage, the profession asserted its dominance, culminating in an alliance with the National Socialists and Hitler to take over these services and to purge them of socialist and Jewish physicians. Medical societies assisted Hitler in his policies of "purification," and the health care delivery systems shifted from being local, patient-centered, and health-oriented to being national, physician-centered, and focused on curing illness. After World War II, these changes were not reversed as part of denazification, and 40 years later, social medicine has yet to recover. PMID:3510052

The key players of the primary root growth and development also function in lateral roots in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Tian, Huiyu; Jia, Yuebin; Niu, Tiantian; Yu, Qianqian; Ding, Zhaojun

2014-05-01

The core regulators which are required for primary root growth and development also function in lateral root development or lateral root stem cell niche maintenance. The primary root systems and the lateral root systems are the two important root systems which are vital to the survival of plants. Though the molecular mechanism of the growth and development of both the primary root systems and the lateral root systems have been extensively studied individually in Arabidopsis, there are not so much evidence to show that if both root systems share common regulatory mechanisms. AP2 family transcription factors such as PLT1 (PLETHORA1) and PLT2, GRAS family transcription factors such as SCR (SCARECROW) and SHR (SHORT ROOT) and WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX transcription factor WOX5 have been extensively studied and found to be essential for primary root growth and development. In this study, through the expression pattern analysis and mutant examinations, we found that these core regulators also function in lateral root development or lateral root stem cell niche maintenance.

Effects of maintenance operations on track buckling potential

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-05-04

This paper presents the results of buckling analyses based on data from recent tests determining the influence of track maintenance and consolidation on track lateral resistance. The buckling analyses were performed using the USDOT/Volpe "CWR-SAFE" m...

Assessment on Language Rights in Education Domain: Shift-Oriented, Maintenance-Oriented or Something Else?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ping, Wang

2016-01-01

There is a trend towards the shift of the Uyghur language as the language of instruction in schools in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. This article presents several examples of such a shift first and then it reviews the concept of language rights (LR) and applies them to the current situation of the Uyghur language in education…

Lateral femoral notch depth is not associated with increased rotatory instability in ACL-injured knees: a quantitative pivot shift analysis.

PubMed

Kanakamedala, Ajay C; Burnham, Jeremy M; Pfeiffer, Thomas R; Herbst, Elmar; Kowalczuk, Marcin; Popchak, Adam; Irrgang, James; Fu, Freddie H; Musahl, Volker

2018-05-01

A deep lateral femoral notch (LFN) on lateral radiographs is indicative of ACL injury. Prior studies have suggested that a deep LFN may also be a sign of persistent rotatory instability and a concomitant lateral meniscus tear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between LFN depth and both quantitative measures of rotatory knee instability and the incidence of lateral meniscus tears. It was hypothesized that greater LFN depth would be correlated with increased rotatory instability, quantified by lateral compartment translation and tibial acceleration during a quantitative pivot shift test, and incidence of lateral meniscus tears. ACL-injured patients enrolled in a prospective ACL registry from 2014 to 2016 were analyzed. To limit confounders, patients were only included if they had primary ACL tears, no concurrent ligamentous or bony injuries requiring operative treatment, and no previous knee injuries or surgeries to either knee. Eighty-four patients were included in the final analysis. A standardized quantitative pivot shift test was performed pre-operatively under anesthesia in both knees, and rotatory instability, specifically lateral compartment translation and tibial acceleration, was quantified using tablet image analysis software and accelerometer sensors. Standard lateral radiographs and sagittal magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the injured knee were evaluated for LFN depth. There were no significant correlations between LFN depth on either imaging modality and ipsilateral lateral compartment translation or tibial acceleration during a quantitative pivot shift test or side-to-side differences in these measurements. Patients with lateral meniscus tears were found to have significantly greater LFN depths than those without on conventional radiograph and MRI (1.0 vs. 0.6 mm, p < 0.05; 1.2 vs. 0.8 mm, p < 0.05, respectively). There was no correlation between lateral femoral notch depth on conventional radiographs or MRI and quantitative measures of rotatory instability. Concomitant lateral meniscus injury was associated with significantly greater LFN depth. Based on these findings, LFN depth should not be used as an indicator of excessive rotatory instability, but may be an indicator of lateral meniscus injury in ACL-injured patients. Prognostic level IV.

Status of Tamil Language in Singapore: An Analysis of Family Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadakara, Shanmugam

2015-01-01

This paper addresses the phenomenon of Language Maintenance and Language Shift through a qualitative study of Tamil language in the family domain in Singapore. The influence of Singapore's bilingual policy and the institutional support offered for maintenance of Tamil language provide the context in which the central research problem of the status…

Study Predicts Dramatic Shifts in Enrollments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evangelauf, Jean

1991-01-01

A new study detailing demographic shifts in the college-age population predicts growth in minority high school graduates and shrinkage or maintenance of White graduation rates. The report is the first to provide state-by-state figures on actual and projected graduates from 1986 through 1995 by racial and ethnic group. (MSE)

Analysis of Employability for the Civil Aviation Maintenance Graduates of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denizhan, Berrin; Dogru, Alperen

2017-01-01

Purpose: With every passing day, the center of gravity for air traffic for the Middle East and Turkey is shifting toward becoming a center for airway transport, maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and transfer. The MRO sector is gaining importance because of this increase in Turkey. The purpose of this study is to examine the future employability…

Relationships between the center of pressure and the movements of the ankle and knee joints during the stance phase in patients with severe medial knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Fukaya, Takashi; Mutsuzaki, Hirotaka; Okubo, Tomoyuki; Mori, Koichi; Wadano, Yasuyoshi

2016-08-01

The knee joint movement during the stance phase is affected by altered ankle movement and the center of pressure (COP). However the relationships between changes in the center of pressure (COP) and the altered kinematics and kinetics of the ankle and knee joints in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between changes in the COP and the altered kinematic and kinetic variables in ankle and knee joints during the stance phase in patients with medial knee OA. Fourteen patients with knee OA (21 knees) and healthy subjects were assessed by gait analysis using an eight-camera motion analysis system to record forward and lateral shifts in the COP and the angle and net internal moments of the knee and ankle joint. Spearman rank-correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between these results. In knees with medial OA, lateral shifts in the COP were correlated with knee flexion angle. Lateral shifts in the COP were correlated with the second peak of the knee extensor moment and correlated with the knee abductor moment. In patients with medial knee OA, lateral shifts in the COP were negatively correlated with the kinematic and kinetic variables in the sagittal plane of the knee joints. Controlling such lateral shifts in the COP may thus be an effective intervention for mechanical loads on the knee during the stance phase in patients with knee OA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

"May Sasabihin Ang Kabataan" "The Youth Have Something to Say": Youth Perspectives on Language Shift and Linguistic Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odango, Emerson Lopez

2015-01-01

This position paper brings youth perspectives to the forefront of academic discourse about language shift and linguistic identity, framed in the larger intersecting conversations about language endangerment, maintenance and revitalization, the breakdown and rebuilding of intergenerational transmission, and the changing late modern landscapes in…

Early and Late Shift of Brain Laterality in STG, HG, and Cerebellum with Normal Aging during a Short-Term Memory Task

PubMed Central

Abdul Manan, Hanani; Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim; Franz, Elizabeth A.; Sarah Mukari, Siti Zamratol-Mai

2013-01-01

Evidence suggests that cognitive performance deteriorates in noisy backgrounds and the problems are more pronounced in older people due to brain deficits and changes. The present study used functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates of this phenomenon during short-term memory using a forward repeat task performed in quiet (STMQ) and in noise: 5-dB SNR (STMN) on four groups of participants of different ages. The performance of short-term memory tasks was measured behaviourally. No significant difference was found across age groups in STMQ. However, older adults (50–65 year olds) performed relatively poorly on the STMN. fMRI results on the laterality index indicate changes in hemispheric laterality in the superior temporal gyrus (STG), Heschl's gyrus (HG), and cerebellum, and a leftward asymmetry in younger participants which changes to a more rightward asymmetry in older participants. The results also indicate that the onset of the laterality shift varies from one brain region to another. STG and HG show a late shift while the cerebellum shows an earlier shift. The results also reveal that noise influences this shifting. Finally, the results support the hypothesis that functional networks that underlie STG, HG, and cerebellum undergo reorganization to compensate for the neural deficit/cognitive decline. PMID:23533806

Lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty through a lateral parapatellar approach has high early survivorship.

PubMed

Berend, Keith R; Kolczun, Michael C; George, Joseph W; Lombardi, Adolph V

2012-01-01

The literature suggests lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasties are associated with low revision rates. However, there are fewer reports describing techniques for lateral unicompartmental arthroplasty and whether technique influences ROM and function compared to reports for medial unicompartmental arthroplasty. We report our indications for lateral unicompartmental arthroplasty, how we perform this procedure, and the subsequent Knee Society scores, ROM, and revision and reoperation rates. From a retrospective review of electronic records from 2004 through 2008, we identified 93 patients who had 100 lateral unicompartmental arthroplasties. Indications were complete lateral bone-on-bone arthrosis with a correctible deformity and maintenance of the medial joint space on varus stress radiographs or isolated lateral disease by diagnostic arthroscopy. Average age was 68 years. Seventy percent of patients were women. At followup, we obtained Knee Society scores and ROM. Minimum followup was 24 months (average, 39 months; range, 24-81 months). At followup, Knee Society scores averaged 46 for pain, 94 for clinical, and 89 for function, and ROM averaged 124°. Three patients had reoperations: one an open reduction and internal fixation for fracture at 2 years postoperatively, one an arthroscopy for a medial meniscal tear, and one a revision for pain. Based on our observations, we believe complete cartilage loss laterally and correctible deformity with maintenance of the medial joint on varus stress radiographs are reasonable indications for lateral unicompartmental arthroplasty. We recommend a lateral parapatellar approach can be utilized. The early reoperation and revision rates were low.

7 CFR 1730.27 - Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ELECTRIC SYSTEM OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE Operations and Maintenance... program loan as of October 12, 2004 shall perform an initial VRA of its electric system no later than July... its electric system in accordance with § 1730.27(a). (c) Each applicant that submits an application...

Influence of Vehicle Induced Loads on the Lateral Stability of CWR Track

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-11-01

Thermal buckling of railroad tracks in the lateral plane is an important problem in the design and maintenance of continuous welded rail (CWR) track. The severity of the problem is manifested through the increasing number of derailments which are att...

The Wellington Indo-Fijians: Language Shift among Teenage New Immigrants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shameem, Nikhat

1994-01-01

The Indo-Fijian settlers, who speak Fiji Hindi, a preliterate language, migrated to New Zealand following the 1987 Fiji military coup. This article looks at the maintenance of Fiji Hindi among teenage Indi-Fijian immigrants and the factors contributing to a shift from Fiji Hindi to the use of English in all domains. (40 references) (LR)

Standing economy: does the heterogeneity in the energy cost of posture maintenance reside in differential patterns of spontaneous weight-shifting?

PubMed

Miles-Chan, Jennifer L; Fares, Elie-Jacques; Berkachy, Redina; Jacquet, Philippe; Isacco, Laurie; Schutz, Yves; Montani, Jean-Pierre; Dulloo, Abdul G

2017-04-01

Due to sedentarity-associated disease risks, there is much interest in methods to increase low-intensity physical activity. In this context, it is widely assumed that altering posture allocation can modify energy expenditure (EE) to impact body-weight regulation and health. However, we have recently shown the existence of two distinct phenotypes pertaining to the energy cost of standing-with most individuals having no sustained increase in EE during steady-state standing relative to sitting comfortably. Here, we investigated whether these distinct phenotypes are related to the presence/absence of spontaneous "weight-shifting", i.e. the redistribution of body-weight from one foot to the other. Using indirect calorimetry to measure EE in young adults during sitting and 10 min of steady-state standing, we examined: (i) heterogeneity in EE during standing (n = 36); (ii) EE and spontaneous weight-shifting patterns (n = 18); (iii) EE during spontaneous weight-shifting versus experimentally induced weight-shifting (n = 7), and; (iv) EE during spontaneous weight-shifting versus intermittent leg/body displacement (n = 6). Despite heterogeneity in EE response to steady-state standing, no differences were found in the amount or pattern of spontaneous weight-shifting between the two phenotypes. Whilst experimentally induced weight-shifting resulted in a mean EE increase of only 11% (range: 0-25%), intermittent leg/body displacement increased EE to >1.5 METs in all participants. Although the variability in spontaneous weight-shifting signatures between individuals does not appear to underlie heterogeneity in the energy cost of standing posture maintenance, these studies underscore the fact that leg/body displacement, rather than standing posture alone, is needed to increase EE above the currently defined sedentary threshold.

Triggers and maintenance of multiple shifts in the state of a natural community

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Russell J.; Holbrook, Sally J.

2010-01-01

Ecological communities can undergo sudden and dramatic shifts between alternative persistent community states. Both ecological prediction and natural resource management rely on understanding the mechanisms that trigger such shifts and maintain each state. Differentiating between potential mechanisms is difficult, however, because shifts are often recognized only in hindsight and many occur on such large spatial scales that manipulative experiments to test their causes are difficult or impossible. Here we use an approach that focuses first on identifying changes in environmental factors that could have triggered a given state change, and second on examining whether these changes were sustained (and thus potentially maintained the new state) or transitory (explaining the shift but not its persistence). We use this approach to evaluate a community shift in which a benthic marine species of filter feeding sea cucumber (Pachythyone rubra) suddenly came to dominate subtidal rocky reefs that had previously supported high abundances of macroalgae, persisted for more than a decade, then abruptly declined. We found that a sustained period without large wave events coincided with the shift to sea cucumber dominance, but that the sea cucumbers persisted even after the end of this low wave period, indicating that different mechanisms maintained the new community. Additionally, the period of sea cucumber dominance occurred when their predators were rare, and increases in the abundance of these predators coincided with the end of sea cucumber dominance. These results underscore the complex nature of regime shifts and illustrate that focusing separately on the causes and maintenance of state change can be a productive first step for analyzing these shifts in a range of systems. PMID:20526781

The lateral crural rein flap: a novel technique for management of tip rotation in primary rhinoplasty.

PubMed

Kuran, Ismail; Öreroğlu, Ali Rıza; Efendioğlu, Kamran

2014-09-01

An important consideration in rhinoplasty is maintenance of the applied tip rotation. Different techniques have been proposed to accomplish this. Loss of rotation after surgery not only results in a derotated tip but also can create a supratip deformity. As a supplement to dorsal reconstruction, the authors introduced and applied the lateral crural rein flap technique, whereby cartilage flaps are created from the cephalic portion of the lateral crura to control and stabilize tip rotation. Eleven patients underwent primary open-approach rhinoplasty that included the lateral crural rein technique; the mean follow-up time was 18 months. Excess cephalic portions of the lateral crura were prepared as medial crura-based cartilaginous flaps and were incorporated into the nasal dorsum (similar to spreader grafts) and stabilized to achieve the desired tip rotation. The lateral crural rein flap technique provided stability to the nasal tip while minimizing derotation in the postoperative period. Long-term follow-up revealed maintenance of the nasal tip rotation and symmetric dorsal aesthetic lines. The lateral crural rein flap technique is effective for controlling nasal tip rotation while reducing lateral crural cephalic excess. Longevity of the applied tip rotation is reinforced by secure attachment of the lower nasal cartilage complex to the midvault structures. 4. © 2014 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.

Lateral geniculate lesions block circadian phase-shift responses to a benzodiazepine.

PubMed Central

Johnson, R F; Smale, L; Moore, R Y; Morin, L P

1988-01-01

Several pharmacological treatments, including application of an excitatory neurotoxin to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and systemic administration of triazolam, a clinically effective benzodiazepine, can elicit large phase shifts in a circadian rhythm according to the time of administration. The hypothesis that the LGN might mediate the effect of triazolam on circadian clock function was tested. Bilateral lesions of the LGN, which destroyed the connection from the intergeniculate leaflet to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, blocked phase-shift responses to triazolam. The requirement of an intact LGN for triazolam to shift circadian phase suggests that the LGN may be a site through which stimuli gain access to the circadian clock to modulate rhythm phase and entrainment. Images PMID:3293053

78 FR 23519 - Safety Zone; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Wrightsville Beach, NC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-19

... waters during maintenance on the US 74/76 Bascule Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway... announced by a later notice in the Federal Register. B. Regulatory History and Information The Coast Guard... Bridge Company of Coraopolis, PA to perform bridge maintenance on the U.S. 74/76 Bascule Bridge crossing...

Racial Inequality and Self-Image: Identity Maintenance as Identity Diffusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Janet G.; Hunt, Larry L.

1977-01-01

Exploring "interpersonal mediation" interpretations of self-image maintenance in low-status circumstances, this analysis indicates black boys hold higher levels of self-regard in terms of esteem and sex-role identification than their white counterparts but have lower senses of personal efficacy in the early (but not later) school years. (Author/JC)

Band-offset-induced lateral shift of valley electrons in ferromagnetic MoS2/WS2 planar heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghadiri, Hassan; Saffarzadeh, Alireza

2018-03-01

Low-energy coherent transport and a Goos-Hänchen (GH) lateral shift of valley electrons in planar heterojunctions composed of normal MoS2 and ferromagnetic WS2 monolayers are theoretically investigated. Two types of heterojunctions in the forms of WS2/MoS2/WS2 (type-A) and MoS2/WS2/MoS2 (type-B) with incident electrons in the MoS2 region are considered in which the lateral shift of electrons is induced by band alignments of the two constituent semiconductors. It is shown that the type-A heterojunction can act as an electron waveguide due to electron confinement between the two WS2/MoS2 interfaces which cause the incident electrons with an appropriate incidence angle to propagate along the interfaces. In this case, the spin- and valley-dependent GH shifts of totally reflected electrons from the interface lead to separated electrons with distinct spin-valley indexes after traveling a sufficiently long distance. In the type-B heterojunction, however, transmission resonances occur for incident electron beams passing through the structure, and large spin- and valley-dependent lateral shift values in propagating states can be achieved. Consequently, the transmitted electrons are spatially well-separated into electrons with distinct spin-valley indexes. Our findings reveal that the planar heterojunctions of transition metal dichalcogenides can be utilized as spin-valley beam filters and/or splitters without external gating.

Goos-Hänchen-like shift in biased silicene

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

Zhu, Bang-Shan; Wang, Yu, E-mail: ywang@semi.ac.cn; Lou, Yi-Yi

2016-04-28

We have theoretically studied the Goos-Hänchen-like shift of spinor-unpolarized beams tunneling through various gate-biased silicene nanostructures. Following the stationary-phase method, lateral displacement in single-, dual-, and multiple-gated silicene systems has been systematically demonstrated. It is shown for simple single-gated silicene that lateral displacement can be generally enhanced by Fabry-Perot interference, and near the transition point turning on the evanescent mode a very large lateral shift could be observed. For the dual-gated structure, we have also shown the crucial role of localized modes like quantum well states in enhancing the beam lateral displacement, while for the multiple gate-biased systems the resultingmore » superlattice subbands are also favorable for lateral displacement enhancement. Importantly, including the degeneracy-broken mechanisms such as gate-field and magnetic modulations, a fully spinor-resolved beam can be distinguished from the rest counterparts by aligning the incident beam with a proper spinor-resolved transition point, localized state, and subband, all of which can be flexibly modulated via electric means, offering the very desirable strategies to achieve the fully spinor-polarized beam for functional electronic applications.« less

The Effect of Hock Injury Laterality and Lameness on Lying Behaviors and Lying Laterality in Holstein Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

Krawczel, Peter D.

2017-01-01

Simple Summary Dairy cattle may experience discomfort in a myriad of ways throughout their life cycle, particularly when sustaining hock injuries or suboptimal locomotion. Lactating dairy cattle divide their lying time equally between left and right sides; however, discomfort experienced during pregnancy or following cannulation can cause a shift in the normal lying laterality. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of hock injuries and lameness on the lying behaviors of dairy cattle, particularly lying laterality. Lying laterality did not differ from the expected 50% (left side lying time) in cattle with hock injuries, lameness, or both. The current results suggest that lying laterality does not differ between varying levels of hock injury or lameness severity. Going forward, further research could determine if lying laterality shifts over the course of the animal developing a hock injury or lameness. Abstract Lactating dairy cattle divide their lying equally between their left side and their right side. However, discomfort, such as pregnancy and cannulation, can cause a cow to shift lying side preference. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of lameness and hock injuries on lying behaviors, particularly lying laterality, of lactating dairy cows. Cows from four commercial farms in eastern Croatia that had lying behavior data, health score data, and production records were used in the study. Health scores including hock injuries and locomotion were collected once per cow. Severely lame cows had greater daily lying time compared to sound cows and moderately lame cows. Overall, cows spent 51.3 ± 1.2% of their daily lying time on the left side. Maximum hock score, locomotion score, hock injury laterality, or parity did not result in lying laterality differing from 50%. PMID:29149044

Root water uptake and lateral interactions among root systems in a temperate forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agee, E.; He, L.; Bisht, G.; Gough, C. M.; Couvreur, V.; Matheny, A. M.; Bohrer, G.; Ivanov, V. Y.

2016-12-01

A growing body of research has highlighted the importance of root architecture and hydraulic properties to the maintenance of the transpiration stream under water limitation and drought. Detailed studies of single plant systems have shown the ability of root systems to adjust zones of uptake due to the redistribution of local water potential gradients, thereby delaying the onset of stress under drying conditions. An open question is how lateral interactions and competition among neighboring plants impact individual and community resilience to water stress. While computational complexity has previously hindered the implementation of microscopic root system structure and function in larger scale hydrological models, newer hybrid approaches allow for the resolution of these properties at the plot scale. Using a modified version of the PFLOTRAN model, which represents the 3-D physics of variably saturated soil, we model root water uptake in a one-hectare temperate forest plot under natural and synthetic forcings. Two characteristic hydraulic architectures, tap roots and laterally sprawling roots, are implemented in an ensemble of simulations. Variations of root architecture, their hydraulic properties, and degree of system interactions produce variable local response to water limitation and provide insights on individual and community response to changing meteorological conditions. Results demonstrate the ability of interacting systems to shift areas of active uptake based on local gradients, allowing individuals to meet water demands despite competition from their peers. These results further illustrate how inter- and intra-species variations in root properties may influence not only individual response to water stress, but also help quantify the margins of resilience for forest ecosystems under changing climate.

Development of computer tablet software for clinical quantification of lateral knee compartment translation during the pivot shift test.

PubMed

Muller, Bart; Hofbauer, Marcus; Rahnemai-Azar, Amir Ata; Wolf, Megan; Araki, Daisuke; Hoshino, Yuichi; Araujo, Paulo; Debski, Richard E; Irrgang, James J; Fu, Freddie H; Musahl, Volker

2016-01-01

The pivot shift test is a commonly used clinical examination by orthopedic surgeons to evaluate knee function following injury. However, the test can only be graded subjectively by the examiner. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop software for a computer tablet to quantify anterior translation of the lateral knee compartment during the pivot shift test. Based on the simple image analysis method, software for a computer tablet was developed with the following primary design constraint - the software should be easy to use in a clinical setting and it should not slow down an outpatient visit. Translation of the lateral compartment of the intact knee was 2.0 ± 0.2 mm and for the anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee was 8.9 ± 0.9 mm (p < 0.001). Intra-tester (ICC range = 0.913 to 0.999) and inter-tester (ICC = 0.949) reliability were excellent for the repeatability assessments. Overall, the average percent error of measuring simulated translation of the lateral knee compartment with the tablet parallel to the monitor increased from 2.8% at 50 cm distance to 7.7% at 200 cm. Deviation from the parallel position of the tablet did not have a significant effect until a tablet angle of 45°. Average percent error during anterior translation of the lateral knee compartment of 6mm was 2.2% compared to 6.2% for 2 mm of translation. The software provides reliable, objective, and quantitative data on translation of the lateral knee compartment during the pivot shift test and meets the design constraints posed by the clinical setting.

An intelligent tele-healthcare environment offering person-centric and wellness-maintenance services.

PubMed

Abidi, S S

2001-06-01

Worldwide healthcare delivery trends are undergoing a subtle paradigm shift--patient centered services as opposed to provider centered services and wellness maintenance as opposed to illness management. In this paper we present a Tele-Healthcare project TIDE--Tele-Healthcare Information and Diagnostic Environment. TIDE manifests an 'intelligent' healthcare environment that aims to ensure lifelong coverage of person-specific health maintenance decision-support services--i.e., both wellness maintenance and illness management services--ubiquitously available via the Internet/WWW. Taking on an all-encompassing health maintenance role--spanning from wellness to illness issues--the functionality of TIDE involves the generation and delivery of (a) Personalized, Pro-active, Persistent, Perpetual, and Present wellness maintenance services, and (b) remote diagnostic services for managing noncritical illnesses. Technically, TIDE is an amalgamation of diverse computer technologies--Artificial Intelligence, Internet, Multimedia, Databases, and Medical Informatics--to implement a sophisticated healthcare delivery infostructure.

40 CFR 86.004-38 - Maintenance instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles, Light-Duty Trucks and Heavy-Duty Engines, and for 1985 and Later Model Year New Gasoline Fueled, Natural Gas-Fueled, Liquefied... of any distinction between the useful life specified on the label, and the emissions defect and...

40 CFR 86.004-38 - Maintenance instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles, Light-Duty Trucks and Heavy-Duty Engines, and for 1985 and Later Model Year New Gasoline Fueled, Natural Gas-Fueled, Liquefied... of any distinction between the useful life specified on the label, and the emissions defect and...

14 CFR 121.343 - Flight data recorders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... recorder must be installed at the next heavy maintenance check after May 26, 1994, but no later than May 26, 1995. A heavy maintenance check is considered to be any time an aircraft is scheduled to be out of..., 1995, compliance date for all aircraft on that list. (3) After May 26, 1994, any aircraft that is...

14 CFR 121.343 - Flight data recorders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... recorder must be installed at the next heavy maintenance check after May 26, 1994, but no later than May 26, 1995. A heavy maintenance check is considered to be any time an aircraft is scheduled to be out of..., 1995, compliance date for all aircraft on that list. (3) After May 26, 1994, any aircraft that is...

14 CFR 121.343 - Flight data recorders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... recorder must be installed at the next heavy maintenance check after May 26, 1994, but no later than May 26, 1995. A heavy maintenance check is considered to be any time an aircraft is scheduled to be out of..., 1995, compliance date for all aircraft on that list. (3) After May 26, 1994, any aircraft that is...

14 CFR 121.343 - Flight data recorders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... recorder must be installed at the next heavy maintenance check after May 26, 1994, but no later than May 26, 1995. A heavy maintenance check is considered to be any time an aircraft is scheduled to be out of..., 1995, compliance date for all aircraft on that list. (3) After May 26, 1994, any aircraft that is...

14 CFR 121.343 - Flight data recorders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... recorder must be installed at the next heavy maintenance check after May 26, 1994, but no later than May 26, 1995. A heavy maintenance check is considered to be any time an aircraft is scheduled to be out of..., 1995, compliance date for all aircraft on that list. (3) After May 26, 1994, any aircraft that is...

The cognitive-interpersonal maintenance model of anorexia nervosa revisited: a summary of the evidence for cognitive, socio-emotional and interpersonal predisposing and perpetuating factors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Aim To describe the evidence base relating to the Cognitive-Interpersonal Maintenance Model for anorexia nervosa (AN). Background A Cognitive-Interpersonal Maintenance Model maintenance model for anorexia nervosa was described in 2006. This model proposed that cognitive, socio-emotional and interpersonal elements acted together to both cause and maintain eating disorders. Method A review of the empirical literature relating to the key constructs of the model (cognitive, socio-emotional, interpersonal) risk and maintaining factors for anorexia nervosa was conducted. Results Set shifting and weak central coherence (associated with obsessive compulsive traits) have been widely studied. There is some evidence to suggest that a strong eye for detail and weak set shifting are inherited vulnerabilities to AN. Set shifting and global integration are impaired in the ill state and contribute to weak central coherence. In addition, there are wide-ranging impairments in socio-emotional processing including: an automatic bias in attention towards critical and domineering faces and away from compassionate faces; impaired signalling of, interpretation and regulation of emotions. Difficulties in social cognition may in part be a consequence of starvation but inherited vulnerabilities may also contribute to these traits. The shared familial traits may accentuate family members’ tendency to react to the frustrating and frightening symptoms of AN with high expressed emotion (criticism, hostility, overprotection), and inadvertently perpetuate the problem. Conclusion The cognitive interpersonal model is supported by accumulating evidence. The model is complex in that cognitive and socio-emotional factors both predispose to the illness and are exaggerated in the ill state. Furthermore, some of the traits are inherited vulnerabilities and are present in family members. The clinical formulations from the model are described as are new possibilities for targeted treatment. PMID:24999394

Medial Patella Subluxation: Diagnosis and Treatment

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Mark A.; Bollier, Mathew J.

2015-01-01

Medial patella subluxation is a disabling condition typically associated with previous patellofemoral instability surgery. Patients often describe achy pain with painful popping episodes. They often report that the patella shifts laterally, which occurs as the medial subluxed patella dramatically shifts into the trochlear groove during early knee flexion. Physical examination is diagnostic with a positive medial subluxation test. Nonoperative treatment, such as focused physical therapy and patellofemoral stabilizing brace, is often unsuccessful. Primary surgical options include lateral retinacular repair/imbrication or lateral reconstruction. Prevention is key to avoid medial patella subluxation. When considering patellofemoral surgery, important factors include appropriate lateral release indications, consideration of lateral retinacular lengthening vs release, correct MPFL graft placement and tension, and avoiding excessive medialization during tubercle transfer. This review article will analyze patient symptoms, diagnostic exam findings and appropriate treatment options, as well as pearls to avoid this painful clinical entity. PMID:26361441

Carbon emission and sequestration of urban turfgrass systems in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Kong, Ling; Shi, Zhengjun; Chu, L M

2014-03-01

Climate change is more than just a global issue. Locally released carbon dioxide may lead to a rise in global ambient temperature and influence the surrounding climate. Urban greenery may mitigate this as they can remove carbon dioxide by storing carbon in substrates and vegetation. On the other hand, urban greenery systems which are under intense management and maintenance may contribute to the emission of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. The impact of urban greenery on carbon balance in major metropolitan areas thus remains controversial. We investigated the carbon footprints of urban turf operation and maintenance by conducting a research questionnaire on different Hong Kong turfs in 2012, and showed that turf maintenance contributed 0.17 to 0.63 kg Ce m(-2)y(-1) to carbon emissions. We also determined the carbon storage of turfs at 0.05 to 0.21 kg C m(-2) for aboveground grass biomass and 1.26 to 4.89 kg C m(-2) for soils (to 15 cm depth). We estimated that the carbon sink capacity of turfs could be offset by carbon emissions in 5-24 years under current management patterns, shifting from carbon sink to carbon source. Our study suggested that maintenance management played a key role in the carbon budget and footprint of urban greeneries. The environmental impact of turfgrass systems can be optimized by shifting away from empirically designed maintenance schedules towards rational ones based on carbon sink and emission principles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glenoid fossa responses to mandibular lateral shift in growing rats.

PubMed

Liu, Chang; Kaneko, Sawa; Soma, Kunimichi

2007-07-01

To evaluate the morphological and histological responses of the glenoid fossa to mandibular lateral shift in growing rats. A resin plate was placed on the upper incisors of 4-week-old rats in the experimental groups to displace the mandible to the left during closure. The rats were killed after 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The morphometric measurements were performed on dry skulls, and tissue blocks were processed for periodic acid and Schiff's reagent (PAS) staining to examine the new bone formation. Gross measurements showed asymmetry in both the position and size of the fossae between the two sides after 4 weeks of lateral shift. The glenoid fossa on the ipsilateral side was repositioned relatively backward, outward and upward compared with the contralateral side and control group, whereas the fossa on the contralateral side was relocated relatively forward and downward compared with the control group. The length of the fossa was smaller on the ipsilateral side than on contralateral side and control group. At 2 weeks, the amount of newly formed bone in the posterior region of the fossa was higher in the experimental group than the control group. It is suggested that the mandibular lateral shift causes asymmetry in the position and size of the glenoid fossa and that this phenomenon can be related to different bilateral directional new bone formation in the posterior region.

Novel development of a lateral flow immunoassay for rapid field detection of citrus tristeza virus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maintenance of virus-free citrus in nurseries and orchards is essential to control spread of aphid-borne Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in California. A lateral flow assay (LFA) test strip with a polyclonal antiserum made from virus particles produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants inoculated with an ...

Prevalence of operator fatigue in winter maintenance operations.

PubMed

Camden, Matthew C; Medina-Flintsch, Alejandra; Hickman, Jeffrey S; Bryce, James; Flintsch, Gerardo; Hanowski, Richard J

2018-02-02

Similar to commercial motor vehicle drivers, winter maintenance operators are likely to be at an increased risk of becoming fatigued while driving due to long, inconsistent shifts, environmental stressors, and limited opportunities for sleep. Despite this risk, there is little research concerning the prevalence of winter maintenance operator fatigue during winter emergencies. The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence, sources, and countermeasures of fatigue in winter maintenance operations. Questionnaires from 1043 winter maintenance operators and 453 managers were received from 29 Clear Road member states. Results confirmed that fatigue was prevalent in winter maintenance operations. Over 70% of the operators and managers believed that fatigue has a moderate to significant impact on winter maintenance operations. Approximately 75% of winter maintenance operators reported to at least sometimes drive while fatigued, and 96% of managers believed their winter maintenance operators drove while fatigued at least some of the time. Furthermore, winter maintenance operators and managers identified fatigue countermeasures and sources of fatigue related to winter maintenance equipment. However, the countermeasures believed to be the most effective at reducing fatigue during winter emergencies (i.e., naps) were underutilized. For example, winter maintenance operators reported to never use naps to eliminate fatigue. These results indicated winter maintenance operations are impacted by operator fatigue. These results support the increased need for research and effective countermeasures targeting winter maintenance operator fatigue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinct Gamma-Band Components Reflect the Short-Term Memory Maintenance of Different Sound Lateralization Angles

PubMed Central

Heidegger, Tonio; Wibral, Michael; Altmann, Christian F.; Lutzenberger, Werner

2008-01-01

Oscillatory activity in human electro- or magnetoencephalogram has been related to cortical stimulus representations and their modulation by cognitive processes. Whereas previous work has focused on gamma-band activity (GBA) during attention or maintenance of representations, there is little evidence for GBA reflecting individual stimulus representations. The present study aimed at identifying stimulus-specific GBA components during auditory spatial short-term memory. A total of 28 adults were assigned to 1 of 2 groups who were presented with only right- or left-lateralized sounds, respectively. In each group, 2 sample stimuli were used which differed in their lateralization angles (15° or 45°) with respect to the midsagittal plane. Statistical probability mapping served to identify spectral amplitude differences between 15° versus 45° stimuli. Distinct GBA components were found for each sample stimulus in different sensors over parieto-occipital cortex contralateral to the side of stimulation peaking during the middle 200–300 ms of the delay phase. The differentiation between “preferred” and “nonpreferred” stimuli during the final 100 ms of the delay phase correlated with task performance. These findings suggest that the observed GBA components reflect the activity of distinct networks tuned to spatial sound features which contribute to the maintenance of task-relevant information in short-term memory. PMID:18252742

Task activation and functional connectivity show concordant memory laterality in temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Sideman, Noah; Chaitanya, Ganne; He, Xiaosong; Doucet, Gaelle; Kim, Na Young; Sperling, Michael R; Sharan, Ashwini D; Tracy, Joseph I

2018-04-01

In epilepsy, asymmetries in the organization of mesial temporal lobe (MTL) functions help determine the cognitive risk associated with procedures such as anterior temporal lobectomy. Past studies have investigated the change/shift in a visual episodic memory laterality index (LI) in mesial temporal lobe structures through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task activations. Here, we examine whether underlying task-related functional connectivity (FC) is concordant with such standard fMRI laterality measures. A total of 56 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) (Left TLE [LTLE]: 31; Right TLE [RTLE]: 25) and 34 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent fMRI scanning during performance of a scene encoding task (SET). We assessed an activation-based LI of the hippocampal gyrus (HG) and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) during the SET and its correspondence with task-related FC measures. Analyses involving the HG and PHG showed that the patients with LTLE had a consistently higher LI (right-lateralized) than that of the HC and group with RTLE, indicating functional reorganization. The patients with RTLE did not display a reliable contralateral shift away from the pathology, with the mesial structures showing quite distinct laterality patterns (HG, no laterality bias; PHG, no evidence of LI shift). The FC data for the group with LTLE provided confirmation of reorganization effects, revealing that a rightward task LI may be based on underlying connections between several left-sided regions (middle/superior occipital and left medial frontal gyri) and the right PHG. The FCs between the right HG and left anterior cingulate/medial frontal gyri were also observed in LTLE. Importantly, the data demonstrate that the areas involved in the LTLE task activation shift to the right hemisphere showed a corresponding increase in task-related FCs between the hemispheres. Altered laterality patterns based on mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) pathology manifest as several different phenotypes, varying according to side of seizure onset and the specific mesial structures involved. There is good correspondence between task LI activation and FC patterns in the setting of LTLE, suggesting that reliable visual episodic memory reorganization may require both a shift in nodal activation and a change in nodal connectivity with mesial temporal structures involved in memory. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Thermal residual stress evaluation based on phase-shift lateral shearing interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xiangjun; Yun, Hai; Shao, Xinxing; Wang, Yanxia; Zhang, Donghuan; Yang, Fujun; He, Xiaoyuan

2018-06-01

An interesting phase-shift lateral shearing interferometry system was proposed to evaluate the thermal residual stress distribution in transparent specimen. The phase-shift interferograms was generated by moving a parallel plane plate. Based on analyzing the fringes deflected by deformation and refractive index change, the stress distribution can be obtained. To verify the validity of the proposed method, a typical experiment was elaborately designed to determine thermal residual stresses of a transparent PMMA plate subjected to the flame of a lighter. The sum of in-plane stress distribution was demonstrated. The experimental data were compared with values measured by digital gradient sensing method. Comparison of the results reveals the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

Motion compensation and noise tolerance in phase-shifting digital in-line holography.

PubMed

Stenner, Michael D; Neifeld, Mark A

2006-05-15

We present a technique for phase-shifting digital in-line holography which compensates for lateral object motion. By collecting two frames of interference between object and reference fields with identical reference phase, one can estimate the lateral motion that occurred between frames using the cross-correlation. We also describe a very general linear framework for phase-shifting holographic reconstruction which minimizes additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) for an arbitrary set of reference field amplitudes and phases. We analyze the technique's sensitivity to noise (AWGN, quantization, and shot), errors in the reference fields, errors in motion estimation, resolution, and depth of field. We also present experimental motion-compensated images achieving the expected resolution.

Examining a Paradigm Shift in Organic Depot-Level Software Maintenance for Army Communications and Electronics Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-30

study used quantitative and qualitative analytical methods in the examination of software versus hardware maintenance trends and forecasts, human and...financial resources at TYAD and SEC, and overall compliance with Title 10 mandates (e.g., 10 USC 2466). Quantitative methods were executed by...Systems (PEO EIS). These methods will provide quantitative-based analysis on which to base and justify trends and gaps, as well as qualitative methods

Genetic control of phyllotaxy phase shift in juvenile vines in a rootstock hybrid population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grapevine seedlings initially display spiral phyllotaxy of true leaves, then undergo a shift to alternate phyllotaxy with the production of the first lateral meristems (typically tendrils). The node at which the shift from spiral to alternate phyllotaxy occurs varies from about the 4th to about the...

Simulating interfering fringe displacements by lateral shifts of a camera for educational purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera-Ortega, Uriel

2018-07-01

In this manuscript we propose a simple method to emulate fringe displacements in a fringe pattern, due to the interference of two plane waves, by using lateral shifts of a CMOS detector under the scheme of a Twyman–Green interferometric setup, avoiding unwanted vibrations and the need for specific and expensive devices in order to accomplish the task. The simplicity of the proposed experimental setup allows it to be easily replicated and used for teaching or demonstrative purposes, essentially for undergraduate students.

Reverse time migration in tilted transversely isotropic media

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

Zhang, Linbing; Rector III, James W.; Hoversten, G. Michael

2004-07-01

This paper presents a reverse time migration (RTM) method for the migration of shot records in tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media. It is based on the tilted TI acoustic wave equation that was derived from the dispersion relation. The RTM is a full depth migration allowing for velocity to vary laterally as well as vertically and has no dip limitations. The wave equation is solved by a tenth-order finite difference scheme. Using 2D numerical models, we demonstrate that ignoring the tilt angle will introduce both lateral and vertical shifts in imaging. The shifts can be larger than 0.5 wavelength inmore » the vertical direction and 1.5 wavelength in the lateral direction.« less

SU-E-T-315: Dosimetric Effects of Couch Top Shift On VMAT Delivery in Absence of Indexing

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

Islam, M; Jin, H; Ferguson, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate dosimetric effects of couch top shift for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in absence of indexing of immobilization devices. Methods: A total of twelve VMAT treatment plans were selected from three regions (lung, abdomen, and pelvis) to account for the variation of the patient position relative to the couch top. The treatment plans were generated using the Varian Eclipse system. A pinpoint ionization chamber (PTW TN31014) was placed at the center of 16-cm solid water phantom and the dose was delivered using the Varian TrueBeam STx with BrainLAB ExacTrac couch top. To simulate the day-to-day variation of themore » patient position relative to couch top, the couch top was laterally shifted up to 50 mm, with an increment of 5 mm from 0 to 20 mm; and of 10 mm afterwards, and the phantom was moved back to 0 cm shift for measurement. The dose was also delivered using a Varian tennis racket grid insert at 0 cm shift to simulate the absence of couch top. The treatment plans were delivered with 6, 10, and 15 MV photons using the same leaf sequencing to investigate the energy dependence of couch top shift. The dose difference was normalized to 0 cm shift for the regular couch top for comparison. Results: The percent difference of dose was found to increase with lateral shift for all energies; however, the average differences were close to 0% and the maximum difference was within 1% along the lateral shifts. The differences with the absence of couch top were 2.2±0.5% (6MV), 1.7±0.3% (10MV), and 1.6±0.2% (15MV), respectively. Conclusion: The inclusion of couch top is recommended in treatment planning to minimize the dosimetric uncertainty between calculated and delivered dose even in absence of indexing of immobilization devices in VMAT delivery.« less

Virginia's mowing experiments.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-01-01

With construction of the interstate and arterial highway systems nearing completion, the Department's major concern has shifted to maintenance. Because the highways must be maintained to very high standards, the reduced buying power means that frugal...

The role of romantic attraction and conflict resolution in predicting shorter and longer relationship maintenance among adolescents.

PubMed

Appel, Israel; Shulman, Shmuel

2015-04-01

This study examined the role of romantic attraction and conflict resolution patterns in shorter and longer relationship maintenance among adolescent couples. Data were used from 55 couples aged 15-18 years. Partners completed the Romantic Attraction scale and were observed negotiating a disagreement. Three and 6 months later, they were asked to report whether they were still together. Findings indicated that partners' romantic attraction and the tendency to minimize disagreements during interaction predicted shorter relationship maintenance. In contrast, longer relationship maintenance was predicted by partners' capability to resolve conflicts constructively in a positive atmosphere. Findings are embedded and discussed within Fisher's (2004) evolutionary theory of love.

From antenna to antenna: lateral shift of olfactory memory recall by honeybees.

PubMed

Rogers, Lesley J; Vallortigara, Giorgio

2008-06-04

Honeybees, Apis mellifera, readily learn to associate odours with sugar rewards and we show here that recall of the olfactory memory, as demonstrated by the bee extending its proboscis when presented with the trained odour, involves first the right and then the left antenna. At 1-2 hour after training using both antennae, recall is possible mainly when the bee uses its right antenna but by 6 hours after training a lateral shift has occurred and the memory can now be recalled mainly when the left antenna is in use. Long-term memory one day after training is also accessed mainly via the left antenna. This time-dependent shift from right to left antenna is also seen as side biases in responding to odour presented to the bee's left or right side. Hence, not only are the cellular events of memory formation similar in bees and vertebrate species but also the lateralized networks involved may be similar. These findings therefore seem to call for remarkable parallel evolution and suggest that the proper functioning of memory formation in a bilateral animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, requires lateralization of processing.

The Coming Paradigm-Shift in Maintenance: From Metals to Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, Alan; Brasil, Connie; Kanki, Barbara

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the current maintenance practices of airline operators in the detection and repair of damage to composite structures, with the aim of learning lessons that will be applicable to the maintenance of future advanced composite airplanes. A process map was created to capture the events and activities that occur from the moment a damage event occurs, through damage detection, assessment and repair. The study is identifying areas where operational risks may negatively impact the process, where personnel are required to make judgments in the absence of procedural guidance, and areas where future tools or techniques may be of assistance.

Adaptive multiphoton endomicroscopy through a dynamically deformed multicore optical fiber using proximal detection.

PubMed

Warren, Sean C; Kim, Youngchan; Stone, James M; Mitchell, Claire; Knight, Jonathan C; Neil, Mark A A; Paterson, Carl; French, Paul M W; Dunsby, Chris

2016-09-19

This paper demonstrates multiphoton excited fluorescence imaging through a polarisation maintaining multicore fiber (PM-MCF) while the fiber is dynamically deformed using all-proximal detection. Single-shot proximal measurement of the relative optical path lengths of all the cores of the PM-MCF in double pass is achieved using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer read out by a scientific CMOS camera operating at 416 Hz. A non-linear least squares fitting procedure is then employed to determine the deformation-induced lateral shift of the excitation spot at the distal tip of the PM-MCF. An experimental validation of this approach is presented that compares the proximally measured deformation-induced lateral shift in focal spot position to an independent distally measured ground truth. The proximal measurement of deformation-induced shift in focal spot position is applied to correct for deformation-induced shifts in focal spot position during raster-scanning multiphoton excited fluorescence imaging.

Changes in patellofemoral alignment do not cause clinical impact after open-wedge high tibial osteotomy.

PubMed

Lee, Yong Seuk; Lee, Sang Bok; Oh, Won Seok; Kwon, Yong Eok; Lee, Beom Koo

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcomes of open-wedge high tibial osteotomy focusing on patellofemoral alignment and (2) to search for correlation between variables and patellofemoral malalignment. A total of 46 knees (46 patients) from 32 females and 14 males who underwent open-wedge high tibial osteotomy were included in this retrospective case series. Outcomes were evaluated using clinical scales and radiologic parameters at the last follow-up. Pre-operative and final follow-up values were compared for the outcome analysis. For the focused analysis of the patellofemoral joint, correlation analyses between patellofemoral variables and pre- and post-operative weight-bearing line (WBL), clinical score, posterior slope, Blackburn Peel ratio, lateral patellar tilt, lateral patellar shift, and congruence angle were performed. The minimum follow-up period was 2 years and median follow-up period was 44 months (range 24-88 months). The percentage of weight-bearing line was shifted from 17.2 ± 11.1 to 56.7 ± 12.7%, and it was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Regarding the clinical results, statistical significance was observed using all scores (p < 0.01). In the radiologic evaluation, patellar descent was observed with statistical significance (p < 0.01). Last follow-up lateral patellar tilt was decreased with statistical significance (p < 0.01). In correlation analysis between variables of patellofemoral malalignment, the pre-operative weight-bearing line showed an association with the change in lateral patellar tilt and lateral patellar shift (correlation coefficient: 0.3). After open-wedge high tibial osteotomy, clinical results showed improvement, compared to pre-operative values. The patellar tilt and lateral patellar shift were not changed; however, descent of the patella was observed. Therefore, mild patellofemoral problems should not be a contraindication of the open-wedge high tibial osteotomy. Case series, Level IV.

A Field Investigation and Facility Review of Eight Modular Starved-Air Heat Recovery Incinerator Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

are shared with the production facility. I Capital Costs: $260,000 (1976) plus $45,000 for the building. Operating and Maintenance Costs: O&M costs are...agricultural product processing plant. Operation: Three shifts, 5.5 days/week, 52 weeks/year. Capital Costs: Total capital cost S1,400,000 (1981...which makes their operating and maintenance costs, waste tonnages, ; and steam production readily available. Sample Data (All Numbers Rounded) 1st

Improving lateral resolution and image quality of optical coherence tomography by the multi-frame superresolution technique for 3D tissue imaging.

PubMed

Shen, Kai; Lu, Hui; Baig, Sarfaraz; Wang, Michael R

2017-11-01

The multi-frame superresolution technique is introduced to significantly improve the lateral resolution and image quality of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Using several sets of low resolution C-scan 3D images with lateral sub-spot-spacing shifts on different sets, the multi-frame superresolution processing of these sets at each depth layer reconstructs a higher resolution and quality lateral image. Layer by layer processing yields an overall high lateral resolution and quality 3D image. In theory, the superresolution processing including deconvolution can solve the diffraction limit, lateral scan density and background noise problems together. In experiment, the improved lateral resolution by ~3 times reaching 7.81 µm and 2.19 µm using sample arm optics of 0.015 and 0.05 numerical aperture respectively as well as doubling the image quality has been confirmed by imaging a known resolution test target. Improved lateral resolution on in vitro skin C-scan images has been demonstrated. For in vivo 3D SD-OCT imaging of human skin, fingerprint and retina layer, we used the multi-modal volume registration method to effectively estimate the lateral image shifts among different C-scans due to random minor unintended live body motion. Further processing of these images generated high lateral resolution 3D images as well as high quality B-scan images of these in vivo tissues.

Maintenance Process Strategic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, M.; Stachowiak, A.

2016-08-01

The performance and competitiveness of manufacturing companies is dependent on the availability, reliability and productivity of their production facilities. Low productivity, downtime, and poor machine performance is often linked to inadequate plant maintenance, which in turn can lead to reduced production levels, increasing costs, lost market opportunities, and lower profits. These pressures have given firms worldwide the motivation to explore and embrace proactive maintenance strategies over the traditional reactive firefighting methods. The traditional view of maintenance has shifted into one of an overall view that encompasses Overall Equipment Efficiency, Stakeholders Management and Life Cycle assessment. From practical point of view it requires changes in approach to maintenance represented by managers and changes in actions performed within maintenance area. Managers have to understand that maintenance is not only about repairs and conservations of machines and devices, but also actions striving for more efficient resources management and care for safety and health of employees. The purpose of the work is to present strategic analysis based on SWOT analysis to identify the opportunities and strengths of maintenance process, to benefit from them as much as possible, as well as to identify weaknesses and threats, so that they could be eliminated or minimized.

Cardiac macrophage biology in the steady-state heart, the aging heart, and following myocardial infarction

PubMed Central

Ma, Yonggang; Mouton, Alan J.; Lindsey, Merry L.

2018-01-01

Macrophages play critical roles in homeostatic maintenance of the myocardium under normal conditions and in tissue repair after injury. In the steady-state heart, resident cardiac macrophages remove senescent and dying cells and facilitate electrical conduction. In the aging heart, the shift in macrophage phenotype to a proinflammatory subtype leads to inflammaging. Following myocardial infarction (MI), macrophages recruited to the infarct produce both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators (cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and growth factors), phagocytize dead cells, and promote angiogenesis and scar formation. These diverse properties are attributed to distinct macrophage subtypes and polarization status. Infarct macrophages exhibit a proinflammatory M1 phenotype early and become polarized toward an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype later post- MI. Although this classification system is oversimplified and needs to be refined to accommodate the multiple different macrophage subtypes that have been recently identified, general concepts on macrophage roles are independent of subtype classification. This review summarizes current knowledge about cardiac macrophage origins, roles, and phenotypes in the steady state, with aging, and after MI, as well as highlights outstanding areas of investigation. PMID:29106912

Passing the Baton: An Experimental Study of Shift Handover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parke, Bonny; Hobbs, Alan; Kanki, Barbara

2010-01-01

Shift handovers occur in many safety-critical environments, including aviation maintenance, medicine, air traffic control, and mission control for space shuttle and space station operations. Shift handovers are associated with increased risk of communication failures and human error. In dynamic industries, errors and accidents occur disproportionately after shift handover. Typical shift handovers involve transferring information from an outgoing shift to an incoming shift via written logs, or in some cases, face-to-face briefings. The current study explores the possibility of improving written communication with the support modalities of audio and video recordings, as well as face-to-face briefings. Fifty participants participated in an experimental task which mimicked some of the critical challenges involved in transferring information between shifts in industrial settings. All three support modalities, face-to-face, video, and audio recordings, reduced task errors significantly over written communication alone. The support modality most preferred by participants was face-to-face communication; the least preferred was written communication alone.

Effects of time-shifted data on flight determined stability and control derivatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steers, S. T.; Iliff, K. W.

1975-01-01

Flight data were shifted in time by various increments to assess the effects of time shifts on estimates of stability and control derivatives produced by a maximum likelihood estimation method. Derivatives could be extracted from flight data with the maximum likelihood estimation method even if there was a considerable time shift in the data. Time shifts degraded the estimates of the derivatives, but the degradation was in a consistent rather than a random pattern. Time shifts in the control variables caused the most degradation, and the lateral-directional rotary derivatives were affected the most by time shifts in any variable.

Quantitative stress radiography of the patella and evaluation of patellar laxity before and after lateral release for recurrent dislocation patella.

PubMed

Niimoto, Takuya; Deie, Masataka; Adachi, Nobuo; Usman, Muhammad Andry; Ochi, Mitsuo

2014-10-01

The aims of the present controlled clinical study were to (1) compare patella laxity determined in the outpatient clinic with that in anaesthetized patients and (2) evaluate patella laxity before and after lateral release. The study evaluated data on 33 knees from 33 patients (average age 19.7 years) between 2007 and 2011. All patients were diagnosed with recurrent dislocation of the patella. Patellar stability was evaluated in each patient thrice: patellas were first imaged in the outpatient clinic prior to surgery at 45° knee flexion with 20 N stress from the medial to lateral side and from the lateral to medial side; then, at the time of surgery, patella stress images were obtained in the same manner before and after the lateral release procedure. Radiological assessments were performed using the medial stress shift ratio (MSSR) and lateral stress shift ratio (LSSR). There were no significant differences in the LSSR and MSSR before surgery (outpatient data) and in anaesthetized patients before the lateral release procedure. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in MSSR at the time of surgery before and after the lateral release procedure. However, LSSR increased significantly after the lateral release procedure. The results of the present study suggest that quantitative patella stress radiography in the outpatient clinic is useful when it comes to investigating laxity of the patella, and that lateral release significantly increases lateral, but not medial, laxity in patients with recurrent patellar dislocation. IV.

Lateral root development in the maize (Zea mays) lateral rootless1 mutant

PubMed Central

Husakova, Eva; Hochholdinger, Frank; Soukup, Ales

2013-01-01

Background and Aims The maize lrt1 (lateral rootless1) mutant is impaired in its development of lateral roots during early post-embryonic development. The aim of this study was to characterize, in detail, the influences that the mutation exerts on lateral root initiation and the subsequent developments, as well as to describe the behaviour of the entire plant under variable environmental conditions. Methods Mutant lrt1 plants were cultivated under different conditions of hydroponics, and in between sheets of moist paper. Cleared whole mounts and anatomical sections were used in combination with both selected staining procedures and histochemical tests to follow root development. Root surface permeability tests and the biochemical quantification of lignin were performed to complement the structural data. Key Results The data presented suggest a redefinition of lrt1 function in lateral roots as a promoter of later development; however, neither the complete absence of lateral roots nor the frequency of their initiation is linked to lrt1 function. The developmental effects of lrt1 are under strong environmental influences. Mutant primordia are affected in structure, growth and emergence; and the majority of primordia terminate their growth during this last step, or shortly thereafter. The lateral roots are impaired in the maintenance of the root apical meristem. The primary root shows disturbances in the organization of both epidermal and subepidermal layers. The lrt1-related cell-wall modifications include: lignification in peripheral layers, the deposition of polyphenolic substances and a higher activity of peroxidase. Conclusions The present study provides novel insights into the function of the lrt1 gene in root system development. The lrt1 gene participates in the spatial distribution of initiation, but not in its frequency. Later, the development of lateral roots is strongly affected. The effect of the lrt1 mutation is not as obvious in the primary root, with no influences observed on the root apical meristem structure and maintenance; however, development of the epidermis and cortex are impaired. PMID:23456690

Lateral root development in the maize (Zea mays) lateral rootless1 mutant.

PubMed

Husakova, Eva; Hochholdinger, Frank; Soukup, Ales

2013-07-01

The maize lrt1 (lateral rootless1) mutant is impaired in its development of lateral roots during early post-embryonic development. The aim of this study was to characterize, in detail, the influences that the mutation exerts on lateral root initiation and the subsequent developments, as well as to describe the behaviour of the entire plant under variable environmental conditions. Mutant lrt1 plants were cultivated under different conditions of hydroponics, and in between sheets of moist paper. Cleared whole mounts and anatomical sections were used in combination with both selected staining procedures and histochemical tests to follow root development. Root surface permeability tests and the biochemical quantification of lignin were performed to complement the structural data. The data presented suggest a redefinition of lrt1 function in lateral roots as a promoter of later development; however, neither the complete absence of lateral roots nor the frequency of their initiation is linked to lrt1 function. The developmental effects of lrt1 are under strong environmental influences. Mutant primordia are affected in structure, growth and emergence; and the majority of primordia terminate their growth during this last step, or shortly thereafter. The lateral roots are impaired in the maintenance of the root apical meristem. The primary root shows disturbances in the organization of both epidermal and subepidermal layers. The lrt1-related cell-wall modifications include: lignification in peripheral layers, the deposition of polyphenolic substances and a higher activity of peroxidase. The present study provides novel insights into the function of the lrt1 gene in root system development. The lrt1 gene participates in the spatial distribution of initiation, but not in its frequency. Later, the development of lateral roots is strongly affected. The effect of the lrt1 mutation is not as obvious in the primary root, with no influences observed on the root apical meristem structure and maintenance; however, development of the epidermis and cortex are impaired.

Ankle joint pressure changes in a pes cavovarus model: supramalleolar valgus osteotomy versus lateralizing calcaneal osteotomy.

PubMed

Schmid, Timo; Zurbriggen, Sebastian; Zderic, Ivan; Gueorguiev, Boyko; Weber, Martin; Krause, Fabian G

2013-09-01

A fixed cavovarus foot deformity can be associated with anteromedial ankle arthrosis due to elevated medial joint contact stresses. Supramalleolar valgus osteotomies (SMOT) and lateralizing calcaneal osteotomies (LCOT) are commonly used to treat symptoms by redistributing joint contact forces. In a cavovarus model, the effects of SMOT and LCOT on the lateralization of the center of force (COF) and reduction of the peak pressure in the ankle joint were compared. A previously published cavovarus model with fixed hindfoot varus was simulated in 10 cadaver specimens. Closing wedge supramalleolar valgus osteotomies 3 cm above the ankle joint level (6 and 11 degrees) and lateral sliding calcaneal osteotomies (5 and 10 mm displacement) were analyzed at 300 N axial static load (half body weight). The COF migration and peak pressure decrease in the ankle were recorded using high-resolution TekScan pressure sensors. A significant lateral COF shift was observed for each osteotomy: 2.1 mm for the 6 degrees (P = .014) and 2.3 mm for the 11 degrees SMOT (P = .010). The 5 mm LCOT led to a lateral shift of 2.0 mm (P = .042) and the 10 mm LCOT to a shift of 3.0 mm (P = .006). Comparing the different osteotomies among themselves no significant differences were recorded. No significant anteroposterior COF shift was seen. A significant peak pressure reduction was recorded for each osteotomy: The SMOT led to a reduction of 29% (P = .033) for the 6 degrees and 47% (P = .003) for the 11 degrees osteotomy, and the LCOT to a reduction of 41% (P = .003) for the 5 mm and 49% (P = .002) for the 10 mm osteotomy. Similar to the COF lateralization no significant differences between the osteotomies were seen. LCOT and SMOT significantly reduced anteromedial ankle joint contact stresses in this cavovarus model. The unloading effects of both osteotomies were equivalent. More correction did not lead to significantly more lateralization of the COF or more reduction of peak pressure but a trend was seen. In patients with fixed cavovarus feet, both SMOT and LCOT provided equally good redistribution of elevated ankle joint contact forces. Increasing the amount of displacement did not seem to equally improve the joint pressures. The site of osteotomy could therefore be chosen on the basis of surgeon's preference, simplicity, or local factors in case of more complex reconstructions.

Response shift in the assessment of anxiety, depression and perceived health in urologic cancer patients: an individual perspective.

PubMed

Hinz, A; Finck Barboza, C; Zenger, M; Singer, S; Schwalenberg, T; Stolzenburg, J-U

2011-09-01

The assessment of quality of life in cancer patients is hampered because patients may change their frames of reference during the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to test individual differences in these response shift effects. Urologic cancer patients (n= 275) were examined during the stay in the hospital (T1), 2 weeks later (T2) and 3 months later (T3). Furthermore, at T3 they were asked to retrospectively assess their situation at T1 (then-test). The difference between this retrospective assessment and the original assessment at T1 was used to determine the response shift effect (recalibration). Anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-2), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) and health dissatisfaction (Questionnaire on Life Satisfaction) were obtained at all points in time. The effect sizes of the mean response shift effects (recalibration) ranged between 0.26 and 0.48. Nevertheless, a large proportion of the sample showed no response shift (22-38%) or even negative response shift effects (20-30%). There were significant correlations among the response shift measures of the domains (anxiety, depression and health dissatisfaction) with coefficients between 0.29 and 0.51. The results indicate that response shift should not only be assessed on the mean score level, since it is also a dimension of individual difference. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mapping of the Underlying Neural Mechanisms of Maintenance and Manipulation in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Using An n-back Mental Rotation Task: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

PubMed

Lamp, Gemma; Alexander, Bonnie; Laycock, Robin; Crewther, David P; Crewther, Sheila G

2016-01-01

Mapping of the underlying neural mechanisms of visuo-spatial working memory (WM) has been shown to consistently elicit activity in right hemisphere dominant fronto-parietal networks. However to date, the bulk of neuroimaging literature has focused largely on the maintenance aspect of visuo-spatial WM, with a scarcity of research into the aspects of WM involving manipulation of information. Thus, this study aimed to compare maintenance-only with maintenance and manipulation of visuo-spatial stimuli (3D cube shapes) utilizing a 1-back task while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were acquired. Sixteen healthy participants (9 women, M = 23.94 years, SD = 2.49) were required to perform the 1-back task with or without mentally rotating the shapes 90° on a vertical axis. When no rotation was required (maintenance-only condition), a right hemispheric lateralization was revealed across fronto-parietal areas. However, when the task involved maintaining and manipulating the same stimuli through 90° rotation, activation was primarily seen in the bilateral parietal lobe and left fusiform gyrus. The findings confirm that the well-established right lateralized fronto-parietal networks are likely to underlie simple maintenance of visuo-spatial stimuli. The results also suggest that the added demand of manipulation of information maintained online appears to require further neural recruitment of functionally related areas. In particular mental rotation of visuospatial stimuli required bilateral parietal areas, and the left fusiform gyrus potentially to maintain a categorical or object representation. It can be concluded that WM is a complex neural process involving the interaction of an increasingly large network.

Mapping of the Underlying Neural Mechanisms of Maintenance and Manipulation in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Using An n-back Mental Rotation Task: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

PubMed Central

Lamp, Gemma; Alexander, Bonnie; Laycock, Robin; Crewther, David P.; Crewther, Sheila G.

2016-01-01

Mapping of the underlying neural mechanisms of visuo-spatial working memory (WM) has been shown to consistently elicit activity in right hemisphere dominant fronto-parietal networks. However to date, the bulk of neuroimaging literature has focused largely on the maintenance aspect of visuo-spatial WM, with a scarcity of research into the aspects of WM involving manipulation of information. Thus, this study aimed to compare maintenance-only with maintenance and manipulation of visuo-spatial stimuli (3D cube shapes) utilizing a 1-back task while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were acquired. Sixteen healthy participants (9 women, M = 23.94 years, SD = 2.49) were required to perform the 1-back task with or without mentally rotating the shapes 90° on a vertical axis. When no rotation was required (maintenance-only condition), a right hemispheric lateralization was revealed across fronto-parietal areas. However, when the task involved maintaining and manipulating the same stimuli through 90° rotation, activation was primarily seen in the bilateral parietal lobe and left fusiform gyrus. The findings confirm that the well-established right lateralized fronto-parietal networks are likely to underlie simple maintenance of visuo-spatial stimuli. The results also suggest that the added demand of manipulation of information maintained online appears to require further neural recruitment of functionally related areas. In particular mental rotation of visuospatial stimuli required bilateral parietal areas, and the left fusiform gyrus potentially to maintain a categorical or object representation. It can be concluded that WM is a complex neural process involving the interaction of an increasingly large network. PMID:27199694

Heterosynaptic metaplasticity in the hippocampus in vivo: A BCM-like modifiable threshold for LTP

PubMed Central

Abraham, Wickliffe C.; Mason-Parker, Sara E.; Bear, Mark F.; Webb, Sarah; Tate, Warren P.

2001-01-01

The homeostatic maintenance of the “modification threshold” for inducing long-term potentiation (LTP) is a fundamental feature of the Bienenstock, Cooper, and Munro (BCM) model of synaptic plasticity. In the present study, two key features of the modification threshold, its heterosynaptic expression and its regulation by postsynaptic neural activity, were tested experimentally in the dentate gyrus of awake, freely moving rats. Conditioning stimulation ranging from 10 to 1,440 brief 400-Hz trains, when applied to medial perforant path afferents, raised the threshold for LTP induction heterosynaptically in the neighboring lateral perforant path synapses. This effect recovered slowly over a 7- to 35-day period. The same conditioning paradigms, however, did not affect the reversal of long-term depression. The inhibition of LTP by medial-path conditioning stimulation was N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent, but antidromic stimulation of the granule cells could also inhibit lateral path LTP induction, independently of NMDA receptor activation. Increased calcium buffering is a potential mechanism underlying the altered LTP threshold, but the levels of two important calcium-binding proteins did not increase after conditioning stimulation, nor was de novo protein synthesis required for generating the threshold shift. These data confirm, in an in vivo model, two key postulates of the BCM model regarding the LTP threshold. They also provide further evidence for the broad sensitivity of synaptic plasticity mechanisms to the history of prior activity, i.e., metaplasticity. PMID:11517323

Initiation of forward gait with lateral occurrence of emotional stimuli: general findings and relevance for pedestrians crossing roads.

PubMed

Caffier, D; Gillet, C; Heurley, L P; Bourrelly, A; Barbier, F; Naveteur, J

2017-03-01

With reference to theoretical models regarding links between emotions and actions, the present study examined whether the lateral occurrence of an emotional stimulus influences spatial and temporal parameters of gait initiation in 18 younger and 18 older healthy adults. In order to simulate road-crossing hazard for pedestrians, slides of approaching cars were used and they were presented in counterbalanced order with threatening slides from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) and control slides of safe walking areas. Each slide was presented on the left side of the participant once the first step was initiated. The results evidenced medio-lateral shifts to the left for the first step (right foot) and to the right for the second step (left foot). These shifts were both modulated by the slide contents in such a way that the resulting distance between the screen and the foot (right or left) was larger with the IAPS and traffic slides than with the control slides. The slides did not affect the base of support, step length, step velocity and time of double support. Advancing age influenced the subjective impact of the slides and gait characteristics, but did not modulate medio-lateral shifts. The data extend evidence of fast, emotional modulation of stepping, with theoretical and applied consequences.

Recycling, clustering, and endocytosis jointly maintain PIN auxin carrier polarity at the plasma membrane

PubMed Central

Kleine-Vehn, Jürgen; Wabnik, Krzysztof; Martinière, Alexandre; Łangowski, Łukasz; Willig, Katrin; Naramoto, Satoshi; Leitner, Johannes; Tanaka, Hirokazu; Jakobs, Stefan; Robert, Stéphanie; Luschnig, Christian; Govaerts, Willy; W Hell, Stefan; Runions, John; Friml, Jiří

2011-01-01

Cell polarity reflected by asymmetric distribution of proteins at the plasma membrane is a fundamental feature of unicellular and multicellular organisms. It remains conceptually unclear how cell polarity is kept in cell wall-encapsulated plant cells. We have used super-resolution and semi-quantitative live-cell imaging in combination with pharmacological, genetic, and computational approaches to reveal insights into the mechanism of cell polarity maintenance in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that polar-competent PIN transporters for the phytohormone auxin are delivered to the center of polar domains by super-polar recycling. Within the plasma membrane, PINs are recruited into non-mobile membrane clusters and their lateral diffusion is dramatically reduced, which ensures longer polar retention. At the circumventing edges of the polar domain, spatially defined internalization of escaped cargos occurs by clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Computer simulations confirm that the combination of these processes provides a robust mechanism for polarity maintenance in plant cells. Moreover, our study suggests that the regulation of lateral diffusion and spatially defined endocytosis, but not super-polar exocytosis have primary importance for PIN polarity maintenance. PMID:22027551

Efficacy and safety of lacosamide as first add-on or later adjunctive treatment for uncontrolled partial-onset seizures: A multicentre open-label trial.

PubMed

Zadeh, Wendy Waldman; Escartin, Antonio; Byrnes, William; Tennigkeit, Frank; Borghs, Simon; Li, Ting; Dedeken, Peter; De Backer, Marc

2015-09-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lacosamide administered as either first add-on or later add-on antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy for patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures (POS). In this open-label, multicentre trial, patients with POS initiated oral lacosamide (titrated to 400 mg/day) either as add-on to first AED monotherapy, or as later add-on to 1-3 concomitant AEDs after ≥ 2 previous AEDs. The primary efficacy variable was the proportion of patients achieving seizure freedom for the first 12 weeks of the 24-week Maintenance Phase. 456 patients received ≥ 1 dose of lacosamide (96 as first add-on, 360 as later add-on). In the first add-on cohort, 27/72 (37.5%) patients completed 12 weeks treatment and remained seizure-free; 18/68 (26.5%) remained seizure-free after 24 weeks. 64/91 (70.3%) patients achieved ≥ 50% reduction in seizure frequency during maintenance treatment. This was accompanied by a mean 7.1 ± 16.00 point improvement from Baseline in the Quality of Life Inventory in Epilepsy (QOLIE-31-P) total score for 24-week completers, with improvement reported in all subscales. Most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were dizziness (31.3%) and headache (13.5%). In the later add-on cohort, 39/261 (14.9%) and 29/249 (11.6%) patients remained seizure-free after completing 12 and 24 weeks' treatment, respectively. 178/353 (50.4%) patients achieved ≥ 50% reduction in seizure frequency during maintenance treatment. Mean change in QOLIE-31-P total score was 4.8 ± 14.74 points among 24-week completers. Common TEAEs were dizziness (33.6%), somnolence (15.0%) and headache (11.4%). Lacosamide initiated as first add-on treatment was efficacious and well tolerated in patients with uncontrolled POS. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dopaminergic basis for deficits in working memory but not attentional set-shifting in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Lewis, Simon J G; Slabosz, Aleksandra; Robbins, Trevor W; Barker, Roger A; Owen, Adrian M

2005-01-01

Although Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterised by its motoric symptoms, there is an increasing recognition of accompanying impairments in cognition that have a profound impact on the quality of life of these patients. These deficits predominantly affect executive function and impairments of working memory have been frequently reported. However, the underlying neurochemical and pathological basis for these deficits are not well understood. In this study, 20 patients were tested 'on' and 'off' levodopa (L-dopa) medication on a task that allowed different aspects of working memory function such as maintenance, retrieval and manipulation to be tested within the same general paradigm as well as on an unrelated test of attentional set-shifting, which is known to be sensitive to deficits in early Parkinson's disease. Compared to healthy volunteers, PD patients were impaired at manipulation more than maintenance or retrieval of information within working memory. The patients were also impaired at the attentional set-shifting task. However, whereas L-dopa ameliorated the working memory deficit in manipulation (improving both accuracy and cognitive response time), it had no effect on the attentional set-shifting impairment. These results confirm that working memory deficits in PD are both psychologically specific and related to dopamine depletion. It is anticipated that greater understanding of these mechanisms will lead to future therapeutic improvements.

Variations in medial-lateral hamstring force and force ratio influence tibiofemoral kinematics.

PubMed

Shalhoub, Sami; Fitzwater, Fallon G; Cyr, Adam J; Maletsky, Lorin P

2016-10-01

A change in hamstring strength and activation is typically seen after injuries or invasive surgeries such as anterior cruciate reconstruction or total knee replacement. While many studies have investigated the influence of isometric increases in hamstring load on knee joint kinematics, few have quantified the change in kinematics due to a variation in medial to lateral hamstring force ratio. This study examined the changes in knee joint kinematics on eight cadaveric knees during an open-chain deep knee bend for six different loading configurations: five loaded hamstring configurations that varied the ratio of a total load of 175 N between the semimembranosus and biceps femoris and one with no loads on the hamstring. The anterior-posterior translation of the medial and lateral femoral condyles' lowest points along proximal-distal axis of the tibia, the axial rotation of the tibia, and the quadriceps load were measured at each flexion angle. Unloading the hamstring shifted the medial and lateral lowest points posteriorly and increased tibial internal rotation. The influence of unloading hamstrings on quadriceps load was small in early flexion and increased with knee flexion. The loading configuration with the highest lateral hamstrings force resulted in the most posterior translation of the medial lowest point, most anterior translation of the lateral lowest point, and the highest tibial external rotation of the five loading configurations. As the medial hamstring force ratio increased, the medial lowest point shifted anteriorly, the lateral lowest point shifted posteriorly, and the tibia rotated more internally. The results of this study, demonstrate that variation in medial-lateral hamstrings force and force ratio influence tibiofemoral transverse kinematics and quadriceps loads required to extend the knee. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1707-1715, 2016. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maintenance treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer: Is it ready for prime time?

PubMed

DiSilvestro, Paul; Alvarez Secord, Angeles

2018-06-05

Approximately 1% of women in the United States will be diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) during their lifetime. It is most likely to present at a more advanced stage, requiring aggressive therapeutic measures, and most women will succumb to this illness. Due to advancements in therapy, the oncology community has begun to shift its focus to molecular targeted agents, alternative dosing schedules, and maintenance therapy. Women who achieve a response to initial adjuvant chemotherapy may be candidates for maintenance therapy, with the goal of inducing a lasting remission or prolonging the disease-free interval before recurrence. The rationale for maintenance therapy is to delay disease progression by eliminating residual, slowly-dying cancerous cells, or impeding cell turnover. This review discusses the goals of maintenance therapy for EOC with antiangiogenic agents or poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, and reviews clinical studies that have demonstrated improvements in survival outcomes. The side-effect profiles for PARP inhibitors and the implications for preserving quality of life during maintenance therapy will also be discussed. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Improving lateral resolution and image quality of optical coherence tomography by the multi-frame superresolution technique for 3D tissue imaging

PubMed Central

Shen, Kai; Lu, Hui; Baig, Sarfaraz; Wang, Michael R.

2017-01-01

The multi-frame superresolution technique is introduced to significantly improve the lateral resolution and image quality of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Using several sets of low resolution C-scan 3D images with lateral sub-spot-spacing shifts on different sets, the multi-frame superresolution processing of these sets at each depth layer reconstructs a higher resolution and quality lateral image. Layer by layer processing yields an overall high lateral resolution and quality 3D image. In theory, the superresolution processing including deconvolution can solve the diffraction limit, lateral scan density and background noise problems together. In experiment, the improved lateral resolution by ~3 times reaching 7.81 µm and 2.19 µm using sample arm optics of 0.015 and 0.05 numerical aperture respectively as well as doubling the image quality has been confirmed by imaging a known resolution test target. Improved lateral resolution on in vitro skin C-scan images has been demonstrated. For in vivo 3D SD-OCT imaging of human skin, fingerprint and retina layer, we used the multi-modal volume registration method to effectively estimate the lateral image shifts among different C-scans due to random minor unintended live body motion. Further processing of these images generated high lateral resolution 3D images as well as high quality B-scan images of these in vivo tissues. PMID:29188089

Wavelength shift in vertical cavity laser arrays on a patterned substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eng, L. E.; Bacher, K.; Yuen, W.; Larson, M.; Ding, G.; Harris, J. S., Jr.; Chang-Hasnain, C. J.

1995-03-01

The authors demonstrate a spatially chirped emission wavelength in vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The wavelength shift is due to a lateral thickness variation in the Al(0.2)Ga(0.8)As cavity, which is induced by a substrate temperature profile during growth. A 20 nm shift in lasing wavelength is obtained in a VCSEL array.

Analysis of grating doublets for achromatic beam-splitting

PubMed Central

Pacheco, Shaun; Milster, Tom; Liang, Rongguang

2015-01-01

Achromatic beam-splitting grating doublets are designed for both continuous phase and binary phase gratings. By analyzing the sensitivity to lateral shifts between the two grating layers, it is shown that continuous-profile grating doublets are extremely difficult to fabricate. Achromatic grating doublets that have profiles with a constant first spatial derivative are significantly more resistant to lateral shifts between grating layers, where one design case showed a 17 times improvement in performance. Therefore, binary phase, multi-level phase, and blazed grating doublets perform significantly better than continuous phase grating doublets in the presence of a lateral shift between two grating layers. By studying the sensitivity to fabrication errors in the height of both grating layers, one grating layer height can be adjusted to maintain excellent performance over a large wavelength range if the other grating layer is fabricated incorrectly. It is shown in one design case that the performance of an achromatic Dammann grating doublet can be improved by a factor of 215 if the heights of the grating layers are chosen to minimize the performance change in the presence of fabrication errors. PMID:26368261

Exposure of highway maintenance workers to fine particulate matter and noise.

PubMed

Meier, Reto; Cascio, Wayne E; Danuser, Brigitta; Riediker, Michael

2013-10-01

In this study, we assessed the mixed exposure of highway maintenance workers to airborne particles, noise, and gaseous co-pollutants. The aim was to provide a better understanding of the workers' exposure to facilitate the evaluation of short-term effects on cardiovascular health endpoints. To quantify the workers' exposure, we monitored 18 subjects during 50 non-consecutive work shifts. Exposure assessment was based on personal and work site measurements and included fine particulate matter (PM2.5), particle number concentration (PNC), noise (Leq), and the gaseous co-pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. Mean work shift PM2.5 concentrations (gravimetric measurements) ranged from 20.3 to 321 μg m(-3) (mean 62 μg m(-3)) and PNC were between 1.6×10(4) and 4.1×10(5) particles cm(-3) (8.9×10(4) particles cm(-3)). Noise levels were generally high with Leq over work shifts from 73.3 to 96.0 dB(A); the averaged Leq over all work shifts was 87.2 dB(A). The highest exposure to fine and ultrafine particles was measured during grass mowing and lumbering when motorized brush cutters and chain saws were used. Highest noise levels, caused by pneumatic hammers, were measured during paving and guardrail repair. We found moderate Spearman correlations between PNC and PM2.5 (r = 0.56); PNC, PM2.5, and CO (r = 0.60 and r = 0.50) as well as PNC and noise (r = 0.50). Variability and correlation of parameters were influenced by work activities that included equipment causing combined air pollutant and noise emissions (e.g. brush cutters and chain saws). We conclude that highway maintenance workers are frequently exposed to elevated airborne particle and noise levels compared with the average population. This elevated exposure is a consequence of the permanent proximity to highway traffic with additional peak exposures caused by emissions of the work-related equipment.

Advanced oil recovery technologies for improved recovery from slope basin clastic reservoirs, Nash Draw Brushy Canyon Pool, Eddy County, NM. Second annual technical progress report, October 1, 1996--September 30, 1997

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

NONE

1998-09-01

The Nash Draw Brushy Canyon Pool in Eddy County, New Mexico is a field demonstration in the US Department of Energy Class III Program. Advanced reservoir characterization techniques are being used at the Nash Draw project to develop reservoir management strategies for optimizing oil recovery from this Delaware reservoir. Analysis, interpretation, and integration of recently acquired geological, geophysical, and engineering data revealed that the initial reservoir description was too simplistic to capture the critical features of this complex formation. As a result of the analysis, a proposed pilot area was reconsidered. Comparison of seismic data and engineering data have shownmore » evidence of discontinuities in the area surrounding the proposed injector. Analysis of the 3-D seismic has shown that wells in the proposed pilot are in an area of poor quality amplitude development. The implication is that since amplitude attenuation is a function of porosity, then this is not the best area to be attempting a pilot pressure maintenance project. Because the original pilot area appears to be compartmentalized, the lateral continuity between the pilot wells could be reduced. The 3-D seismic interpretation indicates other areas may be better suited for the initial pilot area. Therefore, the current focus has shifted more to targeted drilling, and the pilot injection will be considered in a more continuous area of the NDP in the future. Results of reservoir simulation studies indicate that pressure maintenance should be started early when reservoir pressure is still high.« less

Decision Support Tool for Nighttime Construction and Air Quality - User’s Guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-11-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Research Project 0-6864 Investigate the Air Quality Benefits of Nighttime Construction in Non-attainment Counties investigated the potential air quality benefits of shifting construction/maintenance acti...

Overexpression of 5-HT(1B) mRNA in nucleus accumbens shell projection neurons differentially affects microarchitecture of initiation and maintenance of ethanol consumption.

PubMed

Furay, Amy R; Neumaier, John F; Mullenix, Andrew T; Kaiyala, Karl K; Sandygren, Nolan K; Hoplight, Blair J

2011-02-01

Serotonin 1B (5-HT(1B)) heteroreceptors on nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) projection neurons have been shown to enhance the voluntary consumption of alcohol by rats, presumably by modulating the activity of the mesolimbic reward pathway. The present study examined whether increasing 5-HT(1B) receptors expressed on NAcSh projection neurons by means of virus-mediated gene transfer enhances ethanol consumption during the initiation or maintenance phase of drinking and alters the temporal pattern of drinking behavior. Animals received stereotaxic injections of viral vectors expressing either 5-HT(1B) receptor and green fluorescent protein (GFP) or GFP alone. Home cages equipped with a three-bottle (water and 6 and 12% ethanol) lickometer system recorded animals' drinking behaviors continuously, capturing either initiation or maintenance of drinking behavior patterns. Overexpression of 5-HT(1B) receptors during initiation increased consumption of 12% ethanol during both forced-access and free-choice consumption. There was a shift in drinking pattern for 6% ethanol with an increase in number of drinking bouts per day, although the total number of drinking bouts for 12% ethanol was not different. Finally, increased 5-HT(1B) expression induced more bouts with very high-frequency licking from the ethanol bottle sippers. During the maintenance phase of drinking, there were no differences between groups in total volume of ethanol consumed; however, there was a shift toward drinking bouts of longer duration, especially for 12% ethanol. This suggests that during maintenance drinking, increased 5-HT(1B) receptors facilitate longer drinking bouts of more modest volumes. Taken together, these results indicate that 5-HT(1B) receptors expressed on NAcSh projection neurons facilitate ethanol drinking, with different effects during initiation and maintenance of ethanol-drinking behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface electromyographic evaluation of jaw muscles in children with unilateral crossbite and lateral shift in the early mixed dentition. Sexual dimorphism

PubMed Central

Lenguas, Leticia; Alarcón, José-Antonio; Venancio, Filipa; Kassem, Marta

2012-01-01

Objectives: To examine the activity of jaw muscles at rest and during maximal voluntary clenching (MVC) in children with unilateral posterior crossbite (UPXB) and functional lateral shift in the early mixed dentition and to evaluate sex differences. Material and Methods: The sample included 30 children (15 males, 15 females) aged 6 to 10 years old, with UPXB and functional mandibular lateral shift (≥1.5 mm) in the early mixed dentition. sEMG activity coming from the muscle areas (anterior temporalis [AT], posterior temporalis [PT], masseter [MA] and suprahyoid [SH]) were obtained from both the crossbite (XB) and noncrossbite (NONXB) sides at mandibular rest position. sEMG acti-vity of the bilateral AT and MA muscles sides was obtained during MVC. Asymmetry and activity indexes were calculated for each muscle area at rest and during MVC; the MA/TA ratio during MVC was also determined. Results: At rest, no differences were found between sexes for any muscle areas or asymmetry and activity indexes. No differences were found between XB and NONXB sides. During MVC, however, significant sex differences were found in AT and MA activity, with higher sEMG values in males than in females, on both XB and NONXB sides. Asymmetry indexes, activity indexes and MA/AT ratios did not show significant differences between the sexes. Activity was symmetric both in males and in females. Conclusions: At rest, no sex differences were found, but during MVC males showed higher activity than did females in both XB and NONXB AT and MA muscle areas. Muscular activity was symmetrical at rest and during MVC in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of UPXB and lateral shift in the early mixed dentition. Key words:Unilateral crossbite, mandibular shift, jaw muscles, sEMG, early mixed dentition. PMID:22926468

Age-Dependent Mesial Temporal Lobe Lateralization in Language FMRI

PubMed Central

Sepeta, Leigh N.; Berl, Madison M.; Wilke, Marko; You, Xiaozhen; Mehta, Meera; Xu, Benjamin; Inati, Sara; Dustin, Irene; Khan, Omar; Austermuehle, Alison; Theodore, William H.; Gaillard, William D.

2015-01-01

Objective FMRI activation of the mesial temporal lobe (MTL) may be important for epilepsy surgical planning. We examined MTL activation and lateralization during language fMRI in children and adults with focal epilepsy. Methods 142 controls and patients with left hemisphere focal epilepsy (Pediatric: epilepsy, n = 17, mean age = 9.9 ± 2.0; controls, n = 48; mean age = 9.1 ± 2.6; Adult: epilepsy, n = 20, mean age = 26.7 ± 5.8; controls, n = 57, mean age = 26.2 ± 7.5) underwent 3T fMRI using a language task (auditory description decision task). Image processing and analyses were conducted in SPM8; ROIs included MTL, Broca’s area, and Wernicke’s area. We assessed group and individual MTL activation, and examined degree of lateralization. Results Patients and controls (pediatric and adult) demonstrated group and individual MTL activation during language fMRI. MTL activation was left lateralized for adults but less so in children (p’s < 0.005). Patients did not differ from controls in either age group. Stronger left-lateralized MTL activation was related to older age (p = 0.02). Language lateralization (Broca’s and Wernicke’s) predicted 19% of the variance in MTL lateralization for adults (p = 0.001), but not children. Significance Language fMRI may be used to elicit group and individual MTL activation. The developmental difference in MTL lateralization and its association with language lateralization suggests a developmental shift in lateralization of MTL function, with increased left lateralization across the age span. This shift may help explain why children have better memory outcomes following resection compared to adults. PMID:26696589

Advancing complex explanatory conceptualizations of daily negative and positive affect: trigger and maintenance coping action patterns.

PubMed

Dunkley, David M; Ma, Denise; Lee, Ihno A; Preacher, Kristopher J; Zuroff, David C

2014-01-01

The present study addressed a fundamental gap between research and clinical work by advancing complex explanatory conceptualizations of coping action patterns that trigger and maintain daily negative affect and (low) positive affect. One hundred ninety-six community adults completed measures of perfectionism, and then 6 months later completed questionnaires at the end of the day for 14 consecutive days to provide simultaneous assessments of appraisals, coping, and affect across different stressful situations in everyday life. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) supported complex explanatory conceptualizations that demonstrated (a) disengagement trigger patterns consisting of several distinct appraisals (e.g., event stress) and coping strategies (e.g., avoidant coping) that commonly operate together across many different stressors when the typical individual experiences daily increases in negative affect and drops in positive affect; and (b) disengagement maintenance patterns composed of different appraisal and coping maintenance factors that, in combination, can explain why individuals with higher levels of self-critical perfectionism have persistent daily negative affect and low positive mood 6 months later. In parallel, engagement patterns (triggers and maintenance) composed of distinct appraisals (e.g., perceived social support) and coping strategies (e.g., problem-focused coping) were linked to compensatory experiences of daily positive affect. These findings demonstrate the promise of using daily diary methodologies and MSEM to promote a shared understanding between therapists and clients of trigger and maintenance coping action patterns that explain what precipitates and perpetuates clients' difficulties, which, in turn, can help achieve the 2 overarching therapy goals of reducing clients' distress and bolstering resilience. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Analyses of track shift under high-speed vehicle-track interaction : safety of high speed ground transportation systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-06-01

This report describes analysis tools to predict shift under high-speed vehicle- : track interaction. The analysis approach is based on two fundamental models : developed (as part of this research); the first model computes the track lateral : residua...

Group 3 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Maintenance Challenges Within The Naval Aviation Enterprise

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

cross winds . We again went through the mishap processes and reviewed training and maintenance records. A couple months later, there was a third crash...gas turbine engines powering aircraft with humans on board (DON, 2017). Group 3 unmanned aircraft utilize a sealed fuel system. The tank is filled...aircraft do not use gas turbine engines. They use either rotary Wankle or piston driven engines with much simpler fuel delivery systems such as carburetors

Investigation of system operations performance measures for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-01-01

The focus of the surface transportation community has been steadily shifting over the past decade, from one of capital construction and maintenance toward system operations. To support this new focus, new monitoring tools are necessary. The Virginia ...

40 CFR 600.005-81 - Maintenance of records and rights of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and Carbon-Related Exhaust Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year Automobiles-General... headings including such extraordinary events as vehicle accidents or driver speeding citations or warnings...

Sleep-wake habits and circadian preference in Mexican secondary school.

PubMed

Arrona-Palacios, Arturo; García, Aída; Valdez, Pablo

2015-10-01

The current study aimed to determine the differences between sleep-wake habits and circadian preference in Mexican adolescents attending classes at a morning shift or an afternoon shift. The sample consisted of 568 students of a secondary school in Reynosa, northeastern Mexico, of whom 280 were boys and 288 were girls (mean age 14.08 ± 0.72 years, age range 13-16 years). In the morning shift, 287 students attend classes on a schedule from 7:30 to 13:00 and the afternoon shift, 281 students, on a schedule from 13:20 to 19:00. Students completed a general information questionnaire, the Sleep Timing Questionnaire and the Spanish version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. The adolescents who attended the morning shift had earlier bedtime and waking time, but shorter sleep duration than those who attended the afternoon shift. Those oriented to eveningness had later bedtime, waking time, and a shorter sleep duration than those oriented to morningness. Two interactions were found between school shift and chronotype. First, with regard to waking time during weekdays, students who attended the afternoon shift and were oriented to eveningness woke up later than those who attended the morning shift and were oriented to eveningness; during weekdays, there were no differences between the waking time of morning-type and evening-type students who attended the morning shift. Second, with regard to sleep duration on weekdays, students who attended the morning shift and were oriented to eveningness had the shortest sleep duration. Furthermore, there were no differences between sleep duration on weekdays in evening-type and morning-type students of the afternoon shift. Adolescents who attend classes in the morning shift and are oriented to eveningness are the most sleep deprived. Those who attend the afternoon shift will have optimal sleep duration, regardless of their circadian preference. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Suppression of no-longer relevant information in Working Memory: An alpha-power related mechanism?

PubMed

Poch, Claudia; Valdivia, María; Capilla, Almudena; Hinojosa, José Antonio; Campo, Pablo

2018-03-27

Selective attention can enhance Working Memory (WM) performance by selecting relevant information, while preventing distracting items from encoding or from further maintenance. Alpha oscillatory modulations are a correlate of visuospatial attention. Specifically, an enhancement of alpha power is observed in the ipsilateral posterior cortex to the locus of attention, along with a suppression in the contralateral hemisphere. An influential model proposes that the alpha enhancement is functionally related to the suppression of information. However, whether ipsilateral alpha power represents a mechanism through which no longer relevant WM representations are inhibited has yet not been explored. Here we examined whether the amount of distractors to be suppressed during WM maintenance is functionally related to alpha power lateralized activity. We measure EEG activity while participants (N = 36) performed a retro-cue task in which the WM load was varied across the relevant/irrelevant post-cue hemifield. We found that alpha activity was lateralized respect to the locus of attention, but did not track post-cue irrelevant load. Additionally, non-lateralized alpha activity increased with post-cue relevant load. We propose that alpha lateralization associated to retro-cuing might be related to a general orienting mechanism toward relevant representation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transverse Pupil Shifts for Adaptive Optics Non-Common Path Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloemhof, Eric E.

2011-01-01

A simple new way of obtaining absolute wavefront measurements with a laboratory Fizeau interferometer was recently devised. In that case, the observed wavefront map is the difference of two cavity surfaces, those of the mirror under test and of an unknown reference surface on the Fizeau s transmission flat. The absolute surface of each can be determined by applying standard wavefront reconstruction techniques to two grids of absolute surface height differences of the mirror under test, obtained from pairs of measurements made with slight transverse shifts in X and Y. Adaptive optics systems typically provide an actuated periscope between wavefront sensor (WFS) and commonmode optics, used for lateral registration of deformable mirror (DM) to WFS. This periscope permits independent adjustment of either pupil or focal spot incident on the WFS. It would be used to give the required lateral pupil motion between common and non-common segments, analogous to the lateral shifts of the two phase contributions in the lab Fizeau. The technique is based on a completely new approach to calibration of phase. It offers unusual flexibility with regard to the transverse spatial frequency scales probed, and will give results quite quickly, making use of no auxiliary equipment other than that built into the adaptive optics system. The new technique may be applied to provide novel calibration information about other optical systems in which the beam may be shifted transversely in a controlled way.

How microsaccades relate to lateralized ERP components of spatial attention: A co-registration study.

PubMed

Meyberg, Susann; Sommer, Werner; Dimigen, Olaf

2017-05-01

Covert shifts of attention that follow the presentation of a cue are associated with lateralized components in the event-related potential (ERP): the "early directing attention negativity" (EDAN) and the "anterior directing attention negativity" (ADAN). Traditionally, these shifts are thought to take place while gaze is fixated and, thus, in the absence of saccades. However, microsaccades of small amplitude (<1°) occur frequently and involuntarily also during fixation and are closely correlated with spatial attention. To investigate potential links between microsaccades and lateralized ERP components, we simultaneously recorded eye movements and ERPs in a spatial cueing task. As a first major result, we show that both the posterior EDAN and the orientation of microsaccades align more strongly with the location of the task-relevant part of the cue stimulus than with the direction of the attention shift indicated by that cue. A coupling between microsaccades and EDAN was also present on the single-trial level: The EDAN was largest when microsaccades were oriented toward the relevant cue, but absent when microsaccades were oriented away from it, suggesting that EDAN and microsaccades are generated by the same neural network, which selects relevant stimuli and orients behavior toward them. As a second major result, we show that small corneoretinal artifacts from microsaccades, which fall below conventional EOG rejection thresholds, contaminate the measurement of the ADAN. After correcting the EEG for microsaccade-related artifacts with an optimized variant of independent component analysis, ADAN was abolished at frontal sites, but a genuine ADAN was still present at central sites. Thus, the combined measurement of microsaccades and lateralized ERPs sheds new light onto cue-elicited shifts of covert attention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 57.6311 - Handling of misfires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... prohibit entry, and the condition shall be reported immediately to mine management. (d) Misfires occurring during the shift shall be reported to mine management not later than the end of the shift. ... is disposed of in a safe manner. (c) When a misfire cannot be disposed of safely, each approach to...

30 CFR 57.6311 - Handling of misfires.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... prohibit entry, and the condition shall be reported immediately to mine management. (d) Misfires occurring during the shift shall be reported to mine management not later than the end of the shift. ... is disposed of in a safe manner. (c) When a misfire cannot be disposed of safely, each approach to...

Shifts in Child-Rearing Attitudes Linked with Parenthood and Occupation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurley, John R.; Hohn, Robert L.

1971-01-01

Child-rearing attitude measures were administered to undergraduate students and 6 years later to 63 percent (n=75) of the original sample. General shifts toward increased manifest rejection (especially for parents who were more prolific) and decreased overprotection occurred, but pressure for achievement remained the same. (NH)

Visual-Spatial Orienting in Autism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wainwright, J. Ann; Bryson, Susan E.

1996-01-01

Visual-spatial orienting in 10 high-functioning adults with autism was examined. Compared to controls, subjects responded faster to central than to lateral stimuli, and showed a left visual field advantage for stimulus detection only when laterally presented. Abnormalities in attention shifting and coordination of attentional and motor systems are…

The mechanisms of morph determination in the amphipod Jassa: implications for the evolution of alternative male phenotypes.

PubMed Central

Kurdziel, Josepha P; Knowles, L Lacey

2002-01-01

The proximal basis for and the maintenance of alternative male reproductive strategies and tactics are generally not understood in most species, despite the occurrence of male polymorphism across many taxa. In the marine amphipod Jassa marmorata, males differ in morphology as well as behaviour. This dimorphism corresponds to two contrasting reproductive strategies: small sneaker males or 'minors', and large fighter males or 'majors'. This study uses quantitative genetic analyses in conjunction with experimental manipulations to assess the relative importance of genetic versus environmental factors in the determination and maintenance of these alternative mating strategies. Heritability analyses indicated the reproductive phenotypes do not reflect genetic differences between dimorphic males. By contrast, morph determination was significantly affected by diet quality. Majors essentially only developed on high-protein diets. Field studies also identified a strong correlation between seasonal shifts in the relative proportions of morphs and changes in food (i.e. phytoplankton) quantity and composition, corroborating that diet cues the switch between alternative reproductive tactics. Moreover, the comparison of major and minor growth trajectories identified a heterochronic shift in maturation times between morphs, indicating that ecological selective pressures, rather than just sexual selection, may be involved in the maintenance of this conditional strategy. PMID:12350261

The mechanisms of morph determination in the amphipod Jassa: implications for the evolution of alternative male phenotypes.

PubMed

Kurdziel, Josepha P; Knowles, L Lacey

2002-09-07

The proximal basis for and the maintenance of alternative male reproductive strategies and tactics are generally not understood in most species, despite the occurrence of male polymorphism across many taxa. In the marine amphipod Jassa marmorata, males differ in morphology as well as behaviour. This dimorphism corresponds to two contrasting reproductive strategies: small sneaker males or 'minors', and large fighter males or 'majors'. This study uses quantitative genetic analyses in conjunction with experimental manipulations to assess the relative importance of genetic versus environmental factors in the determination and maintenance of these alternative mating strategies. Heritability analyses indicated the reproductive phenotypes do not reflect genetic differences between dimorphic males. By contrast, morph determination was significantly affected by diet quality. Majors essentially only developed on high-protein diets. Field studies also identified a strong correlation between seasonal shifts in the relative proportions of morphs and changes in food (i.e. phytoplankton) quantity and composition, corroborating that diet cues the switch between alternative reproductive tactics. Moreover, the comparison of major and minor growth trajectories identified a heterochronic shift in maturation times between morphs, indicating that ecological selective pressures, rather than just sexual selection, may be involved in the maintenance of this conditional strategy.

How to Care for a Sprained Ankle

MedlinePlus

... gradually returning to straight-ahead activity and doing maintenance exercises, followed later by more cutting sports such ... Society ® Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Foundation 9400 W. Higgins Road, Suite 220, Rosemont, IL 60018 800-235-4855 ...

Color Maintenance of LEDs in Laboratory and Field Applications

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

Royer, Michael P.; Tuttle, Ralph; Rosenfeld, Scott M.

Synopsis: To date, consideration for parametric failure of LED products has largely been focused on lumen maintenance. However, color shift is a cause of early failure for some products, and is especially important to consider in certain applications, like museums, where visual appearance is critical. Example data collected by the GATEWAY program for LED lamps installed in museums shows that many have changed color beyond a reasonable tolerance well before their rated lifetime was reached, necessitating replacement. Similar data collected by the CALiPER program between 2008 and 2010 reveals that many early products shifted beyond acceptable tolerances in as littlemore » as a few thousand hours. In contrast, data from the L Prize program illustrates that commercially available LED products can have exemplary color stability that is unmatched by traditional light sources. Beyond presenting data from the aforementioned DOE programs, this report discusses the metrics used for communicating color shift—namely MacAdam ellipses and Δu'v'—as well as providing guidance for end users on how to monitor color shift and what to look for in manufacturer warranties. Also included are descriptions of the physical changes that have been documented as leading to color shift in some example types of LED packages. As with complete products, the data presented herein for LED packages shows that a wide variety of products are available; in order for specifiers and consumers to make educated choices, more detailed and standardized information should be made available.« less

Threat perception in the chameleon (Chamaeleo chameleon): evidence for lateralized eye use.

PubMed

Lustig, Avichai; Keter-Katz, Hadas; Katzir, Gadi

2012-07-01

Chameleons are arboreal lizards with highly independent, large amplitude eye movements. In response to an approaching threat, a chameleon on a vertical pole moves so as to keep itself away from the threat. In so doing, it shifts between monocular and binocular scanning of the threat and of the environment. We analyzed eye movements in the Common chameleon, Chamaeleo chameleon, during avoidance response for lateralization, that is, asymmetry at the functional/behavioral levels. The chameleons were exposed to a threat, approaching horizontally from clockwise or anti-clockwise directions, and that could be viewed monocularly or binocularly. Our results show three broad patterns of eye use, as determined by durations spent viewing the threat and by frequency of eye shifts. Under binocular viewing, two of the patterns were found to be both side dependent, that is, lateralized and role dependent ("leading" or "following"). However, under monocular viewing, no such lateralization was detected. We discuss these findings in light of the situation not uncommon in vertebrates, of independent eye movements and a high degree of optic nerve decussation and that lateralization may well occur in organisms that are regularly exposed to critical stimuli from all spatial directions. We point to the need of further investigating lateralization at fine behavioral levels.

The shifting dynamics of social roles and project ownership over the lifecycle of a community-based participatory research project.

PubMed

Salsberg, Jon; Macridis, Soultana; Garcia Bengoechea, Enrique; Macaulay, Ann C; Moore, Spencer

2017-06-01

. Community based participatory research (CBPR) is often initiated by academic researchers, yet relies on meaningful community engagement and ownership to have lasting impact. Little is understood about how ownership shifts from academic to community partners. . We examined a CBPR project over its life course and asked: what does the evolution of ownership look like from project initiation by an academic (non-community) champion (T1); to maturation-when the intervention is ready to be deployed (T2); to independence-the time when the original champion steps aside (T3); and finally, to its maintenance-when the community has had an opportunity to function independently of the original academic champion (T4)? . Using sociometric (whole network) social network analysis, knowledge leadership was measured using 'in-degree centrality'. Stakeholder network structure was measured using 'centralisation' and 'core-periphery analysis'. Friedman rank sum test was used to measure change in actor roles over time from T1 to T4. . Project stakeholder roles were observed to shift significantly (P < 0.005) from initiation (T1) to project maintenance (T4). Community stakeholders emerged into positions of knowledge leadership, while the roles of academic partners diminished in importance. The overall stakeholder network demonstrated a structural shift towards a core of densely interacting community stakeholders. . This was the first study to use Social network analysis to document a shift in ownership from academic to community partners, indicating community self-determination over the research process. Further analysis of qualitative data will determine which participatory actions or strategies were responsible for this observed change. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Calibration Method to Eliminate Zeroth Order Effect in Lateral Shearing Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Chao; Xiang, Yang; Qi, Keqi; Chen, Dawei

2018-04-01

In this paper, a calibration method is proposed which eliminates the zeroth order effect in lateral shearing interferometry. An analytical expression of the calibration error function is deduced, and the relationship between the phase-restoration error and calibration error is established. The analytical results show that the phase-restoration error introduced by the calibration error is proportional to the phase shifting error and zeroth order effect. The calibration method is verified using simulations and experiments. The simulation results show that the phase-restoration error is approximately proportional to the phase shift error and zeroth order effect, when the phase shifting error is less than 2° and the zeroth order effect is less than 0.2. The experimental result shows that compared with the conventional method with 9-frame interferograms, the calibration method with 5-frame interferograms achieves nearly the same restoration accuracy.

Accelerating Tropicalization and the Transformation of Temperate Seagrass Meadows

PubMed Central

Hyndes, Glenn A.; Heck, Kenneth L.; Vergés, Adriana; Harvey, Euan S.; Kendrick, Gary A.; Lavery, Paul S.; McMahon, Kathryn; Orth, Robert J.; Pearce, Alan; Vanderklift, Mathew; Wernberg, Thomas; Whiting, Scott; Wilson, Shaun

2016-01-01

Abstract Climate-driven changes are altering production and functioning of biotic assemblages in terrestrial and aquatic environments. In temperate coastal waters, rising sea temperatures, warm water anomalies and poleward shifts in the distribution of tropical herbivores have had a detrimental effect on algal forests. We develop generalized scenarios of this form of tropicalization and its potential effects on the structure and functioning of globally significant and threatened seagrass ecosystems, through poleward shifts in tropical seagrasses and herbivores. Initially, we expect tropical herbivorous fishes to establish in temperate seagrass meadows, followed later by megafauna. Tropical seagrasses are likely to establish later, delayed by more limited dispersal abilities. Ultimately, food webs are likely to shift from primarily seagrass-detritus to more direct-consumption-based systems, thereby affecting a range of important ecosystem services that seagrasses provide, including their nursery habitat role for fishery species, carbon sequestration, and the provision of organic matter to other ecosystems in temperate regions. PMID:28533562

Accelerating Tropicalization and the Transformation of Temperate Seagrass Meadows.

PubMed

Hyndes, Glenn A; Heck, Kenneth L; Vergés, Adriana; Harvey, Euan S; Kendrick, Gary A; Lavery, Paul S; McMahon, Kathryn; Orth, Robert J; Pearce, Alan; Vanderklift, Mathew; Wernberg, Thomas; Whiting, Scott; Wilson, Shaun

2016-11-01

Climate-driven changes are altering production and functioning of biotic assemblages in terrestrial and aquatic environments. In temperate coastal waters, rising sea temperatures, warm water anomalies and poleward shifts in the distribution of tropical herbivores have had a detrimental effect on algal forests. We develop generalized scenarios of this form of tropicalization and its potential effects on the structure and functioning of globally significant and threatened seagrass ecosystems, through poleward shifts in tropical seagrasses and herbivores. Initially, we expect tropical herbivorous fishes to establish in temperate seagrass meadows, followed later by megafauna. Tropical seagrasses are likely to establish later, delayed by more limited dispersal abilities. Ultimately, food webs are likely to shift from primarily seagrass-detritus to more direct-consumption-based systems, thereby affecting a range of important ecosystem services that seagrasses provide, including their nursery habitat role for fishery species, carbon sequestration, and the provision of organic matter to other ecosystems in temperate regions.

Will Your Walls Come Crumbling Down?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, John A., Jr.

1990-01-01

The magnitude of funds needed to rectify the college deferred maintenance crisis make a quick fix unrealistic. However, by increasing funding levels and shifting spending patterns over time, institutions can address the problem without jeopardizing other goals and projects. A consortium of higher education associations recommends a…

Early Detection of Regime Shifts in Complex Systems from Fisher Information

EPA Science Inventory

The central goal of sustainability is the maintenance of environmental conditions, which are favorable to human existence. A critically important element then is the resilience of the dynamic regime that one wishes to sustain. Resilient systems are able to withstand perturbations...

Robot-aided in vitro measurement of patellar stability with consideration to the influence of muscle loading.

PubMed

Lorenz, Andrea; Bobrowitsch, Evgenij; Wünschel, Markus; Walter, Christian; Wülker, Nikolaus; Leichtle, Ulf G

2015-07-23

Anterior knee pain is often associated with patellar maltracking and instability. However, objective measurement of patellar stability under clinical and experimental conditions is difficult, and muscular activity influences the results. In the present study, a new experimental setting for in vitro measurement of patellar stability was developed and the mediolateral force-displacement behavior of the native knee analyzed with special emphasis on patellar tilt and muscle loading. In the new experimental setup, two established testing methods were combined: an upright knee simulator for positioning and loading of the knee specimens, and an industry robot for mediolateral patellar displacement. A minimally invasive coupling and force control mechanism enabled unconstrained motion of the patella as well as measurement of patellar motion in all six degrees of freedom via an external ultrasonic motion-tracking system. Lateral and medial patellar displacement were measured on seven fresh-frozen human knee specimens in six flexion angles with varying muscle force levels, muscle force distributions, and displacement forces. Substantial repeatability was achieved for patellar shift (ICC(3,1) = 0.67) and tilt (ICC(3,1) = 0.75). Patellar lateral and medial shift decreased slightly with increasing flexion angle. Additional measurement of patellar tilt provided interesting insights into the different displacement mechanisms in lateral and medial directions. For lateral displacement, the patella tilted in the same (lateral) direction, and tilted in the opposite direction (again laterally) for medial displacement. With regard to asymmetric muscle loading, a significant influence (p < 0.03, up to 5 mm shift and 8° tilt) was found for lateral displacement and a reasonable relationship between muscle and patellar force, whereas no effect was visible in the medial direction. The developed experimental setup delivered reproducible results and was found to be an excellent testing method for the in vitro analysis of patellar stability and future investigation of surgical techniques for patellar stabilization and total knee arthroplasty. We demonstrated a significant influence of asymmetric quadriceps loading on patellar stability. In particular, increased force application on the vastus lateralis muscle led to a clear increase of lateral patellar displacement.

42 CFR 124.605 - Reporting and record maintenance requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Content of report. The report must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Secretary and must include... when submitting it to the Secretary. (4) Institution of suit. Not later than 10 days after being served...

42 CFR 124.605 - Reporting and record maintenance requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Content of report. The report must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Secretary and must include... when submitting it to the Secretary. (4) Institution of suit. Not later than 10 days after being served...

42 CFR 124.605 - Reporting and record maintenance requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Content of report. The report must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Secretary and must include... when submitting it to the Secretary. (4) Institution of suit. Not later than 10 days after being served...

42 CFR 124.605 - Reporting and record maintenance requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Content of report. The report must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Secretary and must include... when submitting it to the Secretary. (4) Institution of suit. Not later than 10 days after being served...

42 CFR 124.605 - Reporting and record maintenance requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Content of report. The report must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Secretary and must include... when submitting it to the Secretary. (4) Institution of suit. Not later than 10 days after being served...

Localizing and tracking electrodes using stereovision in epilepsy cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xiaoyao; Ji, Songbai; Roberts, David W.; Paulsen, Keith D.

2015-03-01

In epilepsy cases, subdural electrodes are often implanted to acquire intracranial EEG (iEEG) for seizure localization and resection planning. However, the electrodes may shift significantly between implantation and resection, during the time that the patient is monitored for iEEG recording. As a result, the accuracy of surgical planning based on electrode locations at the time of resection can be compromised. Previous studies have only quantified the electrode shift with respect to the skull, but not with respect to the cortical surface, because tracking cortical shift between surgeries is challenging. In this study, we use an intraoperative stereovision (iSV) system to visualize and localize the cortical surface as well as electrodes, record three-dimensional (3D) locations of the electrodes in MR space at the time of implantation and resection, respectively, and quantify the raw displacements, i.e., with respect to the skull. Furthermore, we track the cortical surface and quantify the shift between surgeries using an optical flow (OF) based motion-tracking algorithm. Finally, we compute the electrode shift with respect to the cortical surface by subtracting the cortical shift from raw measured displacements. We illustrate the method using one patient example. In this particular patient case, the results show that the electrodes not only shifted significantly with respect to the skull (8.79 +/- 3.00 mm in the lateral direction, ranging from 2.88 mm to 12.87 mm), but also with respect to the cortical surface (7.20 +/- 3.58 mm), whereas the cortical surface did not shift significantly in the lateral direction between surgeries (2.23 +/- 0.76 mm).

Visual-Spatial Attention Aids the Maintenance of Object Representations in Visual Working Memory

PubMed Central

Williams, Melonie; Pouget, Pierre; Boucher, Leanne; Woodman, Geoffrey F.

2013-01-01

Theories have proposed that the maintenance of object representations in visual working memory is aided by a spatial rehearsal mechanism. In this study, we used two different approaches to test the hypothesis that overt and covert visual-spatial attention mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of object representations in visual working memory. First, we tracked observers’ eye movements while remembering a variable number of objects during change-detection tasks. We observed that during the blank retention interval, participants spontaneously shifted gaze to the locations that the objects had occupied in the memory array. Next, we hypothesized that if attention mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of object representations, then drawing attention away from the object locations during the retention interval would impair object memory during these change-detection tasks. Supporting this prediction, we found that attending to the fixation point in anticipation of a brief probe stimulus during the retention interval reduced change-detection accuracy even on the trials in which no probe occurred. These findings support models of working memory in which visual-spatial selection mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of object representations. PMID:23371773

Topic Structure Affects Semantic Integration: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaohong; Chen, Xuhai; Chen, Shuang; Xu, Xiaoying; Yang, Yufang

2013-01-01

This study investigated whether semantic integration in discourse context could be influenced by topic structure using event-related brain potentials. Participants read discourses in which the last sentence contained a critical word that was either congruent or incongruent with the topic established in the first sentence. The intervening sentences between the first and the last sentence of the discourse either maintained or shifted the original topic. Results showed that incongruent words in topic-maintained discourses elicited an N400 effect that was broadly distributed over the scalp while those in topic-shifted discourses elicited an N400 effect that was lateralized to the right hemisphere and localized over central and posterior areas. Moreover, a late positivity effect was only elicited by incongruent words in topic-shifted discourses, but not in topic-maintained discourses. This suggests an important role for discourse structure in semantic integration, such that compared with topic-maintained discourses, the complexity of discourse structure in topic-shifted condition reduces the initial stage of semantic integration and enhances the later stage in which a mental representation is updated. PMID:24348994

Topic structure affects semantic integration: evidence from event-related potentials.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaohong; Chen, Xuhai; Chen, Shuang; Xu, Xiaoying; Yang, Yufang

2013-01-01

This study investigated whether semantic integration in discourse context could be influenced by topic structure using event-related brain potentials. Participants read discourses in which the last sentence contained a critical word that was either congruent or incongruent with the topic established in the first sentence. The intervening sentences between the first and the last sentence of the discourse either maintained or shifted the original topic. Results showed that incongruent words in topic-maintained discourses elicited an N400 effect that was broadly distributed over the scalp while those in topic-shifted discourses elicited an N400 effect that was lateralized to the right hemisphere and localized over central and posterior areas. Moreover, a late positivity effect was only elicited by incongruent words in topic-shifted discourses, but not in topic-maintained discourses. This suggests an important role for discourse structure in semantic integration, such that compared with topic-maintained discourses, the complexity of discourse structure in topic-shifted condition reduces the initial stage of semantic integration and enhances the later stage in which a mental representation is updated.

TIDE: an intelligent home-based healthcare information & diagnostic environment.

PubMed

Abidi, S S

1999-01-01

The 21st century promises to usher in an era of Internet based healthcare services--Tele-Healthcare. Such services augur well with the on-going paradigm shift in healthcare delivery patterns, i.e. patient centred services as opposed to provider centred services and wellness maintenance as opposed to illness management. This paper presents a Tele-Healthcare info-structure TIDE--an 'intelligent' wellness-oriented healthcare delivery environment. TIDE incorporates two WWW-based healthcare systems: (1) AIMS (Automated Health Monitoring System) for wellness maintenance and (2) IDEAS (Illness Diagnostic & Advisory System) for illness management. Our proposal comes from an attempt to rethink the sources of possible leverage in improving healthcare; vis-à-vis the provision of a continuum of personalised home-based healthcare services that emphasise the role of the individual in self health maintenance.

Limited Plasticity of Prismatic Visuomotor Adaptation

PubMed Central

Wischhusen, Sven; Fahle, Manfred

2017-01-01

Movements toward an object displaced optically through prisms adapt quickly, a striking example for the plasticity of neuronal visuomotor programs. We investigated the degree and time course of this system’s plasticity. Participants performed goal-directed throwing or pointing movements with terminal feedback before, during, and after wearing prism goggles shifting the visual world laterally either to the right or to the left. Prism adaptation was incomplete even after 240 throwing movements, still deviating significantly laterally by on average of 0.8° (CI = 0.20°) at the end of the adaptation period. The remaining lateral deviation was significant for pointing movements only with left shifting prisms. In both tasks, removal of the prisms led to an aftereffect which disappeared in the course of further training. This incomplete prism adaptation may be caused by movement variability combined with an adaptive neuronal control system exhibiting a finite capacity for evaluating movement errors. PMID:28473909

Absence of center of mass control for leg abduction in long-term weightlessness in humans.

PubMed

Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Baroni, Guido; Mouchnino, Laurence; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Pedotti, Antonio; Massion, Jean

2002-02-22

The present investigation describes for the first time leg lateral abduction performance during long-term microgravity exposure. Two astronauts took part in the experiments, starting 2 weeks into the mission and lasting for 5 months. Results on joint angles kinematics confirm previous investigations on parabolic flights, showing good task fulfillment for both subjects. Special interest was focused on whole body center of mass (CM) positioning. As in short-term microgravity, no initial CM lateral shift toward the 'supporting' leg was observed. In contrast with short-term microgravity and ground-based experiments, no stabilization of the CM medio-lateral position was found but a significant shift of CM toward the moving leg was observed. This suggests that the adaptation to sustained weightlessness might have led to a microgravity-specific motor strategy for leg abduction, which was not focused on CM strategy.

Dual-domain lateral shearing interferometer

DOEpatents

Naulleau, Patrick P.; Goldberg, Kenneth Alan

2004-03-16

The phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer (PS/PDI) was developed to address the problem of at-wavelength metrology of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical systems. Although extremely accurate, the fact that the PS/PDI is limited to use with coherent EUV sources, such as undulator radiation, is a drawback for its widespread use. An alternative to the PS/PDI, with relaxed coherence requirements, is lateral shearing interferometry (LSI). The use of a cross-grating, carrier-frequency configuration to characterize a large-field 4.times.-reduction EUV lithography optic is demonstrated. The results obtained are directly compared with PS/PDI measurements. A defocused implementation of the lateral shearing interferometer in which an image-plane filter allows both phase-shifting and Fourier wavefront recovery. The two wavefront recovery methods can be combined in a dual-domain technique providing suppression of noise added by self-interference of high-frequency components in the test-optic wavefront.

Scheduling with non-decreasing deterioration jobs and variable maintenance activities on a single machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xingong; Yin, Yunqiang; Wu, Chin-Chia

2017-01-01

There is a situation found in many manufacturing systems, such as steel rolling mills, fire fighting or single-server cycle-queues, where a job that is processed later consumes more time than that same job when processed earlier. The research finds that machine maintenance can improve the worsening of processing conditions. After maintenance activity, the machine will be restored. The maintenance duration is a positive and non-decreasing differentiable convex function of the total processing times of the jobs between maintenance activities. Motivated by this observation, the makespan and the total completion time minimization problems in the scheduling of jobs with non-decreasing rates of job processing time on a single machine are considered in this article. It is shown that both the makespan and the total completion time minimization problems are NP-hard in the strong sense when the number of maintenance activities is arbitrary, while the makespan minimization problem is NP-hard in the ordinary sense when the number of maintenance activities is fixed. If the deterioration rates of the jobs are identical and the maintenance duration is a linear function of the total processing times of the jobs between maintenance activities, then this article shows that the group balance principle is satisfied for the makespan minimization problem. Furthermore, two polynomial-time algorithms are presented for solving the makespan problem and the total completion time problem under identical deterioration rates, respectively.

L2-Proficiency-Dependent Laterality Shift in Structural Connectivity of Brain Language Pathways.

PubMed

Xiang, Huadong; van Leeuwen, Tessa Marije; Dediu, Dan; Roberts, Leah; Norris, David G; Hagoort, Peter

2015-08-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and a longitudinal language learning approach were applied to investigate the relationship between the achieved second language (L2) proficiency during L2 learning and the reorganization of structural connectivity between core language areas. Language proficiency tests and DTI scans were obtained from German students before and after they completed an intensive 6-week course of the Dutch language. In the initial learning stage, with increasing L2 proficiency, the hemispheric dominance of the Brodmann area (BA) 6-temporal pathway (mainly along the arcuate fasciculus) shifted from the left to the right hemisphere. With further increased proficiency, however, lateralization dominance was again found in the left BA6-temporal pathway. This result is consistent with reports in the literature that imply a stronger involvement of the right hemisphere in L2 processing especially for less proficient L2 speakers. This is the first time that an L2 proficiency-dependent laterality shift in the structural connectivity of language pathways during L2 acquisition has been observed to shift from left to right and back to left hemisphere dominance with increasing L2 proficiency. The authors additionally find that changes in fractional anisotropy values after the course are related to the time elapsed between the two scans. The results suggest that structural connectivity in (at least part of) the perisylvian language network may be subject to fast dynamic changes following language learning.

Dynamic cost shifting in hospitals: evidence from the 1980s and 1990s.

PubMed

Clement, J P

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether dynamic cost shifting occurred among acute care hospitals during the period from the early 1980s to the early 1990s and, if so, whether market factors affected the ability to shift costs. Evidence from this study of California acute care hospitals during three time intervals shows that the hospital did practice dynamic cost shifting, but that their ability to shift costs decreased over time. Surprisingly, hospital competition and HMO penetration did not influence cost shifting. However, increasing HMO penetration (measured as the HMO percentage of hospital discharges) did decrease both net prices and costs for the early part of the study, but later was associated with increases in both.

Evaluation of maxillary growth: is there any difference using relief incision during palatoplasty?

PubMed

Maluf, Ivan; Doro, Ubiratan; Fuchs, Taíse; dos Santos, Diego Esteves; dos Santos Sacomam, Franserg; da Silva Freitas, Renato; Roca, Guilherme Berto

2014-05-01

Scar retraction due to exposed bone in palatoplasty is the leading cause of constricted maxilla. Modern techniques have focused on minimizing the effects of scarring by reducing the exposure of the bone area. The objective of the study was to compare the palatal mucoperiosteal detachment with minimal lateral incision, followed by their synthesis, with the maintenance of lateral areas for relaxation (similar to the von Langenbeck technique) and evaluate the transversal development of the maxilla. A prospective, randomized study was conducted, in which the molding of the dental arch of 14 pigs in 2 stages (at 1 month and 5 months) was performed. The pigs were divided into 3 groups: group 1 underwent lateral incision of the palate for mucoperiosteal detachment and maintenance of bone exposure; group 2 underwent mucoperiosteal palatal detachment with lateral access and no bone exposure; and group 3, the control animals, did not undergo any surgical procedures. Measurements of the dental arches were compared between the groups to assess differences in the development of the maxillary transverse diameter. There were no animals lost during the study. Group 1 showed greater growth restriction of the transverse diameter of the maxilla (36%) when compared with groups 2 (56%) and 3 (59%). Groups 2 and 3 showed similar transverse maxillary development, with no statistical difference. The technique of mucoperiosteal detachment without lateral relief incision has the advantage of reducing future morbidity of a constricted maxilla. This study demonstrated that the technique described can reduce rates of maxillary underdevelopment, a significant complication inherent in the procedure for palatoplasty. The lateral incisions reduce maxillary growth by approximately 20% as compared with this technique. Level II of evidence.

Weathering the Storm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2000-01-01

Discusses the importance of knowing the type of climate a school is likely to endure as a decision element for selecting a school roofing system. The influence of extreme temperature shifts, wind, and excessive heat in the decision making process are discussed as are ways of improving maintenance and monitoring practices. (GR)

Associated lateral/medial knee instability and its relevant factors in anterior cruciate ligament-injured knees.

PubMed

Yuuki, Arata; Muneta, Takeshi; Ohara, Toshiyuki; Sekiya, Ichiro; Koga, Hideyuki

2017-03-01

Associations of lateral/medial knee instability with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have not been thoroughly investigated. The purposes of this study were to investigate whether lateral/medial knee instability is associated with ACL injury, and to clarify relevant factors for lateral/medial knee instability in ACL-injured knees. One hundred and nineteen patients with unilateral ACL-injured knees were included. Lateral/medial knee instability was assessed with varus/valgus stress X-ray examination for both injured and uninjured knees by measuring varus/valgus angle, lateral/medial joint opening, and lateral/medial joint opening index. Manual knee instability tests for ACL were evaluated to investigate associations between lateral/medial knee instability and anterior and/or rotational instabilities. Patients' backgrounds were evaluated to identify relevant factors for lateral/medial knee instability. Damage on the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) on MRI was also evaluated. All parameters regarding lateral knee instability in injured knees were significantly greater than in uninjured knees. There were significant correlations between lateral knee instability and the Lachman test as well as the pivot shift test. Patients with LCL damage had significantly greater lateral joint opening than those without LCL damage on MRI. Sensitivity of LCL damage on MRI to lateral joint opening was 100%, while its specificity was 36%. No other relevant factors were identified. In medial knee instability, there were also correlations between medial knee instability and the Lachman test/pivot shift test. However, the correlations were weak and other parameters were not significant. Lateral knee instability was greater in ACL-deficient knees than in uninjured knees. Lateral knee instability was associated with ACL-related instabilities as well as LCL damage on MRI, whereas MRI had low specificity to lateral knee instability. On the other hand, the association of medial knee instability on ACL-related instability was less than that of lateral knee instability. Level IV, case series with no comparison group. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of a change in the meniscus cross-sectional shape on the medio-lateral translation of the knee joint and meniscal extrusion

PubMed Central

Daszkiewicz, Karol; Witkowski, Wojciech; Chróścielewski, Jacek; Ferenc, Tomasz; Baczkowski, Boguslaw

2018-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of a change in the meniscus cross sectional shape on its position and on the biomechanics of a knee joint. Methods One main finite element model of a left knee joint was created on the basis of MRI images. The model consisted of bones, articular cartilages, menisci and ligaments. Eight variants of this model with an increased or decreased meniscus height were then prepared. Nonlinear static analyses with a fixed flexion/extension movement for a compressive load of 1000 N were performed. The additional analyses for those models with a constrained medio-lateral relative bone translation allowed for an evaluation of the influence of this translation on a meniscus external shift. Results It was observed that a decrease in the meniscus height caused a decrease in the contact area, together with a decrease in the contact force between the flattened meniscus and the cartilage. For the models with an increased meniscus height, a maximal value of force acting on the meniscus in a medio-lateral direction was obtained. The results have shown that the meniscus external shift was approximately proportional to the meniscus slope angle, but that relationship was modified by a medio-lateral relative bone translation. It was found that the translation of the femur relative to the tibia may be dependent on the geometry of the menisci. Conclusions The results have suggested that a change in the meniscus geometry in the cross sectional plane can considerably affect not only the meniscal external shift, but also the medio-lateral translation of the knee joint as well as the congruency of the knee joint. PMID:29447236

The influence of a change in the meniscus cross-sectional shape on the medio-lateral translation of the knee joint and meniscal extrusion.

PubMed

Luczkiewicz, Piotr; Daszkiewicz, Karol; Witkowski, Wojciech; Chróścielewski, Jacek; Ferenc, Tomasz; Baczkowski, Boguslaw

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of a change in the meniscus cross sectional shape on its position and on the biomechanics of a knee joint. One main finite element model of a left knee joint was created on the basis of MRI images. The model consisted of bones, articular cartilages, menisci and ligaments. Eight variants of this model with an increased or decreased meniscus height were then prepared. Nonlinear static analyses with a fixed flexion/extension movement for a compressive load of 1000 N were performed. The additional analyses for those models with a constrained medio-lateral relative bone translation allowed for an evaluation of the influence of this translation on a meniscus external shift. It was observed that a decrease in the meniscus height caused a decrease in the contact area, together with a decrease in the contact force between the flattened meniscus and the cartilage. For the models with an increased meniscus height, a maximal value of force acting on the meniscus in a medio-lateral direction was obtained. The results have shown that the meniscus external shift was approximately proportional to the meniscus slope angle, but that relationship was modified by a medio-lateral relative bone translation. It was found that the translation of the femur relative to the tibia may be dependent on the geometry of the menisci. The results have suggested that a change in the meniscus geometry in the cross sectional plane can considerably affect not only the meniscal external shift, but also the medio-lateral translation of the knee joint as well as the congruency of the knee joint.

Investigating Hemispheric Lateralization of Reflexive Attention to Gaze and Arrow Cues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marotta, Andrea; Lupianez, Juan; Casagrande, Maria

2012-01-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that central cues, such as eyes and arrows, reflexively trigger attentional shifts. However, it is not clear whether the attentional mechanisms induced by these two cues are similar or rather differ in some important way. We investigated hemispheric lateralization of the orienting effects induced by the two cue…

Challenging the Status Quo: Evidence That Introductory Psychology Can Dispel Myths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Maureen A.; Frantz, Sue

2016-01-01

Student beliefs in common psychological misperceptions were assessed at the beginning of an introductory psychology course, the end of the course, and again 1 year later. At the end of the course, students' previously held misperceptions of psychological phenomena shifted toward more accurate perceptions, and 1 year later, students reported that…

Analyses of Phase III Dynamic Buckling Tests. Final Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-02-01

Thermal buckling of railroad tracks in the lateral plane is an important problem in the design and maintenance of continuous welded rail (CWR) tracks. The problem is manifested through derailments which are attributable to track buckling, indicating ...

Traffic-load forecasting using weigh-in-motion data

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-03-01

Vehicular traffic loading is a crucial consideration for the design and maintenance of pavements. With the help of weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems, the information about date, time, speed, lane of travel, lateral lane position, axle spacing, and wheel ...

Ancestral Exposure to Stress Generates New Behavioral Traits and a Functional Hemispheric Dominance Shift.

PubMed

Ambeskovic, Mirela; Soltanpour, Nasrin; Falkenberg, Erin A; Zucchi, Fabiola C R; Kolb, Bryan; Metz, Gerlinde A S

2017-03-01

In a continuously stressful environment, the effects of recurrent prenatal stress (PS) accumulate across generations and generate new behavioral traits in the absence of genetic variation. Here, we investigated if PS or multigenerational PS across 4 generations differentially affect behavioral traits, laterality, and hemispheric dominance in male and female rats. Using skilled reaching and skilled walking tasks, 3 findings support the formation of new behavioral traits and shifted laterality by multigenerational stress. First, while PS in the F1 generation did not alter paw preference, multigenerational stress in the F4 generation shifted paw preference to favor left-handedness only in males. Second, multigenerational stress impaired skilled reaching and skilled walking movement abilities in males, while improving these abilities in females beyond the levels of controls. Third, the shift toward left-handedness in multigenerationally stressed males was accompanied by increased dendritic complexity and greater spine density in the right parietal cortex. Thus, cumulative multigenerational stress generates sexually dimorphic left-handedness and dominance shift toward the right hemisphere in males. These findings explain the origins of apparently heritable behavioral traits and handedness in the absence of DNA sequence variations while proposing epigenetic mechanisms. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cost analysis of equipment failure of a radiology department and possible choices about maintenance.

PubMed

Grisi, Guido; Dalla Palma, Ludovico; Rimondini, Allesandra; Palmolungo, Chiara; Cuttin Zernich, Roberto; Pozzi Mucelli, Roberto

2002-01-01

Our aim was to evaluate the economic impact of equipment failures in a radiology department with a view to guiding maintenance policy decisions. We assessed the negative economic impact caused by the interruption of activity of a radiodiagnostics section due to equipment failure, taking into account: the effects occurring during the first day of equipment down-time (assuming that the equipment failure occurs in the middle of the shift) and the effects during the following days until the repair of the failure; the effects occurring in the short- and long-term. To exemplify the negative impact of inactivity due to equipment failure, we chose three radiology sections with different levels of technological and operational complexity (chest radiology, gastrointestinal radiology and remote-controlled diagnostics). For each, we evaluated the loss of contribution margin and the idle capacity costs (short- and long-term impact). The negative economic effects were: for thoracic radiology, 496,77 Euro in the first day, and 30,99 Euro from the second day onwards; for gastrointestinal radiology, 526,40 Euro for the first day, and 730,39 Euro from the second day onwards; for remote-controlled diagnostics, 786,25 Euro for the first day, and 927,67 Euro from the second days onwards. Our results indicate that the level of idle capacity costs (mainly equipment and staff) increases with the complexity of the equipment, whereas the contribution margin appears to fluctuate, because the charges are state-imposed and do not vary with the complexity of equipment. Moreover, our analysis shows that if the workload of a broken machine can easily be assigned to an additional shift using another machine, losses are considerably reduced from the second day onwards. Once the negative economic impact of equipment failures has been evaluated, the second step is to choose the best kind of maintenance. A sound calculation of the economic impact of equipment failures is very useful for guiding the head of department and the hospital manager in deciding whether to purchase maintenance services (or a long-term guarantee) from the equipment manufacturer, to set up an auxiliary centre for maintenance and repair, or to purchase a third-party maintenance contract.

The Influence of Meniscal and Anterolateral Capsular Injury on Knee Laxity in Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries.

PubMed

Musahl, Volker; Rahnemai-Azar, Ata A; Costello, Joanna; Arner, Justin W; Fu, Freddie H; Hoshino, Yuichi; Lopomo, Nicola; Samuelsson, Kristian; Irrgang, James J

2016-12-01

The role of the anterolateral capsule (ALC) as a secondary restraint to quantitative rotatory laxity of patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is currently debated. The purpose was to determine the influence of concomitant ALC injuries as well as injuries to other soft tissue structures on rotatory knee laxity in patients with an ACL injury. It was hypothesized that a concomitant ALC injury would be associated with increased rotatory knee laxity as measured during a quantitative pivot-shift test. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Forty-one patients with an ACL injury (average age, 23 ± 6.9 years) were enrolled. Two blinded musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for the presence of ACL injuries and concomitant soft tissue injuries including the ALC, medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, posterolateral corner, medial meniscus, and lateral meniscus. A standardized pivot-shift test was performed under anesthesia, and rotatory laxity was quantified according to anterior translation of the lateral tibial compartment during the pivot-shift maneuver. The Student t test was used to analyze the data. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. A complete ACL rupture was confirmed in all of the patients. MRI evidence of an ALC injury was observed in 21 (51%) of the patients. Patients with MRI evidence of an ALC injury had significantly higher rotatory knee laxity (3.6 ± 1.5 mm) compared with those without an ALC injury (2.7 ± 1.5 mm; P = .04). Lateral and medial meniscus injuries were detected in 17 (41%) and 19 (46%) patients, respectively. Patients with MRI evidence of either a medial meniscus injury or lateral meniscus injury had significantly higher rotatory knee laxity compared with patients without these injuries (medial meniscus: 3.7 ± 1.4 mm vs 2.7 ± 1.6 mm, respectively; lateral meniscus: 3.7 ± 1.7 mm vs 2.7 ± 1.3 mm, respectively) (P = .03 for both). MRI evidence of a concomitant injury to the ALC, medial meniscus, or lateral meniscus is associated with increased knee rotatory laxity in patients with an ACL injury. These structures may function as important secondary stabilizers in an ACL-injured knee. Careful assessment and proper treatment of injuries to these secondary stabilizers should be considered, especially in knees with a high level of the pivot shift. © 2016 The Author(s).

Setting Adolescents up for Success: Promoting a Policy to Delay High School Start Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Margaux; Davis, Krista; Mancini, Mackenzie; Ruffin, Jasmine; Simpson, Tina; Casazza, Krista

2016-01-01

Background: A unique biological shift in sleep cycles occurs during adolescence causing later sleep and wake times. This shift is not matched by a concurrent modification in school start times, resulting in sleep curtailment for a large majority of adolescents. Chronic inadequate sleep is associated with poor academic performance including…

30 CFR 56.14100 - Safety defects; examination, correction and records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14100 Safety defects; examination, correction and records. (a) Self-propelled mobile equipment to be used during a shift shall be... defective items including self-propelled mobile equipment shall be taken out of service and placed in a...

Class III / short line system inventory to determine 286,000 lb (129,844 kg) railcar operational status in Kansas : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The rail industrys recent shift towards larger and heavier railcars has influenced Class III/short line railroad operation and track maintenance costs. Class III railroads earn less than $38.1 million in annual revenue and generally operate first ...

Class III / short line system inventory to determine 286,000 lb (129,844 kg) railcar operational status in Kansas : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The rail industrys recent shift towards larger and heavier railcars has influenced Class III/short line railroad operation and track maintenance costs. Class III railroads earn less than $38.1 million in annual revenue and generally operate first ...

Restorative Nurse Assistant. Instructor Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri Univ., Columbia. Instructional Materials Lab.

This curriculum material covers the basic orientation and necessary skills which would enable the practicing Certified Nurse Assistant to be trained as a Restorative Nurse Assistant. The shift in emphasis from maintenance care to restorative care in the long-term care setting has created a need for trained paraprofessionals who are competent in…

VOX: The Journal of the Australian Advisory Council on Languages and Multicultural Education (AACLAME), 1989-1991.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo Bianco, Joseph, Ed.

1991-01-01

This document consists of the three issues of the serial "VOX" published in 1989-1991. Major articles in these issues include: "The Original Languages of Australia"; "UNESCO and Universal Literacy"; "Language Shift and Maintenance in Torres Strait"; "Maintaining and Developing Italian in…

They're Suing Us? Liability and Risk Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollander, Patricia A.

1982-01-01

Legal issues in liability for and prevention of injuries through negligence are discussed: proving negligence, who is owed a duty of care, who may be sued, remedies, risk management (shifting risk, insurance, indemnification, waivers and releases), and preventing claims (warning of known danger, proper supervision, school maintenance, security,…

Facility Needs and Costs in America's Great City Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casserly, Michael; Lachlan-Hache, Jonathon; Manish Naik

2011-01-01

The nation's major city public school districts have substantial construction, renovation, modernization, and deferred maintenance needs because of the age and size of their school buildings, shifting populations, and the need to devote substantial resources to instructional personnel to meet their core academic mission. For instance, the average…

Infrared spectra of two isomers of protonated carbonyl sulfide (HOCS+ and HSCO+) and t-HOCS in solid para-hydrogen.

PubMed

Tsuge, Masashi; Lee, Yuan-Pern

2016-10-28

We report infrared (IR) spectra of HOCS + , HSCO + , t-HOCS, and other species produced on electron bombardment of a mixture of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) and para-hydrogen (p-H 2 ) during deposition at 3.2 K. After maintenance of the matrix in darkness for 15 h, the intensities of absorption features of HOCS + at 2945.9 (ν 1 ), 1875.3 (ν 2 ), and 1041.9 (ν 3 ) cm -1 and those of HSCO + at 2506.9 (ν 1 ) and 2074.2 (ν 2 ) cm -1 decreased through neutralization with trapped electrons. Lines observed at 3563.4, 1394.8, and 1199.0 cm -1 , which decreased slightly in intensity after maintenance in darkness and were nearly depleted after irradiation at 373 nm, are assigned to a t-HOCS radical. The corresponding spectra of their 13 C- and D-isotopologues were observed. The IR spectra of HSCO + and t-HOCS and those of modes ν 2 and ν 3 of HOCS + are new. The assignments were made according to the expected chemical behavior and a comparison of experimental and calculated wavenumbers and 13 C- and D-isotopic shifts. The wavenumber of the OH stretching mode (2945.9 cm -1 ) of HOCS + in solid p-H 2 is significantly red-shifted from that (3435.16 cm -1 ) reported for gaseous HOCS + ; this shift is attributed to partial sharing of a proton between OCS and H 2 . The corresponding p-H 2 induced shift is small in HSCO + because of a much weaker interaction between HSCO + and H 2 .

Experimental Investigations of Dynamic Buckling of CWR Tracks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-11-01

Thermal buckling of railroad tracks in the lateral plane is an important problem in the design and maintenance of continuous welded rail (CWR) tracks. The severity of the problem is manifested through the large number of derailments which are attribu...

Analysis of Thermal Buckling Tests on U.S. Railroads

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-11-01

Thermal buckling of railroad tracks in the lateral plane is an important problem in the design and maintenance of continuous welded rails (CWR). The severity of the problem is manifested through the increasing number of derailments which are attribut...

7 CFR 251.10 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... program at the State and local level. State and local costs must be identified separately. The data must... warehousing practices, inventory controls, approval of distribution sites, reporting and recordkeeping... in which the maintenance-of-effort requirement became effective, whichever is later. (i) Data...

7 CFR 251.10 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... program at the State and local level. State and local costs must be identified separately. The data must... warehousing practices, inventory controls, approval of distribution sites, reporting and recordkeeping... in which the maintenance-of-effort requirement became effective, whichever is later. (i) Data...

7 CFR 251.10 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... program at the State and local level. State and local costs must be identified separately. The data must... warehousing practices, inventory controls, approval of distribution sites, reporting and recordkeeping... in which the maintenance-of-effort requirement became effective, whichever is later. (i) Data...

7 CFR 251.10 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... program at the State and local level. State and local costs must be identified separately. The data must... warehousing practices, inventory controls, approval of distribution sites, reporting and recordkeeping... in which the maintenance-of-effort requirement became effective, whichever is later. (i) Data...

Turnaround Time Modeling for Conceptual Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nix, Michael; Staton, Eric J.

2004-01-01

Recent years have brought about a paradigm shift within NASA and the Space Launch Community regarding the performance of conceptual design. Reliability, maintainability, supportability, and operability are no longer effects of design; they have moved to the forefront and are affecting design. A primary focus of this shift has been a planned decrease in vehicle turnaround time. Potentials for instituting this decrease include attacking the issues of removing, refurbishing, and replacing the engines after each flight. less, it is important to understand the operational affects of an engine on turnaround time, ground support personnel and equipment. One tool for visualizing this relationship involves the creation of a Discrete Event Simulation (DES). A DES model can be used to run a series of trade studies to determine if the engine is meeting its requirements, and, if not, what can be altered to bring it into compliance. Using DES, it is possible to look at the ways in which labor requirements, parallel maintenance versus serial maintenance, and maintenance scheduling affect the overall turnaround time. A detailed DES model of the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) has been developed. Trades may be performed using the SSME Processing Model to see where maintenance bottlenecks occur, what the benefits (if any) are of increasing the numbers of personnel, or the number and location of facilities, in addition to trades previously mentioned, all with the goal of optimizing the operational turnaround time and minimizing operational cost. The SSME Processing Model was developed in such a way that it can easily be used as a foundation for developing DES models of other operational or developmental reusable engines. Performing a DES on a developmental engine during the conceptual phase makes it easier to affect the design and make changes to bring about a decrease in turnaround time and costs.

Attention modulates maintenance of representations in visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Kuo, Bo-Cheng; Stokes, Mark G; Nobre, Anna Christina

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown that selective attention is of considerable importance for encoding task-relevant items into visual short-term memory (VSTM) according to our behavioral goals. However, it is not known whether top-down attentional biases can continue to operate during the maintenance period of VSTM. We used ERPs to investigate this question across two experiments. Specifically, we tested whether orienting attention to a given spatial location within a VSTM representation resulted in modulation of the contralateral delay activity (CDA), a lateralized ERP marker of VSTM maintenance generated when participants selectively encode memory items from one hemifield. In both experiments, retrospective cues during the maintenance period could predict a specific item (spatial retrocue) or multiple items (neutral retrocue) that would be probed at the end of the memory delay. Our results revealed that VSTM performance is significantly improved by orienting attention to the location of a task-relevant item. The behavioral benefit was accompanied by modulation of neural activity involved in VSTM maintenance. Spatial retrocues reduced the magnitude of the CDA, consistent with a reduction in memory load. Our results provide direct evidence that top-down control modulates neural activity associated with maintenance in VSTM, biasing competition in favor of the task-relevant information.

The Storm Time Evolution of the Ionospheric Disturbance Plasma Drifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ruilong; Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Chen, Yiding; Kuai, Jiawei

2017-11-01

In this paper, we use the C/NOFS and ROCSAT-1 satellites observations to analyze the storm time evolution of the disturbance plasma drifts in a 24 h local time scale during three magnetic storms driven by long-lasting southward IMF Bz. The disturbance plasma drifts during the three storms present some common features in the periods dominated by the disturbance dynamo. The newly formed disturbance plasma drifts are upward and westward at night, and downward and eastward during daytime. Further, the disturbance plasma drifts are gradually evolved to present significant local time shifts. The westward disturbance plasma drifts gradually migrate from nightside to dayside. Meanwhile, the dayside downward disturbance plasma drifts become enhanced and shift to later local time. The local time shifts in disturbance plasma drifts are suggested to be mainly attributed to the evolution of the disturbance winds. The strong disturbance winds arisen around midnight can constantly corotate to later local time. At dayside the westward and equatorward disturbance winds can drive the F region dynamo to produce the poleward and westward polarization electric fields (or the westward and downward disturbance drifts). The present results indicate that the disturbance winds corotated to later local time can affect the local time features of the disturbance dynamo electric field.

The pace of shifting climate in marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

Burrows, Michael T; Schoeman, David S; Buckley, Lauren B; Moore, Pippa; Poloczanska, Elvira S; Brander, Keith M; Brown, Chris; Bruno, John F; Duarte, Carlos M; Halpern, Benjamin S; Holding, Johnna; Kappel, Carrie V; Kiessling, Wolfgang; O'Connor, Mary I; Pandolfi, John M; Parmesan, Camille; Schwing, Franklin B; Sydeman, William J; Richardson, Anthony J

2011-11-04

Climate change challenges organisms to adapt or move to track changes in environments in space and time. We used two measures of thermal shifts from analyses of global temperatures over the past 50 years to describe the pace of climate change that species should track: the velocity of climate change (geographic shifts of isotherms over time) and the shift in seasonal timing of temperatures. Both measures are higher in the ocean than on land at some latitudes, despite slower ocean warming. These indices give a complex mosaic of predicted range shifts and phenology changes that deviate from simple poleward migration and earlier springs or later falls. They also emphasize potential conservation concerns, because areas of high marine biodiversity often have greater velocities of climate change and seasonal shifts.

Impaired alertness and performance driving home from the night shift: a driving simulator study.

PubMed

Akerstedt, Torbjörn; Peters, Björn; Anund, Anna; Kecklund, Göran

2005-03-01

Driving in the early morning is associated with increased accident risk affecting not only professional drivers but also those who commute to work. The present study used a driving simulator to investigate the effects of driving home from a night shift. Ten shift workers participated after a normal night shift and after a normal night sleep. The results showed that driving home from the night shift was associated with an increased number of incidents (two wheels outside the lane marking, from 2.4 to 7.6 times), decreased time to first accident, increased lateral deviation (from 18 to 43 cm), increased eye closure duration (0.102 to 0.143 s), and increased subjective sleepiness. The results indicate severe postnight shift effects on sleepiness and driving performance.

Left Hippocampal Pathology Is Associated with Atypical Language Lateralization in Patients with Focal Epilepsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Bernd; Wellmer, Jorg; Reuber, Markus; Mormann, Florian; Weis, Susanne; Urbach, Horst; Ruhlmann, Jurgen; Elger, Christian E.; Fernandez, Guillen

2006-01-01

It is well recognized that the incidence of atypical language lateralization is increased in patients with focal epilepsy. The hypothesis that shifts in language dominance are particularly likely when epileptic lesions are located in close vicinity to the so-called language-eloquent areas rather than in more remote brain regions such as the…

Human reliability and plant operating efficiency: Are 12-hour work schedules cause for concern

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

Baker, T.L.

1992-01-01

Since the introduction of 12-h shifts to the US nuclear power industry only 8 yr ago, compressed workweek schedules have proliferated among operations departments at a phenomenal rate. Many plants that continue to use 8-h shifts during normal operations routinely change to scheduled 12-h shifts during refueling or maintenance outages. The most critical issue in the use of extended work shifts is whether alertness, physical stamina, or mental performance are compromised to the point of reducing safety or efficiency of nuclear power plant operation. Laboratory and field research sponsored by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health suggests thatmore » alertness, measured by self-ratings, and mental performance, measured by computer-based performance tests, are impaired on 12-h shifts compared with 8-h shifts. In contrast to these findings, plant operating efficiency and operator performance have been rated as improved in two field studies conducted in operating nuclear power plants (Fast Flux Test Facility, Washington and Ontario Hydro, Canada). A recent Electric Power Research Institute review of nuclear industry experience with 12-h shifts also suggests an overwhelmingly positive rating of 12-h schedules from both control room operators and management.« less

Post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect: virtual reality-based navigation and detection tasks reveal lateralized and non-lateralized deficits in tasks of varying perceptual and cognitive demands.

PubMed

Ogourtsova, Tatiana; Archambault, Philippe S; Lamontagne, Anouk

2018-04-23

Unilateral spatial neglect (USN), a highly prevalent and disabling post-stroke impairment, has been shown to affect the recovery of locomotor and navigation skills needed for community mobility. We recently found that USN alters goal-directed locomotion in conditions of different cognitive/perceptual demands. However, sensorimotor post-stroke dysfunction (e.g. decreased walking speed) could have influenced the results. Analogous to a previously used goal-directed locomotor paradigm, a seated, joystick-driven navigation experiment, minimizing locomotor demands, was employed in individuals with and without post-stroke USN (USN+ and USN-, respectively) and healthy controls (HC). Participants (n = 15 per group) performed a seated, joystick-driven navigation and detection time task to targets 7 m away at 0°, ±15°/30° in actual (visually-guided), remembered (memory-guided) and shifting (visually-guided with representational updating component) conditions while immersed in a 3D virtual reality environment. Greater end-point mediolateral errors to left-sided targets (remembered and shifting conditions) and overall lengthier onsets in reorientation strategy (shifting condition) were found for USN+ vs. USN- and vs. HC (p < 0.05). USN+ individuals mostly overshot left targets (- 15°/- 30°). Greater delays in detection time for target locations across the visual spectrum (left, middle and right) were found in USN+ vs. USN- and HC groups (p < 0.05). USN-related attentional-perceptual deficits alter navigation abilities in memory-guided and shifting conditions, independently of post-stroke locomotor deficits. Lateralized and non-lateralized deficits in object detection are found. The employed paradigm could be considered in the design and development of sensitive and functional assessment methods for neglect; thereby addressing the drawbacks of currently used traditional paper-and-pencil tools.

7 CFR 624.8 - Assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... formal request from the sponsor. The State Conservationist will take into account the funding priorities... than 60 days from the date funding is made available to the State Conservationist, whichever is later... and maintenance responsibilities. NRCS will not provide funding for activities undertaken by a sponsor...

7 CFR 624.8 - Assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... formal request from the sponsor. The State Conservationist will take into account the funding priorities... than 60 days from the date funding is made available to the State Conservationist, whichever is later... and maintenance responsibilities. NRCS will not provide funding for activities undertaken by a sponsor...

40 CFR 86.094-25 - Maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sensors (including oxygen sensor if installed) and actuators. (D) Exhaust gas recirculation system..., and for 1985 and Later Model Year New Gasoline Fueled, Natural Gas-Fueled, Liquefied Petroleum Gas... trucks and heavy-duty engines, the adjustment, cleaning, repair, or replacement of the oxygen sensor...

40 CFR 86.094-25 - Maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sensors (including oxygen sensor if installed) and actuators. (D) Exhaust gas recirculation system..., and for 1985 and Later Model Year New Gasoline Fueled, Natural Gas-Fueled, Liquefied Petroleum Gas... trucks and heavy-duty engines, the adjustment, cleaning, repair, or replacement of the oxygen sensor...

Sexual Patterns in the Process of Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinazzola, Angelo J.

1975-01-01

The key to successful aging is successful living, and an important part of the strategy for successful living, in the later years, is the maintenance of an active sex life, concordant with the desires and abilities of the individuals who are involved. (RC)

Response bias reveals enhanced attention to inferior visual field in signers of American Sign Language.

PubMed

Dye, Matthew W G; Seymour, Jenessa L; Hauser, Peter C

2016-04-01

Deafness results in cross-modal plasticity, whereby visual functions are altered as a consequence of a lack of hearing. Here, we present a reanalysis of data originally reported by Dye et al. (PLoS One 4(5):e5640, 2009) with the aim of testing additional hypotheses concerning the spatial redistribution of visual attention due to deafness and the use of a visuogestural language (American Sign Language). By looking at the spatial distribution of errors made by deaf and hearing participants performing a visuospatial selective attention task, we sought to determine whether there was evidence for (1) a shift in the hemispheric lateralization of visual selective function as a result of deafness, and (2) a shift toward attending to the inferior visual field in users of a signed language. While no evidence was found for or against a shift in lateralization of visual selective attention as a result of deafness, a shift in the allocation of attention from the superior toward the inferior visual field was inferred in native signers of American Sign Language, possibly reflecting an adaptation to the perceptual demands imposed by a visuogestural language.

Linking better shiftwork arrangements with safety and health management systems.

PubMed

Kogi, Kazutaka

2004-12-01

Various support measures useful for promoting joint change approaches to the improvement of both shiftworking arrangements and safety and health management systems were reviewed. A particular focus was placed on enterprise-level risk reduction measures linking working hours and management systems. Voluntary industry-based guidelines on night and shift work for department stores and the chemical, automobile and electrical equipment industries were examined. Survey results that had led to the compilation of practicable measures to be included in these guidelines were also examined. The common support measures were then compared with ergonomic checkpoints for plant maintenance work involving irregular nightshifts. On the basis of this analysis, a new night and shift work checklist was designed. Both the guidelines and the plant maintenance work checkpoints were found to commonly cover multiple issues including work schedules and various job-related risks. This close link between shiftwork arrangements and risk management was important as shiftworkers in these industries considered teamwork and welfare services to be essential for managing risks associated with night and shift work. Four areas found suitable for participatory improvement by managers and workers were work schedules, ergonomic work tasks, work environment and training. The checklist designed to facilitate participatory change processes covered all these areas. The checklist developed to describe feasible workplace actions was suitable for integration with comprehensive safety and health management systems and offered valuable opportunities for improving working time arrangements and job content together.

Difficult airway simulator intubation success rates using Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport systems training standards.

PubMed

Thomas, Frank; Rhoades, Carol; Carpenter, Judi; Holleran, Renee; Handrahan, Diana

2011-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate difficult airway simulator intubation success rates using Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) initial and maintenance intubation training standards on transport-RN novice intubators over a 1-year period. Twelve transport nurses were blinded to and randomly assigned five or six of 64 different difficult airway simulator scenarios. Intubation success rates were measured 1 month before training, 1 month after training, and 1 year later, following CAMTS initial and maintenance intubation standards. Outcome measurements included first attempt intubation rate, overall intubation success rate, number of attempts to intubation, time per attempt, time to intubation, and time between attempts. During the study, participants received no additional training or opportunities to intubate. First-attempt intubation rates significantly improved (P 5 .022) from 19% 1 month before training to 36% 1 month after training, but did not significantly change (P > .999) 1 year later following CAMTS maintenance standards (34%). Mean cumulative success rates did not significantly improve after four attempts or after 3.5 minutes. The overall mean time per attempt and time between attempts declined with subsequent intubation attempts. Using initial and maintenance CAMTS standards, simulator difficult airway intubation success rates are low in novice intubators. Our results suggest that one intubation/quarter may be enough to maintain difficult airway intubation success rates. Training significantly improves intubation rates. Little advantage occurs in intubation rates after four attempts or 3.5 minutes. Copyright © 2011 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

76 FR 34105 - Carolina Power & Light Company, Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Units 1 and 2; Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-10

... two 12-hour shifts of workers consisting of personnel from operations, maintenance, health physics...-informed evaluation process has shown to be significant to public health and safety; (2) performing health physics or chemistry duties required as a member of the onsite emergency response organization's minimum...

75 FR 20396 - Yale Industrial Trucks-PGH, Inc. Monroeville, PA; Notice of Negative Determination Regarding...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-19

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-71,634] Yale Industrial Trucks... Industrial Trucks-PGH, Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, was based on the findings that: The subject firm had not shifted abroad forklift truck sales and maintenance services or imported forklift truck sales and...

AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 2. UNIT XXII, MICHIGAN/CLARK TRANSMISSION--CONVERTER/TRANSMISSION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

THIS MODULE OF A 25-MODULE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A DETAILED UNDERSTANDING OF A SPECIFIC POWER CONVERTER AND TRANSMISSION USED ON DIESEL POWERED EQUIPMENT. TOPICS ARE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CONVERTER, CONVERTER ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION, TRANSMISSION FUNCTION, AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTING. THE MODULE CONSISTS OF A SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMED…

Language Transmission Revisited: Family Type, Linguistic Environment and Language Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schupbach, Doris

2009-01-01

This article revisits factors in intergenerational language maintenance and shift within the family. It does so through an in-depth analysis of what 14 migrants to Australia from German-speaking Switzerland reported in written life stories and subsequent life story interviews. The participants represent four family types and a wide age range, and…

Shifting Paradigms: Dine Build Harmony, Balance, and Community into the Planning Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Sue; Morgan, Frank

2000-01-01

Western environmental planning processes generally exclude the public. At Dine College (Arizona), planning is inclusive of people, air, water, rocks, plants and animals. Its end goal, siihasin, is the long term health and maintenance of relationships and elements in the environment. Dine has established a planning course organized around the…

Centrifugal dryers keep pace with the market

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

Fiscor, S.

2008-03-15

New plant design and upgrades create a shift in dewatering strategies. The article describes recent developments. Three major manufacturers supply centrifugal dryers - TEMA, Centrifugal & Mechanical Industries (CMI) and Ludowici. CMI introduced a line of vertical centrifugal dryers. TEMA improved the techniques by developing a horizontal vibratory centrifuge (HVC) which simplified maintenance. 3 figs., 1 photo.

Arabidopsis ECERIFERUM9 involvement in cuticle formation and maintenance of plant water status

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A unique set of allelic Arabidopsis mutants are described that exhibit either suppressed or completely inhibited expression of a gene designated ECERIFERUM9 (CER9). These mutants exhibit a dramatic elevation in the total amount of leaf cutin monomers, and a dramatic shift in the leaf cuticular wax p...

The Value of Adopting Multiple Approaches and Methodologies in the Investigation of Ethnolinguistic Vitality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEntee-Atalianis, Lisa J.

2011-01-01

The concept of "Ethnolinguistic Vitality" (EV) has received variable acceptance and support since its introduction by Giles, Bourhis, and Taylor. It has especially proven to be a valuable heuristic in studies of language maintenance and shift. However, the reliability and validity of the instruments used to investigate EV, especially…

Rule Based Category Learning in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Price, Amanda; Filoteo, J. Vincent; Maddox, W. Todd

2009-01-01

Measures of explicit rule-based category learning are commonly used in neuropsychological evaluation of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the pattern of PD performance on these measures tends to be highly varied. We review the neuropsychological literature to clarify the manner in which PD affects the component processes of rule-based category learning and work to identify and resolve discrepancies within this literature. In particular, we address the manner in which PD and its common treatments affect the processes of rule generation, maintenance, shifting and selection. We then integrate the neuropsychological research with relevant neuroimaging and computational modeling evidence to clarify the neurobiological impact of PD on each process. Current evidence indicates that neurochemical changes associated with PD primarily disrupt rule shifting, and may disturb feedback-mediated learning processes that guide rule selection. Although surgical and pharmacological therapies remediate this deficit, it appears that the same treatments may contribute to impaired rule generation, maintenance and selection processes. These data emphasize the importance of distinguishing between the impact of PD and its common treatments when considering the neuropsychological profile of the disease. PMID:19428385

Learning while (re)configuring: Business model innovation processes in established firms.

PubMed

Berends, Hans; Smits, Armand; Reymen, Isabelle; Podoynitsyna, Ksenia

2016-08-01

This study addresses the question of how established organizations develop new business models over time, using a process research approach to trace how four business model innovation trajectories unfold. With organizational learning as analytical lens, we discern two process patterns: "drifting" starts with an emphasis on experiential learning and shifts later to cognitive search; "leaping," in contrast, starts with an emphasis on cognitive search and shifts later to experiential learning. Both drifting and leaping can result in radical business model innovations, while their occurrence depends on whether a new business model takes off from an existing model and when it goes into operation. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory on business models and organizational learning.

Learning while (re)configuring: Business model innovation processes in established firms

PubMed Central

Berends, Hans; Smits, Armand; Reymen, Isabelle; Podoynitsyna, Ksenia

2016-01-01

This study addresses the question of how established organizations develop new business models over time, using a process research approach to trace how four business model innovation trajectories unfold. With organizational learning as analytical lens, we discern two process patterns: “drifting” starts with an emphasis on experiential learning and shifts later to cognitive search; “leaping,” in contrast, starts with an emphasis on cognitive search and shifts later to experiential learning. Both drifting and leaping can result in radical business model innovations, while their occurrence depends on whether a new business model takes off from an existing model and when it goes into operation. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory on business models and organizational learning. PMID:28596704

40 CFR 86.004-25 - Maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... its associated sensors (including oxygen sensor if installed) and actuators. (D) Exhaust gas..., and for 1985 and Later Model Year New Gasoline Fueled, Natural Gas-Fueled, Liquefied Petroleum Gas... ventilation valve. (B) Emission-related hoses and tubes. (C) Ignition wires. (D) Idle mixture. (E) Exhaust gas...

40 CFR 86.004-25 - Maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... its associated sensors (including oxygen sensor if installed) and actuators. (D) Exhaust gas..., and for 1985 and Later Model Year New Gasoline Fueled, Natural Gas-Fueled, Liquefied Petroleum Gas... ventilation valve. (B) Emission-related hoses and tubes. (C) Ignition wires. (D) Idle mixture. (E) Exhaust gas...

30 CFR 220.030 - Maintenance of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS REVENUE MANAGEMENT... cessation of NPSL operations by the lessee. All other documents, journals and records shall be maintained..., whichever comes later, except that nothing in these regulations shall limit the time of investigation or the...

Dynamic Buckling Test Analyses of a High Degree CWR Track

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-02-01

Thermal buckling of railroad tracks in the lateral plane is an important problem in the design and maintenance of continuous welded rail (CWR) tracks. The work reported here is part of a major investigation carried out by the John A. Volpe National T...

Maintenance of youth-like processing protects against false memory in later adulthood.

PubMed

Fandakova, Yana; Lindenberger, Ulman; Shing, Yee Lee

2015-02-01

Normal cognitive aging compromises the ability to form and retrieve associations among features of a memory episode. One indicator of this age-related deficit is older adults' difficulty in detecting and correctly rejecting new associations of familiar items. Comparing 28 younger and 30 older adults on a continuous recognition task with word pairs, we found that older adults whose activation patterns deviate less from the average pattern of younger adults while detecting repaired associations show the following: (1) higher overall memory and fewer false recognitions; (2) stronger functional connectivity of prefrontal regions with middle temporal and parahippocampal gyrus; and (3) higher recall and strategic categorical clustering in an independently assessed free recall task. Deviations from the average young-adult network reflected underactivation of frontoparietal regions instead of overactivation of regions not activated by younger adults. We conclude that maintenance of youth-like task-relevant activation patterns is critical for preserving memory functions in later adulthood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innervation regulates synaptic ribbons in lateral line mechanosensory hair cells

PubMed Central

Pujol, Remy; Cunningham, Dale E.; Hailey, Dale W.; Prendergast, Andrew; Rubel, Edwin W.; Raible, David W.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Failure to form proper synapses in mechanosensory hair cells, the sensory cells responsible for hearing and balance, leads to deafness and balance disorders. Ribbons are electron-dense structures that tether synaptic vesicles to the presynaptic zone of mechanosensory hair cells where they are juxtaposed with the post-synaptic endings of afferent fibers. They are initially formed throughout the cytoplasm, and, as cells mature, ribbons translocate to the basolateral membrane of hair cells to form functional synapses. We have examined the effect of post-synaptic elements on ribbon formation and maintenance in the zebrafish lateral line system by observing mutants that lack hair cell innervation, wild-type larvae whose nerves have been transected and ribbons in regenerating hair cells. Our results demonstrate that innervation is not required for initial ribbon formation but suggest that it is crucial for regulating the number, size and localization of ribbons in maturing hair cells, and for ribbon maintenance at the mature synapse. PMID:27103160

Innervation regulates synaptic ribbons in lateral line mechanosensory hair cells.

PubMed

Suli, Arminda; Pujol, Remy; Cunningham, Dale E; Hailey, Dale W; Prendergast, Andrew; Rubel, Edwin W; Raible, David W

2016-06-01

Failure to form proper synapses in mechanosensory hair cells, the sensory cells responsible for hearing and balance, leads to deafness and balance disorders. Ribbons are electron-dense structures that tether synaptic vesicles to the presynaptic zone of mechanosensory hair cells where they are juxtaposed with the post-synaptic endings of afferent fibers. They are initially formed throughout the cytoplasm, and, as cells mature, ribbons translocate to the basolateral membrane of hair cells to form functional synapses. We have examined the effect of post-synaptic elements on ribbon formation and maintenance in the zebrafish lateral line system by observing mutants that lack hair cell innervation, wild-type larvae whose nerves have been transected and ribbons in regenerating hair cells. Our results demonstrate that innervation is not required for initial ribbon formation but suggest that it is crucial for regulating the number, size and localization of ribbons in maturing hair cells, and for ribbon maintenance at the mature synapse. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Role of protein synthesis and DNA methylation in the consolidation and maintenance of long-term memory in Aplysia

PubMed Central

Pearce, Kaycey; Cai, Diancai; Roberts, Adam C; Glanzman, David L

2017-01-01

Previously, we reported that long-term memory (LTM) in Aplysia can be reinstated by truncated (partial) training following its disruption by reconsolidation blockade and inhibition of PKM (Chen et al., 2014). Here, we report that LTM can be induced by partial training after disruption of original consolidation by protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) begun shortly after training. But when PSI occurs during training, partial training cannot subsequently establish LTM. Furthermore, we find that inhibition of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT), whether during training or shortly afterwards, blocks consolidation of LTM and prevents its subsequent induction by truncated training; moreover, later inhibition of DNMT eliminates consolidated LTM. Thus, the consolidation of LTM depends on two functionally distinct phases of protein synthesis: an early phase that appears to prime LTM; and a later phase whose successful completion is necessary for the normal expression of LTM. Both the consolidation and maintenance of LTM depend on DNA methylation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18299.001 PMID:28067617

Internal shifting impairments in response to emotional information in dysphoric adolescents.

PubMed

Wante, Laura; Mueller, Sven C; Demeyer, Ineke; Naets, Tiffany; Braet, Caroline

2017-12-01

Previous studies have suggested that internal cognitive control impairments may play an important role in the development of depression. Despite a growing body of research in adults, the ability to shift internal attention between mental representations in working memory has received little attention in younger populations. This study investigated internal shifting capacity between emotional and non-emotional information in dysphoric and non-dysphoric adolescents. Twenty dysphoric and 34 non-dysphoric adolescents (10-17 years) completed an Internal Shifting Task, with pictures of angry and neutral faces, to measure the ability to shift attention between information held in working memory. Dysphoric adolescents showed specific shifting impairments when processing emotional material relative to non-dysphoric adolescents. Valence-specific analyses revealed that shifting was particularly impaired when shifting from negative to neutral information. By comparison, relative to non-dysphoric adolescents, dysphoric adolescents did not show shifting impairments when non-emotional features of the pictures had to be processed. The study is limited by the absence of a structured clinical interview as dysphoria was determined dimensionally. Furthermore, a comparison of the effects of different negative stimuli on shifting could not be made since sad stimuli were not included in the stimulus set. The results confirm the link between depressive symptoms and emotion-specific shifting impairments in adolescents and indicate that targeting shifting ability in response to emotional stimuli may be a promising avenue for prevention programs. Longitudinal research is needed to replicate results and to explore the role of internal shifting impairments in the etiology and maintenance of depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination Learning, Reversal, and Set-Shifting in First-Episode Schizophrenia: Stability Over Six Years and Specific Associations with Medication Type and Disorganization Syndrome

PubMed Central

Leeson, Verity C.; Robbins, Trevor W.; Matheson, Elizabeth; Hutton, Samuel B.; Ron, María A.; Barnes, Thomas R.E.; Joyce, Eileen M.

2009-01-01

Background The intradimensional/extradimensional (IDED) task assesses different forms of learning from feedback. Limited evidence suggests that attentional set-shifting deteriorates over time in schizophrenia. We tested this hypothesis and examined the specificity of learning impairments identified by this task. Method Two hundred sixty-two first-episode patients and 76 healthy control subjects, matched for age and premorbid IQ, were tested; 104 patients and 25 control subjects were reassessed 1 and 3 years later, and 31 patients were reassessed additionally 6 years later. Results Patients showed impaired set-shifting that correlated with current IQ and working memory, but there were no impairments when subgroups were matched on current IQ. In contrast, patients showed marked impairments in rule reversal learning that survived correction for IQ, were present in the context of intact rule abstraction, and correlated with disorganization symptoms. Patients prescribed second-generation antipsychotics were worse on set-shifting compared with first-generation, a finding not explained by demographic data, illness characteristics, or IQ. Patients and control subjects showed stable IDED performance over the first 6 years of illness, although set-shifting was inconsistent over the first year. Those with residual negative symptoms were more likely to fail the set-shifting stage at follow-up. Conclusions First-episode schizophrenia patients can learn and generalize rules but are inflexible when rules change, reflecting reduced responsiveness to negative feedback and difficulty in switching attention. Rule-reversal is a promising target for translational studies, because it is specific, clinically relevant, and might reflect orbitofrontal dysfunction. Set-shifting is related to poor function more generally but might be sensitive to medication effects and valuable for clinical trials. PMID:19576575

Evidence Accumulation and Choice Maintenance Are Dissociated in Human Perceptual Decision Making

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Mads Lund; Endestad, Tor; Biele, Guido

2015-01-01

Perceptual decision making in monkeys relies on decision neurons, which accumulate evidence and maintain choices until a response is given. In humans, several brain regions have been proposed to accumulate evidence, but it is unknown if these regions also maintain choices. To test if accumulator regions in humans also maintain decisions we compared delayed and self-paced responses during a face/house discrimination decision making task. Computational modeling and fMRI results revealed dissociated processes of evidence accumulation and decision maintenance, with potential accumulator activations found in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral insula. Potential maintenance activation spanned the frontal pole, temporal gyri, precuneus and the lateral occipital and frontal orbital cortices. Results of a quantitative reverse inference meta-analysis performed to differentiate the functions associated with the identified regions did not narrow down potential accumulation regions, but suggested that response-maintenance might rely on a verbalization of the response. PMID:26510176

Anticipated affective consequences of physical activity adoption and maintenance.

PubMed

Dunton, Genevieve Fridlund; Vaughan, Elaine

2008-11-01

The expected emotional consequences of future actions are thought to play an important role in health behavior change. This research examined whether anticipated affective consequences of success and failure vary across stages of physical activity change and differentially predict physical activity adoption as compared to maintenance. Using a prospective design over a 3-month period, a community sample of 329 healthy, middle-aged adults were assessed at 2 time points. Anticipated positive and negative emotions, stage of behavior change (precontemplation [PC], contemplation [C], preparation [P], action [A], maintenance [M]), and level of physical activity. At baseline, anticipated positive emotions were greater in C versus PC, whereas anticipated negative emotions were greater in M versus A and in M versus P. Higher anticipated positive but not negative emotions predicted physical activity adoption and maintenance after 3 months. Although the expected affective consequences of future success and failure differentiated among individuals in the early and later stages of physical activity change, respectively; only the anticipated affective consequences of success predicted future behavior.

Smoking habits, exposure to passive smoking and attitudes to a non-smoking policy among hospital staff.

PubMed

Zanetti, F; Gambi, A; Bergamaschi, A; Gentilini, F; De Luca, G; Monti, C; Stampi, S

1998-01-01

A survey was carried out into the smoking habits and exposure to passive smoking among health staff in the hospitals of Faenza, Forli and Rimini (Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy), 2453 subjects answered anonymously a 41 question questionnaire. 53% of the subjects were professionals nurses, 16% doctors, 15% maintenance staff, 10% ancillary staff, 1% non-medical graduates, 2% were administrators and 3% were assigned to the category ¿other'. Of the subjects answering the questionnaire 39% were smokers, 19% ex-smokers and 42% non smokers. The highest number of smokers was found among women (41%) compared to men (37%) and among ancillary staff (48%) compared to nurses (41%) and doctors (31%). The males were mostly heavy smokers (> or = 20 cigarettes/d) and smoked strong cigarettes (> or = 12 mg/cig condensate content). The females were mostly light smokers (< 10 cigarettes/d) and smoked light cigarettes (1-6 mg/cig condensate content). A high percentage of subjects (87%) smoked at work especially in areas reserved for staff. 43% and 26% of shift workers and non-shift workers tended not to modify their habit when on morning or afternoon shifts. During night shifts the majority of them increased their tobacco consumption. Around 87% of hospital employees stated they were exposed to passive smoking inside the hospital especially in cooking areas, at information desks and corridors. Nurses, ancillaries and maintenance staff were those most exposed and for a greater number of hours per day compared to doctors. Almost all subjects were aware of the harm caused by passive smoking. 56% of smokers, 65% of ex-smokers and 72% of non smokers said they were willing to participate in future campaigns to limit smoking in their hospitals.

Maintenance of electrostatic stabilization in altered tubulin lateral contacts may facilitate formation of helical filaments in foraminifera.

PubMed

Bassen, David M; Hou, Yubo; Bowser, Samuel S; Banavali, Nilesh K

2016-08-19

Microtubules in foraminiferan protists (forams) can convert into helical filament structures, in which longitudinal intraprotofilament interactions between tubulin heterodimers are thought to be lost, while lateral contacts across protofilaments are still maintained. The coarse geometric features of helical filaments are known through low-resolution negative stain electron microscopy (EM). In this study, geometric restraints derived from these experimental data were used to generate an average atomic-scale helical filament model, which anticipated a modest reorientation in the lateral tubulin heterodimer interface. Restrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the nearest neighbor interactions combined with a Genalized Born implicit solvent model were used to assess the lateral, longitudinal, and seam contacts in 13-3 microtubules and the reoriented lateral contacts in the helical filament model. This electrostatic analysis suggests that the change in the lateral interface in the helical filament does not greatly diminish the lateral electrostatic interaction. After longitudinal dissociation, the 13-3 seam interaction is much weaker than the reoriented lateral interface in the helical filament model, providing a plausible atomic-detail explanation for seam-to-lateral contact transition that enables the transition to a helical filament structure.

Maintenance of electrostatic stabilization in altered tubulin lateral contacts may facilitate formation of helical filaments in foraminifera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassen, David M.; Hou, Yubo; Bowser, Samuel S.; Banavali, Nilesh K.

2016-08-01

Microtubules in foraminiferan protists (forams) can convert into helical filament structures, in which longitudinal intraprotofilament interactions between tubulin heterodimers are thought to be lost, while lateral contacts across protofilaments are still maintained. The coarse geometric features of helical filaments are known through low-resolution negative stain electron microscopy (EM). In this study, geometric restraints derived from these experimental data were used to generate an average atomic-scale helical filament model, which anticipated a modest reorientation in the lateral tubulin heterodimer interface. Restrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the nearest neighbor interactions combined with a Genalized Born implicit solvent model were used to assess the lateral, longitudinal, and seam contacts in 13-3 microtubules and the reoriented lateral contacts in the helical filament model. This electrostatic analysis suggests that the change in the lateral interface in the helical filament does not greatly diminish the lateral electrostatic interaction. After longitudinal dissociation, the 13-3 seam interaction is much weaker than the reoriented lateral interface in the helical filament model, providing a plausible atomic-detail explanation for seam-to-lateral contact transition that enables the transition to a helical filament structure.

Rotating night shifts too quickly may cause anxiety and decreased attentional performance, and impact prolactin levels during the subsequent day: a case control study.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-San; Chen, Hsiang-Lan; Wu, Yu-Hsuan; Hsu, Chung-Yao; Liu, Ching-Kuan; Hsu, Chin

2014-08-05

We investigated circadian changes and effects on mood, sleep-related hormones and cognitive performance when nurses worked consecutive night shifts in a rapidly rotating shift system. Daytime cognitive function, sleep propensity and sleep-related hormones (growth hormone, cortisol, prolactin, thyrotropin) were compared after participants worked two and four consecutive night shifts. Twenty-three off-duty nurses, 20 nurses working two consecutive night shifts and 16 nurses working four consecutive night shifts were enrolled. All participants completed the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Stanford Sleepiness Scale, visual attention tasks (VAT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and modified Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Hormone levels were also measured four times throughout the day, at 2-h intervals. During the day, the participants in the night shift groups were less able to maintain wakefulness, had poor performance on VAT, and higher thyrotropin levels than did those in the off-duty group. Participants who worked two night shifts were better able to maintain wakefulness, had higher anxiety scale scores, poorer initial performance and lack of learning effect on VAT, and higher prolactin levels compared with those who worked four night shifts. There were no differences in cortisol levels between the two- and four- shift groups. Rotating night shifts too quickly may cause anxiety and decreased attentional performance, and may impact daytime prolactin levels after night shifts. It is possible that the two-shift group had a higher cortisol level than did the four-shift group, which would be consistent with the group's higher state anxiety scores. The negative findings may be due to the small sample size. Further studies on the effects of consecutive night shifts on mood and cortisol levels during the daytime after sleep restriction would be valuable.

A combinational theory for maintenance of sex

PubMed Central

Hörandl, E

2010-01-01

Sexual reproduction implies high costs, but it is difficult to give evidence for evolutionary advantages that would explain the predominance of meiotic sex in eukaryotes. A combinational theory discussing evolution, maintenance and loss of sex may resolve the problem. The main function of sex is the restoration of DNA and consequently a higher quality of offspring. Recombination at meiosis evolved, perhaps, as a repair mechanism of DNA strand damages. This mechanism is most efficient for DNA restoration in multicellular eukaryotes, because the initial cell starts with a re-optimized genome, which is passed to all the daughter cells. Meiosis acts also as creator of variation in haploid stages, in which selection can purge most efficiently deleterious mutations. A prolonged diploid phase buffers the effects of deleterious recessive alleles as well as epigenetic defects and is thus optimal for prolonged growth periods. For complex multicellular organisms, the main advantage of sexuality is thus the alternation of diploid and haploid stages, combining advantages of both. A loss of sex is constrained by several, partly group-specific, developmental features. Hybridization may trigger shifts from sexual to asexual reproduction, but crossing barriers of the parental sexual species limit this process. For the concerted break-up of meiosis-outcrossing cycles plus silencing of secondary features, various group-specific changes in the regulatory system may be required. An establishment of asexuals requires special functional modifications and environmental opportunities. Costs for maintenance of meiotic sex are consequently lower than a shift to asexual reproduction. PMID:19623209

One Decade Later: KF Canadian Adaptation Scheme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rashid, H.

1984-01-01

Provides background and rationale for formulation and use of the KF Canadian Adaptation Scheme in Canadian law libraries and describes methodological approaches and applications of the scheme to diverse and specific situations. Recent developments in its maintenance and updating and suggestions for its potential use are highlighted. (EJS)

Mechanics of Ballast Compaction. Volume 4 : Lab. Invest. the Effects of Field Compaction Mechanisms

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-03-01

This report describes a preliminary series of laboratory tests which attempt to simulate some of the effects of maintenance procedures and traffic on the physical state of ballast as measured by the ballast density test, plate load test, and lateral ...

Relationship between degree of malocclusion and occlusal interference in mice that spontaneously develop anterior transverse crossbite.

PubMed

Tsukamoto, Yuri; Kajii, Takashi S; Sugawara-Kato, Yuki; Hirabayashi, Yoshifumi; Fujimori, Osamu; Iida, Junichiro

2010-12-01

Mice with brachymorphism (bm) have defective chondrogenesis, including abnormal growth of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis. Malocclusion (anterior transverse crossbite) sometimes spontaneously occurs in inbred BALB/c-bm/bm mice, before the mandibular incisors erupt and make contact with the maxillary incisors. The aim of this study was to determine whether functional lateral loads to incisors promote anterior transverse crossbites in BALB/c-bm/bm mice. BALB/c-bm/bm mice with normal occlusion (normal group), BALB/c-bm/bm mice with malocclusion in which the incisors were not cut (mal group), and BALB/c-bm/bm mice in which the incisors had been cut to eliminate the functional lateral load during continued growth (mal-cut group) were used. We examined the amounts of shift of the maxillary and mandibular incisors in each group using radiographic images. The amount of shift of the maxillary incisors in the mal group was significantly greater than that in normal group. The total amount of shift from the maxilla to the mandible in the mal group was significantly greater than in the normal and mal-cut groups. The results suggest that a continuous functional lateral load to the incisors is strongly related to promoting and worsening anterior transverse crossbite in BALB/c-bm/bm mice. Copyright © 2010 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of radial meniscal tear on in situ forces of meniscus and tibiofemoral relationship.

PubMed

Tachibana, Yuta; Mae, Tatsuo; Fujie, Hiromichi; Shino, Konsei; Ohori, Tomoki; Yoshikawa, Hideki; Nakata, Ken

2017-02-01

To clarify the effect of the radial tear of the lateral meniscus on the in situ meniscus force and the tibiofemoral relationship under axial loads and valgus torques. Ten intact porcine knees were settled to a 6-degree of freedom robotic system, while the force and 3-dimensional path of the knees were recorded via Universal Force Sensor (UFS) during 3 cycles of 250-N axial load and 5-Nm valgus torque at 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60° of knee flexion. The same examination was performed on the following 3 meniscal states sequentially; 33, 66, and 100% width of radial tears at the middle segment of the lateral meniscus, while recording the force and path of the knees via UFS. Finally, all paths were reproduced after total lateral meniscectomy and the in situ force of the lateral meniscus were calculated with the principle of superposition. The radial tear of 100% width significantly decreased the in situ force of the lateral meniscus and caused tibial medial shift and valgus rotation at 30°-60° of knee flexion in both testing protocols. Under a 250-N axial load at 60° of knee flexion, the in situ force decreased to 36 ± 29 N with 100% width of radial tear, which was 122 ± 38 N in the intact state. Additionally, the tibia shifted medially by 2.1 ± 0.9 mm and valgusrotated by 2.5 ± 1.9° with the complete radial tear. However, the radial tear of 33 or 66% width had little effect on either the in situ force or the tibial position. A radial tear of 100% width involving the rim significantly decreased the in situ force of the lateral meniscus and caused medial shift and valgus rotation of the tibia, whereas a radial tear of up to 66% width produced only little change. The clinical relevance is that loss of meniscal functions due to complete radial tear can lead to abnormal stress concentration in a focal area of cartilage and can increase the risk of osteoarthritis in the future.

A cross-sectional study comparing lateral and diagonal maximum weight shift in people with stroke and healthy controls and the correlation with balance, gait and fear of falling

PubMed Central

Meyer, Sarah; Beyens, Hilde; Dejaeger, Eddy; Verheyden, Geert

2017-01-01

Impaired balance is common post stroke and can be assessed by means of force-platforms measuring center of pressure (COP) displacements during static standing, or more dynamically during lateral maximum weight shift (MWS). However, activities of daily life also include diagonal MWS and since force platforms are nowadays commercially available, investigating lateral and diagonal MWS in a clinical setting might be feasible and clinically relevant. We investigated lateral and diagonal MWS while standing in patients with stroke (PwS) and healthy controls (HC), evaluated MWS towards the affected and the non-affected side for PwS and correlated MWS with measures of balance, gait and fear of falling. In a cross-sectional observational study including 36 ambulatory sub-acute inpatients and 32 age-matched HC, a force platform (BioRescue, RM Ingénierie, France) was used to measure lateral and diagonal MWS in standing. Clinical outcome measures collected were Berg Balance Scale and Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CBMS) for balance, 10-meter walk test (10MWT) for gait speed and Falls Efficacy Scale–international version for fear of falling. MWS for PwS towards the affected side was significantly smaller compared to HC (lateral: p = 0.029; diagonal-forward: p = 0.000). MWS for PwS was also significantly reduced towards the affected side in the diagonal-forward direction (p = 0.019) compared to the non-affected side of PwS. Strong correlations were found for MWS for PwS in the diagonal-forward direction towards the affected side, and clinical measures of balance (CBMS: r = 0.66) and gait speed (10MWT: r = 0.66). Our study showed that ambulatory sub-acute PwS, in comparison to HC, have decreased ability to shift their body weight diagonally forward in standing towards their affected side. This reduced ability is strongly related to clinical measures of balance and gait speed. Our results suggest that MWS in a diagonal-forward direction should receive attention in rehabilitation of ambulatory sub-acute PwS in an inpatient setting. PMID:28809939

A cross-sectional study comparing lateral and diagonal maximum weight shift in people with stroke and healthy controls and the correlation with balance, gait and fear of falling.

PubMed

van Dijk, Margaretha M; Meyer, Sarah; Sandstad, Solveig; Wiskerke, Evelyne; Thuwis, Rhea; Vandekerckhove, Chesny; Myny, Charlotte; Ghosh, Nitesh; Beyens, Hilde; Dejaeger, Eddy; Verheyden, Geert

2017-01-01

Impaired balance is common post stroke and can be assessed by means of force-platforms measuring center of pressure (COP) displacements during static standing, or more dynamically during lateral maximum weight shift (MWS). However, activities of daily life also include diagonal MWS and since force platforms are nowadays commercially available, investigating lateral and diagonal MWS in a clinical setting might be feasible and clinically relevant. We investigated lateral and diagonal MWS while standing in patients with stroke (PwS) and healthy controls (HC), evaluated MWS towards the affected and the non-affected side for PwS and correlated MWS with measures of balance, gait and fear of falling. In a cross-sectional observational study including 36 ambulatory sub-acute inpatients and 32 age-matched HC, a force platform (BioRescue, RM Ingénierie, France) was used to measure lateral and diagonal MWS in standing. Clinical outcome measures collected were Berg Balance Scale and Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CBMS) for balance, 10-meter walk test (10MWT) for gait speed and Falls Efficacy Scale-international version for fear of falling. MWS for PwS towards the affected side was significantly smaller compared to HC (lateral: p = 0.029; diagonal-forward: p = 0.000). MWS for PwS was also significantly reduced towards the affected side in the diagonal-forward direction (p = 0.019) compared to the non-affected side of PwS. Strong correlations were found for MWS for PwS in the diagonal-forward direction towards the affected side, and clinical measures of balance (CBMS: r = 0.66) and gait speed (10MWT: r = 0.66). Our study showed that ambulatory sub-acute PwS, in comparison to HC, have decreased ability to shift their body weight diagonally forward in standing towards their affected side. This reduced ability is strongly related to clinical measures of balance and gait speed. Our results suggest that MWS in a diagonal-forward direction should receive attention in rehabilitation of ambulatory sub-acute PwS in an inpatient setting.

Preservation of auditory brainstem response thresholds after cochleostomy and titanium microactuator implantation in the lateral wall of cat scala tympani.

PubMed

Lesinski, S George; Prewitt, Jessica; Bray, Victor; Aravamudhan, Radhika; Bermeo Blanco, Oscar A; Farmer-Fedor, Brenda L; Ward, Jonette A

2014-04-01

The safety of implanting a titanium microactuator into the lateral wall of cat scala tympani was assessed by comparing preoperative and postoperative auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds for 1 to 3 months. The safety of directly stimulating cochlear perilymph with an implantable hearing system requires maintaining preoperative hearing levels. This cat study is an essential step in the development of the next generation of fully implantable hearing devices for humans. Following GLP surgical standards, a 1-mm cochleostomy was drilled into the lateral wall of the scala tympani, and a nonfunctioning titanium anchor/microactuator assembly was inserted in 8 cats. The scala media was damaged in the 1 cat. ABR thresholds with click and 4- and 8-kHz stimuli were measured preoperatively and compared with postoperative thresholds at 1, 2, and 3 months. Nonimplanted ear thresholds were also measured to establish statistical significance for threshold shifts (>28.4 dB). Two audiologists independently interpreted thresholds. Postoperatively, 7 cats implanted in the scala tympani demonstrated no significant ABR threshold shift for click stimulus; one shifted ABR thresholds to 4- and 8-kHz stimuli. The eighth cat, with surgical damage to the scala media, maintained stable click threshold but had a significant shift to 4- and 8-kHz stimuli. This cat study provides no evidence of worsening hearing thresholds after fenestration of the scala tympani and insertion of a titanium anchor/microactuator, provided there is no surgical trauma to the scala media and the implanted device is securely anchored in the cochleostomy. These 2 issues have been resolved in the development of a fully implantable hearing system for humans. The long-term hearing stability (combined with histologic studies) reaffirm that the microactuator is well tolerated by the cat cochlea.

Specific Contributions of Ventromedial, Anterior Cingulate, and Lateral Prefrontal Cortex for Attentional Selection and Stimulus Valuation

PubMed Central

Kaping, Daniel; Vinck, Martin; Hutchison, R. Matthew; Everling, Stefan; Womelsdorf, Thilo

2011-01-01

Attentional control ensures that neuronal processes prioritize the most relevant stimulus in a given environment. Controlling which stimulus is attended thus originates from neurons encoding the relevance of stimuli, i.e. their expected value, in hand with neurons encoding contextual information about stimulus locations, features, and rules that guide the conditional allocation of attention. Here, we examined how these distinct processes are encoded and integrated in macaque prefrontal cortex (PFC) by mapping their functional topographies at the time of attentional stimulus selection. We find confined clusters of neurons in ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) that predominantly convey stimulus valuation information during attention shifts. These valuation signals were topographically largely separated from neurons predicting the stimulus location to which attention covertly shifted, and which were evident across the complete medial-to-lateral extent of the PFC, encompassing anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and lateral PFC (LPFC). LPFC responses showed particularly early-onset selectivity and primarily facilitated attention shifts to contralateral targets. Spatial selectivity within ACC was delayed and heterogeneous, with similar proportions of facilitated and suppressed responses during contralateral attention shifts. The integration of spatial and valuation signals about attentional target stimuli was observed in a confined cluster of neurons at the intersection of vmPFC, ACC, and LPFC. These results suggest that valuation processes reflecting stimulus-specific outcome predictions are recruited during covert attentional control. Value predictions and the spatial identification of attentional targets were conveyed by largely separate neuronal populations, but were integrated locally at the intersection of three major prefrontal areas, which may constitute a functional hub within the larger attentional control network. PMID:22215982

Unlocking Australia's Language Potential. Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 8: Modern Greek.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamis, A. M.; And Others

The status of modern Greek in Australian society and education are detailed in this report. Chapters include discussion of these issues: the history of modern Greek in Australia (Greek immigration and settlement, public and private domains of use, language maintenance and shift, and language quality); the functions of modern Greek in Australia…

Landscape composition in aspen woodlands under various modeled fire regimes

Treesearch

Eva K. Strand; Stephen C. Bunting; Lee A. Vierling

2012-01-01

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is declining across the western United States. Aspen habitats are diverse plant communities in this region and loss of these habitats can cause shifts in biodiversity, productivity, and hydrology across spatial scales. Western aspen occurs on the majority of sites seral to conifer species, and long-term maintenance of these aspen...

Developing a Quality Improvement Process to Optimize Faculty Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merillat, Linda; Scheibmeir, Monica

2016-01-01

As part of a major shift to embed quality improvement processes within a School of Nursing at a medium-sized Midwestern university, a faculty enrichment program using a Plan-Do-Act-Study design was implemented. A central focus for the program was the development and maintenance of an online faculty resource center identified as "My Faculty…

Roles of Attention Shifting and Inhibitory Control in Fourth-Grade Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieffer, Michael J.; Vukovic, Rose K.; Berry, Daniel

2013-01-01

Executive functioning (EF) refers to a set of higher order, core cognitive processes that facilitate planning, problem solving, and the initiation and maintenance of goal-directed behavior. Although recent research has established the importance of EF for word reading development in early childhood, few studies have investigated the role of EF in…

Influence of forest structure and experimental green-tree retention on northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) abundance

Treesearch

Gillian L. Holloway; Winston P. Smith; Charles B. Halpern; Robert A. Gitzen; Christine C. Maguire; Stephen D. West

2012-01-01

In many regions of the world, forest management has shifted from practices emphasizing timber production to more sustainable harvesting that integrates ecological values, including maintenance of biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and ecological goods and services. To this end, management strategies emphasize retention of stand structures that meet the needs of forest-...

Rethinking Methodology: What Language Diaries Can Offer to the Study of Code Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starks, Donna; Lee, Jeong

2010-01-01

The self-report questionnaire has served as the primary tool for investigating language maintenance in hundreds of communities over the past 40 years. More recently, it has been employed to investigate language shift amongst first-generation communities where one of the most useful indicators of generational change is the reported pattern of…

Working memory accuracy for multiple targets is driven by reward expectation and stimulus contrast with different time-courses.

PubMed

Klink, P Christiaan; Jeurissen, Danique; Theeuwes, Jan; Denys, Damiaan; Roelfsema, Pieter R

2017-08-22

The richness of sensory input dictates that the brain must prioritize and select information for further processing and storage in working memory. Stimulus salience and reward expectations influence this prioritization but their relative contributions and underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we investigate how the quality of working memory for multiple stimuli is determined by priority during encoding and later memory phases. Selective attention could, for instance, act as the primary gating mechanism when stimuli are still visible. Alternatively, observers might still be able to shift priorities across memories during maintenance or retrieval. To distinguish between these possibilities, we investigated how and when reward cues determine working memory accuracy and found that they were only effective during memory encoding. Previously learned, but currently non-predictive, color-reward associations had a similar influence, which gradually weakened without reinforcement. Finally, we show that bottom-up salience, manipulated through varying stimulus contrast, influences memory accuracy during encoding with a fundamentally different time-course than top-down reward cues. While reward-based effects required long stimulus presentation, the influence of contrast was strongest with brief presentations. Our results demonstrate how memory resources are distributed over memory targets and implicates selective attention as a main gating mechanism between sensory and memory systems.

Song practice as a rewarding form of play in songbirds.

PubMed

Riters, Lauren V; Spool, Jeremy A; Merullo, Devin P; Hahn, Allison H

2017-10-12

In adult songbirds, the primary functions of song are mate attraction and territory defense; yet, many songbirds sing at high rates as juveniles and outside these primary contexts as adults. Singing outside primary contexts is critical for song learning and maintenance, and ultimately necessary for breeding success. However, this type of singing (i.e., song "practice") occurs even in the absence of immediate or obvious extrinsic reinforcement; that is, it does not attract mates or repel competitors. Here we review studies that support the hypothesis that song practice is stimulated and maintained by intrinsic reward mechanisms (i.e., that it is associated with a positive affective state). Additionally, we propose that song practice can be considered a rewarding form of play behavior similar to forms of play observed in multiple young animals as they practice sequences of motor events that are used later in primary adult reproductive contexts. This review highlights research suggesting at least partially overlapping roles for neural reward systems in birdsong and mammalian play and evidence that steroid hormones modify these systems to shift animals from periods of intrinsically rewarded motor exploration (i.e., singing in birds and play in mammals) to the use of similar motor patterns in primary reproductive contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Label-free shotgun proteomics and metabolite analysis reveal a significant metabolic shift during citrus fruit development

PubMed Central

Katz, Ehud; Boo, Kyung Hwan; Kim, Ho Youn; Eigenheer, Richard A.; Phinney, Brett S.; Shulaev, Vladimir; Negre-Zakharov, Florence; Sadka, Avi; Blumwald, Eduardo

2011-01-01

Label-free LC-MS/MS-based shot-gun proteomics was used to quantify the differential protein synthesis and metabolite profiling in order to assess metabolic changes during the development of citrus fruits. Our results suggested the occurrence of a metabolic change during citrus fruit maturation, where the organic acid and amino acid accumulation seen during the early stages of development shifted into sugar synthesis during the later stage of citrus fruit development. The expression of invertases remained unchanged, while an invertase inhibitor was up-regulated towards maturation. The increased expression of sucrose-phosphate synthase and sucrose-6-phosphate phosphatase and the rapid sugar accumulation suggest that sucrose is also being synthesized in citrus juice sac cells during the later stage of fruit development. PMID:21841177

77 FR 65642 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-30

... multi-engine flameouts have generally resulted from a common cause, such as fuel mismanagement, crew... the previous NPRM should not be addressed as an AD. AAL added that the CMR would demonstrate proof of... (BA), CAL, and United Airlines (UAL) asked that we allow using later revisions of the maintenance...

40 CFR 52.786 - Inspection and maintenance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 51, subpart G of this chapter, are used herein with the meanings so defined. (b) This regulation is... comply with the inspection standards. These may include authorization of spot checks of idle adjustments... this section. (g) No later than October 1, 1974, the State of Indiana, County of Marion, and the...

40 CFR 52.786 - Inspection and maintenance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 51, subpart G of this chapter, are used herein with the meanings so defined. (b) This regulation is... comply with the inspection standards. These may include authorization of spot checks of idle adjustments... this section. (g) No later than October 1, 1974, the State of Indiana, County of Marion, and the...

47 CFR 10.350 - CMAS Testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... later than the date of deployment of the CMAS, of CMAS components. (a) Required monthly tests. Testing... a required monthly test (RMT) message initiated by the Federal Alert Gateway Administrator. (2... maintenance windows. (3) A Participating CMS Provider may forego an RMT if the RMT is pre-empted by actual...

40 CFR 86.516-90 - Calibrations, frequency and overview.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... be checked at a frequency consistent with observed column life or when the indicator of the column... Regulations for 1978 and Later New Motorcycles; Test Procedures § 86.516-90 Calibrations, frequency and...) At least monthly or after any maintenance which could alter calibration, the following calibrations...

40 CFR 86.516-90 - Calibrations, frequency and overview.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... be checked at a frequency consistent with observed column life or when the indicator of the column... Regulations for 1978 and Later New Motorcycles; Test Procedures § 86.516-90 Calibrations, frequency and...) At least monthly or after any maintenance which could alter calibration, the following calibrations...

Trait-based diversification shifts reflect differential extinction among fossil taxa.

PubMed

Wagner, Peter J; Estabrook, George F

2014-11-18

Evolution provides many cases of apparent shifts in diversification associated with particular anatomical traits. Three general models connect these patterns to anatomical evolution: (i) elevated net extinction of taxa bearing particular traits, (ii) elevated net speciation of taxa bearing particular traits, and (iii) elevated evolvability expanding the range of anatomies available to some species. Trait-based diversification shifts predict elevated hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility (i.e., primitive→derived→highly derived sequences) among pairs of anatomical characters. The three specific models further predict (i) early loss of diversity for taxa retaining primitive conditions (elevated net extinction), (ii) increased diversification among later members of a clade (elevated net speciation), and (iii) increased disparity among later members in a clade (elevated evolvability). Analyses of 319 anatomical and stratigraphic datasets for fossil species and genera show that hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility exceeds the expectations of trait-independent diversification in the vast majority of cases, which was expected if trait-dependent diversification shifts are common. Excess hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility correlates with early loss of diversity for groups retaining primitive conditions rather than delayed bursts of diversity or disparity across entire clades. Cambrian clades (predominantly trilobites) alone fit null expectations well. However, it is not clear whether evolution was unusual among Cambrian taxa or only early trilobites. At least among post-Cambrian taxa, these results implicate models, such as competition and extinction selectivity/resistance, as major drivers of trait-based diversification shifts at the species and genus levels while contradicting the predictions of elevated net speciation and elevated evolvability models.

Replacing a Missing Tooth

MedlinePlus

... usually shifted, so this must be corrected. A space is often opened up and maintained for later ... with an artificial tooth serves to maintain the space and improve speech and appearance until a definitive ...

Regional Changes in Word-Production Laterality after a Naming Treatment Designed to Produce a Rightward Shift in Frontal Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosson, Bruce; Moore, Anna Bacon; McGregor, Keith M.; Chang, Yu-Ling; Benjamin, Michelle; Gopinath, Kaundinya; Sherod, Megan E.; Wierenga, Christina E.; Peck, Kyung K.; Briggs, Richard W.; Rothi, Leslie J. Gonzalez; White, Keith D.

2009-01-01

Five nonfluent aphasia patients participated in a picture-naming treatment that used an intention manipulation (opening a box and pressing a button on a device in the box with the left hand) to initiate naming trials and was designed to re-lateralize word production mechanisms from the left to the right frontal lobe. To test the underlying…

Quantified Risk Ranking Model for Condition-Based Risk and Reliability Centered Maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chattopadhyaya, Pradip Kumar; Basu, Sushil Kumar; Majumdar, Manik Chandra

2017-06-01

In the recent past, risk and reliability centered maintenance (RRCM) framework is introduced with a shift in the methodological focus from reliability and probabilities (expected values) to reliability, uncertainty and risk. In this paper authors explain a novel methodology for risk quantification and ranking the critical items for prioritizing the maintenance actions on the basis of condition-based risk and reliability centered maintenance (CBRRCM). The critical items are identified through criticality analysis of RPN values of items of a system and the maintenance significant precipitating factors (MSPF) of items are evaluated. The criticality of risk is assessed using three risk coefficients. The likelihood risk coefficient treats the probability as a fuzzy number. The abstract risk coefficient deduces risk influenced by uncertainty, sensitivity besides other factors. The third risk coefficient is called hazardous risk coefficient, which is due to anticipated hazards which may occur in the future and the risk is deduced from criteria of consequences on safety, environment, maintenance and economic risks with corresponding cost for consequences. The characteristic values of all the three risk coefficients are obtained with a particular test. With few more tests on the system, the values may change significantly within controlling range of each coefficient, hence `random number simulation' is resorted to obtain one distinctive value for each coefficient. The risk coefficients are statistically added to obtain final risk coefficient of each critical item and then the final rankings of critical items are estimated. The prioritization in ranking of critical items using the developed mathematical model for risk assessment shall be useful in optimization of financial losses and timing of maintenance actions.

Organisational characteristics associated with shift work practices and potential opportunities for intervention: findings from a Canadian study.

PubMed

Hall, Amy L; Smit, Andrea N; Mistlberger, Ralph E; Landry, Glenn J; Koehoorn, Mieke

2017-01-01

Shift work is a common working arrangement with wide-ranging implications for worker health. Organisational determinants of shift work practices are not well characterised; such information could be used to guide evidence-based research and best practices to mitigate shift work's negative effects. This exploratory study aimed to describe and assess organisational-level determinants of shift work practices thought to affect health, across a range of industry sectors. Data on organisational characteristics, shift work scheduling, provision of shift work education materials/training to employees and night-time lighting policies in the workplace were collected during phone interviews with organisations across the Canadian province of British Columbia. Relationships between organisational characteristics and shift work practices were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models. The study sample included 88 participating organisations, representing 30 700 shift workers. Long-duration shifts, provision of shift work education materials/training to employees and night-time lighting policies were reported by approximately one-third of participating organisations. Odds of long-duration shifts increased in larger workplaces and by industry. Odds of providing shift work education materials/training increased in larger workplaces, in organisations reporting concern for shift worker health and in organisations without seasonal changes in shift work. Odds of night-time lighting policies in the workplace increased in organisations reporting previous workplace accidents or incidents that occurred during non-daytime hours, site maintenance needs and client service or care needs. This study points to organisational determinants of shift work practices that could be useful for targeting research and workplace interventions. Results should be interpreted as preliminary in an emerging body of literature on shift work and health. 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/.

WE-EF-207-06: Dedicated Cone-Beam Breast CT with Laterally-Shifted Detector: Monte Carlo Evaluation of X-Ray Scatter Distribution and Scatter-To-Primary Ratio

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

Shi, L; Vedantham, S; Karellas, A

2015-06-15

Purpose: To determine the spatial distribution of x-ray scatter and scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) in projections during cone-beam breast CT (CBBCT) with laterally-shifted detector that results in coronal (fan-angle) truncation. Methods: We hypothesized that CBBCT with coronal truncation would lower SPR due to reduction in irradiated breast volume, and that the location of maximum x-ray scatter fluence (scatter-peak) in the detector plane can be determined from the ratio of irradiated-to-total breast volume, breast dimensions and system geometry. Monte Carlo simulations (GEANT4) reflecting a prototype CBBCT system were used to record the position-dependent primary and scatter x-ray photon fluence incident on themore » detector without coronal truncation (full fan-angle, 2f=24-degrees) and with coronal truncation (fan-angle, f+ f=12+2.7-degrees). Semi-ellipsoidal breasts (10/14/18-cm diameter, chest-wall to nipple length: 0.75xdiameter, 2%/14%/100% fibroglandular content) aligned with the axis-of-rotation (AOR) were modeled. Mono-energy photons were simulated and weighted for 2 spectra (49kVp, 1.4-mm Al HVL; 60kVp, 3.76-mm Al HVL). In addition to SPR, the scatter maps were analyzed to identify the location of the scatter-peak. Results: For CBBCT without fan-angle truncation, the scatter-peaks were aligned with the projection of the AOR onto the detector for all breasts. With truncated fan-beam, the scatter-peaks were laterally-shifted from the projection of the AOR along the fan-angle direction by 14/38/70-pixels for 10/14/18-cm diameter breasts. The corresponding theoretical shifts were 14.8/39.7/68-pixels (p=0.47, 2-tailed paired-ratio t-test). Along the cone-angle, the shift in scatter-peaks between truncated and full-fan angle CBBCT were 2/2/4 -pixels for 10/14/18-cm diameter breasts. CBBCT with fan-angle truncation reduced SPR by 14/22/28% for 10/14/18-cm diameter breasts. 60kVp reduced SPR by 21–25% compared to 49kVp. Peak SPR for CBBCT with fan-angle truncation (60kVp) were 0.09/0.25/0.73 for 10/14/18-cm diameter breasts. Conclusion: CBBCT with laterally-shifted detector geometry and with appropriate kVp/beam quality reduces SPR. If residual scatter needs correction, the location corresponding to scatter-peak can be analytically computed. This work was supported in part by NIH R01 CA128906. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not reflect the official views of the NIH or NCI.« less

Language Policy, Indigenous Languages and the Village School: A Study of Bilingual Education for the Tarahumara of Northern Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paciotto, Carla

2004-01-01

In 1991, the Bilingual Bicultural Education Program (BBEP) was launched in Chihuahua, Mexico, as a way of responding to the educational needs of the indigenous Tarahumara populations and the growing threat to their language and culture. Using a conceptual framework based on the literatures of curriculum inquiry, language shift and maintenance,…

Language Maintenance and Language Shift among Chinese Immigrant Parents and Their Second-Generation Children in the U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Donghui

2010-01-01

This study examines the language experiences of two distinct Chinese immigrant groups in the U.S.: a Mandarin-speaking group and a Fujianese-speaking group across two generations. The different language trajectories of the parents' generation, along with their social class and different settlement patterns in the U.S., shaped the second-generation…

Language Shift and Maintenance in Multilingual Mauritius: The Case of Indian Ancestral Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissoonauth, Anu

2011-01-01

This paper reports on a research study conducted in Mauritius between June and July 2009. The aim of this research was to investigate the use of Indian ancestral languages in the domestic domain by the younger generations. The data were collected in the field by means of a questionnaire and interviews from a quota sample of secondary school…

The Influence of Phosphor and Binder Chemistry on the Aging Characteristics of Remote Phosphor Products

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

Davis, Lynn; Yaga, Robert; Lamvik, Michael

The influence of phosphor and binder layer chemistries on the lumen maintenance and color stability of remote phosphor disks were examined using wet high-temperature operational lifetime testing (WHTOL). As part of the experimental matrix, two different correlated color temperature (CCT) values, 2700 K and 5000 K, were studied and each had a different binder chemistry. The 2700 K samples used a urethane binder whereas the 5000 K samples used an acrylate binder. Experimental conditions were chosen to enable study of the binder and phosphor chemistries and to minimize photo-oxidation of the polycarbonate substrate. Under the more severe WHTOL conditions ofmore » 85°C and 85% relative humidity (RH), absorption in the binder layer significantly reduced luminous flux and produced a blue color shift. The milder WHTOL conditions of 75°C and 75% RH, resulted in chemical changes in the binder layer that may alter its index of refraction. As a result, lumen maintenance remained high, but a slight yellow shift was found. The aging of remote phosphor products provides insights into the impact of materials on the performance of phosphors in an LED lighting system.« less

Eye-movement evidence of the time-course of attentional bias for threatening pictures in test-anxious students.

PubMed

Dong, Yunying; De Beuckelaer, Alain; Yu, Liang; Zhou, Renlai

2017-06-01

Protocols for measuring attentional bias to threat in test-anxiety, a special form of trait-anxiety, are rarely found in the literature. In our eye-tracking study, we introduced a new protocol, and studied the time-course of attention to test-related pictures with varying threat levels in 22 high test-anxious (HTA) and 22 low test-anxious (LTA) subjects. To determine whether attentional bias to test-related pictures is due to test-anxiety and not to state-anxiety, we also included a third group of 22 subjects with high state-anxiety but low test-anxiety (HSA). The subjects completed a free viewing task (FVT) in which high threat-neutral (HT-N) and low threat-neutral (LT-N) picture pairs were presented for 3 s. The results demonstrated that: (1) HTA subjects showed initial orienting to LT pictures, early attentional engagement with HT pictures later on and avoidance of HT pictures at the very end; (2) LTA subjects showed initial orienting to HT pictures and maintenance of attention on them later on; while (3) HSA subjects showed an initial orientation towards LT pictures and maintenance of attention on LT and HT pictures later on. These results suggest that, (high) test-anxiety is also prone to attentional bias towards test-related threat stimuli. Implications for future research are discussed.

Memory plasticity in older adults: Cognitive predictors of training response and maintenance following learning of number-consonant mnemonic.

PubMed

Sandberg, Petra; Rönnlund, Michael; Derwinger-Hallberg, Anna; Stigsdotter Neely, Anna

2016-10-01

The study investigated the relationship between cognitive factors and gains in number recall following training in a number-consonant mnemonic in a sample of 112 older adults (M = 70.9 years). The cognitive factors examined included baseline episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, and verbal knowledge. In addition, predictors of maintenance of gains to a follow-up assessment, eight months later, were examined. Whereas working memory was a prominent predictor of baseline recall, the magnitude of gains in recall from pre- to post-test assessments were predicted by baseline episodic memory, processing speed, and verbal knowledge. Verbal knowledge was the only significant predictor of maintenance. Collectively, the results indicate the need to consider multiple factors to account for individual differences in memory plasticity. The potential contribution of additional factors to individual differences in memory plasticity is discussed.

In Vivo Patellar Tracking and Patellofemoral Cartilage Contacts during Dynamic Stair Ascending

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Takashi; Hosseini, Ali; Li, Jing-Sheng; Gill, Thomas J; Li, Guoan

2012-01-01

The knowledge of normal patellar tracking is essential for understanding of the knee joint function and for diagnosis of patellar instabilities. This paper investigated the patellar tracking and patellofemoral joint contact locations during a stair ascending activity using a validated dual-fluoroscopic imaging system. The results showed that the patellar flexion angle decreased from 41.9° to 7.5° with the knee extension during stair ascending. During first 80% of the activity, the patella shifted medially about 3.9 mm and then slightly shifted laterally during the last 20% of the ascending activity. Anterior translation of 13 mm of the patella was measured at the early 80% of the activity and then slightly moved posteriorly by about 2 mm at the last 20% of the activity. The path of the cartilage contact points was slightly lateral on the cartilage surfaces of patella and femur. On the patellar cartilage surface, the cartilage contact locations were about 2 mm laterally from heel strike to 60% of the stair ascending activity and moved laterally and reached 5.3 mm at full extension. However, the cartilage contact locations were relatively constant on the femoral cartilage surface (~5 mm lateral). The patellar tracking pattern was consistent with the patellofemoral cartilage contact location pattern. These data could provide baseline knowledge for understanding of normal physiology of the patellofemoral joint and can be used as a reference for clinical evaluation of patellofemoral disorder symptoms. PMID:22840488

Adding Learning to Knowledge-Based Systems: Taking the "Artificial" Out of AI

Treesearch

Daniel L. Schmoldt

1997-01-01

Both, knowledge-based systems (KBS) development and maintenance require time-consuming analysis of domain knowledge. Where example cases exist, KBS can be built, and later updated, by incorporating learning capabilities into their architecture. This applies to both supervised and unsupervised learning scenarios. In this paper, the important issues for learning systems-...

78 FR 69049 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-18

..., Maintenance, and Repair of the Northeast Gateway Liquefied Natural Gas Port and the Algonquin Pipeline Lateral... pipeline which interconnects the Port to an offshore natural gas pipeline known as the HubLine. The... Gas Transmission, L.L.C. (Algonquin), for authorization to take marine mammals, by harassment...

40 CFR 86.000-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year and production date; (iv... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

40 CFR 86.096-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... records for each such vehicle: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

40 CFR 86.096-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... records for each such vehicle: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

40 CFR 86.000-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year and production date; (iv... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

40 CFR 86.000-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year and production date; (iv... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

40 CFR 86.000-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year and production date; (iv... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

40 CFR 86.096-7 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information; right of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... records for each such vehicle: (i) EPA engine family; (ii) Vehicle identification number; (iii) Model year... AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES General Provisions for Emission Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year New Light-Duty Vehicles...

Mechanisms for maintenance of dominance in a nonclonal desert shrub

Treesearch

Stanley G. Kitchen; Susan E. Meyer; Stephanie L. Carlson

2015-01-01

Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima: Rosaceae) is a slow-growing, non-clonal shrub that is regionally dominant on xeric, shallow soils in the North American Mojave Desert-Great Basin transition zone and southern Colorado Plateau. Blackbrush seed production is concentrated in mast years, and most seeds are cached and later consumed by heteromyid rodents....

40 CFR 1068.120 - What requirements must I follow to rebuild engines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... recordkeeping requirements in paragraphs (j) and (k) of this section apply only to businesses. For maintenance... in its certified configuration. Identify the model year of the resulting engine configuration. You... later model year. You may also rebuild it to a certified configuration from an earlier model year as...

Parenting Style, Depressive Symptoms, and Substance Use in Mexican American Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozer, Emily J.; Flores, Elena; Tschann, Jeanne M.; Pasch, Lauri A.

2013-01-01

This study of 151 Mexican American adolescents ages 12 to 15 examined the relationship between parenting and adolescents' self-reported level of depressive symptoms and substance use 6 months and 1 year later. Adolescents and their parents were recruited from a large health-maintenance organization and interviewed at three time points. Lower…

Predictive techniques for river channel evolution and maintenance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, J.M.

1996-01-01

Predicting changes in alluvial channel morphology associated with anthropogenic and natural changes in flow and/or sediment supply is a critical part of the management of riverine systems. Over the past few years, advances in the understanding of the physics of sediment transport in conjunction with rapidly increasing capabilities in computational fluid dynamics have yielded now approaches to problems in river mechanics. Techniques appropriate for length scales ranging from reaches to bars and bedforms are described here. Examples of the use of these computational approaches are discussed for three cases: (1) the design of diversion scenarios that maintain channel morphology in steep cobble-bedded channels in Colorado, (2) determination of channel maintenance flows for the preservation of channel islands in the Snake River in Idaho, and (3) prediction of the temporal evolution of deposits in lateral separation zones for future assessment of the impacts of various dam release scenarios on lateral separation deposits in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. With continued development of their scientific and technical components, the methodologies described here can provide powerful tools for the management of river environments in the future.

Visual Search Elicits the Electrophysiological Marker of Visual Working Memory

PubMed Central

Emrich, Stephen M.; Al-Aidroos, Naseem; Pratt, Jay; Ferber, Susanne

2009-01-01

Background Although limited in capacity, visual working memory (VWM) plays an important role in many aspects of visually-guided behavior. Recent experiments have demonstrated an electrophysiological marker of VWM encoding and maintenance, the contralateral delay activity (CDA), which has been shown in multiple tasks that have both explicit and implicit memory demands. Here, we investigate whether the CDA is evident during visual search, a thoroughly-researched task that is a hallmark of visual attention but has no explicit memory requirements. Methodology/Principal Findings The results demonstrate that the CDA is present during a lateralized search task, and that it is similar in amplitude to the CDA observed in a change-detection task, but peaks slightly later. The changes in CDA amplitude during search were strongly correlated with VWM capacity, as well as with search efficiency. These results were paralleled by behavioral findings showing a strong correlation between VWM capacity and search efficiency. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that the activity observed during visual search was generated by the same neural resources that subserve VWM, and that this activity reflects the maintenance of previously searched distractors. PMID:19956663

78,000-year-old record of Middle and Later stone age innovation in an East African tropical forest.

PubMed

Shipton, Ceri; Roberts, Patrick; Archer, Will; Armitage, Simon J; Bita, Caesar; Blinkhorn, James; Courtney-Mustaphi, Colin; Crowther, Alison; Curtis, Richard; Errico, Francesco d'; Douka, Katerina; Faulkner, Patrick; Groucutt, Huw S; Helm, Richard; Herries, Andy I R; Jembe, Severinus; Kourampas, Nikos; Lee-Thorp, Julia; Marchant, Rob; Mercader, Julio; Marti, Africa Pitarch; Prendergast, Mary E; Rowson, Ben; Tengeza, Amini; Tibesasa, Ruth; White, Tom S; Petraglia, Michael D; Boivin, Nicole

2018-05-09

The Middle to Later Stone Age transition in Africa has been debated as a significant shift in human technological, cultural, and cognitive evolution. However, the majority of research on this transition is currently focused on southern Africa due to a lack of long-term, stratified sites across much of the African continent. Here, we report a 78,000-year-long archeological record from Panga ya Saidi, a cave in the humid coastal forest of Kenya. Following a shift in toolkits ~67,000 years ago, novel symbolic and technological behaviors assemble in a non-unilinear manner. Against a backdrop of a persistent tropical forest-grassland ecotone, localized innovations better characterize the Late Pleistocene of this part of East Africa than alternative emphases on dramatic revolutions or migrations.

3D morphology of Au and Au@Ag nanobipyramids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgin, Julien; Florea, Ileana; Majimel, Jérôme; Dobri, Adam; Ersen, Ovidiu; Tréguer-Delapierre, Mona

2012-02-01

The morphologies of Au and Au@Ag nanobipyramids were investigated using electron tomography. The 3D reconstruction reveals that the Au bipyramids have an irregular six-fold twinning structure with highly stepped dominant {151} facets. These short steps/edges stabilized via surface adsorbed CTAB favor the growth of silver on the lateral facets leading to strong blue shifts in longitudinal plasmon surface resonance.The morphologies of Au and Au@Ag nanobipyramids were investigated using electron tomography. The 3D reconstruction reveals that the Au bipyramids have an irregular six-fold twinning structure with highly stepped dominant {151} facets. These short steps/edges stabilized via surface adsorbed CTAB favor the growth of silver on the lateral facets leading to strong blue shifts in longitudinal plasmon surface resonance. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr11454b

Dissociating error-based and reinforcement-based loss functions during sensorimotor learning

PubMed Central

McGregor, Heather R.; Mohatarem, Ayman

2017-01-01

It has been proposed that the sensorimotor system uses a loss (cost) function to evaluate potential movements in the presence of random noise. Here we test this idea in the context of both error-based and reinforcement-based learning. In a reaching task, we laterally shifted a cursor relative to true hand position using a skewed probability distribution. This skewed probability distribution had its mean and mode separated, allowing us to dissociate the optimal predictions of an error-based loss function (corresponding to the mean of the lateral shifts) and a reinforcement-based loss function (corresponding to the mode). We then examined how the sensorimotor system uses error feedback and reinforcement feedback, in isolation and combination, when deciding where to aim the hand during a reach. We found that participants compensated differently to the same skewed lateral shift distribution depending on the form of feedback they received. When provided with error feedback, participants compensated based on the mean of the skewed noise. When provided with reinforcement feedback, participants compensated based on the mode. Participants receiving both error and reinforcement feedback continued to compensate based on the mean while repeatedly missing the target, despite receiving auditory, visual and monetary reinforcement feedback that rewarded hitting the target. Our work shows that reinforcement-based and error-based learning are separable and can occur independently. Further, when error and reinforcement feedback are in conflict, the sensorimotor system heavily weights error feedback over reinforcement feedback. PMID:28753634

Dissociating error-based and reinforcement-based loss functions during sensorimotor learning.

PubMed

Cashaback, Joshua G A; McGregor, Heather R; Mohatarem, Ayman; Gribble, Paul L

2017-07-01

It has been proposed that the sensorimotor system uses a loss (cost) function to evaluate potential movements in the presence of random noise. Here we test this idea in the context of both error-based and reinforcement-based learning. In a reaching task, we laterally shifted a cursor relative to true hand position using a skewed probability distribution. This skewed probability distribution had its mean and mode separated, allowing us to dissociate the optimal predictions of an error-based loss function (corresponding to the mean of the lateral shifts) and a reinforcement-based loss function (corresponding to the mode). We then examined how the sensorimotor system uses error feedback and reinforcement feedback, in isolation and combination, when deciding where to aim the hand during a reach. We found that participants compensated differently to the same skewed lateral shift distribution depending on the form of feedback they received. When provided with error feedback, participants compensated based on the mean of the skewed noise. When provided with reinforcement feedback, participants compensated based on the mode. Participants receiving both error and reinforcement feedback continued to compensate based on the mean while repeatedly missing the target, despite receiving auditory, visual and monetary reinforcement feedback that rewarded hitting the target. Our work shows that reinforcement-based and error-based learning are separable and can occur independently. Further, when error and reinforcement feedback are in conflict, the sensorimotor system heavily weights error feedback over reinforcement feedback.

Difference in kick motion of adolescent soccer players in presence and absence of low back pain.

PubMed

Tojima, Michio; Torii, Suguru

2018-01-01

Many adolescent soccer players experience low back pain (LBP). However, there are no reports studying the kick motion of adolescent soccer players experiencing LBP. This study aimed to clarify the kick motion of adolescent soccer players in the presence and absence of LBP. We recruited 42 adolescent soccer players and divided them into two groups according to the presence of LBP (LBP group, n=22) and absence of LBP (NBP group, n=20). We measured real-time kick motion using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. We placed 65 spherical markers on each anatomical landmark and calculated the angle of the lumbar spine, center of mass (COM) of the whole body, and displacement of the support foot. We used an unpaired t-test to compare the data between the groups. Compared with the NBP group, the LBP group showed a lateral shift in COM, which increased the duration of kick motion. The presence of LBP affected the posterior positioning of the support foot and restricted the player's lumbar spine from bending laterally. A lateral shift in COM and larger rotation of the lumbar spine could stress the lumbar spine during kick motion. Therefore, coaches and athletic trainers should pay attention to soccer players' lumbar spine rotation and the COM shift during kick motion. This would be important for preventing LBP in adolescent soccer players. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of the prospective payment system on anemia management in maintenance dialysis patients: implications for cost and site of care.

PubMed

Wetmore, James B; Tzivelekis, Spiros; Collins, Allan J; Solid, Craig A

2016-05-26

The 2011 expanded Prospective Payment System (PPS) and contemporaneous Food and Drug Administration label revision for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) were associated with changes in ESA use and mean hemoglobin levels among patients receiving maintenance dialysis. We aimed to investigate whether these changes coincided with increased red blood cell transfusions or changes to Medicare-incurred costs or sites of anemia management care in the period immediately before and after the introduction of the PPS, 2009-2011. From US Medicare end-stage renal disease (ESRD) data (Parts A and B claims), maintenance hemodialysis patients from facilities that initially enrolled 100 % into the ESRD PPS were identified. Dialysis and anemia-related costs per-patient-per-month (PPPM) were calculated at the facility level, and transfusion rates were calculated overall and by site of care (outpatient, inpatient, emergency department, observation stay). More than 4100 facilities were included. Transfusions in both the inpatient and outpatient environments increased. In the inpatient environment, PPPM use increased by 11-17 % per facility in each quarter of 2011 compared with 2009; in the outpatient environment, PPPM use increased overall by 5.0 %. Site of care for transfusions appeared to have shifted. Transfusions occurring in emergency departments or during observation stays increased 13.9 % and 26.4 %, respectively, over 2 years. Inpatient- and emergency-department-administered transfusions increased, providing some evidence for a partial shift in the cost and site of care for anemia management from dialysis facilities to hospitals. Further exploration into the economic implications of this increase is necessary.

Oracle Applications Patch Administration Tool (PAT) Beta Version

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

2002-01-04

PAT is a Patch Administration Tool that provides analysis, tracking, and management of Oracle Application patches. This includes capabilities as outlined below: Patch Analysis & Management Tool Outline of capabilities: Administration Patch Data Maintenance -- track Oracle Application patches applied to what database instance & machine Patch Analysis capture text files (readme.txt and driver files) form comparison detail report comparison detail PL/SQL package comparison detail SQL scripts detail JSP module comparison detail Parse and load the current applptch.txt (10.7) or load patch data from Oracle Application database patch tables (11i) Display Analysis -- Compare patch to be applied with currentmore » Oracle Application installed Appl_top code versions Patch Detail Module comparison detail Analyze and display one Oracle Application module patch. Patch Management -- automatic queue and execution of patches Administration Parameter maintenance -- setting for directory structure of Oracle Application appl_top Validation data maintenance -- machine names and instances to patch Operation Patch Data Maintenance Schedule a patch (queue for later execution) Run a patch (queue for immediate execution) Review the patch logs Patch Management Reports« less

Radiographic evaluation of positional atelectasis in sedated dogs breathing room air versus 100% oxygen.

PubMed

Barletta, Michele; Almondia, Donna; Williams, Jamie; Crochik, Sonia; Hofmeister, Erik

2014-10-01

This study documents the degree of positional atelectasis in sedated dogs receiving 100% oxygen (O(2)) versus room air. Initial lateral recumbency was determined by an orthopedic study and initial treatment (O(2) or room air) was randomized. Each dog was maintained in lateral recumbency for 15 min, at which time ventrodorsal (VD) and opposite lateral thoracic radiographs were obtained. Each dog was then maintained in the opposite lateral recumbency and received the other treatment for 15 min, followed by a VD and opposite lateral radiograph. Radiographs were scored for severity of pulmonary pattern and mediastinal shift by 3 radiologists. Dogs breathing O(2) had significantly higher scores than dogs breathing room air. If radiographically detectable dependent atelectasis is present, repeat thoracic images following manual positive ventilation and/or position change to the opposite lateral recumbency should be made to rule out the effect of O(2) positional atelectasis and avoid misdiagnosis.

Efficient greedy algorithms for economic manpower shift planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nearchou, A. C.; Giannikos, I. C.; Lagodimos, A. G.

2015-01-01

Consideration is given to the economic manpower shift planning (EMSP) problem, an NP-hard capacity planning problem appearing in various industrial settings including the packing stage of production in process industries and maintenance operations. EMSP aims to determine the manpower needed in each available workday shift of a given planning horizon so as to complete a set of independent jobs at minimum cost. Three greedy heuristics are presented for the EMSP solution. These practically constitute adaptations of an existing algorithm for a simplified version of EMSP which had shown excellent performance in terms of solution quality and speed. Experimentation shows that the new algorithms perform very well in comparison to the results obtained by both the CPLEX optimizer and an existing metaheuristic. Statistical analysis is deployed to rank the algorithms in terms of their solution quality and to identify the effects that critical planning factors may have on their relative efficiency.

Shifts in coral-assemblage composition do not ensure persistence of reef functionality.

PubMed

Alvarez-Filip, Lorenzo; Carricart-Ganivet, Juan P; Horta-Puga, Guillermo; Iglesias-Prieto, Roberto

2013-12-12

Coral communities are changing rapidly worldwide through loss of coral cover and shifts in species composition. Although many reef-building corals are likely to decline, some weedy opportunistic species might increase in abundance. Here we explore whether the reshuffling of species can maintain ecosystem integrity and functioning. Using four common Caribbean reef-building coral genera we modeled rates of reef construction and complexity. We show that shifting coral assemblages result in rapid losses in coral-community calcification and reef rugosity that are independent of changes in the total abundance of reef corals. These losses are considerably higher than those recently attributed to climate change. Dominance patterns of coral assemblages seem to be the most important driver of the functioning of coral reefs and thus, the future of these ecosystems might depend not only on reductions of local and global stressors, but also on the maintenance of keystone coral species.

Shift work and cognition in the Nurses' Health Study.

PubMed

Devore, Elizabeth E; Grodstein, Francine; Schernhammer, Eva S

2013-10-15

Rotating night-shift work, which can disrupt circadian rhythm, may adversely affect long-term health. Experimental studies indicate that circadian rhythm disruption might specifically accelerate brain aging; thus, we prospectively examined shift-work history at midlife as associated with cognitive function among older women in the Nurses' Health Study. Women reported their history of rotating night-shift work in 1988 and participated in telephone-based cognitive interviews between 1995 and 2001; interviews included 6 cognitive tests that were subsequently repeated 3 times, at 2-year intervals. We focused on shift work through midlife (here, ages 58-68 years) because cognitive decline is thought to begin during this period. Using multivariable-adjusted linear regression, we evaluated mean differences in both "average cognitive status" at older age (averaging cognitive scores from all 4 interviews) and rates of cognitive decline over time across categories of shift-work duration at midlife (none, 1-9, 10-19, or ≥20 years). There was little association between shift work and average cognition in later life or between shift work and cognitive decline. Overall, this study does not clearly support the hypothesis that shift-work history in midlife has long-term effects on cognition in older adults.

A single-gradient junction technique to replace multiple-junction shifts for craniospinal irradiation treatment

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

Hadley, Austin; Ding, George X., E-mail: george.ding@vanderbilt.edu

2014-01-01

Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) requires abutting fields at the cervical spine. Junction shifts are conventionally used to prevent setup error–induced overdosage/underdosage from occurring at the same location. This study compared the dosimetric differences at the cranial-spinal junction between a single-gradient junction technique and conventional multiple-junction shifts and evaluated the effect of setup errors on the dose distributions between both techniques for a treatment course and single fraction. Conventionally, 2 lateral brain fields and a posterior spine field(s) are used for CSI with weekly 1-cm junction shifts. We retrospectively replanned 4 CSI patients using a single-gradient junction between the lateral brain fieldsmore » and the posterior spine field. The fields were extended to allow a minimum 3-cm field overlap. The dose gradient at the junction was achieved using dose painting and intensity-modulated radiation therapy planning. The effect of positioning setup errors on the dose distributions for both techniques was simulated by applying shifts of ± 3 and 5 mm. The resulting cervical spine doses across the field junction for both techniques were calculated and compared. Dose profiles were obtained for both a single fraction and entire treatment course to include the effects of the conventional weekly junction shifts. Compared with the conventional technique, the gradient-dose technique resulted in higher dose uniformity and conformity to the target volumes, lower organ at risk (OAR) mean and maximum doses, and diminished hot spots from systematic positioning errors over the course of treatment. Single-fraction hot and cold spots were improved for the gradient-dose technique. The single-gradient junction technique provides improved conformity, dose uniformity, diminished hot spots, lower OAR mean and maximum dose, and one plan for the entire treatment course, which reduces the potential human error associated with conventional 4-shifted plans.« less

Shift schedule, work-family relationships, marital communication, job satisfaction and health among transport service shift workers.

PubMed

Iskra-Golec, Irena; Smith, Lawrence; Wilczek-Rużyczka, Ewa; Siemiginowska, Patrycja; Wątroba, Joanna

2017-02-21

Existing research has documented that shiftwork consequences may depend on the shift system parameters. Fast rotating systems (1-3 shifts of the same kind in a row) and day work have been found to be less disruptive biologically and socially than slower rotating systems and afternoon and night work. The aim of this study was to compare day workers and shift workers of different systems in terms of rotation speed and shifts worked with regard to work-family and family-work positive and negative spillover, marital communication style, job satisfaction and health. Employees (N = 168) of the maintenance workshops of transportation service working different shift systems (day shift, weekly rotating 2 and 3‑shift system, and fast rotating 3-shift system) participated in the study. They completed the Work- Family Spillover Questionnaire, Marital Communication Questionnaire, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Physical Health Questionnaire (a part of the Standard Shiftwork Index). The workers of quicker rotating 3-shift systems reported significantly higher scores of family-to-work facilitation (F(3, 165) = 4.175, p = 0.007) and a higher level of constructive style of marital communication (Engagement F(3, 165) = 2.761, p = 0.044) than the workers of slower rotating 2-shift systems. There were no differences between the groups of workers with regard to health and job satisfaction. A higher level of work-family facilitation and a more constructive style of marital communication were found among the workers of faster rotating 3-shift system when compared to the workers of a slower rotating 2-shift system (afternoon, night). This may indicate that the fast rotating shift system in contrary to the slower rotating one is more friendly for the work and family domains and for the relationship between them. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(1):121-131. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Road Maintenance Experience Using Polyurethane (PU) Foam Injection System and Geocrete Soil Stabilization as Ground Rehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fakhar, A. M. M.; Asmaniza, A.

2016-07-01

There are many types of ground rehabilation and improvement that can be consider and implement in engineering construction works for soil improvement in order to prevent road profile deformation in later stage. However, when comes to road maintenance especially on operated expressways, not all method can be apply directly as it must comply to opreation's working window and lane closure basis. Key factors that considering ideal proposal for ground rehabilitation are time, cost, quality and most importantly practicality. It should provide long lifespan structure in order to reduce continuous cycle of maintenance. Thus, this paper will present two approaches for ground rehabilitation, namely Polyurethane (PU) Foam Injection System and Geocrete Soil Stabilization. The first approach is an injection system which consists two-parts chemical grout of Isocynate and Polyol when mixed together within soil structure through injection will polymerized with volume expansion. The strong expansion of grouting causes significant compression and compacting of the surrounding soil and subsequently improve ground properties and uplift sunken structure. The later is a cold in-place recyclying whereby mixture process that combines in-situ soil materials, cement, white powder (alkaline) additive and water to produce hard yet flexible and durable ground layer that act as solid foundation with improved bearing capacity. The improvement of the mechanical behaviour of soil through these two systems is investigated by an extensive testing programme which includes in-situ and laboratory test in determining properties such as strength, stiffness, compressibility, bearing capacity, differential settlement and etc.

Attention biases visual activity in visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Kuo, Bo-Cheng; Stokes, Mark G; Murray, Alexandra M; Nobre, Anna Christina

2014-07-01

In the current study, we tested whether representations in visual STM (VSTM) can be biased via top-down attentional modulation of visual activity in retinotopically specific locations. We manipulated attention using retrospective cues presented during the retention interval of a VSTM task. Retrospective cues triggered activity in a large-scale network implicated in attentional control and led to retinotopically specific modulation of activity in early visual areas V1-V4. Importantly, shifts of attention during VSTM maintenance were associated with changes in functional connectivity between pFC and retinotopic regions within V4. Our findings provide new insights into top-down control mechanisms that modulate VSTM representations for flexible and goal-directed maintenance of the most relevant memoranda.

Laterality and mental disorders in the postgenomic age--A closer look at schizophrenia and language lateralization.

PubMed

Ocklenburg, Sebastian; Güntürkün, Onur; Hugdahl, Kenneth; Hirnstein, Marco

2015-12-01

Most people are right-handed and show left-hemispheric language lateralization, but a minority exhibits left-handedness and right-hemispheric language lateralization. This atypical laterality pattern is observed significantly more often in schizophrenia patients than in the general population, which led several authors to conclude that there is a genetic link between laterality and schizophrenia. It has even been suggested that a failure in the lateralization process, orchestrated by genes, could be the primary cause of schizophrenia. However, the molecular genetic evidence for a link between laterality and schizophrenia is weak. Recent genetic evidence indicates that schizophrenia is not a single disorder but a group of heritable disorders caused by different genotypic networks leading to distinct clinical symptoms. To uncover the link between schizophrenia and laterality we therefore suggest a paradigm shift where genetics are not mapped on schizophrenia as a whole but on discrete schizophrenia symptoms. In addition, we provide a critical evaluation of current theories on the genetic link between schizophrenia and brain asymmetry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The characterization of GH shifts of surface plasmon resonance in a waveguide using the FDTD method.

PubMed

Oh, Geum-Yoon; Kim, Doo Gun; Choi, Young-Wan

2009-11-09

We have explicated the Goos-Hänchen (GH) shift in a mum-order Kretchmann-Raether configuration embedded in an optical waveguide structure by using the finite-difference time-domain method. For optical waveguide-type surface plasmon resonance (SPR) devices, the precise derivation of the GH shift has become critical. Artmann's equation, which is accurate enough for bulk optics, is difficult to apply to waveguide-type SPR devices. This is because Artmann's equation, based on the differentiation of the phase shift, is inaccurate at the critical and resonance angles where drastic phase changes occur. In this study, we accurately identified both the positive and the negative GH shifts around the incidence angle of resonance. In a waveguide-type Kretchmann-Raether configuration with an Au thin film of 50 nm, positive and negative lateral shifts of -0.75 and + 1.0 microm are obtained on the SPR with the incident angles of 44.4 degrees and 47.5 degrees, respectively, at a wavelength of 632.8 nm.

Tracking the will to attend: Cortical activity indexes self-generated, voluntary shifts of attention.

PubMed

Gmeindl, Leon; Chiu, Yu-Chin; Esterman, Michael S; Greenberg, Adam S; Courtney, Susan M; Yantis, Steven

2016-10-01

The neural substrates of volition have long tantalized philosophers and scientists. Over the past few decades, researchers have employed increasingly sophisticated technology to investigate this issue, but many studies have been limited considerably by their reliance on intrusive experimental procedures (e.g., abrupt instructional cues), measures of brain activity contaminated by overt behavior, or introspective self-report techniques of questionable validity. Here, we used multivoxel pattern time-course analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data to index voluntary, covert perceptual acts-shifts of visuospatial attention-in the absence of instructional cues, overt behavioral indices, and self-report. We found that these self-generated, voluntary attention shifts were time-locked to activity in the medial superior parietal lobule, supporting the hypothesis that this brain region is engaged in voluntary attentional reconfiguration. Self-generated attention shifts were also time-locked to activity in the basal ganglia, a novel finding that motivates further research into the role of the basal ganglia in acts of volition. Remarkably, prior to self-generated shifts of attention, we observed early and selective increases in the activation of medial frontal (dorsal anterior cingulate) and lateral prefrontal (right middle frontal gyrus) cortex-activity that likely reflects processing related to the intention or preparation to reorient attention. These findings, which extend recent evidence on freely chosen motor movements, suggest that dorsal anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortices play key roles in both overt and covert acts of volition, and may constitute core components of a brain network underlying the will to attend.

Tracking the Will to Attend: Cortical Activity Indexes Self-Generated, Voluntary Shifts of Attention

PubMed Central

Gmeindl, Leon; Chiu, Yu-Chin; Esterman, Michael S.; Greenberg, Adam S.; Courtney, Susan M.; Yantis, Steven

2016-01-01

The neural substrates of volition have long tantalized philosophers and scientists. Over the past few decades, researchers have employed increasingly sophisticated technology to investigate this issue, but many studies have been limited considerably by their reliance on intrusive experimental procedures (e.g., abrupt instructional cues), measures of brain activity contaminated by overt behavior, or introspective self-report techniques of questionable validity. Here, we used multivoxel-pattern time-course analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data to index voluntary, covert perceptual acts—shifts of visuospatial attention—in the absence of instructional cues, overt behavioral indices, and self-report. We found that these self-generated, voluntary attention shifts were time-locked to activity in the medial superior parietal lobule, supporting the hypothesis that this brain region is engaged in voluntary attentional reconfiguration. Self-generated attention shifts were also time-locked to activity in the basal ganglia, a novel finding that motivates further research into the role of the basal ganglia in acts of volition. Remarkably, prior to self-generated shifts of attention we observed early and selective increases in activation of medial frontal (dorsal anterior cingulate) and lateral prefrontal cortex (right middle frontal gyrus)—activity that likely reflects processing related to the intention or preparation to reorient attention. These findings, which extend recent evidence on freely chosen motor movements, suggest that dorsal anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortices play key roles in both overt and covert acts of volition, and may constitute core components of a brain network underlying the will to attend. PMID:27301353

Trait-based diversification shifts reflect differential extinction among fossil taxa

PubMed Central

Wagner, Peter J.; Estabrook, George F.

2014-01-01

Evolution provides many cases of apparent shifts in diversification associated with particular anatomical traits. Three general models connect these patterns to anatomical evolution: (i) elevated net extinction of taxa bearing particular traits, (ii) elevated net speciation of taxa bearing particular traits, and (iii) elevated evolvability expanding the range of anatomies available to some species. Trait-based diversification shifts predict elevated hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility (i.e., primitive→derived→highly derived sequences) among pairs of anatomical characters. The three specific models further predict (i) early loss of diversity for taxa retaining primitive conditions (elevated net extinction), (ii) increased diversification among later members of a clade (elevated net speciation), and (iii) increased disparity among later members in a clade (elevated evolvability). Analyses of 319 anatomical and stratigraphic datasets for fossil species and genera show that hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility exceeds the expectations of trait-independent diversification in the vast majority of cases, which was expected if trait-dependent diversification shifts are common. Excess hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility correlates with early loss of diversity for groups retaining primitive conditions rather than delayed bursts of diversity or disparity across entire clades. Cambrian clades (predominantly trilobites) alone fit null expectations well. However, it is not clear whether evolution was unusual among Cambrian taxa or only early trilobites. At least among post-Cambrian taxa, these results implicate models, such as competition and extinction selectivity/resistance, as major drivers of trait-based diversification shifts at the species and genus levels while contradicting the predictions of elevated net speciation and elevated evolvability models. PMID:25331898

Android platform based smartphones for a logistical remote association repair framework.

PubMed

Lien, Shao-Fan; Wang, Chun-Chieh; Su, Juhng-Perng; Chen, Hong-Ming; Wu, Chein-Hsing

2014-06-25

The maintenance of large-scale systems is an important issue for logistics support planning. In this paper, we developed a Logistical Remote Association Repair Framework (LRARF) to aid repairmen in keeping the system available. LRARF includes four subsystems: smart mobile phones, a Database Management System (DBMS), a Maintenance Support Center (MSC) and wireless networks. The repairman uses smart mobile phones to capture QR-codes and the images of faulty circuit boards. The captured QR-codes and images are transmitted to the DBMS so the invalid modules can be recognized via the proposed algorithm. In this paper, the Linear Projective Transform (LPT) is employed for fast QR-code calibration. Moreover, the ANFIS-based data mining system is used for module identification and searching automatically for the maintenance manual corresponding to the invalid modules. The inputs of the ANFIS-based data mining system are the QR-codes and image features; the output is the module ID. DBMS also transmits the maintenance manual back to the maintenance staff. If modules are not recognizable, the repairmen and center engineers can obtain the relevant information about the invalid modules through live video. The experimental results validate the applicability of the Android-based platform in the recognition of invalid modules. In addition, the live video can also be recorded synchronously on the MSC for later use.

Operation and Maintenance Manual, Ultrasonic Fish Deterrent System

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

PAGES Fishery management--Instruments 61 Ultrsonic transducers 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY...compatible computer with a communications software package will be most convenient; however, any terminal will work. To begin operation, connect the...D. Next connect the communications cable (TC-4) between the RFPG and the terminal. An ONSET TC-4 cable must be used due to level shifting

Electrophysiological signatures of phonological and semantic maintenance in sentence repetition.

PubMed

Meltzer, Jed A; Kielar, Aneta; Panamsky, Lilia; Links, Kira A; Deschamps, Tiffany; Leigh, Rosie C

2017-08-01

Verbal short-term memory comprises resources for phonological rehearsal, which have been characterized anatomically, and for maintenance of semantic information, which are less understood. Sentence repetition tasks tap both processes interactively. To distinguish brain activity involved in phonological vs. semantic maintenance, we recorded magnetoencephalography during a sentence repetition task, incorporating three manipulations emphasizing one mechanism over the other. Participants heard sentences or word lists and attempted to repeat them verbatim after a 5-second delay. After MEG, participants completed a cued recall task testing how much they remembered of each sentence. Greater semantic engagement relative to phonological rehearsal was hypothesized for 1) sentences vs. word lists, 2) concrete vs. abstract sentences, and 3) well recalled vs. poorly recalled sentences. During auditory perception and the memory delay period, we found highly left-lateralized activation in the form of 8-30 Hz event-related desynchronization. Compared to abstract sentences, concrete sentences recruited posterior temporal cortex bilaterally, demonstrating a neural signature for the engagement of visual imagery in sentence maintenance. Maintenance of arbitrary word lists recruited right hemisphere dorsal regions, reflecting increased demands on phonological rehearsal. Sentences that were ultimately poorly recalled in the post-test also elicited extra right hemisphere activation when they were held in short-term memory, suggesting increased demands on phonological resources. Frontal midline theta oscillations also reflected phonological rather than semantic demand, being increased for word lists and poorly recalled sentences. These findings highlight distinct neural resources for phonological and semantic maintenance, with phonological maintenance associated with stronger oscillatory modulations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

At-a-glance monitoring: covert observations of anesthesiologists in the operating room.

PubMed

Ford, Simon; Birmingham, Elina; King, Ashlee; Lim, Joanne; Ansermino, J Mark

2010-09-01

Patient monitoring displays are designed to improve patient safety, and yet little is known about how anesthesiologists interact with these displays. Previous studies of clinician behavior used an observer in the operating room, which may have altered behavior. We describe a covert observation technique to determine how often and for how long anesthesiologists actually look at the monitoring display during different segments of the maintenance phase of anesthesia, and to determine whether this changed with more than 1 anesthesia provider or during concomitant activities such as reading. Five staff anesthesiologists, 2 anesthesia fellows, 3 anesthesia residents, and 2 medical students were covertly videotaped across 10 dual anesthesia provider cases and 10 solo cases. Videotapes were later segmented (5 minutes postinduction [early maintenance], mid-maintenance, and immediately before the drapes came down [late maintenance]) and coded for looking behavior at the patient monitor, anesthesia chart, and other reading material. Anesthesiologists looked at the monitor in 1- to 2-second glances, performed frequently throughout the 3 segments of maintenance anesthesia. Overall, the patient monitor was looked at only 5 of the analyzed time, which is less than has previously been reported. Monitoring behavior was constant across the segments of maintenance anesthesia and was not significantly affected by the number of anesthesia providers or role (trainee vs. senior). In contrast, charting behavior and other reading material viewing changed significantly over the analyzed segments of maintenance anesthesia. The presence of "at-a-glance monitoring" has implications for the design of patient monitoring displays. Displays should be developed to optimize the information obtained from brief glances at the monitor.

"You Can't Hustle All Your Life": An Exploratory Investigation of the Exit Process among Street-Level Prostituted Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalla, Rochelle L.

2006-01-01

Between 1998 and 1999, 43 street-level prostituted women were interviewed regarding their developmental experiences, including prostitution entry, maintenance, and exit attempts. Three years later, 18 of the original 43 participants were located and interviewed. This exploratory follow-up investigation focused on the women's life experiences…

Trajectories of Adolescent Hostile-Aggressive Behavior and Family Climate: Longitudinal Implications for Young Adult Romantic Relationship Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fosco, Gregory M.; Van Ryzin, Mark J.; Xia, Mengya; Feinberg, Mark E.

2016-01-01

The formation and maintenance of young adult romantic relationships that are free from violence and are characterized by love, connection, and effective problem-solving have important implications for later well-being and family functioning. In this study, we examined adolescent hostile-aggressive behavior (HAB) and family relationship quality as…

Can the Lateral Proximity Effect Be Used to Create the Superconducting Transition of a Micron-Sized TES?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrentine, E. M.; Brandl, D. E.; Brown, A. D.; Denis, K. L.; Fionkbeiner, F. M.; Hsieh, W. T.; Nagler, P. C.; Stevenson, T. R.; Timble, P. T.; U-Yen, K.

2012-01-01

Recent measurements of micron-sized Mo/Au bilayer Transition Edge Sensors (TESs) have demonstrated that the TES can behave like an S-S'-S weak link due to the lateral proximity effect from superconducting leads. In this regime the Tc is a function of bias current, and the effective Tc shifts from the bilayer Tc towards the lead Tc. We explore the idea that a micron-sized S-N-S weak link could provide a new method to engineer the TES Tc. This method would be particularly useful when small size requirements for a bilayer TES (such as for a hot-electron microbolometer) lead to undesirable shifts in the bilayer Te. We present measurements of a variety of micron-sized normal Au 'TES' devices with Nb leads. We find no evidence of a superconducting transition in the Au film of these devices, in dramatic contrast to the strong lateral proximity effect seen in micron-sized Mo/Au bilayer devices. The absence of a transition in these devices is also in disagreement with theoretical predictions for S-N-S weak links. We hypothesize that a finite contact resistance between the Nb and Au may be weakening the effect. We conclude that the use of the lateral proximity effect to create a superconducting transition will be difficult given current fabrication procedures.

Multi-angle lensless digital holography for depth resolved imaging on a chip.

PubMed

Su, Ting-Wei; Isikman, Serhan O; Bishara, Waheb; Tseng, Derek; Erlinger, Anthony; Ozcan, Aydogan

2010-04-26

A multi-angle lensfree holographic imaging platform that can accurately characterize both the axial and lateral positions of cells located within multi-layered micro-channels is introduced. In this platform, lensfree digital holograms of the micro-objects on the chip are recorded at different illumination angles using partially coherent illumination. These digital holograms start to shift laterally on the sensor plane as the illumination angle of the source is tilted. Since the exact amount of this lateral shift of each object hologram can be calculated with an accuracy that beats the diffraction limit of light, the height of each cell from the substrate can be determined over a large field of view without the use of any lenses. We demonstrate the proof of concept of this multi-angle lensless imaging platform by using light emitting diodes to characterize various sized microparticles located on a chip with sub-micron axial and lateral localization over approximately 60 mm(2) field of view. Furthermore, we successfully apply this lensless imaging approach to simultaneously characterize blood samples located at multi-layered micro-channels in terms of the counts, individual thicknesses and the volumes of the cells at each layer. Because this platform does not require any lenses, lasers or other bulky optical/mechanical components, it provides a compact and high-throughput alternative to conventional approaches for cytometry and diagnostics applications involving lab on a chip systems.

Restorative maintenance retesting of 1977 model year passenger cars in Denver. Technical report

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

Jones, G.T.

1978-11-01

The report describes the results of an exhaust emission testing program in which 24 relatively new vehicles sampled in a Restorative Maintenance Program in Denver were retested approximately one year later. Many vehicles had experienced maladjustments and disablements even though the owner reported that he felt his vehicle had been maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Reductions in average emission levels followed the correction of the maladjustment and disablement actions to a point close to those after the prior tune-up. Modest fuel economy improvements were noted this year, probably due to the fact that the vehicles had overcome the 'greenmore » engine' effect.« less

Improvements in Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis and Hepatic Portal Venous Gas with Conservative Therapy in a Patient on Maintenance Dialysis.

PubMed

Torigoe, Kenta; Arai, Hideyuki; Yamashita, Ayuko; Muraya, Yoshiaki; Obata, Yoko; Nishino, Tomoya

2016-01-01

A 77-year-old man on maintenance dialysis developed hypotension, nausea and abdominal pain one hour after beginning to undergo hemodialysis. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed gas shadows in the intrahepatic portal vein and the small intestinal wall, but no signs indicating intestinal necrosis. Three days later, the gas shadows on abdominal CT disappeared by conservative therapy. In cases with both pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis and hepatic portal venous gas, intestinal necrosis should therefore be suspected and surgical therapy should also be considered, particularly in hemodialysis patients with a risk of intestinal ischemia. However, conservative therapy may be an option in cases with no intestinal necrosis.

Chromatin remodeling in stem cell maintenance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Shen, Wen-Hui; Xu, Lin

2009-07-01

Pluripotent stem cells are able to both self-renew and generate undifferentiated cells for the formation of new tissues and organs. In higher plants, stem cells found in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) and the root apical meristem (RAM) are origins of organogenesis occurring post-embryonically. It is important to understand how the regulation of stem cell fate is coordinated to enable the meristem to constantly generate different types of lateral organs. Much knowledge has accumulated on specific transcription factors controlling SAM and RAM activity. Here, we review recent evidences for a role of chromatin remodeling in the maintenance of stable expression states of transcription factor genes and the control of stem cell activity in Arabidopsis.

Paleogeographic controls of coal accumulation, Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone, Wasatch Plateau, Utah.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flores, R.M.; Blanchard, L.F.; Sanchez, J.D.; Marley, W.E.; Muldoon, W.J.

1984-01-01

Considers the paleogeographic controls affecting the accumulation of coals in delta-barrier-island complexes. Progradation, lateral shifting, and abandonment of these complexes created four major landward-thinning tongues.-from Authors

The where and how of attention-based rehearsal in spatial working memory.

PubMed

Postle, B R; Awh, E; Jonides, J; Smith, E E; D'Esposito, M

2004-07-01

Rehearsal in human spatial working memory is accomplished, in part, via covert shifts of spatial selective attention to memorized locations ("attention-based rehearsal"). We addressed two outstanding questions about attention-based rehearsal: the topography of the attention-based rehearsal effect, and the mechanism by which it operates. Using event-related fMRI and a procedure that randomized the presentation of trials with delay epochs that were either filled with a flickering checkerboard or unfilled, we localized the effect to extrastriate areas 18 and 19, and confirmed its absence in striate cortex. Delay-epoch activity in these extrastriate regions, as well as in superior parietal lobule and intraparietal sulcus, was also lateralized on unfilled trials, suggesting that attention-based rehearsal produces a baseline shift in areas representing the to-be-remembered location in space. No frontal regions (including frontal eye fields) demonstrated lateralized activity consistent with a role in attention-based rehearsal.

Comparison of the oral health problems and behavior of male daytime-only and night-shift office workers: An Internet survey

PubMed Central

Ishizuka, Yoichi; Yoshino, Koichi; Takayanagi, Atsushi; Sugihara, Naoki; Maki, Yoshinobu; Kamijyo, Hideyuki

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the oral health problems and behavior of full-time male daytime-only and night shift office workers. Methods: The participants were recruited by applying screening procedures to a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database. During the period of 20 February 2015 to 11 March 2015, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their oral health. A total of 325 daytime-only workers and 351 workers who sometimes worked night shifts, ages 30 to 69, were analyzed in this study. Results: Overall, the mean number of teeth of the night shift workers was lower than that of the daytime-only workers (p=0.002). When analyzed by age group, a significant difference was seen in the 50-69 age group (p=0.016). The percentage of night shift workers with decayed teeth was higher than that of the daytime-only workers (p<0.001). The night shift workers were more likely to report gingival bleeding (p=0.015) and stomatitis (p=0.025) than the daytime-only workers. The percentage of night shift workers reporting frequent brushing behavior was lower than that of the daytime-only workers (p=0.040). The independent variables found to correlate significantly with tooth decay were night shift work (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.20-2.67), current smoking habit (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.13-2.46), and BMI of ≥25 (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.02-2.39). Conclusions: These results indicate a relationship between night shift work and oral health problems. Night shift workers may require additional support for oral health maintenance. PMID:27010087

Comparison of the oral health problems and behavior of male daytime-only and night-shift office workers: An Internet survey.

PubMed

Ishizuka, Yoichi; Yoshino, Koichi; Takayanagi, Atsushi; Sugihara, Naoki; Maki, Yoshinobu; Kamijyo, Hideyuki

2016-05-25

The aim of this study was to compare the oral health problems and behavior of full-time male daytime-only and night shift office workers. The participants were recruited by applying screening procedures to a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database. During the period of 20 February 2015 to 11 March 2015, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their oral health. A total of 325 daytime-only workers and 351 workers who sometimes worked night shifts, ages 30 to 69, were analyzed in this study. Overall, the mean number of teeth of the night shift workers was lower than that of the daytime-only workers (p=0.002). When analyzed by age group, a significant difference was seen in the 50-69 age group (p=0.016). The percentage of night shift workers with decayed teeth was higher than that of the daytime-only workers (p<0.001). The night shift workers were more likely to report gingival bleeding (p=0.015) and stomatitis (p=0.025) than the daytime-only workers. The percentage of night shift workers reporting frequent brushing behavior was lower than that of the daytime-only workers (p=0.040). The independent variables found to correlate significantly with tooth decay were night shift work (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.20-2.67), current smoking habit (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.13-2.46), and BMI of ≥25 (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.02-2.39). These results indicate a relationship between night shift work and oral health problems. Night shift workers may require additional support for oral health maintenance.

Rebound upbeat nystagmus after lateral gaze in episodic ataxia type 2.

PubMed

Kim, Hyo-Jung; Kim, Ji-Soo; Choi, Jae-Hwan; Shin, Jin-Hong; Choi, Kwang-Dong; Zee, David S

2014-06-01

Rebound nystagmus is a transient nystagmus that occurs on resuming the straight-ahead position after prolonged eccentric gaze. Even though rebound nystagmus is commonly associated with gaze-evoked nystagmus (GEN), development of rebound nystagmus in a different plane of gaze has not been described. We report a patient with episodic ataxia type 2 who showed transient upbeat nystagmus on resuming the straight-ahead position after sustained lateral gaze that had induced GEN and downbeat nystagmus. The rebound upbeat nystagmus may be ascribed to a shifting null in the vertical plane as a result of an adaptation to the downbeat nystagmus that developed during lateral gaze.

Multilayer Volume Holographic Optical Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markov, Vladimir; Millerd, James; Trolinger, James; Norrie, Mark; Downie, John; Timucin, Dogan; Lau, Sonie (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

We demonstrate a scheme for volume holographic storage based on the features of shift selectivity of a speckle reference wave hologram. The proposed recording method allows more efficient use of the recording medium and increases the storage density in comparison with spherical or plane-wave reference beams. Experimental results of multiple hologram storage and replay in a photorefractive crystal of iron-doped lithium niobate are presented. The mechanism of lateral and longitudinal shift selectivity are described theoretically and shown to agree with experimental measurements.

Problem of intraoperative anatomical shift in image-guided surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauta, Haring J.; Bonnen, J. G.

1998-06-01

Experience with image guided, frameless stereotactic neurosurgery shows that intraoperative brain position shifts can be large enough to be problematic, and can occur in different directions at different directions at different stages of an operation. An understanding of the behavior of shifts will allow the surgeon to make the most appropriate use of the image guidance by first minimizing the shift itself, and then anticipating and compensating for any influence the remaining shift will have on the accuracy of the guidance. Three types of shift are described. Type I shift is a local outward bulging that occurs after the skull and dura are opened but before a mass lesion is resected. Type II shift is a local collapse of the brain tissue into the space previously occupied by the tumor. Type III shift is related to loss of cerebrospinal fluid or brain dehydration and is a generalized, more symmetric loss of brain volume. Strategies to minimize these types of shift include appropriate use of medical measures to reduce brain swelling early in the procedure without producing so much brain dehydration that Type II shift is accentuated later in the procedure. Other strategies include mechanical stabilization of brain position with retractors. Anticipating shift, the neurosurgeon should use the guidance as far as possible to map key boundaries early in the procedure before shift becomes more pronounced. Ultimately, however, the correction for the problem of intraoperative brain shift will require the ability to update the imaging data during the surgery.

Shifting visual perspective during memory retrieval reduces the accuracy of subsequent memories.

PubMed

Marcotti, Petra; St Jacques, Peggy L

2018-03-01

Memories for events can be retrieved from visual perspectives that were never experienced, reflecting the dynamic and reconstructive nature of memories. Characteristics of memories can be altered when shifting from an own eyes perspective, the way most events are initially experienced, to an observer perspective, in which one sees oneself in the memory. Moreover, recent evidence has linked these retrieval-related effects of visual perspective to subsequent changes in memories. Here we examine how shifting visual perspective influences the accuracy of subsequent memories for complex events encoded in the lab. Participants performed a series of mini-events that were experienced from their own eyes, and were later asked to retrieve memories for these events while maintaining the own eyes perspective or shifting to an alternative observer perspective. We then examined how shifting perspective during retrieval modified memories by influencing the accuracy of recall on a final memory test. Across two experiments, we found that shifting visual perspective reduced the accuracy of subsequent memories and that reductions in vividness when shifting visual perspective during retrieval predicted these changes in the accuracy of memories. Our findings suggest that shifting from an own eyes to an observer perspective influences the accuracy of long-term memories.

[Distal femoral osteotomy using a lateral opening wedge technique].

PubMed

Feucht, M J; Mehl, J; Forkel, P; Imhoff, A B; Hinterwimmer, S

2017-08-01

To shift the weight-bearing axis of the lower limb medially by opening a lateral-based metaphyseal osteotomy at the distal femur. Femoral-based valgus malalignment and symptomatic lateral unicompartimental osteoarthritis, lateral hyperpression syndrome, cartilage therapy of the lateral compartment, lateral meniscal replacement/transplantation, medial instability with valgus thrust, reconstruction of the medial collateral ligament, patellar instability and/or maltracking. Advanced cartilage damage (>grade 2) or subtotal meniscal loss of the medial compartment, age >65 years (relative), nicotine abuse, body mass index >30, flexion contracture >25°, corrections with a wedge base >10 mm in case of congenital deformities, inflammatory or septic arthritis, severe osteoporosis. Lateral approach to the distal femur; biplanar osteotomy (frontal + axial osteotomy), gradual opening of the osteotomy, osteotomy fixation with a locking plate. Free range of motion. Partial weight bearing with 20 kg for 2 weeks, followed by progressive weight bearing thereafter. Mean improvement of knee scores from 20-30 points and mean 10-year survival rate of 80% in patients with lateral unicompartimental osteoarthritis. Mean complication rate of 9%.

Changes in brain glioma incidence and laterality correlates with use of mobile phones--a nationwide population based study in Israel.

PubMed

Barchana, Micha; Margaliot, Menahem; Liphshitz, Irena

2012-01-01

Mobile phones are in extensive use worldwide and concerns regarding their role in tumor formation were raised. Over the years multiple studies were published in order to investigate this issue using several approaches. The current study looks at secular trends of brain gliomas (low and high grade) incidence and changes in tumor's laterality over 30 years in a population extensively using this technology with a possible correlation to the spread of use of mobile phones. All brain gliomas that were diagnosed from 1980-2009 were included and subdivided into two groups--low and high grade. Secular and periodic time trend analyses of incidence rates and changes in laterality were performed. Preferred side of head using mobile phones was assessed with a questionnaire in a sample of adult individuals. A decrease in incidence of low grade giomas (LGG) that correlated with introduction of mobile technology was found from 2.57, 2.34 and 2.79 for every 100,000 in the period 1980 to the end of 1994 to 1.72, 1.82 and 1.57, respectively, over the last three 5-years periods (1995-2009). High-grade glioma incidences increased significantly from 1980-2009 but in the period after mobile phones were introduced (1994-2009) a lower, non significant, rate of increase was observed in males and a lower one (significant) in females. A shift towards left sided tumor location for all adult gliomas combined and separately for LGG and HGG was noted from 1995 onward. The shift was more marked for those who were diagnosed in ages 20-49 (p=0.03). We found a statistically significant decrease in LGG's over 30-years period that correlates with introducing of mobile phones technology and a shift in laterality towards left-sided tumors, the latter occurred in both low and high-grade gliomas.

Correlation of 3D Shift and 3D Tilt of the Patella in Patients With Recurrent Dislocation of the Patella and Healthy Volunteers: An In Vivo Analysis Based on 3-Dimensional Computer Models.

PubMed

Yamada, Yuzo; Toritsuka, Yukiyoshi; Nakamura, Norimasa; Horibe, Shuji; Sugamoto, Kazuomi; Yoshikawa, Hideki; Shino, Konsei

2017-11-01

The concepts of lateral deviation and lateral inclination of the patella, characterized as shift and tilt, have been applied in combination to evaluate patellar malalignment in patients with patellar dislocation. It is not reasonable, however, to describe the 3-dimensional (3D) positional relation between the patella and the femur according to measurements made on 2-dimensional (2D) images. The current study sought to clarify the relation between lateral deviation and inclination of the patella in patients with recurrent dislocation of the patella (RDP) by redefining them via 3D computer models as 3D shift and 3D tilt. Descriptive laboratory study. Altogether, 60 knees from 56 patients with RDP and 15 knees from 10 healthy volunteers were evaluated. 3D shift and tilt of the patella were analyzed with 3D computer models created by magnetic resonance imaging scans obtained at 10° intervals of knee flexion (0°-50°). 3D shift was defined as the spatial distance between the patellar reference point and the midsagittal plane of the femur; it is expressed as a percentage of the interepicondylar width. 3D tilt was defined as the spatial angle between the patellar reference plane and the transepicondylar axis. Correlations between the 2 parameters were assessed with the Pearson correlation coefficient. The patients' mean Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.895 ± 0.186 (range, -0.073 to 0.997; median, 0.965). In all, 56 knees (93%) had coefficients >0.7 (strong correlation); 1 knee (2%), >0.4 (moderate correlation); 2 knees (3%), >0.2 (weak correlation); and 1 knee (2%), <0.2 (no correlation). The mean correlation coefficient of the healthy volunteers was 0.645 ± 0.448 (range, -0.445 to 0.982; median, 0.834). A statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of the correlation coefficients between the patients and the healthy volunteers ( P = .0034). When distribution of the correlation coefficients obtained by the 3D analyses was compared with that by the 2D (conventional) analyses, based on the bisect offset index and patellar tilt angle, the 3D analyses showed statistically higher correlations between the lateral deviation and inclination of the patella ( P < .01). 3D shift and 3D tilt of the patella were moderately or strongly correlated in 95% of patients with RDP at 0° to 50° of knee flexion. It is not always necessary to use both parameters when evaluating patellar alignment, at least for knees with RDP at 0° to 50° of flexion. Such a description may enable surgeons to describe patellar alignment more simply, leading to a better, easier understanding of the characteristics of each patient with RDP.

Maxillary anterior ridge augmentation with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2.

PubMed

Edmunds, Ryan K; Mealey, Brian L; Mills, Michael P; Thoma, Daniel S; Schoolfield, John; Cochran, David L; Mellonig, Jim

2014-01-01

No human studies exist on the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) on an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) as a sole graft material for lateral ridge augmentation in large ridge defect sites. This series evaluates the treatment outcome of maxillary anterior lateral ridge augmentation with rhBMP-2/ACS. Twenty patients were treated with rhBMP-2/ACS and fixation screws for space maintenance. Cone beam volumetric tomography measurements were used to determine gain in ridge width, and a bone core biopsy was obtained. The mean horizontal ridge gain was 1.2 mm across sites, and every site gained width.

Examining a Paradigm Shift in Organic Depot-Level Software Maintenance for Army Communications and Electronics Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-30

scalable application of cutting edge technologies. 20 4. Responding to changing resources—With likely significant resource reductions the depot...deal with underutilized organic capability while continuing to increase outsourcing of depot workload. In addition the study states that a...the unique organic skills that TYAD could 40 bring to the software sustainment mission could be valuable based on the specific type of software

At the intersection of attention and memory: the mechanistic role of the posterior parietal lobe in working memory

PubMed Central

Berryhill, Marian E.; Chein, Jason; Olson, Ingrid R.

2011-01-01

Portions of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) play a role in working memory (WM) yet the precise mechanistic function of this region remains poorly understood. The pure storage hypothesis proposes that this region functions as a short-lived modality-specific memory store. Alternatively, the internal attention hypothesis proposes that the PPC functions as an attention-based storage and refreshing mechanism deployable as an alternative to material-specific rehearsal. These models were tested in patients with bilateral PPC lesions. Our findings discount the pure storage hypothesis because variables indexing storage capacity and longevity were not disproportionately affected by PPC damage. Instead, our data support the internal attention account by showing that (a) normal participants tend to use a rehearsal-based WM maintenance strategy for recall tasks but not for recognition tasks; (b) patients with PPC lesions performed normally on WM tasks that relied on material-specific rehearsal strategies but poorly on WM tasks that relied on attention-based maintenance strategies and patient strategy usage could be shifted by task or instructions; (c) patients’ memory deficits extended into the long-term domain. These findings suggest that the PPC maintains or shifts internal attention among the representations of items in WM. PMID:21345344

At the intersection of attention and memory: the mechanistic role of the posterior parietal lobe in working memory.

PubMed

Berryhill, Marian E; Chein, Jason; Olson, Ingrid R

2011-04-01

Portions of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) play a role in working memory (WM) yet the precise mechanistic function of this region remains poorly understood. The pure storage hypothesis proposes that this region functions as a short-lived modality-specific memory store. Alternatively, the internal attention hypothesis proposes that the PPC functions as an attention-based storage and refreshing mechanism deployable as an alternative to material-specific rehearsal. These models were tested in patients with bilateral PPC lesions. Our findings discount the pure storage hypothesis because variables indexing storage capacity and longevity were not disproportionately affected by PPC damage. Instead, our data support the internal attention account by showing that (a) normal participants tend to use a rehearsal-based WM maintenance strategy for recall tasks but not for recognition tasks; (b) patients with PPC lesions performed normally on WM tasks that relied on material-specific rehearsal strategies but poorly on WM tasks that relied on attention-based maintenance strategies and patient strategy usage could be shifted by task or instructions; (c) patients' memory deficits extended into the long-term domain. These findings suggest that the PPC maintains or shifts internal attention among the representations of items in WM. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Designing for Change: Interoperability in a scaling and adapting environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarmey, L.

2015-12-01

The Earth Science cyberinfrastructure landscape is constantly changing. Technologies advance and technical implementations are refined or replaced. Data types, volumes, packaging, and use cases evolve. Scientific requirements emerge and mature. Standards shift while systems scale and adapt. In this complex and dynamic environment, interoperability remains a critical component of successful cyberinfrastructure. Through the resource- and priority-driven iterations on systems, interfaces, and content, questions fundamental to stable and useful Earth Science cyberinfrastructure arise. For instance, how are sociotechnical changes planned, tracked, and communicated? How should operational stability balance against 'new and shiny'? How can ongoing maintenance and mitigation of technical debt be managed in an often short-term resource environment? The Arctic Data Explorer is a metadata brokering application developed to enable discovery of international, interdisciplinary Arctic data across distributed repositories. Completely dependent on interoperable third party systems, the Arctic Data Explorer publicly launched in 2013 with an original 3000+ data records from four Arctic repositories. Since then the search has scaled to 25,000+ data records from thirteen repositories at the time of writing. In the final months of original project funding, priorities shift to lean operations with a strategic eye on the future. Here we present lessons learned from four years of Arctic Data Explorer design, development, communication, and maintenance work along with remaining questions and potential directions.

Neutral particle dynamics in a high-power RF source

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

Todorov, D., E-mail: dimitar-tdrv@phys.uni-sofia.bg; Paunska, Ts.; Shivarova, A.

2015-04-08

Previous studies on the spatial discharge structure in the SPIDER source of negative hydrogen/deuterium ions carried out at low applied power are extended towards description of the discharge maintenance under the conditions of the actual rf power deposition of 100 kW planned for a single driver of the source. In addition to the expected higher electron density, the results show strong increase of the electron temperature and of the temperatures of the neutral species (hydrogen atoms and molecules). In the discussions, not only the spatial distribution of the plasma parameters but also that of the fluxes in the discharge (particlemore » and energy fluxes) is involved. The obtained results come in confirmation of basic concepts for low-pressure discharge maintenance: (i) mutually related electron density and temperature as a display of the generalized Schottky condition, (ii) discharge behavior governed by the fluxes, i.e. strong nonlocality in the discharge, and (iii) a non-ambipolarity in the discharge regime, which originates from shifted maxima of the electron density and temperature and shows evidence in a vortex electron flux and in a dc current in a rf discharge, the latter resulting from a shift in the positions of the maxima of the electron density and plasma potential.« less

Posttraumatic cognitions and posttraumatic stress symptoms among war-affected children: a cross-lagged analysis.

PubMed

Palosaari, Esa; Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Diab, Marwan; Qouta, Samir

2013-08-01

In a longitudinal study of war-affected children, we tested, first, whether posttraumatic cognitions (PTCs) mediated the relationship between initial and later posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). Second, we analyzed the relative strength of influences that PTCs and PTSSs have on each other in cross-lagged models of levels and latent change scores. The participants were 240 Palestinian children 10-12 years of age, reporting PTSSs and PTCs measures at 3, 5, and 11 months after a major war. Results show that PTCs did not mediate between initial and later PTSSs. The levels and changes in PTCs statistically significantly predicted later levels and changes in PTSSs, but PTSSs did not statistically significantly predict later PTCs. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that PTCs have a central role in the development and maintenance of PTSSs over time, but they do not support the hypothesis that initial PTSSs develop to chronic PTSSs through negative PTCs. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Method for optimizing output in ultrashort-pulse multipass laser amplifiers with selective use of a spectral filter

DOEpatents

Backus, Sterling J [Erie, CO; Kapteyn, Henry C [Boulder, CO

2007-07-10

A method for optimizing multipass laser amplifier output utilizes a spectral filter in early passes but not in later passes. The pulses shift position slightly for each pass through the amplifier, and the filter is placed such that early passes intersect the filter while later passes bypass it. The filter position may be adjust offline in order to adjust the number of passes in each category. The filter may be optimized for use in a cryogenic amplifier.

Maintenance versus growth: investigating the costs of immune activation among children in lowland Bolivia.

PubMed

McDade, T W; Reyes-García, V; Tanner, S; Huanca, T; Leonard, W R

2008-08-01

Immune function is a central component of maintenance effort, and it provides critical protection against the potentially life threatening effects of pathogens. However, immune defenses are energetically expensive, and the resources they consume are not available to support other activities related to growth and/or reproduction. In our study we use a life history theory framework to investigate tradeoffs between maintenance effort and growth among children in a remote area of Amazonian Bolivia. Baseline concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 309 2- to 10-year olds as an indicator of immune activation, and height was measured at baseline and three months later. Elevated CRP at baseline predicts smaller gains in height over the subsequent three months, with the costs to growth particularly high for 2- to 4-year olds and for those with low energy reserves (in the form of body fat) at the time of immunostimulation. These results provide evidence for a significant tradeoff between investment in immunity and growth in humans, and highlight an important physiological mechanism through which maintenance effort may have lasting effects on child growth and development. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Rechallenge and maintenance therapy using cetuximab and chemotherapy administered to a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Ma, Jian; Yang, Quan-Liang; Ling, Yang

2017-02-14

Cetuximab combined with chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatments of metastatic colorectal cancer. Although disease progression inevitably occurs, rechallenge and maintenance therapies using cetuximab-based regimens may be beneficial, particularly for patients with wild-type (WT) KRAS. A 47-year-old female patient who underwent right hemicolectomy presented with an ulcerative adenocarcinoma (grade 2) revealed by histopathological analysis. The patient received three cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, but disease recurred 15 months later. Cetuximab and a FOLFOX-4 regimen were administered, followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy that was administered for approximately one year. Three years after completing adjuvant therapy, her serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels rapidly increased, and enhanced computed tomography showed widespread metastases. Rechallenge with cetuximab and the FOLFIRI regimen was then initiated, and after 12 cycles, lesions in the lung and liver shrank significantly, and serum CEA levels dramatically declined. Maintenance therapy with cetuximab and capecitabine was then administered for 10 months until the metastatic lesions in the lung and liver enlarged. Rechallenge and maintenance therapy with cetuximab-based chemotherapy were relatively effective for managing a female patient with WT KRAS. Optimization of this strategy requires further in-depth investigations of more patients.

Association between exposure to rotating night shift versus day shift using levels of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and cortisol and other sex hormones in women.

PubMed

Gómez-Acebo, Inés; Dierssen-Sotos, Trinidad; Papantoniou, Kyriaki; García-Unzueta, María Teresa; Santos-Benito, María Francisca; Llorca, Javier

2015-02-01

The present study aims to compare 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) secretion patterns and levels of cortisol and sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, DHEA, DHEAS, and testosterone) among rotating night-shift workers and day-shift workers. We performed a cross-sectional study in Cantabria (northern Spain) including 136 women (73 day-shift workers and 63 rotating night-shift workers). Blood and urine samples were obtained after two consecutive working days. Differences in means were estimated using ANCOVA, stratified by menopausal status, ovulation phase, and adjusted for season, age, body mass index, consumption of cigarettes in the last 24 h. aMT6s circadian rhythm was analyzed using the cosinor analysis. The present study showed that rotating night-shift workers had lower excretion of aMT6s than day-shift workers (mesor = 50.26 ng aMT6s/mg creatinine in women with rotating night shift versus 88.79 ng aMT6s/mg creatinine in women with day shift), lower fluctuation (amplitude = 45.24 ng aMT6s/mg creatinine in rotating night-shift workers versus 79.71 ng aMT6s/mg creatinine in day-shift workers), and a later acrophase (aMT6s peak time: 08:31 in rotating night-shift workers versus 07:13 h in day-shift workers). Additionally, women with rotating night shift had higher estradiol and progesterone levels, compared to day workers, especially in the follicular phase on the menstrual cycle.

Radiographic evaluation of positional atelectasis in sedated dogs breathing room air versus 100% oxygen

PubMed Central

Barletta, Michele; Almondia, Donna; Williams, Jamie; Crochik, Sonia; Hofmeister, Erik

2014-01-01

This study documents the degree of positional atelectasis in sedated dogs receiving 100% oxygen (O2) versus room air. Initial lateral recumbency was determined by an orthopedic study and initial treatment (O2 or room air) was randomized. Each dog was maintained in lateral recumbency for 15 min, at which time ventrodorsal (VD) and opposite lateral thoracic radiographs were obtained. Each dog was then maintained in the opposite lateral recumbency and received the other treatment for 15 min, followed by a VD and opposite lateral radiograph. Radiographs were scored for severity of pulmonary pattern and mediastinal shift by 3 radiologists. Dogs breathing O2 had significantly higher scores than dogs breathing room air. If radiographically detectable dependent atelectasis is present, repeat thoracic images following manual positive ventilation and/or position change to the opposite lateral recumbency should be made to rule out the effect of O2 positional atelectasis and avoid misdiagnosis. PMID:25320389

Effects of dopamine D1 receptor blockade in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex or lateral dorsal striatum on frontostriatal function in Wistar and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

PubMed

Gauthier, Jamie M; Tassin, David H; Dwoskin, Linda P; Kantak, Kathleen M

2014-07-15

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with dysfunctional prefrontal and striatal circuitry and dysregulated dopamine neurotransmission. Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), a heuristically useful animal model of ADHD, were evaluated against normotensive Wistar (WIS) controls to determine whether dopamine D1 receptor blockade of either prelimbic prefrontal cortex (plPFC) or lateral dorsal striatum (lDST) altered learning functions of both interconnected sites. A strategy set shifting task measured plPFC function (behavioral flexibility/executive function) and a reward devaluation task measured lDST function (habitual responding). Prior to tests, rats received bilateral infusions of SCH 23390 (1.0 μg/side) or vehicle into plPFC or lDST. Following vehicle, SHR exhibited longer lever press reaction times, more trial omissions, and fewer completed trials during the set shift test compared to WIS, indicating slower decision-making and attentional/motivational impairment in SHR. After reward devaluation, vehicle-treated SHR responded less than WIS, indicating relatively less habitual responding in SHR. After SCH 23390 infusions into plPFC, WIS expressed the same behavioral phenotype as vehicle-treated SHR during set shift and reward devaluation tests. In SHR, SCH 23390 infusions into plPFC exacerbated behavioral deficits in the set shift test and maintained the lower rate of responding in the reward devaluation test. SCH 23390 infusions into lDST did not modify set shifting in either strain, but produced lower rates of responding than vehicle infusions after reward devaluation in WIS. This research provides pharmacological evidence for unidirectional interactions between prefrontal and striatal brain regions, which has implications for the neurological basis of ADHD and its treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does high location and thickness of the Wrisberg ligament affect discoid lateral meniscus tear type based on peripheral detachment?

PubMed

Ahn, Jin Hwan; Wang, Joon Ho; Kim, Dong Uk; Lee, Do Kyung; Kim, Jun Ho

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) types based on peripheral detachment and anatomic features of Wrisberg ligament (WL) such as location and thickness based on magnetic resonance image (MRI). A total of 322 knees in 292 patients were reviewed. Patients were divided into four DLM types according to peripheral detachment: no shift (type 1), anterocentral shift (type 2), posterocentral shift (type 3) and central shift (type 4). We reviewed all MRI concentrating on the presence, location (high or low location), running angle, thickness of WL, and WL/posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) thickness ratio. The relationship between DLM types and anatomic features of WL were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and chi-square test. According to DLM types based on peripheral detachment, 149 knees were type 1, 38 were type 2, 79 were type 3, and 56 were type 4. Among the 322 knees, 302 (93.8%) had WL on MRI. In DLM patients, type 3 showed a statistically significant (P<0.001) relationship with high location of WL. In addition, type 3 had significantly larger (P<0.0001) running angle of WL, thicker (P<0.0001) WL, and higher (P<0.0001) WL/PCL ratio compared to other types. A high location and thick WL are related to posterocentral shift type of DLM based on peripheral detachment. Based on our results, the high location and thick WL might provide information to surgeons in predicting the direction of peripheral detachment in symptomatic DLM patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical experience with image-guided radiotherapy in an accelerated partial breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy protocol.

PubMed

Leonard, Charles E; Tallhamer, Michael; Johnson, Tim; Hunter, Kari; Howell, Kathryn; Kercher, Jane; Widener, Jodi; Kaske, Terese; Paul, Devchand; Sedlacek, Scot; Carter, Dennis L

2010-02-01

To explore the feasibility of fiducial markers for the use of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in an accelerated partial breast intensity modulated radiotherapy protocol. Nineteen patients consented to an institutional review board approved protocol of accelerated partial breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy with fiducial marker placement and treatment with IGRT. Patients (1 patient with bilateral breast cancer; 20 total breasts) underwent ultrasound guided implantation of three 1.2- x 3-mm gold markers placed around the surgical cavity. For each patient, table shifts (inferior/superior, right/left lateral, and anterior/posterior) and minimum, maximum, mean error with standard deviation were recorded for each of the 10 BID treatments. The dose contribution of daily orthogonal films was also examined. All IGRT patients underwent successful marker placement. In all, 200 IGRT treatment sessions were performed. The average vector displacement was 4 mm (range, 2-7 mm). The average superior/inferior shift was 2 mm (range, 0-5 mm), the average lateral shift was 2 mm (range, 1-4 mm), and the average anterior/posterior shift was 3 mm (range, 1 5 mm). This study shows that the use of IGRT can be successfully used in an accelerated partial breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy protocol. The authors believe that this technique has increased daily treatment accuracy and permitted reduction in the margin added to the clinical target volume to form the planning target volume. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The correlation between movement of the center of mass and the kinematics of the spine, pelvis, and hip joints during body rotation.

PubMed

Wada, Osamu; Tateuchi, Hiroshige; Ichihashi, Noriaki

2014-01-01

Body rotation is associated with many activities. The concomitant movement of the center of mass (COM) is essential for effective body rotation. This movement is considered to be influenced by kinematic changes in the spine, pelvis, and hip joints. However, there is no research on the association between COM movement and kinematic changes during body rotation. We aimed to investigate the association between COM movement and the kinematics of the spine, pelvis, and hip joints during body rotation in standing. Twenty-four healthy men were included in the study. COM movement during active body rotation in a standing position was measured. We evaluated pelvic shift and changes in the angles of the spine, pelvis, and hip joints. We calculated the Pearson correlation coefficients to analyze the relationship between COM movement and kinematic changes in the spine, pelvis, and hip joints. There were significant correlations between lateral COM movement to the rotational side and pelvic shift to the rotational side, and between posterior COM movement and pelvic shift to the posterior side. In addition, lateral COM movement to the rotational side showed significant and negative correlation with spinal flexion and was significantly and positively correlated with the change in anterior pelvic tilt. Clinicians need to take particular note of both spinal and pelvic motion in the sagittal plane, as well as the pelvic shift, to speculate COM movement during body rotation in standing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ontogeny of the Maize Shoot Apical Meristem[W][OA

PubMed Central

Takacs, Elizabeth M.; Li, Jie; Du, Chuanlong; Ponnala, Lalit; Janick-Buckner, Diane; Yu, Jianming; Muehlbauer, Gary J.; Schnable, Patrick S.; Timmermans, Marja C.P.; Sun, Qi; Nettleton, Dan; Scanlon, Michael J.

2012-01-01

The maize (Zea mays) shoot apical meristem (SAM) arises early in embryogenesis and functions during stem cell maintenance and organogenesis to generate all the aboveground organs of the plant. Despite its integral role in maize shoot development, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of SAM initiation. Laser microdissection of apical domains from developing maize embryos and seedlings was combined with RNA sequencing for transcriptomic analyses of SAM ontogeny. Molecular markers of key events during maize embryogenesis are described, and comprehensive transcriptional data from six stages in maize shoot development are generated. Transcriptomic profiling before and after SAM initiation indicates that organogenesis precedes stem cell maintenance in maize; analyses of the first three lateral organs elaborated from maize embryos provides insight into their homology and to the identity of the single maize cotyledon. Compared with the newly initiated SAM, the mature SAM is enriched for transcripts that function in transcriptional regulation, hormonal signaling, and transport. Comparisons of shoot meristems initiating juvenile leaves, adult leaves, and husk leaves illustrate differences in phase-specific (juvenile versus adult) and meristem-specific (SAM versus lateral meristem) transcript accumulation during maize shoot development. This study provides insight into the molecular genetics of SAM initiation and function in maize. PMID:22911570

A coral-algal phase shift in Mesoamerica not driven by changes in herbivorous fish abundance

PubMed Central

Fung, Tak; Garza-Pérez, Joaquín Rodrigo; Acosta-González, Gilberto; Bozec, Yves-Marie; Johnson, Craig R.

2017-01-01

Coral-algal phase shifts in which coral cover declines to low levels and is replaced by algae have often been documented on coral reefs worldwide. This has motivated coral reef management responses that include restriction and regulation of fishing, e.g. herbivorous fish species. However, there is evidence that eutrophication and sedimentation can be at least as important as a reduction in herbivory in causing phase shifts. These threats arise from coastal development leading to increased nutrient and sediment loads, which stimulate algal growth and negatively impact corals respectively. Here, we first present results of a dynamic process-based model demonstrating that in addition to overharvesting of herbivorous fish, bottom-up processes have the potential to precipitate coral-algal phase shifts on Mesoamerican reefs. We then provide an empirical example that exemplifies this on coral reefs off Mahahual in Mexico, where a shift from coral to algal dominance occurred over 14 years, during which there was little change in herbivore biomass but considerable development of tourist infrastructure. Our results indicate that coastal development can compromise the resilience of coral reefs and that watershed and coastal zone management together with the maintenance of functional levels of fish herbivory are critical for the persistence of coral reefs in Mesoamerica. PMID:28445546

A coral-algal phase shift in Mesoamerica not driven by changes in herbivorous fish abundance.

PubMed

Arias-González, Jesús Ernesto; Fung, Tak; Seymour, Robert M; Garza-Pérez, Joaquín Rodrigo; Acosta-González, Gilberto; Bozec, Yves-Marie; Johnson, Craig R

2017-01-01

Coral-algal phase shifts in which coral cover declines to low levels and is replaced by algae have often been documented on coral reefs worldwide. This has motivated coral reef management responses that include restriction and regulation of fishing, e.g. herbivorous fish species. However, there is evidence that eutrophication and sedimentation can be at least as important as a reduction in herbivory in causing phase shifts. These threats arise from coastal development leading to increased nutrient and sediment loads, which stimulate algal growth and negatively impact corals respectively. Here, we first present results of a dynamic process-based model demonstrating that in addition to overharvesting of herbivorous fish, bottom-up processes have the potential to precipitate coral-algal phase shifts on Mesoamerican reefs. We then provide an empirical example that exemplifies this on coral reefs off Mahahual in Mexico, where a shift from coral to algal dominance occurred over 14 years, during which there was little change in herbivore biomass but considerable development of tourist infrastructure. Our results indicate that coastal development can compromise the resilience of coral reefs and that watershed and coastal zone management together with the maintenance of functional levels of fish herbivory are critical for the persistence of coral reefs in Mesoamerica.

Set shifting and visuospatial organization deficits in body dysmorphic disorder.

PubMed

Greenberg, Jennifer L; Weingarden, Hilary; Reuman, Lillian; Abrams, Dylan; Mothi, Suraj S; Wilhelm, Sabine

2017-11-24

Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) over-attend to perceived defect(s) in their physical appearance, often becoming "stuck" obsessing about perceived flaws and engaging in rituals to hide flaws. These symptoms suggest that individuals with BDD may experience deficits in underlying neurocognitive functions, such as set-shifting and visuospatial organization. These deficits have been implicated as risk and maintenance factors in disorders with similarities to BDD but have been minimally investigated in BDD. The present study examined differences in neurocognitive functions among BDD participants (n = 20) compared to healthy controls (HCs; n = 20). Participants completed neuropsychological assessments measuring set-shifting (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Intra-Extra Dimensional Set Shift [IED] task) and visuospatial organization and memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test [ROCF]). Results revealed a set-shifting deficit among BDD participants compared to HCs on the IED. On the ROCF, BDD participants exhibited deficits in visuospatial organization compared to HCs, but they did not differ in visuospatial memory compared to HCs. Results did not change when accounting for depression severity. Findings highlight neurocognitive deficits as potential endophenotype markers of clinical features (i.e., delusionality). Understanding neuropsychological deficits may clarify similarities and differences between BDD and related disorders and may guide targets for BDD treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A diverse and intricate signalling network regulates stem cell fate in the shoot apical meristem.

PubMed

Dodsworth, Steven

2009-12-01

At the shoot apex of plants is a small region known as the shoot apical meristem (SAM) that maintains a population of undifferentiated (stem) cells whilst providing cells for developing lateral organs and the stem. All aerial structures of the plant develop from the SAM post-embryogenesis, enabling plants to grow in a characteristic modular fashion with great phenotypic and developmental plasticity throughout their lifetime. The maintenance of the stem cell population is intimately balanced with cell recruitment into differentiating tissues through intercellular communication involving a complex signalling network. Recent studies have shown that diverse regulators function in SAM maintenance, many of which converge on the WUSCHEL (WUS) gene. In this review the diverse regulatory modules that function in SAM maintenance are discussed: transcriptional and epigenetic control, hormonal regulation, and the balance with organogenesis. The central role of WUS as an integrator of multiple signals is highlighted; in addition, accessory feedback loops emerge as a feature enabling dynamic regulation of the stem cell niche.

Stem cell function during plant vascular development

PubMed Central

Miyashima, Shunsuke; Sebastian, Jose; Lee, Ji-Young; Helariutta, Yka

2013-01-01

The plant vascular system, composed of xylem and phloem, evolved to connect plant organs and transport various molecules between them. During the post-embryonic growth, these conductive tissues constitutively form from cells that are derived from a lateral meristem, commonly called procambium and cambium. Procambium/cambium contains pluripotent stem cells and provides a microenvironment that maintains the stem cell population. Because vascular plants continue to form new tissues and organs throughout their life cycle, the formation and maintenance of stem cells are crucial for plant growth and development. In this decade, there has been considerable progress in understanding the molecular control of the organization and maintenance of stem cells in vascular plants. Noticeable advance has been made in elucidating the role of transcription factors and major plant hormones in stem cell maintenance and vascular tissue differentiation. These studies suggest the shared regulatory mechanisms among various types of plant stem cell pools. In this review, we focus on two aspects of stem cell function in the vascular cambium, cell proliferation and cell differentiation. PMID:23169537

The roles of body mass and gravity in determining the energy requirements of homoiotherms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. H.

1977-01-01

Studies by Kleiber and by Brody in the 1930's established the 3/4 power of body weight as the unit of metabolic size for homoiotherms. Later Kleiber conceived of the energy requirement as a composite function, with a thermoregulatory component that is proportional to heat loss, and an antigravity component that is directly proportional to body weight. Maintenance feed requirements (F) have been measured with groups of small animals chronically exposed to several acceleration fields (G). Analysis of the results leads to an arithmetic relationship between the maintenance requirement and acceleration field strength: F sub G = F sub 0 + kG. When the equations are compared for groups of different body size, F sub 0 tends to vary between the 0.4 and 0.5 power of body mass - and k tends to be the same, irrespective of body mass. These findings tend to confirm the Kleiber concept of a composite nature of homoiotherm maintenance requirements.

Food activities and identity maintenance in old age: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.

PubMed

Plastow, Nicola Ann; Atwal, Anita; Gilhooly, Mary

2015-01-01

Services provided to older people should be developed based on active ageing policies. Nutrition is one aspect of active ageing, but little is known about how food activities contribute to psychological well-being in later life. This is a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative research that answers the question 'What is known about the relationship between food activities and the maintenance of identities in old age?'. We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and used quality assessment parameters to complete a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO databases were searched. We initially identified 8016 articles, of which 167 full-text articles were screened for inclusion. Twenty-two articles were included in the review. There was moderate evidence from nine qualitative and two quantitative studies, of variable quality, that food activities contribute to the maintenance of women's gendered identities, the ethnic identities of men and women, and community identities. There was moderate evidence from 10 qualitative studies, of variable quality, that a change in food choice and deteriorating health changed food activity participation. These changes threatened identities. Most studies included both younger adults and older adults. In later life, there are many life experiences leading to change. Further research is needed to develop understanding of how identity and mental well-being are maintained, despite changes in everyday activities like cooking and eating. This may enable health care professionals to meet psychological needs alongside biological needs during nutritional interventions.

The Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus Latency-associated Nuclear Antigen DNA Binding Domain Dorsal Positive Electrostatic Patch Facilitates DNA Replication and Episome Persistence*

PubMed Central

Li, Shijun; Tan, Min; Juillard, Franceline; Ponnusamy, Rajesh; Correia, Bruno; Simas, J. Pedro; Carrondo, Maria A.; McVey, Colin E.; Kaye, Kenneth M.

2015-01-01

Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has a causative role in several human malignancies. KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) mediates persistence of viral episomes in latently infected cells. LANA mediates KSHV DNA replication and segregates episomes to progeny nuclei. The structure of the LANA DNA binding domain was recently solved, revealing a positive electrostatic patch opposite the DNA binding surface, which is the site of BET protein binding. Here we investigate the functional role of the positive patch in LANA-mediated episome persistence. As expected, LANA mutants with alanine or glutamate substitutions in the central, peripheral, or lateral portions of the positive patch maintained the ability to bind DNA by EMSA. However, all of the substitution mutants were deficient for LANA DNA replication and episome maintenance. Mutation of the peripheral region generated the largest deficiencies. Despite these deficiencies, all positive patch mutants concentrated to dots along mitotic chromosomes in cells containing episomes, similar to LANA. The central and peripheral mutants, but not the lateral mutants, were reduced for BET protein interaction as assessed by co-immunoprecipitation. However, defects in BET protein binding were independent of episome maintenance function. Overall, the reductions in episome maintenance closely correlated with DNA replication deficiencies, suggesting that the replication defects account for the reduced episome persistence. Therefore, the electrostatic patch exerts a key role in LANA-mediated DNA replication and episome persistence and may act through a host cell partner(s) other than a BET protein or by inducing specific structures or complexes. PMID:26420481

Somatic embryogenesis of carrot in hormone-free medium: external pH control over morphogenesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, D. L.; Krikorian, A. D.

1990-01-01

Cultures of preglobular stage proembryos (PGSPs) were initiated from mechanically wounded mature zygotic embryos of carrot, Daucus carota, on a hormone-free, semisolid medium. These PGSPs have been maintained and multiplied for extended periods without their progression into later embryo stages on the same hormone-free medium containing 1 mM NH4+ as the sole nitrogen source. Sustained maintenance of cultures comprised exclusively of PGSPs was dependent on medium pH throughout the culture period. Best growth and multiplication of PGSP cultures occurred when the pH of unbuffered, hormone-free medium fell from 4.5 to 4 over a 2-week period or when buffered medium was titrated to pH 4. If the hormone-free medium was buffered to sustain a pH at or above 4.5, PGSPs developed into later embryo stages. Maintenance with continuous multiplication of PGSPs occurred equally well on medium containing NH4+ or NH4+ and NO3-, but growth was poor with NO3- alone. Additional observations on the effects of medium components such as various nitrogen sources and levels, sucrose concentration, semisolid supports, type of buffer, borate concentration, activated charcoal, and initial pH that permit optimum maintenance of the PGSPs or foster their continued developmental progression into mature embryos and plantlets are reported. The influence of the pH of the hormone-free medium as a determinant in maintaining cultures as PGSPs or allowing their continued embryonic development are unequivocally demonstrated by gross morphology, scanning electron microscopy, and histological preparations.

Food activities and identity maintenance in old age: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

PubMed Central

Plastow, Nicola Ann; Atwal, Anita; Gilhooly, Mary

2015-01-01

Objectives: Services provided to older people should be developed based on active ageing policies. Nutrition is one aspect of active ageing, but little is known about how food activities contribute to psychological well-being in later life. This is a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative research that answers the question ‘What is known about the relationship between food activities and the maintenance of identities in old age?’. Methods: We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and used quality assessment parameters to complete a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO databases were searched. Results: We initially identified 8016 articles, of which 167 full-text articles were screened for inclusion. Twenty-two articles were included in the review. There was moderate evidence from nine qualitative and two quantitative studies, of variable quality, that food activities contribute to the maintenance of women's gendered identities, the ethnic identities of men and women, and community identities. There was moderate evidence from 10 qualitative studies, of variable quality, that a change in food choice and deteriorating health changed food activity participation. These changes threatened identities. Most studies included both younger adults and older adults. Conclusion: In later life, there are many life experiences leading to change. Further research is needed to develop understanding of how identity and mental well-being are maintained, despite changes in everyday activities like cooking and eating. This may enable health care professionals to meet psychological needs alongside biological needs during nutritional interventions. PMID:25373998

Modafinil improves real driving performance in patients with hypersomnia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial.

PubMed

Philip, Pierre; Chaufton, Cyril; Taillard, Jacques; Capelli, Aurore; Coste, Olivier; Léger, Damien; Moore, Nicholas; Sagaspe, Patricia

2014-03-01

Patients with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are at high risk for driving accidents, and physicians are concerned by the effect of alerting drugs on driving skills of sleepy patients. No study has up to now investigated the effect of modafinil (a reference drug to treat EDS in patients with hypersomnia) on on-road driving performance of patients suffering from central hypersomnia. The objective is to evaluate in patients with central hypersomnia the effect of a wake-promoting drug on real driving performance and to assess the relationship between objective sleepiness and driving performance. Randomized, crossover, double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted among 13 patients with narcolepsy and 14 patients with idiopathic hypersomnia. Patients were randomly assigned to receive modafinil (400 mg) or placebo for 5 days prior to the driving test. Each condition was separated by at least 3 weeks of washout. Mean number of Inappropriate Line Crossings, Standard Deviation of Lateral Position of the vehicle and mean sleep latency in the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test were assessed. Modafinil reduced the mean number of Inappropriate Line Crossings and Standard Deviation of Lateral Position of the vehicle compared to placebo (F(1,25) = 4.88, P < 0.05 and F(1,25) = 3.87, P = 0.06 tendency). Mean sleep latency at the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test significantly correlated with the mean number of Inappropriate Line Crossings (r = -0.41, P < 0.001). Modafinil improves driving performance in patients with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test is a suitable clinical tool to assess fitness to drive in this population.

Android Platform Based Smartphones for a Logistical Remote Association Repair Framework

PubMed Central

Lien, Shao-Fan; Wang, Chun-Chieh; Su, Juhng-Perng; Chen, Hong-Ming; Wu, Chein-Hsing

2014-01-01

The maintenance of large-scale systems is an important issue for logistics support planning. In this paper, we developed a Logistical Remote Association Repair Framework (LRARF) to aid repairmen in keeping the system available. LRARF includes four subsystems: smart mobile phones, a Database Management System (DBMS), a Maintenance Support Center (MSC) and wireless networks. The repairman uses smart mobile phones to capture QR-codes and the images of faulty circuit boards. The captured QR-codes and images are transmitted to the DBMS so the invalid modules can be recognized via the proposed algorithm. In this paper, the Linear Projective Transform (LPT) is employed for fast QR-code calibration. Moreover, the ANFIS-based data mining system is used for module identification and searching automatically for the maintenance manual corresponding to the invalid modules. The inputs of the ANFIS-based data mining system are the QR-codes and image features; the output is the module ID. DBMS also transmits the maintenance manual back to the maintenance staff. If modules are not recognizable, the repairmen and center engineers can obtain the relevant information about the invalid modules through live video. The experimental results validate the applicability of the Android-based platform in the recognition of invalid modules. In addition, the live video can also be recorded synchronously on the MSC for later use. PMID:24967603

Protein synthesis is essential not only for consolidation but also for maintenance and post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill in rats.

PubMed

Peng, Ji-Yun; Li, Bao-Ming

2009-05-28

It has been reported that consolidation of motor skill, a type of non-declarative memories, requires protein synthesis, as hippocampus-dependent declarative memory does. However, little is known about the importance of protein synthesis in maintenance and especially post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill. Here, we show that protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and reconsolidation of a rotarod-running skill. Intra-ventricle infusion of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin 0 h but not 2 h post-training caused a severe deficit in the acquisition of the rotarod-running skill. Protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) also caused a deficit in the maintenance of the rotarod-running skill, as well-trained rats demonstrated a deficit in the rotarod-running performance upon treatment with anisomycin. Similarly, PSI impaired the post-retrieval reconsolidation of the rotarod-running skill: well-trained rats treated with anisomycin 0 h but not 0.5, 2 and 4 h after the task performance exhibited amnesia for the running skill later on. Interestingly, rats treated with anisomycin 6 and 12 h post-retrieval exhibited amnesia for the running skill. Thus, protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and post-retrieval reconsolidation of rotarod-running acrobatic motor skill.

Explaining Physical Activity Maintenance After a Theory-Based Intervention Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Process Evaluation of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Knittle, Keegan; De Gucht, Véronique; Hurkmans, Emalie; Vlieland, Thea Vliet; Maes, Stan

2016-02-01

Regular physical activity (PA) benefits patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly when maintained over time. Research in this area has largely focused on factors associated with initiating PA, while factors contributing to PA maintenance, particularly after lifestyle interventions, have received less attention. This study examined whether higher levels of autonomous motivation, self-efficacy for PA, and greater use of self-regulation skills mediated PA initiation and maintenance 6 months after a theory-based motivational interviewing and self-regulation coaching intervention. Seventy-eight individuals with RA were randomized to receive either a patient-education session (control group), or the patient-education session plus 1 motivational interview and 2 self-regulation coaching sessions (treatment group). Mediation analyses examined the effects of this intervention on PA initiation and maintenance through the intermediate variables autonomous motivation, self-efficacy for PA, and use of self-regulation skills. Analyses were controlled for age, sex, and previous levels of PA. The treatment group reported significantly higher autonomous motivation and greater use of self-regulation skills than controls at posttreatment. Increases in PA from baseline to posttreatment were not mediated by any intermediate variables. However, maintenance of PA from posttreatment to followup (6 months later) was mediated by greater autonomous motivation and use of self-regulation skills. Greater autonomous motivation and use of self-regulation skills predict maintenance of PA following a motivational interviewing and self-regulation coaching intervention. In promoting PA among patients with RA, supporting patient autonomy and teaching self-regulation skills, which focus attention on achieving PA goals, may improve long-term maintenance of PA. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Lifetime predictions for dimmable two-channel drivers for color tuning luminaires

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

Davis, Lynn; Smith, Aaron; Clark, Terry

Two-channel tunable white lighting (TWL) systems represent the next wave of solid-state lighting (SSL) systems and promise flexibility in light environment while maintaining the high reliability and luminous efficacy expected with SSL devices. TWL systems utilize LED assemblies consisting of two different LED spectra (i.e., often a warm white assembly and a cool white assembly) that are integrated into modules. While these systems provide the ability to adjust the lighting spectrum to match the physiology needs of the task at hand, they also are a potentially more complex lighting system from a performance and reliability perspective. We report an initialmore » study on the reliability performance of such lighting systems including an examination of the lumen maintenance and chromaticity stability of warm white and cool white LED assemblies and the multi-channel driver that provides power to the assemblies. Accelerated stress tests including operational bake tests conducted at 75°C and 95°C were used to age the LED modules, while more aggressive temperature and humidity tests were used for the drivers in this study. Small differences in the performance between the two LED assemblies were found and can be attributed to the different phosphor chemistries. The lumen maintenances of both LED assemblies were excellent. The warm white LED assemblies were found to shift slightly in the green color direction over time while the cool white LED assemblies shifted slightly in the yellow color direction. The net result of these chromaticity shifts is a small, barely perceptible reduction in the tuning range after 6,000 hours of exposure to an accelerating elevated temperature of 75°C.« less

Aberrant function of learning and cognitive control networks underlie inefficient cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa: a cross-sectional fMRI study.

PubMed

Lao-Kaim, Nick P; Fonville, Leon; Giampietro, Vincent P; Williams, Steven C R; Simmons, Andrew; Tchanturia, Kate

2015-01-01

People with Anorexia Nervosa exhibit difficulties flexibly adjusting behaviour in response to environmental changes. This has previously been attributed to problematic behavioural shifting, characterised by a decrease in fronto-striatal activity. Additionally, alterations of instrumental learning, which relies on fronto-striatal networks, may contribute to the observation of inflexible behaviour. The authors sought to investigate the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility and learning in Anorexia Nervosa. Thirty-two adult females with Anorexia Nervosa and thirty-two age-matched female control participants completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task whilst undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. Event-related analysis permitted the comparison of cognitive shift trials against those requiring maintenance of rule-sets and allowed assessment of trials representing learning. Although both groups performed similarly, we found significant interactions in the left middle frontal gyrus, precuneus and superior parietal lobule whereby blood-oxygenated-level dependent response was higher in Anorexia Nervosa patients during shifting but lower when maintaining rule-sets, as compared to healthy controls. During learning, posterior cingulate cortex activity in healthy controls decreased whilst increasing in the Anorexia Nervosa group, whereas the right precuneus exhibited the opposite pattern. Furthermore, learning was associated with lower blood-oxygenated-level dependent response in the caudate body, as compared to healthy controls. People with Anorexia Nervosa display widespread changes in executive function. Whilst cognitive flexibility appears to be associated with aberrant functioning of the fronto-parietal control network that mediates between internally and externally directed cognition, fronto-striatal alterations, particularly within the caudate body, were associated with instrumental learning. Together, this shows how perseverative tendencies could be a substrate of multiple high-order processes that may contribute to the maintenance of Anorexia Nervosa.

Development of visual expertise for reading: rapid emergence of visual familiarity for an artificial script

PubMed Central

Maurer, Urs; Blau, Vera C.; Yoncheva, Yuliya N.; McCandliss, Bruce D.

2010-01-01

Adults produce left-lateralized N170 responses to visual words relative to control stimuli, even within tasks that do not require active reading. This specialization begins in preschoolers as a right-lateralized N170 effect. We investigated whether this developmental shift reflects an early learning phenomenon, such as attaining visual familiarity with a script, by training adults in an artificial script and measuring N170 responses before and afterward. Training enhanced the N170 response, especially over the right hemisphere. This suggests N170 sensitivity to visual familiarity with a script before reading becomes sufficiently automatic to drive left-lateralized effects in a shallow encoding task. PMID:20614357

Localisation of the spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve in the rabbit.

PubMed Central

Ullah, M; Salman, S S

1986-01-01

The spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SNA) was localised in eight adult rabbits by a retrograde degeneration technique using thionine as a stain for the Nissl substance. The SNA was found to extend from the caudal one fifth of the medulla oblongata to the cranial one fourth of the sixth cervical segment. In the caudal part of the medulla oblongata, the SNA was located in the dorsal part of the detached ventral grey column. In the first cervical segment, the SNA was dorsolateral to the dorsomedial column and dorsal to the ventromedial column of the ventral grey column. In the cranial part of the second cervical segment, the SNA shifted laterally to the lateral margin of the ventral grey column. After this lateral shift, the SNA was located in the lateral part of the ventral grey column of the second, third and fourth cervical segments. In the fifth and cranial one fourth of the sixth cervical segments, the SNA was not a well defined column of cells but was represented by isolated cells scattered in the ventral part of the ventral grey column between the phrenic nucleus and the ventral border of the grey matter. The total number of chromatolysed cells found in the SNA of the right experimental side varied from 2723 to 3210. Images Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 11 PMID:3429311

Emergency flight control system using one engine and fuel transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, Jr., Frank W. (Inventor); Burken, John J. (Inventor); Le, Jeanette (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A system for emergency aircraft control uses at least one engine and lateral fuel transfer that allows a pilot to regain control over an aircraft under emergency conditions. Where aircraft propulsion is available only through engines on one side of the aircraft, lateral fuel transfer provides means by which the center of gravity of the aircraft can be moved over to the wing associated with the operating engine, thus inducing a moment that balances the moment from the remaining engine, allowing the pilot to regain control over the aircraft. By implementing the present invention in flight control programming associated with a flight control computer (FCC), control of the aircraft under emergency conditions can be linked to the yoke or autopilot knob of the aircraft. Additionally, the center of gravity of the aircraft can be shifted in order to effect maneuvers and turns by spacing such center of gravity either closer to or farther away from the propelling engine or engines. In an alternative embodiment, aircraft having a third engine associated with the tail section or otherwise are accommodated and implemented by the present invention by appropriately shifting the center of gravity of the aircraft. Alternatively, where a four-engine aircraft has suffered loss of engine control on one side of the plane, the lateral fuel transfer may deliver the center of gravity closer to the two remaining engines. Differential thrust between the two can then control the pitch and roll of the aircraft in conjunction with lateral fuel transfer.

Limited Effects of Set Shifting Training in Healthy Older Adults

PubMed Central

Grönholm-Nyman, Petra; Soveri, Anna; Rinne, Juha O.; Ek, Emilia; Nyholm, Alexandra; Stigsdotter Neely, Anna; Laine, Matti

2017-01-01

Our ability to flexibly shift between tasks or task sets declines in older age. As this decline may have adverse effects on everyday life of elderly people, it is of interest to study whether set shifting ability can be trained, and if training effects generalize to other cognitive tasks. Here, we report a randomized controlled trial where healthy older adults trained set shifting with three different set shifting tasks. The training group (n = 17) performed adaptive set shifting training for 5 weeks with three training sessions a week (45 min/session), while the active control group (n = 16) played three different computer games for the same period. Both groups underwent extensive pre- and post-testing and a 1-year follow-up. Compared to the controls, the training group showed significant improvements on the trained tasks. Evidence for near transfer in the training group was very limited, as it was seen only on overall accuracy on an untrained computerized set shifting task. No far transfer to other cognitive functions was observed. One year later, the training group was still better on the trained tasks but the single near transfer effect had vanished. The results suggest that computerized set shifting training in the elderly shows long-lasting effects on the trained tasks but very little benefit in terms of generalization. PMID:28386226

Interactions of numerical and temporal stimulus characteristics on the control of response location by brief flashes of light.

PubMed

Fetterman, J Gregor; Killeen, P Richard

2011-09-01

Pigeons pecked on three keys, responses to one of which could be reinforced after 3 flashes of the houselight, to a second key after 6, and to a third key after 12. The flashes were arranged according to variable-interval schedules. Response allocation among the keys was a function of the number of flashes. When flashes were omitted, transitions occurred very late. Increasing flash duration produced a leftward shift in the transitions along a number axis. Increasing reinforcement probability produced a leftward shift, and decreasing reinforcement probability produced a rightward shift. Intermixing different flash rates within sessions separated allocations: Faster flash rates shifted the functions sooner in real time, but later in terms of flash count, and conversely for slower flash rates. A model of control by fading memories of number and time was proposed.

El Mantenimiento o Desplazamiento Linguistico: El Futuro del Espanol en los Estados Unidos. (Linguistic Maintenance or Replacement: The Future of Spanish in the United States)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaarder, Bruce A.

1976-01-01

What is the probability that Spanish, as a vernacular language, will survive in the U.S. with an increasing usage and prestige? Or will its usage, its speakers and its importance diminish rapidly in number and geographical extension? Can it be retained or will there be a shift into English? This article, written in Spanish, addresses these…

Whither CRM? Future directions in Crew Resource Management training in the cockpit and elsewhere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helmreich, Robert L.

1993-01-01

The past decade has shown worldwide adoption of human factors training in civil aviation, now known as Crew Resource Management (CRM). The shift in name from cockpit to crew reflects a growing trend to extend the training to other components of the aviation system including flight attendants, dispatchers, maintenance personnel, and Air Traffic Controllers. The paper reports findings and new directions in research into human factors.

Electric and magnetic field modulated energy dispersion, conductivity and optical response in double quantum wire with spin-orbit interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karaaslan, Y.; Gisi, B.; Sakiroglu, S.; Kasapoglu, E.; Sari, H.; Sokmen, I.

2018-02-01

We study the influence of electric field on the electronic energy band structure, zero-temperature ballistic conductivity and optical properties of double quantum wire. System described by double-well anharmonic confinement potential is exposed to a perpendicular magnetic field and Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions. Numerical results show up that the combined effects of internal and external agents cause the formation of crossing, anticrossing, camel-back/anomaly structures and the lateral, downward/upward shifts in the energy dispersion. The anomalies in the energy subbands give rise to the oscillation patterns in the ballistic conductance, and the energy shifts bring about the shift in the peak positions of optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes.

Exploring conflict- and target-related movement of visual attention.

PubMed

Wendt, Mike; Garling, Marco; Luna-Rodriguez, Aquiles; Jacobsen, Thomas

2014-01-01

Intermixing trials of a visual search task with trials of a modified flanker task, the authors investigated whether the presentation of conflicting distractors at only one side (left or right) of a target stimulus triggers shifts of visual attention towards the contralateral side. Search time patterns provided evidence for lateral attention shifts only when participants performed the flanker task under an instruction assumed to widen the focus of attention, demonstrating that instruction-based control settings of an otherwise identical task can impact performance in an unrelated task. Contrasting conditions with response-related and response-unrelated distractors showed that shifting attention does not depend on response conflict and may be explained as stimulus-conflict-related withdrawal or target-related deployment of attention.

[Lateral chromatic aberrations correction for AOTF imaging spectrometer based on doublet prism].

PubMed

Zhao, Hui-Jie; Zhou, Peng-Wei; Zhang, Ying; Li, Chong-Chong

2013-10-01

An user defined surface function method was proposed to model the acousto-optic interaction of AOTF based on wave-vector match principle. Assessment experiment result shows that this model can achieve accurate ray trace of AOTF diffracted beam. In addition, AOTF imaging spectrometer presents large residual lateral color when traditional chromatic aberrations correcting method is adopted. In order to reduce lateral chromatic aberrations, a method based on doublet prism is proposed. The optical material and angle of the prism are optimized automatically using global optimization with the help of user defined AOTF surface. Simulation result shows that the proposed method provides AOTF imaging spectrometer with great conveniences, which reduces the lateral chromatic aberration to less than 0.000 3 degrees and improves by one order of magnitude, with spectral image shift effectively corrected.

Unilateral pleural effusion in an animal model: evaluation of lung function with EBCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recheis, Wolfgang A.; Pallwein, Leo; Soegner, Peter; Faschingbauer, Ralph; Schmidbauer, Georg; Kleinsasser, Axel; Loeckinger, Alexander; Hoermann, Christoph; zur Nedden, Dieter

2003-05-01

The purpsoe was to evaluate the influence of a right-sided pleural effusion on the lung aeration dynamics in the respiratory cycle during pressure controlled ventilation. Pleural effusion was simulated by infusion of 3% gelatin into the pleural cavity in steps of 300ml totaling 1200ml in four anesthetized pigs. After each step, volume scans and respirator gated 50ms scans at a constant table position (carina niveau) were taken. The dynamic changes of the previously defined air-tissue ratios (in steps of 100HU) were evaluated in three separate regions of left and right lung: a ventral, an intermediate and a dorsal area. The affected side revealed dramatic alveolar collapse. There was a shift of the lung density to higher air-tissue ratios (+200HU) but showing the same air-tissue ratio dynamics. A slight lateral shift of 32mm (+/-14mm) the mediastinum was measured. The unaffected side showed no increase in the air-tissue ratios caused by hyperinflation but an increase of density due to mediastinal shift. Air-tissue ratio dynamics remained unchanged on the unaffected side compared to baseline measurements. We visualized the ventilation mismatch caused by pleural effusion. The contra-lateral lung is not affected by unilateral pleural effusion. Pressure controlled ventilation prevents hyper-inflation of non-dependent lung areas.

Isolation of the Lateral Border Recycling Compartment using a diaminobenzidine-induced density shift

PubMed Central

Sullivan, David P.; Rüffer, Claas; Muller, William A.

2014-01-01

The migration of leukocytes across the endothelium and into tissue is critical to mounting an inflammatory response. The Lateral Border Recycling Compartment (LBRC), a complex vesicular-tubule invagination of the plasma membrane found at endothelial cell borders, plays an important role in the this process. Although a few proteins have been shown to be present in the LBRC, no unique marker is known. Here we detail methods that can be used to characterize a subcellular compartment that lacks an identifying marker. Initial characterization of the LBRC was performed using standard subcellular fractionation with sucrose gradients and took advantage of the observation that the compartment migrated at a lower density than other membrane compartments. To isolate larger quantities of the compartment, we modified a classic technique known as a diaminobenzidine (DAB)-induced density shift. The DAB-induced density shift allowed for specific isolation of membranes labeled with HRP conjugated antibody. Because the LBRC could be differentially labeled at 4°C and 37°C, we were able to identify proteins that are enriched in the compartment, despite lacking a unique marker. These methods serve as a model to others studying poorly characterized compartments and organelles and are applicable to a wide variety of biological systems. PMID:24915828

Microglia During Development and Aging

PubMed Central

Harry, G. Jean

2013-01-01

Microglia are critical nervous system-specific cells influencing brain development, maintenance of the neural environment, response to injury, and repair. They contribute to neuronal proliferation and differentiation, pruning of dying neurons, synaptic remodeling and clearance of debris and aberrant proteins. Colonization of the brain occurs during gestation with an expansion following birth with localization stimulated by programmed neuronal death, synaptic pruning, andaxonal degeneration. Changes inmicroglia phenotype relate to cellular processes including specific neurotransmitter, pattern recognition, or immune-related receptor activation. Upon activation, microglia cells have the capacity to release a number of substances, e.g., cytokines, chemokines, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species, which could be detrimental or beneficial to the surrounding cells. With aging, microglia shift their morphology and may display diminished capacity for normal functions related to migration, clearance, and the ability to shift from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state to regulate injury and repair. This shift in microgliapotentially contributes to increased susceptibility and neurodegeneration as a function of age. In the current review, information is provided on the colonization of the brain by microglia, the expression of various pattern recognition receptors to regulate migration and phagocytosis, and the shift in related functions that occur in normal aging. PMID:23644076

Neuroanatomical Predictors of Awakening in Acutely Comatose Patients

PubMed Central

Kowalski, Robert G.; Buitrago, Manuel M.; Duckworth, Josh; Chonka, Zachary D.; Puttgen, H. Adrian; Stevens, Robert D.; Geocadin, Romergryko G.

2016-01-01

Objective Lateral brain displacement has been associated with loss of consciousness and poor outcome in a range of acute neurologic disorders. We studied the association between lateral brain displacement and awakening from acute coma. Methods This prospective observational study included all new onset coma patients admitted to the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU) over 12 consecutive months. Head computed tomography (CT) scans were analyzed independently at coma onset, after awakening, and at follow-up. Primary outcome measure was awakening, defined as the ability to follow commands before hospital discharge. Secondary outcome measures were discharge Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), modified Rankin Scale, Glasgow Outcome Scale, and hospital and NCCU lengths of stay. Results Of the 85 patients studied, the mean age was 58 ± 16 years, 51% were female, and 78% had cerebrovascular etiology of coma. Fifty-one percent of patients had midline shift on head CT at coma onset and 43 (51%) patients awakened. In a multivariate analysis, independent predictors of awakening were younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.039, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.002–1.079, p = 0.040), higher GCS score at coma onset (OR = 1.455, 95% CI = 1.157–1.831, p = 0.001), nontraumatic coma etiology (OR = 4.464, 95% CI = 1.011–19.608, p = 0.048), lesser pineal shift on follow-up CT (OR = 1.316, 95% CI = 1.073–1.615, p = 0.009), and reduction or no increase in pineal shift on follow-up CT (OR = 11.628, 95% CI = 2.207–62.500, p = 0.004). Interpretation Reversal and/or limitation of lateral brain displacement are associated with acute awakening in comatose patients. These findings suggest objective parameters to guide prognosis and treatment in patients with acute onset of coma. PMID:25628166

Perceived strategies and activities for successful later aging.

PubMed

Holahan, Carole K; Velasquez, Katherine S

2011-01-01

This study investigated perceived strategies and activities for successful later aging. Participants were 242 members of the Terman Study of the Gifted who responded to an open-ended question concerning how they make the most of their aging years. Data were collected in 1996 and 1999, when the participants were average ages of 84 and 86. Longitudinal analyses examined changes over time and cross-sectional analyses examined correlates of strategies and activities. Results showed that strategies emphasized emotion regulation and adaptation. Activities emphasized family involvement, social relationships, leisure, productive and intellectual activity, and health maintenance. Reports of emotion regulation and adaptation increased over time and mention of an intellectual orientation declined over time. Variations in activity mention were found according to gender, age, self-rated health, health limitations, and life satisfaction. History of higher-level occupations was related to more productive activities. Results are discussed in terms of the challenges of later aging.

Lateralized Contribution of Prefrontal Cortex in Controlling Task-Irrelevant Information during Verbal and Spatial Working Memory Tasks: rTMS Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandrini, Marco; Rossini, Paolo Maria; Miniussi, Carlo

2008-01-01

The functional organization of working memory (WM) in the human prefrontal cortex remains unclear. The present study used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to clarify the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) both in the types of information (verbal vs. spatial), and the types of processes (maintenance vs.…

Sleep Strategies of Night-Shift Nurses on Days Off: Which Ones are Most Adaptive?

PubMed

Petrov, Megan E; Clark, C Brendan; Molzof, Hylton E; Johnson, Russell L; Cropsey, Karen L; Gamble, Karen L

2014-01-01

To determine the off-shift sleep strategies of bi-ethnic night-shift nurses, the relationship between these sleep strategies and adaptation to shift work, and identify the participant-level characteristics associated with a given sleep strategy. African-American and non-Hispanic White female, night-shift nurses from an academic hospital were recruited to complete a survey on sleep-wake patterns (n = 213). Participants completed the standard shiftwork index and the biological clocks questionnaire to determine sleep strategies and adaptation to night-shift work. In addition, chronotype was determined quantitatively with a modified version of the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire. Most participants worked ~3 consecutive 12-h night-shifts followed by several days off. Five sleep strategies used on days off were identified: (a) night stay, (b) nap proxy, (c) switch sleeper, (d) no sleep, and (e) incomplete switcher. Nap proxy and no sleep types were associated with poorer adaptation to night-shift work. The switch sleeper and incomplete switcher types were identified as more adaptive strategies that were associated with less sleep disturbance, a later chronotype, and less cardiovascular problems. Behavioral sleep strategies are related to adaptation to a typical night-shift schedule among hospital nurses. Nurses are crucial to the safety and well-being of their patients. Therefore, adoption of more adaptive sleep strategies may reduce sleep/wake dysregulation in this population, and improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Aripiprazole in the Maintenance Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: A Critical Review of the Evidence and Its Dissemination into the Scientific Literature

PubMed Central

Jureidini, Jon N.; Parry, Peter I.; Spielmans, Glen I.; Healy, David

2011-01-01

Background Aripiprazole, a second-generation antipsychotic medication, has been increasingly used in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this indication in 2005. Given its widespread use, we sought to critically review the evidence supporting the use of aripiprazole in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder and examine how that evidence has been disseminated in the scientific literature. Methods and Findings We systematically searched multiple databases to identify double-blind, randomized controlled trials of aripiprazole for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder while excluding other types of studies, such as open-label, acute, and adjunctive studies. We then used a citation search to identify articles that cited these trials and rated the quality of their citations. Our evidence search protocol identified only two publications, both describing the results of a single trial conducted by Keck et al., which met criteria for inclusion in this review. We describe four issues that limit the interpretation of that trial as supporting the use of aripiprazole for bipolar maintenance: (1) insufficient duration to demonstrate maintenance efficacy; (2) limited generalizability due to its enriched sample; (3) possible conflation of iatrogenic adverse effects of abrupt medication discontinuation with beneficial effects of treatment; and (4) a low overall completion rate. Our citation search protocol yielded 80 publications that cited the Keck et al. trial in discussing the use of aripiprazole for bipolar maintenance. Of these, only 24 (30%) mentioned adverse events reported and four (5%) mentioned study limitations. Conclusions A single trial by Keck et al. represents the entirety of the literature on the use of aripiprazole for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. Although careful review identifies four critical limitations to the trial's interpretation and overall utility, the trial has been uncritically cited in the subsequent scientific literature. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:21559324

Cortical Asymmetries during Hand Laterality Task Vary with Hand Laterality: A fMRI Study in 295 Participants

PubMed Central

Mellet, Emmanuel; Mazoyer, Bernard; Leroux, Gaelle; Joliot, Marc; Tzourio-Mazoyer, Nathalie

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to characterize, using fMRI, the functional asymmetries of hand laterality task (HLT) in a sample of 295 participants balanced for handedness. During HLT, participants have to decide whether the displayed picture of a hand represent a right or a left hand. Pictures of hands’ back view were presented for 150 ms in the right or left hemifield. At the whole hemisphere level, we evidenced that the laterality of the hand and of the hemifield in which the picture was displayed combined their effects on the hemispheric asymmetry in an additive way. We then identified a set of 17 functional homotopic regions of interest (hROIs) including premotor, motor, somatosensory and parietal regions, whose activity and asymmetry varied with the laterality of the presented hands. When the laterality of a right hand had to be evaluated, these areas showed stronger leftward asymmetry, the hROI located in the primary motor area showing a significant larger effect than all other hROIs. In addition a subset of six parietal regions involved in visuo-motor integration together with two postcentral areas showed a variation in asymmetry with hemifield of presentation. Finally, while handedness had no effect at the hemispheric level, two regions located in the parietal operculum and intraparietal sulcus exhibited larger leftward asymmetry with right handedness independently of the hand of presentation. The present results extend those of previous works in showing a shift of asymmetries during HLT according to the hand presented in sensorimotor areas including primary motor cortex. This shift was not affected by manual preference. They also demonstrate that the coordination of visual information and handedness identification of hands relied on the coexistence of contralateral motor and visual representations in the superior parietal lobe and the postcentral gyrus. PMID:27999536

Relative dosimetry with an MR-linac: Response of ion chambers, diamond, and diode detectors for off-axis, depth dose, and output factor measurements.

PubMed

O'Brien, Daniel J; Dolan, James; Pencea, Stefan; Schupp, Nicholas; Sawakuchi, Gabriel O

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to acquire beam data for an MR-linac, with and without a 1.5 T magnetic field, by using a variety of commercially available detectors to assess their relative response in the magnetic field. The impact of the magnetic field on the measured dose distribution was also assessed. An MR-safe 3D scanning water phantom was used to measure output factors, depth dose curves, and off-axis profiles for various depths and for field sizes between 2 × 2 cm 2 and 22 × 22 cm 2 for an Elekta MR-linac beam with the orthogonal 1.5 T magnetic field on or off. An on-board MV portal imaging system was used to ensure that the reproducibility of the detector position, both with and without the magnetic field, was within 0.1 mm. The detectors used included ionization chambers with large, medium, and small sensitive volumes; a diamond detector; a shielded diode; and an unshielded diode. The offset of the effective point of measurement of the ionization chambers was found to be reduced by at least half for each chamber in the direction parallel with the beam. A lateral shift of similar magnitude was also introduced to the chambers' effective point of measurement toward the average direction of the Lorentz force. A similar lateral shift (but in the opposite direction) was also observed for the diamond and diode detectors. The measured lateral shift in the dose distribution was independent of depth and field size for each detector for fields between 2 × 2 cm 2 and 10 × 10 cm 2 . The shielded diode significantly misrepresented the dose distribution in the lateral direction perpendicular to the magnetic field, making it seem more symmetric. The percentage depth dose was generally found to be lower with the magnetic field than without, but this difference was reduced as field size increased. The depth of maximum dose showed little dependence on field size in the presence of the magnetic field, with values from 1.2 cm to 1.3 cm between the 2 × 2 cm 2 and 22 × 22 cm 2 fields. Output factors measured in the magnetic field at the center of the beam profile produced a larger spread of values between detectors for fields smaller than 10 × 10 cm 2 (with a spread of 2% at 3 × 3 cm 2 ). The spread of values was more consistent when the output factors were measured at the point of peak intensity of the lateral dose distribution instead (except for the shielded diode which differed by up to 2% depending on field size). The magnetic field of the MR-linac alters the effective point of measurement of ionization chambers, shifting it both downstream and laterally. Shielded diodes produce incorrect and misleading dose profiles. The output factor measured at the point of peak intensity in the lateral dose distribution is more robust than the conventional output factor (measured at central axis). Diodes are not recommended for output factor measurements in the magnetic field. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Investigating the anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation in different directions in chronic ankle instability patients.

PubMed

Ebrahimabadi, Zahra; Naimi, Sedigheh Sadat; Rahimi, Abbas; Sadeghi, Heydar; Hosseini, Seyed Majid; Baghban, Alireza Akbarzadeh; Arslan, Syed Asadullah

2018-01-01

The main objective of the present study was to analyze how supra spinal motor control mechanisms are altered in different directions during anticipatory postural phase of gait initiation in chronic ankle instability patients. It seems that supra spinal pathways modulate anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation. Yet, there is a dearth of research on the effect of chronic ankle instability on the anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation in different directions. A total of 20 chronic ankle instability participants and 20 healthy individuals initiated gait on a force plate in forward, 30° lateral, and 30° medial directions. According to the results of the present study, the peak lateral center of pressure shift decreased in forward direction compared to that in other directions in both groups. Also, it was found that the peak lateral center of pressure shift and the vertical center of mass velocity decreased significantly in chronic ankle instability patients, as compared with those of the healthy individuals. According to the results of the present study, it seems that chronic ankle instability patients modulate the anticipatory postural adjustment phase of gait initiation, compared with healthy control group, in order to maintain postural stability. These changes were observed in different directions, too. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correction of a Depth-Dependent Lateral Distortion in 3D Super-Resolution Imaging

PubMed Central

Manley, Suliana

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) localization-based super-resolution microscopy (SR) requires correction of aberrations to accurately represent 3D structure. Here we show how a depth-dependent lateral shift in the apparent position of a fluorescent point source, which we term `wobble`, results in warped 3D SR images and provide a software tool to correct this distortion. This system-specific, lateral shift is typically > 80 nm across an axial range of ~ 1 μm. A theoretical analysis based on phase retrieval data from our microscope suggests that the wobble is caused by non-rotationally symmetric phase and amplitude aberrations in the microscope’s pupil function. We then apply our correction to the bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ in live bacteria and demonstrate that the corrected data more accurately represent the true shape of this vertically-oriented ring-like structure. We also include this correction method in a registration procedure for dual-color, 3D SR data and show that it improves target registration error (TRE) at the axial limits over an imaging depth of 1 μm, yielding TRE values of < 20 nm. This work highlights the importance of correcting aberrations in 3D SR to achieve high fidelity between the measurements and the sample. PMID:26600467

Vestibular reflexes of otolith origin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Victor J.

1988-01-01

The vestibular system and its role in the maintenance of posture and in motion sickness is investigated using cats as experimental subjects. The assumption is that better understanding of the physiology of vestibular pathways is not only of intrinsic value, but will help to explain and eventually alleviate the disturbances caused by vestibular malfunction, or by exposure to an unusual environment such as space. The first project deals with the influence on the spinal cord of stimulation of the vestibular labyrinth, particularly the otoliths. A second was concerned with the properties and neural basis of the tonic neck reflex. These two projects are related, because vestibulospinal and tonic neck reflexes interact in the maintenance of normal posture. The third project began with an interest in mechanisms of motion sickness, and eventually shifted to a study of central control of respiratory muscles involved in vomiting.

Electronic Media Use and Sleep Among Preschoolers: Evidence for Time-Shifted and Less Consolidated Sleep.

PubMed

Beyens, Ine; Nathanson, Amy I

2018-01-11

This study examined the association between electronic media use and sleep among preschoolers, using a national sample of 402 mothers of 3- to 5-year-olds. Participants completed an online survey assessing preschoolers' electronic media use, bedtime and wake time, sleep time, napping behaviors, and sleep consolidation. Results showed that heavier television use and tablet use, both overall and in the evening, were associated with later bedtimes and later wake times, but not with fewer hours of sleep, providing evidence for a time-shifting process. In addition, heavier daily television use and evening smartphone use were associated with increased daytime napping. Moreover, heavier daily television use, daily and evening smartphone use, and evening tablet use were associated with poorer sleep consolidation, suggesting less mature sleep patterns. These findings indicate that media effects on the timing of sleep and the proportion of sleep that occurs at night are important to consider when assessing the health risks of electronic media on children.

Maintenance of longitudinal foot arch after different mid/hind-foot arthrodesis procedures in a cadaveric model.

PubMed

Chen, Yanxi; Zhang, Kun; Qiang, Minfei; Hao, Yini

2014-02-01

Currently, the optimal treatment of flatfoot remains inconclusive. Our objectives were to understand the effect of different arthrodeses on maintenance of foot arch and provide experimental basis for rational selection in treatment of flatfoot. Sixteen fresh-frozen cadaver feet amputated above the ankle along with a section of leg were studied from ten males and six females. We used standard clinical techniques and hardware for making the arthrodeses. Plantar pressure in the medial and lateral longitudinal arch distribution was measured with a plantar pressure mapping system under different loading conditions. Values of plantar pressure reaction, mean and maximum dynamic peak pressure between all group pairs were statistically significant (P<0.05). The plantar pressure reaction appeared at the load of 960 N in the medial arch of the unoperated foot, compared with 1080 N after subtalar arthrodesis, 1200 N after talonavicular arthrodesis, 1080 N after calcaneocuboid arthrodesis, 1320 N after double arthrodesis, and 1560 N after triple arthrodesis. The plantar pressure reaction appeared at the load of 360 N in the lateral arch of the unoperated foot, compared with 600 N after subtalar arthrodesis, 600 N after talonavicular arthrodesis, 840 N after calcaneocuboid arthrodesis, 960 N after double arthrodesis, and 1440 N after triple arthrodesis. The triple arthrodesis provided the highest support to both arches; the double arthrodesis appeared to be similar to talonavicular arthrodesis in supporting the medial arch and similar to calcaneocuboid arthrodesis in supporting the lateral arch; subtalar arthrodesis was less effective in supporting both arches. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Repression of Lateral Organ Boundary Genes by PENNYWISE and POUND-FOOLISH Is Essential for Meristem Maintenance and Flowering in Arabidopsis1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Khan, Madiha; Ragni, Laura; Tabb, Paul; Salasini, Brenda C.; Chatfield, Steven; Datla, Raju; Lock, John; Kuai, Xiahezi; Després, Charles; Proveniers, Marcel; Yongguo, Cao; Xiang, Daoquan; Morin, Halima; Rullière, Jean-Pierre; Citerne, Sylvie; Hepworth, Shelley R.; Pautot, Véronique

2015-01-01

In the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), endogenous and environmental signals acting on the shoot apical meristem cause acquisition of inflorescence meristem fate. This results in changed patterns of aerial development seen as the transition from making leaves to the production of flowers separated by elongated internodes. Two related BEL1-like homeobox genes, PENNYWISE (PNY) and POUND-FOOLISH (PNF), fulfill this transition. Loss of function of these genes impairs stem cell maintenance and blocks internode elongation and flowering. We show here that pny pnf apices misexpress lateral organ boundary genes BLADE-ON-PETIOLE1/2 (BOP1/2) and KNOTTED-LIKE FROM ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA6 (KNAT6) together with ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA HOMEOBOX GENE1 (ATH1). Inactivation of genes in this module fully rescues pny pnf defects. We further show that BOP1 directly activates ATH1, whereas activation of KNAT6 is indirect. The pny pnf restoration correlates with renewed accumulation of transcripts conferring floral meristem identity, including FD, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN LIKE genes, LEAFY, and APETALA1. To gain insight into how this module blocks flowering, we analyzed the transcriptome of BOP1-overexpressing plants. Our data suggest a central role for the microRNA156-SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE-microRNA172 module in integrating stress signals conferred in part by promotion of jasmonic acid biosynthesis. These data reveal a potential mechanism by which repression of lateral organ boundary genes by PNY-PNF is essential for flowering. PMID:26417006

Transcription Factors Expressed in Lateral Organ Boundaries: Identification of Downstream Targets

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

Springer, Patricia S

2010-07-12

The processes of lateral organ initiation and patterning are central to the generation of mature plant form. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes is essential to our understanding of plant development. Communication between the shoot apical meristem and initiating organ primordia is important both for functioning of the meristem and for proper organ patterning, and very little is known about this process. In particular, the boundary between meristem and leaf is emerging as a critical region that is important for SAM maintenance and regulation of organogenesis. The goal of this project was to characterize three boundary-expressed genes thatmore » encode predicted transcription factors. Specifically, we have studied LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB), LATERAL ORGAN FUSION1 (LOF1), and LATERAL ORGAN FUSION2 (LOF2). LOB encodes the founding member of the LOB-DOMAIN (LBD) plant-specific DNA binding transcription factor family and LOF1 and LOF2 encode paralogous MYB-domain transcription factors. We characterized the genetic relationship between these three genes and other boundary and meristem genes. We also used an ectopic inducible expression system to identify direct targets of LOB.« less

Atypical work schedules are associated with poor sleep quality and mental health in Taiwan female nurses.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Chen; Chen, Chung-Hey; Pan, Shung-Mei; Pan, Chih-Hong; Chen, Chiou-Jong; Chen, Yao-Mei; Hung, Hsin-Chia; Wu, Ming-Tsang

2012-11-01

To investigate the effects of shift work schedules on sleep quality and mental health in female nurses in south Taiwan. This study recruited 1,360 female registered nurses in the Kaohsiung area for the first survey, and among them, 769 nurses had a rotation shift schedule. Among the 769 rotation shift work nurses, 407 completed another second survey 6-10 months later. Data collection included demographic variables, work status, shift work schedule, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and mental health (Chinese Health Questionnaire-12). Nurses on rotation shift had the poor sleep quality and mental health compared to nurses on day shift. The nurses on rotation shift had a relatively higher OR of reporting poor sleep quality and poor mental health (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.57-3.28; and OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.39-2.63, respectively). Additionally, rotation shift nurses who had ≥2 days off after their most recent night shifts showed significantly improved sleep quality and mental health (PSQI decreased of 1.23 and CHQ-12 decreased of 0.86, respectively). Comparison of sleep quality between the first and second surveys showed aggravated sleep quality only in nurses who had an increased frequency of night shifts. Female nurses who have a rotation shift work schedule tend to experience poor sleep quality and mental health, but their sleep quality and mental health improve if they have ≥2 days off after their most recent night shifts. This empirical information is useful for optimizing work schedules for nurses.

Partial lateralization of the nasopalatine nerve at the incisive foramen for ridge augmentation in the anterior maxilla prior to placement of dental implants: a retrospective case series evaluating self-reported data and neurosensory testing.

PubMed

Urban, Istvan; Jovanovic, Sascha A; Buser, Daniel; Bornstein, Michael M

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess implant therapy after a staged guided bone regeneration procedure in the anterior maxilla by lateralization of the nasopalatine nerve and vessel bundle. Neurosensory function following augmentative procedures and implant placement, assessed using a standardized questionnaire and clinical examination, were the primary outcome variables measured. This retrospective study included patients with a bone defect in the anterior maxilla in need of horizontal and/or vertical ridge augmentation prior to dental implant placement. The surgical sites were allowed to heal for at least 6 months before placement of dental implants. All patients received fixed implant-supported restorations and entered into a tightly scheduled maintenance program. In addition to the maintenance program, patients were recalled for a clinical examination and to fill out a questionnaire to assess any changes in the neurosensory function of the nasopalatine nerve at least 6 months after function. Twenty patients were included in the study from February 2001 to December 2010. They received a total of 51 implants after augmentation of the alveolar crest and lateralization of the nasopalatine nerve. The follow-up examination for questionnaire and neurosensory assessment was scheduled after a mean period of 4.18 years of function. None of the patients examined reported any pain, they did not have less or an altered sensation, and they did not experience a "foreign body" feeling in the area of surgery. Overall, 6 patients out of 20 (30%) showed palatal sensibility alterations of the soft tissues in the region of the maxillary canines and incisors resulting in a risk for a neurosensory change of 0.45 mucosal teeth regions per patient after ridge augmentation with lateralization of the nasopalatine nerve. Regeneration of bone defects in the anterior maxilla by horizontal and/or vertical ridge augmentation and lateralization of the nasopalatine nerve prior to dental implant placement is a predictable surgical technique. Whether or not there were clinically measurable impairments of neurosensory function, the patients did not report them or were not bothered by them.

Structured teleconnections reveal the South American monsoon onset: A network approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciemer, Catrin; Ekhtiari, Nikoo; Barbosa, Henrique; Boers, Niklas; Donner, Reik; Kurths, Jürgen; Rammig, Anja; Winkelmann, Ricarda

2017-04-01

The regional onset dates of the global monsoon systems are, to first order, determined by the seasonal shift of the intertropical convergence zone. However, precise onset dates vary substantially from year to year due to the complexity of the involved mechanisms. In this study, we investigate processes determining the onset of the South American monsoon system (SAMS). In recent years, a trend towards later onset dates of the SAMS has been observed. A later onset of the monsoon can have severe impacts on agriculture and infrastructure such as farming, water transport routes, and the stability of the Amazon rainforest in the long term. Possible reasons for this shift involve a multitude of climatic phenomena and variables relevant for the SAMS. To account for the highly interactive nature of the SAMS, we here investigate it with the help of complex networks. By studying the temporal changes of the correlation structure in spatial rainfall networks, we are able to determine coherent areas of similar precipitation patterns, spot teleconnections in terms of strongly correlated areas, detect key regions for precipitation correlations, and finally reveal the monsoon onset by an abrupt shift from an unordered to an ordered correlation structure of the network. To further evaluate the shift in the monsoon onset, we couple our rainfall network to a network of climate networks using sea surface temperature as a second variable. We are thereby able to emphasize oceanic regions that are particularly important for the SAMS and anticipate the influence of future changes of sea-surface temperature on the SAMS.

SU-E-T-438: Frameless Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery Immobilization Effectiveness Evaluation

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

Tseng, T; Green, S; Sheu, R

Purpose: To evaluate immobilization effectiveness of Brainlab frameless mask in cranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods: Two sets of setup images were collected pre-and post-treatment for 24 frameless SRS cases. The pre-treatment images were obtained after applying 2D-2D kV image-guided shifts with patients in treatment position and approved by physicians; the post-treatment images were taken immediately after treatment completion. All cases were treated on a Novalis linac with ExacTrac positioning system and Exact Couch. The two image sets were compared with the correctional shifts measured by ExacTrac 6D auto-fusion. The shift differences were considered patient motion within the frameless mask andmore » were used to evaluate its effectiveness for immobilization. Two-tailed paired t-test was applied for significance comparison. Results: The correctional shifts (mean±STD, median) of pre-and post-treatment images were 0.33±0.27mm, 0.26mm and 0.34±0.27mm, 0.23mm (p=0.740) in lateral direction; 0.32±0.29mm, 0.22mm and 0.48±0.30mm, 0.50mm (p=0.012) in longitudinal direction; 0.31±0.22mm, 0.24mm and 0.33±0.21mm, 0.36mm (p=0.623) in vertical direction. The radial correctional shifts (mean±STD, median) of pre -and post-treatment images were 0.60±0.38mm, 0.45mm and 0.75±0.31mm, 0.66mm (p=0.033). The shift differences (mean±STD, median, maximum) were 0.35±0.28mm, 0.3mm, 1.05mm, 0.34±0.28mm, 0.3mm, 1.00mm, 0.24±0.15mm, 0.21mm, 0.60mm and 0.61±0.32mm, 0.57mm, 1.40mm in lateral, longitudinal, vertical and radial direction, respectively. Two shifts greater than 1 mm (1.06mm and 1.02mm) were acquired from post-treatment images. However, the shift differences were only 0.09 and 0.19mm for these two shifts. Two patients with shift differences greater than 1mm (1.05 and 1.04mm) were observed and didn’t coincide with those two who had post-correctional shifts greater than 1mm. Conclusion: Image-guided SRS allowed us to set up patients with sub-millimeter accuracy relative to simulation position. However, patient motion during treatment could affect treatment accuracy. Our Result shows that Brainlab frameless mask provides reasonable patient immobilization and maintains the mean post-treatment position within sub-millimeter accuracy with some borderline results observed.« less

Multimodal imaging of language reorganization in patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Hsuan A; Kemmotsu, Nobuko; Leyden, Kelly M; Kucukboyaci, N Erkut; Iragui, Vicente J; Tecoma, Evelyn S; Kansal, Leena; Norman, Marc A; Compton, Rachelle; Ehrlich, Tobin J; Uttarwar, Vedang S; Reyes, Anny; Paul, Brianna M; McDonald, Carrie R

2017-07-01

This study explored the relationships among multimodal imaging, clinical features, and language impairment in patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy (LTLE). Fourteen patients with LTLE and 26 controls underwent structural MRI, functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and neuropsychological language tasks. Laterality indices were calculated for each imaging modality and a principal component (PC) was derived from language measures. Correlations were performed among imaging measures, as well as to the language PC. In controls, better language performance was associated with stronger left-lateralized temporo-parietal and temporo-occipital activations. In LTLE, better language performance was associated with stronger right-lateralized inferior frontal, temporo-parietal, and temporo-occipital activations. These right-lateralized activations in LTLE were associated with right-lateralized arcuate fasciculus fractional anisotropy. These data suggest that interhemispheric language reorganization in LTLE is associated with alterations to perisylvian white matter. These concurrent structural and functional shifts from left to right may help to mitigate language impairment in LTLE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recruitment and Retention for a Weight Loss Maintenance Trial Involving Weight Loss Prior to Randomization

PubMed Central

Grubber, J. M.; McVay, M. A.; Olsen, M. K.; Bolton, J.; Gierisch, J. M.; Taylor, S. S.; Maciejewski, M. L.; Yancy, W. S.

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective A weight loss maintenance trial involving weight loss prior to randomization is challenging to implement due to the potential for dropout and insufficient weight loss. We examined rates and correlates of non‐initiation, dropout, and insufficient weight loss during a weight loss maintenance trial. Methods The MAINTAIN trial involved a 16‐week weight loss program followed by randomization among participants losing at least 4 kg. Psychosocial measures were administered during a screening visit. Weight was obtained at the first group session and 16 weeks later to determine eligibility for randomization. Results Of 573 patients who screened as eligible, 69 failed to initiate the weight loss program. In adjusted analyses, failure to initiate was associated with lower age, lack of a support person, and less encouragement for making dietary changes. Among participants who initiated, 200 dropped out, 82 lost insufficient weight, and 222 lost sufficient weight for randomization. Compared to losing sufficient weight, dropping out was associated with younger age and tobacco use, whereas losing insufficient weight was associated with non‐White race and controlled motivation for physical activity. Conclusions Studies should be conducted to evaluate strategies to maximize recruitment and retention of subgroups that are less likely to initiate and be retained in weight loss maintenance trials. PMID:28090340

Filamin A Mediates Wound Closure by Promoting Elastic Deformation and Maintenance of Tension in the Collagen Matrix

PubMed Central

Mohammadi, Hamid; Pinto, Vanessa I.; Wang, Yongqiang; Hinz, Boris; Janmey, Paul A.; McCulloch, Christopher A.

2016-01-01

Cell-mediated remodeling and wound closure are critical for efficient wound healing, but the contribution of actin-binding proteins to contraction of the extracellular matrix is not defined. We examined the role of filamin A (FLNa), an actin filament cross-linking protein, in wound contraction and maintenance of matrix tension. Conditional deletion of FLNa in fibroblasts in mice was associated with ~ 4 day delay of full-thickness skin wound contraction compared with wild-type (WT) mice. We modeled the healing wound matrix using cultured fibroblasts plated on grid-supported collagen gels that create lateral boundaries, which are analogues to wound margins. In contrast to WT cells, FLNa knockdown (KD) cells could not completely maintain tension when matrix compaction was resisted by boundaries, which manifested as relaxed matrix tension. Similarly, WT cells on cross-linked collagen, which requires higher levels of sustained tension, exhibited approximately fivefold larger deformation fields and approximately twofold greater fiber alignment compared with FLNa KD cells. Maintenance of boundary-resisted tension markedly influenced the elongation of cell extensions: in WT cells, the number (~50%) and length (~300%) of cell extensions were greater than FLNa KD cells. We conclude that FLNa is required for wound contraction, in part by enabling elastic deformation and maintenance of tension in the matrix. PMID:26134946

SU-G-JeP3-02: Comparison of Magnitude and Frequency of Patient Positioning Errors in Breast Irradiation Using AlignRT 3D Optical Surface Imaging and Skin Mark Techniques

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

Yao, R; Chisela, W; Dorbu, G

2016-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate clinical usefulness of AlignRT (Vision RT Ltd., London, UK) in reducing patient positioning errors in breast irradiation. Methods: 60 patients undergoing whole breast irradiation were selected for this study. Patients were treated to the left or right breast lying on Qfix Access breast board (Qfix, Avondale, PA) in supine position for 28 fractions using tangential fields. 30 patients were aligned using AlignRT by aligning a breast surface region of interest (ROI) to the same area from a reference surface image extracted from planning CT. When the patient’s surface image deviated from the reference by more than 3mmmore » on one or more translational and rotational directions, a new reference was acquired using AlignRT in-room cameras. The other 30 patients were aligned to the skin marks with room lasers. On-Board MV portal images of medial field were taken daily and matched to the DRRs. The magnitude and frequency of positioning errors were determined from measured translational shifts. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate statistical differences of positional accuracy and precision between AlignRT and non-AlignRT patients. Results: The percentage of port images with no shift required was 46.5% and 27.0% in vertical, 49.8% and 25.8% in longitudinal, 47.6% and 28.5% in lateral for AlignRT and non-AlignRT patients, respectively. The percentage of port images requiring more than 3mm shifts was 18.1% and 35.1% in vertical, 28.6% and 50.8% in longitudinal, 11.3% and 24.2% in lateral for AlignRT and non-AlignRT patients, respectively. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test showed that there were significant differences between the frequency distributions of AlignRT and non-AlignRT in vertical, longitudinal, and lateral shifts. Conclusion: As confirmed by port images, AlignRT-assisted patient positioning can significantly reduce the frequency and magnitude of patient setup errors in breast irradiation compared to the use of lasers and skin marks.« less

The Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus Latency-associated Nuclear Antigen DNA Binding Domain Dorsal Positive Electrostatic Patch Facilitates DNA Replication and Episome Persistence.

PubMed

Li, Shijun; Tan, Min; Juillard, Franceline; Ponnusamy, Rajesh; Correia, Bruno; Simas, J Pedro; Carrondo, Maria A; McVey, Colin E; Kaye, Kenneth M

2015-11-20

Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has a causative role in several human malignancies. KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) mediates persistence of viral episomes in latently infected cells. LANA mediates KSHV DNA replication and segregates episomes to progeny nuclei. The structure of the LANA DNA binding domain was recently solved, revealing a positive electrostatic patch opposite the DNA binding surface, which is the site of BET protein binding. Here we investigate the functional role of the positive patch in LANA-mediated episome persistence. As expected, LANA mutants with alanine or glutamate substitutions in the central, peripheral, or lateral portions of the positive patch maintained the ability to bind DNA by EMSA. However, all of the substitution mutants were deficient for LANA DNA replication and episome maintenance. Mutation of the peripheral region generated the largest deficiencies. Despite these deficiencies, all positive patch mutants concentrated to dots along mitotic chromosomes in cells containing episomes, similar to LANA. The central and peripheral mutants, but not the lateral mutants, were reduced for BET protein interaction as assessed by co-immunoprecipitation. However, defects in BET protein binding were independent of episome maintenance function. Overall, the reductions in episome maintenance closely correlated with DNA replication deficiencies, suggesting that the replication defects account for the reduced episome persistence. Therefore, the electrostatic patch exerts a key role in LANA-mediated DNA replication and episome persistence and may act through a host cell partner(s) other than a BET protein or by inducing specific structures or complexes. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The Road to Realizing In-Space Manufacturing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clinton, Raymond G.

2014-01-01

Additive Manufacturing in space offers tremendous potential for dramatic paradigm shift in the development and manufacturing of space architectures. Additive Manufacturing in space offers the potential for mission safety risk reduction for low Earth orbit and deep space exploration; new paradigms for maintenance, repair, and logistics. Leverage ground-based technology developments, process characterization, and material properties databases. Investments are required primarily in the microgravity environment. We must do the foundational work. It's not sexy, but it is required.

Metabolic consequences of fluid shifts induced by microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cintron, N. M.; Lane, H. W.; Leach, C. S.

1990-01-01

The effects of fluid redistribution induced by weightlessness on the fluid and electrolyte regulation, the maintenance of optimum nutritional status, and on pharmacodynamics (i.e., the absorption, distribution, and elimination of pharmacologic agents) are examined on the basis of published data on flights aboard Skylab and Space Shuttle. Data are presented on changes in plasma osmolarity and the content of antinuclear factor, serum glucose, and the salivary scopolamine concentrations after oral administration before and during space flights.

Quality plan for a product line.

PubMed

Lanza, M L; Binus, G K; McMillan, F J

1997-12-01

Continuous Quality improvement (CQI) has undergone radical change as health care facilities merge, expand, and modify their existing services. CQI has shifted from a centralized position in health care organizations, to unit based, to product lines. This paper describes one product line's endeavors to develop a Quality Plan to direct CQI activities. One particular strength of our innovation is that the Quality Plan was developed with attention to the important balance of interdisciplinary cooperation and maintenance of appropriate discipline boundaries.

Lumen and Chromaticity Maintenance of LED PAR38 Lamps Operated in Steady-State Conditions

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

Royer, Michael P.

2014-12-01

The lumen depreciation and color shift of 38 different lamps (32 LED, 2 CFL, 1 ceramic metal halide [CMH], 3 halogen) were monitored in a specially developed automated long-term test apparatus (ALTA2) for nearly 14,000 hours. Five samples of each lamp model were tested, with measurements recorded on a weekly basis. The lamps were operated continuously at a target ambient temperature between 44°C and 45°C.

Sox10 Expressing Cells in the Lateral Wall of the Aged Mouse and Human Cochlea

PubMed Central

Hao, Xinping; Xing, Yazhi; Moore, Michael W.; Zhang, Jianning; Han, Demin; Schulte, Bradley A.; Dubno, Judy R.; Lang, Hainan

2014-01-01

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is a common human disorder, affecting one in three Americans aged 60 and over. Previous studies have shown that presbyacusis is associated with a loss of non-sensory cells in the cochlear lateral wall. Sox10 is a transcription factor crucial to the development and maintenance of neural crest-derived cells including some non-sensory cell types in the cochlea. Mutations of the Sox10 gene are known to cause various combinations of hearing loss and pigmentation defects in humans. This study investigated the potential relationship between Sox10 gene expression and pathological changes in the cochlear lateral wall of aged CBA/CaJ mice and human temporal bones from older donors. Cochlear tissues prepared from young adult (1–3 month-old) and aged (2–2.5 year-old) mice, and human temporal bone donors were examined using quantitative immunohistochemical analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Cells expressing Sox10 were present in the stria vascularis, outer sulcus and spiral prominence in mouse and human cochleas. The Sox10+ cell types included marginal and intermediate cells and outer sulcus cells, including those that border the scala media and those extending into root processes (root cells) in the spiral ligament. Quantitative analysis of immunostaining revealed a significant decrease in the number of Sox10+ marginal cells and outer sulcus cells in aged mice. Electron microscopic evaluation revealed degenerative alterations in the surviving Sox10+ cells in aged mice. Strial marginal cells in human cochleas from donors aged 87 and older showed only weak immunostaining for Sox10. Decreases in Sox10 expression levels and a loss of Sox10+ cells in both mouse and human aged ears suggests an important role of Sox10 in the maintenance of structural and functional integrity of the lateral wall. A loss of Sox10+ cells may also be associated with a decline in the repair capabilities of non-sensory cells in the aged ear. PMID:24887110

Olfactory short-term memory encoding and maintenance - an event-related potential study.

PubMed

Lenk, Steffen; Bluschke, Annet; Beste, Christian; Iannilli, Emilia; Rößner, Veit; Hummel, Thomas; Bender, Stephan

2014-09-01

This study examined whether the memory encoding and short term maintenance of olfactory stimuli is associated with neurophysiological activation patterns which parallel those described for sensory modalities such as vision and auditory. We examined olfactory event-related potentials in an olfactory change detection task in twenty-four healthy adults and compared the measured activation to that found during passive olfactory stimulation. During the early olfactory post-processing phase, we found a sustained negativity over bilateral frontotemporal areas in the passive perception condition which was enhanced in the active memory task. There was no significant lateralization in either experimental condition. During the maintenance interval at the end of the delay period, we still found sustained activation over bilateral frontotemporal areas which was more negative in trials with correct - as compared to incorrect - behavioural responses. This was complemented by a general significantly stronger frontocentral activation. Summarizing, we were able to show that olfactory short term memory involves a parallel sequence of activation as found in other sensory modalities. In addition to olfactory-specific frontotemporal activations in the memory encoding phase, we found slow cortical potentials over frontocentral areas during the memory maintenance phase indicating the activation of a supramodal memory maintenance system. These findings could represent the neurophysiological underpinning of the 'olfactory flacon', the olfactory counter-part to the visual sketchpad and phonological loop embedded in Baddeley's working memory model. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contamination of piped medical gas supply with water.

PubMed

Hay, H

2000-08-01

The failure of anaesthetic equipment as a result of maintenance is extremely rare. The ingress of water into the flowmeters of an anaesthetic machine from the piped medical air supply is reported and is possibly unique. The piped medical air supply was open to the atmosphere during maintenance. Water condensed in the gas pipeline and this was not noticed during subsequent testing. Water was seen leaking from the orthopaedic air tools used for surgery but was assumed to be from the autoclaving process. Later the same day, when medical air from the piped source was used as part of the gas mixture for a general anaesthetic, water was seen filling the barrel of the flowmeter air control valve. This could have had far-reaching and dangerous consequences for the patient, which were fortunately averted.

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

Anderson, J.L.; Jenkins, E.M.; Walthers, C.R.

Compound cryopumps have been added to the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) integrated fusion fuel loop. Operations have been performed which closely simulate an actual fusion reactor pumping scenario. In addition, performance data have been taken that support the concept of using coconut charcoal as a sorbent at 4K for pumping helium. Later tests show that coconut charcoal may be used to co-pump D,T and He mixtures on a single 4K panel. Rotary spiral pumps have been used successfully in several applications at TSTA and have acquired more than 9000 hours of maintenance-free operation. Metal bellows pumps have been usedmore » to back the spiral pumps and have been relatively trouble free in loop operations. Bellows pumps also have more than 9000 hours of maintenance-free operation. 5 refs., 6 figs.« less

Formation and evolution of a drainage network during the Pleistocene through a process of homoclinal shifting initiated by headward erosion.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelltort, F. Xavier; Carles Balasch, J.; Cirés, Jordi; Colombo, Ferran

2017-04-01

A homoclinal shifting process in NE of the Ebro basin, NE Iberian Peninsula, reorganized an old flow network into a new one. This process was initiated by the reactivation of a major normal fault (Amer Fault). An anaclinal stream, flowing to the hanging wall block, incised in the fault-line scarp, accessing by headward erosion the less resistant Paleogene units. The result was the formation of a sequence of strike valleys. The first valleys are situated in a more elevated topographical position than the valleys formed later. The last and the most important valley is La Plana de Vic, which is being emptied by differential erosion in front of the resistant base layer. The study of the lateral migration of a drainage basin since its initial stages has allowed the recognition of the layout of a drainage network and its model of evolution. The new drainage network includes three different subsystems. The main subsystem consists of stream courses flowing along the strike valley. While the other two subsystems flow into the main or can flow directly to the basin sink. These are the anaclinal subsystem, which drains the scarp face of the asymmetric valley, and the cataclinal subsystem, which drains the cuesta. The process of homoclinal shifting makes the strike streams migrate laterally and dip in the less resistant unit. This migration implies the reorganization of the other two tributary subsystems. The sequence of reorganizations may be preserved on the resistant bedrock of the cuesta. This allows the reconstruction of the route of the headward erosion of the initial anaclinal stream course through remnants of ancient strike streams flowing into former basin sinks, and its cataclinal tributaries draining the cuesta. In the case study of La Plana de Vic the migration route of the basin sink can be reconstructed from its initial position, Early Pleistocene, until present day. Besides, reorganization of the cataclinal network can also be recognized. During the lateral migration three incisions were made in a large anticlinal structure in the north (Bellmunt Anticline) and one incision was made in a crystalline massif (Montseny) in the south. The last of the incisions into the Bellmunt Anticline captured by headward erosion an older drainage network with headwaters in the axial Pyrenees. The result of the homoclinal shifting process was the capture of older drainage basins and the formation of the current drainage basin of the river Ter.

Night shift work and modifiable lifestyle factors.

PubMed

Pepłońska, Beata; Burdelak, Weronika; Krysicka, Jolanta; Bukowska, Agnieszka; Marcinkiewicz, Andrzej; Sobala, Wojciech; Klimecka-Muszyńska, Dorota; Rybacki, Marcin

2014-10-01

Night shift work has been linked to some chronic diseases. Modification of lifestyle by night work may partially contribute to the development of these diseases, nevertheless, so far epidemiological evidence is limited. The aim of the study was to explore association between night shift work and lifestyle factors using data from a cross-sectional study among blue-collar workers employed in industrial plants in Łódź, Poland. The anonymous questionnaire was self-administered among 605 employees (236 women and 369 men, aged 35 or more) - 434 individuals currently working night shifts. Distribution of the selected lifestyle related factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), number of main meals and the hour of the last meal was compared between current, former, and never night shift workers. Adjusted ORs or predicted means were calculated, as a measure of the associations between night shift work and lifestyle factors, with age, marital status and education included in the models as covariates. Recreational inactivity (defined here as less than one hour per week of recreational physical activity) was associated with current night shift work when compared to never night shift workers (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.13-5.22) among men. Alcohol abstinence and later time of the last meal was associated with night shift work among women. Statistically significant positive relationship between night shift work duration and BMI was observed among men (p = 0.029). This study confirms previous studies reporting lower exercising among night shift workers and tendency to increase body weight. This finding provides important public health implication for the prevention of chronic diseases among night shift workers. Initiatives promoting physical activity addressed in particular to the night shift workers are recommended.

Shift Work, Chronotype, and Melatonin Patterns among Female Hospital Employees on Day and Night Shifts.

PubMed

Leung, Michael; Tranmer, Joan; Hung, Eleanor; Korsiak, Jill; Day, Andrew G; Aronson, Kristan J

2016-05-01

Shift work-related carcinogenesis is hypothesized to be mediated by melatonin; however, few studies have considered the potential effect modification of this underlying pathway by chronotype or specific aspects of shift work such as the number of consecutive nights in a rotation. In this study, we examined melatonin patterns in relation to shift status, stratified by chronotype and number of consecutive night shifts, and cumulative lifetime exposure to shift work. Melatonin patterns of 261 female personnel (147 fixed-day and 114 on rotations, including nights) at Kingston General Hospital were analyzed using cosinor analysis. Urine samples were collected from all voids over a 48-hour specimen collection period for measurement of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin concentrations using the Buhlmann ELISA Kit. Chronotypes were assessed using mid-sleep time (MSF) derived from the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Sociodemographic, health, and occupational information were collected by questionnaire. Rotational shift nurses working nights had a lower mesor and an earlier time of peak melatonin production compared to day-only workers. More pronounced differences in mesor and acrophase were seen among later chronotypes, and shift workers working ≥3 consecutive nights. Among nurses, cumulative shift work was associated with a reduction in mesor. These results suggest that evening-types and/or shift workers working ≥3 consecutive nights are more susceptible to adverse light-at-night effects, whereas long-term shift work may also chronically reduce melatonin levels. Cumulative and current exposure to shift work, including nights, affects level and timing of melatonin production, which may be related to carcinogenesis and cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(5); 830-8. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Response to Dr Stevens' letter ref. Visitisen et al: "Short-term effects of night shift work on breast cancer risk: a cohort study of payroll data".

PubMed

Kolstad, Henrik A; Garde, Anne Helene; Hansen, Åse Marie; Frydenberg, Morten; Christiansen, Peer; Vistisen, Helene Tilma; Bonde, Jens Peter E

2017-01-01

We thank Dr Richard Stevens for his comments (1) on our recent article that showed no increased risk of breast cancer following recent night shift work when compared with recent day shift work (2). This finding was based on linkage of day-by-day information on working hours and breast cancer incidence data. Results are thus less likely to have been biased by differential misclassification than findings from earlier studies relying on self-report (3). We defined a night shift as ≥3 hours of work between 24:00-05:00 hours and a day shift as ≥3 hours work between 6:00-20:00 hours. This day shift definition did not exclude shifts starting before 05:00 or ending after 24:00 hours. However, this affected only 0.02% and 0.3% of all day shifts, respectively. This diminutive misclassification, that is expected to be non-differential, can hardly explain our negative findings. It is suggested that shifts that begin after 07:00 and end before 18:00 would constitute a more sensible baseline comparison group. Since the biological mechanism is not certain, it is not obvious to us if this will be a more appropriate reference than the present. However, we agree that future studies should test how different definitions of shifts affect the risk of breast cancer, which will be possible using this type of data. We only had information on working hours from 2007 and onwards, and night shift work prior to 2007 could have confounded our analyses towards no effect but only if inversely associated with night shift work in 2007 or later. We find this unlikely. Left truncation could also have biased findings towards the null. We therefore supplemented analyses of the total study population with analyses of the one-third of the population with first recorded employment in 2008 or later (the inception population). Even if the mean age was 35.5 years - and many undoubtedly had been working (with and without night shifts) prior to 2008 - this population should be less affected by such selection bias, but we observed similar risk estimates as for the total study population. Taken together, we find that our study provides rather robust evidence of no short-term breast cancer risk following recent night shift work. It must, however, be stressed that data did not allow assessment of a possible long-term risk. Reference 1. Stevens R. Letter ref. Vitisen et al: "Short-term effects of night shift work on breast cancer risk: a cohort study of payroll data". Scand J Work Environ Health. 2017;43(1):95. http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3607 2. Vistisen HT, Garde AH, Frydenberg M, Christiansen P, Hansen AM, Hansen J, Bonde JP, Kolstad HA. Short-term effects of night shift work on breast cancer risk: A cohort study of payroll data. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2017;43(1):59-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3603. 3. Ijaz S, Verbeek J, Seidler A, Lindbohm ML, Ojajarvi A, Orsini N, Costa G, Neuvonen K. Night-shift work and breast cancer--a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2013 Sep 1;39(5):431-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3371.

Cortisol, reaction time test and health among offshore shift workers.

PubMed

Harris, Anette; Waage, Siri; Ursin, Holger; Hansen, Ase Marie; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Eriksen, Hege R

2010-10-01

The stress hormone cortisol shows a pronounced endogenous diurnal rhythm, which is affected by the sleep/wake cycle, meals and activity. Shift work and especially night work disrupts the sleep/wake cycle and causes a desynchronization of the natural biological rhythms. Therefore, different shift schedules may have different impact on performance at work and health. The purpose was to study if health, reaction time, and the cortisol rhythm were negatively affected when a group of shift workers changed their work schedule from ordinary day-night shift (fixed shift) to "swing shift". 19 healthy workers on a Norwegian oil rig participated in the study. They worked 2 weeks offshore followed by 4 weeks off work. The ordinary schedule consisted of 12-h day shift and 12-h night shift every other work period (14 days or nights=fixed shift). "Swing shift" involved 1 week of night shift, followed by 1 week of day shift during the work period. All participants worked ordinary day-night shift when baseline data were collected (questionnaires, saliva cortisol, and reaction time during work). After collection of baseline data the workers changed their work schedule to "swing shift", for every working period, and 9 months later the same data were collected. "Swing shift" did not give any negative health effects or any negative changes in reaction time during the day they shifted from night work to day work. Personnel adapted to night shift within a week regardless of schedule, but recovery from night shift took longer time. During swing shift the cortisol rhythm went back towards a normal rhythm in the second week, but it was not returned completely to normal values when they returned home for the 4 weeks off period. However, the cortisol rhythms were readapted to normal values after 1 week at home. For personnel returning home directly from 14 consecutive night shifts, cortisol adaptation was not complete after 1 week at home. We found no increase in health complaints from swing shift or reaction time in the shift from night to day work. Recovery from night shift takes longer time. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversification of CYCLOIDEA expression in the evolution of bilateral flower symmetry in Caprifoliaceae and Lonicera (Dipsacales)

PubMed Central

Howarth, Dianella G.; Martins, Tiago; Chimney, Edward; Donoghue, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Background and Aims The expression of floral symmetry genes is examined in the CYCLOIDEA lineage following duplication, and these are linked to changes in flower morphology. The study focuses on Dipsacales, comparing DipsCYC2 gene expression in Viburnum (radially symmetrical Adoxaceae) to members of early-diverging lineages of the bilaterally symmetrical Caprifoliaceae (Diervilla and Lonicera). Methods Floral tissue from six species, which included dorsal, lateral and ventral regions of the corolla, was dissected. RNA was extracted from these tissues and each copy of DipsCYC2 was amplified with reverse transcriptase PCR. Key Results Members of DipsCYC2 were expressed across the corolla in the radially symmetrical Viburnum plicatum. A shift to bilaterally symmetrical flowers at the base of the Caprifoliaceae was accompanied by a duplication of the DipsCYC2 gene, resulting in DipsCYC2A and DipsCYC2B, and by loss of expression of both of these copies in the ventral petal. In Lonicera (Caprifolieae), there is a shift from flowers with two dorsally and three ventrally oriented corolla lobes to a clear differentiation of dorsal, lateral and ventral lobes. This shift entailed a decoupling of expression of DipsCYC2A and DipsCYC2B; DipsCYC2B continues to be expressed in the dorsal and lateral lobes, while DipsCYC2A expression is restricted to just the two dorsal lobes. A reversion to more radially symmetrical flowers within Lonicera was accompanied by a re-expansion of expression of both DipsCYC2A and DipsCYC2B. Conclusions The transition to bilateral symmetry in Caprifoliaceae involved: (a) duplication of an ancestral DipsCYC2 gene; (b) the loss of expression of both of these copies in the ventral petal; and (c) changes in the zone of expression, with one copy continuing to be expressed across the dorsal and lateral petals, and the other copy becoming restricted in expression to the dorsal corolla lobes. PMID:21478175

Inkjet printed fluorescent nanorod layers exhibit superior optical performance over quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halivni, Shira; Shemesh, Shay; Waiskopf, Nir; Vinetsky, Yelena; Magdassi, Shlomo; Banin, Uri

2015-11-01

Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit unique fluorescence properties which are tunable in size, shape and composition. The high quantum yield and enhanced stability have led to their use in biomedical imaging and flat panel displays. Here, semiconductor nanorod based inkjet inks are presented, overcoming limitations of the commonly reported quantum dots in printing applications. Fluorescent seeded nanorods were found to be outstanding candidates for fluorescent inks, due to their low particle-particle interactions and negligible self-absorption. This is manifested by insignificant emission shifts upon printing, even in highly concentrated printed layers and by maintenance of a high fluorescence quantum yield, unlike quantum dots which exhibit fluorescence wavelength shifts and quenching effects. This behavior results from the reduced absorption/emission overlap, accompanied by low energy transfer efficiencies between the nanorods as supported by steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements. The new seeded nanorod inks enable patterning of thin fluorescent layers, for demanding light emission applications such as signage and displays.Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit unique fluorescence properties which are tunable in size, shape and composition. The high quantum yield and enhanced stability have led to their use in biomedical imaging and flat panel displays. Here, semiconductor nanorod based inkjet inks are presented, overcoming limitations of the commonly reported quantum dots in printing applications. Fluorescent seeded nanorods were found to be outstanding candidates for fluorescent inks, due to their low particle-particle interactions and negligible self-absorption. This is manifested by insignificant emission shifts upon printing, even in highly concentrated printed layers and by maintenance of a high fluorescence quantum yield, unlike quantum dots which exhibit fluorescence wavelength shifts and quenching effects. This behavior results from the reduced absorption/emission overlap, accompanied by low energy transfer efficiencies between the nanorods as supported by steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements. The new seeded nanorod inks enable patterning of thin fluorescent layers, for demanding light emission applications such as signage and displays. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06248a

Behavioral and Neural Markers of Flexible Attention over Working Memory in Aging.

PubMed

Mok, Robert M; Myers, Nicholas E; Wallis, George; Nobre, Anna Christina

2016-04-01

Working memory (WM) declines as we age and, because of its fundamental role in higher order cognition, this can have highly deleterious effects in daily life. We investigated whether older individuals benefit from flexible orienting of attention within WM to mitigate cognitive decline. We measured magnetoencephalography (MEG) in older adults performing a WM precision task with cues during the maintenance period that retroactively predicted the location of the relevant items for performance (retro-cues). WM performance of older adults significantly benefitted from retro-cues. Whereas WM maintenance declined with age, retro-cues conferred strong attentional benefits. A model-based analysis revealed an increase in the probability of recalling the target, a lowered probability of retrieving incorrect items or guessing, and an improvement in memory precision. MEG recordings showed that retro-cues induced a transient lateralization of alpha (8-14 Hz) and beta (15-30 Hz) oscillatory power. Interestingly, shorter durations of alpha/beta lateralization following retro-cues predicted larger cueing benefits, reinforcing recent ideas about the dynamic nature of access to WM representations. Our results suggest that older adults retain flexible control over WM, but individual differences in control correspond to differences in neural dynamics, possibly reflecting the degree of preservation of control in healthy aging. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Behavioral and Neural Markers of Flexible Attention over Working Memory in Aging

PubMed Central

Mok, Robert M.; Myers, Nicholas E.; Wallis, George; Nobre, Anna Christina

2016-01-01

Working memory (WM) declines as we age and, because of its fundamental role in higher order cognition, this can have highly deleterious effects in daily life. We investigated whether older individuals benefit from flexible orienting of attention within WM to mitigate cognitive decline. We measured magnetoencephalography (MEG) in older adults performing a WM precision task with cues during the maintenance period that retroactively predicted the location of the relevant items for performance (retro-cues). WM performance of older adults significantly benefitted from retro-cues. Whereas WM maintenance declined with age, retro-cues conferred strong attentional benefits. A model-based analysis revealed an increase in the probability of recalling the target, a lowered probability of retrieving incorrect items or guessing, and an improvement in memory precision. MEG recordings showed that retro-cues induced a transient lateralization of alpha (8–14 Hz) and beta (15–30 Hz) oscillatory power. Interestingly, shorter durations of alpha/beta lateralization following retro-cues predicted larger cueing benefits, reinforcing recent ideas about the dynamic nature of access to WM representations. Our results suggest that older adults retain flexible control over WM, but individual differences in control correspond to differences in neural dynamics, possibly reflecting the degree of preservation of control in healthy aging. PMID:26865653

Exploring the response shift phenomenon in childhood patients with cancer and its effect on health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Brinksma, Aeltsje; Tissing, Wim J E; Sulkers, Esther; Kamps, Willem A; Roodbol, Petrie F; Sanderman, Robbert

2014-01-01

To explore the response shift phenomenon in pediatric patients with cancer and to determine its effects on ratings of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Retrospective pre- and post-test design. Pediatric oncology department in the northern part of the Netherlands. 37 children newly diagnosed with cancer and 80 parents. The then-test method was used to determine response shift. HRQOL was assessed within two weeks postdiagnosis (pretest) and three months later (post-test) using both child and parent reports of PedsQL and Cantril's ladder. The post-test and then-test were administered concurrently. Overall and multidimensional HRQOL. Scores on Cantril's then-test were lower than the pretest in both child and parent reports, indicating response shift in the assessment of overall HRQOL. Children experienced a greater response shift than parents. No differences were found between the PedsQL then- and pretests. Both child- and parent-report ratings of overall HRQOL were affected by response shift, resulting in an underestimation of the improvement in overall HRQOL between diagnosis and three months postdiagnosis. No response shift was demonstrated in the more specific domains of HRQOL (PedsQL). Knowledge of the response shift phenomenon helps nurses to better interpret the outcomes of HRQOL. The use of the PedsQL instrument is recommended in future studies that aim to demonstrate changes in HRQOL.

Methadone maintenance patients show a selective deficit to reverse positive outcomes in drug-related conditions compared to medication free prolonged opiate abstinence.

PubMed

Levy-Gigi, Einat; Kéri, Szabolcs; Shapiro, Alla R; Sason, Anat; Adelson, Miriam; Peles, Einat

2014-11-01

Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disease. Most users will relapse back to using drugs over and over again throughout their life. These relapses may become more frequent in the presence of contextual reminders. We aimed to examine associations between the ability to maintain a medication-free life-style and the capability to learn and reverse positive and negative stimulus-outcome associations in the presence of neutral and drug-related contextual reminders. We conducted a highly unique comparison of former opiate-dependent individuals who are either medication free or methadone maintenance patients for the last ten years. Groups were matched for age, gender and education. Participants were tested on a novel partial reversal paradigm, which tests the ability to acquire and reverse stimulus-outcome associations in neutral and drug-related context. Both groups were equally able to acquire and reverse positive and negative outcomes in conditions of neutral context. However, methadone maintenance patients showed a selective deficit in reversing the outcomes of positive stimulus in drug-related context. Hence, after learning a positive stimulus-outcome association in one drug-related context, methadone maintenance patients struggled to learn that the same stimulus predicts negative outcome when presented later in a different drug-related context. Methadone maintenance patients demonstrate a selective difficulty to learn negative outcomes when exposed to a drug, but not neutral, related environment. The results may reflect the core mechanisms of addiction and provide a possible explanation for the inability of methadone maintenance patients to illicit drug abuse without the need of agonist treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhaler technique maintenance: gaining an understanding from the patient's perspective.

PubMed

Ovchinikova, Ludmila; Smith, Lorraine; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia

2011-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the patient-, education-, and device-related factors that predict inhaler technique maintenance. Thirty-one community pharmacists were trained to deliver inhaler technique education to people with asthma. Pharmacists evaluated (based on published checklists), and where appropriate, delivered inhaler technique education to patients (participants) in the community pharmacy at baseline (Visit 1) and 1 month later (Visit 2). Data were collected on participant demographics, asthma history, current asthma control, history of inhaler technique education, and a range of psychosocial aspects of disease management (including adherence to medication, motivation for correct technique, beliefs regarding the importance of maintaining correct technique, and necessity and concern beliefs regarding preventer therapy). Stepwise backward logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of inhaler technique maintenance at 1 month. In total 145 and 127 participants completed Visits 1 and 2, respectively. At baseline, 17% of patients (n = 24) demonstrated correct technique (score 11/11) which increased to 100% (n = 139) after remedial education by pharmacists. At follow-up, 61% (n = 77) of patients demonstrated correct technique. The predictors of inhaler technique maintenance based on the logistic regression model (X(2) (3, N = 125) = 16.22, p = .001) were use of a dry powder inhaler over a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (OR 2.6), having better asthma control at baseline (OR 2.3), and being more motivated to practice correct inhaler technique (OR 1.2). Contrary to what is typically recommended in previous research, correct inhaler technique maintenance may involve more than repetition of instructions. This study found that past technique education factors had no bearing on technique maintenance, whereas patient psychosocial factors (motivation) did.

Six-year clinical outcome of single implant-retained mandibular overdentures--a pilot study.

PubMed

Passia, Nicole; Wolfart, Stefan; Kern, Matthias

2015-10-01

The aim of this prospective pilot study was to evaluate the prosthodontic maintenance as well as the implant outcome of single implant-retained mandibular overdentures over an observation period of 6 years. Eleven edentulous patients received one single implant in the midline of the mandible. Denture bases were temporarily relined and 2 months later provided with a ball attachment for implant retention. Implant related parameters and prosthodontic maintenance interventions were assessed 4 weeks after implant loading and then once a year. Over a mean observation period of 75.9 months, no implant was lost. The most frequent prosthetic maintenance intervention was activation of the matrix due to loss of retention, followed by exchange of the female part. Eight denture bases had to be repaired after a fracture in the midline area. Within the limitations of this preliminary clinical study, the concept of a single midline implant to retain a mandibular complete denture was a successful treatment option for elderly edentulous patients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Socialisation scheme with a high staff-patient ratio.

PubMed

Hollander, D; Rao, V B; McManoman, E; Harrington, N; Weeks, A; Mann, A

1981-01-01

Six months after a comprehensive socialisation scheme began, a prospective controlled study was carried out. The patients were tested in three practical sections - Cooking; Maintenance of Home and Clothing; Other Skills (eg. form-filling); and with a Questionnaire. Forty-eight members of an experimental group received socialisation training after initial testing. They and the 20 controls who did not undergo training were re-evaluated three months later. There was no significant difference between the groups in their initial scores. On retesting, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in Cooking (p less than 0.001), Home Maintenance (p less than 0.001) and the Questionnaire (p less than 0.05). Analysis of the inter-group differences showed significant superiority of the experimental group in Cooking (p less than 0.05) and Home Maintenance (p less than 0.05). It is suggested that such a socialisation scheme be considered for inclusion alongside other rehabilitation services in psychiatric hospitals. The emphasis on a high staff-to-patient ratio and the breakdown of each task into smaller steps emerged as essential elements in the training programme.

Low-Flow Liquid Desiccant Air-Conditioning: Demonstrated Performance and Cost Implications

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

Kozubal, E.; Herrmann, L.; Deru, M.

2014-09-01

Cooling loads must be dramatically reduced when designing net-zero energy buildings or other highly efficient facilities. Advances in this area have focused primarily on reducing a building's sensible cooling loads by improving the envelope, integrating properly sized daylighting systems, adding exterior solar shading devices, and reducing internal heat gains. As sensible loads decrease, however, latent loads remain relatively constant, and thus become a greater fraction of the overall cooling requirement in highly efficient building designs, particularly in humid climates. This shift toward latent cooling is a challenge for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Traditional systems typically dehumidify by firstmore » overcooling air below the dew-point temperature and then reheating it to an appropriate supply temperature, which requires an excessive amount of energy. Another dehumidification strategy incorporates solid desiccant rotors that remove water from air more efficiently; however, these systems are large and increase fan energy consumption due to the increased airside pressure drop of solid desiccant rotors. A third dehumidification strategy involves high flow liquid desiccant systems. These systems require a high maintenance separator to protect the air distribution system from corrosive desiccant droplet carryover and so are more commonly used in industrial applications and rarely in commercial buildings. Both solid desiccant systems and most high-flow liquid desiccant systems (if not internally cooled) add sensible energy which must later be removed to the air stream during dehumidification, through the release of sensible heat during the sorption process.« less

Using Forecasting to Predict Long-Term Resource Utilization for Web Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoas, Daniel W.

2013-01-01

Researchers have spent years understanding resource utilization to improve scheduling, load balancing, and system management through short-term prediction of resource utilization. Early research focused primarily on single operating systems; later, interest shifted to distributed systems and, finally, into web services. In each case researchers…

Hemispheric Differences in Attentional Orienting by Social Cues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Deanna J.; Zaidel, Eran

2011-01-01

Research points to a right hemisphere bias for processing social stimuli. Hemispheric specialization for attention shifts cued by social stimuli, however, has been rarely studied. We examined the capacity of each hemisphere to orient attention in response to social and nonsocial cues using a lateralized spatial cueing paradigm. We compared the…

Bottomland hardwood afforestation: State of the art

Treesearch

Emile S. Gardiner; D. Ramsey Russell; Mark Oliver; Lamar C. Dorris

2000-01-01

Over the past decade, land managers have implemented large-scale afforestation operations across the Southern United States to rehabilitate agricultural land historically converted from bottomland hardwood forest cover types. These afforestation efforts were initially concentrated on public land managed by State or Federal Government agencies, but have later shifted...

Automation of the CAS Document Delivery Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steensland, M. C.; Soukup, K. M.

1986-01-01

The automation of online order retrieval for Chemical Abstracts Service Document Delivery Service was accomplished by shifting to an order retrieval/dispatch process linked to a Unix network. The Unix-based environment, its terminal emulation, page-break, and user-friendly interface software, and later enhancements are reviewed. Resultant increase…

Prevention of fatigue and insomnia in shift workers-a review of non-pharmacological measures.

PubMed

Richter, Kneginja; Acker, Jens; Adam, Sophia; Niklewski, Guenter

2016-01-01

Excessive fatigue and insomnia are common among shift workers and can lead to negative effects such as reduced work performance, processing errors, accidents at work, absenteeism, reduced quality of life, and symptoms of depression. Moreover, work in rotating shifts can be a risk factor for different somatic and psychiatric diseases and may contribute to poor health, especially in elder adults and women. This review aims to show non-pharmacological preventive measures against fatigue and insomnia in shift workers. Computerized literature searches in MedLine and in the Cochrane Library were performed with the following key words: shift work disorder, fatigue, insomnia, shift work, measures, treatment, therapy, strategies and coping. The search was limited to non-pharmacological studies that were conducted on human subjects and published as English-language articles in peer-reviewed journals since 1970. Additional studies were identified through the reference sections of relevant articles. Eighteen articles on fatigue in shift workers, including six original research articles with a total sample size of 3504 probands consisting of industrial workers, office employees, aircraft maintenance engineers, and non-shift workers working in simulated shifts, were analyzed, as well as seven articles on insomnia, including an original research article with a sample size of 26 media workers. Also, 4 reviews on shift work disorder were analyzed. The occurrence of fatigue and insomnia in shift workers associated with a working period is described as shift work disorder. Estimations on the prevalence of shift work disorder in shift workers vary between 5 % and about 20 %; about one in three shift workers is affected by insomnia and up to 90 % of shift workers report regular fatigue and sleepiness at the workplace. We concluded that there is a necessity for treatments to improve the sleep quality of the shift working population. The most common non-pharmacological recommendations to improve sleep quality and to reduce insomnia and fatigue were scheduling, bright light exposure, napping, psychoeducation for sleep hygiene, and cognitive-behavioral measures. Some important preventive coping strategies for fatigue associated with shift work such as napping and exposure to bright light have already been investigated and are generally approved. A few studies also provide good evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral techniques in the treatment of chronic primary and comorbid insomnia. These coping strategies summarized in this paper should be considered in the workplace health promotion programs of each work environment to improve working conditions for shift workers and to save money.

Sleep Strategies of Night-Shift Nurses on Days Off: Which Ones are Most Adaptive?

PubMed Central

Petrov, Megan E.; Clark, C. Brendan; Molzof, Hylton E.; Johnson, Russell L.; Cropsey, Karen L.; Gamble, Karen L.

2014-01-01

Objectives: To determine the off-shift sleep strategies of bi-ethnic night-shift nurses, the relationship between these sleep strategies and adaptation to shift work, and identify the participant-level characteristics associated with a given sleep strategy. Methods: African-American and non-Hispanic White female, night-shift nurses from an academic hospital were recruited to complete a survey on sleep–wake patterns (n = 213). Participants completed the standard shiftwork index and the biological clocks questionnaire to determine sleep strategies and adaptation to night-shift work. In addition, chronotype was determined quantitatively with a modified version of the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire. Most participants worked ~3 consecutive 12-h night-shifts followed by several days off. Results: Five sleep strategies used on days off were identified: (a) night stay, (b) nap proxy, (c) switch sleeper, (d) no sleep, and (e) incomplete switcher. Nap proxy and no sleep types were associated with poorer adaptation to night-shift work. The switch sleeper and incomplete switcher types were identified as more adaptive strategies that were associated with less sleep disturbance, a later chronotype, and less cardiovascular problems. Conclusion: Behavioral sleep strategies are related to adaptation to a typical night-shift schedule among hospital nurses. Nurses are crucial to the safety and well-being of their patients. Therefore, adoption of more adaptive sleep strategies may reduce sleep/wake dysregulation in this population, and improve cardiovascular outcomes. PMID:25566182

Shift Work Disorder, Depression, and Anxiety in the Transition to Rotating Shifts: The Role of Sleep Reactivity

PubMed Central

Kalmbach, David A; Pillai, Vivek; Cheng, Philip; Arnedt, J Todd; Drake, Christopher L

2016-01-01

Objectives To investigate premorbid sleep reactivity as a vulnerability to incident shift work disorder and related changes in depression and anxiety following a transition to a rotating shifts work schedule. Methods This is a longitudinal study with two waves of data collection. The community-based sample included normal sleeping non-shift workers (N=96; 62.5% female; 47.9±13.3 yo) without a lifetime history of insomnia or baseline excessive daytime sleepiness who transitioned to rotating shift work one year later. Participants reported demographic characteristics, trait sleep reactivity on the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test, depression symptoms on the Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomatology, and anxiety symptoms on the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Shift work disorder was determined based on significant sleep disturbance and/or excessive sleepiness in the context of working a rotating shifts schedule. Results Analyses revealed that the odds were over five times greater for highly sleep reactive individuals to develop shift work disorder after transitioning to rotating shifts (OR=5.59, p=.04). Nearly 90% of shift work disorder sufferers were accurately identified as high risk at 1-y prior to disease onset. Furthermore, individuals who developed SWD reported greater increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety. Finally, analyses revealed significant indirect effects wherein high sleep reactivity increased risk for SWD, which led to greater severity of anxiety and depression symptoms. Conclusions The FIRST accurately identifies a focused target population in which the premorbid psychobiological processes complicit in SWD onset and progression, as well as shift work-related depression and anxiety changes, can be better investigated, thus improving future preventative efforts. PMID:26611952

Human Temporal Cortical Single Neuron Activity During Working Memory Maintenance

PubMed Central

Zamora, Leona; Corina, David; Ojemann, George

2016-01-01

The Working Memory model of human memory, first introduced by Baddeley and Hitch (1974), has been one of the most influential psychological constructs in cognitive psychology and human neuroscience. However the neuronal correlates of core components of this model have yet to be fully elucidated. Here we present data from two studies where human temporal cortical single neuron activity was recorded during tasks differentially affecting the maintenance component of verbal working memory. In Study One we vary the presence or absence of distracting items for the entire period of memory storage. In Study Two we vary the duration of storage so that distractors filled all, or only one-third of the time the memory was stored. Extracellular single neuron recordings were obtained from 36 subjects undergoing awake temporal lobe resections for epilepsy, 25 in Study one, 11 in Study two. Recordings were obtained from a total of 166 lateral temporal cortex neurons during performance of one of these two tasks, 86 study one, 80 study two. Significant changes in activity with distractor manipulation were present in 74 of these neurons (45%), 38 Study one, 36 Study two. In 48 (65%) of those there was increased activity during the period when distracting items were absent, 26 Study One, 22 Study Two. The magnitude of this increase was greater for Study One, 47.6%, than Study Two, 8.1%, paralleling the reduction in memory errors in the absence of distracters, for Study One of 70.3%, Study Two 26.3% These findings establish that human lateral temporal cortex is part of the neural system for working memory, with activity during maintenance of that memory that parallels performance, suggesting it represents active rehearsal. In 31 of these neurons (65%) this activity was an extension of that during working memory encoding that differed significantly from the neural processes recorded during overt and silent language tasks without a recent memory component, 17 Study one, 14 Study two. Contrary to the Baddeley model, that activity during verbal working memory maintenance often represented activity specific to working memory rather than speech or language. PMID:27059210

Evaluation of a novel compact shearography system with DOE configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, Fabio Aparecido Alves; Willemann, Daniel Pedro; Fantin, Analucia Vieira; Benedet, Mauro Eduardo; Gonçalves, Armando Albertazzi

2018-05-01

The most common optical configuration used to produce the lateral shifted images, in a Shearography system, is the Modified Michelson interferometer, because of its simple configuration. Tests carried out in recent years have shown that the modified interferometer of Michelson is a device that presents good results in a laboratory environment, but still presents difficulties in the field. These difficulties were the main motivation for the development of a more robust system, able to operate in unstable environments. This paper presents a new shearography configuration based on Diffractive Optical Element (DOE). Different from the diffractive common-path setups found in literature, in the proposed configuration, the DOE is positioned between the image sensor and the objective lens and mounted on a flexible holder, which has an important function to promote the system's robustness. Another advantage of the proposed system is in respect to phase shifting, since it is insensitive to wavelength variations. The lateral movement of the DOE produces a phase shifting in the shearography system. Since the pitch of the diffractive grating used is about 60 times greater than the wavelength of a green laser, the DOE configuration becomes much more robust to external influences compared to the Michelson Interferometer configuration. This work also presents an evaluation of the proposed shearography system designed, and some comparative results regarding a classical shearography system.

Noninvasive analysis of human neck muscle function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conley, M. S.; Meyer, R. A.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Feeback, D. L.; Dudley, G. A.

1995-01-01

STUDY DESIGN. Muscle use evoked by exercise was determined by quantifying shifts in signal relaxation times of T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. Images were collected at rest and after exercise at each of two intensities (moderate and intense) for each of four head movements: 1) extension, 2) flexion, 3) rotation, and 4) lateral flexion. OBJECTIVE. This study examined the intensity and pattern of neck muscle use evoked by various movements of the head. The results will help elucidate the pathophysiology, and thus methods for treating disorders of the cervical musculoskeletal system. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA. Exercise-induced contrast shifts in T2 has been shown to indicate muscle use during the activity. The noninvasive nature of magnetic resonance imaging appears to make it an ideal approach for studying the function of the complex neuromuscular system of the neck. METHODS. The extent of T2 increase was examined to gauge how intensely nine different neck muscles or muscle pairs were used in seven subjects. The absolute and relative cross-sectional area of muscle showing a shift in signal relaxation was assessed to infer the pattern of use among and within individual neck muscles or muscle pairs. RESULTS. Signal relaxation increased with exercise intensity for each head movement. The absolute and relative cross-sectional area of muscle showing a shift in signal relaxation also increased with exercise load. Neck muscles or muscle pairs extensively used to perform each head movement were: extension--semispinalis capitis and cervicis and splenius capitis; flexion--sternocleidomastoid and longus capitis and colli; rotation--splenius capitis, levator scapulae, scalenus, semispinalis capitis ipsilateral to the rotation, and sternocleidomastoid contralateral; and lateral flexion--sternocleidomastoid CONCLUSION. The results of this study, in part, agree with the purported functions of neck muscles derived from anatomic location. This also was true for the few selected muscles that have been examined in human electromyographic studies. Neck muscle function and morphology can be studied at a detailed level using exercise-induced shifts in magnetic resonance images.

Small-cell lung cancer patients are just 'a little bit' tired: response shift and self-presentation in the measurement of fatigue.

PubMed

Westerman, Marjan J; The, Anne-Mei; Sprangers, Mirjam A G; Groen, Harry J M; van der Wal, Gerrit; Hak, Tony

2007-06-01

Response shift has gained increasing attention in the measurement of health-related quality of life (QoL) as it may explain counter-intuitive findings as a result of adaptation to deteriorating health. To search for response shift type explanations to account for counter-intuitive findings in QoL measurement. Qualitative investigation of the response behaviour of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients (n = 23) in the measurement of fatigue with The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) question 'were you tired'. Interviews were conducted at four points during 1st line chemotherapy: at the start of chemotherapy, 4 weeks later, at the end of chemotherapy, and 6 weeks later. Patients were asked to 'think aloud' when filling in the questionnaire. Fifteen patients showed discrepancies between their answer to the EORTC question 'were you tired' and their level of fatigue spontaneously reported during the interview. These patients chose the response options 'not at all' or 'a little' and explained their answers in various ways. In patients with and without discrepancies, we found indications of recalibration response shift (e.g. using a different comparison standard over time) and of change in perspective (e.g. change towards a more optimistic perspective). Patients in the discrepancy group reported spontaneously how they dealt with diagnosis and treatment, i.e. by adopting protective and assertive behaviour and by fighting the stigma. They distanced themselves from the image of the stereotypical cancer patient and presented themselves as not suffering and accepting fatigue as consequence of treatment. In addition to response shift, this study suggests that 'self-presentation' might be an important mechanism affecting QoL measurement, particularly during phases when a new equilibrium needs to be found.

Small-cell lung cancer patients are just ‘a little bit’ tired: response shift and self-presentation in the measurement of fatigue

PubMed Central

The, Anne-Mei; Sprangers, Mirjam A. G.; Groen, Harry J. M.; van der Wal, Gerrit; Hak, Tony

2007-01-01

Background Response shift has gained increasing attention in the measurement of health-related quality of life (QoL) as it may explain counter-intuitive findings as a result of adaptation to deteriorating health. Objective To search for response shift type explanations to account for counter-intuitive findings in QoL measurement. Methods Qualitative investigation of the response behaviour of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients (n = 23) in the measurement of fatigue with The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) question ‘were you tired’. Interviews were conducted at four points during 1st line chemotherapy: at the start of chemotherapy, 4 weeks later, at the end of chemotherapy, and 6 weeks later. Patients were asked to ‘think aloud’ when filling in the questionnaire. Results Fifteen patients showed discrepancies between their answer to the EORTC question ‘were you tired’ and their level of fatigue spontaneously reported during the interview. These patients chose the response options ‘not at all’ or ‘a little’ and explained their answers in various ways. In patients with and without discrepancies, we found indications of recalibration response shift (e.g. using a different comparison standard over time) and of change in perspective (e.g. change towards a more optimistic perspective). Patients in the discrepancy group reported spontaneously how they dealt with diagnosis and treatment, i.e. by adopting protective and assertive behaviour and by fighting the stigma. They distanced themselves from the image of the stereotypical cancer patient and presented themselves as not suffering and accepting fatigue as consequence of treatment. Conclusion In addition to response shift, this study suggests that ‘self-presentation’ might be an important mechanism affecting QoL measurement, particularly during phases when a new equilibrium needs to be found. PMID:17450423

SU-E-J-237: Image Feature Based DRR and Portal Image Registration

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

Wang, X; Chang, J

Purpose: Two-dimensional (2D) matching of the kV X-ray and digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) images is an important setup technique for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). In our clinics, mutual information based methods are used for this purpose on commercial linear accelerators, but with often needs for manual corrections. This work proved the feasibility that feature based image transform can be used to register kV and DRR images. Methods: The scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) method was implemented to detect the matching image details (or key points) between the kV and DRR images. These key points represent high image intensity gradients, and thusmore » the scale invariant features. Due to the poor image contrast from our kV image, direct application of the SIFT method yielded many detection errors. To assist the finding of key points, the center coordinates of the kV and DRR images were read from the DICOM header, and the two groups of key points with similar relative positions to their corresponding centers were paired up. Using these points, a rigid transform (with scaling, horizontal and vertical shifts) was estimated. We also artificially introduced vertical and horizontal shifts to test the accuracy of our registration method on anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral pelvic images. Results: The results provided a satisfactory overlay of the transformed kV onto the DRR image. The introduced vs. detected shifts were fit into a linear regression. In the AP image experiments, linear regression analysis showed a slope of 1.15 and 0.98 with an R2 of 0.89 and 0.99 for the horizontal and vertical shifts, respectively. The results are 1.2 and 1.3 with R2 of 0.72 and 0.82 for the lateral image shifts. Conclusion: This work provided an alternative technique for kV to DRR alignment. Further improvements in the estimation accuracy and image contrast tolerance are underway.« less

The Digital Twin Paradigm for Future NASA and U.S. Air Force Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaessgen, Edward H.; Stargel, D. S.

2012-01-01

Future generations of NASA and U.S. Air Force vehicles will require lighter mass while being subjected to higher loads and more extreme service conditions over longer time periods than the present generation. Current approaches for certification, fleet management and sustainment are largely based on statistical distributions of material properties, heuristic design philosophies, physical testing and assumed similitude between testing and operational conditions and will likely be unable to address these extreme requirements. To address the shortcomings of conventional approaches, a fundamental paradigm shift is needed. This paradigm shift, the Digital Twin, integrates ultra-high fidelity simulation with the vehicle s on-board integrated vehicle health management system, maintenance history and all available historical and fleet data to mirror the life of its flying twin and enable unprecedented levels of safety and reliability.

Telemedicine and the National Information Infrastructure

PubMed Central

Jones, Mary Gardiner

1997-01-01

Abstract Health care is shifting from a focus on hospital-based acute care toward prevention, promotion of wellness, and maintenance of function in community and home-based facilities. Telemedicine can facilitate this shifted focus, but the bulk of the current projects emphasize academic medical center consultations to rural hospitals. Home-based projects encounter barriers of cost and inadequate infrastructure. The 1996 Telecommunications Act as implemented by the Federal Communications commission holds out significant promise to overcome these barriers, although it has serious limitations in its application to health care providers. Health care advocates must work actively on the federal, state, and local public and private sector levels to address these shortcomings and develop cost effective partnerships with other community-based organizations to build network links to facilitate telemedicine-generated services to the home, where the majority of health care decisions are made. PMID:9391928

The Air Force Records Management Program: A Paradigm Shift from Compliance to Guiding Principles in an Ever-Changing Information Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-22

GIG Global Information Grid GOTS Government Off-the-Shelf HTML Hyper Text Markup Language ICT Information and Communication Technology IEC...maintenance, retrieval, and preservation of vital information created in public and private organizations in all sectors of the economy . It is also the...constructed in the 1940’s, as part of a government-effort to provide employment 120 during the Depression, and boost the economy . This road is set in

On the effects of basic platform design characteristics on floating offshore wind turbine control and their mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olondriz, Joannes; Elorza, Iker; Trojaola, Ignacio; Pujana, Aron; Landaluze, Joseba

2016-09-01

Semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines present significant advantages over other designs in terms of cost, deployment, maintenance and site-independence. However, these advantages are achieved by shifting a part of the burden of stabilising the platform pitch and roll motions to the turbine control system. A study is presented here of the effects of basic platform dimensions on the performance of a standard pitch controller and the possible methods for mitigating said effects.

Reference earth orbital research and applications investigations (blue book). Volume 4: Earth observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The earth observations capability of the space station and space shuttle program definition is discussed. The stress in the functional program element has been to update the sensor specifications and to shift some of the emphasis from sensors to experiments to be done aboard the facility. The earth observations facility will include provisions for data acquisition, sensor control and display, data analysis, and maintenance and repair. The facility is research and development in nature with a potential for operational applications.

Audiometric notch and extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift in relation to total leisure noise exposure: An exploratory analysis.

PubMed

Wei, Wenjia; Heinze, Stefanie; Gerstner, Doris G; Walser, Sandra M; Twardella, Dorothee; Reiter, Christina; Weilnhammer, Veronika; Perez-Alvarez, Carmelo; Steffens, Thomas; Herr, Caroline E W

2017-01-01

Studies investigating leisure noise effect on extended high frequency hearing are insufficient and they have inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate if extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift is related to audiometric notch, and if total leisure noise exposure is associated with extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. A questionnaire of the Ohrkan cohort study was used to collect information on demographics and leisure time activities. Conventional and extended high-frequency audiometry was performed. We did logistic regression between extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift and audiometric notch as well as between total leisure noise exposure and extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. Potential confounders (sex, school type, and firecrackers) were included. Data from 278 participants (aged 18-23 years, 53.2% female) were analyzed. Associations between hearing threshold shift at 10, 11.2, 12.5, and 14 kHz with audiometric notch were observed with a higher prevalence of threshold shift at the four frequencies, compared to the notch. However, we found no associations between total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shift at any extended high frequency. This exploratory analysis suggests that while extended high-frequency hearing threshold shifts are not related to total leisure noise exposure, they are strongly associated with audiometric notch. This leads us to further explore the hypothesis that extended high-frequency threshold shift might be indicative of the appearance of audiometric notch at a later time point, which can be investigated in the future follow-ups of the Ohrkan cohort.

Orbitofrontal and striatal circuits dynamically encode the shift between goal-directed and habitual actions

PubMed Central

Gremel, Christina M.; Costa, Rui M.

2014-01-01

Shifting between goal-directed and habitual actions allows for efficient and flexible decision-making. Here we demonstrate a novel, within-subject instrumental lever-pressing paradigm where mice shift between goal-directed and habitual actions. We identify a role for orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in actions following outcome-revaluation, and confirm that dorsal medial (DMS) and lateral striatum (DLS) mediate different action strategies. In-vivo simultaneous recordings of OFC, DMS, and DLS neuronal ensembles during shifting reveal that the same neurons display different activity depending on whether presses are goal-directed or habitual, with DMS and OFC becoming more—and DLS less-engaged during goal-directed actions. Importantly, the magnitude of neural activity changes in OFC following changes in outcome value positively correlates with the level of goal-directed behavior. Chemogenetic inhibition of OFC disruptsgoal-directed actions, while optogenetic activation of OFC specifically increases goal-directed pressing. They also reveal a role for OFC in action revaluation, which has implications for understanding compulsive behavior. PMID:23921250

Vibrational dynamics of the CO stretching of 9-fluorenone studied by visible-pump and infrared-probe spectroscopy.

PubMed

Fukui, Yuki; Ohta, Kaoru; Tominaga, Keisuke

2015-01-01

We studied the effects of hydrogen bonds on the vibrational structures and vibrational dynamics of the CO stretching mode of 9-fluorenone (FL) in the electronically excited state in aprotic and protic solvents using sub-picosecond visible-pump and IR-probe spectroscopy. The transient IR spectrum of the CO stretching band in methanol-d4 has two bands at 1529.9 cm(-1) and 1543.4 cm(-1), which are assigned to an FL-solvent complex and free FL, respectively. In the aprotic solvents, the CO stretching bands show blue-shifts in time. This shift is due to vibrational cooling, which is derived from anharmonic couplings with some low-frequency modes. Interestingly, a red-shift is observed at later delay time for the band at 1529.9 cm(-1) in methanol-d4. A possible mechanism of this spectral shift is related to the hydrogen bond dynamics between the solute and solvent.

Formation of Fourier phase shifts in the solar Ni I 6768 A line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harrison P.

1989-01-01

A formalism is developed to understand better how Doppler shifts of spectrum lines as inferred from phase shifts in the Fourier transforms of line profiles are related to the underlying velocity structures which they are intended to measure. With a standard model atmosphere and a simplified, quasi-LTE treatment of line formation, the formalism is applied to the Ni I 6768 A line, which has been selected for use with a network of imaging interferometers under development by the Global Oscillations Network Group for research in helioseismology. Fourier phase shifts are found to be a remarkably linear measure of velocity even in the presence of gradients and unresolved lateral variations in the assumed velocity field. An assumed outward increase in amplitude of a model oscillatory velocity is noticeably reflected in the center-to-limb behavior of the simulated velocity measure, and a sample model of solar granulation is found to have a strong influence on the formation of the Fourier phase.

Web Based Decision Support Tools for Selection of Condition ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract: It has been observed that the majority of older sewer laterals made of concrete or terracotta pipe are deteriorating rapidly. Wastewater agencies, typically responsible for maintaining the portion of the sewer lateral located in the public right-of-way, and property owners, typically responsible for the portion of the lateral located within the private property,face the dilemma of whether to replace or rehabilitate deteriorated laterals at significant expense. Deferment of needed rehabilitation translates to increase in the wastewater agency annual operation and maintenance budget and increased risk to the property owner. Sewer lateral deterioration leads to pipe collapse and costly sewer backup. Increase in transmission and treatment costs due to inflow and infiltration (I/I) into the public sewer system is inevitably borne by the ratepayer. [NOTE: The link below connects to a WERF site where the Final Report can be downloaded for free, after registering at the WERF site. For some projects the Executive Summary is available and can be downloaded for free without registering on the WERF site.] A new web portal has been developed that provides wastewater agencies and property owners with up to date information on sewer lateral inspection techniques, repair and rehabilitation methods, as well as relevant legal and financial issues. The site also offers a discussion forum for sharing knowledge and experiences on this topic. The portal is hosted on

Links between plant species’ spatial and temporal responses to a warming climate

PubMed Central

Amano, Tatsuya; Freckleton, Robert P.; Queenborough, Simon A.; Doxford, Simon W.; Smithers, Richard J.; Sparks, Tim H.; Sutherland, William J.

2014-01-01

To generate realistic projections of species’ responses to climate change, we need to understand the factors that limit their ability to respond. Although climatic niche conservatism, the maintenance of a species’s climatic niche over time, is a critical assumption in niche-based species distribution models, little is known about how universal it is and how it operates. In particular, few studies have tested the role of climatic niche conservatism via phenological changes in explaining the reported wide variance in the extent of range shifts among species. Using historical records of the phenology and spatial distribution of British plants under a warming climate, we revealed that: (i) perennial species, as well as those with weaker or lagged phenological responses to temperature, experienced a greater increase in temperature during flowering (i.e. failed to maintain climatic niche via phenological changes); (ii) species that failed to maintain climatic niche via phenological changes showed greater northward range shifts; and (iii) there was a complementary relationship between the levels of climatic niche conservatism via phenological changes and range shifts. These results indicate that even species with high climatic niche conservatism might not show range shifts as instead they track warming temperatures during flowering by advancing their phenology. PMID:24478304

Maintenance of lateral stability during standing and walking in the cat.

PubMed

Karayannidou, A; Zelenin, P V; Orlovsky, G N; Sirota, M G; Beloozerova, I N; Deliagina, T G

2009-01-01

During free behaviors animals often experience lateral forces, such as collisions with obstacles or interactions with other animals. We studied postural reactions to lateral pulses of force (pushes) in the cat during standing and walking. During standing, a push applied to the hip region caused a lateral deviation of the caudal trunk, followed by a return to the initial position. The corrective hindlimb electromyographic (EMG) pattern included an initial wave of excitation in most extensors of the hindlimb contralateral to push and inhibition of those in the ipsilateral limb. In cats walking on a treadmill with only hindlimbs, application of force also caused lateral deviation of the caudal trunk, with subsequent return to the initial position. The type of corrective movement depended on the pulse timing relative to the step cycle. If the force was applied at the end of the stance phase of one of the limbs or during its swing phase, a lateral component appeared in the swing trajectory of this limb. The corrective step was directed either inward (when the corrective limb was ipsilateral to force application) or outward (when it was contralateral). The EMG pattern in the corrective limb was characterized by considerable modification of the hip abductor and adductor activity in the perturbed step. Thus the basic mechanisms for balance control in these two forms of behavior are different. They perform a redistribution of muscle activity between symmetrical limbs (in standing) and a reconfiguration of the base of support during a corrective lateral step (in walking).

Fabrication and characterization of W/B4C lamellar multilayer grating and NbC/Si multilayer phase-shift reflector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, P. C.; Bhartiya, S.; Singh, A.; Majhi, A.; Gome, A.; Dhawan, R.; Nayak, M.; Sahoo, P. K.; Rai, S. K.; Reddy, V. R.

2017-08-01

We present fabrication and structural analysis of two different multilayer grating structures. W/B4C based lamellar multilayer grating (LMG) was studied for high resolution monochomator application near soft x-ray region ( 1.5 keV). Whereas NbC/Si based multilayer phase-shift reflector (MPR) was studied for high reflection at normal incidence near Si L-edge ( 99 eV) and simultaneously to suppress the unwanted vacuum ultraviolet / infrared radiation. The grating patterns of different periods down to D = 10 micron were fabricated on Si substrates by using photolithography, and multilayers (MLs) of different periodicity (d = 10 to 2 nm) and number of layer pairs (15 to 100) were coated using sputtering techniques by optimizing the process parameters. The LMG and MPR samples are characterized by x-ray reflectivity (XRR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. XRR results show successive higher order Bragg peaks that reveal a well-defined vertical periodic structure in LMG, MPR and ML structures. The lateral periodicity of the grating and depth of the rectangular groves were analyzed using AFM. The AFM results show good quality of lateral periodic structures in terms of groove profile. The effect of the process parameters on the microstructure (both on vertical and lateral patterns) of ML, LMG and MPR were analyzed.

Schizotypy and hemispheric asymmetry: Results from two Chapman scales, the O-LIFE questionnaire, and two laterality measures.

PubMed

Schofield, Kerry; Mohr, Christine

2014-01-01

Schizotypy is a multidimensional personality construct representing the extension of psychosis-like traits into the general population. Schizotypy has been associated with attenuated expressions of many of the same neuropsychological abnormalities as schizophrenia, including atypical pattern of functional hemispheric asymmetry. Unfortunately the previous literature on links between schizotypy and hemispheric asymmetry is inconsistent, with some research indicating that elevated schizotypy is associated with relative right over left hemisphere shifts, left over right hemisphere shifts, bilateral impairments, or with no hemispheric differences at all. This inconsistency may result from different methodologies, scales, and/or sex proportions between studies. In a within-participant design we tested for the four possible links between laterality and schizotypy by comparing the relationship between two common self-report measures of multidimensional schizotypy (the O-LIFE questionnaire, and two Chapman scales, magical ideation and physical anhedonia) and performance in two computerised lateralised hemifield paradigms (lexical decision, chimeric face processing) in 80 men and 79 women. Results for the two scales and two tasks did not unequivocally support any of the four possible links. We discuss the possibilities that a link between schizotypy and laterality (1) exists but is subtle, probably fluctuating, unable to be assessed by traditional methodologies used here; (2) does not exist, or (3) is indirect, mediated by other factors (e.g., stress-responsiveness, handedness, drug use) whose influences need further exploration.

The Talas-Fergana Fault, Kirghiz and Kazakh, USSR

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, R.E.

1976-01-01

The great Talas-Fergana fault transects the Soviet republic of Kirghiz in Soviet Central Asia and extends southeastward into China and northwestward into Kazakh SSR (figs. 1 and 2). This great rupture in the Earth's crust rivals the San Andreas fault in California; it is long (approximately 900 kilometers), complex, and possibly has a lateral displacement of hundreds of kilometers similar to that on the San Andreas fault. The Soviet geologist V. S. Burtman suggested that right-lateral offset of 250 kilometers has occurred, citing a shift of Devonian rocks as evidence (fig. 3). By no means do all Soviet geologists agree. Some hold the view that there is no lateral displacement along the Talas-Fergana fault and that the anomalous distribution of Paleozoic rocks is a result of the original position of deposition. 

One-shot and aberration-tolerable homodyne detection for holographic storage readout through double-frequency grating-based lateral shearing interferometry.

PubMed

Yu, Yeh-Wei; Xiao, Shuai; Cheng, Chih-Yuan; Sun, Ching-Cherng

2016-05-16

A simple method to decode the stored phase signal of volume holographic data storage with adequate wave aberration tolerance is highly demanded. We proposed and demonstrated a one-shot scheme to decode a binary-phase encoding signal through double-frequency-grating based shearing interferometry (DFGSI). The lateral shearing amount is dependent on the focal length of the collimated lens and the frequency difference between the gratings. Diffracted waves with phase encoding were successfully decoded through experimentation. An optical model for the DFGSI was built to analyze phase-error induction and phase-difference control by shifting the double-frequency grating longitudinally and laterally, respectively. The optical model was demonstrated experimentally. Finally, a high aberration tolerance of the DFGSI was demonstrated using the optical model.

Cocaine Self-Administration in Male and Female Rats Perinatally Exposed to PCBs: Evaluating Drug Use in an Animal Model of Environmental Contaminant Exposure

PubMed Central

Miller, Mellessa M.; Meyer, Abby E.; Sprowles, Jenna L. N.; Sable, Helen J. K.

2017-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental toxicants known to adversely impact human health. Ortho-substituted PCBs affect the nervous system, including the brain dopaminergic system. The reinforcing effects of psychostimulants are typically modulated via the dopaminergic system, so this study used a preclinical (i.e., rodent) model to evaluate whether developmental contaminant exposure altered intravenous self-administration (i.v. SA) for the psychostimulant cocaine. Long Evans rats were perinatally exposed to 6 or 3 mg/kg/day of PCBs throughout gestation and lactation and compared to non-exposed controls. Rats were trained to lever press for a food reinforcer in an operant chamber under a fixed-ratio 5 (FR5) schedule and later underwent jugular catheterization. Food reinforcers were switched for infusions of 250 μg of cocaine, but the response requirement to earn the reinforcer remained. Active lever presses and infusions were higher in males during response acquisition and maintenance. The same sex effect was observed during later sessions which evaluated responding for cocaine doses ranging from 31.25 – 500 μg. PCB-exposed males (not females) exhibited an increase in cocaine infusions (with a similar trend in active lever presses) during acquisition, but no PCB-related differences were observed during maintenance, examination of the cocaine dose-response relationship, or progressive ratio sessions. Overall, these results indicated perinatal PCB exposure enhanced early cocaine drug-seeking in this preclinical model of developmental contaminant exposure (particularly the males), but no differences were seen during later cocaine SA sessions. As such, additional questions regarding substance abuse proclivity may be warranted in epidemiological studies evaluating environmental contaminant exposures. PMID:28287790

The dynamics of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation during amelogenesis.

PubMed

Yoshioka, Hirotaka; Minamizaki, Tomoko; Yoshiko, Yuji

2015-11-01

Amelogenesis is a multistep process that relies on specific temporal and spatial signaling networks between the dental epithelium and mesenchymal tissues. Epigenetic modifications of key developmental genes in this process may be closely linked to a network of molecular events. However, the role of epigenetic regulation in amelogenesis remains unclear. Here, we have uncovered the spatial distributions of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) to determine epigenetic events in the mandibular incisors of mice. Immunohistochemistry and dot blotting showed that 5-hmC in ameloblasts increased from the secretory stage to the later maturation stage. We also demonstrated the distribution of 5-mC-positive ameloblasts with punctate nuclear labeling from sometime after the initiation of the secretory stage to the later maturation stage; however, dot blotting failed to detect this change. No obvious alteration of 5-mC/5-hmC staining in odontoblasts and dental pulp cells was observed. Concomitant with quantitative expression data, immunohistochemistry showed that maintenance DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 was highly expressed in immature dental epithelial cells and subsequently decreased at later stages of development. Meanwhile, de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b and DNA demethylase Tet family genes were universally expressed, except Tet1 that was highly expressed in immature dental epithelial cells. Thus, DNMT1 may sustain the undifferentiated status of dental epithelial cells through the maintenance of DNA methylation, while the hydroxylation of 5-mC may occur through the whole differentiation process by TET activity. Taken together, these data indicate that the dynamic changes of 5-mC and 5-hmC may be critical for the regulation of amelogenesis.

Switch Panel wear loading - a parametric study regarding governing train operational factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiensch, E. J. M.; Burgelman, N.

2017-09-01

The acting forces and resulting material degradation at the running surfaces of wheels and rail are determined by vehicle, track, interface and operational characteristics. To effectively manage the experienced wear, plastic deformation and crack development at wheels and rail, the interaction between vehicle and track demands a system approach both in maintenance and in design. This requires insight into the impact of train operational parameters on rail- and wheel degradation, in particular at switches and crossings due to the complex dynamic behaviour of a railway vehicle at a turnout. A parametric study was carried out by means of vehicle-track simulations within the VAMPIRE® multibody simulation software, performing a sensitivity analysis regarding operational factors and their impact on expected switch panel wear loading. Additionally, theoretical concepts were cross-checked with operational practices by means of a case study in response to a dramatic change in lateral rail wear development at specific switches in Dutch track. Data from train operation, track maintenance and track inspection were analysed, providing further insight into the operational dependencies. From the simulations performed in this study, it was found that switch rail lateral wear loading at the diverging route of a 1:9 type turnout is significantly influenced by the level of wheel-rail friction and to a lesser extent by the direction of travel (facing or trailing). The influence of other investigated parameters, being vehicle speed, traction, gauge widening and track layout is found to be small. Findings from the case study further confirm the simulation outcome. This research clearly demonstrates the contribution flange lubrication can have in preventing abnormal lateral wear at locations where the wheel-rail interface is heavily loaded.

Linkages between Alaskan sockeye salmon abundance, growth at sea, and climate, 1955-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruggerone, G.T.; Nielsen, J.L.; Bumgarner, J.

2007-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that increased growth of salmon during early marine life contributed to greater survival and abundance of salmon following the 1976/1977 climate regime shift and that this, in turn, led to density-dependent reductions in growth during late marine stages. Annual measurements of Bristol Bay (Bering Sea) and Chignik (Gulf of Alaska) sockeye salmon scale growth from 1955 to 2002 were used as indices of body growth. During the first and second years at sea, growth of both stocks tended to be higher after the 1976-1977 climate shift, whereas growth during the third year and homeward migration was often below average. Multiple regression models indicated that return per spawner of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon and adult abundance of western and central Alaska sockeye salmon were positively correlated with growth during the first 2 years at sea and negatively correlated with growth during later life stages. After accounting for competition between Bristol Bay sockeye and Asian pink salmon, age-specific adult length of Bristol Bay salmon increased after the 1976-1977 regime shift, then decreased after the 1989 climate shift. Late marine growth and age-specific adult length of Bristol Bay salmon was exceptionally low after 1989, possibly reducing their reproductive potential. These findings support the hypothesis that greater marine growth during the first 2 years at sea contributed to greater salmon survival and abundance, which in turn led to density-dependent growth during later life stages when size-related mortality was likely lower. Our findings provide new evidence supporting the importance of bottom-up control in marine ecosystems and highlight the complex dynamics of species interactions that continually change as salmon grow and mature in the ocean. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial heterogeneity in ecologically important climate variables at coarse and fine scales in a high-snow mountain landscape.

PubMed

Ford, Kevin R; Ettinger, Ailene K; Lundquist, Jessica D; Raleigh, Mark S; Hille Ris Lambers, Janneke

2013-01-01

Climate plays an important role in determining the geographic ranges of species. With rapid climate change expected in the coming decades, ecologists have predicted that species ranges will shift large distances in elevation and latitude. However, most range shift assessments are based on coarse-scale climate models that ignore fine-scale heterogeneity and could fail to capture important range shift dynamics. Moreover, if climate varies dramatically over short distances, some populations of certain species may only need to migrate tens of meters between microhabitats to track their climate as opposed to hundreds of meters upward or hundreds of kilometers poleward. To address these issues, we measured climate variables that are likely important determinants of plant species distributions and abundances (snow disappearance date and soil temperature) at coarse and fine scales at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, USA. Coarse-scale differences across the landscape such as large changes in elevation had expected effects on climatic variables, with later snow disappearance dates and lower temperatures at higher elevations. However, locations separated by small distances (∼20 m), but differing by vegetation structure or topographic position, often experienced differences in snow disappearance date and soil temperature as great as locations separated by large distances (>1 km). Tree canopy gaps and topographic depressions experienced later snow disappearance dates than corresponding locations under intact canopy and on ridges. Additionally, locations under vegetation and on topographic ridges experienced lower maximum and higher minimum soil temperatures. The large differences in climate we observed over small distances will likely lead to complex range shift dynamics and could buffer species from the negative effects of climate change.

Phase-shifting human circadian rhythms: influence of sleep timing, social contact and light exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffy, J. F.; Kronauer, R. E.; Czeisler, C. A.

1996-01-01

1. Both the timing of behavioural events (activity, sleep and social interactions) and the environmental light-dark cycle have been reported to contribute to entrainment of human circadian rhythms to the 24 h day. Yet, the relative contribution of those putative behavioural synchronizers to that of light exposure remains unclear. 2. To investigate this, we inverted the schedule of rest, sedentary activity and social contact of thirty-two young men either with or without exposure to bright light. 3. On this inverted schedule, the endogenous component of the core temperature rhythm of subjects who were exposed to bright light showed a significant phase shift, demonstrating that they were adapting to the new schedule. In contrast, the core temperature rhythm of subjects who were not exposed to bright light moved on average 0.2 h later per day and after 10 days had not significantly adapted to the new schedule. 4. The direction of phase shift in the groups exposed to bright light was dependent on the time of bright light exposure, while control subjects drifted to a later hour regardless of the timing of their schedule of sleep timing, social contact and meals. 5. These results support the concept that the light-dark cycle is the most important synchronizer of the human circadian system. They suggest that inversion of the sleep-wake, rest-activity and social contact cycles provides relatively minimal drive for resetting the human circadian pacemaker. 6. These data indicate that interventions designed to phase shift human circadian rhythms for adjustment to time zone changes or altered work schedules should focus on properly timed light exposure.

Frames of reference for gaze saccades evoked during stimulation of lateral intraparietal cortex.

PubMed

Constantin, A G; Wang, H; Martinez-Trujillo, J C; Crawford, J D

2007-08-01

Previous studies suggest that stimulation of lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) evokes saccadic eye movements toward eye- or head-fixed goals, whereas most single-unit studies suggest that LIP uses an eye-fixed frame with eye-position modulations. The goal of our study was to determine the reference frame for gaze shifts evoked during LIP stimulation in head-unrestrained monkeys. Two macaques (M1 and M2) were implanted with recording chambers over the right intraparietal sulcus and with search coils for recording three-dimensional eye and head movements. The LIP region was microstimulated using pulse trains of 300 Hz, 100-150 microA, and 200 ms. Eighty-five putative LIP sites in M1 and 194 putative sites in M2 were used in our quantitative analysis throughout this study. Average amplitude of the stimulation-evoked gaze shifts was 8.67 degrees for M1 and 7.97 degrees for M2 with very small head movements. When these gaze-shift trajectories were rotated into three coordinate frames (eye, head, and body), gaze endpoint distribution for all sites was most convergent to a common point when plotted in eye coordinates. Across all sites, the eye-centered model provided a significantly better fit compared with the head, body, or fixed-vector models (where the latter model signifies no modulation of the gaze trajectory as a function of initial gaze position). Moreover, the probability of evoking a gaze shift from any one particular position was modulated by the current gaze direction (independent of saccade direction). These results provide causal evidence that the motor commands from LIP encode gaze command in eye-fixed coordinates but are also subtly modulated by initial gaze position.

Pretangles and neurofibrillary changes: similarities and differences between AD and CBD based on molecular and morphological evolution.

PubMed

Uchihara, Toshiki

2014-12-01

Pretangles are cytoplasmic tau immunoreactivity in neurons without apparent formation of fibrillary structures. In Alzheimer disease, such tau deposition is considered to represent a premature state prior to fibril formation (AD-pretangles), later to form neurofibrillary tangles and finally ghost tangles. This morphological evolution from pretangles to ghost tangles is in parallel with their profile shift from four repeat (4R) tau-positive pretangles to three repeat (3R) tau-positive ghost tangles with both positive neurofibrillary tangles in between. This complementary shift of tau profile from 4R to 3R suggests that these tau epitopes are represented interchangeably along tangle evolution. Similar tau immunoreactivity without fibril formation is also observed in corticobasal degeneration (CBD-pretangles). CBD-pretangles and AD-pretangles share: (i) selective 4R tau immunoreactivity without involvement of 3R tau; and (ii) argyrophilia with Gallyas silver impregnation. However, CBD-pretangles neither evolve into ghost tangles nor exhibit 3R tau immunoreactivity even at the advanced stage. Because electron microscopic studies on these pretangles are quite limited, it remains to be clarified whether such differences in later evolution are related to their primary ultrastructures, potentially distinct between AD and CBD. As double staining for 3R and 4R tau clarified complementary shift from 4R to 3R tau along evolution from pretangles to ghost tangles, double immunoelectron microscopy, if possible, may clarify similar profile shifts in relation to each tau fibril at the ultrastructural dimension. This will provide a unique viewpoint on how molecular (epitope) representations are related to pathogenesis of fibrillary components. © 2014 Japanese Society of Neuropathology.

Spatial Heterogeneity in Ecologically Important Climate Variables at Coarse and Fine Scales in a High-Snow Mountain Landscape

PubMed Central

Ford, Kevin R.; Ettinger, Ailene K.; Lundquist, Jessica D.; Raleigh, Mark S.; Hille Ris Lambers, Janneke

2013-01-01

Climate plays an important role in determining the geographic ranges of species. With rapid climate change expected in the coming decades, ecologists have predicted that species ranges will shift large distances in elevation and latitude. However, most range shift assessments are based on coarse-scale climate models that ignore fine-scale heterogeneity and could fail to capture important range shift dynamics. Moreover, if climate varies dramatically over short distances, some populations of certain species may only need to migrate tens of meters between microhabitats to track their climate as opposed to hundreds of meters upward or hundreds of kilometers poleward. To address these issues, we measured climate variables that are likely important determinants of plant species distributions and abundances (snow disappearance date and soil temperature) at coarse and fine scales at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, USA. Coarse-scale differences across the landscape such as large changes in elevation had expected effects on climatic variables, with later snow disappearance dates and lower temperatures at higher elevations. However, locations separated by small distances (∼20 m), but differing by vegetation structure or topographic position, often experienced differences in snow disappearance date and soil temperature as great as locations separated by large distances (>1 km). Tree canopy gaps and topographic depressions experienced later snow disappearance dates than corresponding locations under intact canopy and on ridges. Additionally, locations under vegetation and on topographic ridges experienced lower maximum and higher minimum soil temperatures. The large differences in climate we observed over small distances will likely lead to complex range shift dynamics and could buffer species from the negative effects of climate change. PMID:23762277

Operational Test and Evaluation Handbook for Aircrew Training Devices. Volume II. Operational Effectiveness Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

should also convey an understanding of the differ- ences in learning behavior between initial learning activity and later skill maintenance and...refinement might then be, ATTACK MANEUVERS * Pop-up attack # Loft/ LADO type attack * Level/laydown attack Figure 5-4 showe diagrammatically the...sensitive to differ- ences in performance. Severai criteria should be used to guide the selection/development of performance measures, i.e., measure validity

Hazardous Waste and Wastewater Characterization Survey, Columbus AFB, Mississippi

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

behind bldg 322 (Liquid Fuels Maintenance Branch). These wastes are then picked up by a waste oil contractor. All other drummed wastes are disposed of...is responsible for custody of the waste until a contractor (currently, Chemical Waste Management) comes to pick up the waste. Prior to disposal...chemicals are used up in the process. Any leftover chemicals are drained and stored in containers for use at a later time. All empty containers are

Proceedings of REMR (Repair, Evaluation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation Research Program) Workshop on Assessment of the Stability of Concrete Structures on Rock Held in Vicksburg, Mississippi on 10-12 September 1985.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

structures in lateral as well as vertical direction. Many group mem - bers expressed their concern for a lack of information on this type of movement and...of cleat .oints. In normal conditions, tests should be pertormed to determine the b,sic friction angle ( ohP , residual friction angle (:r’, asperities

[Nevirapine induces abstinence symptoms in patients on a methadone maintenance program with HIV infection].

PubMed

Baño Rodrigo, M D; Agujetas Rodríguez, M; López García, M L; Guillén Llera, J L

2000-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential inductive effect of nevirapine (NVP) with methadone. Eight patients on the methadone maintenance programme with anti-retroviral therapy because of their infection with HIV, well maintained with methadone and without symptoms of abstinence were studied. All were included in a study of measurement of plasma levels of methadone. Anti-retroviral medication was changed, including NVP, and patients began with symptoms of abstinence 5 to 10 days later. Our results indicate an inductive effect of NVP on the methadone metabolism which caused symptoms of abstinence in all patients, which prompted an increase in the dose and plasma concentration of methadone was lost; patients continued with significantly low plasma levels (p < 0.01) after a therapy mean duration of 6.5 months, with no full recovery.

A bioassay experience and lessons learned on the internal contamination of (131)I during a maintenance period in a Korean nuclear power plant.

PubMed

Kim, Hee Geun; Kong, Tae Young

2012-08-01

During a maintenance period at a Korean nuclear power plant, internal exposure of radiation workers occurred by the inhalation of (131)I that was released into the reactor building from a primary system opening due to defective fuels. The internal activity in radiation workers contaminated by (131)I was immediately measured using a whole body counter (WBC). A whole body counting was performed again a few days later, considering the factors of equilibrium in the body. The intake and the committed effective dose were estimated based on the WBC results. The intake was also calculated by hand, based on both the entrance records to the reactor building, and the counted results of the air concentration for (131)I were compared with the whole body counting results.

Clinical importance of voluntary and induced Bennett movement.

PubMed

Tupac, R G

1978-07-01

A total of 136 dentulous patients were divided into three groups for purposes of quantitative pantographic comparison of voluntary and induced Bennett movement. The effects of patient age and operator experience on recording the Bennett movement were also studied. The results indicates that for patients studied with Bennett movement iduced in the manner described: 1. Experienced operators can obtain more induced Bennett movement that inexperienced operators. 2. Inducing Bennett movement has a greater effect on the immediate side shift component than it has on the progressive side shift component. 3. For older individuals the amount and direction of induced immediate side shift is greater than for younger patients, statistically highly significant, and therefore clinically important. In conclusion, if the objective of a pantographic survey is to record the complete capacity of the joint to move, *lateral jaw movements must be induced.

SU-E-J-47: Comparison of Online Image Registrations of Varian TrueBeam Cone-Beam CT and BrainLab ExacTrac Imaging Systems

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

Li, J; Shi, W; Andrews, D

2015-06-15

Purpose To compare online image registrations of TrueBeam cone-beam CT (CBCT) and BrainLab ExacTrac imaging systems. Methods Tests were performed on a Varian TrueBeam STx linear accelerator (Version 2.0), which is integrated with a BrainLab ExacTrac imaging system (Version 6.0.5). The study was focused on comparing the online image registrations for translational shifts. A Rando head phantom was placed on treatment couch and immobilized with a BrainLab mask. The phantom was shifted by moving the couch translationally for 8 mm with a step size of 1 mm, in vertical, longitudinal, and lateral directions, respectively. At each location, the phantom wasmore » imaged with CBCT and ExacTrac x-ray. CBCT images were registered with TrueBeam and ExacTrac online registration algorithms, respectively. And ExacTrac x-ray image registrations were performed. Shifts calculated from different registrations were compared with nominal couch shifts. Results The averages and ranges of absolute differences between couch shifts and calculated phantom shifts obtained from ExacTrac x-ray registration, ExacTrac CBCT registration with default window, ExaxTrac CBCT registration with adjusted window (bone), Truebeam CBCT registration with bone window, and Truebeam CBCT registration with soft tissue window, were: 0.07 (0.02–0.14), 0.14 (0.01–0.35), 0.12 (0.02–0.28), 0.09 (0–0.20), and 0.06 (0–0.10) mm, in vertical direction; 0.06 (0.01–0.12), 0.27 (0.07–0.57), 0.23 (0.02–0.48), 0.04 (0–0.10), and 0.08 (0– 0.20) mm, in longitudinal direction; 0.05 (0.01–0.21), 0.35 (0.14–0.80), 0.25 (0.01–0.56), 0.19 (0–0.40), and 0.20 (0–0.40) mm, in lateral direction. Conclusion The shifts calculated from ExacTrac x-ray and TrueBeam CBCT registrations were close to each other (the differences between were less than 0.40 mm in any direction), and had better agreements with couch shifts than those from ExacTrac CBCT registrations. There were no significant differences between TrueBeam CBCT registrations using different windows. In ExacTrac CBCT registrations, using bone window led to better agreements than using default window.« less

Nucleus accumbens controls wakefulness by a subpopulation of neurons expressing dopamine D1 receptors.

PubMed

Luo, Yan-Jia; Li, Ya-Dong; Wang, Lu; Yang, Su-Rong; Yuan, Xiang-Shan; Wang, Juan; Cherasse, Yoan; Lazarus, Michael; Chen, Jiang-Fan; Qu, Wei-Min; Huang, Zhi-Li

2018-04-20

Nucleus accumbens (NAc) is involved in behaviors that depend on heightened wakefulness, but its impact on arousal remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that NAc dopamine D 1 receptor (D 1 R)-expressing neurons are essential for behavioral arousal. Using in vivo fiber photometry in mice, we find arousal-dependent increases in population activity of NAc D 1 R neurons. Optogenetic activation of NAc D 1 R neurons induces immediate transitions from non-rapid eye movement sleep to wakefulness, and chemogenetic stimulation prolongs arousal, with decreased food intake. Patch-clamp, tracing, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy reveal that NAc D 1 R neurons project to the midbrain and lateral hypothalamus, and might disinhibit midbrain dopamine neurons and lateral hypothalamus orexin neurons. Photoactivation of terminals in the midbrain and lateral hypothalamus is sufficient to induce wakefulness. Silencing of NAc D 1 R neurons suppresses arousal, with increased nest-building behaviors. Collectively, our data indicate that NAc D 1 R neuron circuits are essential for the induction and maintenance of wakefulness.

Planarian myosin essential light chain is involved in the formation of brain lateral branches during regeneration.

PubMed

Yu, Shuying; Chen, Xuhui; Yuan, Zuoqing; Zhou, Luming; Pang, Qiuxiang; Mao, Bingyu; Zhao, Bosheng

2015-08-01

The myosin essential light chain (ELC) is a structure component of the actomyosin cross-bridge, however, the functions in the central nervous system (CNS) development and regeneration remain poorly understood. Planarian Dugesia japonica has revealed fundamental mechanisms and unique aspects of neuroscience and neuroregeneration. In this study, the cDNA DjElc, encoding a planarian essential light chain of myosin, was identified from the planarian Dugesia japonica cDNA library. It encodes a deduced protein with highly conserved functionally domains EF-Hand and Ca(2+) binding sites that shares significant similarity with other members of ELC. Whole mount in situ hybridization studies show that DjElc expressed in CNS during embryonic development and regeneration of adult planarians. Loss of function of DjElc by RNA interference during planarian regeneration inhibits brain lateral branches regeneration completely. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that DjElc is required for maintenance of neurons and neurite outgrowth, particularly for involving the brain later branch regeneration.

The neural bases of distracter-resistant working memory

PubMed Central

Wager, Tor D.; Spicer, Julie; Insler, Rachel; Smith, Edward E.

2014-01-01

A major difference between humans and other animals is our capacity to maintain information in working memory (WM) while performing secondary tasks, which enables sustained, complex cognition. A common assumption is that the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for WM performance in the presence of distracters, but direct evidence is scarce. We assessed the relationship between fMRI activity and WM performance within-subjects, with performance matched across Distracter and No-distracter conditions. Activity in ventrolateral PFC during WM encoding and maintenance positively predicted performance in both conditions, whereas activity in the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) predicted performance only under distraction. Other parts of dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC predicted performance only in the No-distracter condition. These findings challenge a lateral PFC-centered view of distracter-resistance, and suggest that the lateral PFC supports a type of WM representation that is efficient for dealing with task-irrelevant input but is nonetheless easily disrupted by dual-task demands. PMID:24366656

Neural network communication facilitates verbal working memory.

PubMed

Kustermann, Thomas; Rockstroh, Brigitte; Miller, Gregory A; Popov, Tzvetan

2018-05-28

Oscillatory brain activity in the theta, alpha, and gamma frequency ranges has been associated with working memory (WM). In addition to alpha and theta activity associated with WM retention, and gamma band activity with item encoding, activity in the alpha band is related to the deployment of attention resources and information. The present study sought to specify distinct roles of neuromagnetic 4-7 Hz theta, 9-13 Hz alpha, and 50-70 Hz gamma power modulation and communication in fronto-parietal networks during cued, hemifield-specific item presentation in a modified Sternberg verbal WM task in 14 student volunteers. Lateralized posterior alpha and gamma power during encoding suggest a preparatory role of alpha oscillations. Bilateral alpha power increases during maintenance reflect information retention for the non-lateralized probe response. Lateralized alpha power increase during encoding was apparently driven by a monotonic increase in fronto-parietal 6 Hz phase, suggesting a mechanism facilitating WM encoding and successful performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of disease parameters to flexible budesonide/formoterol treatment in an allergic rat model.

PubMed

Brange, Charlotte; Smailagic, Amir; Jansson, Anne-Helene; Middleton, Brian; Miller-Larsson, Anna; Taylor, John D; Silberstein, David S; Lal, Harbans

2009-02-01

Clinical studies show that flexible dosing (maintenance and symptom-driven dose adjustments) of budesonide and formoterol (BUD/FORM) improves control of asthma exacerbations as compared to fixed maintenance dosing protocols (maintenance therapy) even when the latter utilize higher BUD/FORM doses. This suggests that dose-response relationships for certain pathobiologic mechanisms in asthma shift over time. Here, we have conducted animal studies to address this issue. (1) To test in an animal asthma-like model whether it is possible to achieve the same or greater pharmacological control over bronchoconstriction and airway/lung inflammation, and with less total drug used, by flexible BUD/FORM dosing (upward adjustment of doses) in association with allergen challenges. (2) To determine whether the benefit requires adjustment of both drug components. Rats sensitized on days 0 and 7 were challenged intratracheally with ovalbumin on days 14 and 21. On days 13-21, rats were treated intratracheally with fixed maintenance or flexible BUD/FORM combinations. On day 22, rats were challenged with methacholine and lungs were harvested for analysis. A flexible BUD/FORM dosing regimen (using 3.3 times less total drug than the fixed maintenance high dose regimen), delivered the same or greater reductions of excised lung gas volume (a measure of gas trapped in lung by bronchoconstriction) and lung weight (a measure of inflammatory oedema). When either BUD or FORM alone was increased on days of challenge, the benefit of the flexible dose upward adjustment was lost. Flexible dosing of the BUD/FORM combination improves the pharmacological inhibition of allergen-induced bronchoconstriction and an inflammatory oedema in an allergic asthma-like rat model.

Treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation via knee arthroscopy combined with C-arm fluoroscopy and reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament.

PubMed

Li, Li; Wang, Hongbo; He, Yun; Si, Yu; Zhou, Hongyu; Wang, Xin

2018-06-01

Recurrent patellar dislocations were treated via knee arthroscopy combined with C-arm fluoroscopy, and reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligaments. Between October 2013 and March 2017, 52 cases of recurrent patellar dislocation [27 males and 25 females; age, 16-47 years (mean, 21.90 years)] were treated. Arthroscopic exploration was performed and patellofemoral joint cartilage injuries were repaired. It was subsequently determined whether it was necessary to release the lateral patellofemoral support belt. Pre-operative measurements were used to decide whether tibial tubercle osteotomy was required. Medial patellofemoral ligaments were reconstructed using autologous semitendinosus tendons. Smith and Nephew model 3.5 line anchors were used to double-anchor the medial patellofemoral margin. On the femoral side, the medial patellofemoral ligament was fixed using 7-cm, absorbable, interfacial compression screws. All cases were followed for 1-40 months (average, 21 months). The Q angle, tibial tuberosity trochlear groove distance, Insall-Salvati index, patellofemoral angle, lateral patellofemoral angle and lateral shift were evaluated on X-Ray images using the picture archiving and communication system. Subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) knee joint functional scores and Lysholm scores were recorded. Post-operative fear was absent, and no patellar re-dislocation or re-fracture was noted during follow-up. At the end of follow-up, the patellofemoral angle (0.22±4.23°), lateral patellofemoral angle (3.44±1.30°), and lateral shift (0.36+0.14°) differed significantly from the pre-operative values (all, P<0.05). Furthermore, IKDC and Lysholm scores (87.84+3.74 and 87.48+3.35, respectively) differed significantly from the pre-operative values (both, P<0.05). These findings suggest that, in the short term, recurrent patellar dislocation treatment via knee arthroscopy combined with C-arm fluoroscopy and reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament was effective.

Temporary Hearing Loss and Rock Music.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danenberg, Mary A.; And Others

1987-01-01

Pre- and post-exposure testing of normal-hearing secondary school students (N=20) and adult chaperones (N=7) exposed to live rock music indicated that almost all subjects experienced at least a five-decibel threshold shift, with most also reporting tinnitus. Of six subjects retested three days later, four demonstrated partial recovery. (Author/CB)

Defining and Applying Leadership: Perceptions of Teacher Leader Candidates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitsett, Glee; Riley, Jack

This study examined shifts in perceptions of the meaning of leadership and necessary leadership skills held by 18 teachers in a graduate program on teacher leadership. Participants were queried twice regarding their definitions of leadership; once at the outset of their degree program and again 1 year later. In between, they took classes in…

Oblique interaction of spatial dark-soliton stripes in nonlocal media.

PubMed

Fischer, Robert; Neshev, Dragomir N; Krolikowski, Wieslaw; Kivshar, Yuri S; Iturbe-Castillo, David; Chavez-Cerda, Sabino; Meneghetti, Mario R; Caetano, Dilson P; Hickman, Jandir M

2006-10-15

We report what we believe to be the first experimental observation of a large spatial lateral shift in the interaction of obliquely oriented spatial dark-soliton stripes. We demonstrate by numerical simulations that this new effect can be attributed to the specific features of optical media with a nonlocal nonlinear response.

Defining Problematic Infant Sleep: Shifting the Focus from Deviance to Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middlemiss, Wendy

2004-01-01

This article examines research that calls into question the soundness of current definitions of problematic infant sleep. Current research suggests that infant night wakings and signaling behaviors may be normative. Research is inconclusive on whether early sleep problems are predictive of later sleep problems. The article also describes research…

3. East portal of Tunnel 34, view to southsouthwest, 135mm ...

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

3. East portal of Tunnel 34, view to south-southwest, 135mm lens with electronic flash fill. Note the shift, in these later tunnels east of Colfax, to concrete portal faces with granite masonry voussoirs and coping. - Central Pacific Transcontinental Railroad, Tunnel No. 34, Milepost 145.4, Colfax, Placer County, CA

Studying English in Yemen: Situated Unwillingness to Communicate in Sociohistorical Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Murtadha, Mutahar; Feryok, Anne

2017-01-01

Unwillingness to communicate (UWTC) was initially conceptualized as a trait-like predisposition in L1 studies, but later research shifted the focus to willingness to communicate (WTC). In second language acquisition, WTC was introduced as a situational construct where time is highlighted by the immediate context of decision to communicate.…

Evolution of a behavioral shift mediated by superficial neuromasts helps cavefish find food in darkness

PubMed Central

Yoshizawa, Masato; Gorčiki, Špela; Soares, Daphne; Jeffery, William R.

2010-01-01

Summary How cave animals adapt to life in darkness is a poorly understood aspect of evolutionary biology [1]. Here we identify a behavioral shift and its morphological basis in Astyanax mexicanus, a teleost with a sighted surface dwelling form (surface fish) and various blind cave dwelling forms (cavefish) [2–4]. Vibration attraction behavior (VAB) is the ability of fish to swim toward the source of a water disturbance in darkness. VAB was typically seen in cavefish, rarely in surface fish, and advantageous for feeding success in the dark. The potential for showing VAB has a genetic component and is linked to the mechanosensory function of the lateral line. VAB was evoked by vibration stimuli peaking at 35 Hz, blocked by lateral line inhibitors, appeared after developmental increases in superficial neuromast (SN) number and size [5–7], and was significantly reduced by bilateral ablation of SN. We conclude that VAB and SN enhancement co-evolved to compensate for loss of vision and help blind cavefish find food in darkness. PMID:20705469

Perceptual and processing differences between physical and dichorhinic odor mixtures.

PubMed

Schütze, M; Negoias, S; Olsson, M J; Hummel, T

2014-01-31

Perceptual integration of sensory input from our two nostrils has received little attention in comparison to lateralized inputs for vision and hearing. Here, we investigated whether a binary odor mixture of eugenol and l-carvone (smells of cloves and caraway) would be perceived differently if presented as a mixture in one nostril (physical mixture), vs. the same two odorants in separate nostrils (dichorhinic mixture). In parallel, we investigated whether the different types of presentation resulted in differences in olfactory event-related potentials (OERP). Psychophysical ratings showed that the dichorhinic mixtures were perceived as more intense than the physical mixtures. A tendency for shift in perceived quality was also observed. In line with these perceptual changes, the OERP showed a shift in latencies and amplitudes for early (more "sensory") peaks P1 and N1 whereas no significant differences were observed for the later (more "cognitive") peak P2. The results altogether suggest that the peripheral level is a site of interaction between odorants. Both psychophysical ratings and, for the first time, electrophysiological measurements converge on this conclusion. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revising the personality disorder diagnostic criteria for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-V): consider the later life context.

PubMed

Balsis, Steve; Segal, Daniel L; Donahue, Cailin

2009-10-01

The categorical measurement approach implemented by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) personality disorder (PD) diagnostic system is theoretically and pragmatically limited. As a result, many prominent psychologists now advocate for a shift away from this approach in favor of more conceptually sound dimensional measurement. This shift is expected to improve the psychometric properties of the personality disorder (PD) diagnostic system and make it more useful for clinicians and researchers. The current article suggests that despite the probable benefits of such a change, several limitations will remain if the new diagnostic system does not closely consider the context of later life. A failure to address the unique challenges associated with the assessment of personality in older adults likely will result in the continued limited validity, reliability, and utility of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) system for this growing population. This article discusses these limitations and their possible implications. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Chromatic-aberration-corrected diffractive lenses for ultra-broadband focusing

DOE PAGES

Wang, Peng; Mohammad, Nabil; Menon, Rajesh

2016-02-12

We exploit the inherent dispersion in diffractive optics to demonstrate planar chromatic-aberration-corrected lenses. Specifically, we designed, fabricated and characterized cylindrical diffractive lenses that efficiently focus the entire visible band (450 nm to 700 nm) onto a single line. These devices are essentially pixelated, multi-level microstructures. Experiments confirm an average optical efficiency of 25% for a three-wavelength apochromatic lens whose chromatic focus shift is only 1.3 μm and 25 μm in the lateral and axial directions, respectively. Super-achromatic performance over the continuous visible band is also demonstrated with averaged lateral and axial focus shifts of only 1.65 μm and 73.6 μm,more » respectively. These lenses are easy to fabricate using single-step grayscale lithography and can be inexpensively replicated. Furthermore, these devices are thin (<3 μm), error tolerant, has low aspect ratio (<1:1) and offer polarization-insensitive focusing, all significant advantages compared to alternatives that rely on metasurfaces. Lastly, our design methodology offers high design flexibility in numerical aperture and focal length, and is readily extended to 2D.« less

The impact of roster changes on absenteeism and incident frequency in an Australian coal mine

PubMed Central

Baker, A; Heiler, K; Ferguson, S

2003-01-01

Background: The occupational health and safety implications associated with compressed and extended work periods have not been fully explored in the mining sector. Aims: To examine the impact on employee health and safety of changes to the roster system in an Australian coal mine. Methods: Absenteeism and incident frequency rate data were collected over a 33 month period that covered three different roster schedules. Period 1 covered the original 8-hour/7-day roster. Period 2 covered a 12-month period under a 12-hour/7-day schedule, and period 3 covered a 12-month period during which a roster that scheduled shifts only on weekdays, with uncapped overtime on weekends and days off (12-hour/5-day) was in place. Data were collected and analysed from the maintenance, mining, and coal preparation plant (CPP) sectors. Results: The only significant change in absenteeism rates was an increase in the maintenance sector in the third data collection period. Absenteeism rates in the mining and CPP sectors were not different between data collection periods. The increase in the maintenance sector may be owing to: (1) a greater requirement for maintenance employees to perform overtime as a result of the roster change compared to other employee groups; or (2) greater monotony associated with extended work periods for maintenance employees compared to others. After the first roster change, accident incident frequency decreased in the CPP sector but not in the other sectors. There was no effect on incident frequency after the second roster change in any sector. Conclusions: The current study did not find significant negative effects of a 12-hour pattern, when compared to an 8-hour system. However, when unregulated and excessive overtime was introduced as part of the 12-hour/5-day roster, absenteeism rates were increased in the maintenance sector. The combination of excessive work hours and lack of consultation with employees regarding the second change may have contributed to the overall negative effects. PMID:12499456

Calibration of visually guided reaching is driven by error-corrective learning and internal dynamics.

PubMed

Cheng, Sen; Sabes, Philip N

2007-04-01

The sensorimotor calibration of visually guided reaching changes on a trial-to-trial basis in response to random shifts in the visual feedback of the hand. We show that a simple linear dynamical system is sufficient to model the dynamics of this adaptive process. In this model, an internal variable represents the current state of sensorimotor calibration. Changes in this state are driven by error feedback signals, which consist of the visually perceived reach error, the artificial shift in visual feedback, or both. Subjects correct for > or =20% of the error observed on each movement, despite being unaware of the visual shift. The state of adaptation is also driven by internal dynamics, consisting of a decay back to a baseline state and a "state noise" process. State noise includes any source of variability that directly affects the state of adaptation, such as variability in sensory feedback processing, the computations that drive learning, or the maintenance of the state. This noise is accumulated in the state across trials, creating temporal correlations in the sequence of reach errors. These correlations allow us to distinguish state noise from sensorimotor performance noise, which arises independently on each trial from random fluctuations in the sensorimotor pathway. We show that these two noise sources contribute comparably to the overall magnitude of movement variability. Finally, the dynamics of adaptation measured with random feedback shifts generalizes to the case of constant feedback shifts, allowing for a direct comparison of our results with more traditional blocked-exposure experiments.

Vocal Generalization Depends on Gesture Identity and Sequence

PubMed Central

Sober, Samuel J.

2014-01-01

Generalization, the brain's ability to transfer motor learning from one context to another, occurs in a wide range of complex behaviors. However, the rules of generalization in vocal behavior are poorly understood, and it is unknown how vocal learning generalizes across an animal's entire repertoire of natural vocalizations and sequences. Here, we asked whether generalization occurs in a nonhuman vocal learner and quantified its properties. We hypothesized that adaptive error correction of a vocal gesture produced in one sequence would generalize to the same gesture produced in other sequences. To test our hypothesis, we manipulated the fundamental frequency (pitch) of auditory feedback in Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) to create sensory errors during vocal gestures (song syllables) produced in particular sequences. As hypothesized, error-corrective learning on pitch-shifted vocal gestures generalized to the same gestures produced in other sequential contexts. Surprisingly, generalization magnitude depended strongly on sequential distance from the pitch-shifted syllables, with greater adaptation for gestures produced near to the pitch-shifted syllable. A further unexpected result was that nonshifted syllables changed their pitch in the direction opposite from the shifted syllables. This apparently antiadaptive pattern of generalization could not be explained by correlations between generalization and the acoustic similarity to the pitch-shifted syllable. These findings therefore suggest that generalization depends on the type of vocal gesture and its sequential context relative to other gestures and may reflect an advantageous strategy for vocal learning and maintenance. PMID:24741046

Response shift in quality of life assessment among cancer patients: A study from Iran

PubMed Central

Hosseini, Bayan; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Zendehdel, Kazem; Majdzadeh, Reza; Nourmohammadi, Azam; Montazer, Ali

2017-01-01

Background: During the course of disease, particularly of chronic diseases, changes in internal standards cause certain changes in the estimation of quality of life (QOL). These changes indicate the phenomenon of ‘response shift’. The present study aimed at assessing response shift in different scales of QOL in Iranian cancer patients. Methods: To assess response shift through the ‘then test’ approach, we asked 211 cancer patients to complete the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire at pretest (at the beginning of the study), posttest (3 months later), and then test (administered immediately after the posttest). Paired t test and Cohen’s effect size were used for comparison. Results: Response shift was significant in all 4 scales under study, i.e. fatigue, pain, emotional functioning, and general QOL (p<0.001). Fatigue, pain, and global QOL have deteriorated significantly with then test approach and emotional function was significantly improved. Conclusion: We observed a response shift in Iranian cancer patients in our study. Thus, in light of the multifactorial nature of QOL and the effect of the response shift bias on different aspects of QOL changes, it is of utmost importance to keep this bias in mind when interpreting the results and managing cancer patients’ treatment regimens. PMID:29951421

[The vocal behavior of telemarketing operators before and after a working day].

PubMed

Amorim, Geová Oliveira de; Bommarito, Silvana; Kanashiro, Célia Akemi; Chiari, Brasilia Maria

2011-01-01

To evaluate the vocal behavior of receptive telemarketing operators in pre- and post-work shift moments, and to relate the results to the variable gender. Participants were 55 telemarketing operators (11 men and 44 women) working in a receptive mode in the city of Maceió (Alagoas, Brazil). A questionnaire was applied before the work shift to initially identify the vocal complaints. After that, vocal samples were recorded, comprising sustained emissions and connected speech produced 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the workday to be later evaluated. Auditory-perceptual and acoustic analyses of voice were conducted. Vocal complaints and symptoms reported by the operators after the work shift were: dry throat (64%); neck and cervix pain (33%); hoarseness (31%); voice failure (26%); and vocal fatigue (22%).Telemarketing operators presented reduced maximum phonation time before and after the day of work (p=0.645). Data from the auditory-perceptual assessment of voice were similar in pre- and post-shift moments (p=0.645). No difference was found between moments also on acoustic analysis data (p=0.738). Telemarketing operators have high indexes of vocal symptoms after the work shift, and there are no differences between pre- and post-work shift in auditory-perceptual and acoustic assessments of voice.

Mdt1 Facilitates Efficient Repair of Blocked DNA Double-Strand Breaks and Recombinational Maintenance of Telomeres▿

PubMed Central

Pike, Brietta L.; Heierhorst, Jörg

2007-01-01

DNA recombination plays critical roles in DNA repair and alternative telomere maintenance. Here we show that absence of the SQ/TQ cluster domain-containing protein Mdt1 (Ybl051c) renders Saccharomyces cerevisiae particularly hypersensitive to bleomycin, a drug that causes 3′-phospho-glycolate-blocked DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). mdt1Δ also hypersensitizes partially recombination-defective cells to camptothecin-induced 3′-phospho-tyrosyl protein-blocked DSBs. Remarkably, whereas mdt1Δ cells are unable to restore broken chromosomes after bleomycin treatment, they efficiently repair “clean” endonuclease-generated DSBs. Epistasis analyses indicate that MDT1 acts in the repair of bleomycin-induced DSBs by regulating the efficiency of the homologous recombination pathway as well as telomere-related functions of the KU complex. Moreover, mdt1Δ leads to severe synthetic growth defects with a deletion of the recombination facilitator and telomere-positioning factor gene CTF18 already in the absence of exogenous DNA damage. Importantly, mdt1Δ causes a dramatic shift from the usually prevalent type II to the less-efficient type I pathway of recombinational telomere maintenance in the absence of telomerase in liquid senescence assays. As telomeres resemble protein-blocked DSBs, the results indicate that Mdt1 acts in a novel blocked-end-specific recombination pathway that is required for the efficiency of both drug-induced DSB repair and telomerase-independent telomere maintenance. PMID:17636027

Eastward shift and maintenance of Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone: Understanding the paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharya, Shiba Shankar; Panigrahi, Mruganka K.

2016-09-01

The dominance of Oxygen Minimum Zone in the eastern part of the Arabian Sea (ASOMZ) instead of the more bio-productive and likely more oxygen consuming western part is the first part of the paradox. The sources of oxygen to the ASOMZ were evaluated through the distributions of different water masses using the extended optimum multiparameter (eOMP) analysis, whereas the sinks of oxygen were evaluated through the organic matter remineralization, using the apparent oxygen utilization (AOU). The contributions of major source waters to the Arabian Sea viz. Indian Deep water (dIDW), Indian Central water (ICW), Persian Gulf Water (PGW) and Red Sea Water (RSW) have been quantified through the eOMP analysis which shows that the PGW and RSW are significant for the eastward shift of ASOMZ instead of voluminous ICW and dIDW. The distribution of Net Primary Production (NPP) and AOU clearly suggest the transport of organic detritus from the highly productive western Arabian Sea to its eastern counterpart which adds to the eastward shifting of ASOMZ. A revised estimate of the seasonal variation of areal extent and volume occupied by ASOMZ through analysis of latest available data reveals a distinct intensification of ASOMZ by 30% and increase in its volume by 5% during the spring-summer transition. However, during this seasonal transition the productivity in the Arabian Sea shows 100% increase in mean NPP. This disparity between ASOMZ and monsoonal variation of productivity is the other part of the paradox, which has been constrained through apparent oxygen utilization, Net Primary Production along with a variation of core depths of source waters. This study reveals a subtle balance between the circulation of marginal oxygen-rich water masses from the western Arabian Sea and organic matter remineralization in the eastern Arabian Sea in different seasons that explains the maintenance of ASOMZ throughout the year.

Shift-bonded resonance-domain diffraction gratings.

PubMed

Axelrod, Ramon; Shacham-Diamand, Yosi; Golub, Michael

2016-10-20

Resonance-domain-transmission diffractive optics with grating periods comparable to those of the illumination wavelength offers large angles of light deflection and nearly 100% Bragg diffraction efficiency. Optical design preferences for nearly normal incidence can be met by proper choice for the slant of the diffraction grooves relative to the substrate. However, straightforward fabrication of the slanted submicron high-aspect-ratio grooves is challenging. In this paper, optical performance comparable to that of the slanted grooves was achieved by an alternative solution of bonding two half-height symmetrical gratings with a lateral shift and an optional small longitudinal spacing. Results of design, nanofabrication, and optical testing are presented.

Energy Consumption of Die Casting Operations

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

Jerald Brevick; clark Mount-Campbell; Carroll Mobley

2004-03-15

Molten metal processing is inherently energy intensive and roughly 25% of the cost of die-cast products can be traced to some form of energy consumption [1]. The obvious major energy requirements are for melting and holding molten alloy in preparation for casting. The proper selection and maintenance of melting and holding equipment are clearly important factors in minimizing energy consumption in die-casting operations [2]. In addition to energy consumption, furnace selection also influences metal loss due to oxidation, metal quality, and maintenance requirements. Other important factors influencing energy consumption in a die-casting facility include geographic location, alloy(s) cast, starting formmore » of alloy (solid or liquid), overall process flow, casting yield, scrap rate, cycle times, number of shifts per day, days of operation per month, type and size of die-casting form of alloy (solid or liquid), overall process flow, casting yield, scrap rate, cycle times, number of shifts per day, days of operation per month, type and size of die-casting machine, related equipment (robots, trim presses), and downstream processing (machining, plating, assembly, etc.). Each of these factors also may influence the casting quality and productivity of a die-casting enterprise. In a die-casting enterprise, decisions regarding these issues are made frequently and are based on a large number of factors. Therefore, it is not surprising that energy consumption can vary significantly from one die-casting enterprise to the next, and within a single enterprise as function of time.« less

The reciprocal relationship between executive function and theory of mind in middle childhood: a 1-year longitudinal perspective.

PubMed

Austin, Gina; Groppe, Karoline; Elsner, Birgit

2014-01-01

There is robust evidence showing a link between executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) in 3- to 5-year-olds. However, it is unclear whether this relationship extends to middle childhood. In addition, there has been much discussion about the nature of this relationship. Whereas some authors claim that ToM is needed for EF, others argue that ToM requires EF. To date, however, studies examining the longitudinal relationship between distinct subcomponents of EF [i.e., attention shifting, working memory (WM) updating, inhibition] and ToM in middle childhood are rare. The present study examined (1) the relationship between three EF subcomponents (attention shifting, WM updating, inhibition) and ToM in middle childhood, and (2) the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between the EF subcomponents and ToM across a 1-year period. EF and ToM measures were assessed experimentally in a sample of 1,657 children (aged 6-11 years) at time point one (t1) and 1 year later at time point two (t2). Results showed that the concurrent relationships between all three EF subcomponents and ToM pertained in middle childhood at t1 and t2, respectively, even when age, gender, and fluid intelligence were partialled out. Moreover, cross-lagged structural equation modeling (again, controlling for age, gender, and fluid intelligence, as well as for the earlier levels of the target variables), revealed partial support for the view that early ToM predicts later EF, but stronger evidence for the assumption that early EF predicts later ToM. The latter was found for attention shifting and WM updating, but not for inhibition. This reveals the importance of studying the exact interplay of ToM and EF across childhood development, especially with regard to different EF subcomponents. Most likely, understanding others' mental states at different levels of perspective-taking requires specific EF subcomponents, suggesting developmental change in the relations between EF and ToM across childhood.

Difference in peak weight transfer and timing based on golf handicap.

PubMed

Queen, Robin M; Butler, Robert J; Dai, Boyi; Barnes, C Lowry

2013-09-01

Weight shift during the golf swing has been a topic of discussion among golf professionals; however, it is still unclear how weight shift varies in golfers of different performance levels. The main purpose of this study was to examine the following: (a) the changes in the peak ground reaction forces (GRF) and the timing of these events between high (HHCP) and low handicap (LHCP) golfers and (b) the differences between the leading and trailing legs. Twenty-eight male golfers were recruited and divided based on having an LHCP < 9 or HHCP > 9. Three-dimensional GRF peaks and the timing of the peaks were recorded bilaterally during a golf swing. The golf swing was divided into different phases: (a) address to the top of the backswing, (b) top of the backswing to ball contact, and (c) ball contact to the end of follow through. Repeated measures analyses of variance (α = 0.05) were completed for each study variable: the magnitude and the timing of peak vertical GRF, peak lateral GRF, and peak medial GRF (α = 0.05). The LHCP group had a greater transfer of vertical force from the trailing foot to the leading foot in phase 2 than the HHCP group. The LHCP group also demonstrated earlier timing of peak vertical force throughout the golf swing than the HHCP group. The LHCP and HHCP groups demonstrated different magnitudes of peak lateral force. The LHCP group had an earlier timing of peak lateral GRF in phase 2 and earlier timing of peak medial GRF in phases 1 and 2 than the HHCP group. In general, LHCP golfers demonstrated greater and earlier force generation than HHCP golfers. It may be relevant to consider both the magnitude of the forces and the timing of these events during golf-specific training to improve performance. These data reveal weight shifting differences that can be addressed by teaching professionals to help their students better understand weight transfer during the golf swing to optimize performance.

Patella Height Correlates With Trochlear Dysplasia: A Computed Tomography Image Analysis.

PubMed

Ferlic, Peter Wilhelm; Runer, Armin; Dammerer, Dietmar; Wansch, Jürgen; Hackl, Wolfgang; Liebensteiner, Michael Christian

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the position of the patella relative to the trochlea for a possible correlation with radiologic parameters characterizing the form of the trochlea. The computed tomography scans of 36 cases with patellofemoral instability and 30 without (mean age, 24.7 ± 6.8 years) were studied. The height of the patella relative to the trochlea was evaluated as the distance between the axial slice where the patella (P) showed its widest diameter, as the patella at this level has the greatest potential to form the trochlea, and the proximal entrance of the femoral trochlea (TE). The correlations between this parameter and several radiologic parameters used to evaluate trochlear dysplasia, including trochlea height, transverse trochlea shift, trochlea depth, sulcus angle, lateral and medial trochlea slope, trochlea facet asymmetry, and the Dejour trochlea type, were calculated. The P-TE distance correlated significantly with all trochlea parameters evaluated, with a more dysplastic trochlea in cases of higher position of the patella: medial, central, and lateral trochlea height (0.287

Directional preference in dogs: Laterality and "pull of the north"

PubMed Central

Adámková, Jana; Svoboda, Jan; Benediktová, Kateřina; Martini, Sabine; Nováková, Petra; Tůma, David; Kučerová, Michaela; Divišová, Michaela; Begall, Sabine; Hart, Vlastimil

2017-01-01

Laterality is a well described phenomenon in domestic dogs. It was shown that dogs, under calm Earth's magnetic field conditions, when marking their home ranges, tend to head about north- or southwards and display thus magnetic alignment. The question arises whether magnetic alignment might be affected or even compromised by laterality and vice versa. We tested the preference of dogs to choose between two dishes with snacks that were placed left and right, in different compass directions (north and east, east and south, south and west or west and north) in front of them. Some dogs were right-lateral, some left-lateral but most of them were ambilateral. There was a preference for the dish placed north compared to the one placed east of the dog ("pull of the north"). This effect was highly significant in small and medium-sized breeds but not in larger breeds, highly significant in females, in older dogs, in lateralized dogs but less significant or not significant in males, younger dogs, or ambilateral dogs. Laterality and “pull of the north” are phenomena which should be considered in diverse tasks and behavioral tests with which dogs or other animals might be confronted. The interaction and possible conflict between lateralization and "pull of the north" might be also considered as a reason for shifted magnetic alignment observed in different animal species in different contexts. PMID:28945773

Directional preference in dogs: Laterality and "pull of the north".

PubMed

Adámková, Jana; Svoboda, Jan; Benediktová, Kateřina; Martini, Sabine; Nováková, Petra; Tůma, David; Kučerová, Michaela; Divišová, Michaela; Begall, Sabine; Hart, Vlastimil; Burda, Hynek

2017-01-01

Laterality is a well described phenomenon in domestic dogs. It was shown that dogs, under calm Earth's magnetic field conditions, when marking their home ranges, tend to head about north- or southwards and display thus magnetic alignment. The question arises whether magnetic alignment might be affected or even compromised by laterality and vice versa. We tested the preference of dogs to choose between two dishes with snacks that were placed left and right, in different compass directions (north and east, east and south, south and west or west and north) in front of them. Some dogs were right-lateral, some left-lateral but most of them were ambilateral. There was a preference for the dish placed north compared to the one placed east of the dog ("pull of the north"). This effect was highly significant in small and medium-sized breeds but not in larger breeds, highly significant in females, in older dogs, in lateralized dogs but less significant or not significant in males, younger dogs, or ambilateral dogs. Laterality and "pull of the north" are phenomena which should be considered in diverse tasks and behavioral tests with which dogs or other animals might be confronted. The interaction and possible conflict between lateralization and "pull of the north" might be also considered as a reason for shifted magnetic alignment observed in different animal species in different contexts.

Age Differences in Memory Retrieval Shift: Governed by Feeling-of-Knowing?

PubMed Central

Hertzog, Christopher; Touron, Dayna R.

2010-01-01

The noun-pair lookup (NP) task was used to evaluate strategic shift from visual scanning to retrieval. We investigated whether age differences in feeling-of-knowing (FOK) account for older adults' delayed retrieval shift. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) standard NP learning, (2) fast binary FOK judgments, or (3) Choice, where participants had to choose in advance whether to see the look-up table or respond from memory. We found small age differences in FOK magnitudes, but major age differences in memory retrieval choices that mirrored retrieval use in the standard NP task. Older adults showed lower resolution in their confidence judgments (CJs) for recognition memory tests on the NP items, and this difference appeared to influence rates of retrieval shift, given that retrieval use was correlated with CJ magnitudes in both age groups. Older adults had particular difficulty with accuracy and confidence for rearranged pairs, relative to intact pairs. Older adults' slowed retrieval shift appears to be due to (a) impaired associative learning early in practice, not just a lower FOK; but also (b) retrieval reluctance later in practice after the degree of associative learning would afford memory-based responding. PMID:21401263

Shifting Visual Perspective During Retrieval Shapes Autobiographical Memories

PubMed Central

St Jacques, Peggy L.; Szpunar, Karl K.; Schacter, Daniel L.

2016-01-01

The dynamic and flexible nature of memories is evident in our ability to adopt multiple visual perspectives. Although autobiographical memories are typically encoded from the visual perspective of our own eyes they can be retrieved from the perspective of an observer looking at our self. Here, we examined the neural mechanisms of shifting visual perspective during long-term memory retrieval and its influence on online and subsequent memories using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants generated specific autobiographical memories from the last five years and rated their visual perspective. In a separate fMRI session, they were asked to retrieve the memories across three repetitions while maintaining the same visual perspective as their initial rating or by shifting to an alternative perspective. Visual perspective shifting during autobiographical memory retrieval was supported by a linear decrease in neural recruitment across repetitions in the posterior parietal cortices. Additional analyses revealed that the precuneus, in particular, contributed to both online and subsequent changes in the phenomenology of memories. Our findings show that flexibly shifting egocentric perspective during autobiographical memory retrieval is supported by the precuneus, and suggest that this manipulation of mental imagery during retrieval has consequences for how memories are retrieved and later remembered. PMID:27989780

Effect of lateral offset center of rotation in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a biomechanical study.

PubMed

Henninger, Heath B; Barg, Alexej; Anderson, Andrew E; Bachus, Kent N; Burks, Robert T; Tashjian, Robert Z

2012-09-01

Lateral offset center of rotation (COR) reduces the incidence of scapular notching and potentially increases external rotation range of motion (ROM) after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA). The purpose of this study was to determine the biomechanical effects of changing COR on abduction and external rotation ROM, deltoid abduction force, and joint stability. A biomechanical shoulder simulator tested cadaveric shoulders before and after rTSA. Spacers shifted the COR laterally from baseline rTSA by 5, 10, and 15 mm. Outcome measures of resting abduction and external rotation ROM, and abduction and dislocation (lateral and anterior) forces were recorded. Resting abduction increased 20° vs native shoulders and was unaffected by COR lateralization. External rotation decreased after rTSA and was unaffected by COR lateralization. The deltoid force required for abduction significantly decreased 25% from native to baseline rTSA. COR lateralization progressively eliminated this mechanical advantage. Lateral dislocation required significantly less force than anterior dislocation after rTSA, and both dislocation forces increased with lateralization of the COR. COR lateralization had no influence on ROM (adduction or external rotation) but significantly increased abduction and dislocation forces. This suggests the lower incidence of scapular notching may not be related to the amount of adduction deficit after lateral offset rTSA but may arise from limited impingement of the humeral component on the lateral scapula due to a change in joint geometry. Lateralization provides the benefit of increased joint stability, but at the cost of increasing deltoid abduction forces. Copyright © 2012 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Using visual lateralization to model learning and memory in zebrafish larvae

PubMed Central

Andersson, Madelene Åberg; Ek, Fredrik; Olsson, Roger

2015-01-01

Impaired learning and memory are common symptoms of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Present, there are several behavioural test employed to assess cognitive functions in animal models, including the frequently used novel object recognition (NOR) test. However, although atypical functional brain lateralization has been associated with neuropsychiatric conditions, spanning from schizophrenia to autism, few animal models are available to study this phenomenon in learning and memory deficits. Here we present a visual lateralization NOR model (VLNOR) in zebrafish larvae as an assay that combines brain lateralization and NOR. In zebrafish larvae, learning and memory are generally assessed by habituation, sensitization, or conditioning paradigms, which are all representatives of nondeclarative memory. The VLNOR is the first model for zebrafish larvae that studies a memory similar to the declarative memory described for mammals. We demonstrate that VLNOR can be used to study memory formation, storage, and recall of novel objects, both short and long term, in 10-day-old zebrafish. Furthermore we show that the VLNOR model can be used to study chemical modulation of memory formation and maintenance using dizocilpine (MK-801), a frequently used non-competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor, used to test putative antipsychotics in animal models. PMID:25727677

Position and Eruption of Permanent Maxillary Canines in Cases of Maxillary Lateral Incisor Agenesis in Mixed Dentition.

PubMed

Lamas, Cátia; Lavall, Asela; Pinho, Teresa

2018-01-01

Assess whether the permanent maxillary canine (MC) has a natural tendency to erupt mesially in children with maxillary lateral incisors agenesis (MLIA), compared to children without agenesis. This retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study consisted of children between 5 and 12 years old divided into three groups: the first group with unilateral MLIA, in which an intraindividual analysis was performed, the second group presented bilateral MLIA, and the third group with patients without agenesis. These last two groups were matched for comparison interindividual, being pared by sex and maturation of the MC. The canine position in the horizontal sector showed a clear mesial positioning of the MC on the agenesis side in individuals with unilateral MLIA (group 1) when compared with the counter lateral side; and in individuals with bilateral MLIA (Group 2) compared with control Individuals without agenesis (group 3). Even with the maintenance of this deciduous tooth in the dental arch, the MC keeps its tendency to mesial eruption. There is a greater tendency for mesial angulation of the maxillary canine in patients with MLIA, regardless of the presence or absence of deciduous lateral incisor.