Mathematical Modelling of Liner Piston Maintenance Activity using Field Data to Minimize Overhauling Time and Human Energy Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belkhode, Pramod Namdeorao

2017-06-01

Field data based model is proposed to reduce the overhauling time and human energy consumed in liner piston maintenance activity so as to increase the productivity of liner piston maintenance activity. The independent variables affecting the phenomenon such as anthropometric parameters of workers (Eastman Kodak Co. Ltd in Section VIA Appendix-A: Anthropometric Data. Ergonomic Design for People at Work, Van Nostrans Reinhold, New York, 1), workers parameters, specification of liner piston data, specification of tools used in liner piston maintenance activity, specification of solvents, axial clearance of big end bearing and bolt elongation, workstation data (Eastman Kodak Co. Ltd in Work Place Ergonomic Design for People at Work, Van Nostrans Reinhold, New York, 2) and extraneous variables, namely, temperature, humidity at workplace, illumination at workplace and noise at workplace (Eastman Kodak Co. Ltd in Chapter V Environment Ergonomic Design for People at Work, Van Nostrans Reinhold, New York, 3) are taken into account. The model is formulated for dependent variables of liner piston maintenance activity to minimize the overhauling time and human energy consumption so as to improve the productivity of liner piston maintenance activity. The developed model can predict the performance of liner piston maintenance activity which involves man and machine system (Schenck in Theories of Engineering Experimentation, Mc-Graw Hill, New York 4). The model is then optimized by optimization technique and the sensitivity analysis of the model has also been estimated.

Maintenance and testing of anodized aluminum mirrors on the Whipple 10 m Whipple Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badran, H. M.; Weekes, T. C.

2001-08-01

Threshold energy sensitivity depends not only on the high reflectivity of the mirrors used in atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes but also on the maintenance of this reflectivity over months/years. The successful application of a mirror maintenance technique depends on the type of mirror coating and the contamination that must be removed. The uncovered mirrors in use on the 10-m Whipple gamma-ray telescope are anodized aluminum mirrors. A standard cleaning technique for such mirrors is not available. With the aim of extending the life of the aluminum coating exposed to the Mt ˙Hopkins environment, several cleaning procedures were tested on mirrors that had been exposed for three years. Evaluation of the most effective cleaners is presented. Preliminary results are also presented from a long-term experiment using newly coated mirrors at the proposed VERITAS site and at the current 10 m site. This experiment is designed to reveal the rates at which the reflectance degrades as a function of time, depth of anodization, storage direction, degree of covering, and maintenance procedures.

Antihypertensive medication exposure and cardiovascular outcomes in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Shireman, Theresa I; Phadnis, Milind A; Wetmore, James B; Zhou, Xinhua; Rigler, Sally K; Spertus, John A; Ellerbeck, Edward F; Mahnken, Jonathan D

2014-01-01

Our understanding of the effectiveness of cardioprotective medications in maintenance dialysis patients is based upon drug exposures assessed at a single point in time. We employed a novel, time-dependent approach to modeling medication use over time to examine outcomes in a large national cohort. We linked Medicaid prescription claims with United States Renal Data System registry data and Medicare claims for 52,922 hypertensive maintenance dialysis patients. All-cause mortality and a combined cardiovascular disease (CVD)-endpoint were modeled as functions of exposure to cardioprotective antihypertensive medications (renin angiotensin system antagonists, β-adrenergic blockers, and calcium channel blockers) measured with three time-dependent covariates (weekly exposure status, proportion of prior weeks with exposure, and number of switches in exposure status) and with propensity adjustment. Current cardioprotective medication exposure status as compared to not exposed was associated with lower adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) for mortality, though the magnitude depended upon the proportion of prior weeks with medication (duration) and the number of switches between active and non-active use (switches) (AHR range 0.54-0.90). Combined CVD-endpoints depended upon the proportion of weeks on medication: AHR = 1.18 for 10% and AHR = 0.90 for 90% of weeks. Combined CVD-endpoint was also lower for patients with fewer switches. Effectiveness depends not only on having a drug available but is tempered by duration and stability of use, likely reflecting variation in clinical stability and patient behavior. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel

Maintenance of phenotypic variation: Repeatability, heritability and size-dependent processes in a wild brook trout population

USGS Publications Warehouse

Letcher, B.H.; Coombs, J.A.; Nislow, K.H.

2011-01-01

Phenotypic variation in body size can result from within-cohort variation in birth dates, among-individual growth variation and size-selective processes. We explore the relative effects of these processes on the maintenance of wide observed body size variation in stream-dwelling brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Based on the analyses of multiple recaptures of individual fish, it appears that size distributions are largely determined by the maintenance of early size variation. We found no evidence for size-dependent compensatory growth (which would reduce size variation) and found no indication that size-dependent survival substantially influenced body size distributions. Depensatory growth (faster growth by larger individuals) reinforced early size variation, but was relatively strong only during the first sampling interval (age-0, fall). Maternal decisions on the timing and location of spawning could have a major influence on early, and as our results suggest, later (>age-0) size distributions. If this is the case, our estimates of heritability of body size (body length=0.25) will be dominated by processes that generate and maintain early size differences. As a result, evolutionary responses to environmental change that are mediated by body size may be largely expressed via changes in the timing and location of reproduction. Published 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

PERFORMANCE-BASED CONTRACTING IN CONSTRUCTION PHASE AND MAINTENANCE PHASE OF PAVEMENT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Takeshi

Performance-based contracting for pavement in Japan started as performance warranties in construction phase, in 1999. Recently, road agencies have recognized the applicability of this type of contracting in outsourcing of maintenance activities. The objectives of this study are to clarify the issues of performance specifying in construction phase and maintenance phase of pavement, and to propose measures to be taken. This paper, with the recognition that the life of each pavement depends on performance standards for various attributes, reviews domestic and foreign examples of performance-based contracting. A performance standard based on the average of current practices can enhance product quality and service life with a warranty contract. Repair thresholds and response time for each deficiency should be considered as performance standards in maintenance phase.

RENEW v3.2 user's manual, maintenance estimation simulation for Space Station Freedom Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bream, Bruce L.

1993-01-01

RENEW is a maintenance event estimation simulation program developed in support of the Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP). This simulation uses reliability and maintainability (R&M) and logistics data to estimate both average and time dependent maintenance demands. The simulation uses Monte Carlo techniques to generate failure and repair times as a function of the R&M and logistics parameters. The estimates are generated for a single type of orbital replacement unit (ORU). The simulation has been in use by the SSFP Work Package 4 prime contractor, Rocketdyne, since January 1991. The RENEW simulation gives closer estimates of performance since it uses a time dependent approach and depicts more factors affecting ORU failure and repair than steady state average calculations. RENEW gives both average and time dependent demand values. Graphs of failures over the mission period and yearly failure occurrences are generated. The averages demand rate for the ORU over the mission period is also calculated. While RENEW displays the results in graphs, the results are also available in a data file for further use by spreadsheets or other programs. The process of using RENEW starts with keyboard entry of the R&M and operational data. Once entered, the data may be saved in a data file for later retrieval. The parameters may be viewed and changed after entry using RENEW. The simulation program runs the number of Monte Carlo simulations requested by the operator. Plots and tables of the results can be viewed on the screen or sent to a printer. The results of the simulation are saved along with the input data. Help screens are provided with each menu and data entry screen.

Direct comparison of two different mesalamine formulations for the maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis: A double-blind, randomized study

PubMed Central

Ito, Hiroaki; Iida, Mitsuo; Matsumoto, Takayuki; Suzuki, Yasuo; Aida, Yoshiyuki; Yoshida, Toyomitsu; Takano, Yuichi; Hibi, Toshifumi

2010-01-01

Background: Mesalamine has been used as the first-line medication for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). We directly compared the efficacy and safety of two different mesalamine formulations in the maintenance of remission in patients with UC. Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind, randomized study, 131 patients with quiescent UC were assigned to two groups: 65 to receive a pH-dependent release formulation of mesalamine at 2.4 g/day (pH-2.4 g) and 66 to receive a time-dependent release formulation of mesalamine at 2.25 g/day (Time-2.25 g). Both formulations were administered three times daily for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients without bloody stools. Results: In the full analysis set (n = 130), the proportion of patients without bloody stools was 76.9% in the pH-2.4 g and 69.2% in the Time-2.25 g, demonstrating the noninferiority of pH-2.4 g to Time-2.25 g. No statistically significant difference in time to bloody stools was found between the two formulations (P = 0.27, log-rank test), but the time to bloody stools tended to be longer in pH-2.4 g compared to Time-2.25 g, and a similar trend was observed with regard to the time to relapse. No differences were observed between the safety profiles of the two formulations. Conclusions: The pH- and time-dependent release of mesalamine formulations were similarly safe and effective. Interestingly, the remission phase tended to be longer in the group that received the pH-dependent formulation compared to the group that received the time-dependent formulation (UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, no. C000000289). (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010) PMID:20049949

Function of Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Factor in Sonic Hedgehog-Dependent Medulloblastoma Initiation and Maintenance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

Remodeling Factor in Sonic Hedgehog -Dependent Medulloblastoma Initiation and Maintenance PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Xuanming Shi CONTRACTING...Function of Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Factor in Sonic Hedgehog -Dependent 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0527 Medulloblastoma Initiation and Maintenance...medulloblastoma. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Medulloblastoma, Sonic Hedgehog , Chromatin remodeling, BAF complex, Brg1, mouse model of shh-subtype medulloblastoma

The dynamics of oceanic fronts. I - The Gulf Stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, T. W.

1980-01-01

The establishment and maintenance of the mean hydrographic properties of large-scale density fronts in the upper ocean is considered. The dynamics is studied by posing an initial value problem starting with a near-surface discharge of buoyant water with a prescribed density deficit into an ambient stationary fluid of uniform density; full time dependent diffusion and Navier-Stokes equations are then used with constant eddy diffusion and viscosity coefficients, together with a constant Coriolis parameter. Scaling analysis reveals three independent scales of the problem including the radius of deformation of the inertial length, buoyancy length, and diffusive length scales. The governing equations are then suitably scaled and the resulting normalized equations are shown to depend on the Ekman number alone for problems of oceanic interest. It is concluded that the mean Gulf Stream dynamics can be interpreted in terms of a solution of the Navier-Stokes and diffusion equations, with the cross-stream circulation responsible for the maintenance of the front; this mechanism is suggested for the maintenance of the Gulf Stream dynamics.

Cryogenic Insulation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Augustynowicz, S. D.; Fesmire, J. E.; Wikstrom, J. P.

1999-01-01

The results of a comparative study of cryogenic insulation systems performed are presented. The key aspects of thermal insulation relative to cryogenic system design, testing, manufacturing, and maintenance are discussed. An overview of insulation development from an energy conservation perspective is given. Conventional insulation materials for cryogenic applications provide three levels of thermal conductivity. Actual thermal performance of standard multilayer insulation (MLI) is several times less than laboratory performance and often 10 times worse than ideal performance. The cost-effectiveness of the insulation system depends on thermal performance; flexibility and durability; ease of use in handling, installation, and maintenance; and overall cost including operations, maintenance, and life cycle. Results of comprehensive testing of both conventional and novel materials such as aerogel composites using cryostat boil-off methods are given. The development of efficient, robust cryogenic insulation systems that operate at a soft vacuum level is the primary focus of this paper.

Predicting embryo presence and viability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pregnancy establishment, followed by birth of live offspring, is essential to all mammals. The biological processes leading up to pregnancy establishment, maintenance, and birth are complex and dependent on the coordinated timing of a series of events at the molecular, cellular, and physiological le...

Workflow and maintenance characteristics of five automated laboratory instruments for the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections.

PubMed

Ratnam, Sam; Jang, Dan; Gilchrist, Jodi; Smieja, Marek; Poirier, Andre; Hatchette, Todd; Flandin, Jean-Frederic; Chernesky, Max

2014-07-01

The choice of a suitable automated system for a diagnostic laboratory depends on various factors. Comparative workflow studies provide quantifiable and objective metrics to determine hands-on time during specimen handling and processing, reagent preparation, return visits and maintenance, and test turnaround time and throughput. Using objective time study techniques, workflow characteristics for processing 96 and 192 tests were determined on m2000 RealTime (Abbott Molecular), Viper XTR (Becton Dickinson), cobas 4800 (Roche Molecular Diagnostics), Tigris (Hologic Gen-Probe), and Panther (Hologic Gen-Probe) platforms using second-generation assays for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. A combination of operational and maintenance steps requiring manual labor showed that Panther had the shortest overall hands-on times and Viper XTR the longest. Both Panther and Tigris showed greater efficiency whether 96 or 192 tests were processed. Viper XTR and Panther had the shortest times to results and m2000 RealTime the longest. Sample preparation and loading time was the shortest for Panther and longest for cobas 4800. Mandatory return visits were required only for m2000 RealTime and cobas 4800 when 96 tests were processed, and both required substantially more hands-on time than the other systems due to increased numbers of return visits when 192 tests were processed. These results show that there are substantial differences in the amount of labor required to operate each system. Assay performance, instrumentation, testing capacity, workflow, maintenance, and reagent costs should be considered in choosing a system. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Dalmatian: spotting the difference in cohesin protectors.

PubMed

Marston, Adele L

2017-06-01

The cohesin complex prevents separation of chromosomes following their duplication until the appropriate time during cell division. In vertebrates, establishment and maintenance of cohesin-dependent linkages depend on two distinct proteins, sororin and shugoshin. New findings published in The EMBO Journal show that in Drosophila , the function of both of these cohesin regulators is carried out by a single hybrid protein, Dalmatian. © 2017 The Author.

Access to Care for Methadone Maintenance Patients in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hettema, Jennifer E.; Sorensen, James L.

2009-01-01

This policy commentary addresses a significant access to care issue that faces methadone maintenance patients seeking residential treatment in the United States. Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) has demonstrated strong efficacy in the outpatient treatment of opiate dependence. However, many opiate dependent patients are also in need of more…

Impairment of working memory maintenance and response in schizophrenia: functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence.

PubMed

Driesen, Naomi R; Leung, Hoi-Chung; Calhoun, Vincent D; Constable, R Todd; Gueorguieva, Ralitza; Hoffman, Ralph; Skudlarski, Pawel; Goldman-Rakic, Patricia S; Krystal, John H

2008-12-15

Comparing prefrontal cortical activity during particular phases of working memory in healthy subjects and individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia might help to define the phase-specific deficits in cortical function that contribute to cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia. This study featured a spatial working memory task, similar to that used in nonhuman primates, that was designed to facilitate separating brain activation into encoding, maintenance, and response phases. Fourteen patients with schizophrenia (4 medication-free) and 12 healthy comparison participants completed functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a spatial working memory task with two levels of memory load. Task accuracy was similar in patients and healthy participants. However, patients showed reductions in brain activation during maintenance and response phases but not during the encoding phase. The reduced prefrontal activity during the maintenance phase of working memory was attributed to a greater rate of decay of prefrontal activity over time in patients. Cortical deficits in patients did not appear to be related to antipsychotic treatment. In patients and in healthy subjects, the time-dependent reduction in prefrontal activity during working memory maintenance correlated with poorer performance on the memory task. Overall, these data highlight that basic research insights into the distinct neurobiologies of the maintenance and response phases of working memory are of potential importance for understanding the neurobiology of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and advancing its treatment.

The influence of maintenance quality of hemodialysis machines on hemodialysis efficiency.

PubMed

Azar, Ahmad Taher

2009-01-01

Several studies suggest that there is a correlation between dose of dialysis and machine maintenance. However, in spite of the current practice, there are conflicting reports regarding the relationship between dose of dialysis or patient outcome, and machine maintenance. In order to evaluate the impact of hemodialysis machine maintenance on dialysis adequacy Kt/V and session performance, data were processed on 134 patients on 3-times-per-week dialysis regimens by dividing the patients into four groups and also dividing the hemodialysis machines into four groups according to their year of installation. The equilibrated dialysis dose eq Kt/V, urea reduction ratio (URR) and the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) were calculated in each group to show the effect hemodialysis machine efficiency on the overall session performance. The average working time per machine per month was 270 hours. The cumulative number of hours according to the year of installation was: 26,122 hours for machines installed in 1998; 21,596 hours for machines installed in 1999, 8362 hours for those installed in 2003 and 2486 hours for those installed in 2005. The mean time between failures (MTBF) was 1.8, 2.1, 4.2 and 6 months between failures for machines installed in 1999, 1998, 2003 and 2005, respectively. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the dialysis dose eq Kt/V and URR were increased as the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) increases with regular maintenance procedures. Maintenance has become one of the most expedient approaches to guarantee high machine dependability. The efficiency of dialysis machine is relevant in assuring a proper dialysis adequacy.

The impact of storage on processing: how is information maintained in working memory?

PubMed

Vergauwe, Evie; Camos, Valérie; Barrouillet, Pierre

2014-07-01

Working memory is typically defined as a system devoted to the simultaneous maintenance and processing of information. However, the interplay between these 2 functions is still a matter of debate in the literature, with views ranging from complete independence to complete dependence. The time-based resource-sharing model assumes that a central bottleneck constrains the 2 functions to alternate in such a way that maintenance activities postpone concurrent processing, with each additional piece of information to be maintained resulting in an additional postponement. Using different kinds of memoranda, we examined in a series of 7 experiments the effect of increasing memory load on different processing tasks. The results reveal that, insofar as attention is needed for maintenance, processing times linearly increase at a rate of about 50 ms per verbal or visuospatial memory item, suggesting a very fast refresh rate in working memory. Our results also show an asymmetry between verbal and spatial information, in that spatial information can solely rely on attention for its maintenance while verbal information can also rely on a domain-specific maintenance mechanism independent from attention. The implications for the functioning of working memory are discussed, with a specific focus on how information is maintained in working memory. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Aggregation of Electric Current Consumption Features to Extract Maintenance KPIs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Victor; Johansson, Carl-Anders; Galar, Diego

2017-09-01

All electric powered machines offer the possibility of extracting information and calculating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from the electric current signal. Depending on the time window, sampling frequency and type of analysis, different indicators from the micro to macro level can be calculated for such aspects as maintenance, production, energy consumption etc. On the micro-level, the indicators are generally used for condition monitoring and diagnostics and are normally based on a short time window and a high sampling frequency. The macro indicators are normally based on a longer time window with a slower sampling frequency and are used as indicators for overall performance, cost or consumption. The indicators can be calculated directly from the current signal but can also be based on a combination of information from the current signal and operational data like rpm, position etc. One or several of those indicators can be used for prediction and prognostics of a machine's future behavior. This paper uses this technique to calculate indicators for maintenance and energy optimization in electric powered machines and fleets of machines, especially machine tools.

Performance-based maintenance of gas turbines for reliable control of degraded power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, Huadong; Sansavini, Giovanni; Xie, Min

2018-03-01

Maintenance actions are necessary for ensuring proper operations of control systems under component degradation. However, current condition-based maintenance (CBM) models based on component health indices are not suitable for degraded control systems. Indeed, failures of control systems are only determined by the controller outputs, and the feedback mechanism compensates the control performance loss caused by the component deterioration. Thus, control systems may still operate normally even if the component health indices exceed failure thresholds. This work investigates the CBM model of control systems and employs the reduced control performance as a direct degradation measure for deciding maintenance activities. The reduced control performance depends on the underlying component degradation modelled as a Wiener process and the feedback mechanism. To this aim, the controller features are quantified by developing a dynamic and stochastic control block diagram-based simulation model, consisting of the degraded components and the control mechanism. At each inspection, the system receives a maintenance action if the control performance deterioration exceeds its preventive-maintenance or failure thresholds. Inspired by realistic cases, the component degradation model considers random start time and unit-to-unit variability. The cost analysis of maintenance model is conducted via Monte Carlo simulation. Optimal maintenance strategies are investigated to minimize the expected maintenance costs, which is a direct consequence of the control performance. The proposed framework is able to design preventive maintenance actions on a gas power plant, to ensuring required load frequency control performance against a sudden load increase. The optimization results identify the trade-off between system downtime and maintenance costs as a function of preventive maintenance thresholds and inspection frequency. Finally, the control performance-based maintenance model can reduce maintenance costs as compared to CBM and pre-scheduled maintenance.

[Multiple myeloma: Maintenance therapy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, depending on minimal residual disease].

PubMed

Solovyev, M V; Mendeleeva, L P; Pokrovskaya, O S; Nareyko, M V; Firsova, M V; Galtseva, I V; Davydova, Yu O; Kapranov, N M; Kuzmina, L A; Gemdzhian, E G; Savchenko, V G

To determine the efficiency of maintenance therapy with bortezomib in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who have achieved complete remission (CR) after autologous hematopoietic stem cell (auto-HSCT), depending on the presence of minimal residual disease (MRD). In January 2014 to February 2016, fifty-two MM patients (19 men and 33 women) aged 24 to 66 years (median 54 years), who had achieved CR after auto-HSCT, were randomized to perform maintenance therapy with bortezomib during a year. On day 100 after auto-HSCT, all the patients underwent immunophenotyping of bone marrow plasma cells by 6-color flow cytometry to detect MRD. Relapse-free survival (RFS) was chosen as a criterion for evaluating the efficiency of maintenance therapy. After auto-HSCT, MRD-negative patients had a statistically significantly higher 2-year RFS rate than MRD-positive patients: 52.9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 35.5 to 70.5%) versus 37.2% (95% CI, 25.4 to 49.3%) (p=0.05). The presence of MRD statistically significantly increased the risk of relapse (odds ratio 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.4; p=0.05). Two-year cumulative risk of relapse (using the Kaplan-Meier) after auto-HSCT did not statistically significantly differ in MRD-negative patients receiving (n=15) and not receiving (n=10) maintenance therapy with bortezomib (p=0.58). After completion of maintenance treatment, 42% of the MRD-positive patients achieved a negative status. In the MRD-positive patients who had received maintenance therapy, the average time to recurrence was 5 months longer than that in the naïve patients: 17.3 versus 12.3 months. The MRD status determined in MM patients who have achieved CR after auto-HSCT is an important factor for deciding on the use of maintenance therapy.

Xenorhabdus bovienii Strain Diversity Impacts Coevolution and Symbiotic Maintenance with Steinernema spp. Nematode Hosts

PubMed Central

Murfin, Kristen E.; Lee, Ming-Min; McDonald, Bradon R.; Larget, Bret; Forst, Steven; Stock, S. Patricia; Currie, Cameron R.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Microbial symbionts provide benefits that contribute to the ecology and fitness of host plants and animals. Therefore, the evolutionary success of plants and animals fundamentally depends on long-term maintenance of beneficial associations. Most work investigating coevolution and symbiotic maintenance has focused on species-level associations, and studies are lacking that assess the impact of bacterial strain diversity on symbiotic associations within a coevolutionary framework. Here, we demonstrate that fitness in mutualism varies depending on bacterial strain identity, and this is consistent with variation shaping phylogenetic patterns and maintenance through fitness benefits. Through genome sequencing of nine bacterial symbiont strains and cophylogenetic analysis, we demonstrate diversity among Xenorhabdus bovienii bacteria. Further, we identified cocladogenesis between Steinernema feltiae nematode hosts and their corresponding X. bovienii symbiont strains, indicating potential specificity within the association. To test the specificity, we performed laboratory crosses of nematode hosts with native and nonnative symbiont strains, which revealed that combinations with the native bacterial symbiont and closely related strains performed significantly better than those with more divergent symbionts. Through genomic analyses we also defined potential factors contributing to specificity between nematode hosts and bacterial symbionts. These results suggest that strain-level diversity (e.g., subspecies-level differences) in microbial symbionts can drive variation in the success of host-microbe associations, and this suggests that these differences in symbiotic success could contribute to maintenance of the symbiosis over an evolutionary time scale. PMID:26045536

Text messaging: are dependency and Excessive Use discretely different for Japanese university students?

PubMed

Lu, Xi; Katoh, Takahiko; Chen, Zi; Nagata, Toshiaki; Kitamura, Toshinori

2014-05-15

Text messaging may be excessive and young people may be dependent on it. We distributed the Self-perception of Text-message Dependency Scale (STDS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) to 223 Japanese university students in a two-wave study, separated by a 5-month interval. The STDS yielded a three-factor structure. The STDS scores across the two measurement occasions were stable across time (except for the Relationship Maintenance subscale). A hierarchical cluster analysis suggested a three-class structure interpreted as Normal Users, Excessive Users, and Dependent Users. Excessive Users and Dependent Users were characterized by a young age at initial mobile phone use, more frequent use of text messaging, higher Novelty Seeking, and better Other-Model patterns of adult attachment. Unlike Excessive Users, Dependent Users were characterized by lower Self-directedness, poorer Self-Model of adult attachment, and higher anxiety and depression. The Excessive Users, but not the Dependent Users, were characterized by high Reward Dependence and Co-operativeness. The present study demonstrated that the STDS has a robust factor structure, good construct validity, and temporal stability (except for Relationship Maintenance subscale); students could be classified into normal, excessive, and Dependent Users of the text messaging; and Dependent Users were characterized by Excessive Use and personality immaturity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employment-based abstinence reinforcement as a maintenance intervention for the treatment of cocaine dependence: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

DeFulio, Anthony; Donlin, Wendy D; Wong, Conrad J; Silverman, Kenneth

2009-09-01

Due to the chronic nature of cocaine dependence, long-term maintenance treatments may be required to sustain abstinence. Abstinence reinforcement is among the most effective means of initiating cocaine abstinence. Practical and effective means of maintaining abstinence reinforcement programs over time are needed. To determine whether employment-based abstinence reinforcement can be an effective long-term maintenance intervention for cocaine dependence. Participants (n = 128) were enrolled in a 6-month job skills training and abstinence initiation program. Participants who initiated abstinence, attended regularly and developed needed job skills during the first 6 months were hired as operators in a data entry business and assigned randomly to an employment-only (control, n = 24) or abstinence-contingent employment (n = 27) group. A non-profit data entry business. Participants Unemployed welfare recipients who used cocaine persistently while enrolled in methadone treatment in Baltimore. Abstinence-contingent employment participants received 1 year of employment-based contingency management, in which access to employment was contingent upon provision of drug-free urine samples under routine and then random drug testing. If a participant provided drug-positive urine or failed to provide a mandatory sample, then that participant received a temporary reduction in pay and could not work until urinalysis confirmed recent abstinence. Cocaine-negative urine samples at monthly assessments across 1 year of employment. During the 1 year of employment, abstinence-contingent employment participants provided significantly more cocaine-negative urine samples than employment-only participants [79.3% and 50.7%, respectively; P = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) = 3.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.60-8.69]. Conclusions Employment-based abstinence reinforcement that includes random drug testing is effective as a long-term maintenance intervention, and is among the most promising treatments for drug dependence. Work-places could serve as therapeutic agents in the treatment of drug dependence by arranging long-term employment-based contingency management programs.

Emotion and working memory: evidence for domain-specific processes for affective maintenance.

PubMed

Mikels, Joseph A; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A; Beyer, Jonathan A; Fredrickson, Barbara L

2008-04-01

Working memory is comprised of separable subsystems for visual and verbal information, but what if the information is affective? Does the maintenance of affective information rely on the same processes that maintain nonaffective information? The authors address this question using a novel delayed-response task developed to investigate the short-term maintenance of affective memoranda. Using selective interference methods the authors find that a secondary emotion-regulation task impaired affect intensity maintenance, whereas secondary cognitive tasks disrupted brightness intensity maintenance, but facilitated affect maintenance. Additionally, performance on the affect maintenance task depends on the valence of the maintained feeling, further supporting the domain-specific nature of the task. The importance of affect maintenance per se is further supported by demonstrating that the observed valence effects depend on a memory delay and are not evident with simultaneous presentation of stimuli. These findings suggest that the working memory system may include domain-specific components that are specialized for the maintenance of affective memoranda. (Copyright) 2008 APA.

The interplay between neuronal activity and actin dynamics mimic the setting of an LTD synaptic tag

PubMed Central

Szabó, Eszter C.; Manguinhas, Rita; Fonseca, Rosalina

2016-01-01

Persistent forms of plasticity, such as long-term depression (LTD), are dependent on the interplay between activity-dependent synaptic tags and the capture of plasticity-related proteins. We propose that the synaptic tag represents a structural alteration that turns synapses permissive to change. We found that modulation of actin dynamics has different roles in the induction and maintenance of LTD. Inhibition of either actin depolymerisation or polymerization blocks LTD induction whereas only the inhibition of actin depolymerisation blocks LTD maintenance. Interestingly, we found that actin depolymerisation and CaMKII activation are involved in LTD synaptic-tagging and capture. Moreover, inhibition of actin polymerisation mimics the setting of a synaptic tag, in an activity-dependent manner, allowing the expression of LTD in non-stimulated synapses. Suspending synaptic activation also restricts the time window of synaptic capture, which can be restored by inhibiting actin polymerization. Our results support our hypothesis that modulation of the actin cytoskeleton provides an input-specific signal for synaptic protein capture. PMID:27650071

Measuring the performance of maintenance service outsourcing.

PubMed

Cruz, Antonio Miguel; Rincon, Adriana Maria Rios; Haugan, Gregory L

2013-01-01

The aims of this paper are (1) to identify the characteristics of maintenance service providers that directly impact maintenance service quality, using 18 independent covariables; (2) to quantify the change in risk these covariables present to service quality, measured in terms of equipment turnaround time (TAT). A survey was applied to every maintenance service provider (n = 19) for characterization purposes. The equipment inventory was characterized, and the TAT variable recorded and monitored for every work order of each service provider (N = 1,025). Finally, the research team conducted a statistical analysis to accomplish the research objectives. The results of this study offer strong empirical evidence that the most influential variables affecting the quality of maintenance service performance are the following: type of maintenance, availability of spare parts in the country, user training, technological complexity of the equipment, distance between the company and the hospital, and the number of maintenance visits performed by the company. The strength of the results obtained by the Cox model built are supported by the measure of the Rp,e(2) = 0.57 with a value of Rp,e= 0.75. Thus, the model explained 57% of the variation in equipment TAT, with moderate high positive correlation between the dependent variable (TAT) and independent variables.

Design considerations for point-of-care clinical trials comparing methadone and buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence in pregnancy and for neonatal abstinence syndrome.

PubMed

Winhusen, Theresa; Wilder, Christine; Wexelblatt, Scott L; Theobald, Jeffrey; Hall, Eric S; Lewis, Daniel; Van Hook, James; Marcotte, Michael

2014-09-01

In recent years, the U.S. has experienced a significant increase in the prevalence of pregnant opioid-dependent women and of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which is caused by withdrawal from in-utero drug exposure. While methadone-maintenance currently is the standard of care for opioid dependence during pregnancy, research suggests that buprenorphine-maintenance may be associated with shorter infant hospital lengths of stay (LOS) relative to methadone-maintenance. There is no "gold standard" treatment for NAS but there is evidence that buprenorphine, relative to morphine or methadone, treatment may reduce LOS and length of treatment. Point-of-care clinical trial (POCCT) designs, maximizing external validity while reducing cost and complexity associated with classic randomized clinical trials, were selected for two planned trials to compare methadone to buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence during pregnancy and for NAS. This paper describes design considerations for the Medication-assisted treatment for Opioid-dependent expecting Mothers (MOMs; estimated N = 370) and Investigation of Narcotics for Ameliorating Neonatal abstinence syndrome on Time in hospital (INFANTs; estimated N = 284) POCCTs, both of which are randomized, intent-to-treat, two-group trials. Outcomes would be obtained from participants' electronic health record at three participating hospitals. Additionally, a subset of infants in the INFANTs POCCT would be from mothers in the MOMs POCCT and, thus, potential interaction between medication treatment of mother and infant could be evaluated. This pair of planned POCCTs would evaluate the comparative effectiveness of treatments for opioid dependence during pregnancy and for NAS. The results could have a significant impact on practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Importance of Fine-Scale Flow Processes and Food Availability in the Maintenance of Soft-Sediment Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-01

of the bottom sediments at a given site. From long time -series measurements of the flow and sediment-transport environment on Georges Bank...significantly affect flows and sediment transport depends, in part, on timing . Biological effects on seafloor stability may be more pronounced, for example...potentially can enhance particle retention time within the tube bed via skimming flow (described earlier), although it is unclear if natural populations of

Co-morbid pain and opioid addiction: Long term effect of opioid maintenance on acute pain

PubMed Central

Wachholtz, Amy; Gonzalez, Gerardo

2014-01-01

Introduction Medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence alters the pain experience. This study will evaluate changes pain sensitivity and tolerance with opioid treatments; and duration of this effect after treatment cessation. Method 120 individuals with chronic pain were recruited in 4 groups (n=30): 1-methadone for opioid addiction; 2-buprenorphine for opioid addiction; 3-history of opioid maintenance treatment for opioid addiction but with prolonged abstinence (M=121 weeks; SD=23.3); and 4-opioid naïve controls. Participants completed a psychological assessment and a cold water task including, time to first pain (sensitivity) and time to stopping the pain task (tolerance). Data analysis used survival analyses. Results A Kaplan-Meier-Cox survival analysis showed group differences for both pain sensitivity (Log rank=15.50; p<.001) and tolerance (Log rank=20.11; p<.001). Current or historical use of opioid maintenance resulted in differing pain sensitivity compared to opioid naïve (p’s<.01). However, tolerance to pain was better among those with a history of opioid maintenance compared to active methadone patients (p<.05), with the highest tolerance found among opioid naïve control group participants (p’s<.001). Correlations within the prolonged abstinent group indicated pain tolerance was significantly improved as length of opioid abstinence increased (R=.37; p<.05); but duration of abstinence did not alter sensitivity (ns). Conclusion Among individuals with a history of prolonged opioid maintenance, there appears to be long-term differences in pain sensitivity that do not resolve with discontinuation of opioid maintenance. Although pain sensitivity does not change, pain tolerance does improve after opioid maintenance cessation. Implications for treating co-morbid opioid addiction and pain (acute and chronic) are discussed. PMID:25456326

Co-morbid pain and opioid addiction: long term effect of opioid maintenance on acute pain.

PubMed

Wachholtz, Amy; Gonzalez, Gerardo

2014-12-01

Medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence alters the pain experience. This study will evaluate changes pain sensitivity and tolerance with opioid treatments; and duration of this effect after treatment cessation. 120 Individuals with chronic pain were recruited in 4 groups (N = 30): 1-methadone for opioid addiction; 2-buprenorphine for opioid addiction; 3-history of opioid maintenance treatment for opioid addiction but with prolonged abstinence (M = 121 weeks; SD = 23.3); and 4-opioid naïve controls. Participants completed a psychological assessment and a cold water task including, time to first pain (sensitivity) and time to stopping the pain task (tolerance). Data analysis used survival analyses. A Kaplan-Meier-Cox survival analysis showed group differences for both pain sensitivity (log rank = 15.50; p < .001) and tolerance (log rank = 20.11; p < .001). Current or historical use of opioid maintenance resulted in differing pain sensitivity compared to opioid naïve (p's < .01). However, tolerance to pain was better among those with a history of opioid maintenance compared to active methadone patients (p < .05), with the highest tolerance found among opioid naïve control group participants (p's < .001). Correlations within the prolonged abstinent group indicated pain tolerance was significantly improved as length of opioid abstinence increased (R = .37; p < .05); but duration of abstinence did not alter sensitivity (ns). Among individuals with a history of prolonged opioid maintenance, there appears to be long-term differences in pain sensitivity that do not resolve with discontinuation of opioid maintenance. Although pain sensitivity does not change, pain tolerance does improve after opioid maintenance cessation. Implications for treating co-morbid opioid addiction and pain (acute and chronic) are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treadmill exercise attenuates the severity of physical dependence, anxiety, depressive-like behavior and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Alizadeh, Maryam; Zahedi-Khorasani, Mahdi; Miladi-Gorji, Hossein

2018-05-30

This study was designed to examine whether treadmill exercise would attenuate the severity of physical dependence, methadone-induced anxiety, depression and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The rats were chronically treated with bi-daily doses (10 mg/kg, at 12 h intervals) of morphine for 14 days. The exercising rats receiving MMT were forced to run on a motorized treadmill for 30 days during morphine withdrawal. Then, rats were tested for the severity of morphine dependence, the elevated plus-maze (EPM), sucrose preference test (SPT) and voluntary morphine consumption using a two-bottle choice (TBC) paradigm. The results showed that naloxone- precipitated opioid withdrawal signs were decreased in exercising morphine-dependent rats receiving MMT than sedentary rats. Also, the exercising morphine-dependent rats receiving MMT exhibited an increased time on open arms, preference for sucrose and a lower morphine preference ratio than sedentary rats. We conclude that treadmill exercise decreased the severity of physical dependence, anxiety/depressive-like behaviors and also the voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving MMT. Thus, exercise may benefit in the treatment of addicts during MMT. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A maintenance time prediction method considering ergonomics through virtual reality simulation.

PubMed

Zhou, Dong; Zhou, Xin-Xin; Guo, Zi-Yue; Lv, Chuan

2016-01-01

Maintenance time is a critical quantitative index in maintainability prediction. An efficient maintenance time measurement methodology plays an important role in early stage of the maintainability design. While traditional way to measure the maintenance time ignores the differences between line production and maintenance action. This paper proposes a corrective MOD method considering several important ergonomics factors to predict the maintenance time. With the help of the DELMIA analysis tools, the influence coefficient of several factors are discussed to correct the MOD value and the designers can measure maintenance time by calculating the sum of the corrective MOD time of each maintenance therbligs. Finally a case study is introduced, by maintaining the virtual prototype of APU motor starter in DELMIA, designer obtains the actual maintenance time by the proposed method, and the result verifies the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.

Desipramine in opioid-dependent cocaine abusers maintained on buprenorphine vs methadone.

PubMed

Oliveto, A H; Feingold, A; Schottenfeld, R; Jatlow, P; Kosten, T R

1999-09-01

Cocaine abuse occurs in 40% to 60% of patients entering opioid maintenance treatment, and effective pharmacotherapies are needed for this combined dependence. This 13-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of desipramine hydrochloride (0 or 150 mg/d) plus buprenorphine hydrochloride (12 mg/d) or methadone hydrochloride (65 mg/d) in 180 opioid-dependent cocaine abusers (124 men, 56 women). Supervised urine samples were obtained thrice weekly, and self-reported cocaine and heroin use was reported once weekly. Desipramine plasma levels were determined at weeks 4 and 10. In men, opioid abstinence was increased more rapidly over time when treated with methadone than with buprenorphine, whereas cocaine abstinence was increased more with buprenorphine than with methadone. In women, opioid abstinence was increased the least rapidly when treated with buprenorphine plus placebo, while cocaine abstinence was increased more rapidly over time when treated with methadone than with buprenorphine. Regardless of sex or opioid medication, desipramine increased opioid and cocaine abstinence more rapidly over time than placebo. Self-reported opioid use confirmed these findings. Desipramine plasma levels were higher in women than in men, particularly those on buprenorphine maintenance. Higher desipramine plasma levels were associated with greater opioid, but not cocaine, abstinence. Desipramine may be a useful adjunctive medication in facilitating opioid and cocaine abstinence in opioid-maintained patients. The efficacy of opioid medications to treat opioid or cocaine dependence may differ by sex. These findings highlight the importance of including sex as a factor when examining treatment outcome in these types of trials.

Population-Level Density Dependence Influences the Origin and Maintenance of Parental Care

PubMed Central

Reyes, Elijah; Thrasher, Patsy; Bonsall, Michael B.; Klug, Hope

2016-01-01

Parental care is a defining feature of animal breeding systems. We now know that both basic life-history characteristics and ecological factors influence the evolution of care. However, relatively little is known about how these factors interact to influence the origin and maintenance of care. Here, we expand upon previous work and explore the relationship between basic life-history characteristics (stage-specific rates of mortality and maturation) and the fitness benefits associated with the origin and the maintenance of parental care for two broad ecological scenarios: the scenario in which egg survival is density dependent and the case in which adult survival is density dependent. Our findings suggest that high offspring need is likely critical in driving the origin, but not the maintenance, of parental care regardless of whether density dependence acts on egg or adult survival. In general, parental care is more likely to result in greater fitness benefits when baseline adult mortality is low if 1) egg survival is density dependent or 2) adult mortality is density dependent and mutant density is relatively high. When density dependence acts on egg mortality, low rates of egg maturation and high egg densities are less likely to lead to strong fitness benefits of care. However, when density dependence acts on adult mortality, high levels of egg maturation and increasing adult densities are less likely to maintain care. Juvenile survival has relatively little, if any, effect on the origin and maintenance of egg-only care. More generally, our results suggest that the evolution of parental care will be influenced by an organism’s entire life history characteristics, the stage at which density dependence acts, and whether care is originating or being maintained. PMID:27093056

Opioid dependence and substitution therapy: thymoquinone as potential novel supplement therapy for better outcome for methadone maintenance therapy substitution therapy

PubMed Central

Adnan, Liyana Hazwani Mohd; Bakar, Nor Hidayah Abu; Mohamad, Nasir

2014-01-01

Methadone is widely being used for opioid substitution therapy. However, the administration of methadone to opioid dependent individual is frequently accompanied by withdrawal syndrome and chemical dependency develops. Other than that, it is also difficult to retain patients in the treatment programme making their retention rates are decreasing over time. This article is written to higlights the potential use of prophetic medicines, Nigella sativa, as a supplement for opioid dependent receiving methadone. It focuses on the potential role of N. sativa and its major active compound, Thymoquinone (TQ) as a calcium channel blocking agent to reduce withdrawal syndrome and opioid dependency. PMID:25859295

[Maintenance treatment in opioid-dependent patients with migration background].

PubMed

Bald, L K; Schouler-Ocak, M; Penka, S; Schoofs, N; Häbel, T; Bermpohl, F; Gutwinski, S

2016-05-01

No regional analyses regarding opioid-dependent patients in maintenance treatment with a migration background have so far been performed in German-speaking countries. This study examined patients with and without a migration background regarding socioeconomic parameters, characteristics of dependency and attitude towards opiate maintenance treatment (OMT). From May to October 2011 patients in OMT from all of the 20 psychiatry clinics and 110 physician practices in Berlin with a licence to provide OMT were included in this analysis. Out of the 986 participating patients, 956 gave information on migration background and of these, 204 (21.3 %) originated from a country other than Germany. Compared to patients without a migration background, their participation in a maintenance program was significantly shorter and they more often expressed a desire to end OMT and wanted a limited duration of OMT. The differences regarding duration of OMT and the wish to end OMT can reflect a stronger desire for abstinence and a different attitude towards maintenance treatment of patients with a migration background.

Function of Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Factor in Sonic Hedgehog-Dependent Medulloblastoma Initiation and Maintenance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

Remodeling Factor in Sonic Hedgehog -Dependent Medulloblastoma Initiation and Maintenance PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Xuanming Shi CONTRACTING...5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0527 Function of Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Factor in Sonic Hedgehog -Dependent 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1...drug development and therapy of pediatric brain tumor and other Shh- dependent tumors. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Medulloblastoma, Sonic Hedgehog , Chromatin

On a model of the processes of maintaining a technological area by a manipulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghukasyan, A. A.; Ordyan, A. Ya

2018-04-01

The research refers to the results of mathematical modeling of the process of maintaining a technological area which consists of unstable or fixed objects (targets) and a controlled multi-link manipulator [1–9]. It is assumed that, in the maintenance process, the dynamic characteristics and the phase vector of the manipulator state can change at certain finite times depending on the mass of the cargo or instrument [10, 11]. Some controllability problems are investigated in the case where the manipulator motion on each maintenance interval is described by linear differential equations with constant coefficients and the motions of the objects are given.

Computational simulation of laser heat processing of materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shankar, Vijaya; Gnanamuthu, Daniel

1987-04-01

A computational model simulating the laser heat treatment of AISI 4140 steel plates with a CW CO2 laser beam has been developed on the basis of the three-dimensional, time-dependent heat equation (subject to the appropriate boundary conditions). The solution method is based on Newton iteration applied to a triple-approximate factorized form of the equation. The method is implicit and time-accurate; the maintenance of time-accuracy in the numerical formulation is noted to be critical for the simulation of finite length workpieces with a finite laser beam dwell time.

The Impact of Storage on Processing: How Is Information Maintained in Working Memory?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vergauwe, Evie; Camos, Valérie; Barrouillet, Pierre

2014-01-01

Working memory is typically defined as a system devoted to the simultaneous maintenance and processing of information. However, the interplay between these 2 functions is still a matter of debate in the literature, with views ranging from complete independence to complete dependence. The time-based resource-sharing model assumes that a central…

GABA-Mediated Presynaptic Inhibition Is Required for Precision of Long-Term Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Patrick K.; Dulka, Brooke N.; Ortiz, Samantha; Riccio, David C.; Jasnow, Aaron M.

2014-01-01

Though much attention has been given to the neural structures that underlie the long-term consolidation of contextual memories, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of memory precision. Here, we demonstrate a rapid time-dependent decline in memory precision in GABA [subscript B(1a)] receptor knockout mice. First, we…

Atypical PKCs in Memory Maintenance: The Roles of Feedback and Redundancy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jalil, Sajiya J.; Sacktor, Todd Charlton; Shouval, Harel Z.

2015-01-01

Memories that last a lifetime are thought to be stored, at least in part, as persistent enhancement of the strength of particular synapses. The synaptic mechanism of these persistent changes, late long-term potentiation (L-LTP), depends on the state and number of specific synaptic proteins. Synaptic proteins, however, have limited dwell times due…

Automated system for definition of life-cycle resources of electromechanical equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukovskiy, Y.; Koteleva, N.

2017-02-01

The frequency of maintenance of electromechanical equipment depends on the plant, which uses and runs this equipment. Very often the maintenance frequency is poorly correlated with the actual state of the electromechanical equipment. Furthermore, traditional methods of diagnosis sometimes cannot work without stopping the process (for example, for equipment located in hard to reach places) and so the maintenance costs are increased. This problem can be solved using the indirect methods of diagnosing of the electromechanical equipment. The indirect methods often use the parameters in the real time and seldom use the parameters of traditional diagnostic methods for determination of the resource of electromechanical equipment. This article is dedicated to developing the structure of a special automated control system. This system must use the big flow of the information about the direct and indirect parameters of the equipment state from plants from different areas of industry and factories which produce the electromechanical equipment.

The effects of Crew Resource Mangement (CRM) training in airline maintenance: Results following three years' experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, J. C.; Robertson, M. M.

1995-01-01

This report describes three years' evaluation of the effects of one airline's Crew Resources Management (CRM) training operation for maintenance. This evaluation focuses on the post-training attitudes of maintenance managers' and technical support professionals, their reported behaviors, and the safety, efficiency and dependable maintenance performance of their units. The results reveal a strong positive effect of the training. The overall program represents the use of CRM training as a long-term commitment to improving performance through effective communication at all levels in airline maintenance operations. The initial findings described in our previous progress reports are reinforced and elaborated here. The current results benefit from the entire pre-post training survey, which now represents total attendance of all managers and staff professionals. Additionally there are now full results from the two-month, six-month, and 12-month follow-up questionnaires, together with as many as 33 months of post-training performance data, using several indicators. In this present report, we examine participants' attitudes, their reported behaviors following the training, the performance of their work units, and the relationships among these variables. Attitudes include those measured immediately before and after the training as well as participants' attitudes months after their training. Performance includes measures, by work units, of on-time flight departures, on-schedule maintenance releases, occupational and aircraft safety, and efficient labor costs. We report changes in these performance measures following training, as well their relationships with the training participants' attitudes. Highlights of results from this training program include increased safety and improved costs associated with positive attitudes about the use of more assertive communication, and the improved management of stress. Improved on-time performance is also related to those improved attitudes, as well as favorable attitudes about participative management.

Role of protein kinase C in the induction and maintenance of serotonin-dependent enhancement of the glutamate response in isolated siphon motor neurons of Aplysia californica.

PubMed

Villareal, Greg; Li, Quan; Cai, Diancai; Fink, Ann E; Lim, Travis; Bougie, Joanna K; Sossin, Wayne S; Glanzman, David L

2009-04-22

Serotonin (5-HT) mediates learning-related facilitation of sensorimotor synapses in Aplysia californica. Under some circumstances 5-HT-dependent facilitation requires the activity of protein kinase C (PKC). One critical site of PKC's contribution to 5-HT-dependent synaptic facilitation is the presynaptic sensory neuron. Here, we provide evidence that postsynaptic PKC also contributes to synaptic facilitation. We investigated the contribution of PKC to enhancement of the glutamate-evoked potential (Glu-EP) in isolated siphon motor neurons in cell culture. A 10 min application of either 5-HT or phorbol ester, which activates PKC, produced persistent (> 50 min) enhancement of the Glu-EP. Chelerythrine and bisindolylmaleimide-1 (Bis), two inhibitors of PKC, both blocked the induction of 5-HT-dependent enhancement. An inhibitor of calpain, a calcium-dependent protease, also blocked 5-HT's effect. Interestingly, whereas chelerythrine blocked maintenance of the enhancement, Bis did not. Because Bis has greater selectivity for conventional and novel isoforms of PKC than for atypical isoforms, this result implicates an atypical isoform in the maintenance of 5-HT's effect. Although induction of enhancement of the Glu-EP requires protein synthesis (Villareal et al., 2007), we found that maintenance of the enhancement does not. Maintenance of 5-HT-dependent enhancement appears to be mediated by a PKM-type fragment generated by calpain-dependent proteolysis of atypical PKC. Together, our results suggest that 5-HT treatment triggers two phases of PKC activity within the motor neuron, an early phase that may involve conventional, novel or atypical isoforms of PKC, and a later phase that selectively involves an atypical isoform.

Current and Potential Pharmacological Treatment Options for Maintenance Therapy in Opioid-Dependent Individuals

PubMed Central

Tetrault, Jeanette M.; Fiellin, David A.

2013-01-01

Opioid dependence, manifesting as addiction to heroin and pharmaceutical opioids is increasing. Internationally, there are an estimated 15.6 million illicit opioid users. The global economic burden of opioid dependence is profound both in terms of HIV and hepatitis C virus transmission, direct healthcare costs, and indirectly through criminal activity, absenteeism and lost productivity. Opioid agonist medications, such as methadone and buprenorphine, that stabilize neuronal systems and provide narcotic blockade are the most effective treatments. Prolonged provision of these medications, defined as maintenance treatment, typically produces improved outcomes when compared with short-duration tapers and withdrawal. The benefits of opioid agonist maintenance include decreased illicit drug use, improved retention in treatment, decreased HIV risk behaviours and decreased criminal behaviour. While regulations vary by country, these medications are becoming increasingly available internationally, especially in regions experiencing rapid transmission of HIV due to injection drug use. In this review, we describe the rationale for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence, discuss emerging uses of opioid antagonists such as naltrexone, and sustained-release formulations of naltrexone and buprenorphine, and provide a description of the experimental therapies. PMID:22235870

Maintenance pharmacotherapy normalizes the relapse curve in recently abstinent tobacco smokers with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Evins, A Eden; Hoeppner, Susanne S; Schoenfeld, David A; Hoeppner, Bettina B; Cather, Corinne; Pachas, Gladys N; Cieslak, Kristina M; Maravic, Melissa Culhane

2017-05-01

To compare the effect of maintenance pharmacotherapy on sustained abstinence rates between recently abstinent smokers with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (SBD) and general population smokers without psychiatric illness. We performed a person-level, pooled analysis of two randomized controlled trials of maintenance varenicline, conducted in adult smokers with SBD and general population smokers, controlling for severity of dependence. Smokers abstinent after 12-weeks of open varenicline treatment were randomly assigned to ≥12-weeks maintenance varenicline or identical placebo. In those assigned to maintenance placebo, the abstinence rate at week-24 was lower in those with SBD than for those without psychiatric illness (29.4±1.1% vs. 61.8±0.4%, OR:0.26, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.52, p<0.001). In smokers assigned to maintenance pharmacotherapy, however, there was no effect of diagnosis on abstinence rates at week-24 (87.2±0.8% vs. 81.9±0.2%, OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 0.53, 5.32, p=0.38). Time to first lapse was shortest in those with SBD assigned to maintenance placebo (Q1=12days, 95%CI: 4, 16), longer in those without psychiatric illness assigned to maintenance placebo (Q1=17days, 95%CI: 17, 29), still longer in general-population smokers assigned to maintenance varenicline (Q1=88, 95% CI:58,91, and longest in those with SBD who received maintenance varenicline (Q1>95days, 95%CI:non-est), (Χ 2 3df =96.99, p<0.0001; all pairwise comparisons p<0.001). Following a standard 12-week course of pharmacotherapy, people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were more likely to relapse to smoking without maintenance varenicline treatment. Maintenance pharmacotherapy could improve longer-term tobacco abstinence rates and reduce known smoking-related health disparities in those with SMI. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stochastic Availability of a Repairable System with an Age - and Maintenance - Dependent Failure Rate,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

STOCKATZC LV AaMIQ.YN 0gp M@lIm iii s m -r ANAs WgLMSZIb 940=04 WoeU-O PolytechnicInstitute June 1982 Stochastic Availability of a Repairable System ...STOCHASTIC AVAILABILITY OF A REPAIRABLE SYSTEM WITH AN AGE AND MAINTENANCE DEPENDENT FAILURE RATE by JACK-KANG CHAN June 1982 Report No..Poly EE/CS 82-004...1.1 Concepts of System Availability 1 1.2 Maintenance and Failure Rate 7 1.3 Summary Chapter 2 SYSTEM4 MODEL 2.1 A Repairable System with Lintenance

Eye Movement Evidence of Attentional Bias for Substance-Related Cues in Heroin Dependents on Methadone Maintenance Therapy.

PubMed

Zhao, Hui; Yang, Bo; Zhu, Qian; Zhang, Guangqun; Xiao, Yuqin; Guo, Xiao; Huang, Xiu; Zhang, Zhuo

2017-03-21

Attentional biases toward substance-related stimuli might play a contributing role in addictive behaviors. This study investigated the selective attention to substance-related stimuli in heroin dependents receiving methadone maintenance therapy. Thirty outpatients receiving methadone maintenance treatment for heroin dependence and 38 healthy controls completed a visual probe task with concurrent eye movement monitoring. The results showed that the heroin group reacted faster to probes associated with substance-related pictures than neutral pictures, and they directed more initial fixations and maintained longer initial fixation durations toward substance-related pictures than neutral pictures. However, attentional bias was not correlated with addiction severity in the heroin group. These findings suggest that attentional bias towards substance-related cues occurs in heroin dependents, although this bias might not be associated with the severity of drug-using behavior.

Air Vehicle Integration and Technology Research (AVIATR). Task Order 0003: Condition-Based Maintenance Plus Structural Integrity (CBM+SI) Demonstration (April 2011 to August 2011)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

investigated. Implementation of this technology into the maintenance framework depends on several factors, including safety of the structural system, cost... Maintenance Parameters The F-15 Program has indicated that, in practice , maintenance actions are generally performed on flight hour multiples of 200...Risk Analysis or the Perform Cost Benefit Analysis sections of the flowchart. 4.6. Determine System Configurations The current maintenance practice

Optimum random and age replacement policies for customer-demand multi-state system reliability under imperfect maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yen-Luan; Chang, Chin-Chih; Sheu, Dwan-Fang

2016-04-01

This paper proposes the generalised random and age replacement policies for a multi-state system composed of multi-state elements. The degradation of the multi-state element is assumed to follow the non-homogeneous continuous time Markov process which is a continuous time and discrete state process. A recursive approach is presented to efficiently compute the time-dependent state probability distribution of the multi-state element. The state and performance distribution of the entire multi-state system is evaluated via the combination of the stochastic process and the Lz-transform method. The concept of customer-centred reliability measure is developed based on the system performance and the customer demand. We develop the random and age replacement policies for an aging multi-state system subject to imperfect maintenance in a failure (or unacceptable) state. For each policy, the optimum replacement schedule which minimises the mean cost rate is derived analytically and discussed numerically.

Working Memory in the Processing of Long-Distance Dependencies: Interference and Filler Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ness, Tal; Meltzer-Asscher, Aya

2017-01-01

During the temporal delay between the filler and gap sites in long-distance dependencies, the "active filler" strategy can be implemented in two ways: the filler phrase can be actively maintained in working memory ("maintenance account"), or it can be retrieved only when the parser posits a gap ("retrieval account").…

Centrioles initiate cilia assembly but are dispensable for maturation and maintenance in C. elegans.

PubMed

Serwas, Daniel; Su, Tiffany Y; Roessler, Max; Wang, Shaohe; Dammermann, Alexander

2017-06-05

Cilia are cellular projections that assemble on centriole-derived basal bodies. While cilia assembly is absolutely dependent on centrioles, it is not known to what extent they contribute to downstream events. The nematode C. elegans provides a unique opportunity to address this question, as centrioles do not persist at the base of mature cilia. Using fluorescence microscopy and electron tomography, we find that centrioles degenerate early during ciliogenesis. The transition zone and axoneme are not completely formed at this time, indicating that cilia maturation does not depend on intact centrioles. The hydrolethalus syndrome protein HYLS-1 is the only centriolar protein known to remain at the base of mature cilia and is required for intraflagellar transport trafficking. Surprisingly, targeted degradation of HYLS-1 after initiation of ciliogenesis does not affect ciliary structures. Taken together, our results indicate that while centrioles are essential to initiate cilia formation, they are dispensable for cilia maturation and maintenance. © 2017 Serwas et al.

Centrioles initiate cilia assembly but are dispensable for maturation and maintenance in C. elegans

PubMed Central

Roessler, Max

2017-01-01

Cilia are cellular projections that assemble on centriole-derived basal bodies. While cilia assembly is absolutely dependent on centrioles, it is not known to what extent they contribute to downstream events. The nematode C. elegans provides a unique opportunity to address this question, as centrioles do not persist at the base of mature cilia. Using fluorescence microscopy and electron tomography, we find that centrioles degenerate early during ciliogenesis. The transition zone and axoneme are not completely formed at this time, indicating that cilia maturation does not depend on intact centrioles. The hydrolethalus syndrome protein HYLS-1 is the only centriolar protein known to remain at the base of mature cilia and is required for intraflagellar transport trafficking. Surprisingly, targeted degradation of HYLS-1 after initiation of ciliogenesis does not affect ciliary structures. Taken together, our results indicate that while centrioles are essential to initiate cilia formation, they are dispensable for cilia maturation and maintenance. PMID:28411189

Cognitive Load and Maintenance Rehearsal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe; and Jonides, John

1984-01-01

Studies the much-debated issue of the role of rote, repetitive rehearsal (maintenance rehearsal) on the establishment of memory traces that outlast the rehearsal process itself. Results show that there is an effect of maintenance rehearsal on long-term recognition performance and that this effect depends on the mental resources devoted to the…

Impact of Shutting Down En Route Primary Radars within CONUS Interior

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

Remote Control Interface Unit ( RCIU ) RMS software for the primary radar will be deleted. Any dependency of the secondary radar on the primary radar data...Generators RCIU Remote Control and Interface Unit RMM Remote Monitoring and Maintenance RMMS Remote Maintenance Monitoring System RMS Remote Maintenance

A time series approach to estimating the economic impacts of exogenous events on a local economy

Treesearch

Chi-Ok Oh; Robert B. Ditton

2007-01-01

Achieving the economic impacts associated with recreational fishing depends considerably on the maintenance of high-quality fishery resources. As fishing quality declines at a lake, anglers are likely to divert their activity to other water bodies reachable at similar travel cost. In 2001, a series of the abrupt events, namely, an outbreak of harmful algal blooms,...

Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis on a maintenance hemodialysis patient.

PubMed

Ohsawa, I; Ohi, H; Maruyama, T; Hamada, H; Tomino, Y

2007-08-01

A 57-year-old-woman, who was treated with regular maintenance hemodialysis (HD), newly contracted rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Oral predonisolone was effective for alleviating her arthralgia but the RA activity became steroid-dependent. For treatment of poorly controlled synovitis leukocytapheresis (LCAP) showed excellent efficacy in the treatment of her joint pain. No serious adverse effects were observed. Serological markers such as CRP, serum amyloid A, matrix metalloproteinase 3 and peripheral blood lymphocyte count fluctuated with her clinical symptoms. We recommend LCAP as candidate therapy for steroid-dependent patients with RA who are on maintenance HD.

Recent advances in post autologous transplantation maintenance therapies in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

PubMed Central

Epperla, Narendranath; Fenske, Timothy S; Hari, Parameswaran N; Hamadani, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Lymphomas constitute the second most common indication for high dose therapy (HDT) followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT). The intent of administering HDT in these heterogeneous disorders varies from cure (e.g., in relapsed aggressive lymphomas) to disease control (e.g., most indolent lymphomas). Regardless of the underlying histology or remission status at transplantation, disease relapse remains the number one cause of post auto-HCT therapy failure and mortality. The last decade has seen a proliferation of clinical studies looking at prevention of post auto-HCT therapy failure with various maintenance strategies. The benefit of such therapies is in turn dependent on disease histology and timing of transplantation. In relapsed, chemosensitive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), although post auto-HCT maintenance rituximab seems to be safe and feasible, it does not provide improved survival outcomes and is not recommended. The preliminary results with anti- programmed death -1 (PD-1) antibody therapy as post auto-HCT maintenance in DLBCL is promising but requires randomized validation. Similarly in follicular lymphoma, maintenance therapies including rituximab following auto-HCT should be considered investigational and offered only on a clinical trial. Rituximab maintenance results in improved progression-free survival but has not yet shown to improve overall survival in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), but given the poor prognosis with post auto-HCT failure in MCL, maintenance rituximab can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Ongoing trials evaluating the efficacy of post auto-HCT maintenance with novel compounds (e.g., immunomodulators, PD-1 inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors and bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors) will likely change the practice landscape in the near future for B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas patients following HDT and auto-HCT. PMID:26421260

Post-autologous transplant maintenance therapies in lymphoid malignancies: are we there yet?

PubMed

Epperla, N; Fenske, T S; Lazarus, H M; Hamadani, M

2015-11-01

Disease relapse after autologous hematopoietic transplant (auto-HCT) remains the number one cause of post-transplant therapy failure and mortality. The last decade has seen a proliferation of clinical studies looking at the prevention of post-auto-HCT therapy failure with various maintenance strategies. The benefit of such therapies is in turn dependent on disease histology and timing of transplantation. Although high dose therapy (HDT) provides durable responses in chemosensitive relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a sizable subset experiences disease relapse. Unfortunately, the addition of rituximab as a post-auto-HCT maintenance strategy did not improve survival outcomes. The preliminary results with programmed death -1 (PD-1) Ab as post-auto maintenance in DLBCL is promising but requires randomized validation. In follicular lymphoma, the 5- and 10-year PFS rates are ~60% and 31%, respectively. Although the addition of rituximab improved PFS, there is no survival benefit, to date. Disease relapse after auto-HCT in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is not uncommon. Rituximab maintenance in this setting provides a PFS benefit. Given the poor prognosis of post-auto-HCT failures in MCL, maintenance can be considered on a case-by-case basis. In chemosensitive relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma, addition of brentuximab vedotin after auto-HCT improved 2-year PFS (65 vs 45%) and can be considered as an option for maintenance therapy post auto-HCT, in select higher risk patients. Ongoing trials evaluating the efficacy of post-auto-HCT maintenance with novel agents (for example, immunomodulators, proteasome inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors, Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors and so on) will likely change the practice landscape for lymphoma patients following HDT and auto-HCT.

76 FR 53348 - Airworthiness Directives; BAE SYSTEMS (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 Airplanes and Model Avro...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... Maintenance Manual (AMM) includes chapters 05-10 ``Time Limits'', 05-15 ``Critical Design Configuration... 05, ``Time Limits/Maintenance Checks,'' of BAe 146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series Aircraft Maintenance... Chapter 05, ``Time Limits/ Maintenance Checks,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS (Operations) Limited BAe 146 Series...

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.

A genetic and developmental pathway from STAT3 to the OCT4–NANOG circuit is essential for maintenance of ICM lineages in vivo

PubMed Central

Do, Dang Vinh; Ueda, Jun; Messerschmidt, Daniel M.; Lorthongpanich, Chanchao; Zhou, Yi; Feng, Bo; Guo, Guoji; Lin, Peiyu J.; Hossain, Md Zakir; Zhang, Wenjun; Moh, Akira; Wu, Qiang; Robson, Paul; Ng, Huck Hui; Poellinger, Lorenz; Knowles, Barbara B.; Solter, Davor; Fu, Xin-Yuan

2013-01-01

Although it is known that OCT4–NANOG are required for maintenance of pluripotent cells in vitro, the upstream signals that regulate this circuit during early development in vivo have not been identified. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3)-dependent regulation of the OCT4–NANOG circuitry necessary to maintain the pluripotent inner cell mass (ICM), the source of in vitro-derived embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We show that STAT3 is highly expressed in mouse oocytes and becomes phosphorylated and translocates to the nucleus in the four-cell and later stage embryos. Using leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif)-null embryos, we found that STAT3 phosphorylation is dependent on LIF in four-cell stage embryos. In blastocysts, interleukin 6 (IL-6) acts in an autocrine fashion to ensure STAT3 phosphorylation, mediated by janus kinase 1 (JAK1), a LIF- and IL-6-dependent kinase. Using genetically engineered mouse strains to eliminate Stat3 in oocytes and embryos, we firmly establish that STAT3 is essential for maintenance of ICM lineages but not for ICM and trophectoderm formation. Indeed, STAT3 directly binds to the Oct4 and Nanog distal enhancers, modulating their expression to maintain pluripotency of mouse embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. These results provide a novel genetic model of cell fate determination operating through STAT3 in the preimplantation embryo and pluripotent stem cells in vivo. PMID:23788624

76 FR 64785 - Airworthiness Directives; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (EMBRAER) Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-19

...--Internal, of Chapter 5, Time Limits Maintenance Checks, of EMBRAER EMB145 Aircraft Maintenance Manual, Part...--Tail Cone Fairing--Internal, of Chapter 5, Time Limits Maintenance Checks, of EMBRAER EMB145 Aircraft... Maintenance Checks, of EMBRAER EMB145 Aircraft Maintenance Manual, Part II, AMM-145/1124, Revision 54, dated...

Persistence of transgene expression influences CD8+ T-cell expansion and maintenance following immunization with recombinant adenovirus.

PubMed

Finn, Jonathan D; Bassett, Jennifer; Millar, James B; Grinshtein, Natalie; Yang, Teng Chih; Parsons, Robin; Evelegh, Carole; Wan, Yonghong; Parks, Robin J; Bramson, Jonathan L

2009-12-01

Previous studies determined that the CD8(+) T-cell response elicited by recombinant adenovirus exhibited a protracted contraction phase that was associated with long-term presentation of antigen. To gain further insight into this process, a doxycycline-regulated adenovirus was constructed to enable controlled extinction of transgene expression in vivo. We investigated the impact of premature termination of transgene expression at various time points (day 3 to day 60) following immunization. When transgene expression was terminated before the maximum response had been attained, overall expansion was attenuated, yielding a small memory population. When transgene expression was terminated between day 13 and day 30, the memory population was not sustained, demonstrating that the early memory population was antigen dependent. Extinction of transgene expression at day 60 had no obvious impact on memory maintenance, indicating that maintenance of the memory population may ultimately become independent of transgene expression. Premature termination of antigen expression had significant but modest effects on the phenotype and cytokine profile of the memory population. These results offer new insights into the mechanisms of memory CD8(+) T-cell maintenance following immunization with a recombinant adenovirus.

Outsourcing versus in-house maintenance of medical devices: a longitudinal, empirical study.

PubMed

Miguel-Cruz, Antonio; Rios-Rincón, Adriana; Haugan, Gregory L

2014-03-01

To determine what factors have a significant influence on the performance of medical device maintenance outsourcing, and to determine how the performance of external governance structures differs depending on whether a hospital is private or public. This was a longitudinal study of 590 maintenance transactions at 20 hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia, involving 764 medical devices and 72 maintenance service providers. Maintenance performance data (i.e., turn-around time in hours; TAT) for the service providers (either in-house or outsourced) were primarily collected over a 20-month period, from December 2009-August 2011, by means of a monitoring procedure; then, a hazards model was run. The availability of specific repair parts, in-stock, in the city in which the medical devices were located, had a positive impact on the performance of both internal and external governance structures. Online service also had a positive impact on both, with a stronger positive impact on the performance of internal governance than on that of external governance. For transactions governed by external structures, better performance was seen in private hospitals than in public ones. In public health institutions, internal governance showed better performance than external governance. Both internal and external governance structures showed better performance in private healthcare institutions than in public ones. In public health institutions, internal governance shows better performance than external governance; this suggests that healthcare managers should reconsider the trend to eliminate in-house maintenance service staff in public healthcare institutions.

Evaluation of vaccine cold chain in urban health centers of municipal corporation of surat city, Western India.

PubMed

Naik, Ashish K; Rupani, Mihir P; Bansal, R K

2013-12-01

The success of immunization depends highly on the level of cold chain maintenance. The aim of the study was to assess the condition of cold chain equipment, practices adopted for cold chain maintenance and knowledge of the vaccinators. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in 20 UHCs of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). Cold chain equipment were observed with regards to their condition, along with the practices adopted by vaccinators for cold chain maintenance. A pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used to interview the vaccinators regarding their knowledge and awareness regarding cold chain practices, management and handling. Data were entered and analyzed using Epi Info v 3.5.1. Simple proportions were calculated. Absence of separate stabilizer for deep freezers and ILRs (85%), ill-maintained temperature-record register, lack of criss-cross pattern of ice packs in deep freezer (65%), presence of things other than ice packs in deep freezer (10%) and things other than vaccines in ILR (10%) indicate poor cold chain maintenance. In addition to this, expired vaccines in ILR (5%), vaccines in the "unusable" stages of VVM (15%), lack of emergency contact number nearby in case of cold chain failure (85%), lack of inverter (85%), lack of generator (85%) and failure to note time of reconstitution on the vaccine vial at the time of vaccination (25%) indicate poor cold chain practices. Lack of knowledge of defrosting of ILR and deep freezer (45%), lack of knowledge about Shake test (40%), lack of knowledge of temperature range to be maintained in deep freezer (70%) and in ILR (15%) indicate poor knowledge of vaccinators. Cold chain maintenance and practices need improvement. Knowledge of vaccinators was overall unsatisfactory.

Method and computer program product for maintenance and modernization backlogging

DOEpatents

Mattimore, Bernard G; Reynolds, Paul E; Farrell, Jill M

2013-02-19

According to one embodiment, a computer program product for determining future facility conditions includes a computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored therein. The computer readable program code includes computer readable program code for calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, for calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and for calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method for calculating future facility conditions includes calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. Other embodiments are also presented.

Investigation of the ADA Language Implementation of the Hellenic Command Control and Information System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

libary packages which support machine dependent physical interfaces, interrupt structures or special devices. Thus, programs and libraries written in...obtains real-time data, makes and imple- ments decisions and receives and originates digital messages. The major equipment items which are appropriate...maintenance. g. Provide digital communications access processing. Each microcomputer can be programmed to perform a specific set of functions using prepared

Value of information of repair times for offshore wind farm maintenance planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyr, Helene; Muskulus, Michael

2016-09-01

A large contribution to the total cost of energy in offshore wind farms is due to maintenance costs. In recent years research has focused therefore on lowering the maintenance costs using different approaches. Decision support models for scheduling the maintenance exist already, dealing with different factors influencing the scheduling. Our contribution deals with the uncertainty in the repair times. Given the mean repair times for different turbine components we make some assumptions regarding the underlying repair time distribution. We compare the results of a decision support model for the mean times to repair and those repair time distributions. Additionally, distributions with the same mean but different variances are compared under the same conditions. The value of lowering the uncertainty in the repair time is calculated and we find that using distributions significantly decreases the availability, when scheduling maintenance for multiple turbines in a wind park. Having detailed information about the repair time distribution may influence the results of maintenance modeling and might help identify cost factors.

The contributions of visual and central attention to visual working memory.

PubMed

Souza, Alessandra S; Oberauer, Klaus

2017-10-01

We investigated the role of two kinds of attention-visual and central attention-for the maintenance of visual representations in working memory (WM). In Experiment 1 we directed attention to individual items in WM by presenting cues during the retention interval of a continuous delayed-estimation task, and instructing participants to think of the cued items. Attending to items improved recall commensurate with the frequency with which items were attended (0, 1, or 2 times). Experiments 1 and 3 further tested which kind of attention-visual or central-was involved in WM maintenance. We assessed the dual-task costs of two types of distractor tasks, one tapping sustained visual attention and one tapping central attention. Only the central attention task yielded substantial dual-task costs, implying that central attention substantially contributes to maintenance of visual information in WM. Experiment 2 confirmed that the visual-attention distractor task was demanding enough to disrupt performance in a task relying on visual attention. We combined the visual-attention and the central-attention distractor tasks with a multiple object tracking (MOT) task. Distracting visual attention, but not central attention, impaired MOT performance. Jointly, the three experiments provide a double dissociation between visual and central attention, and between visual WM and visual object tracking: Whereas tracking multiple targets across the visual filed depends on visual attention, visual WM depends mostly on central attention.

Tramadol for maintenance in opioid dependence: A retrospective chart review.

PubMed

Sarkar, Siddharth; Lal, Rakesh; Varshney, Mohit; Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh

Tramadol is an opioid agonist which can be potentially used for maintenance treatment of patients with opioid use disorders. This chart review presents the characteristics of individuals with an ICD 10 diagnosis of opioid dependence who were maintained on tramadol for a period of at least 6 months. Records of patients seeking treatment for opioid dependence from the outpatient clinic of the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, Ghaziabad, India were screened. One hundred consecutive patients who received tramadol for more than 6 months were included. The sample comprised exclusively of males and had a mean age of 40.9 years. The median dose of tramadol at initiation and continuation was 300 mg/day. Sixty-two patients achieved complete abstinence during the course of treatment. Greater age, longer duration of opioid use, and better follow-up adherence were associated with abstinent status. The rates of abstinence were higher among those presenting with natural opioid use as compared to others (prescription opioid use or heroin use). Tramadol can be an alternative medication for harm reduction in select group of patients with opioid dependence. Further research is required to strengthen the evidence base of rational use of tramadol for maintenance treatment of patients with opioid dependence.

Gender differences in substance use patterns and disorders among an Iranian patient sample receiving methadone maintenance treatment

PubMed Central

Ghaderi, Amir; Motmaen, Maryam; Abdi, Iraj; Rasouli-Azad, Morad

2017-01-01

Background The current prevalence rate of substance abuse and dependence, represents an increasing trend of substance abuse and dependence among women, and the results of epidemiology studies indicate that substance use patterns are different between men and women. This study aimed to determine gender differences in substance use patterns and disorders among the patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted throughout a specified time bracket ranging from September 2012 through March 2013 in Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) clinics of Mashhad, Iran. In this study, 140 men and 120 women were selected from among the patients referring to MMT clinics in Mashhad through purposeful sampling method. The sample units were assessed using a demographic information questionnaire and Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID). The data were then analyzed by Chi Square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Independent-samples t-test. SPSS software 16 was used to conduct statistical analyses with P values less than 0.05 regarded as significant. Results The results showed that men and women are significantly different from each other in terms of marital status (p=0.001), education (p=0.001), income (p=0.001), history of injection (p=0.002), imprisonment (p=0.001), and substance use abstention (p=0.023). It was also revealed that methamphetamine dependence (p=0.017) and simultaneous use of multiple substances (p=0.001) in the past 12 months were diagnosed, to a larger extent, in male participants than those in female participants. In addition, the diagnoses of nicotine dependence (p=0.001), cannabis abuse (p=0.001), heroin dependence (p=0.001), and substance abuse and alcohol dependence (p=0.001) during a lifetime were more frequently existing in males than those in females. Conclusion There are gender differences in substance use patterns and disorders that appear to be caused by the degree of access to substances and the impacts of cultural and social aspects on men and women in Iran. PMID:29038721

Gender differences in substance use patterns and disorders among an Iranian patient sample receiving methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Ghaderi, Amir; Motmaen, Maryam; Abdi, Iraj; Rasouli-Azad, Morad

2017-09-01

The current prevalence rate of substance abuse and dependence, represents an increasing trend of substance abuse and dependence among women, and the results of epidemiology studies indicate that substance use patterns are different between men and women. This study aimed to determine gender differences in substance use patterns and disorders among the patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. This cross-sectional study was conducted throughout a specified time bracket ranging from September 2012 through March 2013 in Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) clinics of Mashhad, Iran. In this study, 140 men and 120 women were selected from among the patients referring to MMT clinics in Mashhad through purposeful sampling method. The sample units were assessed using a demographic information questionnaire and Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID). The data were then analyzed by Chi Square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Independent-samples t-test. SPSS software 16 was used to conduct statistical analyses with P values less than 0.05 regarded as significant. The results showed that men and women are significantly different from each other in terms of marital status (p=0.001), education (p=0.001), income (p=0.001), history of injection (p=0.002), imprisonment (p=0.001), and substance use abstention (p=0.023). It was also revealed that methamphetamine dependence (p=0.017) and simultaneous use of multiple substances (p=0.001) in the past 12 months were diagnosed, to a larger extent, in male participants than those in female participants. In addition, the diagnoses of nicotine dependence (p=0.001), cannabis abuse (p=0.001), heroin dependence (p=0.001), and substance abuse and alcohol dependence (p=0.001) during a lifetime were more frequently existing in males than those in females. There are gender differences in substance use patterns and disorders that appear to be caused by the degree of access to substances and the impacts of cultural and social aspects on men and women in Iran.

A proven approach for more effective software development and maintenance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pajerski, Rose; Hall, Dana; Sinclair, Craig

1994-01-01

Modern space flight mission operations and associated ground data systems are increasingly dependent upon reliable, quality software. Critical functions such as command load preparation, health and status monitoring, communications link scheduling and conflict resolution, and transparent gateway protocol conversion are routinely performed by software. Given budget constraints and the ever increasing capabilities of processor technology, the next generation of control centers and data systems will be even more dependent upon software across all aspects of performance. A key challenge now is to implement improved engineering, management, and assurance processes for the development and maintenance of that software; processes that cost less, yield higher quality products, and that self-correct for continual improvement evolution. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has a unique experience base that can be readily tapped to help solve the software challenge. Over the past eighteen years, the Software Engineering Laboratory within the code 500 Flight Dynamics Division has evolved a software development and maintenance methodology that accommodates the unique characteristics of an organization while optimizing and continually improving the organization's software capabilities. This methodology relies upon measurement, analysis, and feedback much analogous to that of control loop systems. It is an approach with a time-tested track record proven through repeated applications across a broad range of operational software development and maintenance projects. This paper describes the software improvement methodology employed by the Software Engineering Laboratory, and how it has been exploited within the Flight Dynamics Division with GSFC Code 500. Examples of specific improvement in the software itself and its processes are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the methodology. Finally, the initial findings are given when this methodology was applied across the mission operations and ground data systems software domains throughout Code 500.

Dronabinol for the Treatment of Cannabis Dependence: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Levin, Frances R.; Mariani, John J.; Brooks, Daniel J.; Pavlicova, Martina; Cheng, Wendy; Nunes, Edward

2011-01-01

Cannabis dependence is a substantial public health problem. Behavioral treatments have shown promise, but there are no effective medications for cannabis dependence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dronabinol, a synthetic form of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a naturally occurring pharmacologically active component of marijuana, in treating cannabis dependence. 156 cannabis-dependent adults were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial. After a 1-week placebo lead-in phase, participants were randomized to receive dronabinol 20 mg twice a day or placebo. Doses were maintained until the end of week 8 and then tapered off over 2 weeks. All participants received weekly motivational enhancement and relapse prevention therapy. Marijuana use was assessed using the timeline followback method. There was no significant difference between treatment groups in the proportion of participants who achieved 2 weeks of abstinence at the end of the maintenance phase (dronabinol: 17.7%; placebo: 15.6%). Although both groups showed a reduction in marijuana use over time, there were no differences between the groups. Treatment retention was significantly higher at the end of the maintenance phase on dronabinol (77%), compared to placebo (61%) (P = .02), and withdrawal symptoms were significantly lower on dronabinol than placebo (P= .02). This is the first trial using an agonist substitution strategy for treatment of cannabis dependence. Dronabinol showed promise, it was well-tolerated, and improved treatment retention and withdrawal symptoms. Future trials might test higher doses, combinations of dronabinol with other medications with complementary mechanisms, or with more potent behavioral interventions. PMID:21310551

How visual short-term memory maintenance modulates subsequent visual aftereffects.

PubMed

Saad, Elyana; Silvanto, Juha

2013-05-01

Prolonged viewing of a visual stimulus can result in sensory adaptation, giving rise to perceptual phenomena such as the tilt aftereffect (TAE). However, it is not known if short-term memory maintenance induces such effects. We examined how visual short-term memory (VSTM) maintenance modulates the strength of the TAE induced by subsequent visual adaptation. We reasoned that if VSTM maintenance induces aftereffects on subsequent encoding of visual information, then it should either enhance or reduce the TAE induced by a subsequent visual adapter, depending on the congruency of the memory cue and the adapter. Our results were consistent with this hypothesis and thus indicate that the effects of VSTM maintenance can outlast the maintenance period.

Muscle performance after the menopause.

PubMed

Sirola, Joonas; Rikkonen, Toni

2005-06-01

The timing of the menopause transition has remained fairly constant throughout history. It represents a milestone in female health and, after passing through it, women experience increased musculoskeletal and cardiovascular morbidity. Muscle performance is an important determinant of functional capacity and quality of life among the elderly and is also involved in the maintenance of balance. Therefore, good muscle strength can prevent fragility fractures and lessen the burden of osteoporosis. Muscle strength begins to decline during the perimenopausal years and this phenomenon seems to be partly estrogen dependent. Randomized controlled trials have indicated that hormone replacement therapy may prevent a decline in muscle performance, although the exact mechanism of estrogen-dependent sarcopenia remains to be clarified. Exercises have been shown to improve postmenopausal muscle performance and hormone replacement therapy may also potentiate these beneficial effects. Improvement or maintenance of muscle strength alone, however, may not be considered as a primary indication for long-term hormone replacement therapy in view of current knowledge of its risks and benefits. Work history and educational background may be associated with postmenopausal muscle performance, which itself has unique associations with skeletal and cardiovascular diseases.

Time Use Patterns between Maintenance, Subsistence and Leisure Activities: A Case Study in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hui-fen, Zhou; Zhen-shan, Li; Dong-qian, Xue; Yang, Lei

2012-01-01

The Chinese government conducted its first time use survey of the activities of Chinese individuals in 2008. Activities were classified into three broad types, maintenance activities, subsistence activities and leisure activities. Time use patterns were defined by an individuals' time spent on maintenance, subsistence and leisure activities each…

Implementing a Reliability Centered Maintenance Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuttle, Raymond E.; Pete, Robert R.

1998-01-01

Maintenance practices have long focused on time based "preventive maintenance" techniques. Components were changed out and parts replaced based on how long they had been in place instead of what condition they were in. A reliability centered maintenance (RCM) program seeks to offer equal or greater reliability at decreased cost by insuring only applicable, effective maintenance is performed and by in large part replacing time based maintenance with condition based maintenance. A significant portion of this program involved introducing non-intrusive technologies, such as vibration analysis, oil analysis and I/R cameras, to an existing labor force and management team.

Working memory retrieval as a decision process

PubMed Central

Pearson, Benjamin; Raškevičius, Julius; Bays, Paul M.; Pertzov, Yoni; Husain, Masud

2014-01-01

Working memory (WM) is a core cognitive process fundamental to human behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying it remain highly controversial. Here we provide a new framework for understanding retrieval of information from WM, conceptualizing it as a decision based on the quality of internal evidence. Recent findings have demonstrated that precision of WM decreases with memory load. If WM retrieval uses a decision process that depends on memory quality, systematic changes in response time distribution should occur as a function of WM precision. We asked participants to view sample arrays and, after a delay, report the direction of change in location or orientation of a probe. As WM precision deteriorated with increasing memory load, retrieval time increased systematically. Crucially, the shape of reaction time distributions was consistent with a linear accumulator decision process. Varying either task relevance of items or maintenance duration influenced memory precision, with corresponding shifts in retrieval time. These results provide strong support for a decision-making account of WM retrieval based on noisy storage of items. Furthermore, they show that encoding, maintenance, and retrieval in WM need not be considered as separate processes, but may instead be conceptually unified as operations on the same noise-limited, neural representation. PMID:24492597

Working memory retrieval as a decision process.

PubMed

Pearson, Benjamin; Raskevicius, Julius; Bays, Paul M; Pertzov, Yoni; Husain, Masud

2014-02-03

Working memory (WM) is a core cognitive process fundamental to human behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying it remain highly controversial. Here we provide a new framework for understanding retrieval of information from WM, conceptualizing it as a decision based on the quality of internal evidence. Recent findings have demonstrated that precision of WM decreases with memory load. If WM retrieval uses a decision process that depends on memory quality, systematic changes in response time distribution should occur as a function of WM precision. We asked participants to view sample arrays and, after a delay, report the direction of change in location or orientation of a probe. As WM precision deteriorated with increasing memory load, retrieval time increased systematically. Crucially, the shape of reaction time distributions was consistent with a linear accumulator decision process. Varying either task relevance of items or maintenance duration influenced memory precision, with corresponding shifts in retrieval time. These results provide strong support for a decision-making account of WM retrieval based on noisy storage of items. Furthermore, they show that encoding, maintenance, and retrieval in WM need not be considered as separate processes, but may instead be conceptually unified as operations on the same noise-limited, neural representation.

Similarities and differences between weight loss maintainers and regainers: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Reyes, Naomi R; Oliver, Tracy L; Klotz, Alicia A; Lagrotte, Caitlin A; Vander Veur, Stephanie S; Virus, Amy; Bailer, Brooke A; Foster, Gary D

2012-04-01

Obesity is remarkably refractory to treatment. Despite a plethora of quantitative studies, little qualitative research has been conducted on the topic of weight loss maintenance. This study used six focus groups to explore which factors promoted or prevented maintaining weight loss among a diverse, urban population. Eligible participants were those who had intentionally lost ≥10% of their body weight in the past 2 years and were categorized as either "regainers" or "maintainers" using self-reported length of weight maintenance and amount (%) regained. Regainers had regained ≥33% of their weight loss and maintainers had regained ≤15%. Participants (n=29) were predominantly African-American (58.6%) females (65.6%) with a mean age of 46.9±11.2 years. Four themes reflected similarities between regainers and maintainers, and four reflected differences between the groups. Both groups experienced lapses, used clothing fit for feedback on weight status, desired greater support during maintenance, and decreased self-monitoring of food intake over time. When compared with regainers, maintainers more often continued strategies used during weight loss, weighed themselves regularly, and used productive problem-solving skills and positive self-talk. Regainers experienced greater difficulty independently continuing food and exercise behaviors during maintenance, identifying decreased accountability and waning motivation as barriers. These findings suggest that weight loss maintenance efforts can be improved by addressing challenges such as long-term self-monitoring and problem-solving skills, and that maintenance success might depend on how people think as much as what they do. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rac-WAVE-mediated actin reorganization is required for organization and maintenance of cell-cell adhesion.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Daisuke; Oikawa, Tsukasa; Takenawa, Tadaomi

2007-01-01

During cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion, the actin cytoskeleton undergoes dynamic reorganization in epithelial cells. Rho-family small GTPases, which regulate actin dynamics, play pivotal roles in cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion; however, the precise molecular mechanisms that underlie cell-cell adhesion formation remain unclear. Here we show that Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family verprolin-homologous protein (WAVE)-mediated reorganization of actin, downstream of Rac plays an important role in normal development of cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesions in MDCK cells. Rac-induced development of cadherin-dependent adhesions required WAVE2-dependent actin reorganization. The process of cell-cell adhesion is divided into three steps: formation of new cell-cell contacts, stabilization of these new contacts and junction maturation. WAVE1 and WAVE2 were expressed in MDCK cells. The functions of WAVE1 and WAVE2 were redundant in this system but WAVE2 appeared to play a more significant role. During the first step, WAVE2-dependent lamellipodial protrusions facilitated formation of cell-cell contacts. During the second step, WAVE2 recruited actin filaments to new cell-cell contacts and stabilized newly formed cadherin clusters. During the third step, WAVE2-dependent actin reorganization was required for organization and maintenance of mature cell-cell adhesions. Thus, Rac-WAVE-dependent actin reorganization is not only involved in formation of cell-cell adhesions but is also required for their maintenance.

Emotion processing facilitates working memory performance.

PubMed

Lindström, Björn R; Bohlin, Gunilla

2011-11-01

The effect of emotional stimulus content on working memory performance has been investigated with conflicting results, as both emotion-dependent facilitation and impairments are reported in the literature. To clarify this issue, 52 adult participants performed a modified visual 2-back task with highly arousing positive stimuli (sexual scenes), highly arousing negative stimuli (violent death) and low-arousal neutral stimuli. Emotional stimulus processing was found to facilitate task performance relative to that of neutral stimuli, both in regards to response accuracy and reaction times. No emotion-dependent differences in false-alarm rates were found. These results indicate that emotional information can have a facilitating effect on working memory maintenance and processing of information.

78 FR 9783 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

...) has been made to the Time Limits/ Maintenance Checks (TLMC) manual to introduce a new Airworthiness... have already been done. (g) Time Limits/Maintenance Checks (TLMC) Manual Revision Within 60 days after... Challenger Time Limits/Maintenance Checks Manual, PSP 605. (ii) Canadair Challenger Temporary Revision 5-250...

Synthesis on GPS/AVL equipment used for winter maintenance : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This project gathered information about available Global Positioning Systems/Automatic Vehicle Location (GPS/AVL) equipment and vendors to gain an understanding of their use by state and local agencies for winter maintenance activities. Depending on ...

Life history variation is maintained by fitness trade-offs and negative frequency-dependent selection.

PubMed

Christie, Mark R; McNickle, Gordon G; French, Rod A; Blouin, Michael S

2018-04-24

The maintenance of diverse life history strategies within and among species remains a fundamental question in ecology and evolutionary biology. By using a near-complete 16-year pedigree of 12,579 winter-run steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) from the Hood River, Oregon, we examined the continued maintenance of two life history traits: the number of lifetime spawning events (semelparous vs. iteroparous) and age at first spawning (2-5 years). We found that repeat-spawning fish had more than 2.5 times the lifetime reproductive success of single-spawning fish. However, first-time repeat-spawning fish had significantly lower reproductive success than single-spawning fish of the same age, suggesting that repeat-spawning fish forego early reproduction to devote additional energy to continued survival. For single-spawning fish, we also found evidence for a fitness trade-off for age at spawning: older, larger males had higher reproductive success than younger, smaller males. For females, in contrast, we found that 3-year-old fish had the highest mean lifetime reproductive success despite the observation that 4- and 5-year-old fish were both longer and heavier. This phenomenon was explained by negative frequency-dependent selection: as 4- and 5-year-old fish decreased in frequency on the spawning grounds, their lifetime reproductive success became greater than that of the 3-year-old fish. Using a combination of mathematical and individual-based models parameterized with our empirical estimates, we demonstrate that both fitness trade-offs and negative frequency-dependent selection observed in the empirical data can theoretically maintain the diverse life history strategies found in this population.

N-of-1 study of weight loss maintenance assessing predictors of physical activity, adherence to weight loss plan and weight change.

PubMed

Kwasnicka, Dominika; Dombrowski, Stephan U; White, Martin; Sniehotta, Falko F

2017-06-01

Behaviour change interventions are effective in supporting individuals to achieve clinically significant weight loss, but weight loss maintenance (WLM) is less often attained. This study examined predictive variables associated with WLM. N-of-1 study with daily ecological momentary assessment combined with objective measurement of weight and physical activity, collected with wireless devices (Fitbit™) for six months. Eight previously obese adults who had lost over 5% of their body weight in the past year took part. Data were analysed using time series methods. Predictor variables were based on five theoretical themes: maintenance motives, self-regulation, personal resources, habits, and environmental influences. Dependent variables were: objectively estimated step count and weight, and self-reported WLM plan adherence. For all participants, daily fluctuations in self-reported adherence to their WLM plan were significantly associated with most of the explanatory variables, including maintenance motivation and satisfaction with outcomes, self-regulation, habit, and stable environment. Personal resources were not a consistent predictor of plan adherence. This is the first study to assess theoretical predictions of WLM within individuals. WLM is a dynamic process including the interplay of motivation, self-regulation, habit, resources, and perceptions of environmental context. Individuals maintaining their weight have unique psychological profiles which could be accounted for in interventions.

Integrated Logistics Support Analysis of the International Space Station Alpha: An Overview of the Maintenance Time Dependent Parameter Prediction Methods Enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sepehry-Fard, F.; Coulthard, Maurice H.

1995-01-01

The objective of this publication is to introduce the enhancement methods for the overall reliability and maintainability methods of assessment on the International Space Station. It is essential that the process to predict the values of the maintenance time dependent variable parameters such as mean time between failure (MTBF) over time do not in themselves generate uncontrolled deviation in the results of the ILS analysis such as life cycle costs, spares calculation, etc. Furthermore, the very acute problems of micrometeorite, Cosmic rays, flares, atomic oxygen, ionization effects, orbital plumes and all the other factors that differentiate maintainable space operations from non-maintainable space operations and/or ground operations must be accounted for. Therefore, these parameters need be subjected to a special and complex process. Since reliability and maintainability strongly depend on the operating conditions that are encountered during the entire life of the International Space Station, it is important that such conditions are accurately identified at the beginning of the logistics support requirements process. Environmental conditions which exert a strong influence on International Space Station will be discussed in this report. Concurrent (combined) space environments may be more detrimental to the reliability and maintainability of the International Space Station than the effects of a single environment. In characterizing the logistics support requirements process, the developed design/test criteria must consider both the single and/or combined environments in anticipation of providing hardware capability to withstand the hazards of the International Space Station profile. The effects of the combined environments (typical) in a matrix relationship on the International Space Station will be shown. The combinations of the environments where the total effect is more damaging than the cumulative effects of the environments acting singly, may include a combination such as temperature, humidity, altitude, shock, and vibration while an item is being transported. The item's acceptance to its end-of-life sequence must be examined for these effects.

Bayesian Inference for Time Trends in Parameter Values using Weighted Evidence Sets

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

D. L. Kelly; A. Malkhasyan

2010-09-01

There is a nearly ubiquitous assumption in PSA that parameter values are at least piecewise-constant in time. As a result, Bayesian inference tends to incorporate many years of plant operation, over which there have been significant changes in plant operational and maintenance practices, plant management, etc. These changes can cause significant changes in parameter values over time; however, failure to perform Bayesian inference in the proper time-dependent framework can mask these changes. Failure to question the assumption of constant parameter values, and failure to perform Bayesian inference in the proper time-dependent framework were noted as important issues in NUREG/CR-6813, performedmore » for the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards in 2003. That report noted that “in-dustry lacks tools to perform time-trend analysis with Bayesian updating.” This paper describes an applica-tion of time-dependent Bayesian inference methods developed for the European Commission Ageing PSA Network. These methods utilize open-source software, implementing Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. The paper also illustrates an approach to incorporating multiple sources of data via applicability weighting factors that address differences in key influences, such as vendor, component boundaries, conditions of the operating environment, etc.« less

Bayesian Inference for Time Trends in Parameter Values: Case Study for the Ageing PSA Network of the European Commission

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

Dana L. Kelly; Albert Malkhasyan

2010-06-01

There is a nearly ubiquitous assumption in PSA that parameter values are at least piecewise-constant in time. As a result, Bayesian inference tends to incorporate many years of plant operation, over which there have been significant changes in plant operational and maintenance practices, plant management, etc. These changes can cause significant changes in parameter values over time; however, failure to perform Bayesian inference in the proper time-dependent framework can mask these changes. Failure to question the assumption of constant parameter values, and failure to perform Bayesian inference in the proper time-dependent framework were noted as important issues in NUREG/CR-6813, performedmore » for the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards in 2003. That report noted that “industry lacks tools to perform time-trend analysis with Bayesian updating.” This paper describes an application of time-dependent Bayesian inference methods developed for the European Commission Ageing PSA Network. These methods utilize open-source software, implementing Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. The paper also illustrates the development of a generic prior distribution, which incorporates multiple sources of generic data via weighting factors that address differences in key influences, such as vendor, component boundaries, conditions of the operating environment, etc.« less

GPR56/ADGRG1 regulates development and maintenance of peripheral myelin.

PubMed

Ackerman, Sarah D; Luo, Rong; Poitelon, Yannick; Mogha, Amit; Harty, Breanne L; D'Rozario, Mitchell; Sanchez, Nicholas E; Lakkaraju, Asvin K K; Gamble, Paul; Li, Jun; Qu, Jun; MacEwan, Matthew R; Ray, Wilson Zachary; Aguzzi, Adriano; Feltri, M Laura; Piao, Xianhua; Monk, Kelly R

2018-03-05

Myelin is a multilamellar sheath generated by specialized glia called Schwann cells (SCs) in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which serves to protect and insulate axons for rapid neuronal signaling. In zebrafish and rodent models, we identify GPR56/ADGRG1 as a conserved regulator of PNS development and health. We demonstrate that, during SC development, GPR56-dependent RhoA signaling promotes timely radial sorting of axons. In the mature PNS, GPR56 is localized to distinct SC cytoplasmic domains, is required to establish proper myelin thickness, and facilitates organization of the myelin sheath. Furthermore, we define plectin-a scaffolding protein previously linked to SC domain organization, myelin maintenance, and a series of disorders termed "plectinopathies"-as a novel interacting partner of GPR56. Finally, we show that Gpr56 mutants develop progressive neuropathy-like symptoms, suggesting an underlying mechanism for peripheral defects in some human patients with GPR56 mutations. In sum, we define Gpr56 as a new regulator in the development and maintenance of peripheral myelin. © 2018 Ackerman et al.

Selection on female behaviour fluctuates with offspring environment.

PubMed

Taylor, R W; Boutin, S; Humphries, M M; McAdam, A G

2014-11-01

Temporal variation in selection has long been proposed as a mechanism by which genetic variation could be maintained despite short-term strong directional selection and has been invoked to explain the maintenance of consistent individual differences in behaviour. We tested the hypothesis that ecological changes through time lead to fluctuating selection, which could promote the maintenance of variation in female behavioural traits in a wild population of North American red squirrels. As predicted, linear selection gradients on female aggression and activity significantly fluctuated across years depending on the level of competition among juveniles for vacant territories. This selection acted primarily through juvenile overwinter survival rather than maternal fecundity. Incorporating uncertainty in individual measures of behaviour reduced the magnitude of annual selection gradients and increased uncertainty in these estimates, but did not affect the overall pattern of temporal fluctuations in natural selection that coincided with the intensity of competition for vacant territories. These temporal fluctuations in selection might, therefore, promote the maintenance of heritable individual differences in behaviour in this wild red squirrel population. © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Towards automated traceability maintenance

PubMed Central

Mäder, Patrick; Gotel, Orlena

2012-01-01

Traceability relations support stakeholders in understanding the dependencies between artifacts created during the development of a software system and thus enable many development-related tasks. To ensure that the anticipated benefits of these tasks can be realized, it is necessary to have an up-to-date set of traceability relations between the established artifacts. This goal requires the creation of traceability relations during the initial development process. Furthermore, the goal also requires the maintenance of traceability relations over time as the software system evolves in order to prevent their decay. In this paper, an approach is discussed that supports the (semi-) automated update of traceability relations between requirements, analysis and design models of software systems expressed in the UML. This is made possible by analyzing change events that have been captured while working within a third-party UML modeling tool. Within the captured flow of events, development activities comprised of several events are recognized. These are matched with predefined rules that direct the update of impacted traceability relations. The overall approach is supported by a prototype tool and empirical results on the effectiveness of tool-supported traceability maintenance are provided. PMID:23471308

Improving the use of crack sealing to asphalt pavement in Louisiana : research project capsule : technology transfer program.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

Pavement performance : depends on the effectiveness : and timeliness of : maintenance efforts. : Deferred maintenance : increases the severity of : distresses and leads to a more : rapid decline of a pavements : condition. An effective : maintenan...

Cognitive processing of drug-related stimuli: the role of memory and attention.

PubMed

Weinstein, Aviv; Cox, W Miles

2006-11-01

Recent studies have investigated the role of attentional biases and memory in alcohol and other drugs of dependence and the relationship between the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs and vigilance for relevant stimuli in alcohol and drug dependence. Based on this research, we describe relationships among motivation, memory, and attentional biases in order to enable better understanding of their multiple and interacting roles in the maintenance and development of alcohol and other drug dependence. We argue that memory and attentional processes are critical in the development and maintenance of addiction processes. Furthermore, we assume that attentional bias is not simply a by-product of an addiction disorder but plays a vital role in its development and maintenance, and it serves to enhance actual drug use. Finally, we predict that the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs will increase vigilance for substance-related stimuli, which in turn can lead to actual use. Future research is needed to ll gaps in our knowledge and lead to a more defined and articulated cognitive-behavioural model of drug dependence.

A systematic review of health economic models of opioid agonist therapies in maintenance treatment of non-prescription opioid dependence.

PubMed

Chetty, Mersha; Kenworthy, James J; Langham, Sue; Walker, Andrew; Dunlop, William C N

2017-02-24

Opioid dependence is a chronic condition with substantial health, economic and social costs. The study objective was to conduct a systematic review of published health-economic models of opioid agonist therapy for non-prescription opioid dependence, to review the different modelling approaches identified, and to inform future modelling studies. Literature searches were conducted in March 2015 in eight electronic databases, supplemented by hand-searching reference lists and searches on six National Health Technology Assessment Agency websites. Studies were included if they: investigated populations that were dependent on non-prescription opioids and were receiving opioid agonist or maintenance therapy; compared any pharmacological maintenance intervention with any other maintenance regimen (including placebo or no treatment); and were health-economic models of any type. A total of 18 unique models were included. These used a range of modelling approaches, including Markov models (n = 4), decision tree with Monte Carlo simulations (n = 3), decision analysis (n = 3), dynamic transmission models (n = 3), decision tree (n = 1), cohort simulation (n = 1), Bayesian (n = 1), and Monte Carlo simulations (n = 2). Time horizons ranged from 6 months to lifetime. The most common evaluation was cost-utility analysis reporting cost per quality-adjusted life-year (n = 11), followed by cost-effectiveness analysis (n = 4), budget-impact analysis/cost comparison (n = 2) and cost-benefit analysis (n = 1). Most studies took the healthcare provider's perspective. Only a few models included some wider societal costs, such as productivity loss or costs of drug-related crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour. Costs to individuals and impacts on family and social networks were not included in any model. A relatively small number of studies of varying quality were found. Strengths and weaknesses relating to model structure, inputs and approach were identified across all the studies. There was no indication of a single standard emerging as a preferred approach. Most studies omitted societal costs, an important issue since the implications of drug abuse extend widely beyond healthcare services. Nevertheless, elements from previous models could together form a framework for future economic evaluations in opioid agonist therapy including all relevant costs and outcomes. This could more adequately support decision-making and policy development for treatment of non-prescription opioid dependence.

TOPEX/Poseidon orbit maintenance for the first five years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhat, R. S.; Shapiro, B. E.; Frauenholz, R. B.; Leavitt, R. K.

1998-01-01

The TOPEX/Poseidon orbit maintenance strategy was changed following launch to include the effects of observed unmodeled, and hence anomalous, along-track accelerations. The anomalous force causes the semi-major axis, a, to either increase (called "boost") or decrease ("deboost" or "decay") depending on the satellite attitude and solar array pitch angle offset. Although this force is the most uncertain parameter in ground track prediction, it has been used as a passive technique for orbit maintenance, thereby reducing the number of propulsive maneuvers, enhancing maneuver spacing, and to place maneuvers at convenient times. This passive technique was first demonstrated in May 1993. The TOPEX/Poseidon orbit has been uniquely maintained using both passive (non-propulsive) and active (propulsive) maneuvers. Furthermore, the orbit has been maintained using only the passive technique since the ninth orbit maintenance maneuver on January 15, 1996. Only nine orbit maintenance maneuvers have been required to maintain the ground track, including verification site over flights, since achieving the operational orbit on September 21, 1992 (mission requirement: 95% within +/- l km). During this period, a has varied within 7,714,429 +/- 7 m, while the inclination i periodically fluctuated in the range 66.0408 deg. +/- 0.0040 deg. The frozen orbit (required e < 0.001 and omega approximately equals to 90 deg.) has been maintained without any dedicated eccentricity maneuvers. The frozen eccentricity vector has completed two periodic cycles and it is currently tracing its third cycle (period approximately equals 26.7 months).

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.

An Evaluation of the Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Durability of the Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

specified condition. 10. Mean-Time-Between-Maintenance ( MTDM ). The mean of the distribution of the time intervals between all maintenance actions...which requires unscheduled maint. action. 3. MTDM : Mean-Time-Between-Maintenance. 4. W4I/OH: Maint Man-Hour/Engine Opbrating Hour S. CLASS III FAIURE

Unclassified Publications of Lincoln Laboratory, 1 January - 31 December 1995; Volume 21.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-12-01

Air Defense Systems Weiner, S.D. Cebula , D.P. 27 Nov. 1995 ADA301812 1024 Temperature Dependence of Large Polaron Superconductivity Dionne, G.F...No. 2, April 1995, pp. 534-542 6853 Laser Physics Kelley, P.L. Chapter in Zayhowski, JJ . Encyclopedia of Applied Physics, Vol. 8, 1994, pp. 299...Diode Lasers Fabricated by ECR-JJ3AE 7127A Stability and Timing Maintenance in Soliton Transmission and Storage Rings Zayhowski, JJ

[Reliability of a positron emission tomography system (CTI:PT931/04-12)].

PubMed

Watanuki, Shoichi; Ishii, Keizo; Itoh, Masatoshi; Orihara, Hikonojyo

2002-05-01

The maintenance data of a PET system (PT931/04-12 CTI Inc.) was analyzed to evaluate its reliability. We examined whether the initial performance for the system resolution and efficiency is kept. The reliability of the PET system was evaluated from the value of MTTF (mean time to failure) and MTBF (mean time between failures) for each part of the system obtained from the maintenance data for 13 years. The initial performance was kept for the resolution, but the efficiency decreased to 72% of the initial value. The 83% of the troubles of the system was for detector block (DB) and DB control module (BC). The MTTF of DB and BC were 2,733 and 3,314 days, and the MTBF of DB and BC per detector ring were 38 and 114 days. The MTBF of the system was 23 days. We found seasonal dependence for the number of troubles of DB and BC. This means that the trouble may be related the humidity. The reliability of the PET system strongly depends on the MTBF of DB and BC. The improvement in quality of these parts and optimization of the environment in operation may increase the reliability of the PET system. For the popularization of PET, it is effective to evaluate the reliability of the system and to show it to the users.

Morgantown People Mover (MPM) Operating, Availability, and Maintenance History : October 1976 through June 1978

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-10-01

The report covers the period of operation, dependability, and maintenance history of the Morgantown system (now known as the Morgantown People Mover - MPM) from October 1976 through June 1978. System performance in general improved greatly during thi...

Creep and shrinkage effects on integral abutment bridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munuswamy, Sivakumar

Integral abutment bridges provide bridge engineers an economical design alternative to traditional bridges with expansion joints owing to the benefits, arising from elimination of expensive joints installation and reduced maintenance cost. The superstructure for integral abutment bridges is cast integrally with abutments. Time-dependent effects of creep, shrinkage of concrete, relaxation of prestressing steel, temperature gradient, restraints provided by abutment foundation and backfill and statical indeterminacy of the structure introduce time-dependent variations in the redundant forces. An analytical model and numerical procedure to predict instantaneous linear behavior and non-linear time dependent long-term behavior of continuous composite superstructure are developed in which the redundant forces in the integral abutment bridges are derived considering the time-dependent effects. The redistributions of moments due to time-dependent effects have been considered in the analysis. The analysis includes nonlinearity due to cracking of the concrete, as well as the time-dependent deformations. American Concrete Institute (ACI) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) models for creep and shrinkage are considered in modeling the time dependent material behavior. The variations in the material property of the cross-section corresponding to the constituent materials are incorporated and age-adjusted effective modulus method with relaxation procedure is followed to include the creep behavior of concrete. The partial restraint provided by the abutment-pile-soil system is modeled using discrete spring stiffness as translational and rotational degrees of freedom. Numerical simulation of the behavior is carried out on continuous composite integral abutment bridges and the deformations and stresses due to time-dependent effects due to typical sustained loads are computed. The results from the analytical model are compared with the published laboratory experimental and field data. The behavior of the laterally loaded piles supporting the integral abutments is evaluated and presented in terms of the lateral deflection, bending moment, shear force and stress along the pile depth.

Randomized prospective trial of ganciclovir maintenance therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis.

PubMed

Jacobson, M A; O'Donnell, J J; Brodie, H R; Wofsy, C; Mills, J

1988-07-01

We report the first randomized prospective comparative study of long-term maintenance ganciclovir (9-[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxymethyl]guanine, BW759U, DHPG) therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Eleven retinitis patients who received a 10-day course of ganciclovir induction therapy and then were randomized to receive either immediate daily ganciclovir maintenance therapy or deferred maintenance (eight deferred maintenance, three immediate maintenance) were evaluated for drug efficacy. Median time to retinitis progression was 42 days for the immediate maintenance group compared with 16 days for the deferred maintenance group, (P = 0.07). After crossing over to maintenance therapy, patients in the deferred group had a median time to retinitis progression of 58 days compared to 16 days while not on maintenance therapy (P = 0.13). Only 9% of cultures obtained while patients received maintenance therapy were positive for cytomegalovirus, vs 40% of those obtained off maintenance (P less than 0.001). We can state then that maintenance therapy with ganciclovir delays, but does not halt, progression of cytomegalovirus retinitis and suppresses, but does not eradicate, cytomegalovirus shedding in patients with AIDS.

Design of preventive maintenance system using the reliability engineering and maintenance value stream mapping methods in PT. XYZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembiring, N.; Panjaitan, N.; Angelita, S.

2018-02-01

PT. XYZ is a company owned by non-governmental organizations engaged in the field of production of rubber processing becoming crumb rubber. Part of the production is supported by some of machines and interacting equipment to achieve optimal productivity. Types of the machine that are used in the production process are Conveyor Breaker, Breaker, Rolling Pin, Hammer Mill, Mill Roll, Conveyor, Shredder Crumb, and Dryer. Maintenance system in PT. XYZ is corrective maintenance i.e. repairing or replacing the engine components after the crash on the machine. Replacement of engine components on corrective maintenance causes the machine to stop operating during the production process is in progress. The result is in the loss of production time due to the operator must replace the damaged engine components. The loss of production time can impact on the production targets which were not reached and lead to high loss costs. The cost for all components is Rp. 4.088.514.505. This cost is really high just for maintaining a Mill Roll Machine. Therefore PT. XYZ is needed to do preventive maintenance i.e. scheduling engine components and improving maintenance efficiency. The used methods are Reliability Engineering and Maintenance Value Stream Mapping (MVSM). The needed data in this research are the interval of time damage to engine components, opportunity cost, labor cost, component cost, corrective repair time, preventive repair time, Mean Time To Opportunity (MTTO), Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), and Mean Time To Yield (MTTY). In this research, the critical components of Mill Roll machine are Spier, Bushing, Bearing, Coupling and Roll. Determination of damage distribution, reliability, MTTF, cost of failure, cost of preventive, current state map, and future state map are done so that the replacement time for each critical component with the lowest maintenance cost and preparation of Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) are developed. For the critical component that has been determined, the Spier component replacement time interval is 228 days with a reliability value of 0,503171, Bushing component is 240 days with reliability value of 0.36861, Bearing component is 202 days with reliability value of 0,503058, Coupling component is 247 days with reliability value of 0,50108 and Roll component is 301 days with reliability value of 0,373525. The results show that the cost decreases from Rp 300,688,114 to Rp 244,384,371 obtained from corrective maintenance to preventive maintenance. While maintenance efficiency increases with the application of preventive maintenance i.e. for Spier component from 54,0540541% to 74,07407%, Bushing component from 52,3809524% to 68,75%, Bearing component from 40% to 52,63158%, Coupling component from 60.9756098% to 71.42857%, and Roll components from 64.516129% to 74.7663551%.

20 CFR 725.512 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., or parent. 725.512 Section 725.512 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION... Provisions § 725.512 Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a... the legally dependent spouse, a legally dependent child, or a legally dependent parent of the...

20 CFR 725.512 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Provisions § 725.512 Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a... the legally dependent spouse, a legally dependent child, or a legally dependent parent of the... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Support of legally dependent spouse, child...

20 CFR 725.512 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Provisions § 725.512 Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a... the legally dependent spouse, a legally dependent child, or a legally dependent parent of the... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Support of legally dependent spouse, child...

20 CFR 725.512 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Provisions § 725.512 Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a... the legally dependent spouse, a legally dependent child, or a legally dependent parent of the... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Support of legally dependent spouse, child...

20 CFR 725.512 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Provisions § 725.512 Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a... the legally dependent spouse, a legally dependent child, or a legally dependent parent of the... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Support of legally dependent spouse, child...

20 CFR 410.587 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a beneficiary are... dependent spouse, a legally dependent child, or a legally dependent parent of the beneficiary. [37 FR 20651... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Support of legally dependent spouse, child...

75 FR 27406 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-100-1A10 (Challenger 300) Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... BD- 100 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks. The actions described in this service information are... Challenger 300 BD-100 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks. (1) For the new tasks identified in Bombardier TR 5-2... Requirements,'' in Part 2 of Chapter 5 of Bombardier Challenger 300 BD-100 Time Limits/ Maintenance Checks...

Distributed decision-making in electric power system transmission maintenance scheduling using multi-agent systems (MAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhong

In this work, motivated by the need to coordinate transmission maintenance scheduling among a multiplicity of self-interested entities in restructured power industry, a distributed decision support framework based on multiagent negotiation systems (MANS) is developed. An innovative risk-based transmission maintenance optimization procedure is introduced. Several models for linking condition monitoring information to the equipment's instantaneous failure probability are presented, which enable quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of maintenance activities in terms of system cumulative risk reduction. Methodologies of statistical processing, equipment deterioration evaluation and time-dependent failure probability calculation are also described. A novel framework capable of facilitating distributed decision-making through multiagent negotiation is developed. A multiagent negotiation model is developed and illustrated that accounts for uncertainty and enables social rationality. Some issues of multiagent negotiation convergence and scalability are discussed. The relationships between agent-based negotiation and auction systems are also identified. A four-step MAS design methodology for constructing multiagent systems for power system applications is presented. A generic multiagent negotiation system, capable of inter-agent communication and distributed decision support through inter-agent negotiations, is implemented. A multiagent system framework for facilitating the automated integration of condition monitoring information and maintenance scheduling for power transformers is developed. Simulations of multiagent negotiation-based maintenance scheduling among several independent utilities are provided. It is shown to be a viable alternative solution paradigm to the traditional centralized optimization approach in today's deregulated environment. This multiagent system framework not only facilitates the decision-making among competing power system entities, but also provides a tool to use in studying competitive industry relative to monopolistic industry.

The Cost Effectiveness of Maintenance Schedules Following Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Economic Evaluation Alongside a Randomised Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Burns, Darren K; Wilson, Edward C F; Browne, Paula; Olive, Sandra; Clark, Allan; Galey, Penny; Dix, Emma; Woodhouse, Helene; Robinson, Sue; Wilson, Andrew

2016-02-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects approximately 3 million people in the UK. An 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) course is recommended under current guidelines. However, studies show that initial benefits diminish over time. We present here an economic evaluation conducted alongside a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a low-intensity maintenance programme over a time horizon of 1 year delivered in UK primary and secondary care settings. Patients with COPD who completed at least 60 % of a standard 8-week PR programme were randomised to a 2-h maintenance session at 3, 6 and 9 months (n = 73) or treatment as usual (n = 75). Outcomes were change in Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) score, EQ-5D-based QALYs, cost (price year 2014) to the UK NHS and social services over the 12 months following initial PR, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). At 12 months, incremental cost to the NHS and social services was -£204.04 (95 % CI -£1522 to £1114). Incremental CRQ and QALY gains were -0.007 (-0.461 to 0.447) and +0.015 (-0.050 to 0.079), respectively. Based on point estimates, PR maintenance therefore dominates treatment as usual from the perspective of the NHS and social services in terms of cost per QALY gained. Whether it is cost effective in terms of CRQ depends on whether the £204 per patient could be reinvested elsewhere to a CRQ gain of greater than 0.007. However, there is much decision uncertainty: 95 % CIs around increments did not exclude zero, and there is a 72.9 % (72.5 %) probability that the ICER is below £20,000 (£30,000) per QALY. Future research should explore whether more intensive maintenance regimens offer benefit to patients at reasonable cost.

Operational safety assessment of turbo generators with wavelet Rényi entropy from sensor-dependent vibration signals.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoli; Wang, Baojian; Chen, Xuefeng

2015-04-16

With the rapid development of sensor technology, various professional sensors are installed on modern machinery to monitor operational processes and assure operational safety, which play an important role in industry and society. In this work a new operational safety assessment approach with wavelet Rényi entropy utilizing sensor-dependent vibration signals is proposed. On the basis of a professional sensor and the corresponding system, sensor-dependent vibration signals are acquired and analyzed by a second generation wavelet package, which reflects time-varying operational characteristic of individual machinery. Derived from the sensor-dependent signals' wavelet energy distribution over the observed signal frequency range, wavelet Rényi entropy is defined to compute the operational uncertainty of a turbo generator, which is then associated with its operational safety degree. The proposed method is applied in a 50 MW turbo generator, whereupon it is proved to be reasonable and effective for operation and maintenance.

Exploring variable patterns of density-dependent larval settlement among corals with distinct and shared functional traits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doropoulos, Christopher; Gómez-Lemos, Luis A.; Babcock, Russell C.

2018-03-01

Coral settlement is a key process for the recovery and maintenance of coral reefs, yet interspecific variations in density-dependent settlement are unknown. Settlement of the submassive Goniastrea retiformis and corymbose Acropora digitifera and A. millepora was quantified at densities ranging from 1 to 50 larvae per 20 mL from 110 to 216 h following spawning. Settlement patterns were distinct for each species. Goniastrea settlement was rapid and increased linearly with time, whereas both Acropora spp. hardly settled until crustose coralline algae was provided. Both Goniastrea and A. digitifera showed positive density-dependent settlement, but the relationship was exponential for Goniastrea but linear for A. digitifera. Settlement was highest but density independent in A. millepora. Our results suggest that larval density can have significant effects on settler replenishment, and highlight variability in density-dependent settlement among corals with distinct functional traits as well as those with similar functional forms.

Separation of circadian and wake duration-dependent modulation of EEG activation during wakefulness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cajochen, C.; Wyatt, J. K.; Czeisler, C. A.; Dijk, D. J.

2002-01-01

The separate contribution of circadian rhythmicity and elapsed time awake on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during wakefulness was assessed. Seven men lived in an environmental scheduling facility for 4 weeks and completed fourteen 42.85-h 'days', each consisting of an extended (28.57-h) wake episode and a 14.28-h sleep opportunity. The circadian rhythm of plasma melatonin desynchronized from the 42.85-h day. This allowed quantification of the separate contribution of circadian phase and elapsed time awake to variation in EEG power spectra (1-32 Hz). EEG activity during standardized behavioral conditions was markedly affected by both circadian phase and elapsed time awake in an EEG frequency- and derivation-specific manner. The nadir of the circadian rhythm in alpha (8-12 Hz) activity in both fronto-central and occipito-parietal derivations occurred during the biological night, close to the crest of the melatonin rhythm. The nadir of the circadian rhythm of theta (4.5-8 Hz) and beta (20-32 Hz) activity in the fronto-central derivation was located close to the onset of melatonin secretion, i.e. during the wake maintenance zone. As time awake progressed, delta frequency (1-4.5 Hz) and beta (20-32 Hz) activity rose monotonically in frontal derivations. The interaction between the circadian and wake-dependent increase in frontal delta was such that the intrusion of delta was minimal when sustained wakefulness coincided with the biological day, but pronounced during the biological night. Our data imply that the circadian pacemaker facilitates frontal EEG activation during the wake maintenance zone, by generating an arousal signal that prevents the intrusion of low-frequency EEG components, the propensity for which increases progressively during wakefulness.

RTEL1: an essential helicase for telomere maintenance and the regulation of homologous recombination.

PubMed

Uringa, Evert-Jan; Youds, Jillian L; Lisaingo, Kathleen; Lansdorp, Peter M; Boulton, Simon J

2011-03-01

Telomere maintenance and DNA repair are crucial processes that protect the genome against instability. RTEL1, an essential iron-sulfur cluster-containing helicase, is a dominant factor that controls telomere length in mice and is required for telomere integrity. In addition, RTEL1 promotes synthesis-dependent strand annealing to direct DNA double-strand breaks into non-crossover outcomes during mitotic repair and in meiosis. Here, we review the role of RTEL1 in telomere maintenance and homologous recombination and discuss models linking RTEL1's enzymatic activity to its function in telomere maintenance and DNA repair.

Long-term energy capture and the effects of optimizing wind turbine operating strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, A. H.; Formica, W. J.

1982-01-01

Methods of increasing energy capture without affecting the turbine design were investigated. The emphasis was on optimizing the wind turbine operating strategy. The operating strategy embodies the startup and shutdown algorithm as well as the algorithm for determining when to yaw (rotate) the axis of the turbine more directly into the wind. Using data collected at a number of sites, the time-dependent simulation of a MOD-2 wind turbine using various, site-dependent operating strategies provided evidence that site-specific fine tuning can produce significant increases in long-term energy capture as well as reduce the number of start-stop cycles and yawing maneuvers, which may result in reduced fatigue and subsequent maintenance.

A Theoretical Reassessment of Microbial Maintenance and Implications for Microbial Ecology Modeling

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

Wang, Gangsheng; Post, Wilfred M

We attempted to reconcile three microbial maintenance models (Herbert, Pirt, and Compromise) through a critical reassessment. We provided a rigorous proof that the true growth yield coefficient (YG) is the ratio of the specific maintenance rate (a in Herbert) to the maintenance coefficient (m in Pirt). Other findings from this study include: (1) the Compromise model is identical to the Herbert for computing microbial growth and substrate consumption, but it expresses the dependence of maintenance on both microbial biomass and substrate; (2) the maximum specific growth rate in the Herbert ( max,H) is higher than those in the other twomore » models ( max,P and max,C), and the difference is the physiological maintenance factor (mq = a); and (3) the overall maintenance coefficient (mT) is more sensitive to mq than to the specific growth rate ( G) and YG. Our critical reassessment of microbial maintenance provides a new approach for quantifying some important components in soil microbial ecology models.« less

Experimental adoption of RCM in EDF substations

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

Heroin, G.; Aupied, J.; Sanchis, G.

1996-08-01

EDF, after testing Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) on systems used in nuclear power plants, has now successfully extended RCM to all of its nuclear power plants. In the light of this experience, EDF has committed itself to a pilot study on a line bay of a 400 kV substation in 1992. The RCM method as applied benefited from EDF`s policy of maintenance, introduced five years ago on all substations, which has enhanced prospects of reliability. The original feature in the selection of maintenance tasks was that it brought into play two criteria for failure assessment - frequency and seriousness -more » and two criteria for maintenance task selection - efficiency and facility. The final outcome of RCM as applied to substation maintenance is to categorize maintenance tasks into: (1) essential maintenance tasks, (2) optional tasks, depending on the type and location of the substation, as well as on factors relating to local management of maintenance policy, and (3) unnecessary tasks.« less

Income Maintenance Programs and College Opportunity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Janet S.; Clewell, Beatriz

The major maintenance programs, changes brought about by the 1981 Omnibus Reconciliation Act, and the effects on students or prospective students are described. Attention is directed to Social Security, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Medicaid, food stamps, public housing assistance, the Comprehensive Education and Training Act…

Memory Retrieval Has a Dynamic Influence on the Maintenance Mechanisms That Are Sensitive to ζ-Inhibitory Peptide (ZIP).

PubMed

Levitan, David; Fortis-Santiago, Yaihara; Figueroa, Joshua A; Reid, Emily E; Yoshida, Takashi; Barry, Nicholas C; Russo, Abigail; Katz, Donald B

2016-10-12

In neuroscientists' attempts to understand the long-term storage of memory, topics of particular importance and interest are the cellular and system mechanisms of maintenance (e.g., those sensitive to ζ-inhibitory peptide, ZIP) and those induced by memory retrieval (i.e., reconsolidation). Much is known about each of these processes in isolation, but less is known concerning how they interact. It is known that ZIP sensitivity and memory retrieval share at least some molecular targets (e.g., recycling α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, AMPA, receptors to the plasma membrane); conversely, the fact that sensitivity to ZIP emerges only after consolidation ends suggests that consolidation (and by extension reconsolidation) and maintenance might be mutually exclusive processes, the onset of one canceling the other. Here, we use conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in rats, a cortically dependent learning paradigm, to test this hypothesis. First, we demonstrate that ZIP infusions into gustatory cortex begin interfering with CTA memory 43-45 h after memory acquisition-after consolidation ends. Next, we show that a retrieval trial administered after this time point interrupts the ability of ZIP to induce amnesia and that ZIP's ability to induce amnesia is reengaged only 45 h after retrieval. This pattern of results suggests that memory retrieval and ZIP-sensitive maintenance mechanisms are mutually exclusive and that the progression from one to the other are similar after acquisition and retrieval. They also reveal concrete differences between ZIP-sensitive mechanisms induced by acquisition and retrieval: the latency with which ZIP-sensitive mechanisms are expressed differ for the two processes. Memory retrieval and the molecular mechanisms that are sensitive to ζ-inhibitory peptide (ZIP) are the few manipulations that have been shown to effect memory maintenance. Although much is known about their effect on maintenance separately, it is unknown how they interact. Here, we describe a model for the interaction between memory retrieval and ZIP-sensitive mechanisms, showing that retrieval trials briefly (i.e., for 45 h) interrupt these mechanisms. ZIP sensitivity emerges across a similar time window after memory acquisition and retrieval; the maintenance mechanisms that follow acquisition and retrieval differ, however, in the latency with which the impact of ZIP is expressed. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3610654-09$15.00/0.

Evaluation of Next Generation Thermal Stability-Improving Additives for JP-8, Phase 2 - Specification, Materials, Filtration, and Fit-For-Purpose Evaluations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

varnishes and hard carbon deposits in various parts of the fuel system and are commonly referred to as coke or fouling. Depending upon the temperature...this coke . Coke present in an aircraft system, particularly the engine, lowers the on-wing time of engines and can result in significant damage to...engine hot section components. Even with proper scheduled maintenance, the presence of coke in any part of the aircraft or engine system has a

Flat-plate photovoltaic array design optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, R. G., Jr.

1980-01-01

An analysis is presented which integrates the results of specific studies in the areas of photovoltaic structural design optimization, optimization of array series/parallel circuit design, thermal design optimization, and optimization of environmental protection features. The analysis is based on minimizing the total photovoltaic system life-cycle energy cost including repair and replacement of failed cells and modules. This approach is shown to be a useful technique for array optimization, particularly when time-dependent parameters such as array degradation and maintenance are involved.

Management information systems in the HMO environment.

PubMed

Neal, P A

1982-01-01

Realization of the unique potential of a health maintenance organization is dependent on the availability of adequate, accurate, and timely information. The particular data needed are determined by the structure of the organization; the physician compensation plans; requirements for state, federal, or other reporting; and many other factors. The author introduces the concept and objectives of the HMO, and presents the management information systems necessary for planning and monitoring HMO performance: patient information, utilization information, and management information for the staff and nonstaff HMO.

Peer review.

PubMed

Twaij, H; Oussedik, S; Hoffmeyer, P

2014-04-01

The maintenance of quality and integrity in clinical and basic science research depends upon peer review. This process has stood the test of time and has evolved to meet increasing work loads, and ways of detecting fraud in the scientific community. However, in the 21st century, the emphasis on evidence-based medicine and good science has placed pressure on the ways in which the peer review system is used by most journals. This paper reviews the peer review system and the problems it faces in the digital age, and proposes possible solutions.

Automated System Checkout to Support Predictive Maintenance for the Reusable Launch Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson-Hine, Ann; Deb, Somnath; Kulkarni, Deepak; Wang, Yao; Lau, Sonie (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The Propulsion Checkout and Control System (PCCS) is a predictive maintenance software system. The real-time checkout procedures and diagnostics are designed to detect components that need maintenance based on their condition, rather than using more conventional approaches such as scheduled or reliability centered maintenance. Predictive maintenance can reduce turn-around time and cost and increase safety as compared to conventional maintenance approaches. Real-time sensor validation, limit checking, statistical anomaly detection, and failure prediction based on simulation models are employed. Multi-signal models, useful for testability analysis during system design, are used during the operational phase to detect and isolate degraded or failed components. The TEAMS-RT real-time diagnostic engine was developed to utilize the multi-signal models by Qualtech Systems, Inc. Capability of predicting the maintenance condition was successfully demonstrated with a variety of data, from simulation to actual operation on the Integrated Propulsion Technology Demonstrator (IPTD) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Playback of IPTD valve actuations for feature recognition updates identified an otherwise undetectable Main Propulsion System 12 inch prevalve degradation. The algorithms were loaded into the Propulsion Checkout and Control System for further development and are the first known application of predictive Integrated Vehicle Health Management to an operational cryogenic testbed. The software performed successfully in real-time, meeting the required performance goal of 1 second cycle time.

Interim Methadone and Patient Navigation in Jail: Rationale and Design of a Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Robert P.; Kelly, Sharon M.; Mitchell, Shannon G.; Dunlap, Laura; Zarkin, Gary A.; Sharma, Anjalee; O’Grady, Kevin E.; Jaffe, Jerome H.

2016-01-01

Background Methadone maintenance is an effective treatment for opioid dependence but is rarely initiated in US jails. Patient navigation is a promising approach to improve continuity of care but has not been tested in bridging the gap between jail- and community-based drug treatment programs. Methods This is an open-label randomized clinical trial among 300 adult opioid dependent newly-arrested detainees that will compare three treatment conditions: methadone maintenance without routine counseling (termed Interim Methadone; IM) initiated in jail v. IM and patient navigation v. enhanced treatment-as-usual. The two primary outcomes will be: (1) the rate of entry into treatment for opioid use disorder within 30 days from release and (2) frequency of opioid positive urine tests over the 12-month follow-up period. An economic analysis will examine the costs, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit ratio of the study interventions. Results We describe the background and rationale for the study, its aims, hypotheses, and study design. Conclusions Given the large number of opioid dependent detainees in the US and elsewhere, initiating IM at the time of incarceration could be a significant public health and clinical approach to reducing relapse, recidivism, HIV-risk behavior, and criminal behavior. An economic analysis will be conducted to assist policy makers in determining the utility of adopting this approach. PMID:27282117

Interim methadone and patient navigation in jail: Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Schwartz, Robert P; Kelly, Sharon M; Mitchell, Shannon G; Dunlap, Laura; Zarkin, Gary A; Sharma, Anjalee; O'Grady, Kevin E; Jaffe, Jerome H

2016-07-01

Methadone maintenance is an effective treatment for opioid dependence but is rarely initiated in US jails. Patient navigation is a promising approach to improve continuity of care but has not been tested in bridging the gap between jail- and community-based drug treatment programs. This is an open-label randomized clinical trial among 300 adult opioid dependent newly-arrested detainees that will compare three treatment conditions: methadone maintenance without routine counseling (termed Interim Methadone; IM) initiated in jail v. IM and patient navigation v. enhanced treatment-as-usual. The two primary outcomes will be: (1) the rate of entry into treatment for opioid use disorder within 30days from release and (2) frequency of opioid positive urine tests over the 12-month follow-up period. An economic analysis will examine the costs, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit ratio of the study interventions. We describe the background and rationale for the study, its aims, hypotheses, and study design. Given the large number of opioid dependent detainees in the US and elsewhere, initiating IM at the time of incarceration could be a significant public health and clinical approach to reducing relapse, recidivism, HIV-risk behavior, and criminal behavior. An economic analysis will be conducted to assist policy makers in determining the utility of adopting this approach. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02334215. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potable water scarcity: options and issues in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Atikul; Sakakibara, Hiroyuki; Karim, Rezaul; Sekine, Masahiko

2013-09-01

In the coastal areas of Bangladesh, scarcity of drinking water is acute as freshwater aquifers are not available at suitable depths and surface water is highly saline. Households are mainly dependent on rainwater harvesting, pond sand filters and pond water for drinking purposes. Thus, individuals in these areas often suffer from waterborne diseases. In this paper, water consumption behaviour in two southwestern coastal districts of Bangladesh has been investigated. The data for this study were collected through a survey conducted on 750 rural households in 39 villages of the study area. The sample was selected using a random sampling technique. Households' choice of water source is complex and seasonally dependent. Water sourcing patterns, households' preference of water sourcing options and economic feasibility of options suggest that a combination of household and community-based options could be suitable for year-round water supply. Distance and time required for water collection were found to be difficult for water collection from community-based options. Both household and community-based options need regular maintenance. In addition to installation of water supply facilities, it is necessary to make the residents aware of proper operation and maintenance of the facilities.

Cryogenics maintenance strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruzat, Fabiola

2012-09-01

ALMA is an interferometer composed of 66 independent systems, with specific maintenance requirements for each subsystem. To optimize the observation time and reduce downtime maintenance, requirements are very demanding. One subsystem with high maintenance efforts is cryogenics and vacuum. To organize the maintenance, the Cryogenic and Vacuum department is using and implementing different tools. These are monitoring and problem reporting systems and CMMS. This leads to different maintenance approaches: Preventive Maintenance, Corrective Maintenance and Condition Based Maintenance. In order to coordinate activities with other departments the preventive maintenance schedule is kept as flexible as systems allow. To cope with unavoidable failures, the team has to be prepared to work under any condition with the spares on time. Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) will help to manage inventory control for reliable spare part handling, the correct record of work orders and traceability of maintenance activities. For an optimized approach the department is currently evaluating where preventive or condition based maintenance applies to comply with the individual system demand. Considering the change from maintenance contracts to in-house maintenance will help to minimize costs and increase availability of parts. Due to increased number of system and tasks the cryo team needs to grow. Training of all staff members is mandatory, in depth knowledge must be built up by doing complex maintenance activities in the Cryo group, use of advanced computerized metrology systems.

Complexity and diversity.

PubMed

Doebeli, Michael; Ispolatov, Iaroslav

2010-04-23

The mechanisms for the origin and maintenance of biological diversity are not fully understood. It is known that frequency-dependent selection, generating advantages for rare types, can maintain genetic variation and lead to speciation, but in models with simple phenotypes (that is, low-dimensional phenotype spaces), frequency dependence needs to be strong to generate diversity. However, we show that if the ecological properties of an organism are determined by multiple traits with complex interactions, the conditions needed for frequency-dependent selection to generate diversity are relaxed to the point where they are easily satisfied in high-dimensional phenotype spaces. Mathematically, this phenomenon is reflected in properties of eigenvalues of quadratic forms. Because all living organisms have at least hundreds of phenotypes, this casts the potential importance of frequency dependence for the origin and maintenance of diversity in a new light.

Low Impact Development Standards

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

Loftin, Samuel R.

The goal of the LID Standards is to provide guidance on the planning, design, construction and maintenance of green infrastructure (GI) features at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The success of LID at LANL is dependent on maintaining a consistent approach to achieve effective application, operation, and maintenance of these storm water control features.

GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors blockade rescues bidirectional synaptic plasticity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of cocaine self-administering rats.

PubMed

deBacker, Julian; Hawken, Emily R; Normandeau, Catherine P; Jones, Andrea A; Di Prospero, Cynthia; Mechefske, Elysia; Gardner Gregory, James; Hayton, Scott J; Dumont, Éric C

2015-01-01

Drugs of abuse have detrimental effects on homeostatic synaptic plasticity in the motivational brain network. Bidirectional plasticity at excitatory synapses helps keep neural circuits within a functional range to allow for behavioral flexibility. Therefore, impaired bidirectional plasticity of excitatory synapses may contribute to the behavioral hallmarks of addiction, yet this relationship remains unclear. Here we tracked excitatory synaptic strength in the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST) using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings in brain slices from rats self-administering sucrose or cocaine. In the cocaine group, we measured both a persistent increase in AMPA to NMDA ratio (A:N) and slow decay time of NMDA currents throughout the self-administration period and after withdrawal from cocaine. In contrast, the sucrose group exhibited an early increase in A:N ratios (acquisition) that returned toward baseline values with continued self-administration (maintenance) and after withdrawal. The sucrose rats also displayed a decrease in NMDA current decay time with continued self-administration (maintenance), which normalized after withdrawal. Cocaine self-administering rats exhibited impairment in NMDA-dependent long-term depression (LTD) that could be rescued by GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor blockade. Sucrose self-administering rats demonstrated no impairment in NMDA-dependent LTD. During the maintenance period of self-administration, in vivo (daily intraperitoneally for 5 days) pharmacologic blockade of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors did not reduce lever pressing for cocaine. However, in vivo GluN2B blockade did normalize A:N ratios in cocaine self-administrating rats, and dissociated the magnitude of ovBNST A:N ratios from drug-seeking behavior after protracted withdrawal. Altogether, our data demonstrate when and how bidirectional plasticity at ovBNST excitatory synapses becomes dysfunctional with cocaine self-administration and that NMDA-mediated potentiation of AMPA receptors in this region may be part of the neural circuits of drug relapse.

Application of step-drawdown test for planning agricultural groundwater well maintenance in S. Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Sung-Ho; Lee, Byung-Sun

2015-04-01

Well efficiency decreases with time after development and the pumping rate is reduced sharply at a certain point. However, the rapid decrease of the efficiency definitely depends upon the physical characteristics of the aquifer, chemical properties of groundwater, pore clogging by adsorptive/precipitable materials, and use of groundwater well. In general, it is expected that an adequate and ongoing maintenance for the well is effective in extension of operating periods because major maintenance frequency requirement at municipal wells placed in the crystalline rock aquifer is known to be relatively longer. The proportion of agricultural wells (583,748) against the total groundwater ones (1,380,715) is 42.3% in 2011, S. Korea. Groundwater use accounts for 1.9 billion m3/year which indicates 48.9% of total amount available groundwater resources. Approximate 69% of the total agricultural public wells placed in crystalline rock aquifer have passed more than 10 years after development. In this study, the increase of well efficiency before and after the well disinfection/cleaning for agricultural groundwater wells in the mountains, plains, and coastal aquifer with the data of step-drawdown test was evaluated, respectively. With the concept of critical yield, the increase of available amount of groundwater was quantitatively analyzed after treatment. From the results, well efficiency increased approximately 1.5 to 4 times depending on pumping rate when the proper disinfection/cleaning methods to the wells were applied. In addition, it showed that the pumping rate of approximate 4-8% with the critical yield from step-drawdown test increased and these effects were the highest in wells which are more than 10 years elapsed. Therefore, it would be concluded that the well disinfection/cleaning methods for the purpose of increasing the efficiency are more effective for the wells that are older than 10 years.

Could pharmacogenetic data explain part of the interindividual sensitivity to methadone-induced respiratory depression?

PubMed Central

Crettol, Séverine; Monnat, Martine; Eap, Chin B

2007-01-01

In this issue of Critical Care, Megarbane and colleagues present a case report of methadone-induced respiratory depression and conduct a toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic evaluation. An opioid-dependent patient receiving methadone maintenance treatment (daily dose 70 mg) was found unconscious after ingesting 240 mg methadone and 2 mg flunitrazepam. Significant improvement in consciousness was achieved after an intravenous bolus of 0.3 mg naloxone followed by a continuous infusion of naloxone at 0.3 mg/hour. In patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment, an occasional intake of two to four times the usual daily dose of methadone is not an exceptional occurrence. However, few such patients experience episodes of life-threatening respiratory depression. Here, we discuss whether recent pharmacogenetic data could help us to understand interindividual variability in sensitivity to respiratory depression and, ultimately, to predict which patients are most likely to be affected. PMID:17338832

Space architecture monograph series. Volume 4: Genesis 2: Advanced lunar outpost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fieber, Joseph P.; Huebner-Moths, Janis; Paruleski, Kerry L.; Moore, Gary T. (Editor)

1991-01-01

This research and design study investigated advanced lunar habitats for astronauts and mission specialists on the Earth's moon. Design recommendations are based on environmental response to the lunar environment, human habitability (human factors and environmental behavior research), transportability (structural and materials system with least mass), constructability (minimizing extravehicular time), construction dependability and resilience, and suitability for NASA launch research missions in the 21st century. The recommended design uses lunar lava tubes, with construction being a combination of Space Station Freedom derived hard modules and light weight Kevlar laminate inflatable structures. The proposed habitat includes research labs and a biotron, crew quarters and crew support facility, mission control, health maintenance facility, maintenance work areas for psychological retreat, privacy, and comtemplation. Furniture, specialized equipment, and lighting are included in the analysis and design. Drawings include base master plans, construction sequencing, overall architectural configuration, detailed floor plans, sections and axonometrics, with interior perspectives.

Future-oriented maintenance strategy based on automated processes is finding its way into large astronomical facilities at remote observing sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silber, Armin; Gonzalez, Christian; Pino, Francisco; Escarate, Patricio; Gairing, Stefan

2014-08-01

With expanding sizes and increasing complexity of large astronomical observatories on remote observing sites, the call for an efficient and recourses saving maintenance concept becomes louder. The increasing number of subsystems on telescopes and instruments forces large observatories, like in industries, to rethink conventional maintenance strategies for reaching this demanding goal. The implementation of full-, or semi-automatic processes for standard service activities can help to keep the number of operating staff on an efficient level and to reduce significantly the consumption of valuable consumables or equipment. In this contribution we will demonstrate on the example of the 80 Cryogenic subsystems of the ALMA Front End instrument, how an implemented automatic service process increases the availability of spare parts and Line Replaceable Units. Furthermore how valuable staff recourses can be freed from continuous repetitive maintenance activities, to allow focusing more on system diagnostic tasks, troubleshooting and the interchanging of line replaceable units. The required service activities are decoupled from the day-to-day work, eliminating dependencies on workload peaks or logistic constrains. The automatic refurbishing processes running in parallel to the operational tasks with constant quality and without compromising the performance of the serviced system components. Consequentially that results in an efficiency increase, less down time and keeps the observing schedule on track. Automatic service processes in combination with proactive maintenance concepts are providing the necessary flexibility for the complex operational work structures of large observatories. The gained planning flexibility is allowing an optimization of operational procedures and sequences by considering the required cost efficiency.

Former Heroin Addicts with or without a History of Cocaine Dependence are more Impulsive than Controls

PubMed Central

Nielsen, David A.; Ho, Ann; Bahl, Ajay; Varma, Priya; Kellogg, Scott; Borg, Lisa; Kreek, Mary Jeanne

2012-01-01

Background Personality traits such as impulsivity and sensation seeking may contribute to the initiation and maintenance of illicit drug use. Since studies have reported higher impulsivity and sensation seeking traits in cocaine dependent subjects, we were interested in determining whether former heroin addicts in methadone pharmacotherapy with comorbid cocaine addiction have greater impulsivity than those without. Methods Instruments to assess impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11) and sensation seeking (Sensation Seeking Scale version V) were administered to former severe heroin addicts meeting Federal criteria for methadone maintenance pharmacotherapy with (n = 71) or without cocaine dependence (n = 31) and to 145 normal healthy (non-methadone-maintained) volunteers. Results The methadone-maintained without cocaine dependence and the methadone-maintained with cocaine dependence groups, both scored higher than did the normal volunteer group on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale total score (p < 0.001). On the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Attentional, Nonplanning, and Motor subscales, the methadone-maintained and methadone-maintained with cocaine dependence groups scored higher than did normal volunteers with no history of drug abuse or dependence (p < 0.001). There was no difference among groups on total score or any subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scale. However, males in all groups overall scored higher than did females on Disinhibition and Thrill and Adventure seeking subscales of the Sensation Seeking Scale version V (p < 0.001). Conclusions This study demonstrates higher impulsivity in former severe heroin addicts meeting criteria for or currently in stable methadone maintenance pharmacotherapy, irrespective of a positive or negative history of cocaine dependence. PMID:22265192

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AGE-DEPENDENCE IN SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING (SDB) IN OLD AGE: THE BAY AREA SLEEP COHORT (BASC).

PubMed

Bliwise, Donald L

2009-03-01

Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in elderly populations and is thought to reflect, at least in part, age-dependence. Several studies suggest that SDB in elderly populations may hold different functional outcomes relative to SDB in middle-aged populations. Risk factors for SDB specific for the elderly remain uncertain. In this report, we examined changes in SDB, body weight and pulmonary function in 103 individuals over an average interval of 7 years to determine whether changes in these measures covaried. In-lab polysomnography was performed on members of an elderly cohort (Bay Area Sleep Cohort) on two separate occasions (Time 1, Time 2) with multiple nights of measurement typically made on each occasion. Results indicated that: a) SDB progressed over time in both men and women; b) changes in body weight were unrelated to the progression in SDB; c) relative declines in lung volumes (Forced Vital Capacity, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1.0 second) were associated with relative increases in SDB, with the effects slightly stronger in men. These data suggest that age-dependence in one commonly ascribed aging biomarker (lung function) were coupled to increments in SDB. Maintenance of healthy lung function into old age may confer some protective benefits in the development of age-dependent SDB.

Life cycle costing with a discount rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C.

1978-01-01

This article studies life cycle costing for a capability needed for the indefinite future, and specifically investigates the dependence of optimal policies on the discount rate chosen. The two costs considered are reprocurement cost and maintenance and operations (M and O) cost. The procurement price is assumed known, and the M and O costs are assumed to be a known function, in fact, a non-decreasing function, of the time since last reprocurement. The problem is to choose the optimum reprocurement time so as to minimize the quotient of the total cost over a reprocurement period divided by the period. Or one could assume a discount rate and try to minimize the total discounted costs into the indefinite future. It is shown that the optimum policy in the presence of a small discount rate hardly depends on the discount rate at all, and leads to essentially the same policy as in the case in which discounting is not considered.

Older adults' personal routine at time of hospitalization.

PubMed

Zisberg, Anna; Gur-Yaish, Nurit

This study is the first to explore whether hospitalization disrupts the daily routines of dependent and independent older adults. Data were collected as part of a prospectively designed study from 330 hospitalized older adults age 70+. Patients reported prehospitalization frequency, duration, and timing of basic activities of daily living and leisure activities at hospital admission. Hospital routine was assessed on day of discharge. Results indicated that frequency and duration of most basic activities decreased during hospitalization; the sharpest decrease was in frequency of getting dressed. Showering occurred 2 h earlier in the hospital setting, and getting dressed occurred an hour and a half later. For dependent respondents, the greatest change was in duration; for independent respondents, the greatest change was in frequency. Given the importance of routine maintenance to health and well-being, understanding the dynamics of its disruption in the hospital setting is imperative. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examining maintenance responsibilities.

PubMed

Lam, K C

2001-06-01

This paper has examined the important responsibilities of the two organisations involved in the provision of maintenance service for the vital building services in many of our highly serviced buildings. The issues raised could be put to beneficial use in both clients and maintenance providers. All in all, the clients should work closely with their maintenance providers. Engineering services in buildings will not perform satisfactorily and efficiently if both parties do not work together and understand the maintenance tasks based on a business partnering mode. Put forward is the view that the management of the activities involved in the operation and maintenance process is a "shared commitment/involvement" between the client and the maintenance provider. It is obvious that many factors can influence the continued effectiveness of a quality maintenance scheme set up by client and provider. Some of these factors are: Change in key personnel Updates in technology Amendments to engineering practice Implementation of legislative requirements Changes in operation by client or provider Change of use of building Passage of time These factors must be fully reviewed by both parties from time to time, and necessary actions taken. A cooperative team working relationship and improved communication should be fostered by the client and his provider for the best management of services maintenance. This arrangement will contribute to better building services systems with continuous improvement; improved value for clients and higher return for the maintenance provider.

Heart rate variability predicts alcohol craving in alcohol dependent outpatients: further evidence for HRV as a psychophysiological marker of self-regulation.

PubMed

Quintana, Daniel S; Guastella, Adam J; McGregor, Iain S; Hickie, Ian B; Kemp, Andrew H

2013-09-01

Past research has highlighted an important role of the autonomic nervous system in alcohol dependence and capacity for self-regulation. While previous studies have examined alcohol dependent inpatients, it remains unclear whether resting-state HRV, a potential psychophysiological marker of ones capacity for self-regulation, is related to craving in patients who currently consume alcohol. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine whether HRV predicts alcohol craving in dependent individuals in the community. Resting-state HRV and alcohol craving, as indexed by the obsessive compulsive drinking scale, were assessed in 26 alcohol dependent outpatients. Results supported hypotheses indicating that HRV accounts for an additional 12.1% of the variance in craving after controlling for age, anxiety and levels of alcohol consumption. Here we show for the first time that resting-state HRV predicts craving in alcohol dependent outpatients. Results provide important new evidence for a role of the autonomic nervous system in the maintenance of dependence disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Niches for the Long-Term Maintenance of Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells

PubMed Central

Takamura, Shiki

2018-01-01

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM cells) are a population of immune cells that reside in the lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs without recirculation through the blood. These important cells occupy and utilize unique anatomical and physiological niches that are distinct from those for other memory T cell populations, such as central memory T cells in the secondary lymphoid organs and effector memory T cells that circulate through the tissues. CD8+ TRM cells typically localize in the epithelial layers of barrier tissues where they are optimally positioned to act as sentinels to trigger antigen-specific protection against reinfection. CD4+ TRM cells typically localize below the epithelial layers, such as below the basement membrane, and cluster in lymphoid structures designed to optimize interactions with antigen-presenting cells upon reinfection. A key feature of TRM populations is their ability to be maintained in barrier tissues for prolonged periods of time. For example, skin CD8+ TRM cells displace epidermal niches originally occupied by γδ T cells, thereby enabling their stable persistence for years. It is also clear that the long-term maintenance of TRM cells in different microenvironments is dependent on multiple tissue-specific survival cues, although the specific details are poorly understood. However, not all TRM persist over the long term. Recently, we identified a new spatial niche for the maintenance of CD8+ TRM cells in the lung, which is created at the site of tissue regeneration after injury [termed repair-associated memory depots (RAMD)]. The short-lived nature of RAMD potentially explains the short lifespans of CD8+ TRM cells in this particular tissue. Clearly, a better understanding of the niche-dependent maintenance of TRM cells will be important for the development of vaccines designed to promote barrier immunity. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the properties and nature of tissue-specific niches that maintain TRM cells in different tissues. PMID:29904388

The Role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the Development of Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity (NDO)

PubMed Central

Frias, Bárbara; Santos, João; Morgado, Marlene; Sousa, Mónica Mendes; Gray, Susannah M.Y.; McCloskey, Karen D.; Allen, Shelley; Cruz, Francisco

2015-01-01

Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) is a well known consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI), recognizable after spinal shock, during which the bladder is areflexic. NDO emergence and maintenance depend on profound plastic changes of the spinal neuronal pathways regulating bladder function. It is well known that neurotrophins (NTs) are major regulators of such changes. NGF is the best-studied NT in the bladder and its role in NDO has already been established. Another very abundant neurotrophin is BDNF. Despite being shown that, acting at the spinal cord level, BDNF is a key mediator of bladder dysfunction and pain during cystitis, it is presently unclear if it is also important for NDO. This study aimed to clarify this issue. Results obtained pinpoint BDNF as an important regulator of NDO appearance and maintenance. Spinal BDNF expression increased in a time-dependent manner together with NDO emergence. In chronic SCI rats, BDNF sequestration improved bladder function, indicating that, at later stages, BDNF contributes NDO maintenance. During spinal shock, BDNF sequestration resulted in early development of bladder hyperactivity, accompanied by increased axonal growth of calcitonin gene-related peptide-labeled fibers in the dorsal horn. Chronic BDNF administration inhibited the emergence of NDO, together with reduction of axonal growth, suggesting that BDNF may have a crucial role in bladder function after SCI via inhibition of neuronal sprouting. These findings highlight the role of BDNF in NDO and may provide a significant contribution to create more efficient therapies to manage SCI patients. PMID:25653370

RTEL1: an essential helicase for telomere maintenance and the regulation of homologous recombination

PubMed Central

Uringa, Evert-Jan; Youds, Jillian L.; Lisaingo, Kathleen; Lansdorp, Peter M.; Boulton, Simon J.

2011-01-01

Telomere maintenance and DNA repair are crucial processes that protect the genome against instability. RTEL1, an essential iron–sulfur cluster-containing helicase, is a dominant factor that controls telomere length in mice and is required for telomere integrity. In addition, RTEL1 promotes synthesis-dependent strand annealing to direct DNA double-strand breaks into non-crossover outcomes during mitotic repair and in meiosis. Here, we review the role of RTEL1 in telomere maintenance and homologous recombination and discuss models linking RTEL1’s enzymatic activity to its function in telomere maintenance and DNA repair. PMID:21097466

Prevention of Weight Gain Following a Worksite Nutrition and Exercise Program

PubMed Central

Thorndike, Anne N.; Sonnenberg, Lillian; Healey, Erica; Myint-U, Khinlei; Kvedar, Joseph C.; Regan, Susan

2012-01-01

Background Many employers are now providing wellness programs to help employees make changes in diet and exercise behaviors. Improving health outcomes and reducing costs will depend on whether employees sustain lifestyle changes and maintain a healthy weight over time. Purpose To determine if a 9-month maintenance intervention immediately following a 10-week worksite exercise and nutrition program would prevent regain of the weight lost during the program. Design RCT. Setting/participants In 2008, a total of 330 employees from 24 teams completed a 10-week exercise and nutrition program at a large hospital worksite and were randomized by team to maintenance or control (usual care) for 9 months. Intervention Internet support with a website for goal-setting and self-monitoring of weight and exercise plus minimal personal support. Main outcome measures Weight loss, percentage weight loss, time spent in physical activity, and frequency of consumption of fruits/vegetables, fatty foods, and sugary foods at 1 year compared to baseline. One-year follow-up was completed in 2010, and data were analyzed in 2011. Results At 1 year, 238 subjects (72%) completed follow-up assessments. Mean baseline BMI was 27.6 and did not differ between intervention and control. Compared to baseline, both groups lost weight during the 10-week program and maintained 65% of weight loss at 1 year (p<0.001). There was no difference in weight loss between groups at end of the 10-week program (4.8 lbs vs 4.3 lbs, p=0.53 for group×time interaction) or end of maintenance at 1 year (3.4 lbs vs 2.5 lbs, p=0.40 for group×time interaction). All subjects had improvements in physical activity and nutrition (increased fruits/vegetables and decreased fat and sugar intake) at 1 year but did not differ by group. Conclusions An intensive 10-week team-based worksite exercise and nutrition program resulted in moderate weight loss and improvements in diet and exercise behaviors at 1 year, but an Internet-based maintenance program immediately following the 10-week program did not improve these outcomes. PMID:22704742

Intolerance of uncertainty in opioid dependency - Relationship with trait anxiety and impulsivity.

PubMed

Garami, Julia; Haber, Paul; Myers, Catherine E; Allen, Michael T; Misiak, Blazej; Frydecka, Dorota; Moustafa, Ahmed A

2017-01-01

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is the tendency to interpret ambiguous situations as threatening and having negative consequences, resulting in feelings of distress and anxiety. IU has been linked to a number of anxiety disorders, and anxiety felt in the face of uncertainty may result in maladaptive behaviors such as impulsive decision making. Although there is strong evidence that anxiety and impulsivity are risk factors for addiction, there is a paucity of research examining the role of IU in this disorder. The rate of opioid addiction, in particular, has been rising steadily in recent years, which necessitates deeper understanding of risk factors in order to develop effective prevention and treatment methods. The current study tested for the first time whether opioid-dependent adults are less tolerant of uncertainty compared to a healthy comparison group. Opioid dependent patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (n = 114) and healthy comparisons (n = 69) completed the following scales: Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the Barrett Impulsivity Scale, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Analysis revealed that these measures were positively correlated with each other and that opioid-dependent patients had significantly higher IU scores. Regression analysis revealed that anxiety mediated the relationship between IU and impulsivity. Hierarchical moderation regression found an interaction between addiction status and impulsivity on IU scores in that the relationship between these variables was only observed in the patient group. Findings suggest that IU is a feature of addiction but does not necessarily play a unique role. Further research is needed to explore the complex relationship between traits and how they may contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of High-Dose Baclofen in Alcohol-Dependent Patients-The ALPADIR Study.

PubMed

Reynaud, Michel; Aubin, Henri-Jean; Trinquet, Francoise; Zakine, Benjamin; Dano, Corinne; Dematteis, Maurice; Trojak, Benoit; Paille, Francois; Detilleux, Michel

2017-07-01

Alcohol dependence is a major public health issue with a need for new pharmacological treatments. The ALPADIR study assessed the efficacy and safety of baclofen at the target dose of 180 mg/day for the maintenance of abstinence and the reduction in alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent patients. Three hundred and twenty adult patients (158 baclofen and 162 placebo) were randomized after alcohol detoxification. After a 7-week titration, the maintenance dose was provided for 17 weeks, then progressively decreased over 2 weeks before stopping. The percentage of abstinent patients during 20 consecutive weeks (primary endpoint) was low (baclofen: 11.9%; placebo: 10.5%) and not significantly different between groups (OR 1.20; 95%CI: 0.58 to 2.50; P = 0.618). A reduction in alcohol consumption was observed from month 1 in both groups, but the difference of 10.9 g/day at month 6 between groups, in favour of baclofen, was not statistically significant (P = 0.095). In a subgroup of patients with high drinking risk level at baseline, the reduction was greater with a difference at month 6 of 15.6 g/day between groups in favour of baclofen (P = 0.089). The craving assessed with Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale significantly decreased in the baclofen group (P = 0.017). No major safety concern was observed. This study did not demonstrate the superiority of baclofen in the maintenance of abstinence at the target dose of 180 mg/day. A tendency towards a reduction in alcohol consumption and a significantly decreased craving were observed in favour of baclofen. Baclofen was assessed versus placebo for maintenance of abstinence and reduction in alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent patients. This study did not demonstrate the superiority of baclofen in the maintenance of abstinence. A tendency towards a reduction in alcohol consumption and a significantly decreased craving were observed in favour of baclofen. © The Author 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

76 FR 31457 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Model DA 42 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-01

... Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Model DA 42 Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation... reportedly found on DA 42 Main Landing Gear (MLG) Damper-to-Trailing Arm joints during standard maintenance... DA 42 Main Landing Gear (MLG) Damper-to-Trailing Arm joints during standard maintenance. Depending on...

A Salutogenic Analysis of Developmental Tasks and Ego Integrity vs. Despair

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiesmann, Ulrich; Hannich, Hans-Joachim

2011-01-01

This study examines the hypothesis that the outcome of the Eriksonian crisis of integrity vs. despair is dependent on successful coping with four developmental tasks: maintenance of active involvement, reevaluation of life satisfaction, developing a sense of health maintenance, and reevaluation of the sense of coherence (SOC). A selective sample…

Maintenance cost, toppling risk and size of trees in a self-thinning stand.

PubMed

Larjavaara, Markku

2010-07-07

Wind routinely topples trees during storms, and the likelihood that a tree is toppled depends critically on its allometry. Yet none of the existing theories to explain tree allometry consider wind drag on tree canopies. Since leaf area index in crowded, self-thinning stands is independent of stand density, the drag force per unit land can also be assumed to be independent of stand density, with only canopy height influencing the total toppling moment. Tree stem dimensions and the self-thinning biomass can then be computed by further assuming that the risk of toppling over and stem maintenance per unit land area are independent of stand density, and that stem maintenance cost is a linear function of stem surface area and sapwood volume. These assumptions provide a novel way to understand tree allometry and lead to a self-thinning line relating tree biomass and stand density with a power between -3/2 and -2/3 depending on the ratio of maintenance of sapwood and stem surface. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative time sharing: new findings and an extension of the resource allocation model of temporal processing.

PubMed

Buhusi, Catalin V; Meck, Warren H

2009-07-12

Individuals time as if using a stopwatch that can be stopped or reset on command. Here, we review behavioural and neurobiological data supporting the time-sharing hypothesis that perceived time depends on the attentional and memory resources allocated to the timing process. Neuroimaging studies in humans suggest that timekeeping tasks engage brain circuits typically involved in attention and working memory. Behavioural, pharmacological, lesion and electrophysiological studies in lower animals support this time-sharing hypothesis. When subjects attend to a second task, or when intruder events are presented, estimated durations are shorter, presumably due to resources being taken away from timing. Here, we extend the time-sharing hypothesis by proposing that resource reallocation is proportional to the perceived contrast, both in temporal and non-temporal features, between intruders and the timed events. New findings support this extension by showing that the effect of an intruder event is dependent on the relative duration of the intruder to the intertrial interval. The conclusion is that the brain circuits engaged by timekeeping comprise not only those primarily involved in time accumulation, but also those involved in the maintenance of attentional and memory resources for timing, and in the monitoring and reallocation of those resources among tasks.

Applying Lean to the F-15 Maintenance Process for the Royal Saudi Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

Royal Saudi Air Force. The research focuses on improving the F-15 maintenance process in the Royal Saudi Air Force’s Maintenance Squadrons. The F-15...and on the aircraft age condition, the researcher concludes it is time to get rid of some obstacles and use new management techniques to resolve the...processes? Research Focus This research is focusing on the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 maintenance process. Because of the time and

A theoretical reassessment of microbial maintenance and implications for microbial ecology modeling.

PubMed

Wang, Gangsheng; Post, Wilfred M

2012-09-01

We attempted to reconcile three microbial maintenance models (Herbert, Pirt, and Compromise) through a theoretical reassessment. We provided a rigorous proof that the true growth yield coefficient (Y(G)) is the ratio of the specific maintenance rate (a in Herbert) to the maintenance coefficient (m in Pirt). Other findings from this study include: (1) the Compromise model is identical to the Herbert for computing microbial growth and substrate consumption, but it expresses the dependence of maintenance on both microbial biomass and substrate; (2) the maximum specific growth rate in the Herbert (μ(max,H)) is higher than those in the other two models (μ(max,P) and μ(max,C)), and the difference is the physiological maintenance factor (m(q) = a); and (3) the overall maintenance coefficient (m(T)) is more sensitive to m(q) than to the specific growth rate (μ(G)) and Y(G). Our critical reassessment of microbial maintenance provides a new approach for quantifying some important components in soil microbial ecology models. © This article is a US government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Buprenorphine does not aggravate ischemic neuronal injury in experimental focal cerebral ischemia.

PubMed

Yulug, Burak; Cam, Ertugrul; Yildiz, Aysegul; Kilic, Ertugrul

2007-01-01

Buprenorphine has been increasingly used as maintenance therapy in opioid dependence as an alternative to methadone and other pharmacological therapies. However, available data suggest increased risk of cerebrovascular events in opioid-dependent patients. Therefore, an opioid that provides safety with regard to neurological function should be considered by opioid-dependent patients. The evidence for the in vitro neurotoxic effects of buprenorphine is rapidly increasing. In order to clarify whether buprenorphine is also neurotoxic under the condition of cerebral ischemia in vivo, we applied an acute dose of buprenorphine in a transient model of focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Our study provides preclinical evidence for the usage of buprenorphine during the postoperative period following ischemic events as well as for the maintenance therapy of opioid-dependent patients wherein the risk of cerebrovascular events is increased.

Treatment of a long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning cohort with vitamin K1 during the maintenance period

PubMed Central

Long, Jianhai; Peng, Xiaobo; Luo, Yuan; Sun, Yawei; Lin, Guodong; Wang, Yongan; Qiu, Zewu

2016-01-01

Abstract Currently, there are few guidelines for the use of vitamin K1 in the maintenance treatment of long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide (LAAR) poisonings. We explored factors in the treatment of LAAR poisoning during the maintenance period in order to suggest feasible treatment models. Data from 24 cases of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning in our hospital were collected from January 2013 to May 2016. The patients’ sex, age, coagulation function, total time from poisoning to treatment with vitamin K1 (prehospital time), vitamin K1 sustained treatment time (VKSTT), anticoagulant rodenticide category, and specific poison dosage were collected. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between vitamin K1 dosage and other factors during the maintenance period. Only VKSTT (partial regression coefficient −1.133, 0.59, P = 0.035) had an obvious influence on the therapeutic dose of vitamin K1 required during the maintenance period. After an initial pulse therapy, the bleeding and coagulation functions were stabilized, and the patients were subsequently treated with vitamin K1 during the maintenance period. Over time, the maintenance dose of vitamin K1 (10–120 mg/d, intravenous drip) was gradually decreased and was not related to toxicant concentration. PMID:28002326

Advanced training of specialists in area of fiber-optic communication lines maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreev, Vladimir A.; Voronkov, Andrey A.; Bukashkin, Sergey A.; Buzova, Maria A.

2017-04-01

The paper considers the concept of fiber-optic communication lines (FOCL) maintenance. Performance criterion of FOCL technical maintenance was proposed. For the first time the algorithm for evaluation of the FOCL maintenance efficiency at telecommunication specialists training was applied.

Baclofen for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial [ISRCTN32121581

PubMed Central

Assadi, Seyed Mohammad; Radgoodarzi, Reza; Ahmadi-Abhari, Seyed Ali

2003-01-01

Background Results of preclinical studies suggest that the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen may be useful in treatment of opioid dependence. This study was aimed at assessing the possible efficacy of baclofen for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. Methods A total of 40 opioid-dependent patients were detoxified and randomly assigned to receive baclofen (60 mg/day) or placebo in a 12-week, double blind, parallel-group trial. Primary outcome measure was retention in treatment. Secondary outcome measures included opioids and alcohol use according to urinalysis and self-report ratings, intensity of opioid craving assessed with a visual analogue scale, opioid withdrawal symptoms as measured by the Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale and depression scores on the Hamilton inventory. Results Treatment retention was significantly higher in the baclofen group. Baclofen also showed a significant superiority over placebo in terms of opiate withdrawal syndrome and depressive symptoms. Non-significant, but generally favorable responses were seen in the baclofen group with other outcome measures including intensity of opioid craving and self-reported opioid and alcohol use. However, no significant difference was seen in the rates of opioid-positive urine tests. Additionally, the drug side effects of the two groups were not significantly different. Conclusion The results support further study of baclofen in the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. PMID:14624703

Acoustic Masking Disrupts Time-Dependent Mechanisms of Memory Encoding in Word-List Recall

PubMed Central

Cousins, Katheryn A.Q.; Dar, Jonathan; Wingfield, Arthur; Miller, Paul

2013-01-01

Recall of recently heard words is affected by the clarity of presentation: even if all words are presented with sufficient clarity for successful recognition, those that are more difficult to hear are less likely to be recalled. Such a result demonstrates that memory processing depends on more than whether a word is simply “recognized” versus “not-recognized”. More surprising is that when a single item in a list of spoken words is acoustically masked, prior words that were heard with full clarity are also less likely to be recalled. To account for such a phenomenon, we developed the Linking by Active Maintenance Model (LAMM). This computational model of perception and encoding predicts that these effects are time dependent. Here we challenge our model by investigating whether and how the impact of acoustic masking on memory depends on presentation rate. We find that a slower presentation rate causes a more disruptive impact of stimulus degradation on prior, clearly heard words than does a fast rate. These results are unexpected according to prior theories of effortful listening, but we demonstrate that they can be accounted for by LAMM. PMID:24838269

Acoustic masking disrupts time-dependent mechanisms of memory encoding in word-list recall.

PubMed

Cousins, Katheryn A Q; Dar, Hayim; Wingfield, Arthur; Miller, Paul

2014-05-01

Recall of recently heard words is affected by the clarity of presentation: Even if all words are presented with sufficient clarity for successful recognition, those that are more difficult to hear are less likely to be recalled. Such a result demonstrates that memory processing depends on more than whether a word is simply "recognized" versus "not recognized." More surprising is that, when a single item in a list of spoken words is acoustically masked, prior words that were heard with full clarity are also less likely to be recalled. To account for such a phenomenon, we developed the linking-by-active-maintenance model (LAMM). This computational model of perception and encoding predicts that these effects will be time dependent. Here we challenged our model by investigating whether and how the impact of acoustic masking on memory depends on presentation rate. We found that a slower presentation rate causes a more disruptive impact of stimulus degradation on prior, clearly heard words than does a fast rate. These results are unexpected according to prior theories of effortful listening, but we demonstrated that they can be accounted for by LAMM.

SOLITARY CHEMORECEPTOR CELL SURVIVAL IS INDEPENDENT OF INTACT TRIGEMINAL INNERVATION

PubMed Central

Gulbransen, Brian; Silver, Wayne; Finger, Tom

2008-01-01

Nasal solitary chemoreceptor cells (SCCs) are a population of specialized chemosensory epithelial cells presumed to broaden trigeminal chemoreceptivity in mammals (Finger et al., 2003). SCCs are innervated by peptidergic trigeminal nerve fibers (Finger et al., 2003) but it is currently unknown if intact innervation is necessary for SCC development or survival. We tested the dependence of SCCs on innervation by eliminating trigeminal nerve fibers during development with neurogenin-1 knockout mice, during early postnatal development with capsaicin desensitization, and during adulthood with trigeminal lesioning. Our results demonstrate that elimination of innervation at any of these times does not result in decreased SCC numbers. In conclusion, neither SCC development nor mature cell maintenance is dependent on intact trigeminal innervation. PMID:18300260

77 FR 20520 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-100-1A10 (Challenger 300) Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-05

... Bombardier Challenger 300 BD-100 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks Manual. For this task, the initial compliance..., of Part 2, of the Bombardier Challenger 300 BD-100 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks Manual, the general.../Maintenance Checks Manual, provided that the relevant information in the general revision is identical to that...

76 FR 39033 - Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) BR700-710 Series Turbofan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-05

... limitation section (ALS) of their approved maintenance program (Time Limits Manual (TLM), chapters 05-00-01... airplanes used for pilot training. Revise their ALS of their approved maintenance program (TLM chapters 05... limitations section (ALS) of the operators approved maintenance program (reference the Time Limits Manual (TLM...

Modeling a maintenance simulation of the geosynchronous platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleiner, A. F., Jr.

1980-01-01

A modeling technique used to conduct a simulation study comparing various maintenance routines for a space platform is dicussed. A system model is described and illustrated, the basic concepts of a simulation pass are detailed, and sections on failures and maintenance are included. The operation of the system across time is best modeled by a discrete event approach with two basic events - failure and maintenance of the system. Each overall simulation run consists of introducing a particular model of the physical system, together with a maintenance policy, demand function, and mission lifetime. The system is then run through many passes, each pass corresponding to one mission and the model is re-initialized before each pass. Statistics are compiled at the end of each pass and after the last pass a report is printed. Items of interest typically include the time to first maintenance, total number of maintenance trips for each pass, average capability of the system, etc.

Factors associated with nicotine dependence during methadone maintenance treatment: findings from a multisite survey in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Do, Huyen Phuc; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Thi Nguyen, Nhung Phuong; Ngo, Chau; Thi Nguyen, Huong Lan; Le, Giang Tong; Nguyen, Linh Khanh; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Tran, Bach Xuan; Le, Huong Thi; Vu, Thuc Minh Thi; Phan, Huong Thu Thi; Tran, Tho Dinh; Latkin, Carl A; Dunne, Michael P

2017-01-01

Objectives Smoking is associated with adverse health outcomes among drug users, including those in treatment. To date, however, there has been little evidence about smoking patterns among people receiving opioid-dependence treatment in developing countries. We examined self-reported nicotine dependence and associated factors in a large sample of opioid-dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in northern Vietnam. Setting Five clinics in Hanoi (urban area) and Nam Dinh (rural area). Participants Patients receiving MMT in the settings during the study period. Primary and secondary outcome measures We collected data about smoking patterns, levels of nicotine dependence and other covariates such as socioeconomic status, health status, alcohol use and drug use. The Fagerström test was used to measure nicotine dependence (FTND). Logistic regression and Tobit regression were employed to examine relationships between the smoking rate, nicotine dependence and potentially associated variables. Results Among 1016 drug users undergoing MMT (98.7% male), 87.2% were current smokers. The mean FTND score was 4.5 (SD 2.4). Longer duration of MMT (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) and being HIV-positive (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.88) were associated with lower likelihood of smoking. Being employed, older age at first drug injection and having long duration of MMT were inversely related with FTND scores. Higher age and continuing drug and alcohol use were significantly associated with higher FTND scores. Conclusion Smoking prevalence is high among methadone maintenance drug users. Enhanced smoking cessation support should be integrated into MMT programmes in order to reduce risk factors for cigarette smoking and improve the health and well-being of people recovering from opiate dependence. PMID:28716791

A computer-based maintenance reminder and record-keeping system for clinical laboratories.

PubMed

Roberts, B I; Mathews, C L; Walton, C J; Frazier, G

1982-09-01

"Maintenance" is all the activity an organization devotes to keeping instruments within performance specifications to assure accurate and precise operation. The increasing use of complex analytical instruments as "workhorses" in clinical laboratories requires more maintenance awareness by laboratory personnel. Record-keeping systems that document maintenance completion and that should prompt the continued performance of maintenance tasks have not kept up with instrumentation development. We report here a computer-based record-keeping and reminder system that lists weekly the maintenance items due for each work station in the laboratory, including the time required to complete each item. Written in BASIC, the system uses a DATABOSS data base management system running on a time-shared Digital Equipment Corporation PDP 11/60 computer with a RSTS V 7.0 operating system.

Design and implementation of a factorial randomized controlled trial of methadone maintenance therapy and an evidence-based behavioral intervention for incarcerated people living with HIV and opioid dependence in Malaysia.

PubMed

Bazazi, Alexander R; Wickersham, Jeffrey A; Wegman, Martin P; Culbert, Gabriel J; Pillai, Veena; Shrestha, Roman; Al-Darraji, Haider; Copenhaver, Michael M; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2017-08-01

Incarcerated people living with HIV and opioid dependence face enormous challenges to accessing evidence-based treatment during incarceration and after release into the community, placing them at risk of poor HIV treatment outcomes, relapse to opioid use and accompanying HIV transmission risk behaviors. Here we describe in detail the design and implementation of Project Harapan, a prospective clinical trial conducted among people living with HIV and opioid dependence who transitioned from prison to the community in Malaysia from 2010 to 2014. This trial involved 2 interventions: within-prison initiation of methadone maintenance therapy and an evidence-based behavioral intervention adapted to the Malaysian context (the Holistic Health Recovery Program for Malaysia, HHRP-M). Individuals were recruited and received the interventions while incarcerated and were followed for 12months after release to assess post-release HIV transmission risk behaviors and a range of other health-related outcomes. Project Harapan was designed as a fully randomized 2×2 factorial trial where individuals would be allocated in equal proportions to methadone maintenance therapy and HHRP-M, methadone maintenance therapy alone, HHRP-M alone, or control. Partway through study implementation, allocation to methadone maintenance therapy was changed from randomization to participant choice; randomization to HHRP-M continued throughout. We describe the justification for this study; the development and implementation of these interventions; changes to the protocol; and screening, enrollment, treatment receipt, and retention of study participants. Logistical, ethical, and analytic issues associated with the implementation of this study are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ergonomics in designing process: dialogue between designers, executors and users in the maintenance activity of radars in an oil refinery.

PubMed

Menegon, Fabrício Augusto; Rodrigues, Daniela da Silva; Fontes, Andréa Regina Martins; Menegon, Nilton Luiz

2012-01-01

This paper aims to discuss the role of ergonomics in design process using the dialogue developed by designers, implementers and users in an oil refinery. It was possible to identify the need of minimizing the postural constraints, risk of accidents, mechanical shocks and to enlarge safety perception in the access and permanency of the users at the workspace. It has been determined and validated by workers and managers to implement different deadlines depending on programming, viability and execution time for the improvements proposed. In a long-term: it was proposed the substitution of the ladders with time planning according to the maintenance program of the tanks; in a short-time: it was suggested the expansion of the existing platforms, implementation of a walkway connection provided with guardrails between the upper access of the side ladder and the repositioning of radar set and aerial aiming at the usage by workers at the workstation of the new platform. It was also elaborated eight typologies of intervention, according to the request, type of tank, material stored, and its setting place. The design process arises from ergonomics workplace analysis that presents concepts for solutions which was a mediator tool to be settled between users and implementers.

Income and Independence Effects on Marital Dissolution: Results from the Seattle and Denver Income-Maintenance Experiments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannan, Michael T.; And Others

1978-01-01

Discusses effects of income and income fluctuation on marital dissolution. Data are based on a model of nonlinear income and independence effects. Findings indicated that effects of an income maintenance program on marital dissolution depend upon the payment a couple receives, income before the program, level of the wife's independence, and…

Effect of lower limb muscle fatigue induced by high-level isometric contractions on postural maintenance and postural adjustments associated with bilateral forward-reach task.

PubMed

Yiou, E; Heugas, A M; Mezaour, M; Le Bozec, S

2009-01-01

This study tested the effect of lower limb muscle fatigue induced by series of high-level isometric contractions (IC) on postural adjustments and maintenance of erect posture. Subjects (N=7) displaced a bar (grasp-bar) forward with both hands at maximal velocity towards a target ("bilateral forward-reach" task, BFR), before and after a procedure designed to induce fatigue in dorsal leg muscles. This procedure included IC at 60% of maximum. Postural joint and grasp-bar motion, along with electrical activity of postural and focal muscles were recorded. Integrated electromyographical (EMG) activity per 20 ms period ranging from 400 ms before BFR onset (t0) to 400 ms after t0 was compared before and after the fatiguing procedure. This time-window included "anticipatory", "on-line" and "corrective" postural adjustments, i.e. those postural adjustments occurring before (APAs), during (OPAs) and after (CPAs) BFR, respectively. In contrast to the literature, results showed that the fatiguing procedure had no effect on muscle excitation or timing in any of the recorded postural muscles, regardless of APA, OPA or CPA-related time-window. Therefore, the postural drive did not change with fatigue. Furthermore, the peak-to-peak motion at postural joints did not change. Postural maintenance was therefore not additionally challenged. These results are in line with the hypothesis that the effect of fatigue on postural adjustments is dependent on the adequacy between fatigued motor units (MUs) and MUs recruited during the postural adjustments. Increasing IC intensity during the fatiguing procedure might therefore not necessarily exacerbate the effect of fatigue on postural control highlighted during lower level IC.

76 FR 23911 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... maintenance window for the Gulf individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs, and removing obsolete codified text..., etc.), extends the IFQ maintenance window an additional 8 hours to allow for more time to conduct end... maintenance window. All electronic IFQ transactions must be completed by December 31 at 6 p.m. eastern time...

Efficient protein targeting to the inner nuclear membrane requires Atlastin-dependent maintenance of ER topology

PubMed Central

Pawar, Sumit; Ungricht, Rosemarie; Tiefenboeck, Peter; Leroux, Jean-Christophe

2017-01-01

Newly synthesized membrane proteins are targeted to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) by diffusion within the membrane system of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), translocation through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and retention on nuclear partners. Using a visual in vitro assay we previously showed that efficient protein targeting to the INM depends on nucleotide hydrolysis. We now reveal that INM targeting is GTP-dependent. Exploiting in vitro reconstitution and in vivo analysis of INM targeting, we establish that Atlastins, membrane-bound GTPases of the ER, sustain the efficient targeting of proteins to the INM by their continued activity in preserving ER topology. When ER topology is altered, the long-range diffusional exchange of proteins in the ER network and targeting efficiency to the INM are diminished. Highlighting the general importance of proper ER topology, we show that Atlastins also influence NPC biogenesis and timely exit of secretory cargo from the ER. PMID:28826471

Law School Financial Planning and Debt Management Brochure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belmont, Jean

Information on managing debt acquired by St. John's University law students is provided. The cost of education for a graduate student includes tuition, fees, books, home maintenance, personal expenses, and transportation. A student budget for 1984-1985 is provided by students' dependency status (dependent 9 months, 9-month residency/dependent, and…

20 CFR 410.587 - Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. 410.587 Section 410.587 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL COAL... Support of legally dependent spouse, child, or parent. If current maintenance needs of a beneficiary are...

Experimenting Maintenance of Flight Software in an Integrated Modular Avionics for Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardy, Johan; Laroche, Thomas; Creten, Philippe; Parisis, Paul; Hiller, Martin

2014-08-01

This paper presents an experiment of Flight Software partitioning in an Integrated Modular Avionics for Space (IMA-SP) system. This experiment also tackles the maintenance aspects of IMA-SP systems. The presented case study is PROBA-2 Flight Software. The paper addresses and discusses the following subjects: On-Board Software Maintenance in IMA- SP, boot strategy for Time and Space Partitioning, considerations about the ground segment related to On-Board Software Maintenance in IMA-SP, and architectural impacts of Time and Space Partitioning for PROBA software's. Finally, this paper presents the results and the achievements of the study and it appeals at further perspectives for IMA-SP and Time and Space Partitioning.

Roadside maintenance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

Roadside Maintenance is a unique element within the highway maintenance program because much of the work involves caring for and/or controlling vegetation. Roadside vegetation, if managed properly, can become more naturally self-sustaining over time ...

Operational Safety Assessment of Turbo Generators with Wavelet Rényi Entropy from Sensor-Dependent Vibration Signals

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoli; Wang, Baojian; Chen, Xuefeng

2015-01-01

With the rapid development of sensor technology, various professional sensors are installed on modern machinery to monitor operational processes and assure operational safety, which play an important role in industry and society. In this work a new operational safety assessment approach with wavelet Rényi entropy utilizing sensor-dependent vibration signals is proposed. On the basis of a professional sensor and the corresponding system, sensor-dependent vibration signals are acquired and analyzed by a second generation wavelet package, which reflects time-varying operational characteristic of individual machinery. Derived from the sensor-dependent signals’ wavelet energy distribution over the observed signal frequency range, wavelet Rényi entropy is defined to compute the operational uncertainty of a turbo generator, which is then associated with its operational safety degree. The proposed method is applied in a 50 MW turbo generator, whereupon it is proved to be reasonable and effective for operation and maintenance. PMID:25894934

Maintenance Policy in Public-Transport Involving Government Subsidy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasaribu, U. S.; Bayuzetra, Y.; Gunawan, L. E.; Husniah, H.

2018-02-01

A public transport with government subsidy is considered to encourage the sustainability of the transportation. The transportations revenue is determined by the maximum of the uptimes of the vehicle. In this paper, we study a one-dimensional maintenance policy for new vehicle which is characterized by age parameter. We consider that the degradation of the vehicle is affected by the age of the vehicle, and modelled by using a one-dimensional approach. The owner performs both preventive and corrective maintenance actions, and the preventive maintenance action will reduce the vehicle failure rate and hence it will decrease the corrective maintenance cost during the life time of the vehicle. The decision problem for the owner is to find the optimal preventive maintenance time of the vehicle of each subsidy option offered by maximizing the expected profit for each subsidy.

THE EFFECTS OF MAINTENANCE ACTIONS ON THE PFDavg OF SPRING OPERATED PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES

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

Harris, S.; Gross, R.

2014-04-01

The safety integrity level (SIL) of equipment used in safety instrumented functions is determined by the average probability of failure on demand (PFDavg) computed at the time of periodic inspection and maintenance, i.e., the time of proof testing. The computation of PFDavg is generally based solely on predictions or estimates of the assumed constant failure rate of the equipment. However, PFDavg is also affected by maintenance actions (or lack thereof) taken by the end user. This paper shows how maintenance actions can affect the PFDavg of spring operated pressure relief valves (SOPRV) and how these maintenance actions may be accountedmore » for in the computation of the PFDavg metric. The method provides a means for quantifying the effects of changes in maintenance practices and shows how these changes impact plant safety.« less

The Effects of Maintenance Actions on the PFDavg of Spring Operated Pressure Relief Valves

DOE PAGES

Harris, S.; Gross, R.; Goble, W; ...

2015-12-01

The safety integrity level (SIL) of equipment used in safety instrumented functions is determined by the average probability of failure on demand (PFDavg) computed at the time of periodic inspection and maintenance, i.e., the time of proof testing. The computation of PFDavg is generally based solely on predictions or estimates of the assumed constant failure rate of the equipment. However, PFDavg is also affected by maintenance actions (or lack thereof) taken by the end user. This paper shows how maintenance actions can affect the PFDavg of spring operated pressure relief valves (SOPRV) and how these maintenance actions may be accountedmore » for in the computation of the PFDavg metric. The method provides a means for quantifying the effects of changes in maintenance practices and shows how these changes impact plant safety.« less

76 FR 477 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-2A12 (CL-601) and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-05

... to these aircraft if Bombardier Service Bulletin (SB) 601-0590 [Scheduled Maintenance Instructions... information: Challenger 601 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks, PSP 601-5, Revision 38, dated June 19, 2009. Challenger 601 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks, PSP 601A-5, Revision 34, dated June 19, 2009. Challenger 604...

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.

Experimental evidence for frequency dependent self-fertilization in the gynodioecious plant, Silene vulgaris.

PubMed

Miyake, Keiko; Olson, Matthew S

2009-06-01

After over a half century of empirical and theoretical research regarding the evolution and maintenance of gynodioecy in plants, unexplored factors influencing the relative fitnesses of females and hermaphrodites remain. Theoretical studies suggest that hermaphrodite self-fertilization (selfing) rate influences the maintenance of gynodioecy and we hypothesized that population sex ratio may influence hermaphrodite selfing rate. An experimental test for frequency-dependent self-fertilization was conducted using replicated populations constructed with different sex ratios of the gynodioecious plant Silene vulgaris. We found that hermaphrodite selfing increased with decreased hermaphrodite frequency, whereas evidence for increased inbreeding depression was equivocal. We argue that incorporation of context dependent inbreeding into future models of the evolution of gynodioecy is likely to yield novel insights into sex ratio evolution.

Normalizing effect of heroin maintenance treatment on stress-induced brain connectivity

PubMed Central

Walter, Marc; Gerber, Hana; Seifritz, Erich; Brenneisen, Rudolf; Wiesbeck, Gerhard A.; Riecher-Rössler, Anita; Lang, Undine E.; Borgwardt, Stefan

2015-01-01

Recent evidence has shown that a single maintenance dose of heroin attenuates psychophysiological stress responses in heroin-dependent patients, probably reflecting the effectiveness of heroin-assisted therapies for the treatment of severe heroin addiction. However, the underlying neural circuitry of these effects has not yet been investigated. Using a cross-over, double-blind, vehicle-controlled design, 22 heroin-dependent and heroin-maintained outpatients from the Centre of Substance Use Disorders at the University Hospital of Psychiatry in Basel were studied after heroin and placebo administration, while 17 healthy controls from the general population were included for placebo administration only. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to detect brain responses to fearful faces and dynamic causal modelling was applied to compute fear-induced modulation of connectivity within the emotional face network. Stress responses were assessed by hormone releases and subjective ratings. Relative to placebo, heroin acutely reduced the fear-induced modulation of connectivity from the left fusiform gyrus to the left amygdala and from the right amygdala to the right orbitofrontal cortex in dependent patients. Both of these amygdala-related connectivity strengths were significantly increased in patients after placebo treatment (acute withdrawal) compared to healthy controls, whose connectivity estimates did not differ from those of patients after heroin injection. Moreover, we found positive correlations between the left fusiform gyrus to amygdala connectivity and different stress responses, as well as between the right amygdala to orbitofrontal cortex connectivity and levels of craving. Our findings indicate that the increased amygdala-related connectivity during fearful face processing after the placebo treatment in heroin-dependent patients transiently normalizes after acute heroin maintenance treatment. Furthermore, this study suggests that the assessment of amygdala-related connectivity during fear processing may provide a prognostic tool to assess stress levels in heroin-dependent patients and to quantify the efficacy of maintenance treatments in drug addiction. PMID:25414039

Analyzing machine noise for real time maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamato, Yoji; Fukumoto, Yoshifumi; Kumazaki, Hiroki

2017-02-01

Recently, IoT technologies have been progressed and applications of maintenance area are expected. However, IoT maintenance applications are not spread in Japan yet because of one-off solution of sensing and analyzing for each case, high cost to collect sensing data and insufficient maintenance automation. This paper proposes a maintenance platform which analyzes sound data in edges, analyzes only anomaly data in cloud and orders maintenance automatically to resolve existing technology problems. We also implement a sample application and compare related work.

Maintenance Energy Requirements of Double-Muscled Belgian Blue Beef Cows.

PubMed

Fiems, Leo O; De Boever, Johan L; Vanacker, José M; De Campeneere, Sam

2015-02-13

Sixty non-pregnant, non-lactating double-muscled Belgian Blue (DMBB) cows were used to estimate the energy required to maintain body weight (BW). They were fed one of three energy levels for 112 or 140 days, corresponding to approximately 100%, 80% or 70% of their total energy requirements. The relationship between daily energy intake and BW and daily BW change was developed using regression analysis. Maintenance energy requirements were estimated from the regression equation by setting BW gain to zero. Metabolizable and net energy for maintenance amounted to 0.569 ± 0.001 and 0.332 ± 0.001 MJ per kg BW(0.75)/d, respectively. Maintenance energy requirements were not dependent on energy level (p > 0.10). Parity affected maintenance energy requirements (p < 0.001), although the small numerical differences between parities may hardly be nutritionally relevant. Maintenance energy requirements of DMBB beef cows were close to the mean energy requirements of other beef genotypes reported in the literature.

Lunar Surface Systems Supportability Technology Development Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard C.; Struk, Peter M.; Green, Jennifer L.; Chau, Savio N.; Curell, Philip C.; Dempsey, Cathy A.; Patterson, Linda P.; Robbins, William; Steele, Michael A.; DAnnunzio, Anthony;

Maintenance of Mouse Gustatory Terminal Field Organization Is Disrupted following Selective Removal of Peripheral Sodium Salt Taste Activity at Adulthood

PubMed Central

Sun, Chengsan

2017-01-01

Neural activity plays a critical role in the development of central circuits in sensory systems. However, the maintenance of these circuits at adulthood is usually not dependent on sensory-elicited neural activity. Recent work in the mouse gustatory system showed that selectively deleting the primary transduction channel for sodium taste, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), throughout development dramatically impacted the organization of the central terminal fields of three nerves that carry taste information to the nucleus of the solitary tract. More specifically, deleting ENaCs during development prevented the normal maturation of the fields. The present study was designed to extend these findings by testing the hypothesis that the loss of sodium taste activity impacts the maintenance of the normal adult terminal field organization in male and female mice. To do this, we used an inducible Cre-dependent genetic recombination strategy to delete ENaC function after terminal field maturation occurred. We found that removal of sodium taste neural activity at adulthood resulted in significant reorganization of mature gustatory afferent terminal fields in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Specifically, the chorda tympani and greater superficial petrosal nerve terminal fields were 1.4× and 1.6× larger than age-matched controls, respectively. By contrast, the glossopharyngeal nerve, which is not highly sensitive to sodium taste stimulation, did not undergo terminal field reorganization. These surprising results suggest that gustatory nerve terminal fields remain plastic well into adulthood, which likely impacts central coding of taste information and taste-related behaviors with altered taste experience. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural activity plays a major role in the development of sensory circuits in the mammalian brain. However, the importance of sensory-driven activity in maintaining these circuits at adulthood, especially in subcortical structures, appears to be much less. Here, we tested whether the loss of sodium taste activity in adult mice impacts the maintenance of how taste nerves project to the first central relay. We found that specific loss of sodium-elicited taste activity at adulthood produced dramatic and selective reorganization of terminal fields in the brainstem. This demonstrates, for the first time, that taste-elicited activity is necessary for the normal maintenance of central gustatory circuits at adulthood and highlights a level of plasticity not seen in other sensory system subcortical circuits. PMID:28676575

Drug Craving Terminology among Opiate Dependents; A Mixed Method Study

PubMed Central

Maarefvand, Masoomeh; Ghiasvand, Hamid Reza

2013-01-01

Objective Drug craving is defined as an urge to continue substance abuse. Drug dependents use different terms to express their subjective feeling of craving. This study was an attempt to generate an understanding of craving terminology among different groups of Persian speaking Iranian opiate dependents. Method Terms used for the meaning of drug craving were listed by 36 ex-opiate dependents in focus group discussion meetings in the first phase of the study. These terms were composed from Craving Terms Questionnaire. In the second phase, 120 subjects in 3 groups of opiate dependents and a group of Current Opiate Abusers rated usage frequency of each term in the questionnaire under a Twelve-Step Program, Methadone Maintenance, and Other Abstinence-based Programs. Results Eighty nine terms were categorized in stimulation and triggering, attention bias and obsession, decision making difficulty, information processing impairment, withdrawal induction, drug euphoric experience, mental urge, motor control problem, negative valancing and stigmatizing. Terms for the three categories of mental urge, attention bias and obsession and motor control problem were used more than others. Patients in Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) group used different categories of craving terms in comparison to other groups. Abstinent cases reported higher total score for craving terms in comparison to other groups in Twelve-Step Program and other abstinence-based programs. Conclusion Each craving-related term is associated with some aspects of the multidimensional concept of craving. A drug-craving thesaurus could provide a better understanding of craving nature from a drug dependent point of view. There are differences among abstinence vs. maintenance based treated opiate dependents in using craving terms. Addiction therapists will benefit from accessing drug dependents’ lexicon to assess and create therapeutic alliance with their clients. PMID:24130609

Randomized controlled trial of dexamphetamine maintenance for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence.

PubMed

Longo, Marie; Wickes, Wendy; Smout, Matthew; Harrison, Sonia; Cahill, Sharon; White, Jason M

2010-01-01

To investigate the safety and efficacy of once-daily supervised oral administration of sustained-release dexamphetamine in people dependent on methamphetamine. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-nine methamphetamine-dependent drug users from Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) clinics. Participants were assigned randomly to receive up to 110 mg/day sustained-release dexamphetamine (n = 23) or placebo (n = 26) for a maximum of 12 weeks, with gradual reduction of the study medication over an additional 4 weeks. Medication was taken daily under pharmacist supervision. Primary outcome measures included treatment retention, measures of methamphetamine consumption (self-report and hair analysis), degree of methamphetamine dependence and severity of methamphetamine withdrawal. Hair samples were analysed for methamphetamine using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Treatment retention was significantly different between groups, with those who received dexamphetamine remaining in treatment for an average of 86.3 days compared with 48.6 days for those receiving placebo (P = 0.014). There were significant reductions in self-reported methamphetamine use between baseline and follow-up within each group (P < 0.0001), with a trend to a greater reduction among the dexamphetamine group (P = 0.086). Based on hair analysis, there was a significant decrease in methamphetamine concentration for both groups (P < 0.0001). At follow-up, degree of methamphetamine dependence was significantly lower in the dexamphetamine group (P = 0.042). Dexamphetamine maintenance was not associated with serious adverse events. The results of this preliminary study have demonstrated that a maintenance pharmacotherapy programme of daily sustained-release amphetamine dispensing under pharmacist supervision is both feasible and safe. The increased retention in the dexamphetamine group, together with the general decreases in methamphetamine use, degree of dependence and withdrawal symptom severity, provide preliminary evidence that this may be an efficacious treatment option for methamphetamine dependence.

The Role of Visual Occlusion in Altitude Maintenance during Simulated Flight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, R.; Geri, G. A.; Akhtar, S. C.; Covas, C. M.

2008-01-01

The use of visual occlusion as a cue to altitude maintenance in low-altitude flight (LAF) was investigated. The extent to which the ground surface is occluded by 3-D objects varies with altitude and depends on the height, radius, and density of the objects. Participants attempted to maintain a constant altitude during simulated flight over an…

Maintenance of phenotypic variation: repeatibility, heritability, and size-dependent processes in a wild brook trout population

Treesearch

Benjamin H. Letcher; Jason A Coombs; Keith H. Nislow

2011-01-01

Phenotypic variation in body size can result from within-cohort variation in birth dates, among-individual growth variation and size-selective processes. We explore the relative effects of these processes on the maintenance of wide observed body size variation in stream-dwelling brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Based on the analyses of multiple...

Eye development and the appearance and maintenance of corneal transparency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conrad, G. W.; Funderburgh, J. L.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

1992-01-01

Embryonic development of the eye, including the cornea, depends on the appearance and steady maintenance of intraocular pressure. The eye is a gravity-sensitive organ, as evidence by changes in pupil diameter during parabolic flight. The cornea is largely a paracrystal of extracellular matrix. The extent to which it will polymerize normally in microgravity has yet to be determined.

A Change Management Approach to Enhance Facility Maintenance Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

dependent on the particular research effort and the researcher’s experience. Large groups tend to increase the decision quality but can be difficult...consolidate SME opinions on facility maintenance criteria. The Delphi method utilizes numerous questionnaire rounds to capitalize on a group think...effort provides the discussion and conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions for follow on research . 9 II. Literature Review This

Genome-health nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics: nutritional requirements or 'nutriomes' for chromosomal stability and telomere maintenance at the individual level.

PubMed

Bull, Caroline; Fenech, Michael

2008-05-01

It is becoming increasingly evident that (a) risk for developmental and degenerative disease increases with more DNA damage, which in turn is dependent on nutritional status, and (b) the optimal concentration of micronutrients for prevention of genome damage is also dependent on genetic polymorphisms that alter the function of genes involved directly or indirectly in the uptake and metabolism of micronutrients required for DNA repair and DNA replication. The development of dietary patterns, functional foods and supplements that are designed to improve genome-health maintenance in individuals with specific genetic backgrounds may provide an important contribution to an optimum health strategy based on the diagnosis and individualised nutritional prevention of genome damage, i.e. genome health clinics. The present review summarises some of the recent knowledge relating to micronutrients that are associated with chromosomal stability and provides some initial insights into the likely nutritional factors that may be expected to have an impact on the maintenance of telomeres. It is evident that developing effective strategies for defining nutrient doses and combinations or 'nutriomes' for genome-health maintenance at the individual level is essential for further progress in this research field.

The Effect of Line Maintenance Activity on Airline Safety Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhoades, Dawna L.; Reynolds, Rosemarie; Waguespack, Blaise, Jr.; Williams, Michael

2005-01-01

One of the arguments against deregulation of the airline industry has been the possibility that financially troubled carriers would be tempted to lower line maintenance spending, thus lowering maintenance quality and decreasing the overall safety of the carrier. Given the financial crisis triggered by the events of 9/11: it appears to be a good time to revisit this issue. This paper examines the quality of airline line maintenance activity and examines the impact of maintenance spending on maintenance quality and overall safety. Findings indicate that increased maintenance spending is associated with increased line maintenance activity and increased overall safety quality for the major U.S. carriers.

Analysis of loss of time value during road maintenance project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarsana, Dewa Ketut; Sanjaya, Putu Ari

2017-06-01

Lane closure is frequently performed in the execution of the road maintenance project. It has a negative impact on road users such as the loss of vehicle operating costs and the loss of time value. Nevertheless, analysis on loss of time value in Indonesia has not been carried out. The parameter of time value for the road users was the minimum wage city/region approach. Vehicle speed of pre-construction was obtained by observation, while the speed during the road maintenance project was predicted by the speed of the pre-construction by multiplying it with the speed adjustment factor. In the case of execution of the National road maintenance project in the two-lane two-way urban and interurban road types in the fiscal year of 2015 in Bali province, the loss of time value was at the average of IDR 12,789,000/day/link road. The relationship of traffic volume and loss of time value of the road users was obtained by a logarithm model.

Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Insulator Contaminations Revealed by Daily Observations of Equivalent Salt Deposit Density

PubMed Central

Ruan, Ling; Han, Ge; Zhu, Zhongmin; Zhang, Miao; Gong, Wei

2015-01-01

The accurate estimation of deposits adhering on insulators is of great significance to prevent pollution flashovers which cause huge costs worldwide. Researchers have developed sensors using different technologies to monitor insulator contamination on a fine time scale. However, there is lack of analysis of these data to reveal spatial and temporal characteristics of insulator contamination, and as a result the scheduling of periodical maintenance of power facilities is highly dependent on personal experience. Owing to the deployment of novel sensors, daily Equivalent Salt Deposit Density (ESDD) observations of over two years were collected and analyzed for the first time. Results from 16 sites distributed in four regions of Hubei demonstrated that spatial heterogeneity can be seen at both the fine and coarse geographical scales, suggesting that current polluted area maps are necessary but are not sufficient conditions to guide the maintenance of power facilities. Both the local emission and the regional air pollution condition exert evident influences on deposit accumulation. A relationship between ESDD and PM10 was revealed by using regression analysis, proving that air pollution exerts influence on pollution accumulations on insulators. Moreover, the seasonality of ESDD was discovered for the first time by means of time series analysis, which could help engineers select appropriate times to clean the contamination. Besides, the trend component shows that the ESDD increases in a negative exponential fashion with the accumulation date (ESDD = a − b × exp(−time)) at a long time scale in real environments. PMID:25643058

Intolerance of uncertainty in opioid dependency – Relationship with trait anxiety and impulsivity

PubMed Central

Haber, Paul; Myers, Catherine E.; Allen, Michael T.; Misiak, Blazej; Frydecka, Dorota; Moustafa, Ahmed A.

2017-01-01

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is the tendency to interpret ambiguous situations as threatening and having negative consequences, resulting in feelings of distress and anxiety. IU has been linked to a number of anxiety disorders, and anxiety felt in the face of uncertainty may result in maladaptive behaviors such as impulsive decision making. Although there is strong evidence that anxiety and impulsivity are risk factors for addiction, there is a paucity of research examining the role of IU in this disorder. The rate of opioid addiction, in particular, has been rising steadily in recent years, which necessitates deeper understanding of risk factors in order to develop effective prevention and treatment methods. The current study tested for the first time whether opioid-dependent adults are less tolerant of uncertainty compared to a healthy comparison group. Opioid dependent patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (n = 114) and healthy comparisons (n = 69) completed the following scales: Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the Barrett Impulsivity Scale, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Analysis revealed that these measures were positively correlated with each other and that opioid-dependent patients had significantly higher IU scores. Regression analysis revealed that anxiety mediated the relationship between IU and impulsivity. Hierarchical moderation regression found an interaction between addiction status and impulsivity on IU scores in that the relationship between these variables was only observed in the patient group. Findings suggest that IU is a feature of addiction but does not necessarily play a unique role. Further research is needed to explore the complex relationship between traits and how they may contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction. PMID:28759635

Generalized random sign and alert delay models for imperfect maintenance.

PubMed

Dijoux, Yann; Gaudoin, Olivier

2014-04-01

This paper considers the modelling of the process of Corrective and condition-based Preventive Maintenance, for complex repairable systems. In order to take into account the dependency between both types of maintenance and the possibility of imperfect maintenance, Generalized Competing Risks models have been introduced in "Doyen and Gaudoin (J Appl Probab 43:825-839, 2006)". In this paper, we study two classes of these models, the Generalized Random Sign and Generalized Alert Delay models. A Generalized Competing Risks model can be built as a generalization of a particular Usual Competing Risks model, either by using a virtual age framework or not. The models properties are studied and their parameterizations are discussed. Finally, simulation results and an application to real data are presented.

Paranal maintenance and CMMS experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montano, Nelson

2004-10-01

During the last four years of operations, low technical downtime has been one of the relevant records of the Paranal Observatory. From the beginning of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) project, European Southern Observatory (ESO) has considered the implementation of a proper maintenance strategy a fundamental point in order to ensure low technical down time and preserve the Observatory's assets. The implementation of the maintenance strategy was based on the following aspects: - Strong maintenance sense during the design stage. Line Replacement Unit (LRU) concept, standardization and modularity of the Observatory equipment - Creation of a dedicated team for Maintenance - The implementation of a Computerized Maintenance Management System After four operational years, the result of these aspects has exceeded the expectations; the Observatory has been operating with high availability under a sustainable strategy. The strengths of the maintenance strategy have been based on modern maintenance concepts applied by regular production companies, where any minute of down time involves high cost. The operation of the actual Paranal Maintenance System is based mainly on proactive activities, such as regular inspections, preventive maintenance (PM) and predictive maintenance (PdM) plans. Nevertheless, it has been necessary to implement a strong plan for corrective maintenance (CM). The Spare Parts Strategy has also been an important point linked to the Maintenance Strategy and CMMS implementation. At present, almost 4,000 items related to the Observatory spare parts are loaded into the CMMS database. Currently, we are studying the implementation of a Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) project in one of our critical systems The following document presents the actual status of the Paranal Maintenance Strategy and which have been the motivations to implement the established strategy.

Availability of Maintained Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

o -4 >1 w Administrative0 and Logistic Time 0 -4W 0 E-44 4q Operating Time ( > .1 Preventive Maintenance | 04 SOperating Time t Ready Time Operatinf...point in time. It excludes ready time, preventive-maintenance downtime, logistic time, and waiting or administrative downtime. It may be expressed as: A...satisfactorily at a given point in time. It excludes logistic tim-3 and waiting or administrative downtime. It includes active preventive and

Slc3a2 Mediates Branched-Chain Amino-Acid-Dependent Maintenance of Regulatory T Cells.

PubMed

Ikeda, Kayo; Kinoshita, Makoto; Kayama, Hisako; Nagamori, Shushi; Kongpracha, Pornparn; Umemoto, Eiji; Okumura, Ryu; Kurakawa, Takashi; Murakami, Mari; Mikami, Norihisa; Shintani, Yasunori; Ueno, Satoko; Andou, Ayatoshi; Ito, Morihiro; Tsumura, Hideki; Yasutomo, Koji; Ozono, Keiichi; Takashima, Seiji; Sakaguchi, Shimon; Kanai, Yoshikatsu; Takeda, Kiyoshi

2017-11-14

Foxp3 + regulatory T (Treg) cells, which suppress immune responses, are highly proliferative in vivo. However, it remains unclear how the active replication of Treg cells is maintained in vivo. Here, we show that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including isoleucine, are required for maintenance of the proliferative state of Treg cells via the amino acid transporter Slc3a2-dependent metabolic reprogramming. Mice fed BCAA-reduced diets showed decreased numbers of Foxp3 + Treg cells with defective in vivo proliferative capacity. Mice lacking Slc3a2 specifically in Foxp3 + Treg cells showed impaired in vivo replication and decreased numbers of Treg cells. Slc3a2-deficient Treg cells showed impaired isoleucine-induced activation of the mTORC1 pathway and an altered metabolic state. Slc3a2 mutant mice did not show an isoleucine-induced increase of Treg cells in vivo and exhibited multi-organ inflammation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that BCAA controls Treg cell maintenance via Slc3a2-dependent metabolic regulation. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solitary chemoreceptor cell survival is independent of intact trigeminal innervation.

PubMed

Gulbransen, Brian; Silver, Wayne; Finger, Thomas E

2008-05-01

Nasal solitary chemoreceptor cells (SCCs) are a population of specialized chemosensory epithelial cells presumed to broaden trigeminal chemoreceptivity in mammals (Finger et al. [2003] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:8981-8986). SCCs are innervated by peptidergic trigeminal nerve fibers (Finger et al. [2003]) but it is currently unknown if intact innervation is necessary for SCC development or survival. We tested the dependence of SCCs on innervation by eliminating trigeminal nerve fibers during development with neurogenin-1 knockout mice, during early postnatal development with capsaicin desensitization, and during adulthood with trigeminal lesioning. Our results demonstrate that elimination of innervation at any of these times does not result in decreased SCC numbers. In conclusion, neither SCC development nor mature cell maintenance is dependent on intact trigeminal innervation. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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.

Retrieving fear memories, as time goes by…

PubMed Central

Do Monte, Fabricio H.; Quirk, Gregory J.; Li, Bo; Penzo, Mario A.

2016-01-01

Fear conditioning researches have led to a comprehensive picture of the neuronal circuit underlying the formation of fear memories. In contrast, knowledge about the retrieval of fear memories is much more limited. This disparity may stem from the fact that fear memories are not rigid, but reorganize over time. To bring clarity and raise awareness on the time-dependent dynamics of retrieval circuits, we review current evidence on the neuronal circuitry participating in fear memory retrieval at both early and late time points after conditioning. We focus on the temporal recruitment of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and its BDNFergic efferents to the central nucleus of the amygdala, for the retrieval and maintenance of fear memories. Finally, we speculate as to why retrieval circuits change across time, and the functional benefits of recruiting structures such as the paraventricular nucleus into the retrieval circuit. PMID:27217148

Design local exhaust ventilation on sieve machine at PT.Perkebunan Nusantara VIII Ciater using design for assembly (DFA) approach with Boothroyd and Dewhurst method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalqihi, K. I.; Rahayu, M.; Rendra, M.

2017-12-01

PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII Ciater is a company produced black tea orthodox more or less 4 tons every day. At the production section, PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII will use local exhaust ventilation specially at sortation area on sieve machine. To maintain the quality of the black tea orthodox, all machine must be scheduled for maintenance every once a month and takes time 2 hours in workhours, with additional local exhaust ventilation, it will increase time for maintenance process, if maintenance takes time more than 2 hours it will caused production process delayed. To support maintenance process in PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII Ciater, designing local exhaust ventilation using design for assembly approach with Boothroyd and Dewhurst method, design for assembly approach is choosen to simplify maintenance process which required assembly process. There are 2 LEV designs for this research. Design 1 with 94 components, assembly time 647.88 seconds and assembly efficiency level 23.62%. Design 2 with 82 components, assembly time 567.84 seconds and assembly efficiency level 24.83%. Design 2 is choosen for this research based on DFA goals, minimum total part that use, optimization assembly time, and assembly efficiency level.

Methodology Development for Passive Component Reliability Modeling in a Multi-Physics Simulation Environment

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

Aldemir, Tunc; Denning, Richard; Catalyurek, Umit

Reduction in safety margin can be expected as passive structures and components undergo degradation with time. Limitations in the traditional probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodology constrain its value as an effective tool to address the impact of aging effects on risk and for quantifying the impact of aging management strategies in maintaining safety margins. A methodology has been developed to address multiple aging mechanisms involving large numbers of components (with possibly statistically dependent failures) within the PRA framework in a computationally feasible manner when the sequencing of events is conditioned on the physical conditions predicted in a simulation environment, suchmore » as the New Generation System Code (NGSC) concept. Both epistemic and aleatory uncertainties can be accounted for within the same phenomenological framework and maintenance can be accounted for in a coherent fashion. The framework accommodates the prospective impacts of various intervention strategies such as testing, maintenance, and refurbishment. The methodology is illustrated with several examples.« less

Extracellular and intracellular cleavages of proBDNF required at two distinct stages of late-phase LTP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Petti T.; Nagappan, Guhan; Guo, Wei; Lu, Bai

2016-05-01

Although late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP) is implicated in long-term memory, its molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we provide evidence that L-LTP can be divided into two stages: an induction stage (I) and a maintenance stage (II). Both stages require mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF), but involve distinct underlying mechanisms. Stage I requires secretion of existing proBDNF followed by extracellular cleavage by tPA/plasmin. Stage II depends on newly synthesized BDNF. Surprisingly, mBDNF at stage II is derived from intracellular cleavage of proBDNF by furin/PC1. Moreover, stage I involves BDNF-TrkB signaling mainly through MAP kinase, whereas all three signaling pathways (phospholipase C-γ, PI3 kinase, and MAP kinase) are required for the maintenance of L-LTP at stage II. These results reveal the molecular basis for two temporally distinct stages in L-LTP, and provide insights on how BDNF modulates this long-lasting synaptic alternation at two critical time windows.

The effect of stimulant and sedative use on treatment outcome of patients admitted to methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

DeMaria, P A; Sterling, R; Weinstein, S P

2000-01-01

While methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for opiate dependence, its impact on the treatment outcome of other illicit drug abuse is not as clear. Using the initial urine drug screen (UDS) and follow-up UDS at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months, 167 patients consecutively admitted to MMT were evaluated for opiate, sedative (predominantly benzodiazepine), and stimulant (predominantly cocaine) use. Retention for the opiate only group was 97.32 days longer on average than for patients using opiates along with stimulants, sedatives, or both stimulants and sedatives. Patients abusing opiates only had the greatest decrease in drug use; however, MMT was also associated with decreases in cocaine and sedative use over the 24 month follow-up period. There was no evidence that patients "switched" their drugs of abuse with time in treatment. The negative impact of non-opiate drug use on outcome in MMT and its implications for treatment planning are discussed.

Modeling maintenance-strategies with rainbow nets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Allen M., Jr.; Schoenfelder, Michael A.; Lebold, David

The Rainbow net (RN) modeling technique offers a promising alternative to traditional reliability modeling techniques. RNs are evaluated through discrete event simulation. Using specialized tokens to represent systems and faults, an RN models the fault-handling behavior of an inventory of systems produced over time. In addition, a portion of the RN represents system repair and the vendor's spare part production. Various dependability parameters are measured and used to calculate the impact of four variations of maintenance strategies. Input variables are chosen to demonstrate the technique. The number of inputs allowed to vary is intentionally constrained to limit the volume of data presented and to avoid overloading the reader with complexity. If only availability data were reviewed, it is possible that the conclusion might be drawn that both strategies are about the same and therefore the cheaper strategy from the vendor's perspective may be chosen. The richer set of metrics provided by the RN simulation gives greater insight into the problem, which leads to better decisions. By using RNs, the impact of several different variables is integrated.

Combined abuse of clonidine and amitriptyline in a patient on buprenorphine maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Seale, J Paul; Dittmer, Trent; Sigman, Erika J; Clemons, Holly; Johnson, J Aaron

2014-01-01

Buprenorphine/naloxone maintenance therapy is often prescribed in primary care to treat opioid dependence. Previous reports have described concomitant abuse of opioids and clonidine. In this case, a primary care patient on buprenorphine/naloxone maintenance therapy demonstrating altered mental status, hallucinations, falls, and rebound hypertension was found to be concomitantly abusing clonidine and amitryptyline, which share metabolic pathways with buprenorphine. Clinicians should be aware of patients' combining amitryptyline, clonidine, and gabapentin with buprenorphine to achieve a mood altering state, avoid co-prescribing them if possible, and maintain communication with pharmacies and other providers when they are prescribed.

Probabilistic durability assessment of concrete structures in marine environments: Reliability and sensitivity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Bo; Ning, Chao-lie; Li, Bing

2017-03-01

A probabilistic framework for durability assessment of concrete structures in marine environments was proposed in terms of reliability and sensitivity analysis, which takes into account the uncertainties under the environmental, material, structural and executional conditions. A time-dependent probabilistic model of chloride ingress was established first to consider the variations in various governing parameters, such as the chloride concentration, chloride diffusion coefficient, and age factor. Then the Nataf transformation was adopted to transform the non-normal random variables from the original physical space into the independent standard Normal space. After that the durability limit state function and its gradient vector with respect to the original physical parameters were derived analytically, based on which the first-order reliability method was adopted to analyze the time-dependent reliability and parametric sensitivity of concrete structures in marine environments. The accuracy of the proposed method was verified by comparing with the second-order reliability method and the Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, the influences of environmental conditions, material properties, structural parameters and execution conditions on the time-dependent reliability of concrete structures in marine environments were also investigated. The proposed probabilistic framework can be implemented in the decision-making algorithm for the maintenance and repair of deteriorating concrete structures in marine environments.

Aripiprazole maintenance increases smoked cocaine self-administration in humans

PubMed Central

Rubin, Eric; Foltin, Richard W.

2011-01-01

Rationale Partial dopamine receptor agonists have been proposed as candidate pharmacotherapies for cocaine dependence. Objective This 42-day, within-subject, human laboratory study assessed how maintenance on aripiprazole, a partial D2 receptor agonist, influenced smoked cocaine self-administration, cardiovascular measures, subjective effects, and cocaine craving in nontreatment-seeking, cocaine-dependent volunteers. Methods In order to achieve steady-state concentrations, participants (n=8 men) were administered placebo and aripiprazole (15 mg/day) capsules in counter-balanced order for 21 days. A smoked cocaine dose–response curve (0, 12, 25, 50 mg) was determined twice under placebo and aripiprazole maintenance. Sessions comprised a “sample” trial, when participants smoked the cocaine dose available that session, and five choice trials, when they responded on a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement to receive the cocaine dose or receive $5.00. Results Cocaine’s reinforcing, subjective, and cardiovascular effects were dose-dependent. Aripiprazole significantly increased cocaine (12, 25 mg) self-administration. Following a single administration of cocaine (25 mg), aripiprazole decreased ratings of how much participants would pay for that dose. Following repeated cocaine (50 mg) self-administration, aripiprazole decreased ratings of cocaine quality, craving, and good drug effect as compared to placebo. Conclusions These data suggest that aripiprazole may have increased self-administration to compensate for a blunted subjective cocaine effect. Overall, the findings do not suggest aripiprazole would be useful for treating cocaine dependence. PMID:21373790

Maintenance Treatment of Depression in Old Age: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Donepezil Combined with Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Charles F.; Butters, Meryl A.; Lopez, Oscar; Pollock, Bruce G.; Dew, Mary Amanda; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Lenze, Eric J.; Holm, Margo; Rogers, Joan C.; Mazumdar, Sati; Houck, Patricia R.; Begley, Amy; Anderson, Stewart; Karp, Jordan F.; Miller, Mark D.; Whyte, Ellen M.; Stack, Jacqueline; Gildengers, Ariel; Szanto, Katalin; Bensasi, Salem; Kaufer, Daniel I.; Kamboh, M. Ilyas; DeKosky, Steven T.

2010-01-01

Context Cognitive impairment in late-life depression is a core feature of the illness. Objective to test whether donepezil + antidepressant is superior to placebo + antidepressant in (1) improving cognitive performance and instrumental activities of daily living and (2) reducing recurrences of depression over two years of maintenance treatment. Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled maintenance trial. Setting university clinic Main Outcome Measures global neuropsychological performance, cognitive instrumental ADL, and recurrent depression. Results Donepezil + antidepressant temporarily improved global cognition (treatment by time interaction F = 3.78, df = 2, 126, p = .03), but effect sizes were small (Cohen’s d = 0.27: group difference at 1 year). A marginal benefit to cognitive instrumental ADL was also observed (treatment by time interaction; F = 2.94; df = 2, 137, p = 0.06). The donepezil group was more likely to experience recurrent major depression: 35% [95% CI: 24%, 46%] versus 19% [95% CI: 9%, 29%] (log rank chi squared = 3.97, p = .05); hazard ratio = 2.09 [95% CI: 1.00, 4.41]. Post-hoc subgroup analyses showed that, of 57 participants with mild cognitive impairment, 3/30 on donepezil (10%; 95% CI: 0, 21%) and 9/27 on placebo (33%; 95% CI: 16%, 51%) converted to dementia over two years (Fisher exact p = 0.05). The MCI subgroup had a 44 percent recurrence rate of major depression on donepezil verses 12% on placebo (LR=4.91, p=.03). The subgroup with normal cognition (n = 73) showed no benefit on donepezil or increase in recurrence of major depression. Conclusion Whether ChEI should be used as augmentation in the maintenance treatment of late-life depression depends upon a careful weighing of risks and benefits in those with MCI. In cognitively intact patients, donepezil appears to have no clear benefit for preventing progression to MCI/dementia or recurrence of depression. PMID:21199965

An economic production model for deteriorating items and time dependent demand with rework and multiple production setups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uthayakumar, R.; Tharani, S.

2017-12-01

Recently, much emphasis has given to study the control and maintenance of production inventories of the deteriorating items. Rework is one of the main issues in reverse logistic and green supply chain, since it can reduce production cost and the environmental problem. Many researchers have focused on developing rework model, but few of them have developed model for deteriorating items. Due to this fact, we take up productivity and rework with deterioration as the major concern in this paper. In this paper, a production-inventory model with deteriorative items in which one cycle has n production setups and one rework setup (n, 1) policy is considered for deteriorating items with stock-dependent demand in case 1 and exponential demand in case 2. An effective iterative solution procedure is developed to achieve optimal time, so that the total cost of the system is minimized. Numerical and sensitivity analyses are discussed to examine the outcome of the proposed solution procedure presented in this research.

Mathematical modeling of control subsystems for CELSS: Application to diet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waleh, Ahmad; Nguyen, Thoi K.; Kanevsky, Valery

1991-01-01

The dynamic control of a Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) in a closed space habitat is of critical importance. The development of a practical method of control is also a necessary step for the selection and design of realistic subsystems and processors for a CELSS. Diet is one of the dynamic factors that strongly influences, and is influenced, by the operational states of all major CELSS subsystems. The problems of design and maintenance of a stable diet must be obtained from well characterized expert subsystems. The general description of a mathematical model that forms the basis of an expert control program for a CELSS is described. The formulation is expressed in terms of a complete set of time dependent canonical variables. System representation is dynamic and includes time dependent storage buffers. The details of the algorithm are described. The steady state results of the application of the method for representative diets made from wheat, potato, and soybean are presented.

Endocannabinoid signaling and memory dynamics: A synaptic perspective.

PubMed

Drumond, Ana; Madeira, Natália; Fonseca, Rosalina

2017-02-01

Memory acquisition is a key brain feature in which our human nature relies on. Memories evolve over time. Initially after learning, memories are labile and sensitive to disruption by the interference of concurrent events. Later on, after consolidation, memories are resistant to disruption. However, reactivation of previously consolidated memories renders them again in an unstable state and therefore susceptible to perturbation. Additionally, and depending on the characteristics of the stimuli, a parallel process may be initiated which ultimately leads to the extinction of the previously acquired response. This dynamic aspect of memory maintenance opens the possibility for an updating of previously acquired memories but it also creates several conceptual challenges. What is the time window for memory updating? What determines whether reconsolidation or extinction is triggered? In this review, we tried to re-examine the relationship between consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction, aiming for a unifying view of memory dynamics. Since cellular models of memory share common principles, we present the evidence that similar rules apply to the maintenance of synaptic plasticity. Recently, a new function of the endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling system has been described for associative forms of synaptic plasticity in amygdala synapses. The eCB system has emerged as a key modulator of memory dynamics by adjusting the outcome to stimuli intensity. We propose a key function of eCB in discriminative forms of learning by restricting associative plasticity in amygdala synapses. Since many neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with a dysregulation in memory dynamics, understanding the rules underlying memory maintenance paves the path to better clinical interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mating tactics determine patterns of condition dependence in a dimorphic horned beetle.

PubMed

Knell, Robert J; Simmons, Leigh W

2010-08-07

The persistence of genetic variability in performance traits such as strength is surprising given the directional selection that such traits experience, which should cause the fixation of the best genetic variants. One possible explanation is 'genic capture' which is usually considered as a candidate mechanism for the maintenance of high genetic variability in sexual signalling traits. This states that if a trait is 'condition dependent', with expression being strongly influenced by the bearer's overall viability, then genetic variability can be maintained via mutation-selection balance. Using a species of dimorphic beetle with males that gain matings either by fighting or by 'sneaking', we tested the prediction of strong condition dependence for strength, walking speed and testes mass. Strength was strongly condition dependent only in those beetles that fight for access to females. Walking speed, with less of an obvious selective advantage, showed no condition dependence, and testes mass was more condition dependent in sneaks, which engage in higher levels of sperm competition. Within a species, therefore, condition dependent expression varies between morphs, and corresponds to the specific selection pressures experienced by that morph. These results support genic capture as a general explanation for the maintenance of genetic variability in traits under directional selection.

Prevention of weight gain following a worksite nutrition and exercise program: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Thorndike, Anne N; Sonnenberg, Lillian; Healey, Erica; Myint-U, Khinlei; Kvedar, Joseph C; Regan, Susan

2012-07-01

Many employers are now providing wellness programs to help employees make changes in diet and exercise behaviors. Improving health outcomes and reducing costs will depend on whether employees sustain lifestyle changes and maintain a healthy weight over time. To determine if a 9-month maintenance intervention immediately following a 10-week worksite exercise and nutrition program would prevent regain of the weight lost during the program. RCT. In 2008, a total of 330 employees from 24 teams completed a 10-week exercise and nutrition program at a large hospital worksite and were randomized by team to maintenance or control (usual care) for 9 months. Internet support with a website for goal-setting and self-monitoring of weight and exercise plus minimal personal support. Weight loss, percentage weight loss, time spent in physical activity, and frequency of consumption of fruits/vegetables, fatty foods, and sugary foods at 1 year compared to baseline. One-year follow-up was completed in 2010, and data were analyzed in 2011. At 1 year, 238 subjects (72%) completed follow-up assessments. Mean baseline BMI was 27.6 and did not differ between intervention and control. Compared to baseline, both groups lost weight during the 10-week program and maintained 65% of weight loss at 1 year (p<0.001). There was no difference in weight loss between groups at the end of the 10-week program (4.8 lbs vs 4.3 lbs, p=0.53 for group X time interaction) or end of maintenance at 1 year (3.4 lbs vs 2.5 lbs, p=0.40 for group X time interaction). All subjects had improvements in physical activity and nutrition (increased fruits/vegetables and decreased fat and sugar intake) at 1 year but did not differ by group. An intensive 10-week team-based worksite exercise and nutrition program resulted in moderate weight loss and improvements in diet and exercise behaviors at 1 year, but an Internet-based maintenance program immediately following the 10-week program did not improve these outcomes. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT00707577. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Harris, S.; Gross, R.; Goble, W

The safety integrity level (SIL) of equipment used in safety instrumented functions is determined by the average probability of failure on demand (PFDavg) computed at the time of periodic inspection and maintenance, i.e., the time of proof testing. The computation of PFDavg is generally based solely on predictions or estimates of the assumed constant failure rate of the equipment. However, PFDavg is also affected by maintenance actions (or lack thereof) taken by the end user. This paper shows how maintenance actions can affect the PFDavg of spring operated pressure relief valves (SOPRV) and how these maintenance actions may be accountedmore » for in the computation of the PFDavg metric. The method provides a means for quantifying the effects of changes in maintenance practices and shows how these changes impact plant safety.« less

Hypothalamic histamine H1 receptor-AMPK signaling time-dependently mediates olanzapine-induced hyperphagia and weight gain in female rats.

PubMed

He, Meng; Zhang, Qingsheng; Deng, Chao; Wang, Hongqin; Lian, Jiamei; Huang, Xu-Feng

2014-04-01

Although second-generation antipsychotics induce severe weight gain and obesity, there is a lack of detailed knowledge about the progressive development of antipsychotic-induced obesity. This study examined the hypothalamic histamine H1 receptor and AMP-activated protein kinase (H1R-AMPK) signaling at three distinctive stages of olanzapine-induced weight gain (day 1-12: early acceleration, day 13-28: middle new equilibrium, and day 29-36: late heavy weight maintenance). At the early acceleration stage, the rats were hyperphagic with an underlying mechanism of olanzapine-increased H1R mRNA expression and AMPK phosphorylation (pAMPK), in which pAMPK levels positively correlated with H1R mRNA expression and food intake. At the middle stage, when the rats were no longer hyperphagic, the changes in H1R-AMPK signaling vanished. At the late stage, olanzapine increased H1R mRNA expression but decreased pAMPK which were positively and negatively correlated with weight gain, respectively. These data suggest a time-dependent change of H1R-AMPK signaling, where olanzapine activates AMPK by blocking the H1Rs and causing hyperphagia in the acute phase. The chronic blockade of H1R may contribute to the late stage of olanzapine-induced heavy weight maintenance. However, pAMPK was no longer elevated and actually decreased. This indicates that AMPK acts as an energy sensor and negatively responds to the positive energy balance induced by olanzapine. Furthermore, we showed that an H1R agonist, 2-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl) histamine, can significantly inhibit olanzapine-induced hyperphagia and AMPK activation in the mediobasal hypothalamus in a dose dependent manner. Therefore, lowering H1R-AMPK signaling is an effective treatment for the olanzapine-induced hyperphagia associated with the development of obesity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ZDHHC16 modulates FGF/ERK dependent proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells in the zebrafish telencephalon.

PubMed

Shi, Wei; Chen, Xueran; Wang, Fen; Gao, Ming; Yang, Yang; Du, Zhaoxia; Wang, Chen; Yao, Yao; He, Kun; Hao, Aijun

2016-09-01

In vertebrates, neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) maintenance is critical for nervous system development and homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance of NSPCs have not been fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that zebrafish ZDHHC16, a DHHC encoding protein, which was related to protein palmitoylation after translation, was expressed in the developing forebrain, and especially in the telencephalon. Loss- and gain-of-function studies showed that ZDHHC16 played a crucial role in the regualtion of NSPCs proliferation during zebrafish telencephalic development, via a mechanism dependent on its palmitoyltransferase activity. Further analyses showed that the inhibition of ZDHHC16 led to inactivation of the FGF/ERK signaling pathway during telencephalic NSPCs proliferation and maintenance. Taken together, our results suggest that ZDHHC16 activity is essential for early NSPCs proliferation where it acts to activate the FGF/ERK network, allowing for the initiation of proliferation -regulated gene expression programs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 1014-1028, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Methadone continuation versus forced withdrawal on incarceration in a combined US prison and jail: a randomised, open-label trial.

PubMed

Rich, Josiah D; McKenzie, Michelle; Larney, Sarah; Wong, John B; Tran, Liem; Clarke, Jennifer; Noska, Amanda; Reddy, Manasa; Zaller, Nickolas

2015-07-25

Methadone is an effective treatment for opioid dependence. When people who are receiving methadone maintenance treatment for opioid dependence are incarcerated in prison or jail, most US correctional facilities discontinue their methadone treatment, either gradually, or more often, abruptly. This discontinuation can cause uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal and renders prisoners susceptible to relapse and overdose on release. We aimed to study the effect of forced withdrawal from methadone upon incarceration on individuals' risk behaviours and engagement with post-release treatment programmes. In this randomised, open-label trial, we randomly assigned (1:1) inmates of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RI, USA) who were enrolled in a methadone maintenance-treatment programme in the community at the time of arrest and wanted to remain on methadone treatment during incarceration and on release, to either continuation of their methadone treatment or to usual care--forced tapered withdrawal from methadone. Participants could be included in the study only if their incarceration would be more than 1 week but less than 6 months. We did the random assignments with a computer-generated random permutation, and urn randomisation procedures to stratify participants by sex and race. Participants in the continued-methadone group were maintained on their methadone dose at the time of their incarceration (with dose adjustments as clinically indicated). Patients in the forced-withdrawal group followed the institution's standard withdrawal protocol of receiving methadone for 1 week at the dose at the time of their incarceration, then a tapered withdrawal regimen (for those on a starting dose >100 mg, the dose was reduced by 5 mg per day to 100 mg, then reduced by 3 mg per day to 0 mg; for those on a starting dose >100 mg, the dose was reduced by 3 mg per day to 0 mg). The main outcomes were engagement with a methadone maintenance-treatment clinic after release from incarceration and time to engagement with methadone maintenance treatment, by intention-to-treat and as-treated analyses, which we established in a follow-up interview with the participants at 1 month after their release from incarceration. Our study paid for 10 weeks of methadone treatment after release if participants needed financial help. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01874964. Between June 14, 2011, and April 3, 2013, we randomly assigned 283 prisoners to our study, 142 to continued methadone treatment, and 141 to forced withdrawal from methadone. Of these, 60 were excluded because they did not fit the eligibility criteria, leaving 114 in the continued-methadone group and 109 in the forced-withdrawal group (usual care). Participants assigned to continued methadone were more than twice as likely than forced-withdrawal participants to return to a community methadone clinic within 1 month of release (106 [96%] of 110 in the continued-methadone group compared with 68 [78%] of 87 in the forced-withdrawal group; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2·04, 95% CI 1·48-2·80). We noted no differences in serious adverse events between groups. For the continued-methadone and forced-withdrawal groups, the number of deaths were one and zero, non-fatal overdoses were one and two, admissions to hospital were one and four; and emergency-room visits were 11 and 16, respectively. Although our study had several limitations--eg, it only included participants incarcerated for fewer than 6 months, we showed that forced withdrawal from methadone on incarceration reduced the likelihood of prisoners re-engaging in methadone maintenance after their release. Continuation of methadone maintenance during incarceration could contribute to greater treatment engagement after release, which could in turn reduce the risk of death from overdose and risk behaviours. National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research from the National Institutes of Health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methadone continuation versus forced withdrawal on incarceration in a combined US prison and jail: a randomised, open-label trial

PubMed Central

Rich, Josiah D; McKenzie, Michelle; Larney, Sarah; Wong, John B; Tran, Liem; Clarke, Jennifer; Noska, Amanda; Reddy, Manasa; Zaller, Nickolas

2015-01-01

Summary Background Methadone is an effective treatment for opioid dependence. When people who are receiving methadone maintenance treatment for opioid dependence are incarcerated in prison or jail, most US correctional facilities discontinue their methadone treatment, either gradually, or more often, abruptly. This discontinuation can cause uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal and renders prisoners susceptible to relapse and overdose on release. We aimed to study the effect of forced withdrawal from methadone upon incarceration on individuals’ risk behaviours and engagement with post-release treatment programmes. Methods In this randomised, open-label trial, we randomly assigned (1:1) inmates of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RI, USA) who were enrolled in a methadone maintenance-treatment programme in the community at the time of arrest and wanted to remain on methadone treatment during incarceration and on release, to either continuation of their methadone treatment or to usual care—forced tapered withdrawal from methadone. Participants could be included in the study only if their incarceration would be more than 1 week but less than 6 months. We did the random assignments with a computer-generated random permutation, and urn randomisation procedures to stratify participants by sex and race. Participants in the continued-methadone group were maintained on their methadone dose at the time of their incarceration (with dose adjustments as clinically indicated). Patients in the forced-withdrawal group followed the institution’s standard withdrawal protocol of receiving methadone for 1 week at the dose at the time of their incarceration, then a tapered withdrawal regimen (for those on a starting dose >100 mg, the dose was reduced by 5 mg per day to 100 mg, then reduced by 3 mg per day to 0 mg; for those on a starting dose ≤100 mg, the dose was reduced by 3 mg per day to 0 mg). The main outcomes were engagement with a methadone maintenance-treatment clinic after release from incarceration and time to engagement with methadone maintenance treatment, by intention-to-treat and as-treated analyses, which we established in a follow-up interview with the participants at 1 month after their release from incarceration. Our study paid for 10 weeks of methadone treatment after release if participants needed financial help. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01874964. Findings Between June 14, 2011, and April 3, 2013, we randomly assigned 283 prisoners to our study, 142 to continued methadone treatment, and 141 to forced withdrawal from methadone. Of these, 60 were excluded because they did not fit the eligibility criteria, leaving 114 in the continued-methadone group and 109 in the forced-withdrawal group (usual care). Participants assigned to continued methadone were more than twice as likely than forced-withdrawal participants to return to a community methadone clinic within 1 month of release (106 [96%] of 110 in the continued-methadone group compared with 68 [78%] of 87 in the forced-withdrawal group; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2·04, 95% CI 1·48–2·80). We noted no differences in serious adverse events between groups. For the continued-methadone and forced-withdrawal groups, the number of deaths were one and zero, non-fatal overdoses were one and two, admissions to hospital were one and four; and emergency-room visits were 11 and 16, respectively. Interpretation Although our study had several limitations—eg, it only included participants incarcerated for fewer than 6 months, we showed that forced withdrawal from methadone on incarceration reduced the likelihood of prisoners re-engaging in methadone maintenance after their release. Continuation of methadone maintenance during incarceration could contribute to greater treatment engagement after release, which could in turn reduce the risk of death from overdose and risk behaviours. PMID:26028120

The most common problem facing by the maintenance department: A case Study between Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norazam Yasin, Mohd; Mohamad Zin, Rosli; Halid Abdullah, Abd; Shafiq Mahmad, Muhammad; Fikri Hasmori, Muhammad

2017-11-01

From time to time, the maintenance works become more challenging due to construction of new building and also aging of the existing buildings. University buildings without any exception require proper maintenance services to support their function requirements and this can be considered as major responsibilities to be fulfilled by the maintenance department in the universities. Maintenance department specifically will face various kinds of problems in their operation works and thus this might influence the maintenance work operations itself. This study purposely to identify the common problem facing by the maintenance department and also to examine the current status of the maintenance department. In addition, this study would also propose any suitable approach that could be implemented to overcome the problem facing by the maintenance department. To achieve the objectives of this study, a combination of deep literature study and carrying out a survey is necessary. Literature study aimed to obtain deeper information about this study, meanwhile a survey aimed at identifying the common problem facing by the maintenance department and also to provide the information of the maintenance department’s organization. Several methods will be used in analyzing the data obtained through the survey, including Microsoft Office Excel and also using mean index formula. This study has identified three categories of problem in the maintenance department, which are management problems, human resource problem, and technical problems. Following the findings, several solutions being proposed which can be implemented as the solution to the problem facing. These suggestions have the potential to improve the maintenance department work efficiency, thus could help to increase the department productivity.

Factors associated with nicotine dependence during methadone maintenance treatment: findings from a multisite survey in Vietnam.

PubMed

Do, Huyen Phuc; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Thi Nguyen, Nhung Phuong; Ngo, Chau; Thi Nguyen, Huong Lan; Le, Giang Tong; Nguyen, Linh Khanh; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Tran, Bach Xuan; Le, Huong Thi; Vu, Thuc Minh Thi; Phan, Huong Thu Thi; Tran, Tho Dinh; Latkin, Carl A; Dunne, Michael P

2017-07-17

Smoking is associated with adverse health outcomes among drug users, including those in treatment. To date, however, there has been little evidence about smoking patterns among people receiving opioid-dependence treatment in developing countries. We examined self-reported nicotine dependence and associated factors in a large sample of opioid-dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in northern Vietnam. Five clinics in Hanoi (urban area) and Nam Dinh (rural area). Patients receiving MMT in the settings during the study period. We collected data about smoking patterns, levels of nicotine dependence and other covariates such as socioeconomic status, health status, alcohol use and drug use. The Fagerström test was used to measure nicotine dependence (FTND). Logistic regression and Tobit regression were employed to examine relationships between the smoking rate, nicotine dependence and potentially associated variables. Among 1016 drug users undergoing MMT (98.7% male), 87.2% were current smokers. The mean FTND score was 4.5 (SD 2.4). Longer duration of MMT (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) and being HIV-positive (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.88) were associated with lower likelihood of smoking. Being employed, older age at first drug injection and having long duration of MMT were inversely related with FTND scores. Higher age and continuing drug and alcohol use were significantly associated with higher FTND scores. Smoking prevalence is high among methadone maintenance drug users. Enhanced smoking cessation support should be integrated into MMT programmes in order to reduce risk factors for cigarette smoking and improve the health and well-being of people recovering from opiate dependence. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Association between the DRD2 A1 allele and response to methadone and buprenorphine maintenance treatments.

PubMed

Barratt, Daniel T; Coller, Janet K; Somogyi, Andrew A

2006-06-05

The TaqI A polymorphism (A(1)) of the dopamine D(2) receptor gene (DRD2), although not a specific predictor of opioid dependence, has been strongly associated with high levels of prior heroin use and poor treatment outcomes among methadone maintenance patients. The aims of this study were to confirm these findings via a retrospective analysis of A(1) allele frequency in methadone (n = 46) and buprenorphine (n = 25) patients, and non-opioid-dependent controls (n = 95). Subjects were genotyped at the DRD2 TaqI A locus using PCR amplification followed by TaqI restriction enzyme digestion and gel electrophoresis. For methadone and buprenorphine subjects, heroin use (prior to treatment), treatment outcomes, and withdrawal occurrence were determined from comprehensive case notes. No significant differences in A(1) allele frequency (%) were observed between: methadone (19.6%), buprenorphine (18.0%), and control (17.9%) groups (P > 0.7); successful and poor treatment outcome groups, methadone: 20.0% and 19.2%, respectively (P = 1.0); buprenorphine: 18.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P = 1.0). Also, there were no significant relationships between TaqI A genotype and prior heroin use (P = 0.47). However, among the successful methadone subjects, significantly fewer A(1) allele carriers experienced withdrawal than non-A(1) carriers (P = 0.04). In conclusion, the DRD2 genotype effects did not affect opioid maintenance treatment outcomes. This suggests the need for a further prospective investigation into the role of the DRD2 A(1) allele in heroin use and response to maintenance pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence.

Solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems using stochastic simulation and multi-criteria fuzzy decision making

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

Tahvili, Sahar; Österberg, Jonas; Silvestrov, Sergei

One of the most important factors in the operations of many cooperations today is to maximize profit and one important tool to that effect is the optimization of maintenance activities. Maintenance activities is at the largest level divided into two major areas, corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM). When optimizing maintenance activities, by a maintenance plan or policy, we seek to find the best activities to perform at each point in time, be it PM or CM. We explore the use of stochastic simulation, genetic algorithms and other tools for solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems in terms ofmore » a suggested framework model based on discrete event simulation.« less

Sensitivity Study for Long Term Reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Allan L.

2008-01-01

This paper illustrates using Markov models to establish system and maintenance requirements for small electronic controllers where the goal is a high probability of continuous service for a long period of time. The system and maintenance items considered are quality of components, various degrees of simple redundancy, redundancy with reconfiguration, diagnostic levels, periodic maintenance, and preventive maintenance. Markov models permit a quantitative investigation with comparison and contrast. An element of special interest is the use of conditional probability to study the combination of imperfect diagnostics and periodic maintenance.

Optimizing preventive maintenance policy: A data-driven application for a light rail braking system.

PubMed

Corman, Francesco; Kraijema, Sander; Godjevac, Milinko; Lodewijks, Gabriel

2017-10-01

This article presents a case study determining the optimal preventive maintenance policy for a light rail rolling stock system in terms of reliability, availability, and maintenance costs. The maintenance policy defines one of the three predefined preventive maintenance actions at fixed time-based intervals for each of the subsystems of the braking system. Based on work, maintenance, and failure data, we model the reliability degradation of the system and its subsystems under the current maintenance policy by a Weibull distribution. We then analytically determine the relation between reliability, availability, and maintenance costs. We validate the model against recorded reliability and availability and get further insights by a dedicated sensitivity analysis. The model is then used in a sequential optimization framework determining preventive maintenance intervals to improve on the key performance indicators. We show the potential of data-driven modelling to determine optimal maintenance policy: same system availability and reliability can be achieved with 30% maintenance cost reduction, by prolonging the intervals and re-grouping maintenance actions.

Optimizing preventive maintenance policy: A data-driven application for a light rail braking system

PubMed Central

Corman, Francesco; Kraijema, Sander; Godjevac, Milinko; Lodewijks, Gabriel

2017-01-01

This article presents a case study determining the optimal preventive maintenance policy for a light rail rolling stock system in terms of reliability, availability, and maintenance costs. The maintenance policy defines one of the three predefined preventive maintenance actions at fixed time-based intervals for each of the subsystems of the braking system. Based on work, maintenance, and failure data, we model the reliability degradation of the system and its subsystems under the current maintenance policy by a Weibull distribution. We then analytically determine the relation between reliability, availability, and maintenance costs. We validate the model against recorded reliability and availability and get further insights by a dedicated sensitivity analysis. The model is then used in a sequential optimization framework determining preventive maintenance intervals to improve on the key performance indicators. We show the potential of data-driven modelling to determine optimal maintenance policy: same system availability and reliability can be achieved with 30% maintenance cost reduction, by prolonging the intervals and re-grouping maintenance actions. PMID:29278245

Anchoring of development workings in a zone of influence of mining in case of the level anchoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demin, V. F.; Fofanov, O. B.; Demina, T. V.; Yavorskiy, V. V.

2017-02-01

Regularities of the change of the stress-strain state of coal containing rock masses, depending on mining-geological factors, were revealed. These factors allow establishing rational parameters of anchoring of wall rocks to enhance the stability of development workings. Specific conditions of the deflected mode, displays of rock pressure, terms of maintenance depending on technological parameters are investigated. Researches allowed determining the degree of their development influence on the efficiency of application of the anchoring of the hollow making and will allow a reasonable application of anchoring certificates, provide stability of the rocks mining and reduce expenses on its realization and maintenance.

An enhanced reliability-oriented workforce planning model for process industry using combined fuzzy goal programming and differential evolution approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ighravwe, D. E.; Oke, S. A.; Adebiyi, K. A.

2018-03-01

This paper draws on the "human reliability" concept as a structure for gaining insight into the maintenance workforce assessment in a process industry. Human reliability hinges on developing the reliability of humans to a threshold that guides the maintenance workforce to execute accurate decisions within the limits of resources and time allocations. This concept offers a worthwhile point of deviation to encompass three elegant adjustments to literature model in terms of maintenance time, workforce performance and return-on-workforce investments. These fully explain the results of our influence. The presented structure breaks new grounds in maintenance workforce theory and practice from a number of perspectives. First, we have successfully implemented fuzzy goal programming (FGP) and differential evolution (DE) techniques for the solution of optimisation problem in maintenance of a process plant for the first time. The results obtained in this work showed better quality of solution from the DE algorithm compared with those of genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimisation algorithm, thus expressing superiority of the proposed procedure over them. Second, the analytical discourse, which was framed on stochastic theory, focusing on specific application to a process plant in Nigeria is a novelty. The work provides more insights into maintenance workforce planning during overhaul rework and overtime maintenance activities in manufacturing systems and demonstrated capacity in generating substantially helpful information for practice.

Double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase Irc3p is directly involved in mitochondrial genome maintenance

PubMed Central

Sedman, Tiina; Gaidutšik, Ilja; Villemson, Karin; Hou, YingJian; Sedman, Juhan

2014-01-01

Nucleic acid-dependent ATPases are involved in nearly all aspects of DNA and RNA metabolism. Previous studies have described a number of mitochondrial helicases. However, double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPases, including translocases or enzymes remodeling DNA-protein complexes, have not been identified in mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae. Here, we demonstrate that Irc3p is a mitochondrial double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase of the Superfamily II. In contrast to the other mitochondrial Superfamily II enzymes Mss116p, Suv3p and Mrh4p, which are RNA helicases, Irc3p has a direct role in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance. Specific Irc3p-dependent mtDNA metabolic intermediates can be detected, including high levels of double-stranded DNA breaks that accumulate in irc3Δ mutants. irc3Δ-related topology changes in rho- mtDNA can be reversed by the deletion of mitochondrial RNA polymerase RPO41, suggesting that Irc3p counterbalances adverse effects of transcription on mitochondrial genome stability. PMID:25389272

The contribution of disengagement to temporal discriminability.

PubMed

Shipstead, Zach; Nespodzany, Ashley

2018-05-01

The present study examines the idea that time-based forgetting of outdated information can lead to better memory of currently relevant information. This was done using the visual arrays task, along with a between-subjects manipulation of both the retention interval (1 s vs. 4 s) and the time between two trials (1 s vs. 4 s). Consistent with prior work [Shipstead, Z., & Engle, R. W. (2013). Interference within the focus of attention: Working memory tasks reflect more than temporary maintenance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 39, 277-289; Experiment 1], longer retention intervals did not lead to diminished memory of currently relevant information. However, we did find that longer periods of time between two trials improved memory for currently relevant information. This replicates findings that indicate proactive interference affects visual arrays performance and extends previous findings to show that reduction of proactive interference can occur in a time-dependent manner.

Laboratory equipment maintenance contracts.

PubMed

Boudreau, D A; Scheer, W D; Catrou, P G

1985-12-01

The increasing level of technical sophistication and complexity found in clinical laboratory instrumentation today more than ever demands careful attention to maintenance service needs. The time-worn caution for careful definition of requirements for acquisition of a system should also carry over to acquisition of maintenance service. Guidelines are presented for specifications of terms and conditions for maintenance service from the perspective of the laboratorian in the automated clinical laboratory.

Improved Acquisition for System Sustainment: Multiobjective Tradeoff Analysis for Condition-Based Decision-Making

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-21

depend on the quality of allocating resources. This work uses a reliability model of system and environmental covariates incorporating information at...state space. Further, the use of condition variables allows for the direct modeling of maintenance impact with the assumption that a nominal value ... value ), the model in the application of aviation maintenance can provide a useful estimation of reliability at multiple levels. Adjusted survival

Distinct Amino Acid Compositional Requirements for Formation and Maintenance of the [PSI+] Prion in Yeast

PubMed Central

MacLea, Kyle S.; Paul, Kacy R.; Ben-Musa, Zobaida; Waechter, Aubrey; Shattuck, Jenifer E.; Gruca, Margaret

2014-01-01

Multiple yeast prions have been identified that result from the structural conversion of proteins into a self-propagating amyloid form. Amyloid-based prion activity in yeast requires a series of discrete steps. First, the prion protein must form an amyloid nucleus that can recruit and structurally convert additional soluble proteins. Subsequently, maintenance of the prion during cell division requires fragmentation of these aggregates to create new heritable propagons. For the Saccharomyces cerevisiae prion protein Sup35, these different activities are encoded by different regions of the Sup35 prion domain. An N-terminal glutamine/asparagine-rich nucleation domain is required for nucleation and fiber growth, while an adjacent oligopeptide repeat domain is largely dispensable for prion nucleation and fiber growth but is required for chaperone-dependent prion maintenance. Although prion activity of glutamine/asparagine-rich proteins is predominantly determined by amino acid composition, the nucleation and oligopeptide repeat domains of Sup35 have distinct compositional requirements. Here, we quantitatively define these compositional requirements in vivo. We show that aromatic residues strongly promote both prion formation and chaperone-dependent prion maintenance. In contrast, nonaromatic hydrophobic residues strongly promote prion formation but inhibit prion propagation. These results provide insight into why some aggregation-prone proteins are unable to propagate as prions. PMID:25547291

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone Maintenance for Prisoners: Prediction of Treatment Entry and Completion in Prison

PubMed Central

GORDON, MICHAEL S.; KINLOCK, TIMOTHY W.; COUVILLION, KATHRYN A.; SCHWARTZ, ROBERT P.; O’GRADY, KEVIN

2014-01-01

The present report is an intent-to-treat analysis involving secondary data drawn from the first randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated methadone in the United States. This study examined predictors of treatment entry and completion in prison. A sample of 211 adult male prerelease inmates with preincarceration heroin dependence were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: counseling only (counseling in prison; n= 70); counseling plus transfer (counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release; n= 70); and counseling plus methadone (methadone maintenance in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release; n= 71). Entered prison treatment (p <. 01), and completed prison treatment (p< .001) were significantly predicted by the set of 10 explanatory variables and favored the treatment conditions receiving methadone. The present results indicate that individuals who are older in age and have longer prison sentences may have better outcomes than younger individuals with shorter sentences, meaning they are more likely to enter and complete prison-based treatment. Furthermore, implications for the treatment of prisoners with prior heroin dependence and for conducting clinical trials may indicate the importance of examining individual characteristics and the possibility of the examination of patient preference. PMID:25392605

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone Maintenance for Prisoners: Prediction of Treatment Entry and Completion in Prison.

PubMed

Gordon, Michael S; Kinlock, Timothy W; Couvillion, Kathryn A; Schwartz, Robert P; O'Grady, Kevin

2012-05-01

The present report is an intent-to-treat analysis involving secondary data drawn from the first randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated methadone in the United States. This study examined predictors of treatment entry and completion in prison. A sample of 211 adult male prerelease inmates with preincarceration heroin dependence were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: counseling only (counseling in prison; n= 70); counseling plus transfer (counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release; n= 70); and counseling plus methadone (methadone maintenance in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release; n= 71). Entered prison treatment (p <. 01), and completed prison treatment (p< .001) were significantly predicted by the set of 10 explanatory variables and favored the treatment conditions receiving methadone. The present results indicate that individuals who are older in age and have longer prison sentences may have better outcomes than younger individuals with shorter sentences, meaning they are more likely to enter and complete prison-based treatment. Furthermore, implications for the treatment of prisoners with prior heroin dependence and for conducting clinical trials may indicate the importance of examining individual characteristics and the possibility of the examination of patient preference.

Investigation of an innovative maintenance contracting strategy : the performance-based maintenance contract (PBMC).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

One of the major responsibilities of state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) is to maintain their road assets so : that road users can travel cost effectively, safely, and in a timely manner. Maintenance projects can be performed : either by using...

Chargemaster maintenance: think 'spring cleaning' all year round.

PubMed

Barton, Shawn; Lancaster, Dani; Bieker, Mike

2008-11-01

Steps toward maintaining a standardized chargemaster include: Building a corporate chargemaster maintenance team. Developing a core research function. Designating hospital liaisons. Publishing timely reports on facility compliance. Using system codes to identify charges. Selecting chargemaster maintenance software. Developing a standard chargemaster data repository. Educating staff.

37 CFR 1.362 - Time for payment of maintenance fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... years and 6 months and through the day of the 4th anniversary of the grant for the first maintenance fee... maintenance fee will expire at the end of the same date (anniversary date) the patent was granted in the 4th...

37 CFR 1.362 - Time for payment of maintenance fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... years and 6 months and through the day of the 4th anniversary of the grant for the first maintenance fee... maintenance fee will expire at the end of the same date (anniversary date) the patent was granted in the 4th...

37 CFR 1.362 - Time for payment of maintenance fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... years and 6 months and through the day of the 4th anniversary of the grant for the first maintenance fee... maintenance fee will expire at the end of the same date (anniversary date) the patent was granted in the 4th...

37 CFR 1.362 - Time for payment of maintenance fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... years and 6 months and through the day of the 4th anniversary of the grant for the first maintenance fee... maintenance fee will expire at the end of the same date (anniversary date) the patent was granted in the 4th...

37 CFR 1.362 - Time for payment of maintenance fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... years and 6 months and through the day of the 4th anniversary of the grant for the first maintenance fee... maintenance fee will expire at the end of the same date (anniversary date) the patent was granted in the 4th...

Combined Abuse of Clonidine and Amitriptyline in a Patient on Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment

PubMed Central

Dittmer, Trent; Sigman, Erika J.; Clemons, Holly; Johnson, J. Aaron

2014-01-01

Buprenorphine/naloxone maintenance therapy is often prescribed in primary care to treat opioid dependence. Previous reports have described concomitant abuse of opioids and clonidine. In this case, a primary care patient on buprenorphine/naloxone maintenance therapy demonstrating altered mental status, hallucinations, falls, and rebound hypertension was found to be concomitantly abusing clonidine and amitryptyline, which share metabolic pathways with buprenorphine. Clinicians should be aware of patients' combining amitryptyline, clonidine, and gabapentin with buprenorphine to achieve a mood altering state, avoid co-prescribing them if possible, and maintain communication with pharmacies and other providers when they are prescribed. PMID:25314340

32 CFR 260.6 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... period of time subject to suspension or termination upon failure to comply with agreed-upon terms. It... sanitation and the maintenance of vending facilities and vending machines in an orderly condition at all times, and the installation, maintenance, repair, replacement, servicing, and removal of vending...

32 CFR 260.6 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... period of time subject to suspension or termination upon failure to comply with agreed-upon terms. It... sanitation and the maintenance of vending facilities and vending machines in an orderly condition at all times, and the installation, maintenance, repair, replacement, servicing, and removal of vending...

Dextromethorphan attenuated inflammation and combined opioid use in humans undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Chen, Shiou-Lan; Lee, Sheng-Yu; Tao, Pao-Luh; Chang, Yun-Hsuan; Chen, Shih-Heng; Chu, Chun-Hsien; Chen, Po See; Lee, I Hui; Yeh, Tzung Lieh; Yang, Yen Kuang; Hong, Jau-Shyong; Lu, Ru-Band

2012-12-01

Recent studies show that proinflammatory cytokines might be related to the development of opioid dependence (physiological, psychological, or both). In a double-blind, randomly stratified clinical trial investigating whether add-on dextromethorphan (60-120 mg/day) attenuated inflammation and the combined use of opioids in heroin-dependent patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment, we evaluated whether inflammation is related to the progression of opioid dependence. All participants (107 heroin-dependent patients and 84 nondependent healthy controls) were recruited from National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Their plasma cytokine levels were measured to evaluate the effect of add-on dextromethorphan. Plasma TNF-α and IL-8 levels were significantly higher in long-term heroin-dependent patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Chronic heroin-use-induced TNF-α and IL-8 levels were significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated in patients treated for 12 weeks with add-on dextromethorphan. Moreover, both tolerance to methadone and the combined use of opioids were significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated in patients taking dextromethorphan. We conclude that dextromethorphan might be a feasible adjuvant therapeutic for attenuating inflammation and inhibiting methadone tolerance and combined opioid use in heroin-dependent patients.

Application of reliability-centered maintenance to boiling water reactor emergency core cooling systems fault-tree analysis

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

Choi, Y.A.; Feltus, M.A.

1995-07-01

Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) methods are applied to boiling water reactor plant-specific emergency core cooling system probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) fault trees. The RCM is a technique that is system function-based, for improving a preventive maintenance (PM) program, which is applied on a component basis. Many PM programs are based on time-directed maintenance tasks, while RCM methods focus on component condition-directed maintenance tasks. Stroke time test data for motor-operated valves (MOVs) are used to address three aspects concerning RCM: (a) to determine if MOV stroke time testing was useful as a condition-directed PM task; (b) to determine and compare the plant-specificmore » MOV failure data from a broad RCM philosophy time period compared with a PM period and, also, compared with generic industry MOV failure data; and (c) to determine the effects and impact of the plant-specific MOV failure data on core damage frequency (CDF) and system unavailabilities for these emergency systems. The MOV stroke time test data from four emergency core cooling systems [i.e., high-pressure coolant injection (HPCI), reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC), low-pressure core spray (LPCS), and residual heat removal/low-pressure coolant injection (RHR/LPCI)] were gathered from Philadelphia Electric Company`s Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Units 2 and 3 between 1980 and 1992. The analyses showed that MOV stroke time testing was not a predictor for eminent failure and should be considered as a go/no-go test. The failure data from the broad RCM philosophy showed an improvement compared with the PM-period failure rates in the emergency core cooling system MOVs. Also, the plant-specific MOV failure rates for both maintenance philosophies were shown to be lower than the generic industry estimates.« less

Intermodal Attention Shifts in Multimodal Working Memory.

PubMed

Katus, Tobias; Grubert, Anna; Eimer, Martin

2017-04-01

Attention maintains task-relevant information in working memory (WM) in an active state. We investigated whether the attention-based maintenance of stimulus representations that were encoded through different modalities is flexibly controlled by top-down mechanisms that depend on behavioral goals. Distinct components of the ERP reflect the maintenance of tactile and visual information in WM. We concurrently measured tactile (tCDA) and visual contralateral delay activity (CDA) to track the attentional activation of tactile and visual information during multimodal WM. Participants simultaneously received tactile and visual sample stimuli on the left and right sides and memorized all stimuli on one task-relevant side. After 500 msec, an auditory retrocue indicated whether the sample set's tactile or visual content had to be compared with a subsequent test stimulus set. tCDA and CDA components that emerged simultaneously during the encoding phase were consistently reduced after retrocues that marked the corresponding (tactile or visual) modality as task-irrelevant. The absolute size of cue-dependent modulations was similar for the tCDA/CDA components and did not depend on the number of tactile/visual stimuli that were initially encoded into WM. Our results suggest that modality-specific maintenance processes in sensory brain regions are flexibly modulated by top-down influences that optimize multimodal WM representations for behavioral goals.

Evaluation of the reinforcing and subjective effects of heroin in combination with dextromethorphan and quinidine

PubMed Central

Vosburg, Suzanne K.; Sullivan, Maria A.; Comer, Sandra D.

2015-01-01

Objective Studies have suggested that the N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist dextromethorphan may be useful in the treatment of opioid dependence. Design This double-blinded, placebo-controlled inpatient study evaluated the effects of 0, 30, and 60 mg of dextromethorphan and quinidine (DMQ) on the reinforcing and subjective effects of heroin in recently detoxified heroin abusers. Participants Nine heroin-dependent participants were admitted and then detoxified from heroin over the course of several days. Interventions Participants were subsequently stabilized on 0, 30, or 60 mg of DMQ. Each dose of DMQ was administered for two consecutive weeks, and the effects of heroin (0, 12.5, and 50 mg) were studied under each DMQ maintenance dose condition. DMQ and heroin dose were administered in random order both within and between participants. Results Planned comparisons revealed statistically significant increases in progressive ratio breakpoint values and positive subjective ratings as a function of heroin dose. There were no consistent changes in any of the responses as a function of DMQ maintenance dose, other than a modest reduction in craving. Conclusions In summary, results from this study suggest that maintenance on dextromethorphan in combination with quinidine has a limited role in the treatment of opioid dependence. PMID:22320027

Memory retrieval of smoking-related images induce greater insula activation as revealed by an fMRI based delayed matching to sample task

PubMed Central

Janes, AC; Ross, RS; Farmer, S; Frederick, BB; Nickerson, L; Lukas, SE; Stern, CE

2013-01-01

Nicotine dependence is a chronic and difficult to treat disorder. While environmental stimuli associated with smoking precipitate craving and relapse, it is unknown whether smoking cues are cognitively processed differently than neutral stimuli. To evaluate working memory differences between smoking-related and neutral stimuli, we conducted a delay-match-to-sample (DMS) task concurrently with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in nicotine dependent participants. The DMS task evaluates brain activation during the encoding, maintenance, and retrieval phases of working memory. Smoking images induced significantly more subjective craving, and greater midline cortical activation during encoding in comparison to neutral stimuli that were similar in content yet lacked a smoking component. The insula, which is involved in maintaining nicotine dependence, was active during the successful retrieval of previously viewed smoking vs. neutral images. In contrast, neutral images required more prefrontal cortex-mediated active maintenance during the maintenance period. These findings indicate that distinct brain regions are involved in the different phases of working memory for smoking-related vs. neutral images. Importantly the results implicate the insula in the retrieval of smoking-related stimuli, which is relevant given the insula’s emerging role in addiction. PMID:24261848

Memory retrieval of smoking-related images induce greater insula activation as revealed by an fMRI-based delayed matching to sample task.

PubMed

Janes, Amy C; Ross, Robert S; Farmer, Stacey; Frederick, Blaise B; Nickerson, Lisa D; Lukas, Scott E; Stern, Chantal E

2015-03-01

Nicotine dependence is a chronic and difficult to treat disorder. While environmental stimuli associated with smoking precipitate craving and relapse, it is unknown whether smoking cues are cognitively processed differently than neutral stimuli. To evaluate working memory differences between smoking-related and neutral stimuli, we conducted a delay-match-to-sample (DMS) task concurrently with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in nicotine-dependent participants. The DMS task evaluates brain activation during the encoding, maintenance and retrieval phases of working memory. Smoking images induced significantly more subjective craving, and greater midline cortical activation during encoding in comparison to neutral stimuli that were similar in content yet lacked a smoking component. The insula, which is involved in maintaining nicotine dependence, was active during the successful retrieval of previously viewed smoking versus neutral images. In contrast, neutral images required more prefrontal cortex-mediated active maintenance during the maintenance period. These findings indicate that distinct brain regions are involved in the different phases of working memory for smoking-related versus neutral images. Importantly, the results implicate the insula in the retrieval of smoking-related stimuli, which is relevant given the insula's emerging role in addiction. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Command and Telemetry Latency Effects on Operator Performance during International Space Station Robotics Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Currie, Nancy J.; Rochlis, Jennifer

2004-01-01

International Space Station (ISS) operations will require the on-board crew to perform numerous robotic-assisted assembly, maintenance, and inspection activities. Current estimates for some robotically performed maintenance timelines are disproportionate and potentially exceed crew availability and duty times. Ground-based control of the ISS robotic manipulators, specifically the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), is being examined as one potential solution to alleviate the excessive amounts of crew time required for extravehicular robotic maintenance and inspection tasks.

How Does the Supply Requisitioning Process Affect Average Customer Wait Time Onboard U.S. Navy Destroyers?

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

17  D.  NAVAL TACTICAL COMMAND SUPPORT SYSTEM .........................17  1.  Operational Maintenance Management System–Next Generation...Management .......................................................................................21  4.  Method ...Business Administration MDT Mean Down Time MTBM Mean Time Between Maintenance NAVSUP Naval Supply Systems Command NC Not Carried NIS Not in Stock

Mars 520-d mission simulation reveals protracted crew hypokinesis and alterations of sleep duration and timing.

PubMed

Basner, Mathias; Dinges, David F; Mollicone, Daniel; Ecker, Adrian; Jones, Christopher W; Hyder, Eric C; Di Antonio, Adrian; Savelev, Igor; Kan, Kevin; Goel, Namni; Morukov, Boris V; Sutton, Jeffrey P

2013-02-12

The success of interplanetary human spaceflight will depend on many factors, including the behavioral activity levels, sleep, and circadian timing of crews exposed to prolonged microgravity and confinement. To address the effects of the latter, we used a high-fidelity ground simulation of a Mars mission to objectively track sleep-wake dynamics in a multinational crew of six during 520 d of confined isolation. Measurements included continuous recordings of wrist actigraphy and light exposure (4.396 million min) and weekly computer-based neurobehavioral assessments (n = 888) to identify changes in the crew's activity levels, sleep quantity and quality, sleep-wake periodicity, vigilance performance, and workload throughout the record-long 17 mo of mission confinement. Actigraphy revealed that crew sedentariness increased across the mission as evident in decreased waking movement (i.e., hypokinesis) and increased sleep and rest times. Light exposure decreased during the mission. The majority of crewmembers also experienced one or more disturbances of sleep quality, vigilance deficits, or altered sleep-wake periodicity and timing, suggesting inadequate circadian entrainment. The results point to the need to identify markers of differential vulnerability to hypokinesis and sleep-wake changes during the prolonged isolation of exploration spaceflight and the need to ensure maintenance of circadian entrainment, sleep quantity and quality, and optimal activity levels during exploration missions. Therefore, successful adaptation to such missions will require crew to transit in spacecraft and live in surface habitats that instantiate aspects of Earth's geophysical signals (appropriately timed light exposure, food intake, exercise) required for temporal organization and maintenance of human behavior.

Opioid Dependence Treatment: Options In Pharmacotherapy

PubMed Central

Stotts, Angela L.; Dodrill, Carrie L.; Kosten, Thomas R.

2010-01-01

The development of effective treatments for opioid dependence is of great importance given the devastating consequences of the disease. Pharmacotherapies for opioid addiction include opioid agonists, partial agonists, opioid antagonists, and alpha-2-adrenergic agonists, which are targeted toward either detoxification or long-term agonist maintenance. Agonist maintenance therapy is currently the recommended treatment for opioid dependence due to its superior outcomes relative to detoxification. Detoxification protocols have limited long term efficacy and patient discomfort remains a significant therapy challenge. Buprenorphine’s effectiveness relative to methadone remains a controversy and may be most appropriate for patients in need of low doses of agonist treatment. Buprenorphine appears superior to alpha-2 agonists, however, and office-based treatment with buprenorphine in the US is gaining support. Studies of sustained-release formulations of naltrexone suggest improved effectiveness for retention and sustained abstinence, however, randomized clinical trials are needed. PMID:19538000

The Influence of Hydroxylation on Maintaining CpG Methylation Patterns: A Hidden Markov Model Approach.

PubMed

Giehr, Pascal; Kyriakopoulos, Charalampos; Ficz, Gabriella; Wolf, Verena; Walter, Jörn

2016-05-01

DNA methylation and demethylation are opposing processes that when in balance create stable patterns of epigenetic memory. The control of DNA methylation pattern formation by replication dependent and independent demethylation processes has been suggested to be influenced by Tet mediated oxidation of 5mC. Several alternative mechanisms have been proposed suggesting that 5hmC influences either replication dependent maintenance of DNA methylation or replication independent processes of active demethylation. Using high resolution hairpin oxidative bisulfite sequencing data, we precisely determine the amount of 5mC and 5hmC and model the contribution of 5hmC to processes of demethylation in mouse ESCs. We develop an extended hidden Markov model capable of accurately describing the regional contribution of 5hmC to demethylation dynamics. Our analysis shows that 5hmC has a strong impact on replication dependent demethylation, mainly by impairing methylation maintenance.

Size asymmetry in intraspecific competition and the density-dependence of inbreeding depression in a natural plant population: a case study in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz, Euphorbiaceae).

PubMed

Pujol, B; McKey, D

2006-01-01

The effects of competition on the genetic composition of natural populations are not well understood. We combined demography and molecular genetics to study how intraspecific competition affects microevolution in cohorts of volunteer plants of cassava (Manihot esculenta) originating from seeds in slash-and-burn fields of Palikur Amerindians in French Guiana. In this clonally propagated crop, genotypic diversity is enhanced by the incorporation of volunteer plants into farmers' stocks of clonal propagules. Mortality of volunteer plants was density-dependent. Furthermore, the size asymmetry of intraspecific competition increased with local clustering of plants. Size of plants was correlated with their multilocus heterozygosity, and stronger size-dependence of survival in clusters of plants, compared with solitary plants, increased the magnitude of inbreeding depression when competition was severe. The density-dependence of inbreeding depression of volunteer plants helps explain the high heterozygosity of volunteers that survive to harvest time and thus become candidates for clonal propagation. This effect could help favour the maintenance of sex in this 'vegetatively' propagated crop plant.

MCL-1–dependent leukemia cells are more sensitive to chemotherapy than BCL-2–dependent counterparts

PubMed Central

Brunelle, Joslyn K.; Ryan, Jeremy; Yecies, Derek; Opferman, Joseph T.

2009-01-01

Myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (MCL-1) and B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) are anti-apoptotic proteins in the BCL-2 protein family often expressed in cancer. To compare the function of MCL-1 and BCL-2 in maintaining cancer survival, we constructed complementary mouse leukemia models based on Eμ-Myc expression in which either BCL-2 or MCL-1 are required for leukemia maintenance. We show that the principal anti-apoptotic mechanism of both BCL-2 and MCL-1 in these leukemias is to sequester pro-death BH3-only proteins rather than BAX and BAK. We find that the MCL-1–dependent leukemias are more sensitive to a wide range of chemotherapeutic agents acting by disparate mechanisms. In common across these varied treatments is that MCL-1 protein levels rapidly decrease in a proteosome-dependent fashion, whereas those of BCL-2 are stable. We demonstrate for the first time that two anti-apoptotic proteins can enable tumorigenesis equally well, but nonetheless differ in their influence on chemosensitivity. PMID:19948485

78 FR 58973 - Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-25

... 2000EX type design are included in Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000EX (F2000EX) Aircraft Maintenance Manual... numbers. (d) Subject Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 05, Time Limits/ Maintenance Checks... to introduce a corrosion prevention control program, among other changes, to the maintenance...

45 CFR 1309.23 - Insurance, bonding and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Insurance, bonding and maintenance. 1309.23... FAMILIES, HEAD START PROGRAM HEAD START FACILITIES PURCHASE, MAJOR RENOVATION AND CONSTRUCTION Protection of Federal Interest § 1309.23 Insurance, bonding and maintenance. (a) At the time of acquiring or...

Use of Time Domain Reflectometers (TDRs) in Permeable Pavement Systems to Predict Maintenance Needs and Effectiveness

EPA Science Inventory

As the surface in permeable pavement systems clogs, infiltration capacity decreases, so maintenance is required to maintain hydrologic performance. There is limited direct guidance for determining when maintenance is needed to prevent surface runoff bypass. Research is being co...

14 CFR 135.65 - Reporting mechanical irregularities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... aircraft maintenance log to be carried on board each aircraft for recording or deferring mechanical... maintenance log each mechanical irregularity that comes to the pilot's attention during flight time. Before... each irregularity entered in the maintenance log at the end of the preceding flight. (c) Each person...

14 CFR 135.65 - Reporting mechanical irregularities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... aircraft maintenance log to be carried on board each aircraft for recording or deferring mechanical... maintenance log each mechanical irregularity that comes to the pilot's attention during flight time. Before... each irregularity entered in the maintenance log at the end of the preceding flight. (c) Each person...

14 CFR 135.65 - Reporting mechanical irregularities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... aircraft maintenance log to be carried on board each aircraft for recording or deferring mechanical... maintenance log each mechanical irregularity that comes to the pilot's attention during flight time. Before... each irregularity entered in the maintenance log at the end of the preceding flight. (c) Each person...

14 CFR 135.65 - Reporting mechanical irregularities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... aircraft maintenance log to be carried on board each aircraft for recording or deferring mechanical... maintenance log each mechanical irregularity that comes to the pilot's attention during flight time. Before... each irregularity entered in the maintenance log at the end of the preceding flight. (c) Each person...

An evaluation of the generalization and maintenance of functional communication and self-control skills with preschoolers.

PubMed

Luczynski, Kevin C; Hanley, Gregory P; Rodriguez, Nicole M

2014-01-01

The preschool life skills (PLS) program (Hanley, Heal, Tiger, & Ingvarsson, 2007; Luczynski & Hanley, 2013) involves teaching social skills as a means of decreasing and preventing problem behavior. However, achieving durable outcomes as children transition across educational settings depend on the generalization and long-term maintenance of those skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate procedures for promoting generalization and long-term maintenance of functional communication and self-control skills for 6 preschool children. When the children's social skills decreased across repeated observations during a generalization assessment, we incorporated modifications to the teaching procedures. However, the effects of the modifications were variable across skills and children. Satisfactory generalization was observed only after the teacher was informed of the target skills and teaching strategies. Maintenance of most social skills was observed 3 months after teaching was discontinued. We discuss the importance of improving child and teacher behavior to promote generalization and maintenance of important social skills. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Co-relationship between sexual dysfunction and high-risk sexual behavior in patients receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy for opioid dependence.

PubMed

Ramdurg, Santosh; Ambekar, Atul; Lal, Rakesh

2015-01-01

People suffering from substance dependence suffer from various sexual dysfunctions and are at risk for indulging in various high-risk sexual behaviors and thus are vulnerable to acquire various infections such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between sexual dysfunction and high-risk sexual behavior in opioid-dependent men receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy. Semi-structured questionnaire, brief male sexual functioning inventory and HIV-risk taking behavior scale was administered to a sample of 60 sexually active men, receiving buprenorphine (n = 30) and naltrexone (n = 30) maintenance therapy for opioid dependence. The main outcomes are correlation between severity of sexual dysfunction and HIV-risk taking behavior. The study results showed 83% of the men on buprenorphine and 90% on naltrexone reported at least one of the sexual dysfunction symptoms. There was a negative correlation between sexual dysfunction and HIV-risk taking behavior that suggest severe the dysfunction, higher the risk taking behavior. Significant correlation was present with overall sexual dysfunction and HIV-risk taking behavior (P = 0.028 and in naltrexone receiving group premature ejaculation versus HIV-risk taking behavior however, (P = 0.022, P < 0.05) there were no significant differences among both the groups except above findings. Conclusion was treatment is associated with sexual dysfunctions and HIV-risk taking behavior, which has clinical implication. Future research should explore this further using biochemical analyses.

Indispensable role of Notch ligand-dependent signaling in the proliferation and stem cell niche maintenance of APC-deficient intestinal tumors

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

Nakata, Toru; Shimizu, Hiromichi; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Ligand-dependent activation of Notch signaling is required to maintain the stem-cell niche of normal intestinal epithelium. However, the precise role of Notch signaling in the maintenance of the intestinal tumor stem cell niche and the importance of the RBPJ-independent non-canonical pathway in intestinal tumors remains unknown. Here we show that Notch signaling was activated in LGR5{sup +ve} cells of APC-deficient mice intestinal tumors. Accordingly, Notch ligands, including Jag1, Dll1, and Dll4, were expressed in these tumors. In vitro studies using tumor-derived organoids confirmed the intrinsic Notch activity-dependent growth of tumor cells. Surprisingly, the targeted deletion of Jag1 but not RBPJ inmore » LGR5{sup +ve} tumor-initiating cells resulted in the silencing of Hes1 expression, disruption of the tumor stem cell niche, and dramatic reduction in the proliferation activity of APC-deficient intestinal tumors in vivo. Thus, our results highlight the importance of ligand-dependent non-canonical Notch signaling in the proliferation and maintenance of the tumor stem cell niche in APC-deficient intestinal adenomas. - Highlights: • Notch signaling is activated in LGR5{sup +ve} cells of APC-deficient intestinal tumors. • Lack of Jag1 but not RBPJ disrupts stem cell niche formation in those tumors. • Lack of Jag1 reduces the proliferation activity of APC-deficient intestinal tumors.« less

Development of distinct control networks through segregation and integration

PubMed Central

Fair, Damien A.; Dosenbach, Nico U. F.; Church, Jessica A.; Cohen, Alexander L.; Brahmbhatt, Shefali; Miezin, Francis M.; Barch, Deanna M.; Raichle, Marcus E.; Petersen, Steven E.; Schlaggar, Bradley L.

2007-01-01

Human attentional control is unrivaled. We recently proposed that adults depend on distinct frontoparietal and cinguloopercular networks for adaptive online task control versus more stable set control, respectively. During development, both experience-dependent evoked activity and spontaneous waves of synchronized cortical activity are thought to support the formation and maintenance of neural networks. Such mechanisms may encourage tighter “integration” of some regions into networks over time while “segregating” other sets of regions into separate networks. Here we use resting state functional connectivity MRI, which measures correlations in spontaneous blood oxygenation level-dependent signal fluctuations between brain regions to compare previously identified control networks between children and adults. We find that development of the proposed adult control networks involves both segregation (i.e., decreased short-range connections) and integration (i.e., increased long-range connections) of the brain regions that comprise them. Delay/disruption in the developmental processes of segregation and integration may play a role in disorders of control, such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Tourette's syndrome. PMID:17679691

Application of dynamic flux balance analysis to an industrial Escherichia coli fermentation.

PubMed

Meadows, Adam L; Karnik, Rahi; Lam, Harry; Forestell, Sean; Snedecor, Brad

2010-03-01

We have developed a reactor-scale model of Escherichia coli metabolism and growth in a 1000 L process for the production of a recombinant therapeutic protein. The model consists of two distinct parts: (1) a dynamic, process specific portion that describes the time evolution of 37 process variables of relevance and (2) a flux balance based, 123-reaction metabolic model of E. coli metabolism. This model combines several previously reported modeling approaches including a growth rate-dependent biomass composition, maximum growth rate objective function, and dynamic flux balancing. In addition, we introduce concentration-dependent boundary conditions of transport fluxes, dynamic maintenance demands, and a state-dependent cellular objective. This formulation was able to describe specific runs with high-fidelity over process conditions including rich media, simultaneous acetate and glucose consumption, glucose minimal media, and phosphate depleted media. Furthermore, the model accurately describes the effect of process perturbations--such as glucose overbatching and insufficient aeration--on growth, metabolism, and titer. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Timescales and bottlenecks in miRNA-dependent gene regulation.

PubMed

Hausser, Jean; Syed, Afzal Pasha; Selevsek, Nathalie; van Nimwegen, Erik; Jaskiewicz, Lukasz; Aebersold, Ruedi; Zavolan, Mihaela

2013-12-03

MiRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators that contribute to the establishment and maintenance of gene expression patterns. Although their biogenesis and decay appear to be under complex control, the implications of miRNA expression dynamics for the processes that they regulate are not well understood. We derived a mathematical model of miRNA-mediated gene regulation, inferred its parameters from experimental data sets, and found that the model describes well time-dependent changes in mRNA, protein and ribosome density levels measured upon miRNA transfection and induction. The inferred parameters indicate that the timescale of miRNA-dependent regulation is slower than initially thought. Delays in miRNA loading into Argonaute proteins and the slow decay of proteins relative to mRNAs can explain the typically small changes in protein levels observed upon miRNA transfection. For miRNAs to regulate protein expression on the timescale of a day, as miRNAs involved in cell-cycle regulation do, accelerated miRNA turnover is necessary.

Techniques to Determine Maintenace Frequency of Permeable Pavement Systems with Time Domain Reflectometers (TDRs

EPA Science Inventory

As the surface clogs in permeable pavement systems, they lose effectiveness and require maintenance. There is limited direct guidance for determining when maintenance is needed to prevent surface runoff bypass. Research is being conducted using multiple time domain reflectomete...

Long-acting injectable versus oral naltrexone maintenance therapy with psychosocial intervention for heroin dependence: a quasi-experiment.

PubMed

Brooks, Adam C; Comer, Sandra D; Sullivan, Maria A; Bisaga, Adam; Carpenter, Kenneth M; Raby, Wilfrid M; Yu, Elmer; O'Brien, Charles P; Nunes, Edward V

2010-10-01

To conduct a quasi-experimental comparison of early clinical outcomes between injectable, sustained-release, depot naltrexone formulation versus oral naltrexone maintenance therapy in individuals with opiate dependence. Early retention in treatment and urine-confirmed opiate use in the first 8 weeks postdetoxification were compared between patients (diagnosed as opiate-dependent according to DSM-IV criteria) participating in 2 concurrently run randomized clinical trials of oral (n = 69; patients treated from September 1999 to May 2002) and long-acting injectable (n = 42; patients treated from November 2000 to June 2003) naltrexone maintenance therapy with psychosocial therapy. Long-acting injectable naltrexone produced significantly better outcome than oral naltrexone on days retained in treatment (F(1,106) = 6.49, P = .012) and for 1 measure of opiate use (F(1,106) = 5.26, P = .024); other measures were not significantly different, but differences were in the same direction. In subanalyses, there were interaction effects between baseline heroin use severity and type of treatment. In subanalyses, heroin users with more severe baseline use showed better retention with oral naltrexone maintenance therapy combined with intensive psychotherapy (behavioral naltrexone therapy) as compared to retention shown by severe heroin users treated with long-acting naltrexone injections combined with standard cognitive-behavioral therapy (χ²(1)= 9.31, P = .002); less severe heroin users evidenced better outcomes when treated with long-acting injectable naltrexone. This quasi-experimental analysis provides tentative indications of superior outcomes for heroin-dependent patients treated with long-acting injectable naltrexone compared to oral naltrexone. The finding that heroin users with more severe baseline use achieved better outcomes with oral naltrexone is most probably attributable to the intensive nature of the psychosocial treatments provided and points to the opportunity for continued research in augmenting injectable naltrexone with psychosocial strategies to further improve outcome, especially in individuals with more severe use. The results should be considered exploratory given the quasi-experimental nature of the study. © Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Using Decision Analysis to Select Facility Maintenance Management Information Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

efficient way possible. Many of today’s maintenance managers thus apply computerized tools that come in the form of information systems that assist in... apply to effectively select a maintenance management information system that enables them to meet the needs of their customers. 3 1.2 Background...recession of the early 1990s. During this time, companies downsized their white-collar workforce performing daily operation and maintenance functions

Conditioned flavor avoidance as a measure of withdrawal in rats chronically exposed to a caffeine solution.

PubMed

Dreumont-Boudreau, Sarah E; Dingle, Rachel N; Alcolado, Gillian M; Lolordo, Vincent M

2008-09-03

Rats were given 21 days of chronic oral caffeine. A novel flavor (Maintenance CS) was then paired with the continuation of caffeine, and a second flavor (Withdrawal CS) was paired with caffeine removal. Rats avoided the Withdrawal CS, and drank more of the Maintenance CS in a two-bottle test, suggesting that removing caffeine had induced withdrawal. The value of the Maintenance CS was investigated by comparing it to a novel flavor paired with water (Neutral CS). In a series of two-bottle tests, the Maintenance and Neutral CSs were equivalent when pitted against each other, and both were preferred to the Withdrawal CS. These results demonstrate that conditioned flavor avoidance is a useful procedure in assessing caffeine withdrawal, and by inference dependence, produced by chronic oral consumption.

Favipiravir Pharmacokinetics in Nonhuman Primates and Insights for Future Efficacy Studies of Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses.

PubMed

Madelain, Vincent; Guedj, Jérémie; Mentré, France; Nguyen, Thi Huyen Tram; Jacquot, Frédéric; Oestereich, Lisa; Kadota, Takumi; Yamada, Koichi; Taburet, Anne-Marie; de Lamballerie, Xavier; Raoul, Hervé

2017-01-01

Favipiravir is an RNA polymerase inhibitor that showed strong antiviral efficacy in vitro and in small-animal models of several viruses responsible for hemorrhagic fever (HF), including Ebola virus. The aim of this work was to characterize the complex pharmacokinetics of favipiravir in nonhuman primates (NHPs) in order to guide future efficacy studies of favipiravir in large-animal models. Four different studies were conducted in 30 uninfected cynomolgus macaques of Chinese (n = 17) or Mauritian (n = 13) origin treated with intravenous favipiravir for 7 to 14 days with maintenance doses of 60 to 180 mg/kg of body weight twice a day (BID). A pharmacokinetic model was developed to predict the plasma concentrations obtained with different dosing regimens, and the model predictions were compared to the 50% effective concentration (EC 50 ) of favipiravir against several viruses. Favipiravir pharmacokinetics were described by a model accounting for concentration-dependent aldehyde oxidase inhibition. The enzyme-dependent elimination rate increased over time and was higher in NHPs of Mauritian origin than in those of Chinese origin. Maintenance doses of 100 and 120 mg/kg BID in Chinese and Mauritian NHPs, respectively, are predicted to achieve median trough plasma free concentrations above the EC 50 for Lassa and Marburg viruses until day 7. For Ebola virus, higher doses are required. After day 7, a 20% dose increase is needed to compensate for the increase in drug clearance over time. These results will help rationalize the choice of dosing regimens in future studies evaluating the antiviral effect of favipiravir in NHPs and support its development against a variety of HF viruses. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Microbiology.

76 FR 73477 - Airworthiness Directives; BAE SYSTEMS (Operations) Limited Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-29

... of the AMM [aircraft maintenance manual] to introduce a new hydraulic filter assembly life limit and...: The BAe 146/AVRO 146-RJ Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) includes chapters 05-10 ``Time Limits'', 05...'' and 05-20 ``Scheduled Maintenance Checks'', some sub-chapters of which have been identified as...

Maintenance Energy Requirements of Double-Muscled Belgian Blue Beef Cows

PubMed Central

Fiems, Leo O.; De Boever, Johan L.; Vanacker, José M.; De Campeneere, Sam

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Double-muscled Belgian Blue animals are extremely lean, characterized by a deviant muscle fiber type with more fast-glycolytic fibers, compared to non-double-muscled animals. This fiber type may result in lower maintenance energy requirements. On the other hand, lean meat animals mostly have a higher rate of protein turnover, which requires more energy for maintenance. Therefore, maintenance requirements of Belgian Blue cows were investigated based on a zero body weight gain. This technique showed that maintenance energy requirements of double-muscled Belgian Blue beef cows were close to the mean requirements of cows of other beef genotypes. Abstract Sixty non-pregnant, non-lactating double-muscled Belgian Blue (DMBB) cows were used to estimate the energy required to maintain body weight (BW). They were fed one of three energy levels for 112 or 140 days, corresponding to approximately 100%, 80% or 70% of their total energy requirements. The relationship between daily energy intake and BW and daily BW change was developed using regression analysis. Maintenance energy requirements were estimated from the regression equation by setting BW gain to zero. Metabolizable and net energy for maintenance amounted to 0.569 ± 0.001 and 0.332 ± 0.001 MJ per kg BW0.75/d, respectively. Maintenance energy requirements were not dependent on energy level (p > 0.10). Parity affected maintenance energy requirements (p < 0.001), although the small numerical differences between parities may hardly be nutritionally relevant. Maintenance energy requirements of DMBB beef cows were close to the mean energy requirements of other beef genotypes reported in the literature. PMID:26479139

State-dependent physiological maintenance in a long-lived ectotherm, the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta).

PubMed

Schwanz, Lisa; Warner, Daniel A; McGaugh, Suzanne; Di Terlizzi, Roberta; Bronikowski, Anne

2011-01-01

Energy allocation among somatic maintenance, reproduction and growth varies not only among species, but among individuals according to states such as age, sex and season. Little research has been conducted on the somatic (physiological) maintenance of long-lived organisms, particularly ectotherms such as reptiles. In this study, we examined sex differences and age- and season-related variation in immune function and DNA repair efficiency in a long-lived reptile, the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). Immune components tended to be depressed during hibernation, in winter, compared with autumn or spring. Increased heterophil count during hibernation provided the only support for winter immunoenhancement. In juvenile and adult turtles, we found little evidence for senescence in physiological maintenance, consistent with predictions for long-lived organisms. Among immune components, swelling in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and control injection increased with age, whereas basophil count decreased with age. Hatchling turtles had reduced basophil counts and natural antibodies, indicative of an immature immune system, but demonstrated higher DNA repair efficiency than older turtles. Reproductively mature turtles had reduced lymphocytes compared with juvenile turtles in the spring, presumably driven by a trade-off between maintenance and reproduction. Sex had little influence on physiological maintenance. These results suggest that components of physiological maintenance are modulated differentially according to individual state and highlight the need for more research on the multiple components of physiological maintenance in animals of variable states.

Development of augmented reality system for servicing electromechanical equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukovskiy, Y.; Koteleva, N.

2018-05-01

Electromechanical equipment is widely used. It is used in industrial enterprises, in the spheres of public services, in everyday life, etc. Maintenance servicing of electromechanical equipment is an important part of its life cycle. High-quality and timely service can extend the life of the electromechanical equipment. The creation of special systems that simplify the process of servicing electromechanical equipment is an urgent task. Such systems can shorten the time for maintenance of electrical equipment, and, therefore, reduce the cost of maintenance in general. This article presents an analysis of information on the operation of service services for maintenance and repair of electromechanical equipment, identifies the list of services, and estimates the time required to perform basic service operations. The structure of the augmented reality system is presented, the ways of interaction of the augmented reality system with the automated control systems working at the enterprise are presented.

Wireless Time Tracking Improves Productivity at CSU Long Beach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charmack, Scott; Walsh, Randy

2002-01-01

Describes California State University Long Beach's implementation of new maintenance management software, which integrated maintenance, inventory control, and key control and allows technicians to enter and receive information through handheld wireless devices for more accurate time accounting. The school estimates a 10 percent increase in…

The efficacy of BCG TICE and BCG Connaught in a cohort of 2,099 patients with T1G3 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

PubMed

Witjes, J Alfred; Dalbagni, Guido; Karnes, Robert J; Shariat, Shahrokh; Joniau, Steven; Palou, Joan; Serretta, Vincenzo; Larré, Stéphane; di Stasi, Savino; Colombo, Renzo; Babjuk, Marek; Malmström, Per-Uno; Malats, Nuria; Irani, Jacques; Baniel, Jack; Cai, Tommaso; Cha, Eugene; Ardelt, Peter; Varkarakis, John; Bartoletti, Riccardo; Spahn, Martin; Pisano, Francesca; Gontero, Paolo; Sylvester, Richard

2016-11-01

Potential differences in efficacy of different bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) strains are of importance for daily practice, especially in the era of BCG shortage. To retrospectively compare the outcome with BCG Connaught and BCG TICE in a large study cohort of pT1 high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. Individual patient data were collected for 2,451 patients with primary T1G3 tumors from 23 centers who were treated with BCG for the first time between 1990 and 2011. Using Cox multivariable regression and adjusting for the most important prognostic factors in this nonrandomized comparison, BCG Connaught and TICE were compared for time to recurrence, progression, and the duration of cancer specific survival and overall survival. Information on the BCG strain was available for 2,099 patients: 957 on Connaught and 1,142 on TICE. Overall, 765 (36%) patients received some form of maintenance BCG, 560 (59%) on Connaught and 205 (18%) on TICE. Without maintenance, Connaught was more effective than TICE only for the time to first recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.20-1.82; P<0.001). With maintenance, TICE was more effective than Connaught for the time to first recurrence (HR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.47-0.93; P = 0.019) with a trend for cancer specific survival (HR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.14-0.92; P = 0.033). For time to progression and overall survival, Connaught and TICE had a similar efficacy. Compared to no maintenance therapy, maintenance BCG significantly reduced the risk of recurrence, progression and death, both overall, and disease specific, for TICE, but not for Connaught. We found that BCG Connaught results in a lower recurrence rate as compared with BCG TICE when no maintenance is used. However, the opposite is true when maintenance is given. As there is currently a BCG shortage, information on the efficacy of different BCG strains is important. In this nonrandomized retrospective comparison in over 2,000 patients, we found that BCG Connaught reduces the recurrence rate compared to BCG TICE when no maintenance is used, but the opposite is true when maintenance is given. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Management of neonatal abstinence syndrome in neonates born to opioid maintained women.

PubMed

Ebner, Nina; Rohrmeister, Klaudia; Winklbaur, Bernadette; Baewert, Andjela; Jagsch, Reinhold; Peternell, Alexandra; Thau, Kenneth; Fischer, Gabriele

2007-03-16

Neonates born to opioid-maintained mothers are at risk of developing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which often requires pharmacological treatment. This study examined the effect of opioid maintenance treatment on the incidence and timing of NAS, and compared two different NAS treatments (phenobarbital versus morphine hydrochloride). Fifty-three neonates born to opioid-maintained mothers were included in this study. The mothers received methadone (n=22), slow-release oral morphine (n=17) or buprenorphine (n=14) throughout pregnancy. Irrespective of maintenance treatment, all neonates showed APGAR scores comparable to infants of non-opioid dependent mothers. No difference was found between the three maintenance groups regarding neonatal weight, length or head circumference. Sixty percent (n=32) of neonates required treatment for NAS [68% in the methadone-maintained group (n=15), 82% in the morphine-maintained group (n=14), and 21% in the buprenorphine-maintained group (n=3)]. The mean duration from birth to requirement of NAS treatment was 33 h for the morphine-maintained group, 34 h for the buprenorphine-maintained group and 58 h for the methadone-maintained group. In neonates requiring NAS treatment, those receiving morphine required a significantly shorter mean duration of treatment (9.9 days) versus those treated with phenobarbital (17.7 days). Results suggest that morphine hydrochloride is preferable for neonates suffering NAS due to opioid withdrawal.

Role of dorsal root ganglion K2P1.1 in peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain

PubMed Central

Mao, Qingxiang; Yuan, Jingjing; Xiong, Ming; Wu, Shaogen; Chen, Liyong; Bekker, Alex; Yang, Tiande

2017-01-01

Peripheral nerve injury-caused hyperexcitability and abnormal ectopic discharges in the primary sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) play a key role in neuropathic pain development and maintenance. The two-pore domain background potassium (K2P) channels have been identified as key determinants of the resting membrane potential and neuronal excitability. However, whether K2P channels contribute to neuropathic pain is still elusive. We reported here that K2P1.1, the first identified mammalian K2P channel, was highly expressed in mouse DRG and distributed in small-, medium-, and large-sized DRG neurons. Unilateral lumbar (L) 4 spinal nerve ligation led to a significant and time-dependent reduction of K2P1.1 mRNA and protein in the ipsilateral L4 DRG, but not in the contralateral L4 or ipsilateral L3 DRG. Rescuing this reduction through microinjection of adeno-associated virus-DJ expressing full-length K2P1.1 mRNA into the ipsilateral L4 DRG blocked spinal nerve ligation-induced mechanical, thermal, and cold pain hypersensitivities during the development and maintenance periods. This DRG viral microinjection did not affect acute pain and locomotor function. Our findings suggest that K2P1.1 participates in neuropathic pain development and maintenance and may be a potential target in the management of this disorder. PMID:28326939

Hippocampal interictal epileptiform activity disrupts cognition in humans

PubMed Central

Kleen, Jonathan K.; Scott, Rod C.; Holmes, Gregory L.; Roberts, David W.; Rundle, Melissa M.; Testorf, Markus; Lenck-Santini, Pierre-Pascal

2013-01-01

Objective: We investigated whether interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) in the human hippocampus are related to impairment of specific memory processes, and which characteristics of hippocampal IED are most associated with memory dysfunction. Methods: Ten patients had depth electrodes implanted into their hippocampi for preoperative seizure localization. EEG was recorded during 2,070 total trials of a short-term memory task, with memory processing categorized into encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. The influence of hippocampal IED on these processes was analyzed and adjusted to account for individual differences between patients. Results: Hippocampal IED occurring in the memory retrieval period decreased the likelihood of a correct response when they were contralateral to the seizure focus (p < 0.05) or bilateral (p < 0.001). Bilateral IED during the memory maintenance period had a similar effect (p < 0.01), particularly with spike-wave complexes of longer duration (p < 0.01). IED during encoding had no effect, and reaction time was also unaffected by IED. Conclusions: Hippocampal IED in humans may disrupt memory maintenance and retrieval, but not encoding. The particular effects of bilateral IED and those contralateral to the seizure focus may relate to neural compensation in the more functional hemisphere. This study provides biological validity to animal models in the study of IED-related transient cognitive impairment. Moreover, it strengthens the argument that IED may contribute to cognitive impairment in epilepsy depending upon when and where they occur. PMID:23685931

2.4 g Mesalamine (Asacol 400 mg tablet) Once Daily is as Effective as Three Times Daily in Maintenance of Remission in Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized, Noninferiority, Multi-center Trial.

PubMed

Suzuki, Yasuo; Iida, Mitsuo; Ito, Hiroaki; Nishino, Haruo; Ohmori, Toshihide; Arai, Takehiro; Yokoyama, Tadashi; Okubo, Takanori; Hibi, Toshifumi

2017-05-01

The noninferiority of pH-dependent release mesalamine (Asacol) once daily (QD) to 3 times daily (TID) administration was investigated. This was a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-control study, with dynamic and stochastic allocation using central registration. Patients with ulcerative colitis in remission (a bloody stool score of 0, and an ulcerative colitis disease activity index of ≤2), received the study drug (Asacol 2.4 g/d) for 48 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint of the nonrecurrence rate was assessed on the full analysis set. The noninferiority margin was 10%. Six hundred and four subjects were eligible and were allocated; 603 subjects received the study drug. The full analysis set comprised 602 subjects (QD: 301, TID: 301). Nonrecurrence rates were 88.4% in the QD and 89.6% in the TID. The difference between nonrecurrence rates was -1.3% (95% confidence interval: -6.2, 3.7), confirming noninferiority. No differences in the safety profile were observed between the two treatment groups. On post hoc analysis by integrating the QD and the TID, nonrecurrence rate with a mucosal appearance score of 0 at determination of eligibility was significantly higher than the score of 1. The mean compliance rates were 97.7% in the QD and 98.1% in the TID. QD dosing with Asacol is as effective and safe as TID for maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis. Additionally, this study indicated that maintaining a good mucosal state is the key for longer maintenance of remission.

2.4 g Mesalamine (Asacol 400 mg tablet) Once Daily is as Effective as Three Times Daily in Maintenance of Remission in Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized, Noninferiority, Multi-center Trial

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Yasuo; Iida, Mitsuo; Ito, Hiroaki; Nishino, Haruo; Ohmori, Toshihide; Arai, Takehiro; Yokoyama, Tadashi; Okubo, Takanori

2017-01-01

Background: The noninferiority of pH-dependent release mesalamine (Asacol) once daily (QD) to 3 times daily (TID) administration was investigated. Methods: This was a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-control study, with dynamic and stochastic allocation using central registration. Patients with ulcerative colitis in remission (a bloody stool score of 0, and an ulcerative colitis disease activity index of ≤2), received the study drug (Asacol 2.4 g/d) for 48 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint of the nonrecurrence rate was assessed on the full analysis set. The noninferiority margin was 10%. Results: Six hundred and four subjects were eligible and were allocated; 603 subjects received the study drug. The full analysis set comprised 602 subjects (QD: 301, TID: 301). Nonrecurrence rates were 88.4% in the QD and 89.6% in the TID. The difference between nonrecurrence rates was −1.3% (95% confidence interval: −6.2, 3.7), confirming noninferiority. No differences in the safety profile were observed between the two treatment groups. On post hoc analysis by integrating the QD and the TID, nonrecurrence rate with a mucosal appearance score of 0 at determination of eligibility was significantly higher than the score of 1. The mean compliance rates were 97.7% in the QD and 98.1% in the TID. Conclusions: QD dosing with Asacol is as effective and safe as TID for maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis. Additionally, this study indicated that maintaining a good mucosal state is the key for longer maintenance of remission. PMID:28368909

The impact of new and emerging technologies in the commercial aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul industry a Delphi study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Janet

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify new or emerging technological trends and events that are likely to occur between now and 2017 that will have an impact on the commercial aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry. Further, it was the purpose of this study to examine those technological trends and events believed to provide the greatest impact and, given the experts' analysis, identify the feasibility of implementation. Methodology. This descriptive study utilized the Delphi method with a panel of twenty-four experts comprised of practitioners, theorists, and futurists. A priority matrix was utilized to determine the impact and feasibility of trend and events. Findings. The experts identified fifty-three trends and events that will impact the commercial aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry. Analysis of the priority matrix revealed eighteen trends and events were of high priority and high feasibility. Conclusions. The responses from the expert panel were examined and the findings analyzed. The following are the conclusions constructed from the data provided by the Delphi panel of experts: (1) the need to respond to the demands of the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry such as down time, efficiency, cost, and environmental concerns by implementing new technology, (2) the demand to integrate and implement new technology as indicative of the priority matrix scoring high importance/high feasibility, (3) to proactively address the inadequate professional development in new technologies, and (4) the consensus reached by the panel of experts of importance and feasibility of implementation of new technologies encompass eighteen trends and events. Implications and recommendations for action. The implementation of new and emerging technological advances in the commercial aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry between now and 2017 will be dependent on the technologies' capacity to reduce downtime and increase efficiency. In order to maintain America's global leadership in aviation, integration of innovated technology is key.

Informed consent to opioid agonist maintenance treatment: recommended ethical guidelines.

PubMed

Carter, Adrian; Hall, Wayne

2008-02-01

Some bioethicists have questioned whether opioid addicted individuals are able to provide free and informed consent to opioid agonist maintenance treatment. Conflicting motives for providing such treatment (e.g. improving the personal health of addicts and protecting public health and order) can also influence what individuals are required to consent to, and how that consent is obtained. We discuss both issues and attempt to specify the conditions for obtaining informed consent to agonist maintenance treatment for opioid addiction. We briefly review the neuroscientific literature on the effects of addiction on the autonomy and decision-making capacity of opioid dependent individuals, and ascertain how informed consent to the treatment of opioid addiction should be obtained. We also provide an ethical analysis of the competing social and medical forces that influence the consent process and make some recommendations on how to ensure that individuals enter maintenance treatment that is provided in an effective and ethical way. Our analysis shows that whilst the autonomy of opioid dependent individuals is impaired by their addiction, they do retain the ability to consent to treatment provided they are not in acute withdrawal or intoxication. These symptoms should have abated, either by supervised withdrawal or stabilisation on agonist maintenance, before they are asked to consent to a detailed treatment contract. Once stabilised, individuals should be provided with detailed information about the risks and benefits of all treatments, and restrictions and regulations under which they are provided. Informed consent is an important part of the treatment process that should be obtained in ways that increase the autonomy and decision-making capacity in opioid addicts.

Maintenance of Mouse Gustatory Terminal Field Organization Is Disrupted following Selective Removal of Peripheral Sodium Salt Taste Activity at Adulthood.

PubMed

Skyberg, Rolf; Sun, Chengsan; Hill, David L

2017-08-09

Neural activity plays a critical role in the development of central circuits in sensory systems. However, the maintenance of these circuits at adulthood is usually not dependent on sensory-elicited neural activity. Recent work in the mouse gustatory system showed that selectively deleting the primary transduction channel for sodium taste, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), throughout development dramatically impacted the organization of the central terminal fields of three nerves that carry taste information to the nucleus of the solitary tract. More specifically, deleting ENaCs during development prevented the normal maturation of the fields. The present study was designed to extend these findings by testing the hypothesis that the loss of sodium taste activity impacts the maintenance of the normal adult terminal field organization in male and female mice. To do this, we used an inducible Cre-dependent genetic recombination strategy to delete ENaC function after terminal field maturation occurred. We found that removal of sodium taste neural activity at adulthood resulted in significant reorganization of mature gustatory afferent terminal fields in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Specifically, the chorda tympani and greater superficial petrosal nerve terminal fields were 1.4× and 1.6× larger than age-matched controls, respectively. By contrast, the glossopharyngeal nerve, which is not highly sensitive to sodium taste stimulation, did not undergo terminal field reorganization. These surprising results suggest that gustatory nerve terminal fields remain plastic well into adulthood, which likely impacts central coding of taste information and taste-related behaviors with altered taste experience. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural activity plays a major role in the development of sensory circuits in the mammalian brain. However, the importance of sensory-driven activity in maintaining these circuits at adulthood, especially in subcortical structures, appears to be much less. Here, we tested whether the loss of sodium taste activity in adult mice impacts the maintenance of how taste nerves project to the first central relay. We found that specific loss of sodium-elicited taste activity at adulthood produced dramatic and selective reorganization of terminal fields in the brainstem. This demonstrates, for the first time, that taste-elicited activity is necessary for the normal maintenance of central gustatory circuits at adulthood and highlights a level of plasticity not seen in other sensory system subcortical circuits. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/377619-12$15.00/0.

Open-RAC: Open-Design, Recirculating and Auto-Cleaning Zebrafish Maintenance System.

PubMed

Nema, Shubham; Bhargava, Yogesh

2017-08-01

Zebrafish is a vertebrate animal model. Their maintenance in large number under laboratory conditions is a daunting task. Commercially available recirculating zebrafish maintenance systems are used to efficiently handle the tasks of automatic sediment cleaning from zebrafish tanks with minimal waste of water. Due to their compact nature, they also ensure the maximal use of available lab space. However, the high costs of commercial systems present a limitation to researchers with limited funds. A cost-effective zebrafish maintenance system with major features offered by commercially available systems is highly desirable. Here, we describe a compact and recirculating zebrafish maintenance system. Our system is composed of cost-effective components, which are available in local markets and/or can be procured via online vendors. Depending on the expertise of end users, the system can be assembled in 2 days. The system is completely customizable as it offers geometry independent zebrafish tanks that are capable of auto-cleaning the sediments. Due to these features, we called our setup as Open-RAC (Open-design, Recirculating and Auto-Cleaning zebrafish maintenance system). Open-RAC is a cost-effective and viable alternative to the currently available zebrafish maintenance systems. Thus, we believe that the use of Open-RAC could promote the zebrafish research by removing the cost barrier for researchers.

Satisfaction of physician assistants and other nonphysician providers in a managed care setting.

PubMed Central

Freeborn, D K; Hooker, R S

1995-01-01

Health maintenance organizations have employed physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other nonphysician providers for decades, yet there is little information on how satisfied these providers are with this form of practice. This paper examines how physician assistants evaluate their experience practicing in a large group model health maintenance organization and compares their attitudes and satisfaction levels with those of other nonphysician providers-nurse practitioners, optometrists, mental health therapists, and chemical dependency counselors. The data source is a 1992 survey of 5,000 nonphysician employees of a health maintenance organization. The survey instrument was a self-administrated questionnaire that included both structured and open-ended questions. The response rate averaged 88 percent for physician assistants and the other non-physician providers. Physician assistants expressed the most satisfaction with the amount of responsibility, support from coworkers, job security, working hours, supervision, and task variety. They were less satisfied with workload, control over the pace of work, and opportunities for advancement. Most physician assistants were also satisfied with pay and fringe benefits. Compared with other nonphysician providers, chemical dependency counselors expressed the highest levels of satisfaction across the various dimensions of work and optometrists the lowest. Nurse practitioners, chemical dependency counselors, and mental health professionals also tended to be satisfied with most aspects of practice in this setting. In a number of instances, they were more satisfied than the physician assistants. The findings are consistent with other studies that found health maintenance organizations to be favorable practice settings for physician assistants. The limits of physician assistant involvement and their role satisfaction and efficient use in HMOs are more likely to relate to physician attitudes and acceptance than to lack of support by coworkers and other attributes of the work environment. PMID:8570825

Order of arrival affects competition in two reef fishes.

PubMed

Geange, Shane W; Stier, Adrian C

2009-10-01

Many communities experience repeated periods of colonization due to seasonally regenerating habitats or pulsed arrival of young-of-year. When an individual's persistence in a community depends upon the strength of competitive interactions, changes in the timing of arrival relative to the arrival of a competitor can modify competitive strength and, ultimately, establishment in the community. We investigated whether the strength of intracohort competitive interactions between recent settlers of the reef fishes Thalassoma hardwicke and T. quinquevittatum are dependent on the sequence and temporal separation of their arrival into communities. To achieve this, we manipulated the sequence and timing of arrival of each species onto experimental patch reefs by simulating settlement pulses and monitoring survival and aggressive interactions. Both species survived best in the absence of competitors, but when competitors were present, they did best when they arrived at the same time. Survival declined as each species entered the community progressively later than its competitor and as aggression by its competitor increased. Intraspecific effects of resident T. hardwicke were similar to interspecific effects. This study shows that the strength of competition depends not only on the identity of competitors, but also on the sequence and timing of their interactions, suggesting that when examining interaction strengths, it is important to identify temporal variability in the direction and magnitude of their effects. Furthermore, our findings provide empirical evidence for the importance of competitive lotteries in the maintenance of species diversity in demographically open marine systems.

Clustering techniques: measuring the performance of contract service providers.

PubMed

Cruz, Antonio Miguel; Perilla, Sandra Patricia Usaquén; Pabón, Nidia Nelly Vanegas

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the use of clustering technique to characterize the providers of maintenance services in a health-care institution according to their performance. A characterization of the inventory of equipment from seven pilot areas was carried out first (including 264 medical devices). The characterization study concluded that the inventory on a whole is old [exploitation time (ET)/useful life (UL) average is 0.78] and has high maintenance service costs relative to the original cost of acquisition (service cost /acquisition cost average 8.61%). A monitoring of the performance of maintenance service providers was then conducted. The variables monitored were response time (RT), service time (ST), availability, and turnaround time (TAT). Finally, the study grouped maintenance service providers into clusters according to performance. The study grouped maintenance service providers into the following clusters. Cluster 0: Identified with the best performance, the lowest values of TAT, RT, and ST, with an average TAT value of 1.46 days; Clusters 1 and 2: Identified with the poorest performance, highest values of TAT, RT, and ST, and an average TAT value of 9.79 days; and Cluster 3: Identified by medium-quality performance, intermediate values of TAT, RT, and ST, and an average TAT value of 2.56 days.

The safe implementation of a prison-based methadone maintenance programme: 7 year time-series analysis of primary care prescribing data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Internationally there is policy support for the introduction of methadone maintenance programmes into prison settings. Increasingly GPs are encouraged to undertake this work although concerns remain regarding the safety of such programmes. This study sought to evaluate the impact and safety of the introduction of a general practitioner with a special interest (GPsi) in substance misuse led methadone prescribing service into a UK prison between 2003 and 2010. Methods Time series analysis of secondary prescribing data pertaining to opiate maintenance therapies, opiate detoxification therapies and opiate related deaths for the time period 2003 to 2010. Results Results show that following introduction of a GPsi in substance misuse there was a statistically significant increase in both methadone maintenance and detoxification treatments. Over time the rate of methadone maintenance prescribing plateaued with a corresponding decrease in the rate of methadone detoxification prescribing. There were no methadone related deaths in prison over the study period. Conclusion The phased introduction of opiate replacement therapies into a busy remand prison did not result in any deaths within the prison for which opiate replacement was identified as the cause. GPsi led opiate prescribing programmes can be introduced safely into secure environments. PMID:24712316

Service contract with periodic preventive maintenance for a dump truck sold with a two-dimensional warranty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrum, A.; Pasaribu, U. S.; Husniah, H.

2016-02-01

This paper deals with maintenance service contract for a dump truck sold with a two-dimensional warranties. We consider a situation where an agent offers two maintenance contract options and the owner of the equipment has to select the optimal option either the OEM carried out all repairs and preventive maintenance activities (option one) or the OEM only carries out failure while the costumer undertakes preventive maintenance action in-house (option two). As the number of preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance that occurs in the area of servicing contracts is very influential in determining the value of the contract, we have to determine the optimal time between preventive maintenance that can minimize the cost of repair in the contract area. Moreover, we also study the maintenance service contract considering reduction of the intensity function after preventive maintenance from both the owner and OEM point of views. In this paper, we use a Weibull intensity function to consider a product with increasing failure intensity. We use a non-cooperative game formulation to determine the optimal price structure (i.e., the contract price and repair cost) for the OEM and the owner. A numerical example derived from the model has shown that if the owner choose option one then the owner obtain a higher profit compared with the profit resulted from option two. The result agree with earlier work which uses the accelerated failure time (AFT) for the failure modeling, while here we model the failure of the dump truck without the use of the AFT.

Integrating O/S models during conceptual design, part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebeling, Charles E.

1994-01-01

Space vehicles, such as the Space Shuttle, require intensive ground support prior to, during, and after each mission. Maintenance is a significant part of that ground support. All space vehicles require scheduled maintenance to ensure operability and performance. In addition, components of any vehicle are not one-hundred percent reliable so they exhibit random failures. Once detected, a failure initiates unscheduled maintenance on the vehicle. Maintenance decreases the number of missions which can be completed by keeping vehicles out of service so that the time between the completion of one mission and the start of the next is increased. Maintenance also requires resources such as people, facilities, tooling, and spare parts. Assessing the mission capability and resource requirements of any new space vehicle, in addition to performance specification, is necessary to predict the life cycle cost and success of the vehicle. Maintenance and logistics support has been modeled by computer simulation to estimate mission capability and resource requirements for evaluation of proposed space vehicles. The simulation was written with Simulation Language for Alternative Modeling II (SLAM II) for execution on a personal computer. For either one or a fleet of space vehicles, the model simulates the preflight maintenance checks, the mission and return to earth, and the post flight maintenance in preparation to be sent back into space. THe model enables prediction of the number of missions possible and vehicle turn-time (the time between completion of one mission and the start of the next) given estimated values for component reliability and maintainability. The model also facilitates study of the manpower and vehicle requirements for the proposed vehicle to meet its desired mission rate. This is the 3rd part of a 3 part technical report.

[Design of medical equipment service management system].

PubMed

Jiang, Youhao; PengWen; Jiang, Ningfeng; Ma, Li; Kong, Lingwei; Yin, PeiHao; Sun, Cheng

2012-09-01

To develop a maintenance management system for medical equipment based on HIS. The system contains some special functions( including preventive maintenance, automatic job dispatch, performance assessment, etc.) which are very useful for confirming the medical equipment in proper conditions and promoting the working efficiency of the staff. The system provides technical support for the improvement of the maintenance management level. The system, completed the software design using C/S, B/S combination mode. The system realized clients of various sections of zero maintenance, and make the data manipulation, statistical features of equipment management department more convenient. the system connects the subsystems closer and interacts information from time to time, forming a tight network structure. This provides a basis for future hospital-wide information integration.

HDAC1/2-Dependent P0 Expression Maintains Paranodal and Nodal Integrity Independently of Myelin Stability through Interactions with Neurofascins.

PubMed

Brügger, Valérie; Engler, Stefanie; Pereira, Jorge A; Ruff, Sophie; Horn, Michael; Welzl, Hans; Münger, Emmanuelle; Vaquié, Adrien; Sidiropoulos, Páris N M; Egger, Boris; Yotovski, Peter; Filgueira, Luis; Somandin, Christian; Lühmann, Tessa C; D'Antonio, Maurizio; Yamaguchi, Teppei; Matthias, Patrick; Suter, Ueli; Jacob, Claire

2015-01-01

The pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies in adults is linked to maintenance mechanisms that are not well understood. Here, we elucidate a novel critical maintenance mechanism for Schwann cell (SC)-axon interaction. Using mouse genetics, ablation of the transcriptional regulators histone deacetylases 1 and 2 (HDAC1/2) in adult SCs severely affected paranodal and nodal integrity and led to demyelination/remyelination. Expression levels of the HDAC1/2 target gene myelin protein zero (P0) were reduced by half, accompanied by altered localization and stability of neurofascin (NFasc)155, NFasc186, and loss of Caspr and septate-like junctions. We identify P0 as a novel binding partner of NFasc155 and NFasc186, both in vivo and by in vitro adhesion assay. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HDAC1/2-dependent P0 expression is crucial for the maintenance of paranodal/nodal integrity and axonal function through interaction of P0 with neurofascins. In addition, we show that the latter mechanism is impaired by some P0 mutations that lead to late onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Development and regeneration of the electric organ.

PubMed

Zakon, H H; Unguez, G A

1999-05-01

The electric organ has evolved independently from muscle in at least six lineages of fish. How does a differentiated muscle cell change its fate to become an electrocyte? Is the process by which this occurs similar in different lineages? We have begun to answer these questions by studying the formation and maintenance of electrocytes in the genus Sternopygus, a weakly electric teleost. Electrocytes arise from the fusion of fully differentiated muscle fibers, mainly those expressing fast isoforms of myosin. Electrocytes briefly co-express sarcomeric proteins, such as myosin and tropomyosin, and keratin, a protein not found in mature muscle. The sarcomeric proteins are subsequently down-regulated, but keratin expression persists. We investigated whether the maintenance of the electrocyte phenotype depends on innervation. We found that, after spinal cord transection, which silences the electromotor neurons that innervate the electrocytes, or destruction of the spinal cord, which denervates the electrocytes, mature electrocytes re-express sarcomeric myosin and tropomyosin, although keratin expression persists. Ultrastructural examination of denervated electrocytes revealed nascent sarcomeres. Thus, the maintenance of the electrocyte phenotype depends on neural activity.

The effect of pollen versus seed flow on the maintenance of nuclear-cytoplasmic gynodioecy.

PubMed

Dufay, Mathilde; Pannell, John R

2010-03-01

Gynodioecy, where females co-occur with hermaphrodites, is a relatively common sexual system in plants that is often the result of a genetic conflict between maternally inherited male sterility genes in the mitochondrial genome and the biparentally inherited male fertility restorer genes in the nucleus. Previous models have shown that nuclear-cytoplasmic gynodioecy can be maintained under certain conditions by negative frequency-dependent selection, but the effect of other evolutionary processes such as genetic drift and population subdivision is only partially understood. Here, we investigate the joint effects of frequency-dependent selection, drift, and migration through either pollen or seeds on the maintenance of nuclear-cytoplasmic gynodioecy in a subdivided population. We find that the combination of drift and selection causes the loss of gynodioecy under scenarios that would maintain it under the influence of selection alone, and that both seed and, more surprisingly, pollen flow can maintain the polymorphism. In particular, although pollen flow could not avoid the loss of cytoplasmic polymorphism within demes, it allowed the maintenance of nuclear-cytoplasmic polymorphism at the metapopulation level.

40 CFR 1054.145 - Are there interim provisions that apply only for a limited time?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... scheduled emission-related maintenance falls within 10 hours of a test point, delay the maintenance until the engine reaches the test point. Measure emissions before and after peforming the maintenance. Use... example, for the fuel line permeation standards starting in 2012, equipment manufacturers may order a...

38th Annual Maintenance & Operations Cost Study for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe

2009-01-01

Despite the worst economic environment in generations, spending by K-12 institutions on maintenance and operations (M&O) held its own--defying historical trends that have shown M&O spending among the most affected in times of budget tightening. This article presents data from the 38th annual Maintenance & Operations Cost Study for…

Integration of RAMS in LCC analysis for linear transport infrastructures. A case study for railways.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calle-Cordón, Álvaro; Jiménez-Redondo, Noemi; Morales-Gámiz, F. J.; García-Villena, F. A.; Garmabaki, Amir H. S.; Odelius, Johan

2017-09-01

Life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis is an economic technique used to assess the total costs associated with the lifetime of a system in order to support decision making in long term strategic planning. For complex systems, such as railway and road infrastructures, the cost of maintenance plays an important role in the LCC analysis. Costs associated with maintenance interventions can be more reliably estimated by integrating the probabilistic nature of the failures associated to these interventions in the LCC models. Reliability, Maintainability, Availability and Safety (RAMS) parameters describe the maintenance needs of an asset in a quantitative way by using probabilistic information extracted from registered maintenance activities. Therefore, the integration of RAMS in the LCC analysis allows obtaining reliable predictions of system maintenance costs and the dependencies of these costs with specific cost drivers through sensitivity analyses. This paper presents an innovative approach for a combined RAMS & LCC methodology for railway and road transport infrastructures being developed under the on-going H2020 project INFRALERT. Such RAMS & LCC analysis provides relevant probabilistic information to be used for condition and risk-based planning of maintenance activities as well as for decision support in long term strategic investment planning.

Representing the acquisition and use of energy by individuals in agent-based models of animal populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sibly, Richard M.; Grimm, Volker; Martin, Benjamin T.; Johnston, Alice S.A.; Kulakowska, Katarzyna; Topping, Christopher J.; Calow, Peter; Nabe-Nielsen, Jacob; Thorbek, Pernille; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2013-01-01

1. Agent-based models (ABMs) are widely used to predict how populations respond to changing environments. As the availability of food varies in space and time, individuals should have their own energy budgets, but there is no consensus as to how these should be modelled. Here, we use knowledge of physiological ecology to identify major issues confronting the modeller and to make recommendations about how energy budgets for use in ABMs should be constructed. 2. Our proposal is that modelled animals forage as necessary to supply their energy needs for maintenance, growth and reproduction. If there is sufficient energy intake, an animal allocates the energy obtained in the order: maintenance, growth, reproduction, energy storage, until its energy stores reach an optimal level. If there is a shortfall, the priorities for maintenance and growth/reproduction remain the same until reserves fall to a critical threshold below which all are allocated to maintenance. Rates of ingestion and allocation depend on body mass and temperature. We make suggestions for how each of these processes should be modelled mathematically. 3. Mortality rates vary with body mass and temperature according to known relationships, and these can be used to obtain estimates of background mortality rate. 4. If parameter values cannot be obtained directly, then values may provisionally be obtained by parameter borrowing, pattern-oriented modelling, artificial evolution or from allometric equations. 5. The development of ABMs incorporating individual energy budgets is essential for realistic modelling of populations affected by food availability. Such ABMs are already being used to guide conservation planning of nature reserves and shell fisheries, to assess environmental impacts of building proposals including wind farms and highways and to assess the effects on nontarget organisms of chemicals for the control of agricultural pests.

Maintenance dosing for sublingual immunotherapy by prominent European allergen manufacturers expressed in bioequivalent allergy units.

PubMed

Larenas-Linnemann, Désirée; Esch, Robert; Plunkett, Greg; Brown, Shannon; Maddox, Daniel; Barnes, Charles; Constable, Derek

2011-11-01

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has become established in Europe, and its efficacy is being evaluated in the United States. The doses used for SLIT in Europe today are difficult to evaluate, because each manufacturer expresses the potency of its extracts differently. To compare in vitro European SLIT maintenance solutions against US licensed standardized allergenic extract concentrates and to determine the monthly SLIT doses delivered expressed in bioequivalent allergy units ([B]AU). We studied Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, timothy grass pollen, cat (hair) and short ragweed pollen allergen extracts. The SLIT maintenance solutions of 4 leading European manufacturers and standardized concentrate extracts of 3 US manufacturers were analyzed with the following assays: protein content, relative potency (immunoglobulin E [IgE]-binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] inhibition) and major allergen content. The relative monthly allergen dose in (B)AU was calculated for each recommended SLIT schedule. Relative potency was approximately 10 times higher for US concentrate standardized extracts-which are meant to be diluted-than for European SLIT maintenance solutions of D pteronyssinus and timothy grass pollen. For cat (hair) and short ragweed pollen, the difference was less. Measurements of relative potency and major allergen content correlated well. In our assays, European mite extracts contain a very low quantity of Der p 2 compared with US mites. Recommended SLIT doses in Europe vary widely among the manufacturers, but are consistently lower (Eur1) or higher (Eur4) over all four allergens tested. SLIT efficacy probably depends on additional factors apart from the exact dose. SLIT dose finding studies should be done for each product. Copyright © 2011 American College of Allergy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term and short-term effects of hemodialysis on liver function evaluated using the galactose single-point test.

PubMed

Hou, Yi-Chou; Liu, Wen-Chih; Liao, Min-Tser; Lu, Kuo-Cheng; Lo, Lan; Pan, Heng-Chih; Wu, Chia-Chao; Hu, Oliver Yoa-Pu; Tang, Hung-Shang

2014-01-01

The galactose single-point (GSP) test assesses functioning liver mass by measuring the galactose concentration in the blood 1 hour after its administration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of hemodialysis (HD) on short-term and long-term liver function by use of GSP test. Seventy-four patients on maintenance HD (46 males and 28 females, 60.38 ± 11.86 years) with a mean time on HD of 60.77 ± 48.31 months were studied. The GSP values were compared in two groups: (1) before and after single session HD, and (2) after one year of maintenance HD. Among the 74 HD patient, only the post-HD Cr levels and years on dialysis were significantly correlated with GSP values (r = 0.280, P < 0.05 and r = -0.240, P < 0.05, resp.). 14 of 74 patients were selected for GSP evaluation before and after a single HD session, and the hepatic clearance of galactose was similar (pre-HD 410 ± 254 g/mL, post-HD 439 ± 298 g/mL, P = 0.49). GSP values decreased from 420.20 ± 175.26 g/mL to 383.40 ± 153.97 g/mL after 1 year maintenance HD in other 15 patients (mean difference: 19.00 ± 37.66 g/mL, P < 0.05). Patients on maintenance HD for several years may experience improvement of their liver function. However, a single HD session does not affect liver function significantly as assessed by the GSP test. Since the metabolism of galactose is dependent on liver blood flow and hepatic functional mass, further studies are needed.

14 CFR 147.43 - Inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OTHER CERTIFICATED AGENCIES AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN SCHOOLS Operating Rules § 147.43 Inspection. The Administrator may, at any time, inspect an aviation maintenance technician school to determine its...

Machine Maintenance Scheduling with Reliability Engineering Method and Maintenance Value Stream Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembiring, N.; Nasution, A. H.

2018-02-01

Corrective maintenance i.e replacing or repairing the machine component after machine break down always done in a manufacturing company. It causes the production process must be stopped. Production time will decrease due to the maintenance team must replace or repair the damage machine component. This paper proposes a preventive maintenance’s schedule for a critical component of a critical machine of an crude palm oil and kernel company due to increase maintenance efficiency. The Reliability Engineering & Maintenance Value Stream Mapping is used as a method and a tool to analize the reliability of the component and reduce the wastage in any process by segregating value added and non value added activities.

An end-to-end communications architecture for condition-based maintenance applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroculick, Joseph

2014-06-01

This paper explores challenges in implementing an end-to-end communications architecture for Condition-Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) data transmission which aligns with the Army's Network Modernization Strategy. The Army's Network Modernization strategy is based on rolling out network capabilities which connect the smallest unit and Soldier level to enterprise systems. CBM+ is a continuous improvement initiative over the life cycle of a weapon system or equipment to improve the reliability and maintenance effectiveness of Department of Defense (DoD) systems. CBM+ depends on the collection, processing and transport of large volumes of data. An important capability that enables CBM+ is an end-to-end network architecture that enables data to be uploaded from the platform at the tactical level to enterprise data analysis tools. To connect end-to-end maintenance processes in the Army's supply chain, a CBM+ network capability can be developed from available network capabilities.

Wear of sharp aggregates in a rotating drum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deiros Quintanilla, Ivan; Combe, Gaël; Emeriault, Fabrice; Toni, Jean-Benoît; Voivret, Charles; Ferellec, Jean François

2017-06-01

Aggregates constituting ballast layer wear due to the continuous passage of trains and during the necessary maintenance operations of the track. In order to develop efficient solutions for ballasted tracks design and maintenance, a proper knowledge of the degradation laws of ballast grains is needed. In tribology, the amount of wear due to friction when two surfaces are in contact is classically predicted by Archard's equation. However, due to the continuous evolution of grain angularity and roughness, at the macro-scale wear coefficient cannot be assumed to remain constant, but will depend on the state of degradation of the grain surface. In order to adjust the model to this particular case, the Micro-Deval Attrition test is used. The rotating drum is stopped at intermediate stages and the amount of generated fine particles is measured. Thus the curve of mass loss along time is built. These results are then linked to Archard's model using the values of contact forces and relative displacements extracted from discrete element simulations. Finally, a morphology analysis is performed tracking shape and roughness parameters at different stages of degradation using X-ray tomography and a laser profilometer.

Species coexistence in a changing world

PubMed Central

Valladares, Fernando; Bastias, Cristina C.; Godoy, Oscar; Granda, Elena; Escudero, Adrián

2015-01-01

The consequences of global change for the maintenance of species diversity will depend on the sum of each species responses to the environment and on the interactions among them. A wide ecological literature supports that these species-specific responses can arise from factors related to life strategies, evolutionary history and intraspecific variation, and also from environmental variation in space and time. In the light of recent advances from coexistence theory combined with mechanistic explanations of diversity maintenance, we discuss how global change drivers can influence species coexistence. We revise the importance of both competition and facilitation for understanding coexistence in different ecosystems, address the influence of phylogenetic relatedness, functional traits, phenotypic plasticity and intraspecific variability, and discuss lessons learnt from invasion ecology. While most previous studies have focused their efforts on disentangling the mechanisms that maintain the biological diversity in species-rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, grasslands and coral reefs, we argue that much can be learnt from pauci-specific communities where functional variability within each species, together with demographic and stochastic processes becomes key to understand species interactions and eventually community responses to global change. PMID:26528323

Rapid determination of methadone and its major metabolite in biological fluids by gas-liquid chromatography with thermionic detection for maintenance treatment of opiate addicts.

PubMed

Chikhi-Chorfi, N; Pham-Huy, C; Galons, H; Manuel, N; Lowenstein, W; Warnet, J M; Claude, J R

1998-11-06

A rapid gas-liquid chromatographic assay is developed for the quantification of methadone (Mtd) and its major metabolite, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), in biological fluids of opiate addicts. After alkaline extraction from samples with lidocaine hydrochloride as internal standard, Mtd and EDDP are separated on SP-2250 column at 220 degrees C and detected with a thermionic detector. The chromatographic time is about 6 min. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of Mtd and EDDP standards are between 1.5 and 5.5%. Most drugs of abuse (morphine, codeine, narcotine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, dextropropoxyphene etc) are shown not to interfere with this technique. The method has been applied to study the levels of Mtd and EDDP metabolite in serum, saliva and urine of patients under maintenance treatment for opiate dependence. EDDP levels were found higher than those of Mtd in urine samples from four treated patients, but lower in serum and undetectable in saliva. However, Mtd concentrations were higher in saliva than in serum.

Species coexistence in a changing world.

PubMed

Valladares, Fernando; Bastias, Cristina C; Godoy, Oscar; Granda, Elena; Escudero, Adrián

2015-01-01

The consequences of global change for the maintenance of species diversity will depend on the sum of each species responses to the environment and on the interactions among them. A wide ecological literature supports that these species-specific responses can arise from factors related to life strategies, evolutionary history and intraspecific variation, and also from environmental variation in space and time. In the light of recent advances from coexistence theory combined with mechanistic explanations of diversity maintenance, we discuss how global change drivers can influence species coexistence. We revise the importance of both competition and facilitation for understanding coexistence in different ecosystems, address the influence of phylogenetic relatedness, functional traits, phenotypic plasticity and intraspecific variability, and discuss lessons learnt from invasion ecology. While most previous studies have focused their efforts on disentangling the mechanisms that maintain the biological diversity in species-rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, grasslands and coral reefs, we argue that much can be learnt from pauci-specific communities where functional variability within each species, together with demographic and stochastic processes becomes key to understand species interactions and eventually community responses to global change.

Design and development of a family of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichard, Karl; Simpson, Tim; Rogan, Chris; Merenich, John; Brennan, Sean; Crow, Ed

2008-10-01

Across many consumer product industries, the prevailing practice is to design families of product variants that exploit commonality to provide the ability to easily customize a base platform for particular uses and to take advantage of commonality for streamlining design, manufacturing, maintenance and logistic; examples include Black & Decker, Seagate, and Volkswagen. This paper describes the application of product family concepts to the design and development of a family of robots to satisfy requirements for explosive ordnance disposal. To facilitate this process, we have developed a market segmentation grid that plots the desired capabilities and cost versus the target use cases. The product family design trade space is presented using a multi-dimensional trade space visualization tool which helps identify dependencies between different design variables and identify Pareto frontiers along which optimal design choices will lie. The EOD robot product family designs share common components and subsystems yet are modularized and scalable to provide functionality to satisfy a range of user requirements. This approach has been shown to significantly reduce development time and costs, manufacturing costs, maintenance and spare parts inventory, and operator and maintainer training.

Signaling from the Podocyte Intercellular Junction to the Actin Cytoskeleton

PubMed Central

George, Britta; Holzman, Lawrence B.

2012-01-01

Observations of hereditary glomerular disease support the contention that podocyte intercellular junction proteins are essential for junction formation and maintenance. Genetic deletion of most of these podocyte intercellular junction proteins results in foot process effacement and proteinuria. This review focuses on the current understanding of molecular mechanisms by which podocyte intercellular junction proteins such as the Nephrin-Neph1-Podocin receptor complex coordinate cytoskeletal dynamics and thus intercellular junction formation, maintenance and injury-dependent remodeling. PMID:22958485

Protein Kinase M[Zeta] Is Essential for the Induction and Maintenance of Dopamine-Induced Long-Term Potentiation in Apical CA1 Dendrites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navakkode, Sheeja; Sajikumar, Sreedharan; Sacktor, Todd Charlton; Frey, Julietta U.

2010-01-01

Dopaminergic D1/D5-receptor-mediated processes are important for certain forms of memory as well as for a cellular model of memory, hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. D1/D5-receptor function is required for the induction of the protein synthesis-dependent maintenance of CA1-LTP (L-LTP) through activation…

A Location Analysis Approach for Military Maintenance Scheduling with Geographically Dispersed Service Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

activities within the patrol area. Maintenance of the Minuteman III weapon system requires maintenance and security teams travel to one or more of 150...launch facilities, all of which are geograph- ically isolated from major population centers. Travel time from F. E. Warren AFB, the main support base...the F. E. Warren AFB work center to make travel preparations, and ends after all maintenance actions are completed, or once the team arrives at one

Post-aerocapture orbit selection and maintenance for the Aerofast mission to Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontani, Mauro; Teofilatto, Paolo

2012-10-01

Aerofast is the abbreviation of “aerocapture for future space transportation” and represents a project aimed at developing aerocapture techniques with regard to an interplanetary mission to Mars, in the context of the 7th Framework Program, with the financial support of the European Union. This paper describes the fundamental characteristics of the operational orbit after aerocapture for the mission of interest, as well as the related maintenance strategy. The final orbit selection depends on the desired lighting conditions, maximum revisit time of specific target regions, and feasibility of the orbit maintenance strategy. A sunsynchronous, frozen, repeating-ground-track orbit is chosen. First, the period of repetition is such that adjacent ascending node crossings (over the Mars surface) have a separation compatible with the swath of the optical payload. Secondly, the sunsynchronism condition ensures that a given latitude is periodically visited at the same local time, which condition is essential for comparing images of the same region at different epochs. Lastly, the fulfillment of the frozen condition guarantees improved orbit stability with respect to perturbations due to the zonal harmonics of Mars gravitational field. These three fundamental features of the operational orbit lead to determining its mean orbital elements. The evaluation of short and long period effects (e.g., those due to the sectorial harmonics of the gravitational field or to the aerodynamic drag) requires the determination of the osculating orbital elements at an initial reference time. This research describes a simple and accurate approach that leads to numerically determining these initial values, without employing complicated analytical developments. Numerical simulations demonstrate the long-period stability of the orbit when a significant number of harmonics of the gravitational field are taken into account. However, aerodynamic drag produces a relatively slow orbital decay at the altitudes considered for the mission. This circumstance implies the progressive loss of the sunsynchronism condition, and therefore corrective maneuvers are to be performed. This work proves that actually only in-plane maneuvers are necessary, evaluates the overall delta-v budget needed in the period of repetition (85 Martian nodal days), and proposes a simple maintenance strategy, making reference to the worst-case scenario, which corresponds to the highest seasonal values of the atmospheric density and to the maximum value of the ballistic coefficient of the spacecraft.

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.

A multi-period optimization model for energy planning with CO(2) emission consideration.

PubMed

Mirzaesmaeeli, H; Elkamel, A; Douglas, P L; Croiset, E; Gupta, M

2010-05-01

A novel deterministic multi-period mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for the power generation planning of electric systems is described and evaluated in this paper. The model is developed with the objective of determining the optimal mix of energy supply sources and pollutant mitigation options that meet a specified electricity demand and CO(2) emission targets at minimum cost. Several time-dependent parameters are included in the model formulation; they include forecasted energy demand, fuel price variability, construction lead time, conservation initiatives, and increase in fixed operational and maintenance costs over time. The developed model is applied to two case studies. The objective of the case studies is to examine the economical, structural, and environmental effects that would result if the electricity sector was required to reduce its CO(2) emissions to a specified limit. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability evaluation of a multistate network subject to time constraint under routing policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yi-Kuei

2013-08-01

A multistate network is a stochastic network composed of multistate arcs in which each arc has several possible capacities and may fail due to failure, maintenance, etc. The quality of a multistate network depends on how to meet the customer's requirements and how to provide the service in time. The system reliability, the probability that a given amount of data can be transmitted through a pair of minimal paths (MPs) simultaneously under the time constraint, is a proper index to evaluate the quality of a multistate network. An efficient solution procedure is first proposed to calculate it. In order to further enhance the system reliability, the network administrator decides the routing policy in advance to indicate the first and the second priority pairs of MPs. The second priority pair of MPs takes charge of the transmission duty if the first fails. The system reliability under the routing policy can be subsequently evaluated.

How Does Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Work with Opioid-Dependent Clients? Results of the UKCBTMM Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouimtsidis, Christos; Reynolds, Martina; Coulton, Simon; Drummond, Colin

2012-01-01

Introduction: Process research in psychotherapy is important to understand how treatment works. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines suggest that in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid dependence, drug key-working should be based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles. This article reports the findings…

"I've Fixed Things Up": Paternal Identity of Substance-Dependent Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peled, Einat; Gavriel-Fried, Belle; Katz, Noam

2012-01-01

This study deals with how substance-dependent men perceive their paternal identity. Data were based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 Israeli fathers who were enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment. Content analysis revealed that participants had undergone a process of parental identity formation composed of four distinct stages:…

Psychological and physiological stress negatively impacts early engagement and retention of opioid-dependent individuals on methadone maintenance

PubMed Central

Jaremko, Kellie M.; Sterling, Robert C.; Van Bockstaele, Elisabeth J.

2014-01-01

The present study investigated whether psychological and/or physiological measures of stress would impede induction onto methadone maintenance and predict early (<6 months) discontinuation. Compared with controls, opioid-dependent subjects displayed increased distress on the perceived stress scale (PSS) and post-traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCLC); 60% exhibited abnormal cortisol. Addiction severity index (ASI), drug-use, and stress indices explained between 17–37% of the variance in engagement including attendance, opioid abstinence, and methadone stabilization. Participants who discontinued treatment displayed poor engagement, abnormal cortisol, elevated withdrawal symptoms, higher distress, and increased ongoing opioid use versus compliant individuals. Discontinuation was initially related to drug-use severity; however, by 6 months, retention depended primarily upon cortisol abnormalities, which increased an individual’s discontinuation risk by 7.7-fold. These findings support admission screening with the ASI/cortisol for drop out, and stress/drug-use indices for engagement that together may enable clinically-relevant early recognition and interventions for prevention of stress-induced relapse in opioid-dependent populations. PMID:25239858

Psychological and physiological stress negatively impacts early engagement and retention of opioid-dependent individuals on methadone maintenance.

PubMed

Jaremko, Kellie M; Sterling, Robert C; Van Bockstaele, Elisabeth J

2015-01-01

The present study investigated whether psychological and/or physiological measures of stress would impede induction onto methadone maintenance and predict early (<6 months) discontinuation. Compared with controls, opioid-dependent subjects displayed increased distress on the perceived stress scale (PSS) and post-traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCLC); 60% exhibited abnormal cortisol. Addiction severity index (ASI), drug-use, and stress indices explained between 17 and 37% of the variance in engagement including attendance, opioid abstinence, and methadone stabilization. Participants who discontinued treatment displayed poor engagement, abnormal cortisol, elevated withdrawal symptoms, higher distress, and increased ongoing opioid use versus compliant individuals. Discontinuation was initially related to drug-use severity; however, by 6 months, retention depended primarily upon cortisol abnormalities, which increased an individual's discontinuation risk by 7.7-fold. These findings support admission screening with the ASI/cortisol for drop out, and stress/drug-use indices for engagement that together may enable clinically-relevant early recognition and interventions for prevention of stress-induced relapse in opioid-dependent populations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maintaining close relationships: gratitude as a motivator and a detector of maintenance behavior.

PubMed

Kubacka, Kaska E; Finkenauer, Catrin; Rusbult, Caryl E; Keijsers, Loes

2011-10-01

This research examined the dual function of gratitude for relationship maintenance in close relationships. In a longitudinal study among married couples, the authors tested the dyadic effects of gratitude over three time points for approximately 4 years following marriage. They found that feelings of gratitude toward a partner stem from the partner's relationship maintenance behaviors, partly because such behaviors create the perception of responsiveness to one's needs. In turn, gratitude motivates partners to engage in relationship maintenance. Hence, the present model emphasizes that gratitude between close partners (a) originates from partners' relationship maintenance behaviors and the perception of a partner's responsiveness and (b) promotes a partner's reciprocal maintenance behaviors. Thus, the authors' findings add credence to their model, in that gratitude contributes to a reciprocal process of relationship maintenance, whereby each partner's maintenance behaviors, perceptions of responsiveness, and feelings of gratitude feed back on and influence the other's behaviors, perceptions, and feelings.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxidative stress in heroin-dependent male patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Tsai, Meng-Chang; Huang, Tiao-Lai

2017-03-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxidative stress may play a role in patients with heroin dependence. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels and activities of BDNF and oxidative stress markers, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyl content (PCC), and 8-hydroxy 2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), in heroin-dependent patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). 60 heroin-dependent male MMT patients and 30 healthy males were recruited for this study. The serum BDNF and oxidative stress markers of these subjects were measured with assay kits. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) with age and body mass index adjustments indicated that the serum levels of BDNF in the MMT patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (F=5.169; p=0.026). However, there were no significant differences between the heroin-dependent patients and the healthy controls in the serum levels or activities of oxidative stress markers (p>0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that MMT increases BDNF levels in heroin-dependent patients, and that patients undergoing MMT might be in a balanced state of reduced oxidation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Character pathology and neuropsychological test performance in remitted opiate dependence

PubMed Central

Prosser, James M; Eisenberg, Daniel; Davey, Emily E; Steinfeld, Matthew; Cohen, Lisa J; London, Edythe D; Galynker, Igor I

2008-01-01

Background Cognitive deficits and personality pathology are prevalent in opiate dependence, even during periods of remission, and likely contribute to relapse. Understanding the relationship between the two in vulnerable, opiate-addicted patients may contribute to the design of better treatment and relapse prevention strategies. Methods The Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory (MCMI) and a series of neuropsychological tests were administered to three subject groups: 29 subjects receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MM), 27 subjects in protracted abstinence from methadone maintenance treatment (PA), and 29 healthy non-dependent comparison subjects. Relationships between MCMI scores, neuropsychological test results, and measures of substance use and treatment were examined using bivariate correlation and regression analysis. Results MCMI scores were greater in subjects with a history of opiate dependence than in comparison subjects. A significant negative correlation between MCMI scores and neuropsychological test performance was identified in all subjects. MCMI scores were stronger predictors of neuropsychological test performance than measures of drug use. Conclusion Formerly methadone-treated opiate dependent individuals in protracted opiate abstinence demonstrate a strong relationship between personality pathology and cognitive deficits. The cause of these deficits is unclear and most likely multi-factorial. This finding may be important in understanding and interpreting neuropsychological testing deficiencies in opiate-dependent subjects. PMID:19019247

Co-relationship between sexual dysfunction and high-risk sexual behavior in patients receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy for opioid dependence

PubMed Central

Ramdurg, Santosh; Ambekar, Atul; Lal, Rakesh

2015-01-01

Introduction: People suffering from substance dependence suffer from various sexual dysfunctions and are at risk for indulging in various high-risk sexual behaviors and thus are vulnerable to acquire various infections such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between sexual dysfunction and high-risk sexual behavior in opioid-dependent men receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy. Materials and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaire, brief male sexual functioning inventory and HIV-risk taking behavior scale was administered to a sample of 60 sexually active men, receiving buprenorphine (n = 30) and naltrexone (n = 30) maintenance therapy for opioid dependence. Results: The main outcomes are correlation between severity of sexual dysfunction and HIV-risk taking behavior. The study results showed 83% of the men on buprenorphine and 90% on naltrexone reported at least one of the sexual dysfunction symptoms. There was a negative correlation between sexual dysfunction and HIV-risk taking behavior that suggest severe the dysfunction, higher the risk taking behavior. Significant correlation was present with overall sexual dysfunction and HIV-risk taking behavior (P = 0.028 and in naltrexone receiving group premature ejaculation versus HIV-risk taking behavior however, (P = 0.022, P < 0.05) there were no significant differences among both the groups except above findings. Conclusion: Conclusion was treatment is associated with sexual dysfunctions and HIV-risk taking behavior, which has clinical implication. Future research should explore this further using biochemical analyses. PMID:26257480

Treating opioid dependence. Growing implications for primary care.

PubMed

Krantz, Mori J; Mehler, Philip S

2004-02-09

Almost 3 million Americans have abused heroin. The most effective treatment for this concerning epidemic is opioid replacement therapy. Although, from a historical perspective, acceptance of this therapy has been slow, growing evidence supports its efficacy. There are 3 approved medications for opioid maintenance therapy: methadone hydrochloride, levomethadyl acetate, and buprenorphine hydrochloride. Each has unique characteristics that determine its suitability for an individual patient. Cardiac arrhythmias have been reported with methadone and levomethadyl, but not with buprenorphine. Due to concerns about cardiac risk, levomethadyl use has declined and the product may ultimately be discontinued. These recent safety concerns, specifics about opioid detoxification and maintenance, and new federal initiatives were studied. Opioid detoxification has a role in both preventing acute withdrawal and maintaining long-term abstinence. Although only a minority of eligible patients are engaged in treatment, opioid maintenance therapy appears to offer the greatest public health benefits. There is growing interest in expanding treatment into primary care, allowing opioid addiction to be managed like other chronic illnesses. This model has gained wide acceptance in Europe and is now being implemented in the United States. The recent Drug Addiction Treatment Act enables qualified physicians to treat opioid-dependent patients with buprenorphine in an office-based setting. Mainstreaming opioid addiction treatment has many advantages; its success will depend on resolution of ethical and delivery system issues as well as improved and expanded training of physicians in addiction medicine.

Professional Development Of Junior Full Time Support Aerospace Maintenance Duty Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

management information system NAMP naval aviation maintenance program OCS officer candidate school OOMA optimized organizational maintenance activity...retrieval of information is effective and efficient. 13 Knowledge management solutions broadly fall into two categories, enterprise solutions...designed to manage large amounts of knowledge and information , access by many concurrent users at multiple organization units and locations, and

40 CFR 1054.145 - Are there interim provisions that apply only for a limited time?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... scheduled emission-related maintenance falls within 10 hours of a test point, delay the maintenance until the engine reaches the test point. Measure emissions before and after peforming the maintenance. Use... data under 40 CFR 1060.235(e) for your emission family. (j) Continued use of 40 CFR part 90 test...

40 CFR 1054.145 - Are there interim provisions that apply only for a limited time?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... scheduled emission-related maintenance falls within 10 hours of a test point, delay the maintenance until the engine reaches the test point. Measure emissions before and after peforming the maintenance. Use... data under 40 CFR 1060.235(e) for your emission family. (j) Continued use of 40 CFR part 90 test...

Development of an ergonomics device for maintenance of hydraulic generators of Tucuruí hydropower plant.

PubMed

Batista, I C; Gomes, G J C; Teles, C S; Oliveira, P F; Santos, R M; Sassi, A C; Sá, B; V, B; Pardauil, A A

2012-01-01

This paper aims to present an ergonomic device to assist in the maintenance of the units of Tucuruí Hydropower Plant. The development of this ergonomic device made possible to reduce maintenance time, reduce losses caused by billing, improve performance and reduce the physical strain for labors during the execution of services.

Air Vehicle Integration and Technology Research (AVIATR). Task Order 0003: Condition-Based Maintenance Plus Structural Integrity (CBM+SI) Demonstration (September 2012 to March 2013)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

inputs can trigger very opposite results in the outputs the plots of the projected total Fleet Downtime are now compared to the projected Maintenance ...actions, it is logical the delay increases the total time (and thus maintenance labor hours) to complete the repairs. The graphs in Figure 31 show the...AFRL-RQ-WP-TR-2013-0221 AIR VEHICLE INTEGRATION AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (AVIATR) Task Order 0003: Condition-Based Maintenance Plus

Roles of CDK and DDK in Genome Duplication and Maintenance: Meiotic Singularities.

PubMed

Gómez-Escoda, Blanca; Wu, Pei-Yun Jenny

2017-03-20

Cells reproduce using two types of divisions: mitosis, which generates two daughter cells each with the same genomic content as the mother cell, and meiosis, which reduces the number of chromosomes of the parent cell by half and gives rise to four gametes. The mechanisms that promote the proper progression of the mitotic and meiotic cycles are highly conserved and controlled. They require the activities of two types of serine-threonine kinases, the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and the Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK). CDK and DDK are essential for genome duplication and maintenance in both mitotic and meiotic divisions. In this review, we aim to highlight how these kinases cooperate to orchestrate diverse processes during cellular reproduction, focusing on meiosis-specific adaptions of their regulation and functions in DNA metabolism.

Improvement of railway ballast maintenance approach, incorporating ballast geometry and fouling conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, J.; Motieyan-Najar, M. E.; Zakeri, J. A.; Yousefi, B.; Mollazadeh, M.

2018-04-01

Ballast plays an important role in the stability of railway track systems. The effectiveness of the ballast in maintaining the track stability is very much dependent on its mechanical conditions. The available ballast maintenance approaches are mainly based on only track geometry conditions (such as track profile) which do not sufficiently reflect the ballast mechanical behaviors. That is, the ballast potential of degradation (i.e., ballast long term behaviors) has been omitted. This makes the effectiveness of the current ballast maintenance approach questionable, indicating a need for a more comprehensive and effective ballast conditions assessment technique. In response to this need, two ballast condition indices based on ballast geometry degradation (BGI) and the level of ballast fouling (BFI) as the main indicators of ballast mechanical behavior were developed. The BGI is a function of the standard deviations of track alignment, unevenness and twist. The BFI was developed based on the data obtained from the ground penetration radar (GPR). Making use of the new indices, a more reliable maintenance algorithm was developed. Through illustrations of the applicability of the new maintenance algorithm in a railway line, it was shown that the new algorithm causes a considerable improvement in the maintenance effectiveness and an increase in the life cycle of railway tracks by making more effective allocation of resources and more accurate maintenance planning.

Reproduction alters oxidative status when it is traded-off against longevity.

PubMed

Beaulieu, Michaël; Geiger, Rina E; Reim, Elisabeth; Zielke, Luisa; Fischer, Klaus

2015-07-01

Oxidative stress has been proposed to mediate one of the most important aspects of life-history evolution: the trade-off between reproduction and self-maintenance. However, empirical studies have cast doubt on the generality of this intriguing notion. Here, we hypothesize that reproduction alters oxidative status only when a trade-off between reproduction and self-maintenance occurs. Accordingly, in female Bicyclus anynana butterflies, we found that reproduction affected oxidative markers only under challenging thermal conditions that made the trade-off between reproduction and longevity emerge. Interestingly, under such conditions, butterflies favored longevity over reproduction, suggesting that self-maintenance mechanisms were activated. Accordingly, butterflies reproducing under challenging thermal conditions exhibited enhanced antioxidant defenses and stable oxidative damage. Altogether, our results indicate that a trade-off between reproduction and self-maintenance is indeed a necessary condition for reproduction to alter oxidative status, and that the effects of such a trade-off on oxidative status depend on whether priority is given to self-maintenance or reproduction. Assessing the existence of the trade-off between self-maintenance and reproduction, and whether self-maintenance is prioritized relative to reproduction is therefore crucial for understanding variation in oxidative status in reproducing animals, which may clarify the general implication of oxidative stress in the resolution of life-history trade-offs. © 2015 The Author(s). Evolution © 2015 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

A randomized study of rotigotine dose response on 'off' time in advanced Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Nicholas, Anthony P; Borgohain, Rupam; Chaná, Pedro; Surmann, Erwin; Thompson, Emily L; Bauer, Lars; Whitesides, John; Elmer, Lawrence W

2014-01-01

Previous phase III studies in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) not adequately controlled on levodopa demonstrated significant reduction of 'off' time with rotigotine transdermal system up to 16 mg/24 h. However, the minimal effective dose has not been established. This international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (SP921; NCT00522379) investigated rotigotine dose response up to 8 mg/24 h. Patients with advanced idiopathic PD (≥2.5 h of daily 'off' time on stable doses of levodopa) were randomized 1:1:1:1:1 to receive rotigotine 2, 4, 6, or 8 mg/24 h or placebo, titrated over 4 weeks and maintained for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy variable was change from baseline to end of maintenance in absolute time spent 'off'. 409/514 (80%) randomized patients completed maintenance. Mean (±SD) baseline daily 'off' times (h/day) were placebo: 6.4 (±2.5), rotigotine 2-8 mg/24 h: 6.4 (±2.6). Rotigotine 8 mg/24 h was the minimal dose to significantly reduce 'off' time versus placebo. LS mean (±SE) absolute change in daily 'off' time (h/day) from baseline was -2.4 (±0.28) with rotigotine 8 mg/24 h, and -1.5 (±0.26) with placebo; absolute change in 'off' time in the 8 mg/24 h group compared with placebo was -0.85 h/day (95% CI -1.59, -0.11; p = 0.024). There was an apparent dose-dependent trend. Adverse events (AEs) reported at a higher incidence in the rotigotine 8 mg/24 h group versus placebo included application site reactions, nausea, dry mouth, and dyskinesia; there was no worsening of insomnia, somnolence, orthostatic hypotension, confusional state or hallucinations, even in patients ≥75 years of age. The minimal statistically significant effective dose of rotigotine to reduce absolute 'off' time was 8 mg/24 h. The AE profile was similar to previous studies.

ATG3-dependent autophagy mediates mitochondrial homeostasis in pluripotency acquirement and maintenance

PubMed Central

Liu, Kun; Zhao, Qian; Liu, Pinglei; Cao, Jiani; Gong, Jiaqi; Wang, Chaoqun; Wang, Weixu; Li, Xiaoyan; Sun, Hongyan; Zhang, Chao; Li, Yufei; Jiang, Minggui; Zhu, Shaohua; Sun, Qingyuan; Jiao, Jianwei; Hu, Baoyang; Zhao, Xiaoyang; Li, Wei; Chen, Quan; Zhou, Qi; Zhao, Tongbiao

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Pluripotent stem cells, including induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), have less developed mitochondria than somatic cells and, therefore, rely more heavily on glycolysis for energy production.1-3 However, how mitochondrial homeostasis matches the demands of nuclear reprogramming and regulates pluripotency in ESCs is largely unknown. Here, we identified ATG3-dependent autophagy as an executor for both mitochondrial remodeling during somatic cell reprogramming and mitochondrial homeostasis regulation in ESCs. Dysfunctional autophagy by Atg3 deletion inhibited mitochondrial removal during pluripotency induction, resulting in decreased reprogramming efficiency and accumulation of abnormal mitochondria in established iPSCs. In Atg3 null mouse ESCs, accumulation of aberrant mitochondria was accompanied by enhanced ROS generation, defective ATP production and attenuated pluripotency gene expression, leading to abnormal self-renewal and differentiation. These defects were rescued by reacquisition of wild-type but not lipidation-deficient Atg3 expression. Taken together, our findings highlight a critical role of ATG3-dependent autophagy for mitochondrial homeostasis regulation in both pluripotency acquirement and maintenance. PMID:27575019

ATG3-dependent autophagy mediates mitochondrial homeostasis in pluripotency acquirement and maintenance.

PubMed

Liu, Kun; Zhao, Qian; Liu, Pinglei; Cao, Jiani; Gong, Jiaqi; Wang, Chaoqun; Wang, Weixu; Li, Xiaoyan; Sun, Hongyan; Zhang, Chao; Li, Yufei; Jiang, Minggui; Zhu, Shaohua; Sun, Qingyuan; Jiao, Jianwei; Hu, Baoyang; Zhao, Xiaoyang; Li, Wei; Chen, Quan; Zhou, Qi; Zhao, Tongbiao

2016-11-01

Pluripotent stem cells, including induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), have less developed mitochondria than somatic cells and, therefore, rely more heavily on glycolysis for energy production. 1-3 However, how mitochondrial homeostasis matches the demands of nuclear reprogramming and regulates pluripotency in ESCs is largely unknown. Here, we identified ATG3-dependent autophagy as an executor for both mitochondrial remodeling during somatic cell reprogramming and mitochondrial homeostasis regulation in ESCs. Dysfunctional autophagy by Atg3 deletion inhibited mitochondrial removal during pluripotency induction, resulting in decreased reprogramming efficiency and accumulation of abnormal mitochondria in established iPSCs. In Atg3 null mouse ESCs, accumulation of aberrant mitochondria was accompanied by enhanced ROS generation, defective ATP production and attenuated pluripotency gene expression, leading to abnormal self-renewal and differentiation. These defects were rescued by reacquisition of wild-type but not lipidation-deficient Atg3 expression. Taken together, our findings highlight a critical role of ATG3-dependent autophagy for mitochondrial homeostasis regulation in both pluripotency acquirement and maintenance.

A Myc-driven self-reinforcing regulatory network maintains mouse embryonic stem cell identity

PubMed Central

Fagnocchi, Luca; Cherubini, Alessandro; Hatsuda, Hiroshi; Fasciani, Alessandra; Mazzoleni, Stefania; Poli, Vittoria; Berno, Valeria; Rossi, Riccardo L.; Reinbold, Rolland; Endele, Max; Schroeder, Timm; Rocchigiani, Marina; Szkarłat, Żaneta; Oliviero, Salvatore; Dalton, Stephen; Zippo, Alessio

2016-01-01

Stem cell identity depends on the integration of extrinsic and intrinsic signals, which directly influence the maintenance of their epigenetic state. Although Myc transcription factors play a major role in stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency, their integration with signalling pathways and epigenetic regulators remains poorly defined. We addressed this point by profiling the gene expression and epigenetic pattern in ESCs whose growth depends on conditional Myc activity. Here we show that Myc potentiates the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which cooperates with the transcriptional regulatory network in sustaining ESC self-renewal. Myc activation results in the transcriptional repression of Wnt antagonists through the direct recruitment of PRC2 on these targets. The consequent potentiation of the autocrine Wnt/β-catenin signalling induces the transcriptional activation of the endogenous Myc family members, which in turn activates a Myc-driven self-reinforcing circuit. Thus, our data unravel a Myc-dependent self-propagating epigenetic memory in the maintenance of ESC self-renewal capacity. PMID:27301576

Pontin functions as an essential coactivator for Oct4-dependent lincRNA expression in mouse embryonic stem cells.

PubMed

Boo, Kyungjin; Bhin, Jinhyuk; Jeon, Yoon; Kim, Joomyung; Shin, Hi-Jai R; Park, Jong-Eun; Kim, Kyeongkyu; Kim, Chang Rok; Jang, Hyonchol; Kim, In-Hoo; Kim, V Narry; Hwang, Daehee; Lee, Ho; Baek, Sung Hee

2015-04-10

The actions of transcription factors, chromatin modifiers and noncoding RNAs are crucial for the programming of cell states. Although the importance of various epigenetic machineries for controlling pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells has been previously studied, how chromatin modifiers cooperate with specific transcription factors still remains largely elusive. Here, we find that Pontin chromatin remodelling factor plays an essential role as a coactivator for Oct4 for maintenance of pluripotency in mouse ES cells. Genome-wide analyses reveal that Pontin and Oct4 share a substantial set of target genes involved in ES cell maintenance. Intriguingly, we find that the Oct4-dependent coactivator function of Pontin extends to the transcription of large intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) and in particular linc1253, a lineage programme repressing lincRNA, is a Pontin-dependent Oct4 target lincRNA. Together, our findings demonstrate that the Oct4-Pontin module plays critical roles in the regulation of genes involved in ES cell fate determination.

A Myc-driven self-reinforcing regulatory network maintains mouse embryonic stem cell identity.

PubMed

Fagnocchi, Luca; Cherubini, Alessandro; Hatsuda, Hiroshi; Fasciani, Alessandra; Mazzoleni, Stefania; Poli, Vittoria; Berno, Valeria; Rossi, Riccardo L; Reinbold, Rolland; Endele, Max; Schroeder, Timm; Rocchigiani, Marina; Szkarłat, Żaneta; Oliviero, Salvatore; Dalton, Stephen; Zippo, Alessio

2016-06-15

Stem cell identity depends on the integration of extrinsic and intrinsic signals, which directly influence the maintenance of their epigenetic state. Although Myc transcription factors play a major role in stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency, their integration with signalling pathways and epigenetic regulators remains poorly defined. We addressed this point by profiling the gene expression and epigenetic pattern in ESCs whose growth depends on conditional Myc activity. Here we show that Myc potentiates the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which cooperates with the transcriptional regulatory network in sustaining ESC self-renewal. Myc activation results in the transcriptional repression of Wnt antagonists through the direct recruitment of PRC2 on these targets. The consequent potentiation of the autocrine Wnt/β-catenin signalling induces the transcriptional activation of the endogenous Myc family members, which in turn activates a Myc-driven self-reinforcing circuit. Thus, our data unravel a Myc-dependent self-propagating epigenetic memory in the maintenance of ESC self-renewal capacity.

‘Activity-silent’ working memory in prefrontal cortex: a dynamic coding framework

PubMed Central

Stokes, Mark G.

2015-01-01

Working memory (WM) provides the functional backbone to high-level cognition. Maintenance in WM is often assumed to depend on the stationary persistence of neural activity patterns that represent memory content. However, accumulating evidence suggests that persistent delay activity does not always accompany WM maintenance but instead seems to wax and wane as a function of the current task relevance of memoranda. Furthermore, new methods for measuring and analysing population-level patterns show that activity states are highly dynamic. At first glance, these dynamics seem at odds with the very nature of WM. How can we keep a stable thought in mind while brain activity is constantly changing? This review considers how neural dynamics might be functionally important for WM maintenance. PMID:26051384

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.

Effects of load and maintenance duration on the time course of information encoding and retrieval in working memory: from perceptual analysis to post-categorization processes.

PubMed

Pinal, Diego; Zurrón, Montserrat; Díaz, Fernando

2014-01-01

information encoding, maintenance, and retrieval; these are supported by brain activity in a network of frontal, parietal and temporal regions. Manipulation of WM load and duration of the maintenance period can modulate this activity. Although such modulations have been widely studied using the event-related potentials (ERP) technique, a precise description of the time course of brain activity during encoding and retrieval is still required. Here, we used this technique and principal component analysis to assess the time course of brain activity during encoding and retrieval in a delayed match to sample task. We also investigated the effects of memory load and duration of the maintenance period on ERP activity. Brain activity was similar during information encoding and retrieval and comprised six temporal factors, which closely matched the latency and scalp distribution of some ERP components: P1, N1, P2, N2, P300, and a slow wave. Changes in memory load modulated task performance and yielded variations in frontal lobe activation. Moreover, the P300 amplitude was smaller in the high than in the low load condition during encoding and retrieval. Conversely, the slow wave amplitude was higher in the high than in the low load condition during encoding, and the same was true for the N2 amplitude during retrieval. Thus, during encoding, memory load appears to modulate the processing resources for context updating and post-categorization processes, and during retrieval it modulates resources for stimulus classification and context updating. Besides, despite the lack of differences in task performance related to duration of the maintenance period, larger N2 amplitude and stronger activation of the left temporal lobe after long than after short maintenance periods were found during information retrieval. Thus, results regarding the duration of maintenance period were complex, and future work is required to test the time-based decay theory predictions.

Maintenance measures for preservation and recovery of permeable pavement surface infiltration rate--The effects of street sweeping, vacuum cleaning, high pressure washing, and milling.

PubMed

Winston, Ryan J; Al-Rubaei, Ahmed M; Blecken, Godecke T; Viklander, Maria; Hunt, William F

2016-03-15

The surface infiltration rates (SIR) of permeable pavements decline with time as sediment and debris clog pore spaces. Effective maintenance techniques are needed to ensure the hydraulic functionality and water quality benefits of this stormwater control. Eight different small-scale and full-scale maintenance techniques aimed at recovering pavement permeability were evaluated at ten different permeable pavement sites in the USA and Sweden. Maintenance techniques included manual removal of the upper 2 cm of fill material, mechanical street sweeping, regenerative-air street sweeping, vacuum street sweeping, hand-held vacuuming, high pressure washing, and milling of porous asphalt. The removal of the upper 2 cm of clogging material did not significantly improve the SIR of concrete grid paves (CGP) and permeable interlocking concrete pavers (PICP) due to the inclusion of fines in the joint and bedding stone during construction, suggesting routine maintenance cannot overcome improper construction. For porous asphalt maintenance, industrial hand-held vacuum cleaning, pressure washing, and milling were increasingly successful at recovering the SIR. Milling to a depth of 2.5 cm nearly restored the SIR for a 21-year old porous asphalt pavement to like-new conditions. For PICP, street sweepers employing suction were shown to be preferable to mechanical sweepers; additionally, maintenance efforts may become more intensive over time to maintain a threshold SIR, as maintenance was not 100% effective at removing clogging material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Trajectory of Language Policy: The First Language Maintenance and Development Program in South Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liddicoat, Anthony J.; Curnow, Timothy Jowan; Scarino, Angela

2016-01-01

This paper examines the development of the First Language Maintenance and Development (FLMD) program in South Australia. This program is the main language policy activity that specifically focuses on language maintenance in government primary schools and has existed since 1986. During this time, the program has evolved largely as the result of ad…

33 CFR 150.503 - What are the time interval requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls? 150.503 Section 150.503 Navigation and Navigable Waters... maintenance on survival craft falls? (a) Each fall used in a launching device for survival craft or rescue boats must be turned end-for-end at intervals of not more than 30 months. (b) Each fall must be replaced...

33 CFR 150.503 - What are the time interval requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls? 150.503 Section 150.503 Navigation and Navigable Waters... maintenance on survival craft falls? (a) Each fall used in a launching device for survival craft or rescue boats must be turned end-for-end at intervals of not more than 30 months. (b) Each fall must be replaced...

33 CFR 150.503 - What are the time interval requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls? 150.503 Section 150.503 Navigation and Navigable Waters... maintenance on survival craft falls? (a) Each fall used in a launching device for survival craft or rescue boats must be turned end-for-end at intervals of not more than 30 months. (b) Each fall must be replaced...

33 CFR 150.503 - What are the time interval requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls? 150.503 Section 150.503 Navigation and Navigable Waters... maintenance on survival craft falls? (a) Each fall used in a launching device for survival craft or rescue boats must be turned end-for-end at intervals of not more than 30 months. (b) Each fall must be replaced...

33 CFR 150.503 - What are the time interval requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... requirements for maintenance on survival craft falls? 150.503 Section 150.503 Navigation and Navigable Waters... maintenance on survival craft falls? (a) Each fall used in a launching device for survival craft or rescue boats must be turned end-for-end at intervals of not more than 30 months. (b) Each fall must be replaced...

77 FR 8877 - ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance (C&M) Committee Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

... Coordination and Maintenance (C&M) Committee Meeting National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS... Coordination and Maintenance (C&M) Committee meeting. Time and Date: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., March 5, 2012. Place... entering the building. Attendees who wish to attend the ICD- 9-CM C&M meeting on March 5, 2012, must submit...

The creation and maintenance of sense of place in a tourism-dependent community

Treesearch

Benoni L. Amsden; Richard C. Stedman; Linda E. Kruger

2011-01-01

This paper examines the theoretical intersection of place attachment and community through a study of the place attachment of residents who live, work, and play in a tourism-dependent community. Using a qualitative photo-elicitation technique best described as "resident employed photography," we asked 25 residents of Seward, Alaska, to share images and...

Ecological genetics of the Bromus tectorum (Poaceae) - Ustilago Bullata (Ustilaginaceae): A role for frequency dependent selection?

Treesearch

Susan E. Meyer; David L. Nelson; Suzette Clement; Alisa Ramakrishnan

2010-01-01

Evolutionary processes that maintain genetic diversity in plants are likely to include selection imposed by pathogens. Negative frequency-dependent selection is a mechanism for maintenance of resistance polymorphism in plant - pathogen interactions. We explored whether such selection operates in the Bromus tectorum - Ustilago bullata pathosystem. Gene-for-gene...

Arabidopsis sodium dependent and independent phenotypes triggered by H+-PPase up-regulation are SOS1 dependent

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The goal of the study and research was to coordinate regulation of transporters at both the plasma membrane and vacuole contribute to plant cell’s ability to adapt to a changing environment and play a key role in the maintenance of the chemiosmotic circuits required for cellular growth. In this stud...

Maintenance of genetic variation with a frequency-dependent selection model as compared to the overdominant model.

PubMed

Hedrick, P W

1972-12-01

A frequency-dependent selection model proposed by Huang, Singh and Kojima (1971) was found to be more effective at maintaining genetic variation in a finite population than the overdominant model. The fourth moment parameter of the distribution of unfixed states showed that there was a more platykurtic distribution for the frequency-dependent model. This agreed well with the expected gene frequency change found for an infinite population.

APD125, a Selective Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Inverse Agonist, Significantly Improves Sleep Maintenance in Primary Insomnia

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, Russell; Seiden, David J.; Hull, Steven G.; Erman, Milton; Schwartz, Howard; Anderson, Christen; Prosser, Warren; Shanahan, William; Sanchez, Matilde; Chuang, Emil; Roth, Thomas

2008-01-01

Introduction: Insomnia is a condition affecting 10% to 15% of the adult population and is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or nonrestorative sleep, accompanied by daytime impairment or distress. This study evaluates APD125, a selective inverse agonist of the 5-HT2A receptor, for treatment of chronic insomnia, with particular emphasis on sleep maintenance. In phase 1 studies, APD125 improved sleep maintenance and was well tolerated. Methodology: Adult subjects (n = 173) with DSM-IV defined primary insomnia were randomized into a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-way crossover study to compare 2 doses of APD125 (10 mg and 40 mg) with placebo. Each treatment period was 7 days with a 7- to 9-day washout period between treatments. Polysomnographic recordings were performed at the initial 2 screening nights and at nights (N) 1/2 and N 6/7 of each treatment period. Results: APD125 was associated with significant improvements in key sleep maintenance parameters measured by PSG. Wake time after sleep onset decreased (SEM) by 52.5 (3.2) min (10 mg) and 53.5 (3.5) min (40 mg) from baseline to N 1/2 vs. 37.8 (3.4) min for placebo, (P < 0.0001 for both doses vs placebo), and by 51.7 (3.4) min (P = 0.01) and 48.0 (3.6) min (P = 0.2) at N 6/7 vs. 44.0 (3.8) min for placebo. Significant APD125 effects on wake time during sleep were also seen (P < 0.0001 N 1/2, P < 0.001 N 6/7). The number of arousals and number of awakenings decreased significantly with APD125 treatment compared to placebo. Slow wave sleep showed a statistically significant dose-dependent increase. There was no significant decrease in latency to persistent sleep. No serious adverse events were reported, and no meaningful differences in adverse event profiles were observed between either dose of APD125 and placebo. APD125 was not associated with next-day psychomotor impairment as measured by Digit Span, Digit Symbol Copy, and Digit Symbol Coding Tests. Conclusions: APD125 produced statistically significant improvements in objective parameters of sleep maintenance and sleep consolidation and was well tolerated in adults with primary chronic insomnia. Citation: Rosenberg R; Seiden DJ; Hull SG; Erman M; Schwartz H; Anderson C; Prosser W; Shanahan W; Sanchez M; Chuang E; Roth T. APD125, a selective serotonin 5-HT2A receptor inverse agonist, significantly improves sleep maintenance in primary insomnia. SLEEP 2008;31(12):1663–1671. PMID:19090322

The Importance of Submarine Tenders to a Modern Naval War: Naval Combat Logistics and Seabasing

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-28

projected ship maintenance depots, and the time required for ships to travel back to US based facilities presents major operational consequences to...hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and...Department of the Navy. 14. ABSTRACT The potential for the US Navy’s adversaries to target its forward-projected ship maintenance depots, and the time

Light qualities and dose influence ascorbate pool size in detached oat leaves.

PubMed

Mastropasqua, Linda; Borraccino, Giuseppe; Bianco, Laura; Paciolla, Costantino

2012-02-01

In this work, we studied the mechanism of light influence on AsA pool size in Avena sativa L. under the effects of low intensity light at different wavelengths. Exposure to low intensity light of oat leaf segments incubated in water or in l-galactono-1,4-lactone (GL), resulted in an increase in AsA content compared with the dark control. This increase was due to modulation of l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH; EC 1.3.2.3) light-dependent activity and was dependent on the size of the endogenous GL pool. Both blue and red light were effective in increasing AsA, and this increase depended on both exposure time and light intensity. Protein biosynthesis, photosynthesis and calcium were involved in controlling the level of light-dependent AsA. We suggest that multiple checkpoints correlated to the presence of light underlie the ascorbate pool size. The presence of a light-activated switch for the maintenance of an adequate AsA level seems to be necessary for the various tasks of scavenging reactive oxygen species, in response to the dark-light cycle which plants experience under natural conditions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

LTPP maintenance and rehabilitation data review

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-02-01

The maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activities of pavement structures become increasingly important as pavements deteriorate with time and traffic. Since its inception, the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) component of the Strategic Highway...

The methodic of calculation for the need of basic construction machines on construction site when developing organizational and technological documentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhadanovsky, Boris; Sinenko, Sergey

2018-03-01

Economic indicators of construction work, particularly in high-rise construction, are directly related to the choice of optimal number of machines. The shortage of machinery makes it impossible to complete the construction & installation work on scheduled time. Rates of performance of construction & installation works and labor productivity during high-rise construction largely depend on the degree of provision of construction project with machines (level of work mechanization). During calculation of the need for machines in construction projects, it is necessary to ensure that work is completed on scheduled time, increased level of complex mechanization, increased productivity and reduction of manual work, and improved usage and maintenance of machine fleet. The selection of machines and determination of their numbers should be carried out by using formulas presented in this work.

CORTISONE IN TREATMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

PubMed Central

Harris, Marvin S.

1951-01-01

Twenty patients with intractable asthma were treated with cortisone on various dosage schedules. Results indicated that a rapid improvement in the asthmatic state may be expected in four to five days with high level dosage of the hormone—usually a total dose exceeding 200 mg. per day at the beginning. If treatment is discontinued after a week, relapse usually will occur within a period of eight days. If small doses are given two or three times weekly, following initial response, relapse may not occur for 20 or 30 days. The interspersed administration of ACTH during an attempt to discontinue cortisone apparently was of no value. It therefore appears that cortisone control of intractable asthma is dependent on large dosage until clinical improvement is obtained, then approximately 100 mg. two or three times a week for maintenance of a reasonable state of health. PMID:14848726

TIME FOR COFFEE controls root meristem size by changes in auxin accumulation in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Lu, Ying-Tang

2014-01-01

Roots play important roles in plant survival and productivity as they not only anchor the plants in the soil but are also the primary organ for the uptake of nutrients from the outside. The growth and development of roots depend on the specification and maintenance of the root meristem. Here, we report a previously unknown role of TIME FOR COFFEE (TIC) in controlling root meristem size in Arabidopsis. The results showed that loss of function of TIC reduced root meristem length and cell number by decreasing the competence of meristematic cells to divide. This was due to the repressed expression of PIN genes for decreased acropetal auxin transport in tic-2, leading to low auxin accumulation in the roots responsible for reduced root meristem, which was verified by exogenous application of indole-3-acetic acid. Downregulated expression of PLETHORA1 (PLT1) and PLT2, key transcription factors in mediating the patterning of the root stem cell niche, was also assayed in tic-2. Similar results were obtained with tic-2 and wild-type plants at either dawn or dusk. We also suggested that the MYC2-mediated jasmonic acid signalling pathway may not be involved in the regulation of TIC in controlling the root meristem. Taken together, these results suggest that TIC functions in an auxin–PLTs loop for maintenance of post-embryonic root meristem. PMID:24277277

Regional positioning using a low Earth orbit satellite constellation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shtark, Tomer; Gurfil, Pini

2018-02-01

Global and regional satellite navigation systems are constellations orbiting the Earth and transmitting radio signals for determining position and velocity of users around the globe. The state-of-the-art navigation satellite systems are located in medium Earth orbits and geosynchronous Earth orbits and are characterized by high launching, building and maintenance costs. For applications that require only regional coverage, the continuous and global coverage that existing systems provide may be unnecessary. Thus, a nano-satellites-based regional navigation satellite system in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with significantly reduced launching, building and maintenance costs, can be considered. Thus, this paper is aimed at developing a LEO constellation optimization and design method, using genetic algorithms and gradient-based optimization. The preliminary results of this study include 268 LEO constellations, aimed at regional navigation in an approximately 1000 km × 1000 km area centered at the geographic coordinates [30, 30] degrees. The constellations performance is examined using simulations, and the figures of merit include total coverage time, revisit time, and geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) percentiles. The GDOP is a quantity that determines the positioning solution accuracy and solely depends on the spatial geometry of the satellites. Whereas the optimization method takes into account only the Earth's second zonal harmonic coefficient, the simulations include the Earth's gravitational field with zonal and tesseral harmonics up to degree 10 and order 10, Solar radiation pressure, drag, and the lunisolar gravitational perturbation.

Plasma metabolomics profiling of maintenance hemodialysis based on capillary electrophoresis - time of flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Liu, Shuxin; Wang, Lichao; Hu, Chunxiu; Huang, Xin; Liu, Hong; Xuan, Qiuhui; Lin, Xiaohui; Peng, Xiaojun; Lu, Xin; Chang, Ming; Xu, Guowang

2017-08-15

Uremia has been a rapidly increasing health problem in China. Hemodialysis (HD) is the main renal replacement therapy for uremia. The results of large-scale clinical trials have shown that the HD pattern is crucial for long-term prognosis of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in uremic patients. Plasma metabolism is very important for revealing the biological insights linked to the therapeutic effects of the HD pattern on uremia. Alteration of plasma metabolites in uremic patients in response to HD therapy has been reported. However, HD-pattern-dependent changes in plasma metabolites remain poorly understood. To this end, a capillary electrophoresis-time of flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF/MS)-based metabolomics method was performed to systemically study the differences between HD and high flux hemodialysis (HFD) on plasma metabolite changes in patients. Three hundred and one plasma samples from three independent human cohorts (i.e., healthy controls, patients with pre-HD/post-HD, and patients with pre-HFD/post-HFD) were used in this study. Metabolites significantly changed (p < 0.05) after a single HD or HFD process. However, 11 uremic retention solutes could be more efficiently removed by HFD. Our findings indicate that a CE-TOF/MS-based metabolomics approach is promising for providing novel insights into understanding the effects of different dialysis methods on metabolite alterations of uremia.

Is family planning an economic decision?

PubMed

Wunderink, S R

1995-09-01

This study examines economic models of household choice and the role of economic factors in determining the timing of births. A static economic model is presented and tested with data from the Netherlands. After the availability of contraceptives, the family size variable shifted from being an exogenous to an endogenous one, because births could be regulated. Costs of childbearing were construed to have maintenance costs for parents and society, attendance costs of care, and intangible costs such as anxiety or personal freedom. Benefits were intangible ones, such as joy and happiness; income; public benefits; and attendance benefits. Intangible benefits enlarged the utility of children, but maintenance costs diminished resources available for consumption. Child quality was a product of market goods purchased by parents and others and household labor. Household time allocation varied with child's age. Private responsibility for children varied by country. Quality of child care varied between countries and over time. Quality was dependent upon economies of scale, variable costs by the age of the child, variable time commitments by age of the child, and market substitutes for private child care. Higher income families spent more money but less time on children. It is pointed out that Becker's model explained number of children, but not timing of births. Postponement of birth was unlikely for those with a limited education, an unpleasant job, and low wages. When the advantages and disadvantages of having a baby were positive, spouses or single women with a high subjective preference were expected to bear a child as soon as possible. Government policy can affect the average family size by increasing or decreasing the financial and/or time burden of children. Postponement may be chosen based on long term analysis of a couple's future, the formation and use of capital, and/or high subjective time preference. Before and after first birth are different frames of reference for couples. Before the birth, the future may be vague. After the birth, life without a child becomes unimaginable.

A definitive calibration record for the Landsat-5 thematic mapper anchored to the Landsat-7 radiometric scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Teillet, P.M.; Helder, D.L.; Ruggles, T.A.; Landry, R.; Ahern, F.J.; Higgs, N.J.; Barsi, J.; Chander, G.; Markham, B.L.; Barker, J.L.; Thome, K.J.; Schott, J.R.; Palluconi, Frank Don

2004-01-01

A coordinated effort on the part of several agencies has led to the specification of a definitive radiometric calibration record for the Landsat-5 thematic mapper (TM) for its lifetime since launch in 1984. The time-dependent calibration record for Landsat-5 TM has been placed on the same radiometric scale as the Landsat-7 enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM+). It has been implemented in the National Landsat Archive Production Systems (NLAPS) in use in North America. This paper documents the results of this collaborative effort and the specifications for the related calibration processing algorithms. The specifications include (i) anchoring of the Landsat-5 TM calibration record to the Landsat-7 ETM+ absolute radiometric calibration, (ii) new time-dependent calibration processing equations and procedures applicable to raw Landsat-5 TM data, and (iii) algorithms for recalibration computations applicable to some of the existing processed datasets in the North American context. The cross-calibration between Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-7 ETM+ was achieved using image pairs from the tandem-orbit configuration period that was programmed early in the Laridsat-7 mission. The time-dependent calibration for Landsat-5 TM is based on a detailed trend analysis of data from the on-board internal calibrator. The new lifetime radiometric calibration record for Landsat-5 will overcome problems with earlier product generation owing to inadequate maintenance and documentation of the calibration over time and will facilitate the quantitative examination of a continuous, near-global dataset at 30-m scale that spans almost two decades.

Improving hydraulic excavator performance through in line hydraulic oil contamination monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, Felix; Harding, Jennifer A.; Glass, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

It is common for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of high value products to provide maintenance or service packages to customers to ensure their products are maintained at peak efficiency throughout their life. To quickly and efficiently plan for maintenance requirements, OEMs require accurate information about the use and wear of their products. In recent decades, the aerospace industry in particular has become expert in using real time data for the purpose of product monitoring and maintenance scheduling. Significant quantities of real time usage data from product monitoring are commonly generated and transmitted back to the OEMs, where diagnostic and prognostic analysis will be carried out. More recently, other industries such as construction and automotive, are also starting to develop capabilities in these areas and condition based maintenance (CBM) is increasing in popularity as a means of satisfying customers' demands. CBM requires constant monitoring of real time product data by the OEMs, however the biggest challenge for these industries, in particular construction, is the lack of accurate and real time understanding of how their products are being used possibly because of the complex supply chains which exist in construction projects. This research focuses on current dynamic data acquisition techniques for mobile hydraulic systems, in this case the use of a mobile inline particle contamination sensor; the aim was to assess suitability to achieve both diagnostic and prognostic requirements of Condition Based Maintenance. It concludes that hydraulic oil contamination analysis, namely detection of metallic particulates, offers a reliable way to measure real time wear of hydraulic components.

Balance Maintenance in High-Speed Motion of Humanoid Robot Arm-Based on the 6D Constraints of Momentum Change Rate

PubMed Central

Zhang, Da-song; Chu, Jian

2014-01-01

Based on the 6D constraints of momentum change rate (CMCR), this paper puts forward a real-time and full balance maintenance method for the humanoid robot during high-speed movement of its 7-DOF arm. First, the total momentum formula for the robot's two arms is given and the momentum change rate is defined by the time derivative of the total momentum. The author also illustrates the idea of full balance maintenance and analyzes the physical meaning of 6D CMCR and its fundamental relation to full balance maintenance. Moreover, discretization and optimization solution of CMCR has been provided with the motion constraint of the auxiliary arm's joint, and the solving algorithm is optimized. The simulation results have shown the validity and generality of the proposed method on the full balance maintenance in the 6 DOFs of the robot body under 6D CMCR. This method ensures 6D dynamics balance performance and increases abundant ZMP stability margin. The resulting motion of the auxiliary arm has large abundance in joint space, and the angular velocity and the angular acceleration of these joints lie within the predefined limits. The proposed algorithm also has good real-time performance. PMID:24883404

A multi-level analysis of counselor attitudes toward the use of buprenorphine in substance abuse treatment.

PubMed

Rieckmann, Traci R; Kovas, Anne E; McFarland, Bentson H; Abraham, Amanda J

2011-12-01

Despite evidence that buprenorphine is effective and safe and offers greater access as compared with methadone, implementation for treatment of opiate dependence continues to be weak. Research indicates that legal and regulatory factors, state policies, and organizational and provider variables affect adoption of buprenorphine. This study uses hierarchical linear modeling to examine National Treatment Center Study data to identify counselor characteristics (attitudes, training, and beliefs) and organizational factors (accreditation, caseload, access to buprenorphine, and other evidence-based practices) that influence implementation of buprenorphine for treatment of opiate dependence. Analyses showed that provider training about buprenorphine, higher prevalence of opiate-dependent clients, and less treatment program emphasis on a 12-step model predicted greater counselor acceptance and perceived effectiveness of buprenorphine. Results also indicate that program use of buprenorphine for any treatment purpose (detoxification, maintenance, and/or pain management) and time (calendar year in data collection) was associated with increased diffusion of knowledge about buprenorphine among counselors and with more favorable counselor attitudes toward buprenorphine. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Counselor Attitudes toward the Use of Buprenorphine in Substance Abuse Treatment: A Multi-level Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Kovas, Anne E.; McFarland, Bentson H.; Abraham, Amanda J.

2012-01-01

In spite of evidence that buprenorphine is effective, safe, and offers greater access as compared with methadone, implementation for treatment of opiate dependence continues to be weak. Research indicates that legal and regulatory factors, state policies, and organizational and provider variables affect adoption of buprenorphine. This study uses hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine National Treatment Center Study (NTCS) data to identify counselor characteristics (attitudes, training, beliefs) and organizational factors (accreditation, caseload, access to buprenorphine and other evidence-based practices) that influence implementation of buprenorphine for treatment of opiate dependence. Analyses showed that provider training about buprenorphine, higher prevalence of opiate dependent clients, and less treatment program emphasis on a 12-step model predicted greater counselor acceptance and perceived effectiveness of buprenorphine. Results also indicate that program use of buprenorphine for any treatment purpose (detoxification, maintenance, and/or pain management) and time (calendar year in data collection) were associated with increased diffusion of knowledge about buprenorphine among counselors and with more favorable counselor attitudes toward buprenorphine. PMID:21821379

Differential effects of white noise in cognitive and perceptual tasks

PubMed Central

Herweg, Nora A.; Bunzeck, Nico

2015-01-01

Beneficial effects of noise on higher cognition have recently attracted attention. Hypothesizing an involvement of the mesolimbic dopamine system and its functional interactions with cortical areas, the current study aimed to demonstrate a facilitation of dopamine-dependent attentional and mnemonic functions by externally applying white noise in five behavioral experiments including a total sample of 167 healthy human subjects. During working memory, acoustic white noise impaired accuracy when presented during the maintenance period (Experiments 1–3). In a reward based long-term memory task, white noise accelerated perceptual judgments for scene images during encoding but left subsequent recognition memory unaffected (Experiment 4). In a modified Posner task (Experiment 5), the benefit due to white noise in attentional orienting correlated weakly with reward dependence, a personality trait that has been associated with the dopaminergic system. These results suggest that white noise has no general effect on cognitive functions. Instead, they indicate differential effects on perception and cognition depending on a variety of factors such as task demands and timing of white noise presentation. PMID:26579024

Modeling and Simulation of HVAC Faulty Operations and Performance Degradation due to Maintenance Issues

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

Wang, Liping; Hong, Tianzhen

Almost half of the total energy used in the U.S. buildings is consumed by heating, ventilation and air conditionings (HVAC) according to EIA statistics. Among various driving factors to energy performance of building, operations and maintenance play a significant role. Many researches have been done to look at design efficiencies and operational controls for improving energy performance of buildings, but very few study the impacts of HVAC systems maintenance. Different practices of HVAC system maintenance can result in substantial differences in building energy use. If a piece of HVAC equipment is not well maintained, its performance will degrade. If sensorsmore » used for control purpose are not calibrated, not only building energy usage could be dramatically increased, but also mechanical systems may not be able to satisfy indoor thermal comfort. Properly maintained HVAC systems can operate efficiently, improve occupant comfort, and prolong equipment service life. In the paper, maintenance practices for HVAC systems are presented based on literature reviews and discussions with HVAC engineers, building operators, facility managers, and commissioning agents. We categorize the maintenance practices into three levels depending on the maintenance effort and coverage: 1) proactive, performance-monitored maintenance; 2) preventive, scheduled maintenance; and 3) reactive, unplanned or no maintenance. A sampled list of maintenance issues, including cooling tower fouling, boiler/chiller fouling, refrigerant over or under charge, temperature sensor offset, outdoor air damper leakage, outdoor air screen blockage, outdoor air damper stuck at fully open position, and dirty filters are investigated in this study using field survey data and detailed simulation models. The energy impacts of both individual maintenance issue and combined scenarios for an office building with central VAV systems and central plant were evaluated by EnergyPlus simulations using three approaches: 1) direct modeling with EnergyPlus, 2) using the energy management system feature of EnergyPlus, and 3) modifying EnergyPlus source code. The results demonstrated the importance of maintenance for HVAC systems on energy performance of buildings. The research is intended to provide a guideline to help practitioners and building operators to gain the knowledge of maintaining HVAC systems in efficient operations, and prioritize HVAC maintenance work plan. The paper also discusses challenges of modeling building maintenance issues using energy simulation programs.« less

HDAC1/2-Dependent P0 Expression Maintains Paranodal and Nodal Integrity Independently of Myelin Stability through Interactions with Neurofascins

PubMed Central

Brügger, Valérie; Engler, Stefanie; Pereira, Jorge A.; Ruff, Sophie; Horn, Michael; Welzl, Hans; Münger, Emmanuelle; Vaquié, Adrien; Sidiropoulos, Páris N. M.; Egger, Boris; Yotovski, Peter; Filgueira, Luis; Somandin, Christian; Lühmann, Tessa C.; D’Antonio, Maurizio; Yamaguchi, Teppei; Matthias, Patrick; Suter, Ueli; Jacob, Claire

2015-01-01

The pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies in adults is linked to maintenance mechanisms that are not well understood. Here, we elucidate a novel critical maintenance mechanism for Schwann cell (SC)–axon interaction. Using mouse genetics, ablation of the transcriptional regulators histone deacetylases 1 and 2 (HDAC1/2) in adult SCs severely affected paranodal and nodal integrity and led to demyelination/remyelination. Expression levels of the HDAC1/2 target gene myelin protein zero (P0) were reduced by half, accompanied by altered localization and stability of neurofascin (NFasc)155, NFasc186, and loss of Caspr and septate-like junctions. We identify P0 as a novel binding partner of NFasc155 and NFasc186, both in vivo and by in vitro adhesion assay. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HDAC1/2-dependent P0 expression is crucial for the maintenance of paranodal/nodal integrity and axonal function through interaction of P0 with neurofascins. In addition, we show that the latter mechanism is impaired by some P0 mutations that lead to late onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. PMID:26406915

Human RTEL1 stabilizes long G-overhangs allowing telomerase-dependent over-extension.

PubMed

Porreca, Rosa M; Glousker, Galina; Awad, Aya; Matilla Fernandez, Maria I; Gibaud, Anne; Naucke, Christian; Cohen, Scott B; Bryan, Tracy M; Tzfati, Yehuda; Draskovic, Irena; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo

2018-05-18

Telomere maintenance protects the cell against genome instability and senescence. Accelerated telomere attrition is a characteristic of premature aging syndromes including Dyskeratosis congenita (DC). Mutations in hRTEL1 are associated with a severe form of DC called Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS). HHS patients carry short telomeres and HHS cells display telomere damage. Here we investigated how hRTEL1 contributes to telomere maintenance in human primary as well as tumor cells. Transient depletion of hRTEL1 resulted in rapid telomere shortening only in the context of telomerase-positive cells with very long telomeres and high levels of telomerase. The effect of hRTEL1 on telomere length is telomerase dependent without impacting telomerase biogenesis or targeting of the enzyme to telomeres. Instead, RTEL1 depletion led to a decrease in both G-overhang content and POT1 association with telomeres with limited telomere uncapping. Strikingly, overexpression of POT1 restored telomere length but not the overhang, demonstrating that G-overhang loss is the primary defect caused by RTEL1 depletion. We propose that hRTEL1 contributes to the maintenance of long telomeres by preserving long G-overhangs, thereby facilitating POT1 binding and elongation by telomerase.

Human RTEL1 stabilizes long G-overhangs allowing telomerase-dependent over-extension

PubMed Central

Porreca, Rosa M; Glousker, Galina; Awad, Aya; Matilla Fernandez, Maria I; Gibaud, Anne; Naucke, Christian; Cohen, Scott B; Bryan, Tracy M; Tzfati, Yehuda; Draskovic, Irena; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo

2018-01-01

Abstract Telomere maintenance protects the cell against genome instability and senescence. Accelerated telomere attrition is a characteristic of premature aging syndromes including Dyskeratosis congenita (DC). Mutations in hRTEL1 are associated with a severe form of DC called Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS). HHS patients carry short telomeres and HHS cells display telomere damage. Here we investigated how hRTEL1 contributes to telomere maintenance in human primary as well as tumor cells. Transient depletion of hRTEL1 resulted in rapid telomere shortening only in the context of telomerase-positive cells with very long telomeres and high levels of telomerase. The effect of hRTEL1 on telomere length is telomerase dependent without impacting telomerase biogenesis or targeting of the enzyme to telomeres. Instead, RTEL1 depletion led to a decrease in both G-overhang content and POT1 association with telomeres with limited telomere uncapping. Strikingly, overexpression of POT1 restored telomere length but not the overhang, demonstrating that G-overhang loss is the primary defect caused by RTEL1 depletion. We propose that hRTEL1 contributes to the maintenance of long telomeres by preserving long G-overhangs, thereby facilitating POT1 binding and elongation by telomerase. PMID:29522136

Power plant maintenance scheduling using ant colony optimization: an improved formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foong, Wai Kuan; Maier, Holger; Simpson, Angus

2008-04-01

It is common practice in the hydropower industry to either shorten the maintenance duration or to postpone maintenance tasks in a hydropower system when there is expected unserved energy based on current water storage levels and forecast storage inflows. It is therefore essential that a maintenance scheduling optimizer can incorporate the options of shortening the maintenance duration and/or deferring maintenance tasks in the search for practical maintenance schedules. In this article, an improved ant colony optimization-power plant maintenance scheduling optimization (ACO-PPMSO) formulation that considers such options in the optimization process is introduced. As a result, both the optimum commencement time and the optimum outage duration are determined for each of the maintenance tasks that need to be scheduled. In addition, a local search strategy is presented in this article to boost the robustness of the algorithm. When tested on a five-station hydropower system problem, the improved formulation is shown to be capable of allowing shortening of maintenance duration in the event of expected demand shortfalls. In addition, the new local search strategy is also shown to have significantly improved the optimization ability of the ACO-PPMSO algorithm.

Maintenance Downtime April 23, 2014

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2014-04-23

Date(s):  Wednesday, April 23, 2014 Time:  7:00 am - 5:00 pm EDT Event ... Due to scheduled maintenance Wednesday, April 23, 2014: The Data Pool, MISR order and browse tools, TES and MOPITT Search ...

Development of updated specifications for roadway rehabilitation techniques.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-05-01

As our nations highway system continues to age, asphalt maintenance and rehabilitation techniques have become increasingly important. The deterioration of pavement over time is inevitable. Preventive maintenance is a strategy to extend the service...

21 CFR 211.182 - Equipment cleaning and use log.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... individual equipment logs that show the date, time, product, and lot number of each batch processed. If... maintenance (or, if the cleaning and maintenance is performed using automated equipment under § 211.68, just...

Maintenance Downtime September 18, 2013

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-09-16

Date(s):  Wednesday, September 18, 2013 Time:  9:00 - 11:00 am EST Event Impact:  Due to scheduled maintenance Wednesday, September 18, 2013: The MISR order and browse tools, Reverb, and AMAPS will be ...

Effects of drugs of abuse on hippocampal plasticity and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory: contributions to development and maintenance of addiction

PubMed Central

Kutlu, Munir Gunes

2016-01-01

It has long been hypothesized that conditioning mechanisms play major roles in addiction. Specifically, the associations between rewarding properties of drugs of abuse and the drug context can contribute to future use and facilitate the transition from initial drug use into drug dependency. On the other hand, the self-medication hypothesis of drug abuse suggests that negative consequences of drug withdrawal result in relapse to drug use as an attempt to alleviate the negative symptoms. In this review, we explored these hypotheses and the involvement of the hippocampus in the development and maintenance of addiction to widely abused drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, alcohol, opiates, and cannabis. Studies suggest that initial exposure to stimulants (i.e., cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamine) and alcohol may enhance hippocampal function and, therefore, the formation of augmented drug-context associations that contribute to the development of addiction. In line with the self-medication hypothesis, withdrawal from stimulants, ethanol, and cannabis results in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory deficits, which suggest that an attempt to alleviate these deficits may contribute to relapse to drug use and maintenance of addiction. Interestingly, opiate withdrawal leads to enhancement of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Given that a conditioned aversion to drug context develops during opiate withdrawal, the cognitive enhancement in this case may result in the formation of an augmented association between withdrawal-induced aversion and withdrawal context. Therefore, individuals with opiate addiction may return to opiate use to avoid aversive symptoms triggered by the withdrawal context. Overall, the systematic examination of the role of the hippocampus in drug addiction may help to formulate a better understanding of addiction and underlying neural substrates. PMID:27634143

Effects of drugs of abuse on hippocampal plasticity and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory: contributions to development and maintenance of addiction.

PubMed

Kutlu, Munir Gunes; Gould, Thomas J

2016-10-01

It has long been hypothesized that conditioning mechanisms play major roles in addiction. Specifically, the associations between rewarding properties of drugs of abuse and the drug context can contribute to future use and facilitate the transition from initial drug use into drug dependency. On the other hand, the self-medication hypothesis of drug abuse suggests that negative consequences of drug withdrawal result in relapse to drug use as an attempt to alleviate the negative symptoms. In this review, we explored these hypotheses and the involvement of the hippocampus in the development and maintenance of addiction to widely abused drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, alcohol, opiates, and cannabis. Studies suggest that initial exposure to stimulants (i.e., cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamine) and alcohol may enhance hippocampal function and, therefore, the formation of augmented drug-context associations that contribute to the development of addiction. In line with the self-medication hypothesis, withdrawal from stimulants, ethanol, and cannabis results in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory deficits, which suggest that an attempt to alleviate these deficits may contribute to relapse to drug use and maintenance of addiction. Interestingly, opiate withdrawal leads to enhancement of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Given that a conditioned aversion to drug context develops during opiate withdrawal, the cognitive enhancement in this case may result in the formation of an augmented association between withdrawal-induced aversion and withdrawal context. Therefore, individuals with opiate addiction may return to opiate use to avoid aversive symptoms triggered by the withdrawal context. Overall, the systematic examination of the role of the hippocampus in drug addiction may help to formulate a better understanding of addiction and underlying neural substrates. © 2016 Kutlu and Gould; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Lunar Surface Architecture Utilization and Logistics Support Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bienhoff, Dallas; Findiesen, William; Bayer, Martin; Born, Andrew; McCormick, David

2008-01-01

Crew and equipment utilization and logistics support needs for the point of departure lunar outpost as presented by the NASA Lunar Architecture Team (LAT) and alternative surface architectures were assessed for the first ten years of operation. The lunar surface architectures were evaluated and manifests created for each mission. Distances between Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) landing sites and emplacement locations were estimated. Physical characteristics were assigned to each surface element and operational characteristics were assigned to each surface mobility element. Stochastic analysis was conducted to assess probable times to deploy surface elements, conduct exploration excursions, and perform defined crew activities. Crew time is divided into Outpost-related, exploration and science, overhead, and personal activities. Outpost-related time includes element deployment, EVA maintenance, IVA maintenance, and logistics resupply. Exploration and science activities include mapping, geological surveys, science experiment deployment, sample analysis and categorizing, and physiological and biological tests in the lunar environment. Personal activities include sleeping, eating, hygiene, exercising, and time off. Overhead activities include precursor or close-out tasks that must be accomplished but don't fit into the other three categories such as: suit donning and doffing, airlock cycle time, suit cleaning, suit maintenance, post-landing safing actions, and pre-departure preparations. Equipment usage time, spares, maintenance actions, and Outpost consumables are also estimated to provide input into logistics support planning. Results are normalized relative to the NASA LAT point of departure lunar surface architecture.

A 5-year evaluation of a methadone medical maintenance program.

PubMed

Harris, Kenneth A; Arnsten, Julia H; Joseph, Herman; Hecht, Joe; Marion, Ira; Juliana, Patti; Gourevitch, Marc N

2006-12-01

Methadone medical maintenance (MMM) is a model for the treatment of opioid dependence in which a monthly supply of methadone is distributed in an office setting, in contrast to more highly regulated settings where daily observed dosing is the norm. We assessed patient characteristics and treatment outcomes of an MMM program initiated in the Bronx, New York, in 1999 by conducting a retrospective chart review. Participant characteristics were compared with those of patients enrolled in affiliated conventional methadone maintenance treatment programs. Patients had diverse ethnicities, occupations, educational backgrounds, and income levels. Urine toxicology testing detected illicit opiate and cocaine use in 0.8% and 0.4% of aggregate samples, respectively. The retention rate was 98%, which compares favorably with the four other MMM programs that have been reported in the medical literature. This study demonstrates that selected patients from a socioeconomically disadvantaged population remained clinically stable and engaged in treatment in a far less intensive setting than traditional methadone maintenance.

A 5-year evaluation of a methadone medical maintenance program

PubMed Central

Harris, Kenneth A.; Arnsten, Julia H.; Joseph, Herman; Hecht, Joe; Marion, Ira; Juliana, Patti; Gourevitch, Marc N.

2009-01-01

Methadone medical maintenance (MMM) is a model for the treatment of opioid dependence in which a monthly supply of methadone is distributed in an office setting, in contrast to more highly regulated settings where daily observed dosing is the norm. We assessed patient characteristics and treatment outcomes of an MMM program initiated in the Bronx, New York, in 1999 by conducting a retrospective chart review. Participant characteristics were compared with those of patients enrolled in affiliated conventional methadone maintenance treatment programs. Patients had diverse ethnicities, occupations, educational backgrounds, and income levels. Urine toxicology testing detected illicit opiate and cocaine use in 0.8% and 0.4% of aggregate samples, respectively. The retention rate was 98%, which compares favorably with the four other MMM programs that have been reported in the medical literature. This study demonstrates that selected patients from a socioeconomically disadvantaged population remained clinically stable and engaged in treatment in a far less intensive setting than traditional methadone maintenance. PMID:17084798

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone Maintenance for Prisoners: Results at Twelve-Months Post-Release

PubMed Central

Kinlock, Timothy W.; Gordon, Michael S.; Schwartz, Robert P.; Fitzgerald, Terrence T.; O’Grady, Kevin E.

2009-01-01

This study examined the impact of prison-initiated methadone maintenance at 12-months post-release. Males with pre-incarceration heroin dependence (n=204) were randomly assigned to: 1) Counseling Only: counseling in prison, with passive referral to treatment upon release; 2) Counseling+Transfer: counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release; and 3) Counseling+Methadone: counseling and methadone maintenance in prison, continued in the community upon release. The mean number of days in community-based drug abuse treatment were, respectively, Counseling Only 23.1, Counseling+Transfer 91.3, and Counseling+Methadone 166.0, p <.01; all pairwise comparisons were statistically significant (all ps < .01). Counseling+Methadone participants were also significantly less likely than participants in each of the other two groups to be opioid-positive or cocaine-positive according to urine drug testing. These results support the effectiveness of prison-initiated methadone for males in the United States. Further study is required to confirm the findings for women. PMID:19339140

A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: results at 12 months postrelease.

PubMed

Kinlock, Timothy W; Gordon, Michael S; Schwartz, Robert P; Fitzgerald, Terrence T; O'Grady, Kevin E

2009-10-01

This study examined the impact of prison-initiated methadone maintenance at 12 months postrelease. Males with pre-incarceration heroin dependence (N = 204) were randomly assigned to (a) Counseling Only: counseling in prison, with passive referral to treatment upon release; (b) Counseling + Transfer: counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release; and (c) Counseling + Methadone: counseling and methadone maintenance in prison, continued in the community upon release. The mean number of days in community-based drug abuse treatment were, respectively, Counseling Only, 23.1; Counseling + Transfer, 91.3; and Counseling + Methadone, 166.0 (p < .01); all pairwise comparisons were statistically significant (all ps < .01). Counseling + Methadone participants were also significantly less likely than participants in each of the other two groups to be opioid-positive or cocaine-positive according to urine drug testing. These results support the effectiveness of prison-initiated methadone for males in the United States. Further study is required to confirm the findings for women.

Seasonal Assessment of the Relationship between the Discharge of the Trinity River and the Trinity Bay Ecosystem.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-08-25

that the shad and anchovy 118 populations are primarily dependent on plankton for food, which means that the higher salinities necessary for increased...therefore, regulating salinity levels for shrimp would increase both the shrimp fishery and other fish populations dependent on shrimp, as well...Bay ecosystem is that the bay is dependent upon the river for nutrients Gnd for maintenance of the salinity gradient. Odum, ’ ;.. (1963), Copeland

Maintenance of Genetic Variation with a Frequency-Dependent Selection Model as Compared to the Overdominant Model

PubMed Central

Hedrick, Philip W.

1972-01-01

A frequency-dependent selection model proposed by Huang, Singh and Kojima (1971) was found to be more effective at maintaining genetic variation in a finite population than the overdominant model. The fourth moment parameter of the distribution of unfixed states showed that there was a more platykurtic distribution for the frequency-dependent model. This agreed well with the expected gene frequency change found for an infinite population. PMID:4652882

Aggregate sources for construction and maintenance in northern Arizona.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

Constructing and maintaining Arizonas highway system requires a dependable, abundant supply of mineral : aggregates, borrow, quarried rock, and other materials. Finding such sources is important in northern Arizona, where : suitable materials may ...

40 CFR 94.509 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the manufacturer's record retention..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 94.509 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the manufacturer's record retention..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 94.509 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the manufacturer's record retention..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 94.509 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the manufacturer's record retention..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

Development of Rust Stripping System using High Power Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirakawa, Kazuomi; Ohashi, Katsuaki; Ashidate, Shuichi; Kurosawa, Kiyoshi; Nakayama, Michio; Uchida, Yutaka; Nobusada, Yuuji

The repainting cycle depends on removal of rust in maintenance of outdoor steel-frame structural facilities. However existing stripping process, which is usually made by hands with brushes, cannot strip the rust completely in maintenance of power transmission towers, for example. To solve this problem, we investigated laser fluence and pulse width for removal of rust using DPSSL (Diode Pumped Solid State Laser), and selected optimum laser supply. Then we checked the effect of laser stripping on prolongation of the repainting cycle compared with the conventional stripping process. Utilizing results of the research, we developed rust stripping system using DPSSL. From the results of field trial of rust removal operation using this system at high places of a power transmission tower, possibility of practical use of the system for the maintenance was confirmed.

Companies Selected for Small Wind Turbine Project

Science.gov Websites

) 972-9246 Golden, Colo., Nov. 27, 1996 -- In an effort to develop cost-effective, low-maintenance wind have to perform effectively and reliably over a long period of time without maintenance. The companies

Civil helicopter propulsion system reliability and engine monitoring technology assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, J. A.; Zuk, J.

1982-01-01

A study to reduce operating costs of helicopters, particularly directed at the maintenance of the propulsion subsystem, is presented. The tasks of the study consisted of problem definition refinement, technology solutions, diagnostic system concepts, and emergency power augmentation. Quantifiable benefits (reduced fuel consumption, on-condition engine maintenance, extended drive system overhaul periods, and longer oil change intervals) would increase the initial cost by $43,000, but the benefit of $24.46 per hour would result in breakeven at 1758 hours. Other benefits not capable of being quantified but perhaps more important include improved aircraft avilability due to reduced maintenance time, potential for increased operating limits due to continuous automatic monitoring of gages, and less time and fuel required to make engine power checks. The most important improvement is the on-condition maintenance program, which will require the development of algorithms, equipment, and procedures compatible with all operating environments.

An integrative theory of the phasic and tonic modes of dopamine modulation in the prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Dreher, Jean-Claude; Burnod, Yves

2002-01-01

This paper presents a model of both tonic and phasic dopamine (DA) effects on maintenance of working memory representations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The central hypothesis is that DA modulates the efficacy of inputs to prefrontal pyramidal neurons to prevent interferences for active maintenance. Phasic DA release, due to DA neurons discharges, acts at a short time-scale (a few seconds), while the tonic mode of DA release, independent of DA neurons firing, acts at a long time-scale (a few minutes). The overall effect of DA modulation is modeled as a threshold restricting incoming inputs arriving on PFC neurons. Phasic DA release temporary increases this threshold while tonic DA release progressively increases the basal level of this threshold. Thus, unlike the previous gating theory of phasic DA release, proposing that it facilitates incoming inputs at the time of their arrival, the effect of phasic DA release is supposed to restrict incoming inputs during a period of time after DA neuron discharges. The model links the cellular and behavioral levels during performance of a working memory task. It allows us to understand why a critical range of DA D1 receptors stimulation is required for optimal working memory performance and how D1 receptor agonists (respectively antagonists) increase perseverations (respectively distractability). Finally, the model leads to several testable predictions, including that the PFC regulates DA neurons firing rate to adapt to the delay of the task and that increase in tonic DA release may either improve or decrease performance, depending on the level of DA receptors stimulation at the beginning of the task.

Interpretive Structural Model of Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Maintenance Evaluatian in Rubber Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amrina, E.; Yulianto, A.

2018-03-01

Sustainable maintenance is a new challenge for manufacturing companies to realize sustainable development. In this paper, an interpretive structural model is developed to evaluate sustainable maintenance in the rubber industry. The initial key performance indicators (KPIs) is identified and derived from literature and then validated by academic and industry experts. As a result, three factors of economic, social, and environmental dividing into a total of thirteen indicators are proposed as the KPIs for sustainable maintenance evaluation in rubber industry. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology is applied to develop a network structure model of the KPIs consisting of three levels. The results show the economic factor is regarded as the basic factor, the social factor as the intermediate factor, while the environmental factor indicated to be the leading factor. Two indicators of social factor i.e. labor relationship, and training and education have both high driver and dependence power, thus categorized as the unstable indicators which need further attention. All the indicators of environmental factor and one indicator of social factor are indicated as the most influencing indicator. The interpretive structural model hoped can aid the rubber companies in evaluating sustainable maintenance performance.

Personality Patterns in Narcotics Anonymous Members versus Individuals with Addiction Receiving Methadone Maintenance Therapy.

PubMed

Akhondzadeh, Shahin; Shabrang, Moslem; Rezaei, Omid; Rezaei, Farzin

2014-07-01

Therapeutic interventions can be classified into two distinct approaches: abstinent and maintenance method. Currently, there are no clear criteria for referring addicted patients to one of these modalities. We aimed to compare the personality characteristics of individuals with addiction who attended narcotics anonymous sessions with those who received methadone maintenance therapy. This was a cross- sectional study. The participants were NA members and patients who were undergoing methadone maintenance treatment in outpatient clinics. Using the randomized cluster sampling method, 200 individuals with opioid dependence were selected (each group 100 persons). Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and the five-factor personality inventory (NEO-FFI). Comparison of the mean scores of NEO-PPI in the two groups was performed by independent t test, and qualitative variables were compared using the Chi-square test. We found a significant difference between the MMT and NA groups with respect to neuroticism, extroversion, and agreeableness. No significant difference was found in the subscales of conscientious and openness. People who regularly attended the NA sessions had lower neuroticism and higher agreeableness than patients who were under the maintenance modality. Whether this is the cause or effect of attending NA sessions requires future large-scale cohort studies.

Anticipatory reward processing among cocaine-dependent individuals with and without concurrent methadone-maintenance treatment: Relationship to treatment response*

PubMed Central

Yip, Sarah W.; DeVito, Elise E.; Kober, Hedy; Worhunsky, Patrick D.; Carroll, Kathleen M.; Potenza, Marc N.

2016-01-01

Background Cocaine dependence among opioid-dependent methadone-maintained individuals is a significant public health problem and is particularly challenging to treat. The neurobiology of this clinically complex population has not been previously assessed using fMRI. Methods fMRI data from cocaine-dependent, methadone-maintained (CD-MM) patients (n=24), cocaine-dependent (CD) patients (n=20) and healthy comparison (HC; n=21) participants were acquired during monetary incentive delay task performance. All patients were scanned prior to treatment for cocaine dependence. Between-group differences in anticipatory reward and loss processing were assessed using whole-brain ANOVAs in SPM12 (pFWE<.05). Correlations between durations of abstinence during treatment and BOLD responses within the insula and caudate were also explored. Results Main effects of diagnostic group, primarily involving decreased BOLD responses among CD-MM patients in comparison to HCs, were observed during anticipatory reward and loss processing within regions of posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. BOLD responses within the right caudate were negatively associated with percentage of cocaine-negative urines during treatment among CD-MM patients, but not among non-methadone-maintained CD patients. Conclusions These data suggest neurofunctional differences that may be related to treatment outcomes for behavioral therapies between cocaine-dependent individuals with and without methadone-maintenance treatment. These findings may relate to differences in treatment efficacies and to the elevated relapse rates observed in methadone-maintained populations. PMID:27430401

Solar space- and water-heating system at Stanford University. Central Food Services Building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-05-01

The closed-loop drain-back system is described as offering dependability of gravity drain-back freeze protection, low maintenance, minimal costs, and simplicity. The system features an 840 square-foot collector and storage capacity of 1550 gallons. The acceptance testing and the predicted system performance data are briefly described. Solar performance calculations were performed using a computer design program (FCHART). Bidding, costs, and economics of the system are reviewed. Problems are discussed and solutions and recommendations given. An operation and maintenance manual is given.

Maintenance and operations tasks accomplished at DSS 12 during the antenna panel replacement downtime

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butcher, L.; Jonas, T.; Wood, W.

1982-01-01

The heavy schedule of tracking activities at the Echo Deep Space Station (DSS 12) prevents some time-consuming maintenance tasks from being performed. Careful coordination prior to and during a mandatory task (antenna panel replacement) made it possible to do a large number of unrelated tasks that ordinarily would have to be deferred. The maintenance and operations tasks accomplished during the downtime are described.

AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 1. UNIT XXIV, I--MAINTAINING THE FUEL SYSTEM PART III--CATERPILLAR DIESEL ENGINE, II--UNDERSTANDING THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR/ALTERNATOR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

THIS MODULE OF A 30-MODULE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE DIESEL ENGINE FUEL AND BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM. TOPICS ARE (1) INJECTION TIMING CONTROLS, (2) GOVERNOR, (3) FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE TIPS, (4) THE CHARGING SYSTEM, (5) REGULATING THE GENERATOR/ALTERNATOR, AND (6) CHARGING SYSTEM SERVICE…

Integrated Maintenance Information System (IMIS): A Maintenance Information Delivery Concept.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

InterFace Figure 2. Portable Maintenance Computer Concept. provide advice for difficult fault-isolation problems . The technician will be able to accomplish...faced with an ever-growing number of paper-based technical orders (TOs). This has greatly increased costs and distribution problems . In addition, it has...compounded problems associ- ated with ensuring accurate data and the lengthy correction times involved. To improve the accuracy of technical data and

Implementation of an agile maintenance mechanic assignment methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez, Jesus A.; Quintana, Rolando

2000-10-01

The objective of this research was to develop a decision support system (DSS) to study the impact of introducing new equipment into a medical apparel plant from a maintenance organizational structure perspective. This system will enable the company to determine if their capacity is sufficient to meet current maintenance challenges. The DSS contains two database sets that describe equipment and maintenance resource profiles. The equipment profile specifies data such as mean time to failures, mean time to repairs, and minimum mechanic skill level required to fix each machine group. Similarly, maintenance-resource profile reports information about the mechanic staff, such as number and type of certifications received, education level, and experience. The DSS will then use this information to minimize machine downtime by assigning the highest skilled mechanics to machines with higher complexity and product value. A modified version of the simplex method, the transportation problem, was used to perform the optimization. The DSS was built using the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) language contained in the Microsoft Excel environment. A case study was developed from current existing data. The analysis consisted of forty-two machine groups and six mechanic categories with ten skill levels. Results showed that only 56% of the mechanic workforce was utilized. Thus, the company had available resources for meeting future maintenance requirements.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ECOCHEM REAL-TIME AMBIENT AIR PAH MONITOR (UA-F-24.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe the general procedures to be followed for the operation and maintenance of the EcoChem real-time ambient air PAH monitor. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data retrieval of PAH measurements during the Arizona NHEXAS project ...

Changes in glutamate receptor subunits within the medulla in goats after section of the carotid sinus nerves

PubMed Central

Miller, Justin Robert; Neumueller, Suzanne; Muere, Clarissa; Olesiak, Samantha; Pan, Lawrence; Bukowy, John D.; Daghistany, Asem O.; Hodges, Matthew R.

2014-01-01

The mechanisms which contribute to the time-dependent recovery of resting ventilation and the ventilatory CO2 chemoreflex after carotid body denervation (CBD) are poorly understood. Herein we tested the hypothesis that there are time-dependent changes in the expression of specific AMPA, NMDA, and/or neurokinin-1 (NK1R) receptors within respiratory-related brain stem nuclei acutely or chronically after CBD in adult goats. Brain stem tissues were collected acutely (5 days) or chronically (30 days) after sham or bilateral CBD, immunostained with antibodies targeting AMPA (GluA1 or GluA2), NMDA (GluN1), or NK-1 receptors, and optical density (OD) compared. Physiological measurement confirmed categorization of each group and showed ventilatory effects consistent with bilateral CBD (Miller et al. J Appl Physiol 115: 1088–1098, 2013). Acutely after CBD, GluA1 OD was unchanged or slightly increased, but GluA2 and GluN1 OD were reduced 15–30% within the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and in other medullary respiratory nuclei. Chronically after CBD, GluA1 was reduced (P < 0.05) within the caudal NTS and in other nuclei, but there was significant recovery of GluA2 and GluN1 OD. NK1 OD was not significantly different from control after CBD. We conclude that the initial decrease in GluA2 and GluN1 after CBD likely contributes to hypoventilation and the reduced CO2 chemoreflex. The partial recovery of ventilation and the CO2 chemoreflex after CBD parallel a time-dependent return of these receptors to near control levels but likely depend upon additional initiating and maintenance factors for neuroplasticity. PMID:24790015

Probabilistic modeling of condition-based maintenance strategies and quantification of its benefits for airliners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattabhiraman, Sriram

Airplane fuselage structures are designed with the concept of damage tolerance, wherein small damage are allowed to remain on the airplane, and damage that otherwise affect the safety of the structure are repaired. The damage critical to the safety of the fuselage are repaired by scheduling maintenance at pre-determined intervals. Scheduling maintenance is an interesting trade-off between damage tolerance and cost. Tolerance of larger damage would require less frequent maintenance and hence, a lower cost, to maintain a certain level of reliability. Alternatively, condition-based maintenance techniques have been developed using on-board sensors, which track damage continuously and request maintenance only when the damage size crosses a particular threshold. This effects a tolerance of larger damage than scheduled maintenance, leading to savings in cost. This work quantifies the savings of condition-based maintenance over scheduled maintenance. The work also quantifies converting the cost savings into weight savings. Structural health monitoring will need time to be able to establish itself as a stand-alone system for maintenance, due to concerns on its diagnosis accuracy and reliability. This work also investigates the effect of synchronizing structural health monitoring system with scheduled maintenance. This work uses on-board SHM equipment skip structural airframe maintenance (a subsect of scheduled maintenance), whenever deemed unnecessary while maintain a desired level of safety of structure. The work will also predict the necessary maintenance for a fleet of airplanes, based on the current damage status of the airplanes. The work also analyses the possibility of false alarm, wherein maintenance is being requested with no critical damage on the airplane. The work use SHM as a tool to identify lemons in a fleet of airplanes. Lemons are those airplanes that would warrant more maintenance trips than the average behavior of the fleet.

Multimodal Transportation Facility Resilience Index

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-21

A new paradigm for complex systems performance and maintenance decision making is developing in the form of resilience engineering. Depending on the subject area, different definitions of resilience exist. In this project, we adopt a definition appro...

Use of natural products for oral hygiene maintenance: revisiting traditional medicine.

PubMed

Gupta, Pankaj; Shetty, Heeresh

2018-03-27

The use of traditional means of oral hygiene maintenance has a long-recorded history, with widespread usage in rural areas of Africa, South America and the Indian subcontinent till date. Though dental healthcare professionals and the general population, especially in the urban areas can have the temptation of out-rightly rejecting them as ineffective, the usage of these natural products is based on time-tested scientific principles. The present article provides an overview of the major traditional practices of oral hygiene maintenance and how they compare against the modern-day armamentarium of oral hygiene maintenance.

41 CFR 102-33.170 - What standards must we establish or require (contractually, where applicable) for maintenance of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... appliance repairs, modifications, or equipment installations. (e) A quality control system for acquiring... tracking maintenance actions; inspections; and the flight hours, cycles, and calendar times of life-limited...

40 CFR 52.786 - Inspection and maintenance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 38, Jan. 2, 1981; 51 FR 40677, Nov. 7, 1986; 55 FR 31052, July 31, 1990; 58 FR 62535, Nov. 29, 1993] ..., commitment to timely adopt and implement enhanced inspection and maintenance (I/M) rules for Lake and Porter...

Extended Maintenance Downtime 12/09 - 12/16

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-12-05

Date(s):  Friday, December 9, 2016 to Friday, December 16, 2016 Time:  12/09 @ 7 am - 12/16 @ 5 pm EDT Event Impact:  The ASDC would like to perform a comprehensive and required maintenance from Friday...

Extended Maintenance Downtime 08/12 - 08/19

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-08-03

Date(s):  Tuesday, August 2, 2016 to Friday, August 19, 2016 Time:  08/12 @ 7 am - 08/19 @ 5 pm EST Event Impact:  The ASDC would like to perform a comprehensive and required maintenance from Friday...

Extended Maintenance Downtime 01/19 - 01/26

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-24

Date(s):  Friday, January 19, 2018 to Friday, January 26, 2018 Time:  01/19 @ 7 am - 01/26 @ 5 pm EDT Event Impact:  The ASDC would like to perform a comprehensive and required maintenance from Friday...

Refinement of a methodology for siting maintenance area headquarters.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-01-01

Prior to this study, a methodology that generates travel time, or isochronal, contours around area headquarters or the housing bases of maintenance crews was developed. The methodology was then pilot tested for the Charlottesville Residency, and was ...

Career histories as determinants of gendered retirement timing in the Danish and Swedish pension systems.

PubMed

König, Stefanie

2017-12-01

After reforms in pension systems had taken place in most European countries within the last two decades, the concern was raised that women may be disadvantaged by these reforms. It is suggested that they are faced with a higher financial need to work longer. Retrospective data from SHARELIFE are used to run an event history analysis on the timing of the final employment exit, separately for gender, country and exit cohort. This study aims to disentangle the influence of gendered labour markets and pension regulations on retirement timing by investigating conditions in Denmark and Sweden. Some evidence was found that women compensate for lower labour market attachment due to long part-time periods by working longer, especially in younger cohorts. This seems to depend on the pension system. In countries with broad basic pensions, high replacement rates for low-income groups and fewer penalties for early retirement, the compensation is suggested to be less frequent. This study indicates the growing importance of the "compensation hypothesis" compared to the "status maintenance hypothesis" of previous careers in relation with retirement timing.

Crumbs 2 prevents cortical abnormalities in mouse dorsal telencephalon.

PubMed

Dudok, Jacobus J; Murtaza, Mariyam; Henrique Alves, C; Rashbass, Pen; Wijnholds, Jan

2016-07-01

The formation of a functionally integrated nervous system is dependent on a highly organized sequence of events that includes timely division and differentiation of progenitors. Several apical polarity proteins have been shown to play crucial roles during neurogenesis, however, the role of Crumbs 2 (CRB2) in cortical development has not previously been reported. Here, we show that conditional ablation of Crb2 in the murine dorsal telencephalon leads to defects in the maintenance of the apical complex. Furthermore, within the mutant dorsal telencephalon there is premature expression of differentiation proteins. We examined the physiological function of Crb2 on wild type genetic background as well as on background lacking Crb1. Telencephalon lacking CRB2 resulted in reduced levels of PALS1 and CRB3 from the apical complex, an increased number of mitotic cells and expanded neuronal domain. These defects are transient and therefore only result in rather mild cortical abnormalities. We show that CRB2 is required for maintenance of the apical polarity complex during development of the cortex and regulation of cell division, and that loss of CRB2 results in cortical abnormalities. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Adaptability of anticipatory postural adjustments associated with voluntary movement

PubMed Central

Yiou, Eric; Caderby, Teddy; Hussein, Tarek

2012-01-01

The control of balance is crucial for efficiently performing most of our daily motor tasks, such as those involving goal-directed arm movements or whole body displacement. The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, it is to recall how balance can be maintained despite the different sources of postural perturbation arising during voluntary movement. The importance of the so-called “anticipatory postural adjustments” (APA), taken as a “line of defence” against the destabilizing effect induced by a predicted perturbation, is emphasized. Secondly, it is to report the results of recent studies that questioned the adaptability of APA to various constraints imposed on the postural system. The postural constraints envisaged here are classified into biomechanical (postural stability, superimposition of motor tasks), (neuro) physiological (fatigue), temporal (time pressure) and psychological (fear of falling, emotion). Overall, the results of these studies point out the capacity of the central nervous system (CNS) to adapt the spatio-temporal features of APA to each of these constraints. However, it seems that, depending on the constraint, the “priority” of the CNS was focused on postural stability maintenance, on body protection and/or on maintenance of focal movement performance. PMID:22720267

Research of B2B e-Business Application and Development Technology Based on SOA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xian, Li Liang

Today, the B2B e-business systems in most enterprises usually have multiple heterogeneous and independent systems which are based on different platforms and operate in different functional departments. To deal with the increased services in future, an enterprise needs to expand its system continuously. This, however, will cause great inconvenience to the future system maintenance. To implement e-business successfully, a unified internal e-business integration environment must be established to integrate the internal system and thus realize a unified internal mechanism within the enterprise e-business system. The SOA (service-oriented architecture), however, can well meet the above requirements. The integration of SOA-based applications can reduce the dependency of different types of IT systems, reduce the cost of system maintenance and the complexity of the IT system operation, increase the flexibility of the system deployment, and at the same time exclude the barrier of service innovation. Research and application of SOA-based enterprise application systems has become a very important research project at present. Based on SOA, this document designs an enterprise e-business application model and realizes a flexible and expandable e-business platform.

Full reactor coolant system chemical decontamination qualification programs

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

Miller, P.E.

1995-03-01

Corrosion and wear products are found throughout the reactor coolant system (RCS), or primary loop, of a PWR power plant. These products circulate with the primary coolant through the reactor where they may become activated. An oxide layer including these activated products forms on the surfaces of the RCS (including the fuel elements). The amount of radioactivity deposited on the different surface varies and depends primarily on the corrosion rate of the materials concerned, the amount of cobalt in the coolant and the chemistry of the coolant. The oxide layer, commonly called crud, on the surfaces of nuclear plant systemsmore » leads to personnel radiation exposure. The level of the radiation fields from the crud increases with time from initial plant startup and typically levels off after 4 to 6 cycles of plant operation. Thereafter, significant personnel radiation exposure may be incurred whenever major maintenance is performed. Personnel exposure is highest during refueling outages when routine maintenance on major plant components, such as steam generators and reactor coolant pumps, is performed. Administrative controls are established at nuclear plants to minimize the exposure incurred by an individual and the plant workers as a whole.« less

Wireless online position monitoring of manual valve types for plant configuration management in nuclear power plants

DOE PAGES

Agarwal, Vivek; Buttles, John W.; Beaty, Lawrence H.; ...

2016-10-05

In the current competitive energy market, the nuclear industry is committed to lower the operations and maintenance cost; increase productivity and efficiency while maintaining safe and reliable operation. The present operating model of nuclear power plants is dependent on large technical staffs that put the nuclear industry at long-term economic disadvantage. Technology can play a key role in nuclear power plant configuration management in offsetting labor costs by automating manually performed plant activities. The technology being developed, tested, and demonstrated in this paper will enable the continued safe operation of today’s fleet of light water reactors by providing the technicalmore » means to monitor components in plants today that are only routinely monitored through manual activities. The wireless enabled valve position indicators that are the subject of this paper are able to provide a valid position indication available continuously, rather than only periodically. As a result, a real-time (online) availability of valve positions using an affordable technologies are vital to plant configuration when compared with long-term labor rates, and provide information that can be used for a variety of plant engineering, maintenance, and management applications.« less

Wireless online position monitoring of manual valve types for plant configuration management in nuclear power plants

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

Agarwal, Vivek; Buttles, John W.; Beaty, Lawrence H.

In the current competitive energy market, the nuclear industry is committed to lower the operations and maintenance cost; increase productivity and efficiency while maintaining safe and reliable operation. The present operating model of nuclear power plants is dependent on large technical staffs that put the nuclear industry at long-term economic disadvantage. Technology can play a key role in nuclear power plant configuration management in offsetting labor costs by automating manually performed plant activities. The technology being developed, tested, and demonstrated in this paper will enable the continued safe operation of today’s fleet of light water reactors by providing the technicalmore » means to monitor components in plants today that are only routinely monitored through manual activities. The wireless enabled valve position indicators that are the subject of this paper are able to provide a valid position indication available continuously, rather than only periodically. As a result, a real-time (online) availability of valve positions using an affordable technologies are vital to plant configuration when compared with long-term labor rates, and provide information that can be used for a variety of plant engineering, maintenance, and management applications.« less

F-actin cross-linking enhances the stability of force generation in disordered actomyosin networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Wonyeong; Murrell, Michael P.; Kim, Taeyoon

2015-12-01

Myosin molecular motors and actin cross-linking proteins (ACPs) are known to mediate the generation and transmission of mechanical forces within the cortical F-actin cytoskeleton that drive major cellular processes such as cell division and migration. However, how motors and ACPs interact collectively over diverse timescales to modulate the time-dependent mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton remains unclear. In this study, we present a three-dimensional agent-based computational model of the cortical actomyosin network to quantitatively determine the effects of motor activity and the density and kinetics of ACPs on the accumulation and maintenance of mechanical tension within a disordered actomyosin network. We found that motors accumulate large stress quickly by behaving as temporary cross-linkers although this stress is relaxed over time unless there are sufficient passive ACPs to stabilize the network. Stabilization by ACPs helps motors to generate forces up to their maximum potential, leading to significant enhancement of the efficiency and stability of stress generation. Thus, we demonstrated that the force-dependent kinetics of ACP dissociation plays a critical role for the accumulation and sustainment of stress and the structural remodeling of networks.

Spatial Pattern Classification for More Accurate Forecasting of Variable Energy Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakovskaia, E.; Hayes, C.; Collier, C.

2014-12-01

The accuracy of solar and wind forecasts is becoming increasingly essential as grid operators continue to integrate additional renewable generation onto the electric grid. Forecast errors affect rate payers, grid operators, wind and solar plant maintenance crews and energy traders through increases in prices, project down time or lost revenue. While extensive and beneficial efforts were undertaken in recent years to improve physical weather models for a broad spectrum of applications these improvements have generally not been sufficient to meet the accuracy demands of system planners. For renewables, these models are often used in conjunction with additional statistical models utilizing both meteorological observations and the power generation data. Forecast accuracy can be dependent on specific weather regimes for a given location. To account for these dependencies it is important that parameterizations used in statistical models change as the regime changes. An automated tool, based on an artificial neural network model, has been developed to identify different weather regimes as they impact power output forecast accuracy at wind or solar farms. In this study, improvements in forecast accuracy were analyzed for varying time horizons for wind farms and utility-scale PV plants located in different geographical regions.

Cdk1 Regulates the Temporal Recruitment of Telomerase and Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1 Complex for Telomere Replication

PubMed Central

Liu, Chang-Ching; Gopalakrishnan, Veena; Poon, Lai-Fong; Yan, TingDong

2014-01-01

In budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the cell cycle-dependent telomere elongation by telomerase is controlled by the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1). The telomere length homeostasis is balanced between telomerase-unextendable and telomerase-extendable states that both require Cdc13. The recruitment of telomerase complex by Cdc13 promotes telomere elongation, while the formation of Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1 (CST) complex at the telomere blocks telomere elongation by telomerase. However, the cellular signaling that regulates the timing of the telomerase-extendable and telomerase-unextendable states is largely unknown. Phosphorylation of Cdc13 by Cdk1 promotes the interaction between Cdc13 and Est1 and hence telomere elongation. Here, we show that Cdk1 also phosphorylates Stn1 at threonine 223 and serine 250 both in vitro and in vivo, and these phosphorylation events are essential for the stability of the CST complexes at the telomeres. By controlling the timing of Cdc13 and Stn1 phosphorylations during cell cycle progression, Cdk1 regulates the temporal recruitment of telomerase complexes and CST complexes to the telomeres to facilitate telomere maintenance. PMID:24164896

Inventory-transportation integrated optimization for maintenance spare parts of high-speed trains

PubMed Central

Wang, Jiaxi; Wang, Huasheng; Wang, Zhongkai; Li, Jian; Lin, Ruixi; Xiao, Jie; Wu, Jianping

2017-01-01

This paper presents a 0–1 programming model aimed at obtaining the optimal inventory policy and transportation mode for maintenance spare parts of high-speed trains. To obtain the model parameters for occasionally-replaced spare parts, a demand estimation method based on the maintenance strategies of China’s high-speed railway system is proposed. In addition, we analyse the shortage time using PERT, and then calculate the unit time shortage cost from the viewpoint of train operation revenue. Finally, a real-world case study from Shanghai Depot is conducted to demonstrate our method. Computational results offer an effective and efficient decision support for inventory managers. PMID:28472097

A 6-Month, Double-Blind, Maintenance Trial of Lithium Monotherapy Versus the Combination of Lithium and Divalproex for Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder and Co-Occurring Substance Abuse or Dependence

PubMed Central

Kemp, David E.; Gao, Keming; Ganocy, Stephen J.; Rapport, Daniel J.; Elhaj, Omar; Bilali, Sarah; Conroy, Carla; Findling, Robert L.; Calabrese, Joseph R.

2011-01-01

Objective To assess whether combination treatment with lithium and divalproex is more effective than lithium monotherapy in prolonging the time to mood episode recurrence in patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder (RCBD) and comorbid substance abuse and/or dependence. Method A 6-month, double-blind, parallel group comparison was carried out in recently manic/hypomanic/mixed patients who had demonstrated a persistent bimodal response to combined treatment with lithium and divalproex. Subjects were randomly assigned to remain on combination treatment or to discontinue divalproex and remain on lithium monotherapy. Results Of 149 patients enrolled into the open-label acute stabilization phase, 79% discontinued prematurely (poor adherence: 42%; nonresponse: 25%; intolerable side effects: 10%). Of 31 patients (21%) randomly assigned to double-blind maintenance treatment, 55% relapsed (24% into depression and 76% into a manic/hypomanic/mixed episode), 26% completed the study, and 19% were poorly adherent or exited prematurely. The median time to recurrence of a new mood episode was 15.9 weeks for patients receiving lithium monotherapy and 17.8 weeks for patients receiving the combination of lithium and divalproex (p=NS). The rate of relapse into a mood episode for those receiving lithium monotherapy or the combination of lithium and divalproex was 56% and 53%, respectively. The rate of depressive relapse in both arms was 13%, while the rate of relapse into a manic, hypomanic, or mixed episode was 44% for lithium monotherapy and 40% for the combination of lithium and divalproex. Conclusion A small subgroup of patients in this study stabilized after six months of treatment with lithium plus divalproex. Of those who did, the addition of divalproex to lithium conferred no additional prophylactic benefit over lithium alone. Although depression is regarded as the hallmark of RCBD in general, these data suggest that recurrent episodes of mania tend to be more common in presentations accompanied by comorbid substance use. PMID:19192457

Critical role for perforin and Fas-dependent killing of dendritic cells in the control of inflammation

PubMed Central

Felix, Kumar

2012-01-01

After stimulation of antigen-specific T cells, dendritic cell (DCs) are susceptible to killing by these activated T cells that involve perforin and Fas-dependent mechanisms. Fas-dependent DC apoptosis has been shown to limit DC accumulation and prevent the development of autoimmunity. However, a role for perforin in the maintenance of DC homeostasis for immune regulation remains to be determined. Here we show that perforin deficiency in mice, together with the deletion of Fas in DCs (perforin−/−DC-Fas−/−), led to DC accumulation, uncontrolled T-cell activation, and IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells, resulting in the development of lethal hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Consistently, adoptive transfer of Fas−/− DCs induced over-activation and IFN-γ production in perforin−/− CD8+ T cells. Neutralization of IFN-γ prevented the spreading of inflammatory responses to different cell types and protected the survival of perforin−/−DC-Fas−/− mice. Our data suggest that perforin and Fas synergize in the maintenance of DC homeostasis to limit T cell activation, and prevent the initiation of an inflammatory cascade. PMID:22042696

Aging and death-associated changes in serum albumin variability over the course of chronic hemodialysis treatment.

PubMed

Nakazato, Yuichi; Kurane, Riichi; Hirose, Satoru; Watanabe, Akihisa; Shimoyama, Hiromi

2017-01-01

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between variability in a number of biological parameters and adverse outcomes. As the variability may reflect impaired homeostatic regulation, we assessed albumin variability over time in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Data from 1346 subjects who received chronic HD treatment from May 2001 to February 2015 were analyzed according to three phases of HD treatment: post-HD initiation, during maintenance HD treatment, and before death. The serum albumin values were grouped according to the time interval from HD initiation or death, and the yearly trends for both the albumin levels and the intra-individual albumin variability (quantified by the residual coefficient of variation: Alb-rCV) were examined. The HD initiation and death-associated changes were also analyzed using generalized additive mixed models. Furthermore, the long-term trend throughout the maintenance treatment period was evaluated separately using linear regression models. Albumin levels and variability showed distinctive changes during each of the 3 periods. After HD initiation, albumin variability decreased and reached a nadir within a year. During the subsequent maintenance treatment period (interquartile range = 5.2-11.0 years), the log Alb-rCV showed a significant upward trend (mean slope: 0.011 ± 0.035 /year), and its overall mean was -1.49 ± 0.08 (equivalent to an Alb-rCV of 3.22%). During the 1-2 years before death, this upward trend clearly accelerated, and the mean log Alb-rCV in the last year of life was -1.36 ± 0.17. The albumin levels and variability were negatively correlated with each other and exhibited exactly opposite movements throughout the course of chronic HD treatment. Different from the albumin levels, albumin variability was not dependent on chronological age but was independently associated with an individual's aging and death process. The observed upward trend in albumin variability seems to be consistent with a presumed aging-related decline in homeostatic capacity.

Rapamycin regulates autophagy and cell adhesion in induced pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Sotthibundhu, Areechun; McDonagh, Katya; von Kriegsheim, Alexander; Garcia-Munoz, Amaya; Klawiter, Agnieszka; Thompson, Kerry; Chauhan, Kapil Dev; Krawczyk, Janusz; McInerney, Veronica; Dockery, Peter; Devine, Michael J; Kunath, Tilo; Barry, Frank; O'Brien, Timothy; Shen, Sanbing

2016-11-15

Cellular reprogramming is a stressful process, which requires cells to engulf somatic features and produce and maintain stemness machineries. Autophagy is a process to degrade unwanted proteins and is required for the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, the role of autophagy during iPSC maintenance remains undefined. Human iPSCs were investigated by microscopy, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting to detect autophagy machinery. Cells were treated with rapamycin to activate autophagy and with bafilomycin to block autophagy during iPSC maintenance. High concentrations of rapamycin treatment unexpectedly resulted in spontaneous formation of round floating spheres of uniform size, which were analyzed for differentiation into three germ layers. Mass spectrometry was deployed to reveal altered protein expression and pathways associated with rapamycin treatment. We demonstrate that human iPSCs express high basal levels of autophagy, including key components of APMKα, ULK1/2, BECLIN-1, ATG13, ATG101, ATG12, ATG3, ATG5, and LC3B. Block of autophagy by bafilomycin induces iPSC death and rapamycin attenuates the bafilomycin effect. Rapamycin treatment upregulates autophagy in iPSCs in a dose/time-dependent manner. High concentration of rapamycin reduces NANOG expression and induces spontaneous formation of round and uniformly sized embryoid bodies (EBs) with accelerated differentiation into three germ layers. Mass spectrometry analysis identifies actin cytoskeleton and adherens junctions as the major targets of rapamycin in mediating iPSC detachment and differentiation. High levels of basal autophagy activity are present during iPSC derivation and maintenance. Rapamycin alters expression of actin cytoskeleton and adherens junctions, induces uniform EB formation, and accelerates differentiation. IPSCs are sensitive to enzyme dissociation and require a lengthy differentiation time. The shape and size of EBs also play a role in the heterogeneity of end cell products. This research therefore highlights the potential of rapamycin in producing uniform EBs and in shortening iPSC differentiation duration.

Graph properties of synchronized cortical networks during visual working memory maintenance.

PubMed

Palva, Satu; Monto, Simo; Palva, J Matias

2010-02-15

Oscillatory synchronization facilitates communication in neuronal networks and is intimately associated with human cognition. Neuronal activity in the human brain can be non-invasively imaged with magneto- (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG), but the large-scale structure of synchronized cortical networks supporting cognitive processing has remained uncharacterized. We combined simultaneous MEG and EEG (MEEG) recordings with minimum-norm-estimate-based inverse modeling to investigate the structure of oscillatory phase synchronized networks that were active during visual working memory (VWM) maintenance. Inter-areal phase-synchrony was quantified as a function of time and frequency by single-trial phase-difference estimates of cortical patches covering the entire cortical surfaces. The resulting networks were characterized with a number of network metrics that were then compared between delta/theta- (3-6 Hz), alpha- (7-13 Hz), beta- (16-25 Hz), and gamma- (30-80 Hz) frequency bands. We found several salient differences between frequency bands. Alpha- and beta-band networks were more clustered and small-world like but had smaller global efficiency than the networks in the delta/theta and gamma bands. Alpha- and beta-band networks also had truncated-power-law degree distributions and high k-core numbers. The data converge on showing that during the VWM-retention period, human cortical alpha- and beta-band networks have a memory-load dependent, scale-free small-world structure with densely connected core-like structures. These data further show that synchronized dynamic networks underlying a specific cognitive state can exhibit distinct frequency-dependent network structures that could support distinct functional roles. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Are We Waiting For Customer Wait Time, Fill Rate, And Marine Corps Equipment Operational Availability

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

managed by an RIP. SECREPs are typically critical repair assemblies that require consistently high fill- rates to satisfy maintenance customers ...fill-rate is potentially misreporting performance and areas where short customer wait times could potentially suffice for inventory management . A...supply. Inventory forecasting and management should focus on parts with CWTs that do not satisfy the maintenance customer and 100% fill-rates should

The nature, meaning and measurement of health and illness: an economic viewpoint.

PubMed

Williams, A

1985-01-01

Health can be seen as a capital asset, subject to depreciation due both to the passage of time (ageing) and to 'wear and tear'. It is valued for the flow of pain-free time and energy it offers us, and we can increase the quantity and quality of this 'flow' by appropriate care and maintenance, which may take the form of adopting a healthy life style or in seeking health care. The valuation of health (as a capital stock) can then be seen as the valuation of the time profile of the stream of pain-free time and energy we expect to get out of it. This in turn depends on the uses to which this time and energy can be put. Its use in paid work is relatively easily valued but unpaid work (especially work in the home) continues to be a source of difficulty, both in principle and in practice, in the search for appropriate money values. Leisure time is still more difficult, though for those in paid work whose remuneration is sensitive to the work/leisure balance, foregone net earnings at that margin may be used in the marginal value of leisure time. But the appropriateness of any valuation depends on the use to which it is to be put, and it is important to distinguish whether it is to reflect 'individual' or 'group' values, and whether it is for ex post compensation associated with some particular event, or for use in ex ante decision making where it is not known who the particular gainers and losers will be.

Electric Propulsion for Low Earth Orbit Constellations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oleson, Steven R.; Sankovic, John M.

1998-01-01

Hall Effect electric propulsion was evaluated for orbit insertion, satellite repositioning, orbit maintenance and de-orbit applications for a sample low earth orbit satellite constellation. Since the low masses of these satellites enable multiple spacecraft per launch, the ability to add spacecraft to a given launch was used as a figure of merit. When compared to chemical propulsion, the Hall thruster system can add additional spacecraft per launch using planned payload power levels. One satellite can be added to the assumed four satellite baseline chemical launch without additional mission times. Two or three satellites may be added by providing part of the orbit insertion with the Hall system. In these cases orbit insertion times were found to be 35 and 62 days. Depending on the electric propulsion scenario, the resulting launch vehicle savings is nearly two, three or four Delta 7920 launch vehicles out of the chemical baseline scenarios eight Delta 7920 launch vehicles.

Electric Propulsion for Low Earth Orbit Constellations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oleson, Steven R.; Sankovic, John M.

1998-01-01

Hall effect electric propulsion was evaluated for orbit insertion, satellite repositioning, orbit maintenance and de-orbit applications for a sample low earth orbit satellite constellation. Since the low masses of these satellites enable multiple spacecraft per launch, the ability to add spacecraft to a given launch was used as a figure of merit. When compared to chemical propulsion, the Hall thruster system can add additional spacecraft per launch using planned payload power levels. One satellite can be added to the assumed four satellite baseline chemical launch without additional mission times. Two or three satellites may be added by providing part of the orbit insertion with the Hall system. In these cases orbit insertion times were found to be 35 and 62 days. Depending, on the electric propulsion scenario, the resulting launch vehicle savings is nearly two, three or four Delta 7920 launch vehicles out of the chemical baseline scenario's eight Delta 7920 launch vehicles.

Synaptic Scaling Enables Dynamically Distinct Short- and Long-Term Memory Formation

PubMed Central

Tetzlaff, Christian; Kolodziejski, Christoph; Timme, Marc; Tsodyks, Misha; Wörgötter, Florentin

2013-01-01

Memory storage in the brain relies on mechanisms acting on time scales from minutes, for long-term synaptic potentiation, to days, for memory consolidation. During such processes, neural circuits distinguish synapses relevant for forming a long-term storage, which are consolidated, from synapses of short-term storage, which fade. How time scale integration and synaptic differentiation is simultaneously achieved remains unclear. Here we show that synaptic scaling – a slow process usually associated with the maintenance of activity homeostasis – combined with synaptic plasticity may simultaneously achieve both, thereby providing a natural separation of short- from long-term storage. The interaction between plasticity and scaling provides also an explanation for an established paradox where memory consolidation critically depends on the exact order of learning and recall. These results indicate that scaling may be fundamental for stabilizing memories, providing a dynamic link between early and late memory formation processes. PMID:24204240

Synaptic scaling enables dynamically distinct short- and long-term memory formation.

PubMed

Tetzlaff, Christian; Kolodziejski, Christoph; Timme, Marc; Tsodyks, Misha; Wörgötter, Florentin

2013-10-01

Memory storage in the brain relies on mechanisms acting on time scales from minutes, for long-term synaptic potentiation, to days, for memory consolidation. During such processes, neural circuits distinguish synapses relevant for forming a long-term storage, which are consolidated, from synapses of short-term storage, which fade. How time scale integration and synaptic differentiation is simultaneously achieved remains unclear. Here we show that synaptic scaling - a slow process usually associated with the maintenance of activity homeostasis - combined with synaptic plasticity may simultaneously achieve both, thereby providing a natural separation of short- from long-term storage. The interaction between plasticity and scaling provides also an explanation for an established paradox where memory consolidation critically depends on the exact order of learning and recall. These results indicate that scaling may be fundamental for stabilizing memories, providing a dynamic link between early and late memory formation processes.

An immune clock of human pregnancy

PubMed Central

Aghaeepour, Nima; Ganio, Edward A.; Mcilwain, David; Tsai, Amy S.; Tingle, Martha; Van Gassen, Sofie; Gaudilliere, Dyani K.; Baca, Quentin; McNeil, Leslie; Okada, Robin; Ghaemi, Mohammad S.; Furman, David; Wong, Ronald J.; Winn, Virginia D.; Druzin, Maurice L.; El-Sayed, Yaser Y.; Quaintance, Cecele; Gibbs, Ronald; Darmstadt, Gary L.; Shaw, Gary M.; Stevenson, David K.; Tibshirani, Robert; Nolan, Garry P.; Lewis, David B.; Angst, Martin S.; Gaudilliere, Brice

2017-01-01

The maintenance of pregnancy relies on finely tuned immune adaptations. We demonstrate that these adaptations are precisely timed, reflecting an immune clock of pregnancy in women delivering at term. Using mass cytometry, the abundance and functional responses of all major immune cell subsets were quantified in serial blood samples collected throughout pregnancy. Cell signaling–based Elastic Net, a regularized regression method adapted from the elastic net algorithm, was developed to infer and prospectively validate a predictive model of interrelated immune events that accurately captures the chronology of pregnancy. Model components highlighted existing knowledge and revealed previously unreported biology, including a critical role for the interleukin-2–dependent STAT5ab signaling pathway in modulating T cell function during pregnancy. These findings unravel the precise timing of immunological events occurring during a term pregnancy and provide the analytical framework to identify immunological deviations implicated in pregnancy-related pathologies. PMID:28864494

Intercontinental reassortment and genomic variation of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from northern pintails (Anas acuta) in Alaska: examining the evidence through space and time

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramey, Andrew M.; Pearce, John M.; Flint, Paul L.; Ip, Hon S.; Derksen, Dirk V.; Franson, J. Christian; Petrula, Michael J.; Scotton, Bradley D.; Sowl, Kristine M.; Wege, Michael L.; Trust, Kimberly A.

2010-01-01

Migration and population genetic data for northern pintails (Anas acuta) and phylogenetic analysis of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses from this host in Alaska suggest that northern pintails are involved in ongoing intercontinental transmission of avian influenza. Here, we further refine this conclusion through phylogenetic analyses which demonstrate that detection of foreign lineage gene segments is spatially dependent and consistent through time. Our results show detection of foreign lineage gene segments to be most likely at sample locations on the Alaska Peninsula and least likely along the Southern Alaska Coast. Asian lineages detected at four gene segments persisted across years, suggesting maintenance in avian hosts that migrate to Alaska each year from Asia or in hosts that remain in Alaska throughout the year. Alternatively, live viruses may persist in the environment and re-infect birds in subsequent seasons.

A state-based approach to trend recognition and failure prediction for the Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Kyle S.; Hadden, George D.

1992-01-01

A state-based reasoning approach to trend recognition and failure prediction for the Altitude Determination, and Control System (ADCS) of the Space Station Freedom (SSF) is described. The problem domain is characterized by features (e.g., trends and impending failures) that develop over a variety of time spans, anywhere from several minutes to several years. Our state-based reasoning approach, coupled with intelligent data screening, allows features to be tracked as they develop in a time-dependent manner. That is, each state machine has the ability to encode a time frame for the feature it detects. As features are detected, they are recorded and can be used as input to other state machines, creating a hierarchical feature recognition scheme. Furthermore, each machine can operate independently of the others, allowing simultaneous tracking of features. State-based reasoning was implemented in the trend recognition and the prognostic modules of a prototype Space Station Freedom Maintenance and Diagnostic System (SSFMDS) developed at Honeywell's Systems and Research Center.

Blue-Enriched Light Enhances Alertness but Impairs Accurate Performance in Evening Chronotypes Driving in the Morning.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Morilla, Beatriz; Madrid, Juan A; Molina, Enrique; Pérez-Navarro, José; Correa, Ángel

2018-01-01

Attention maintenance is highly demanding and typically leads to vigilance decrement along time on task. Therefore, performance in tasks involving vigilance maintenance for long periods, such as driving, tends to deteriorate over time. Cognitive performance has been demonstrated to fluctuate over 24 h of the day (known as circadian oscillations), thus showing peaks and troughs depending on the time of day (leading to optimal and suboptimal times of day, respectively). Consequently, vigilance decrements are more pronounced along time on task when it is performed at suboptimal times of day. According to research, light exposure (especially blue-enriched white) enhances alertness. Thus, it has been proposed to prevent the vigilance decrement under such adverse circumstances. We aimed to explore the effects of blue-enriched white light (vs. dim light) on the performance of a simulated driving task at a suboptimal time of day. A group of evening-types was tested at 8 am, as this chronotype had previously shown their largest vigilance decrement at that time. In the dim light condition, vigilance decrements were expected on both subjective (as increments in the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale scores) and behavioral measures [as slower reaction times (RTs) in the auditory Psychomotor Vigilance Task, slower RTs to unexpected events during driving, and deteriorated driving accuracy along time on task]. Physiological activation was expected to decrease (as indexed by an increase of the distal-proximal temperature gradient, DPG). Under blue-enriched white light, all these trends should be attenuated. Results from the control dim light condition replicated the vigilance decrement in all measures. Most important, the blue-enriched white light attenuated this decrement, leading to both lower DPG and faster RTs. However, it impaired accuracy of driving performance, and did not have any effect on subjective sleepiness. We conclude that exposure to blue-enriched light provides an effective countermeasure to enhance vigilance performance at suboptimal times of day, according to measures such as RTs. However, it should be considered that alerting effects of light could impair accuracy in precision tasks as keeping a proper car position. The current findings provide ergonomic implications for safety and fatigue related management systems.

Selective, retrieval-independent disruption of methamphetamine-associated memory by actin depolymerization.

PubMed

Young, Erica J; Aceti, Massimiliano; Griggs, Erica M; Fuchs, Rita A; Zigmond, Zachary; Rumbaugh, Gavin; Miller, Courtney A

2014-01-15

Memories associated with drugs of abuse, such as methamphetamine (METH), increase relapse vulnerability to substance use disorder. There is a growing consensus that memory is supported by structural and functional plasticity driven by F-actin polymerization in postsynaptic dendritic spines at excitatory synapses. However, the mechanisms responsible for the long-term maintenance of memories, after consolidation has occurred, are largely unknown. Conditioned place preference (n = 112) and context-induced reinstatement of self-administration (n = 19) were used to assess the role of F-actin polymerization and myosin II, a molecular motor that drives memory-promoting dendritic spine actin polymerization, in the maintenance of METH-associated memories and related structural plasticity. Memories formed through association with METH but not associations with foot shock or food reward were disrupted by a highly-specific actin cycling inhibitor when infused into the amygdala during the postconsolidation maintenance phase. This selective effect of depolymerization on METH-associated memory was immediate, persistent, and did not depend upon retrieval or strength of the association. Inhibition of non-muscle myosin II also resulted in a disruption of METH-associated memory. Thus, drug-associated memories seem to be actively maintained by a unique form of cycling F-actin driven by myosin II. This finding provides a potential therapeutic approach for the selective treatment of unwanted memories associated with psychiatric disorders that is both selective and does not rely on retrieval of the memory. The results further suggest that memory maintenance depends upon the preservation of polymerized actin. Copyright © 2014 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scaffolding software: How does it influence student conceptual understanding and motivation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Kyle A.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of scaffolding software on student conceptual understanding and motivation. This study also provides insight on how students use the scaffolding features found in Artemis and the extent to which features show a relationship to student conceptual understanding and motivation. A Randomized Solomon Four Group Design was used in this study. As students worked through a project based unit over photosynthesis, the students performed information seeking activities that were based on their own inquiry. For this purpose, the students in the experimental group used an example of scaffolding software called Artemis, while the students in the control group used a search engine of their choice. To measure conceptual understanding, the researcher analyzed student generated concept maps on photosynthesis using three different methods (quantitative, qualitative, hierarchical). To measure motivation, the researcher used a survey that measured motivation on five different indicators: intrinsic goal orientation, extrinsic goal orientation, task value, control of learning beliefs, self-efficacy for learning and performance. Finally, the researcher looked at the relationship and influence of the scaffolding features on two student performance scores at the end of the unit. This created a total of ten dependent variables in relationship to the treatment. Overall, the students used the collaborative features 25% of the time, the maintenance features 0.84% of the time, the organizational features 16% of the time, the saving/viewing features 7% of the time and the searching features 51% of the time. There were significant correlations between the saving/viewing features hits and the students' task value (r = .499, p < .05), the searching features hits and the students' self-efficacy for learning and performance (r = .553, p < .01), the collaborative features hits and the students' essay performance scores (r = .519, p < .05) and the maintenance features time and the qualitative analysis of the concept maps (r = .576, p < .01). Finally, the results indicated that the scaffolding features in Artemis did not influence student conceptual understanding and motivation.

42 CFR 2.34 - Disclosures to prevent multiple enrollments in detoxification and maintenance treatment programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... eliminate adverse physiological or psychological effects incident to withdrawal from the sustained use of a... individual for dependence upon heroin or other morphine-like drugs. Member program means a detoxification...

40 CFR 91.504 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the... shipped from the assembly plant, associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was...

40 CFR 91.504 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the... shipped from the assembly plant, associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was...

40 CFR 90.704 - Maintenance of records; submission of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 90.704 - Maintenance of records; submission of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 90.704 - Maintenance of records; submission of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 90.704 - Maintenance of records; submission of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the..., associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was received at the testing facility...

40 CFR 91.504 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the... shipped from the assembly plant, associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was...

40 CFR 91.504 - Maintenance of records; submittal of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... paper) or reduced to microfilm, floppy disk, or some other method of data storage, depending upon the... shipped from the assembly plant, associated storage facility or port facility, and the date the engine was...

Circadian glucocorticoid oscillations promote learning-dependent synapse formation and maintenance

PubMed Central

Liston, Conor; Cichon, Joseph M; Jeanneteau, Freddy; Jia, Zhengping; Chao, Moses V; Gan, Wen-Biao

2013-01-01

Excessive glucocorticoid exposure during chronic stress causes synapse loss and learning impairment. Under normal physiological conditions, glucocorticoid activity oscillates in synchrony with the circadian rhythm. Whether and how endogenous glucocorticoid oscillations modulate synaptic plasticity and learning is unknown. Here we show that circadian glucocorticoid peaks promote postsynaptic dendritic spine formation in the mouse cortex after motor skill learning, whereas troughs are required for stabilizing newly formed spines that are important for long-term memory retention. Conversely, chronic and excessive exposure to glucocorticoids eliminates learning-associated new spines and disrupts previously acquired memories. Furthermore, we show that glucocorticoids promote rapid spine formation through a non-transcriptional mechanism by means of the LIM kinase–cofilin pathway and increase spine elimination through transcriptional mechanisms involving mineralocorticoid receptor activation. Together, these findings indicate that tightly regulated circadian glucocorticoid oscillations are important for learning-dependent synaptic formation and maintenance. They also delineate a new signaling mechanism underlying these effects. PMID:23624512

Regulation of Telomere Homeostasis during Epstein-Barr virus Infection and Immortalization.

PubMed

Kamranvar, Siamak A; Masucci, Maria G

2017-08-09

The acquisition of unlimited proliferative potential is dependent on the activation of mechanisms for telomere maintenance, which counteracts telomere shortening and the consequent triggering of the DNA damage response, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. The capacity of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) to infect B-lymphocytes in vitro and transform the infected cells into autonomously proliferating immortal cell lines underlies the association of this human gamma-herpesvirus with a broad variety of lymphoid and epithelial cell malignancies. Current evidence suggests that both telomerase-dependent and -independent pathways of telomere elongation are activated in the infected cells during the early and late phases of virus-induced immortalization. Here we review the interaction of EBV with different components of the telomere maintenance machinery and the mechanisms by which the virus regulates telomere homeostasis in proliferating cells. We also discuss how these viral strategies may contribute to malignant transformation.

A multicriteria decision making approach applied to improving maintenance policies in healthcare organizations.

PubMed

Carnero, María Carmen; Gómez, Andrés

2016-04-23

Healthcare organizations have far greater maintenance needs for their medical equipment than other organization, as many are used directly with patients. However, the literature on asset management in healthcare organizations is very limited. The aim of this research is to provide more rational application of maintenance policies, leading to an increase in quality of care. This article describes a multicriteria decision-making approach which integrates Markov chains with the multicriteria Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical Based Evaluation Technique (MACBETH), to facilitate the best choice of combination of maintenance policies by using the judgements of a multi-disciplinary decision group. The proposed approach takes into account the level of acceptance that a given alternative would have among professionals. It also takes into account criteria related to cost, quality of care and impact of care cover. This multicriteria approach is applied to four dialysis subsystems: patients infected with hepatitis C, infected with hepatitis B, acute and chronic; in all cases, the maintenance strategy obtained consists of applying corrective and preventive maintenance plus two reserve machines. The added value in decision-making practices from this research comes from: (i) integrating the use of Markov chains to obtain the alternatives to be assessed by a multicriteria methodology; (ii) proposing the use of MACBETH to make rational decisions on asset management in healthcare organizations; (iii) applying the multicriteria approach to select a set or combination of maintenance policies in four dialysis subsystems of a health care organization. In the multicriteria decision making approach proposed, economic criteria have been used, related to the quality of care which is desired for patients (availability), and the acceptance that each alternative would have considering the maintenance and healthcare resources which exist in the organization, with the inclusion of a decision-making group. This approach is better suited to actual health care organization practice and depending on the subsystem analysed, improvements are introduced that are not included in normal maintenance policies; in this way, not only have different maintenance policies been suggested, but also alternatives that, in each case and according to viability, provide a more complete decision tool for the maintenance manager.

Planification de la maintenance d'un parc de turbines-alternateurs par programmation mathematique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoudjit, Hakim

A growing number of Hydro-Quebec's hydro generators are at the end of their useful life and maintenance managers fear to face a number of overhauls exceeding what can be handled. Maintenance crews and budgets are limited and these withdrawals may take up to a full year and mobilize significant resources in addition to the loss of electricity production. In addition, increased export sales forecasts and severe production patterns are expected to speed up wear that can lead to halting many units at the same time. Currently, expert judgment is at the heart of withdrawals which rely primarily on periodic inspections and in-situ measurements and the results are sent to the maintenance planning team who coordinate all the withdrawals decisions. The degradations phenomena taking place is random in nature and the prediction capability of wear using only inspections is limited to short-term at best. A long term planning of major overhauls is sought by managers for the sake of justifying and rationalizing budgets and resources. The maintenance managers are able to provide a huge amount of data. Among them, is the hourly production of each unit for several years, the repairs history on each part of a unit as well as major withdrawals since the 1950's. In this research, we tackle the problem of long term maintenance planning for a fleet of 90 hydro generators at Hydro-Quebec over a 50 years planning horizon period. We lay a scientific and rational framework to support withdrawals decisions by using part of the available data and maintenance history while fulfilling a set of technical and economic constraints. We propose a planning approach based on a constrained optimization framework. We begin by decomposing and sorting hydro generator components to highlight the most influential parts. A failure rate model is developed to take into account the technical characteristics and unit utilization. Then, replacement and repair policies are evaluated for each of the components then strategies are derived for the whole unit. Traditional univariate policies such as the age replacement policy and the minimal repair policy are calculated. These policies are extended to build alternative bivariate maintenance policy as well as a repair strategy where the state of a component after a repair is rejuvenated by a constant coefficient. These templates form the basis for the calculation of objective function for the scheduling problem. On one hand, this issue is treated as a nonlinear problem where the objective is to minimize the average total maintenance cost per unit of time on an infinite horizon for the fleet with technical and economic constraints. A formulation is also proposed in the case of a finite time horizon. In the event of electricity production variation, and given that the usage profile is known, the influence of production scenarios is reflected on the unit's components through their failure rate. In this context, prognoses on possible resources problems are made by studying the characteristics of the generated plans. On the second hand, the withdrawals are now subjected to two decision criteria. In addition to minimizing the average total maintenance cost per unit of time on an infinite time horizon, the best achievable reliability of remaining turbo generators is sought. This problem is treated as a biobjective nonlinear optimization problem. Finally a series of problems describing multiple contexts are solved for planning renovations of 90 turbo generators units considering 3 major components in each unit and 2 types of maintenance policies for each component.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome during maintenance therapy of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with continuous asparaginase therapy and mercaptopurine metabolites.

PubMed

Toksvang, Linea Natalie; De Pietri, Silvia; Nielsen, Stine N; Nersting, Jacob; Albertsen, Birgitte K; Wehner, Peder S; Rosthøj, Steen; Lähteenmäki, Päivi M; Nilsson, Daniel; Nystad, Tove A; Grell, Kathrine; Frandsen, Thomas L; Schmiegelow, Kjeld

2017-09-01

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) during treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has mainly been associated with 6-thioguanine. The occurrence of several SOS cases after the introduction of extended pegylated asparaginase (PEG-asparaginase) therapy in the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO) ALL2008 protocol led us to hypothesize that PEG-asparaginase, combined with other drugs, may trigger SOS during 6-thioguanine-free maintenance therapy. In children with ALL treated in Denmark according to the NOPHO ALL2008 protocol, we investigated the risk of SOS during methotrexate (MTX)/6-mercaptopurine (6MP) maintenance therapy that included PEG-asparaginase until week 33 (randomized to two- vs. six-week intervals), as well as alternating high-dose MTX or vincristine/dexamethasone pulses every four weeks. Among 130 children receiving PEG-asparaginase biweekly, 29 developed SOS (≥2 criteria: hyperbilirubinemia, hepatomegaly, ascites, weight gain ≥2.5%, unexplained thrombocytopenia <75 × 10 9 l -1 ) at a median of 30 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 17-66) into maintenance (cumulative incidence: 27%). SOS cases fulfilling one, two, or three Ponte di Legno criteria were classified as possible (n = 2), probable (n = 8), or verified (n = 19) SOS, respectively. Twenty-six cases (90%) occurred during PEG-asparaginase treatment, including 21 (81%) within 14 days from the last chemotherapy pulse compared with the subsequent 14 days (P = 0.0025). Cytotoxic 6MP metabolites were significantly higher on PEG-asparaginase compared to after its discontinuation. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis showed increased SOS hazard ratio (HR) for erythrocyte levels of methylated 6MP metabolites (HR: 1.09 per 1,000 nmol/mmol hemoglobin increase, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.14). Six-week PEG-asparaginase intervals significantly reduced SOS-specific hazards (P < 0.01). PEG-asparaginase increases cytotoxic 6MP metabolite levels and risk of SOS, potentially interacting with other chemotherapy pulses. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Indoor volatile organic compounds: concentrations, sources, variation factors].

PubMed

Palot, A; Charpin-Kadouch, C; Ercoli, J; Charpin, D

2008-06-01

Volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.) are part of urban air pollution and are also generated indoors from cleaning and maintenance products. VOC measurements are, on average, 10 times higher within homes than outside. Results of the national survey led by the Observatoire National de la Qualité de l'Air Intérieur demonstrated that up to 25% of French homes have very high or high concentrations of VOC. Indoor levels depend mainly on indoor sources. Aldehydes are included in many everyday life products. VOC originate from various household decorating and cleaning products. Some products are less detrimental to the environment and health and have special labelling. Indoor VOC levels also depend on the rate of air exchange and on household characteristics such as indoor temperature and humidity, age of the building, presence of smokers, and communication with a garage. The public may participate in maintaining good indoor air quality and the authorities should also improve regulations. VOC are part of everyday air pollution. Their sources and concentrations should be better monitored.

miR-191 and miR-135 are required for long-lasting spine remodelling associated with synaptic long-term depression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zhonghua; Yu, Danni; Gu, Qin-Hua; Yang, Yanqin; Tu, Kang; Zhu, Jun; Li, Zheng

2014-02-01

Activity-dependent modification of dendritic spines, subcellular compartments accommodating postsynaptic specializations in the brain, is an important cellular mechanism for brain development, cognition and synaptic pathology of brain disorders. NMDA receptor-dependent long-term depression (NMDAR-LTD), a prototypic form of synaptic plasticity, is accompanied by prolonged remodelling of spines. The mechanisms underlying long-lasting spine remodelling in NMDAR-LTD, however, are largely unclear. Here we show that LTD induction causes global changes in miRNA transcriptomes affecting many cellular activities. Specifically, we show that expression changes of miR-191 and miR-135 are required for maintenance but not induction of spine restructuring. Moreover, we find that actin depolymerization and AMPA receptor exocytosis are regulated for extended periods of time by miRNAs to support long-lasting spine plasticity. These findings reveal a miRNA-mediated mechanism and a role for AMPA receptor exocytosis in long-lasting spine plasticity, and identify a number of candidate miRNAs involved in LTD.

Computerized Fleet Maintenance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cataldo, John J.

The computerization of school bus maintenance records by the Niskayuna (New York) Central School District enabled the district's transportation department to engage in management practices resulting in significant savings. The district obtains computer analyses of the work performed on all vehicles, including time spent, parts, labor, costs,…

Human factors in airway facilities maintenance : development of a prototype outage assessment inventory.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-02-01

The airway facilities (AF) maintenance community is concerned with identifying ways of reducing both the incidence of equipment failure and the amount of time required to restore equipment to operational status following a failure. It is vitally impo...

Investigation of the implementation of a probe-vehicle based pavement roughness estimation system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-08-01

As roadway systems age and maintenance budgets shrink, a need emerges for timely and roughness data for pavement maintenance decision-making. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) maintains the third-largest state network of roadways in Am...