Framework for a space shuttle main engine health monitoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawman, Michael W.; Galinaitis, William S.; Tulpule, Sharayu; Mattedi, Anita K.; Kamenetz, Jeffrey

1990-01-01

A framework developed for a health management system (HMS) which is directed at improving the safety of operation of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is summarized. An emphasis was placed on near term technology through requirements to use existing SSME instrumentation and to demonstrate the HMS during SSME ground tests within five years. The HMS framework was developed through an analysis of SSME failure modes, fault detection algorithms, sensor technologies, and hardware architectures. A key feature of the HMS framework design is that a clear path from the ground test system to a flight HMS was maintained. Fault detection techniques based on time series, nonlinear regression, and clustering algorithms were developed and demonstrated on data from SSME ground test failures. The fault detection algorithms exhibited 100 percent detection of faults, had an extremely low false alarm rate, and were robust to sensor loss. These algorithms were incorporated into a hierarchical decision making strategy for overall assessment of SSME health. A preliminary design for a hardware architecture capable of supporting real time operation of the HMS functions was developed. Utilizing modular, commercial off-the-shelf components produced a reliable low cost design with the flexibility to incorporate advances in algorithm and sensor technology as they become available.

Evidence of natural selection acting on a polymorphic hybrid incompatibility locus in Mimulus.

PubMed

Sweigart, Andrea L; Flagel, Lex E

2015-02-01

As a common cause of reproductive isolation in diverse taxa, hybrid incompatibilities are fundamentally important to speciation. A key question is which evolutionary forces drive the initial substitutions within species that lead to hybrid dysfunction. Previously, we discovered a simple genetic incompatibility that causes nearly complete male sterility and partial female sterility in hybrids between the two closely related yellow monkeyflower species Mimulus guttatus and M. nasutus. In this report, we fine map the two major incompatibility loci-hybrid male sterility 1 (hms1) and hybrid male sterility 2 (hms2)-to small nuclear genomic regions (each <70 kb) that include strong candidate genes. With this improved genetic resolution, we also investigate the evolutionary dynamics of hms1 in a natural population of M. guttatus known to be polymorphic at this locus. Using classical genetic crosses and population genomics, we show that a 320-kb region containing the hms1 incompatibility allele has risen to intermediate frequency in this population by strong natural selection. This finding provides direct evidence that natural selection within plant species can lead to hybrid dysfunction between species. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

Gold recovery from low concentrations using nanoporous silica adsorbent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aledresse, Adil

The development of high capacity adsorbents with uniform porosity denoted 5%MP-HMS (5% Mercaptopropyl-Hexagonal Mesoporous Structure) to extract gold from noncyanide solutions is presented. The preliminary studies from laboratory simulated noncyanide gold solutions show that the adsorption capacities of these materials are among the highest reported. The high adsorption saturation level of these materials, up to 1.9 mmol/g (37% of the adsorbent weight) from gold chloride solutions (potassium tetrachloroaurate) and 2.9 mmol/g (57% of the adsorbent weight) from gold bromide solutions (potassium tetrabromoaurate) at pH = 2, is a noteworthy feature of these materials. This gold loading from [AuC4]- and [AuBr4 ]- solutions corresponds to a relative Au:S molar ratio of 2.5:1 and 3.8:1, respectively. These rates are significantly higher than the usual 1:1 (Au:S) ratio expected for metal ion binding with the material. The additional gold ions loaded have been spontaneously reduced to metallic gold in the mesoporous material. Experimental studies indicated high maximum adsorptions of gold as high as 99.9% recovery. Another promising attribute of these materials is their favourable adsorption kinetics. The MP-HMS reaches equilibrium (saturation) in less than 1 minute of exposure in gold bromide and less than 10 minutes in gold chloride. The MP-HMS materials adsorption is significantly improved by agitation and the adsorption capacity of Au (III) ions increases with the decrease in pH. The recovery of adsorbed gold and the regeneration of spent adsorbent were investigated for MP-HMS adsorbent. The regenerated adsorbent (MP-HMS) maintained its adsorption capacity even after repeated use and all the gold was successfully recovered from the spent adsorbent. For the fist time, a promising adsorbent system has been found that is capable of effectively concentrating gold thiosulphate complexes, whereas conventional carbon-inpulp (CIP) and carbon-in-leach (CIL) systems fail. The gold adsorption shows the high affinity of the mesoporous material to the gold-thiosulphate ([Au (S2O3)2]3- ) ions. A high adsorption saturation level for these materials was found, up to 0.25 mmol (5 mg) Au/g of HMS from gold-thiosulphate solutions. When ammonia was added to the thiosulphate solutions, with or without added copper, the mesoporous material (HMS) achieved the maximum adsorption, 0.24 mmol (47 mg) Au/g of HMS at pH = 7, where as 0.14 mmol (28 mg) Au/g was adsorbed from ammonia-thiosulphate solution at pH > 6. For the fist time, a promising adsorbent system has been found that is capable of effectively concentrating gold thiosulphate complexes, whereas conventional carbon-in-pulp (CIP) and carbon-in-leach (CIL) systems fail. For process design of gold adsorption by HMS particles, certain engineering conditions and practical limitations have to be considered, including particle size of the MP-HMS. Therefore, several experiments have been conducted to enlarge the size of the very fine MP-HMS particles to a size (1--2mm) satisfying the engineering requirements for process design in a real practical and industrial process. The agglomerated mesoporous materials, using sodium metasilicate (Na 2SiO3) binder, adsorbed gold ions in the range of 51%--63% of what the parent HMS powder adsorb. That means the agglomerates can adsorb 19--23% of their own weight (or 190--230 mg Au per one gram of the agglomerated HMS) from [AuCL4]- which is still very satisfactory and acceptable comparing to the current used adsorbents.

Subcritical water treatment of explosive and heavy metals co-contaminated soil: Removal of the explosive, and immobilization and risk assessment of heavy metals.

PubMed

Islam, Mohammad Nazrul; Jung, Ho-Young; Park, Jeong-Hun

2015-11-01

Co-contamination of explosives and heavy metals (HMs) in soil, particularly army shooting range soil, has received increasing environmental concern due to toxicity and risks to ecological systems. In this study, a subcritical water (SCW) extraction process was used to remediate the explosives-plus-HMs-co-contaminated soil. A quantitative evaluation of explosives in the treated soil, compared with untreated soil, was applied to assess explosive removal. The immobilization of HMs was assessed by toxicity characteristic leaching procedure tests, and by investigating the migration of HMs fractions. The environmental risk of HMs in the soil residue was assessed according to the risk assessment code (RAC) and ecological risk indices (Er and RI). The results indicated that SCW treatment could eliminate the explosives, >99%, during the remediation, while the HM was effectively immobilized. The effect of water temperature on reducing the explosives and the risk of HMs in soil was observed. A marked increase in the non-bioavailable concentration of each HM was observed, and the leaching rate of HMs was decreased by 70-97% after SCW treatment at 250 °C, showing the effective immobilization of HMs. According to the RAC or RI, each tested HM showed no or low risk to the environment after treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Novel Physical Sensing Principle for Liquid Characterization Using Paper-Based Hygro-Mechanical Systems (PB-HMS).

PubMed

Perez-Cruz, Angel; Stiharu, Ion; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Aurelio

2017-07-20

In recent years paper-based microfluidic systems have emerged as versatile tools for developing sensors in different areas. In this work; we report a novel physical sensing principle for the characterization of liquids using a paper-based hygro-mechanical system (PB-HMS). The PB-HMS is formed by the interaction of liquid droplets and paper-based mini-structures such as cantilever beams. The proposed principle takes advantage of the hygroscopic properties of paper to produce hygro-mechanical motion. The dynamic response of the PB-HMS reveals information about the tested liquid that can be applied to characterize certain properties of liquids. A suggested method to characterize liquids by means of the proposed principle is introduced. The experimental results show the feasibility of such a method. It is expected that the proposed principle may be applied to sense properties of liquids in different applications where both disposability and portability are of extreme importance.

The Yersinia pestis Rcs phosphorelay inhibits biofilm formation by repressing transcription of the diguanylate cyclase gene hmsT.

PubMed

Sun, Yi-Cheng; Guo, Xiao-Peng; Hinnebusch, B Joseph; Darby, Creg

2012-04-01

Yersinia pestis, which causes bubonic plague, forms biofilms in fleas, its insect vectors, as a means to enhance transmission. Biofilm development is positively regulated by hmsT, encoding a diguanylate cyclase that synthesizes the bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP. Biofilm development is negatively regulated by the Rcs phosphorelay signal transduction system. In this study, we show that Rcs-negative regulation is accomplished by repressing transcription of hmsT.

Thermodynamic analysis on heavy metals partitioning impacted by moisture during the MSW incineration

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

Zhang Yanguo; Li Qinghai; Jia Jinyan

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Partitioning of HMs affected by moisture was investigated by thermodynamic analysis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Increase in moisture and in temperature was opposite impact on HMs contribution. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The extent of temperature decreased by increase in moisture determines the impact. - Abstract: A thermodynamic calculation was carried out to predict the behavior and speciation of heavy metals (HMs), Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd, during municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration with the different moisture levels. The calculation was based on the minimization of the total Gibbs free energy of the multi-components and multi-phases closed system reaching chemical equilibrium. The calculation also indicatedmore » the reaction directions and tendencies of HMs components. The impacts of chlorine additives (No PVC, 1%PVC, and 5%PVC) and moisture on the behavior of HMs were investigated at different temperature levels in the system (750 Degree-Sign C, 950 Degree-Sign C, and 1150 Degree-Sign C). Furthermore, because the incineration temperature falls down with the increase in moisture in waste, the co-influence of moisture and temperature in combusting MSW on the HMs was also studied with the given chlorine (as 1%PVC + 0.5%NaCl). The results showed that in the non-chlorine system, the impact of the moisture on Pb, Zn, and Cu was not significant, and the ratio of compound transformation was less than 10%, except the Cd compounds at 950 Degree-Sign C and 1150 Degree-Sign C. In the system with low chlorine (as 1%PVC) at constant temperature, the chlorides of HMs (Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu) transferred to oxides, and when the content of chlorine rose up (as 5%PVC), the ratio of the chlorides of HMs (Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu) transferring to oxides fell down noticeably. When the moisture varied together with the temperature, the Zn and Cu compounds transferred from chlorides to oxides with increase in moisture as well as decrease in temperature. At the temperature of 700-1000 Degree-Sign C, the impact of temperature on Pb and Cd was little and the moisture was the main factor; while at the temperature of 1000-1200 Degree-Sign C, the impact of increase in moisture and decrease in temperature on Pb and Cd was almost equal and reversed.« less

Improving predictions of the effects of extreme events, land use, and climate change on the hydrology of watersheds in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavidez, Rubianca; Jackson, Bethanna; Maxwell, Deborah; Paringit, Enrico

2016-05-01

Due to its location within the typhoon belt, the Philippines is vulnerable to tropical cyclones that can cause destructive floods. Climate change is likely to exacerbate these risks through increases in tropical cyclone frequency and intensity. To protect populations and infrastructure, disaster risk management in the Philippines focuses on real-time flood forecasting and structural measures such as dikes and retaining walls. Real-time flood forecasting in the Philippines mostly utilises two models from the Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC): the Hydrologic Modeling System (HMS) for watershed modelling, and the River Analysis System (RAS) for inundation modelling. This research focuses on using non-structural measures for flood mitigation, such as changing land use management or watershed rehabilitation. This is being done by parameterising and applying the Land Utilisation and Capability Indicator (LUCI) model to the Cagayan de Oro watershed (1400 km2) in southern Philippines. The LUCI model is capable of identifying areas providing ecosystem services such as flood mitigation and agricultural productivity, and analysing trade-offs between services. It can also assess whether management interventions could enhance or degrade ecosystem services at fine spatial scales. The LUCI model was used to identify areas within the watershed that are providing flood mitigating services and areas that would benefit from management interventions. For the preliminary comparison, LUCI and HEC-HMS were run under the same scenario: baseline land use and the extreme rainfall event of Typhoon Bopha. The hydrographs from both models were then input to HEC-RAS to produce inundation maps. The novelty of this research is two-fold: (1) this type of ecosystem service modelling has not been carried out in the Cagayan de Oro watershed; and (2) this is the first application of the LUCI model in the Philippines. Since this research is still ongoing, the results presented in this paper are preliminary. As the land use and soil parameterisation for this watershed are refined and more scenarios are run through the model, more robust comparisons can be made between the hydrographs produced by LUCI and HEC-HMS and how those differences affect the inundation map produced by HEC-RAS.

Hanford meteorological station computer codes: Volume 9, The quality assurance computer codes

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

Burk, K.W.; Andrews, G.L.

1989-02-01

The Hanford Meteorological Station (HMS) was established in 1944 on the Hanford Site to collect and archive meteorological data and provide weather forecasts and related services for Hanford Site approximately 1/2 mile east of the 200 West Area and is operated by PNL for the US Department of Energy. Meteorological data are collected from various sensors and equipment located on and off the Hanford Site. These data are stored in data bases on the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAX 11/750 at the HMS (hereafter referred to as the HMS computer). Files from those data bases are routinely transferred to themore » Emergency Management System (EMS) computer at the Unified Dose Assessment Center (UDAC). To ensure the quality and integrity of the HMS data, a set of Quality Assurance (QA) computer codes has been written. The codes will be routinely used by the HMS system manager or the data base custodian. The QA codes provide detailed output files that will be used in correcting erroneous data. The following sections in this volume describe the implementation and operation of QA computer codes. The appendices contain detailed descriptions, flow charts, and source code listings of each computer code. 2 refs.« less

Thermoelectric Properties of the Quasi-Binary MnSi1.73-FeSi2 System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadia, Yatir; Madar, Naor; Kaler, Ilan; Gelbstein, Yaniv

2015-06-01

The higher manganese silicides (HMS) are regarded as very attractive p-type thermoelectric materials for direct conversion of heat to electricity. To compete with other thermodynamic engines (e.g. the Stirling and Rankine cycles), however, the thermoelectric figure of merit of such silicides must be improved. HMS follow a complicated solidification reaction on cooling from the melt, which leads to formation of undesired secondary phases. Furthermore, the electronic carrier concentration of HMS is much higher than the optimum for thermoelectric applications and should be compensated by introduction of doping agents. In this research, the electronic donor action associated with substitution of HMS by FeSi2 was investigated. The effects of excess Si on phase distribution and thermoelectric properties are also discussed in detail.

Generalized Hyperalgesia in Children and Adults Diagnosed With Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type: A Discriminative Analysis.

PubMed

Scheper, M C; Pacey, V; Rombaut, L; Adams, R D; Tofts, L; Calders, P; Nicholson, L L; Engelbert, R H H

2017-03-01

Lowered pressure-pain thresholds have been demonstrated in adults with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type (EDS-HT), but whether these findings are also present in children is unclear. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to determine whether generalized hyperalgesia is present in children with hypermobility syndrome (HMS)/EDS-HT, explore potential differences in pressure-pain thresholds between children and adults with HMS/EDS-HT, and determine the discriminative value of generalized hyperalgesia. Patients were classified in 1 of 3 groups: HMS/EDS-HT, hypermobile (Beighton score ≥4 of 9), and healthy controls. Descriptive data of age, sex, body mass index, Beighton score, skin laxity, and medication usage were collected. Generalized hyperalgesia was quantified by the average pressure-pain thresholds collected from 12 locations. Confounders collected were pain locations/intensity, fatigue, and psychological distress. Comparisons between children with HMS/EDS-HT and normative values, between children and adults with HMS/EDS-HT, and corrected confounders were analyzed with multivariate analysis of covariance. The discriminative value of generalized hyperalgesia employed to differentiate between HMS/EDS-HT, hypermobility, and controls was quantified with logistic regression. Significantly lower pressure-pain thresholds were found in children with HMS/EDS-HT compared to normative values (range -22.0% to -59.0%; P ≤ 0.05). When applying a threshold of 30.8 N/cm 2 for males and 29.0 N/cm 2 for females, the presence of generalized hyperalgesia discriminated between individuals with HMS/EDS-HT, hypermobility, and healthy controls (odds ratio 6.0). Children and adults with HMS/EDS-HT are characterized by hypermobility, chronic pain, and generalized hyperalgesia. The presence of generalized hyperalgesia may indicate involvement of the central nervous system in the development of chronic pain. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Differential neuroendocrine responses to chronic variable stress in adult Long Evans rats exposed to handling-maternal separation as neonates.

PubMed

Ladd, Charlotte O; Thrivikraman, K V; Huot, Rebecca L; Plotsky, Paul M

2005-07-01

Burgeoning evidence supports a preeminent role for early- and late-life stressors in the development of physio- and psychopathology. Handling-maternal separation (HMS) in neonatal Long Evans hooded rats leads to stable phenotypes ranging from resilient to vulnerable to later stressor exposure. Handling with 180 min of maternal separation yields a phenotype of stress hyper-responsiveness associated with facilitation of regional CRF neurocircuits and glucocorticoid resistance. This study assessed whether or not prolonged HMS (180 min/day, HMS180) on post-natal days 2-14 sensitizes the adult limbic hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis to chronic variable stress (CS) compared to brief HMS (15 min/day, HMS15). We examined regional mRNA densities of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), its receptor CRF1, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR); regional CRF1 and CRF2alpha binding, and pituitary-adrenal responses to an acute air-puff startle (APS) stressor in four groups: HMS15, nonstressed; HMS15, stressed; HMS180, nonstressed; HMS180, stressed. As expected we observed exaggerated pituitary-adrenal responses to APS, increased regional CRF mRNA density, decreased regional CRF1 binding, and decreased cortical GR mRNA density in nonstressed HMS180 vs. HMS15 animals. However, in contrast to our hypothesis, CS decreased pituitary-adrenal reactivity and central amygdala CRF mRNA density in HMS180 rats, while increasing cortical GR mRNA density and CRF1 binding. CS had no effect on the pituitary-adrenal response to APS in HMS15 rats, despite tripling hypothalamic paraventricular CRF mRNA density. The data suggest that many effects of prolonged HMS are reversible in adulthood by CS, while the neuroendocrine adaptations imbued by brief HMS are sufficiently stable to restrain pituitary-adrenal stress responses even following CS.

Human Machine Interface Programming and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Thomas Garrison

2013-01-01

Human Machine Interface (HMI) Programming and Testing is about creating graphical displays to mimic mission critical ground control systems in order to provide NASA engineers with the ability to monitor the health management of these systems in real time. The Health Management System (HMS) is an online interactive human machine interface system that monitors all Kennedy Ground Control Subsystem (KGCS) hardware in the field. The Health Management System is essential to NASA engineers because it allows remote control and monitoring of the health management systems of all the Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and associated field devices. KGCS will have equipment installed at the launch pad, Vehicle Assembly Building, Mobile Launcher, as well as the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility. I am designing graphical displays to monitor and control new modules that will be integrated into the HMS. The design of the display screen will closely mimic the appearance and functionality of the actual modules. There are many different field devices used to monitor health management and each device has its own unique set of health management related data, therefore each display must also have its own unique way to display this data. Once the displays are created, the RSLogix5000 application is used to write software that maps all the required data read from the hardware to the graphical display. Once this data is mapped to its corresponding display item, the graphical display and hardware device will be connected through the same network in order to test all possible scenarios and types of data the graphical display was designed to receive. Test Procedures will be written to thoroughly test out the displays and ensure that they are working correctly before being deployed to the field. Additionally, the Kennedy Ground Controls Subsystem's user manual will be updated to explain to the NASA engineers how to use the new module displays.

Predictability in space launch vehicle anomaly detection using intelligent neuro-fuzzy systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulati, Sandeep; Toomarian, Nikzad; Barhen, Jacob; Maccalla, Ayanna; Tawel, Raoul; Thakoor, Anil; Daud, Taher

1994-01-01

Included in this viewgraph presentation on intelligent neuroprocessors for launch vehicle health management systems (HMS) are the following: where the flight failures have been in launch vehicles; cumulative delay time; breakdown of operations hours; failure of Mars Probe; vehicle health management (VHM) cost optimizing curve; target HMS-STS auxiliary power unit location; APU monitoring and diagnosis; and integration of neural networks and fuzzy logic.

Slow-Absorbing Modified Starch before and during Prolonged Cycling Increases Fat Oxidation and Gastrointestinal Distress without Changing Performance

PubMed Central

Baur, Daniel A.; Vargas, Fernanda de C. S.; Bach, Christopher W.; Garvey, Jordan A.; Ormsbee, Michael J.

2016-01-01

While prior research reported altered fuel utilization stemming from pre-exercise modified starch ingestion, the practical value of this starch for endurance athletes who consume carbohydrates both before and during exercise is yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ingesting a hydrothermally-modified starch supplement (HMS) before and during cycling on performance, metabolism, and gastrointestinal comfort. In a crossover design, 10 male cyclists underwent three nutritional interventions: (1) a commercially available sucrose/glucose supplement (G) 30 min before (60 g carbohydrate) and every 15 min during exercise (60 g∙h−1); (2) HMS consumed at the same time points before and during exercise in isocaloric amounts to G (Iso HMS); and (3) HMS 30 min before (60 g carbohydrate) and every 60 min during exercise (30 g·h−1; Low HMS). The exercise protocol (~3 h) consisted of 1 h at 50% Wmax, 8 × 2-min intervals at 80% Wmax, and 10 maximal sprints. There were no differences in sprint performance with Iso HMS vs. G, while both G and Iso HMS likely resulted in small performance enhancements (5.0%; 90% confidence interval = ±5.3% and 4.4%; ±3.2%, respectively) relative to Low HMS. Iso HMS and Low HMS enhanced fat oxidation (31.6%; ±20.1%; very likely (Iso); 20.9%; ±16.1%; likely (Low), and reduced carbohydrate oxidation (−19.2%; ±7.6%; most likely; −22.1%; ±12.9%; very likely) during exercise relative to G. However, nausea was increased during repeated sprints with ingestion of Iso HMS (17 scale units; ±18; likely) and Low HMS (18; ±14; likely) vs. G. Covariate analysis revealed that gastrointestinal distress was associated with reductions in performance with Low HMS vs. G (likely), but this relationship was unclear with Iso HMS vs. G. In conclusion, pre- and during-exercise ingestion of HMS increases fat oxidation relative to G. However, changes do not translate to performance improvements, possibly owing to HMS-associated increases in gastrointestinal distress, which is not attenuated by reducing the intake rate of HMS during exercise. PMID:27347999

Slow-Absorbing Modified Starch before and during Prolonged Cycling Increases Fat Oxidation and Gastrointestinal Distress without Changing Performance.

PubMed

Baur, Daniel A; Vargas, Fernanda de C S; Bach, Christopher W; Garvey, Jordan A; Ormsbee, Michael J

2016-06-25

While prior research reported altered fuel utilization stemming from pre-exercise modified starch ingestion, the practical value of this starch for endurance athletes who consume carbohydrates both before and during exercise is yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ingesting a hydrothermally-modified starch supplement (HMS) before and during cycling on performance, metabolism, and gastrointestinal comfort. In a crossover design, 10 male cyclists underwent three nutritional interventions: (1) a commercially available sucrose/glucose supplement (G) 30 min before (60 g carbohydrate) and every 15 min during exercise (60 g∙h(-1)); (2) HMS consumed at the same time points before and during exercise in isocaloric amounts to G (Iso HMS); and (3) HMS 30 min before (60 g carbohydrate) and every 60 min during exercise (30 g·h(-1); Low HMS). The exercise protocol (~3 h) consisted of 1 h at 50% Wmax, 8 × 2-min intervals at 80% Wmax, and 10 maximal sprints. There were no differences in sprint performance with Iso HMS vs. G, while both G and Iso HMS likely resulted in small performance enhancements (5.0%; 90% confidence interval = ±5.3% and 4.4%; ±3.2%, respectively) relative to Low HMS. Iso HMS and Low HMS enhanced fat oxidation (31.6%; ±20.1%; very likely (Iso); 20.9%; ±16.1%; likely (Low), and reduced carbohydrate oxidation (-19.2%; ±7.6%; most likely; -22.1%; ±12.9%; very likely) during exercise relative to G. However, nausea was increased during repeated sprints with ingestion of Iso HMS (17 scale units; ±18; likely) and Low HMS (18; ±14; likely) vs. G. Covariate analysis revealed that gastrointestinal distress was associated with reductions in performance with Low HMS vs. G (likely), but this relationship was unclear with Iso HMS vs. G. In conclusion, pre- and during-exercise ingestion of HMS increases fat oxidation relative to G. However, changes do not translate to performance improvements, possibly owing to HMS-associated increases in gastrointestinal distress, which is not attenuated by reducing the intake rate of HMS during exercise.

No Variation in Patient Care Outcomes After Implementation of Resident Shift Work Duty Hour Limitations and a Hospitalist Model System.

PubMed

Hollier, John M; Wilson, Stephen D

This study examines whether implementing a resident shift work schedule (RSWS) alone or combined with a hospitalist-led model system (HMS/RSWS) affects patient care outcomes or costs at a pediatric tertiary care teaching hospital. A retrospective sample compared pre- and postintervention groups for the most common primary discharge diagnoses, including asthma and cellulitis (RSWS intervention) and inflammatory bowel disease and diabetic ketoacidosis (HMS/RSWS intervention). Outcome variables included length of stay, number of subspecialty consultations, and hospitalization charges. For the RSWS intervention, the preintervention (n = 107) and postintervention (n = 92) groups showed no difference in any of the outcome variables. For the HMS/RSWS intervention, the preintervention (n = 98) and postintervention (n = 69) groups did not differ in demographics or length of stay. However, subspecialty consultations increased significantly during postintervention from 0.83 to 1.52 consults/hospitalization ( P < .01) without significantly increasing hospitalization charges. Neither the RSWS nor HMS/RSWS intervention affected patient care outcomes at a pediatric tertiary care teaching hospital.

Long Term Uncertainty Investigations of 1 MN Force Calibration Machine at NPL, India (NPLI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Rajesh; Kumar, Harish; Kumar, Anil; Vikram

2012-01-01

The present paper is an attempt to study the long term uncertainty of 1 MN hydraulic multiplication system (HMS) force calibration machine (FCM) at the National Physical Laboratory, India (NPLI), which is used for calibration of the force measuring instruments in the range of 100 kN - 1 MN. The 1 MN HMS FCM was installed at NPLI in 1993 and was built on the principle of hydraulic amplifications of dead weights. The best measurement capability (BMC) of the machine is ± 0.025% (k = 2) and it is traceable to national standards by means of precision force transfer standards (FTS). The present study discusses the uncertainty variations of the 1 MN HMS FCM over the years and describes the other parameters in detail, too. The 1 MN HMS FCM was calibrated in the years 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the results have been reported.

Genome-wide dissection of hybrid sterility in Drosophila confirms a polygenic threshold architecture.

PubMed

Morán, Tomás; Fontdevila, Antonio

2014-01-01

To date, different studies about the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility (HMS), a postzygotic reproductive barrier thoroughly investigated using Drosophila species, have demonstrated that no single major gene can produce hybrid sterility without the cooperation of several genetic factors. Early work using hybrids between Drosophila koepferae (Dk) and Drosophila buzzatii (Db) was consistent with the idea that HMS requires the cooperation of several genetic factors, supporting a polygenic threshold (PT) model. Here we present a genome-wide mapping strategy to test the PT model, analyzing serially backcrossed fertile and sterile males in which the Dk genome was introgressed into the Db background. We identified 32 Dk-specific markers significantly associated with hybrid sterility. Our results demonstrate 1) a strong correlation between the number of segregated sterility markers and males' degree of sterility, 2) the exchangeability among markers, 3) their tendency to cluster into low-recombining chromosomal regions, and 4) the requirement for a minimum number (threshold) of markers to elicit sterility. Although our findings do not contradict a role for occasional major hybrid-sterility genes, they conform more to the view that HMS primarily evolves by the cumulative action of many interacting genes of minor effect in a complex PT architecture.

Hollow mesoporous silica as a high drug loading carrier for regulation insoluble drug release.

PubMed

Geng, Hongjian; Zhao, Yating; Liu, Jia; Cui, Yu; Wang, Ying; Zhao, Qinfu; Wang, Siling

2016-08-20

The purpose of this study was to develop a high drug loading hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMS) and apply for regulation insoluble drug release. HMS was synthesized using hard template phenolic resin nanoparticles with the aid of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), which was simple and inexpensive. To compare the difference between normal mesoporous silica (NMS) and hollow mesoporous silica in drug loading efficiency, drug release behavior and solid state, NMS was also prepared by soft template method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), specific surface area analysis, FT-IR and zeta potential were employed to characterize the morphology structure and physicochemical property of these carriers. The insoluble drugs, carvedilol and fenofibrate(Car and Fen), were chosen as the model drug to be loaded into HMS and NMS. We also chose methylene blue (MB) as a basic dye to estimate the adsorption ability of these carriers from macroscopic and microscopic view, and the drug-loaded carriers were systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis spectrophotometry. What' more, the in vivo process of HMS was also study by confocal microscopy and in vivo fluorescence imaging. In order to confirm the gastrointestinal safety of HMS, the pathological examination of stomach and intestine also be evaluated. HMS allowed a higher drug loading than NMS and exhibited a relative sustained release curve, while NMS was immediate-release. And the effect of preventing drugs crystallization was weaker than NMS. As for in vivo process, HMS was cleared relatively rapidly from the mouse gastrointestinal and barely uptake by intestinal epithelial cell in this study due to its large particle size. And the damage of HMS to gastrointestinal could be ignored. This study provided a simple method to obtain high drug loading and regulation insoluble drug release, expanded the application of inorganic carriers in drug delivery system and pharmaceutic adjuvant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contamination of soils with heavy metals and metalloids in the vicinity of the Erdenet copper-molybdenum mining area in Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeev, Ivan; Kosheleva, Natalia; Gunin, Petr; Bazha, Sergei; Enkh-Amgalan, Sandag

2014-05-01

The present study was conducted to assess soil contamination taking place in Erdenet, the Mongolian city with a gigantic ore-mining and ore-dressing complex that was founded mainly to exploit the area's huge deposits of copper and molybdenum ore. The objectives of the study were: (1) to determine the content of heavy metals and metalloids (HMs) in soils of background and urban landscapes and to evaluate environmental hazard of HMs pollution; (2) to compile geochemical maps and to define zones with anomalously high concentrations of toxic elements in the city, (3) to identify spatial patterns and leading factors of pollutant accumulation. Sampling was performed in 2011 using regular spacing of 500-700m. In total 225 samples were collected from surface soil horizons (0 - 10 cm) in different functional areas of the city and in the background area located 5-6km from the city. The sampling scheme in background area took into account the topography and geological heterogeneity of the study area. The bulk contents of HMs in soil samples were analyzed by mass spectrometry and inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Background concentrations of HMs were estimated for several soil groups formed on specific parent rocks and were compared with their global abundances in soils. The pollution of urban soils was evaluated using background soils as reference objects. Associations of HMs were identified according to the enrichment factor (EF) values and using cluster analysis with complete linkage algorithm. Visualization of soil-geochemical data was performed by local interpolation or kriging method in MapInfo 11.5 and Surfer 11. Multiple regression analysis (decision trees method) was applied to determine soil properties and landscape factors that may control HMs accumulation in soils. Background soils formed on granite and granodiorite of Permian-Selenga complex occupy the largest area and are characterized by high concentrations of V, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Sr, Cu, Zn, Mo and W. The lowest concentrations of the elements are typical of soils formed on triassic volcanic suite and sub-volcanic intrusions. Urban soils are heavily polluted in industrial zone, where accumulation of Mo (EF=10.7) and Cu (10.6) are the highest among other elements (Se, As, Sb, W, EF=2.4-1.5). The mining area and the landscapes in its immediate vicinity are characterized by high and dangerous level of multi-elemental contamination while the most part of the urban territory has low level of contamination. Soils in all functional zones, with the exception of the ger district, have elevated concentrations of Mo, Cu and Se. Three geochemical associations W-Bi-Cd-Sn-Zn-Pb; Cu-As-Sb-Mo and V-Co-Sr-Cr-Ni have been identified in urban soils. The maximum concentrations of the elements in the first two groups are typical of the disturbed soils adjacent to the plant and tailings area (EFs for individual elements range from1.4 to1080). Statistical analysis revealed that such soil characteristics as grain-size distribution, pH, humus content have a direct impact on HMs fixation in urban soils while the influence of landscape factors (topography, lithology, functional assignment) is not so evident.

Differential Regulation of c-di-GMP Metabolic Enzymes by Environmental Signals Modulates Biofilm Formation in Yersinia pestis.

PubMed

Ren, Gai-Xian; Fan, Sai; Guo, Xiao-Peng; Chen, Shiyun; Sun, Yi-Cheng

2016-01-01

Cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is essential for Yersinia pestis biofilm formation, which is important for flea-borne blockage-dependent plague transmission. Two diguanylate cyclases (DGCs), HmsT and HmsD and one phosphodiesterase (PDE), HmsP are responsible for the synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP in Y. pestis. Here, we systematically analyzed the effect of various environmental signals on regulation of the biofilm phenotype, the c-di-GMP levels, and expression of HmsT, HmsD, and HmsP in Y. pestis. Biofilm formation was higher in the presence of non-lethal high concentration of CaCl2, MgCl2, CuSO4, sucrose, sodium dodecyl sulfate, or dithiothreitol, and was lower in the presence of FeCl2 or NaCl. In addition, we found that HmsD plays a major role in biofilm formation in acidic or redox environments. These environmental signals differentially regulated expression of HmsT, HmsP and HmsD, resulting in changes in the intracellular levels of c-di-GMP in Y. pestis. Our results suggest that bacteria can sense various environmental signals, and differentially regulate activity of DGCs and PDEs to coordinately regulate and adapt metabolism of c-di-GMP and biofilm formation to changing environments.

77 FR 61727 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-11

... seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: October 5, 2012. Emily H. Menashes, Deputy Director, Office of..., also may be downloaded from the HMS Web site at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ . A list of E-MTU VMS units... . Copies of this list and other information may be obtained by contacting the VMS Support Center at (phone...

Fine-scale genetic mapping of a hybrid sterility factor between Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana: the varied and elusive functions of "speciation genes".

PubMed

Araripe, Luciana O; Montenegro, Horácio; Lemos, Bernardo; Hartl, Daniel L

2010-12-14

Hybrid male sterility (HMS) is a usual outcome of hybridization between closely related animal species. It arises because interactions between alleles that are functional within one species may be disrupted in hybrids. The identification of genes leading to hybrid sterility is of great interest for understanding the evolutionary process of speciation. In the current work we used marked P-element insertions as dominant markers to efficiently locate one genetic factor causing a severe reduction in fertility in hybrid males of Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana. Our mapping effort identified a region of 9 kb on chromosome 3, containing three complete and one partial coding sequences. Within this region, two annotated genes are suggested as candidates for the HMS factor, based on the comparative molecular characterization and public-source information. Gene Taf1 is partially contained in the region, but yet shows high polymorphism with four fixed non-synonymous substitutions between the two species. Its molecular functions involve sequence-specific DNA binding and transcription factor activity. Gene agt is a small, intronless gene, whose molecular function is annotated as methylated-DNA-protein-cysteine S-methyltransferase activity. High polymorphism and one fixed non-synonymous substitution suggest this is a fast evolving gene. The gene trees of both genes perfectly separate D. simulans and D. mauritiana into monophyletic groups. Analysis of gene expression using microarray revealed trends that were similar to those previously found in comparisons between whole-genome hybrids and parental species. The identification following confirmation of the HMS candidate gene will add another case study leading to understanding the evolutionary process of hybrid incompatibility.

Optical and electron paramagnetic resonance studies of the excited triplet states of UV-B absorbers: 2-ethylhexyl salicylate and homomenthyl salicylate.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Kazuto; Tsuchiya, Takumi; Kikuchi, Azusa; Yagi, Mikio

2015-09-26

The energy levels and lifetimes of the lowest excited triplet (T1) states of UV-B absorbers, 2-ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS) and homomenthyl salicylate (HMS), and their deprotonated anions (EHS(-) and HMS(-)) were determined through measurements of phosphorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra in rigid solutions at 77 K. The observed T1 energies of EHS and HMS are higher than those of butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane, the most widely used UV-A absorber, and octyl methoxycinnamate, the most widely used UV-B absorber. The T1 states of EHS, HMS, EHS(-) and HMS(-) were assigned to almost pure (3)ππ* state from the observed T1 lifetimes and zero-field splitting parameters. EHS and HMS with an intramolecular hydrogen bond show a photoinduced phosphorescence enhancement in ethanol at 77 K. The EPR signals of the T1 states of EHS and HMS also increase in intensity with UV-irradiation time (photoinduced EPR enhancement). The T1 lifetimes of EHS and HMS at room temperature were determined through triplet-triplet absorption measurements in ethanol. The quantum yields of singlet oxygen production by EHS and HMS were determined by using time-resolved near-IR phosphorescence.

Analysis of the March 30, 2011 Hail Event at Shuttle Launch Pad 39A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, John E.; Doesken, Nolan J.; Kasparis, Takis C.; Sharp, David W.

2012-01-01

The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Hail Monitor System, a joint effort of the NASA KSC Physics Lab and the KSC Engineering Services Contract (ESC) Applied Technology Lab, was first deployed for operational testing in the fall of 2006. Volunteers from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) in conjunction with Colorado State University have been instrumental in validation testing using duplicate hail monitor systems at sites in the hail prone high plains of Colorado. The KSC Hail Monitor System (HMS), consisting of three stations positioned approximately 500 ft from the launch pad and forming an approximate equilateral triangle, as shown in Figure 1, was first deployed to Pad 39B for support of STS-115. Two months later, the HMS was deployed to Pad 39A for support of STS-116. During support of STS-117 in late February 2007, an unusually intense (for Florida standards) hail event occurred in the immediate vicinity of the exposed space shuttle and launch pad. Hail data of this event was collected by the HMS and analyzed. Support of STS-118 revealed another important application of the hail monitor system. Ground Instrumentation personnel check the hail monitors daily when a vehicle is on the launch pad, with special attention after any storm suspected of containing hail. If no hail is recorded by the HMS, the vehicle and pad inspection team has no need to conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle immediately following a storm. On the afternoon of July 13, 2007, hail on the ground was reported by observers at the Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) and Launch Control Center (LCC), about three miles west of Pad 39A, as well as at several other locations at KSC. The HMS showed no impact detections, indicating that the shuttle had not been damaged by any of the numerous hail events which occurred on that day.

Template-Mediated Ni(II) Dispersion in Mesoporous SiO2 for Preparation of Highly Dispersed Ni Catalysts: Influence of Template Type.

PubMed

Ning, Xin; Lu, Yiyuan; Fu, Heyun; Wan, Haiqin; Xu, Zhaoyi; Zheng, Shourong

2017-06-07

Supported Ni catalysts on three mesoporous SiO 2 supports (i.e., SBA-15, MCM-41, and HMS) were prepared using a solid-state reaction between Ni(NO 3 ) 2 and organic template-occluded mesoporous SiO 2 . For comparison, supported Ni catalysts on mesoporous SiO 2 synthesized by the conventional impregnation method were also included. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, N 2 adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, H 2 temperature-programmed reduction, transmission electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray. The catalytic properties of the catalysts were evaluated using gas-phase catalytic hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane. The results showed that upon grinding Ni(NO 3 ) 2 with template-occluded mesoporous SiO 2 , strong coordination between Ni 2+ and dodecylamine was identified in the Ni(NO 3 ) 2 -HMS system. Additionally, the results of H 2 temperature-programmed reduction revealed that NiO in calcined NiO/HMS was reduced at higher temperature than those in calcined NiO/SBA-15 and NiO/MCM-41, reflecting the presence of a strong interaction between NiO and mesoporous SiO 2 in NiO/HMS. Consistently, the average particle sizes of metallic Ni were found to be 2.7, 3.4, and 9.6 nm in H 2 -reduced Ni/HMS, Ni/SBA-15, and Ni/MCM-41, respectively, indicative of a much higher Ni dispersion in Ni/HMS. For the catalytic hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane, Ni/MCM-41 synthesized by the solid-state reaction method exhibited a catalytic activity similar to that prepared by the impregnation method, while higher catalytic activities were observed on Ni/HMS and Ni/SBA-15 than on their counterparts prepared by the impregnation method. Furthermore, a higher conversion was identified on Ni/HMS than on Ni/SBA-15 and Ni/MCM-41, highlighting the importance of template type for the preparation of highly dispersed metal catalysts on mesoporous SiO 2 .

Using bamboo biochar with compost for the stabilization and phytotoxicity reduction of heavy metals in mine-contaminated soils of China.

PubMed

Ali, Amjad; Guo, Di; Zhang, Yue; Sun, Xining; Jiang, Shuncheng; Guo, Zhanyu; Huang, Hui; Liang, Wen; Li, Ronghua; Zhang, Zengqiang

2017-06-02

Anthropogenic activities have transformed the global geochemical cycling of heavy metals (HMs). Many physical, chemical and biological methods are used to reduce the toxicity of HMs to humans, plants and environment. This study aimed to investigate the immobilization and phytotoxicity reduction of HMs after application of bamboo biochar (BB) in mine-polluted soil in Feng county (FC) and Tongguan (TG). The results showed that BB application to contaminated soil immobilized HMs (Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu). The soil pH and EC increased and the bioavailability of HMs decreased in FC and TG, whereas Pb and Cu increased in TG soil. The addition of BB reduced HMs uptake in the shoot/root of Brassica juncea. Physiological responses showed that BB application improved the shoot/root growth, dry biomass, and enhanced the chlorophyll (a and b) and carotenoid concentrations in Brassica. The incorporation of BB improved the soil health and accelerated enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase and urease) in HMs polluted soils. Antioxidant activities (POD, PPO, CAT and SOD) were also used as biomarkers to determine the negative effects of HMs on the growth of Brassica. Overall, the immobilization potential and phytotoxicity reduction of HMs were confirmed by BCF, TF and MEA for both soils.

Natural variation for a hybrid incompatibility between two species of Mimulus.

PubMed

Sweigart, Andrea L; Mason, Amanda R; Willis, John H

2007-01-01

Understanding the process by which hybrid incompatibility alleles become established in natural populations remains a major challenge to evolutionary biology. Previously, we discovered a two-locus Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibility that causes severe hybrid male sterility between two inbred lines of the incompletely isolated wildflower species, Mimulus guttatus and M. nasutus. An interspecific cross between these two inbred lines revealed that the M. guttatus (IM62) allele at hybrid male sterility 1 (hms1) acts dominantly in combination with recessive M. nasutus (SF5) alleles at hybrid male sterility 2 (hms2) to cause nearly complete hybrid male sterility. In this report, we extend these genetic analyses to investigate intraspecific variation for the hms1-hms2 incompatibility in natural populations of M. nasutus and M. guttatus, performing a series of interspecific crosses between individuals collected from a variety of geographic locales. Our results suggest that hms2 incompatibility alleles are common and geographically widespread within M. nasutus, but absent or rare in M. guttatus. In contrast, the hms1 locus is polymorphic within M. guttatus and the incompatibility allele appears to be extremely geographically restricted. We found evidence for the presence of the hms1 incompatibility allele in only two M. guttatus populations that exist within a few kilometers of each other. The restricted distribution of the hms1 incompatibility allele might currently limit the potential for the hms1-hms2 incompatibility to act as a species barrier between sympatric populations of M. guttatus and M. nasutus. Extensive sampling within a single M. guttatus population revealed that the hms1 locus is polymorphic and that the incompatibility allele appears to segregate at intermediate frequency, a pattern that is consistent with either genetic drift or natural selection.

SNAPSHOT: A MODERN, SUSTAINABLE HOLDUP MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

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

Rowe, Nathan C; Younkin, James R; Smith, Steven E

2016-01-01

SNAPSHOT is a software platform designed to eventually replace Holdup Measurement System 4 (HMS 4), which is the current state-of-the-art for acquisition and analysis of nondestructive assay measurement data for in situ nuclear materials, holdup, in support of criticality safety and material control and accounting. HMS 4 is over 10 years old and is currently unsustainable due to hardware and software incompatibilities that have arisen from advances in detector electronics, primarily updates to multi-channel analyzers (MCAs), and both computer and handheld operating systems. SNAPSHOT is a complete redesign of HMS 4 that addresses the issue of compatibility with modern MCAsmore » and operating systems and that is designed with a flexible architecture to support long-term sustainability. It also provides an updated and more user friendly interface and is being developed under an NQA 1 software quality assurance (SQA) program to facilitate site acceptance for safety-related applications. This paper provides an overview of the SNAPSHOT project including details of the software development process, the SQA program, and the architecture designed to support sustainability.« less

Biological relevance of streamflow metrics: Regional and national perspectives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlisle, Daren M.; Grantham, Theodore E.; Eng, Kenny; Wolock, David M.

2017-01-01

Protecting the health of streams and rivers requires identifying ecologically significant attributes of the natural flow regime. Streamflow regimes are routinely quantified using a plethora of hydrologic metrics (HMs), most of which have unknown relevance to biological communities. At regional and national scales, we evaluated which of 509 commonly used HMs were associated with biological indicators of fish and invertebrate community integrity. We quantified alteration of each HM by using statistical models to predict site-specific natural baseline values for each of 728 sites across the USA where streamflow monitoring data were available concurrent with assessments of invertebrate or fish community integrity. We then ranked HMs according to their individual association with biological integrity based on random forest models that included HMs and other relevant covariates, such as land cover and stream chemistry. HMs were generally the most important predictors of biological integrity relative to the covariates. At a national scale, the most influential HMs were measures of depleted high flows, homogenization of flows, and erratic flows. Unique combinations of biologically relevant HMs were apparent among regions. We discuss the implications of our findings to the challenge of selecting HMs for streamflow research and management.

Recent advances in nanoscale-metal assisted biochar derived from waste biomass used for heavy metals removal.

PubMed

Ho, Shih-Hsin; Zhu, Shishu; Chang, Jo-Shu

2017-12-01

Pollution of heavy metals (HMs) is a detrimental treat to human health and need to be cleaned up in a proper way. Biochar (BC), a low-cost and "green" adsorbent, has attracted significant attention due to its considerable HMs removal capacity. In particular, nano-metals have recently been used to assist BC in improving its reactivity, surface texture and magnetism. Synthesis methods and metal precursors greatly influence the properties and structures of the nanocomposites, thereby affecting their HMs removal performance. This review presents advances in synthesis methods, formation mechanisms and surface characteristics of BC nanocomposites, along with the discussions on HMs removal mechanisms and the effects of environmental factors on HMs removal efficiency. Performance of using BC nanocomposites to remediate real HMs-containing wastewater and issues associated with its process scale-up are also discussed. This review aims to provide useful information to facilitate the development of HMs removal by nanoscale-metal assisted BC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Jefferson Lab Experimental Hall C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlini, Roger D.

1996-10-01

Jefferson Lab's Hall C went into initial operation in November 1995. The hall has a short orbit spectrometer (SOS) for short-lived particles such as pions and kaons and a high-momentum spectrometer (HMS) usually used for electrons. The SOS can also be used for protons. The HMS can range to 7 GeV/c. Both the SOS and HMS have typical resolutions of (10-3). Experiments for this hall range from measuring the neutron electric form factor, to color transparency, to creating strange nuclei. This paper will present the optical capabilities of the spectrometers, the parameters of the detection systems, and the overall beam line characteristics of the hall as determined from the results from the recent physics experiments along with the upcoming experimental schedule. Additional information is available at URL http://www.cebaf.gov/hallc.html.

Automated Wildfire Detection Through Artificial Neural Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Jerry; Borne, Kirk; Thomas, Brian; Huang, Zhenping; Chi, Yuechen

2005-01-01

We have tested and deployed Artificial Neural Network (ANN) data mining techniques to analyze remotely sensed multi-channel imaging data from MODIS, GOES, and AVHRR. The goal is to train the ANN to learn the signatures of wildfires in remotely sensed data in order to automate the detection process. We train the ANN using the set of human-detected wildfires in the U.S., which are provided by the Hazard Mapping System (HMS) wildfire detection group at NOAA/NESDIS. The ANN is trained to mimic the behavior of fire detection algorithms and the subjective decision- making by N O M HMS Fire Analysts. We use a local extremum search in order to isolate fire pixels, and then we extract a 7x7 pixel array around that location in 3 spectral channels. The corresponding 147 pixel values are used to populate a 147-dimensional input vector that is fed into the ANN. The ANN accuracy is tested and overfitting is avoided by using a subset of the training data that is set aside as a test data set. We have achieved an automated fire detection accuracy of 80-92%, depending on a variety of ANN parameters and for different instrument channels among the 3 satellites. We believe that this system can be deployed worldwide or for any region to detect wildfires automatically in satellite imagery of those regions. These detections can ultimately be used to provide thermal inputs to climate models.

Evaluating heavy metal accumulation and potential risks in soil-plant systems applied with magnesium slag-based fertilizer.

PubMed

Fan, Yuan; Li, Yongling; Li, Hua; Cheng, Fangqin

2018-04-01

Two typical Chinese soils including southern paddy soil and northern calcareous soils were used in a pot experiment to evaluate the effect of magnesium slag-based fertilizer on heavy metal accumulation and health risk in soil-plant system. The results indicated that magnesium slag-based fertilizer promoted the growth of maize plants. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in both soils amended with magnesium slag-based fertilizer were qualified for the second level criterion of Standard of Soil Environment (GB 15618-2009). Accumulation of HMs exhibited partitioning characteristics in maize plants, i.e. Cr and Cu were accumulated mainly in root and leaf parts while Pb was concentrated in roots. The order of transfer factors (TF) of HMs in different plant organs was ordered as follows: root > stem > leaf > grain. It indicated that less HMs were accumulated in the grain compared with that in other organs. The estimate daily intakes and total target hazard quotient of HMs including Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were less than 1, indicating that consumption of maize grain was at low risk and would not cause non-carcinogenic risks. From the above results, application of magnesium slag-based fertilizer at present level would not cause pollution risk for maize plants cultivated in two Chinese soils. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Conventional Deterrence and the Falkland Islands Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

maritime aircraft. In an attempt to save surface ships, the Royal Navy recommended scrapping the HMS Endurance, HMS Britannia , LPDs (amphibious assault...and the royal yacht HMS Britannia .225 The Royal Navy was going to lose two aircraft carriers as well. In addition to scrapping the HMS Hermes, Nott... mines on the Falkland Islands in case of Argentinean aggression. The FCO vetoed this option as it was viewed as too provocative a move.284 The 1981

Catchment scale assessment of risk posed by traffic generated heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Ma, Yukun; McGree, James; Liu, An; Deilami, Kaveh; Egodawatta, Prasanna; Goonetilleke, Ashantha

2017-10-01

Heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most toxic chemical pollutants present in urban stormwater. Consequently, urban stormwater reuse is constrained due to the human health risk posed by these pollutants. This study developed a scientifically robust approach to assess the risk to human health posed by HMs and PAHs in urban stormwater in order to enhance its reuse. Accordingly, an innovative methodology was created consisting of four stages: quantification of traffic and land use parameters; estimation of pollutant concentrations for model development; risk assessment, and risk map presentation. This methodology will contribute to catchment scale assessment of the risk associated with urban stormwater and for risk mitigation. The risk map developed provides a simple and efficient approach to identify the critical areas within a large catchment. The study also found that heavy molecular weight PAHs (PAHs with 5-6 benzene rings) in urban stormwater pose higher risk to human health compared to light molecular PAHs (PAHs with 2-4 benzene rings). These outcomes will facilitate the development of practical approaches for applying appropriate mitigation measures for the safe management of urban stormwater pollution and for the identification of enhanced reuse opportunities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Herbal medicines: challenges in the modern world. Part 2. European Union and Russia.

PubMed

Sammons, Helen M; Gubarev, Michael I; Krepkova, Lubov V; Bortnikova, Valentina V; Corrick, Fenella; Job, Kathleen M; Sherwin, Catherine Mt; Enioutina, Elena Y

2016-08-01

Herbal medicines (HMs) have been well known to people of the European Union (EU) and Russia for centuries. Currently, Western HMs can be classified into two categories, plant-derived conventional medicines and dietary supplements. Interest to HMs has grown rapidly in all countries during the past two decades. The main goal of this review article is to present the history of HMs in the EU and Russia, forms of modern HMs, including Oriental Medicines that are popular among consumers of both countries. Additional discussion points comprise safety and adulteration issues associated with HMs, including regulatory changes and new legislative measures undertaken by the authorities. Materials available from legislative and governmental websites, PubMed and news media were used. Expert commentary: Due to cultural diversities in the EU and Russia, traditional HMs of other regions, particularly Chinese Traditional and Ayurvedic medicines, are also popular. Recently, dietary supplements containing multiple herbal and other natural products have flooded the EU and Russian markets. Pharmacovigilance in these markets is challenging in terms of establishing quality and safety of ingredients, determining efficacy, and defining risks of herb-herb and herb-drug interactions. Both the EU and Russia have introduced new legislation aimed to overcome these deficiencies.

The partitioning of heavy metals in incineration of sludges and waste in a bubbling fluidized bed 2. Interpretation of results with a conceptual model.

PubMed

Toledo, José M; Corella, José; Corella, Luis M

2005-11-11

This work addresses the behavior, fate and/or partitioning of six targeted (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn and Ni) heavy metals (HMs) in the incineration of sludges and waste in a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) of 15 cm i.d. and 5.2m high followed by a filter chamber operated at 750-760 degrees C with a commercial ceramic filter. This paper presents three different things: (1) an in depth review of the published work relating to the problem of partitioning of the HMs in BFBs, (2) some more experimental incineration tests regarding the influence of the temperature of the bed of the BFB and the effect of the chlorine content in the feedstock on the partitioning of the HMs, and (3) the modelling of the partitioning of the HMs in the exit flows: bottom ash, coarse fly ashes, fine fly ash and vapour phase. The partitioning of the HMs is governed by fluid dynamic principles together with the kinetics of the diffusion of the HMs inside the ash particles and the kinetics of the reactions between the HMs and the components of the matrix of the ash. Some thermodynamic predictions do not fit the results from the BFB incinerator well enough because equilibria are not reached in at least three exit ash flows: coarse fly ash, fine fly ash and submicron particles. The residence time of these ash particles in these type of incinerators is very short and most of the HMs have no time to diffuse out of the ash particle. Finally, an examination was made on how in the ceramic hot filter the partition coefficients for the HMs increased, mainly for Cd and Pb, when the Cl-content in the feedstock was increased.

Real-Time Simulation for Verification and Validation of Diagnostic and Prognostic Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aguilar, Robet; Luu, Chuong; Santi, Louis M.; Sowers, T. Shane

2005-01-01

To verify that a health management system (HMS) performs as expected, a virtual system simulation capability, including interaction with the associated platform or vehicle, very likely will need to be developed. The rationale for developing this capability is discussed and includes the limited capability to seed faults into the actual target system due to the risk of potential damage to high value hardware. The capability envisioned would accurately reproduce the propagation of a fault or failure as observed by sensors located at strategic locations on and around the target system and would also accurately reproduce the control system and vehicle response. In this way, HMS operation can be exercised over a broad range of conditions to verify that it meets requirements for accurate, timely response to actual faults with adequate margin against false and missed detections. An overview is also presented of a real-time rocket propulsion health management system laboratory which is available for future rocket engine programs. The health management elements and approaches of this lab are directly applicable for future space systems. In this paper the various components are discussed and the general fault detection, diagnosis, isolation and the response (FDIR) concept is presented. Additionally, the complexities of V&V (Verification and Validation) for advanced algorithms and the simulation capabilities required to meet the changing state-of-the-art in HMS are discussed.

50 CFR 300.182 - HMS international trade permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false HMS international trade permit. 300.182... FISHERIES REGULATIONS International Trade Documentation and Tracking Programs for Highly Migratory Species § 300.182 HMS international trade permit. (a) General. An importer, entering for consumption fish or...

50 CFR 300.182 - HMS international trade permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false HMS international trade permit. 300.182... FISHERIES REGULATIONS International Trade Documentation and Tracking Programs for Highly Migratory Species § 300.182 HMS international trade permit. (a) General. An importer, entering for consumption fish or...

50 CFR 300.182 - HMS international trade permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false HMS international trade permit. 300.182... FISHERIES REGULATIONS International Trade Documentation and Tracking Programs for Highly Migratory Species § 300.182 HMS international trade permit. (a) General. An importer, entering for consumption fish or...

50 CFR 300.182 - HMS international trade permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false HMS international trade permit. 300.182... FISHERIES REGULATIONS International Trade Documentation and Tracking Programs for Highly Migratory Species § 300.182 HMS international trade permit. (a) General. An importer, entering for consumption fish or...

Using HEC-HMS: Application to Karkheh river basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper aims to facilitate the use of HEC-HMS model using a systematic event-based technique for manual calibration of soil moisture accounting and snowmelt degree-day parameters. Manual calibration, which helps ensure the HEC-HMS parameter values are physically-relevant, is often a time-consumin...

Evaluation of the Migration Capacity of Zn in the Soil–Plant System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisimov, V. S.; Anisimova, L. N.; Frigidova, L. M.; Dikarev, D. V.; Frigidov, R. A.; Korneev, Yu. N.; Sanzharov, A. I.; Arysheva, S. P.

2018-04-01

The mobility and migration capacity of Zn in the soil-plant system were studied in a series of pot experiments with barley as a test plant. The parameters of Zn accumulation depending on the metal concentrations in soils and soil solutions were estimated by soil and water culture methods. Experiments with barley in water culture were performed on a nutrient (soil) solution extracted from soddy-podzolic soil (Albic Retisol (Loamic, Ochric)) to which Zn2+ was added to reach working concentrations increasing from 0.07 to 430 μM. Different responses of barley plants to changes in the concentration of Zn in the studied soil were identified. Ranges of the corresponding concentrations in the soil and aboveground barley biomass were determined. Parameters of Zn accumulation by test plants were determined depending on the metal content in soddypodzolic soil and the soil solution. A new method was proposed for evaluating the buffer capacity of soils with respect to a heavy metal (Zn) using test plants (BCS(P)Zn). The method was used to evaluate the buffering capacity of loamy sandy soddy-podzolic soil. The considered methodological approach offers opportunities for using data obtained during the agroecological monitoring of agricultural lands with heavy metals (HMs), including the contents of exchangeable HMs and macroelements (C and Mg) in soils and concentrations of HMs and (Ca + Mg) in plants, in the calculation of the buffering capacity of the surveyed soils for HMs.

78 FR 40265 - Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel HMS-DISCOVERY; Invitation for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-03

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Maritime Administration [Docket No. MARAD-2013 0077] Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel HMS-DISCOVERY; Invitation for Public Comments AGENCY... of the vessel HMS-DISCOVERY is: Intended Commercial Use of Vessel: ``Sight Seeing Tours''. Geographic...

50 CFR 635.4 - Permits and fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... in recreational fishing and to fish for, take, retain or possess Atlantic tunas, swordfish, or sharks... permit; Atlantic tunas, shark, or swordfish permit; Incidental HMS squid trawl; and/or the shark research... condition. An owner of a vessel with a valid swordfish, shark, HMS Angling, HMS Charter/Headboat, or...

Multiple Sensitivity Testing for Regional Air Quality Model in summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Y.; Lee, P.; Pan, L.; Tong, D.; Kim, H. C.; Huang, M.; Wang, J.; McQueen, J.; Lu, C. H.; Artz, R. S.

2015-12-01

The NOAA Air Resources laboratory leads to improve the performance of the U.S. Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC). It is operational in NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) which focuses on predicting surface ozone and PM2.5. In order to improve its performance, we tested several approaches, including NOAA Environmental Modeling System Global Aerosol Component (NGAC) simulation derived ozone and aerosol lateral boundary conditions (LBC), bi-direction NH3 emission and HMS(Hazard Mapping System)-BlueSky emission with the latest U.S. EPA Community Multi-scale Air Quality model (CMAQ) version and the U.S EPA National Emission Inventory (NEI)-2011 anthropogenic emissions. The operational NAQFC uses static profiles for its lateral boundary condition (LBC), which does not impose severe issue for near-surface air quality prediction. However, its degraded performance for the upper layer (e.g. above 3km) is evident when comparing with aircraft measured ozone. NCEP's Global Forecast System (GFS) has tracer O3 prediction treated as 3-D prognostic variable (Moorthi and Iredell, 1998) after being initialized with Solar Backscatter Ultra Violet-2 (SBUV-2) satellite data. We applied that ozone LBC to the CMAQ's upper layers and yield more reasonable O3 prediction than that with static LBC comparing with the aircraft data in Discover-AQ Colorado campaign. NGAC's aerosol LBC also improved the PM2.5 prediction with more realistic background aerosols. The bi-direction NH3 emission used in CMAQ also help reduce the NH3 and nitrate under-prediction issue. During summer 2014, strong wildfires occurred in northwestern USA, and we used the US Forest Service's BlueSky fire emission with HMS fire counts to drive CMAQ and tested the difference of day-1 and day-2 fire emission estimation. Other related issues were also discussed.

Heavy metal accumulation and health risk assessment in soil-wheat system under different nitrogen levels.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Yin, Changbin; Cao, Suzhen; Cheng, Leilei; Wu, Guosheng; Guo, Jianbiao

2018-05-01

Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in organic fertilizer have become a primary source of HMs pollution of farmlands, which could cause deleterious health effects in people exposed through soil-plant systems via multi-pathways. This study investigated China's main grain production area (Henan Province) to evaluate the accumulation and transport characteristics of HMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) in a soil-wheat system and conduct a health risk assessment for wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain under different nitrogenous fertilizer treatments. The results indicated that the Cr, Cu, As and Cd contents in soil were 56.21-113.66, 13.97-58.72, 5.79-22.62 and 0.04-0.23mg·kg -1 , and the mean contents of Cr and As contents in wheat grains were 0.78±0.31 and 0.49±0.18mg·kg -1 , respectively, which exceeded the corresponding standards. The bio-concentration factor and transfer factor were lowest in response to N-fertilization with N8-N15. Health risk assessment showed that the local population who ingested grain from culture condition of N15 experienced the lowest non-cancer and cancer risks. Among different population groups, HMs posed relatively higher non-cancer and cancer risks to children aged 0-5years. Furthermore, Cr and As exposure was the greatest contributor to Hazard Index (HI), accounting for 74.72-83.11%, while Cr exposure accounted for >90% of the total potential cancer risk. Concluding, this study indicated that, to protect human health, the current application of nitrogenous fertilizer should be controlled to an appropriate level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Sewage Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Shanxi, China

PubMed Central

Duan, Baoling; Liu, Fenwu; Zhang, Wuping; Zheng, Haixia; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Xiaomei; Bu, Yushan

2015-01-01

Heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge have become the crucial limiting factors for land use application. Samples were collected and analyzed from 32 waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Shanxi Province, China. HM levels in sewage sludge were assessed. The multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the sources of HMs in sewage sludge. HM pollution classes by geochemical accumulation index Igeo and correlation analyses between HMs were also conducted. HMs were arranged in the following decreasing order of mean concentration: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Hg > Cd; the maximum concentrations of all HMs were within the limit of maximum content permitted by Chinese discharge standard. Igeo classes of HMs pollution in order from most polluted to least were: Cu and Hg pollution were the highest; Cd and Cr pollution were moderate; Zn, As and Pb pollution were the least. Sources of HM contamination in sewage sludge were identified as three components. The primary contaminant source accounting for 35.7% of the total variance was identified as smelting industry, coking plant and traffic sources; the second source accounting for 29.0% of the total variance was distinguished as household and water supply pollution; the smallest of the three sources accounting for 16.2% of the total variance was defined as special industries such as leather tanning, textile manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Source apportionment of HMs in sewage sludge can control HM contamination through suggesting improvements in government policies and industrial processes. PMID:26690464

Evaluation and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Sewage Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Shanxi, China.

PubMed

Duan, Baoling; Liu, Fenwu; Zhang, Wuping; Zheng, Haixia; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Xiaomei; Bu, Yushan

2015-12-11

Heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge have become the crucial limiting factors for land use application. Samples were collected and analyzed from 32 waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Shanxi Province, China. HM levels in sewage sludge were assessed. The multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the sources of HMs in sewage sludge. HM pollution classes by geochemical accumulation index I(geo) and correlation analyses between HMs were also conducted. HMs were arranged in the following decreasing order of mean concentration: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Hg > Cd; the maximum concentrations of all HMs were within the limit of maximum content permitted by Chinese discharge standard. I(geo) classes of HMs pollution in order from most polluted to least were: Cu and Hg pollution were the highest; Cd and Cr pollution were moderate; Zn, As and Pb pollution were the least. Sources of HM contamination in sewage sludge were identified as three components. The primary contaminant source accounting for 35.7% of the total variance was identified as smelting industry, coking plant and traffic sources; the second source accounting for 29.0% of the total variance was distinguished as household and water supply pollution; the smallest of the three sources accounting for 16.2% of the total variance was defined as special industries such as leather tanning, textile manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Source apportionment of HMs in sewage sludge can control HM contamination through suggesting improvements in government policies and industrial processes.

Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of the Interplay Between Herbal Medicines and Gut Microbiota.

PubMed

Xu, Jun; Chen, Hu-Biao; Li, Song-Lin

2017-09-01

Herbal medicines (HMs) are much appreciated for their significant contribution to human survival and reproduction by remedial and prophylactic management of diseases. Defining the scientific basis of HMs will substantiate their value and promote their modernization. Ever-increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota plays a crucial role in HM therapy by complicated interplay with HM components. This interplay includes such activities as: gut microbiota biotransforming HM chemicals into metabolites that harbor different bioavailability and bioactivity/toxicity from their precursors; HM chemicals improving the composition of gut microbiota, consequently ameliorating its dysfunction as well as associated pathological conditions; and gut microbiota mediating the interactions (synergistic and antagonistic) between the multiple chemicals in HMs. More advanced experimental designs are recommended for future study, such as overall chemical characterization of gut microbiota-metabolized HMs, direct microbial analysis of HM-targeted gut microbiota, and precise gut microbiota research model development. The outcomes of such research can further elucidate the interactions between HMs and gut microbiota, thereby opening a new window for defining the scientific basis of HMs and for guiding HM-based drug discovery. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hydroxymethane sulfonate as a possible explanation for observed high levels of particulate sulfur during severe winter haze episodes in Beijing, China.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moch, J.; Jacob, D.; Mickley, L. J.; Cheng, Y.; Li, M.; Munger, J. W.; Wang, Y.

2017-12-01

Observed PM2.5 during severe winter haze in Beijing, China, may reach levels as high as 880 μg m-3, with sulfur compounds contributing significantly to PM2.5 composition. Such sulfur has been traditionally assumed to be sulfate, even though models fail to generate such large sulfate enhancements under cold and hazy conditions. We show that particulate sulfur in wintertime Beijing possibly occurs as an S(IV)-HCHO adduct, hydroxymethane sulfonate (HMS), formed by reaction of aqueous-phase HCHO and S(IV) in cloud droplets. We use a 1-D chemistry model extending from the surface through the boundary layer to examine the potential role of HMS during the Beijing haze events of December 2011 and January 2013. Observed and assimilated meteorological fields including cloud liquid water were applied to the model, and we test the sensitivity of HMS formation to cloud pH and ambient SO2 and HCHO. Surface observations from the two haze events show excess ammonium in the aerosol, indicating cloud pH may be relatively high. Model results show that once cloud pH exceeds 4.5, HMS can accumulate rapidly, reaching a few hundred μg m-3 in a few hours. The timing of HMS formation is controlled by the presence of cloud liquid water, with eddy driven diffusion bringing HMS to the surface. The magnitude of HMS peaks is limited by the supply of HCHO. HMS episodes in the model end gradually over 1-3 days as fresh air is entrained into the boundary layer; in observations these episodes typically end when increasing wind speeds destabilize the boundary layer and disperses pollution. We find that consideration of HMS as a source of particulate sulfur significantly improves model match with observations. For example, assuming cloud pH of 5 and average surface SO2 and HCHO levels of 50 ppb and 5.5 ppb, we calculate mean HMS as 43.8 μg m-3 in January 2013, within 7 μg m-3 of observed particulate sulfur. Our 1-D model also captures the timing and magnitude of peak particulate sulfur in January 2013, with HMS approaching 100 μg m-3 during episodes. In contrast, a GEOS-Chem 3-D simulation without HMS chemistry yields peak particulate sulfur of 20 μg m-3. Our findings suggest that SO2 is not the limiting factor in winter haze events in Beijing and that, in order to reduce severe winter haze in this region, policymakers may need to address HCHO sources such as transportation.

Effect of the behavior and availability of heavy metals on the characteristics of the coastal soils developed from alluvial deposits.

PubMed

Li, Jinling; He, Ming; Sun, Shouqin; Han, Wei; Zhang, Youchi; Mao, Xiaohui; Gu, Yifan

2009-09-01

An investigation of the behavior and availability of heavy metals (HMs), i.e., Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Cd, based on the analysis of correlation between HMs and physical and chemical properties of coastal soils developed from alluvial deposits in Shanghai, China, has been conducted, in order to reveal the effect of the soil formation and development and the unsuited human activities on the activities and mobility of HMs in agricultural soils. The results showed that (1) the soils still meet the needs of plant growth due to the moderate fertility with a soil texture of silty loam although the content of organic matters is lower, (2) total heavy metal content had a increase trend from the inland area to the coastal area, indicating the impact of alluvial deposits related to the soil formation on the distribution of HMs; (3) a significant positive correlation was found between HMs and some soil properties (i.e., clay content, cation exchange capacity, organic matters, total Phosphorous content, etc.), indicating that the regulation of these properties could give some great effect on the behavior and availability of HMs; (4) the positive correlation among Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd, and between Pb and Cr is very significant, suggesting the most similar, if not the same, origins of HMs; These findings are helpful to the soil remediation, fertility adjustment, and plant cultivation.

Fate and risk assessment of heavy metals in residue from co-liquefaction of Camellia oleifera cake and sewage sludge in supercritical ethanol.

PubMed

Chen, Hongmei; Zhai, Yunbo; Xu, Bibo; Xiang, Bobin; Zhu, Lu; Qiu, Lei; Liu, Xiaoting; Li, Caiting; Zeng, Guangming

2014-09-01

The fate and risk assessment of heavy metals (HMs) in solid residue from co-liquefaction of sewage sludge (SS) and Camellia oleifera cake (COC) in supercritical ethanol (SCE) were investigated. SCE effectively stabilized HMs in solid residues and a better stabilization was presented on Zn than Cd. Moreover, SCE significantly transformed Cd, Cu and Zn into F4, which reduced the risk to the environment. Furthermore, risk assessments of Igeo, Er(i), RI and RAC demonstrated that the addition of COC was beneficial to the contamination decrement of HMs since pollution levels of HMs all decreased after treatment, and the lowest pollution level was obtained with SC-350. Therefore, SS treated by SCE with the addition of COC could be a promising technology for disposal of SS, especially considering the safety of COC as regards HMs problem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Impact of compounded chelants on removal of heavy metals and characteristics of morphologic change in soil from heavy metals contaminated sites].

PubMed

Yin, Xue; Chen, Jia-Jun; Lü, Ce

2014-02-01

Na2 EDTA (EDTA) has been extensively applied in remediation of soil contaminated by heavy metals (HMs). However, it poses a threat to the environment due to its difficulty of degradation. In addition, it is of great importance to clarify the morphological distribution of these metals in soil, as it is related to the environmental risk of contaminated sites. Thus, in order to cut back the use of EDTA, a series of batch washing experiments were conducted to evaluate the removal of arsenic, cadmium, copper, and lead from the contaminated soil collected in a chemical plant. Furthermore, adopting the optimal ratio of EDTA/EDDS, the change of morphological distribution of HMs before and after washing was studied. The results indicated that the removal of arsenic, cadmium and lead reached the maximum when the ratio of EDTA/EDDS was 7:3 and the optimal value was 12.67%, 38.71% and 31.09%, respectively. The removal of copper reached 16.91% at an EDTA/EDDS ratio of 9:1. After washing, the absolute Fe-Mn oxide fraction concentration of arsenic was higher, which would increase the environmental risk; the morphological fraction distribution of cadmium was similar to the original soil; the removal of copper and lead was mainly derived from the Fe-Mn oxide fraction; as to lead, the absolute concentration of Fe-Mn oxide fraction decreased dramatically, was and the same was observed for the percentage in the organic fraction. Employing the compounded system, the removal of HMs could be improved, and meanwhile the amounts of bioavailable HMs declined. Hence, it is beneficial for providing theoretical support for HMs remediation.

Heavy metal accumulation and signal transduction in herbaceous and woody plants: Paving the way for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency.

PubMed

Luo, Zhi-Bin; He, Jiali; Polle, Andrea; Rennenberg, Heinz

2016-11-01

Heavy metal (HM)-accumulating herbaceous and woody plants are employed for phytoremediation. To develop improved strategies for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency, knowledge of the microstructural, physiological and molecular responses underlying HM-accumulation is required. Here we review the progress in understanding the structural, physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying HM uptake, transport, sequestration and detoxification, as well as the regulation of these processes by signal transduction in response to HM exposure. The significance of genetic engineering for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency is also discussed. In herbaceous plants, HMs are taken up by roots and transported into the root cells via transmembrane carriers for nutritional ions. The HMs absorbed by root cells can be further translocated to the xylem vessels and unloaded into the xylem sap, thereby reaching the aerial parts of plants. HMs can be sequestered in the cell walls, vacuoles and the Golgi apparatuses. Plant roots initially perceive HM stress and trigger the signal transduction, thereby mediating changes at the molecular, physiological, and microstructural level. Signaling molecules such as phytohormones, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), modulate plant responses to HMs via differentially expressed genes, activation of the antioxidative system and coordinated cross talk among different signaling molecules. A number of genes participated in HM uptake, transport, sequestration and detoxification have been functionally characterized and transformed to target plants for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. Fast growing woody plants hold an advantage over herbaceous plants for phytoremediation in terms of accumulation of high HM-amounts in their large biomass. Presumably, woody plants accumulate HMs using similar mechanisms as herbaceous counterparts, but the processes of HM accumulation and signal transduction can be more complex in woody plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Assessment of Hydrology, Fluvial Geomorphology, and Stream Ecology in the Cardwell Branch Watershed, Nebraska, 2003-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rus, David L.; Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Woodward, Brenda K.; Fry, Beth E.; Wilson, Richard C.

2007-01-01

An assessment of the 16.3-square-mile Cardwell Branch watershed characterized the hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, and stream ecology in 2003-04. The study - performed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District - focused on the 7.7-square-mile drainage downstream from Yankee Hill Reservoir. Hydrologic and hydraulic models were developed using the Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydraulic Engineering Center. Estimates of streamflow and water-surface elevation were simulated for 24-hour-duration design rainstorms ranging from a 50-percent frequency to a 0.2-percent frequency. An initial HEC-HMS model was developed using the standardized parameter estimation techniques associated with the Soil Conservation Service curve number technique. An adjusted HEC-HMS model also was developed in which parameters were adjusted in order for the model output to better correspond to peak streamflows estimated from regional regression equations. Comparisons of peak streamflow from the two HEC-HMS models indicate that the initial HEC-HMS model may better agree with the regional regression equations for higher frequency storms, and the adjusted HEC-HMS model may perform more closely to regional regression equations for larger, rarer events. However, a lack of observed streamflow data, coupled with conflicting results from regional regression equations and local high-water marks, introduced considerable uncertainty into the model simulations. Using the HEC-RAS model to estimate water-surface elevations associated with the peak streamflow, the adjusted HEC-HMS model produced average increases in water-surface elevation of 0.2, 1.1, and 1.4 feet for the 50-, 1-, and 0.2-percent-frequency rainstorms, respectively, when compared to the initial HEC-HMS model. Cross-sectional surveys and field assessments conducted between November 2003 and March 2004 indicated that Cardwell Branch and its unnamed tributary appear to be undergoing incision (the process of downcutting) (with three locations showing 2 or more feet of streambed incision since 1978) that is somewhat moderated by the presence of grade controls and vegetation along the channel profile. Although streambank failures were commonly observed, 96 percent of the surveyed cross sections were classified as stable by planar and rotational failure analysis-a disconnect that may have been the result of assumed soil properties. Two process-based classification systems each indicated that the reaches within the study area were incising and widening, and the Rosgen classification system characterized the streams as either type E6 or B6c. E6 channels are hydraulically efficient with low width-depth ratios, low to moderate sinuosity, and gentle to moderately steep slopes. B6c channels typically are incised with low width-depth ratios maintained by riparian vegetation, low bedload transport, and high washload transport. No obvious nickpoints (interruption or break in slope) were observed in the thalweg profile (line of maximum streambed descent), and the most acute incision occurred immediately downstream from bridges and culverts. Nine water-quality samples were collected between August 2003 and November 2004 near the mouth of the watershed. Sediment-laden rainfall-runoff substantially affected the water quality in Cardwell Branch, leading to greater biochemical and chemical oxygen demands as well as increased concentrations of several nutrient, bacteriological, sediment, and pesticide constituents. The storage of rainfall runoff in Yankee Hill Reservoir may prolong the presence of runoff-related constituents downstream. Across the study area, there was a lack of habitat availability for aquatic biota because of low dissolved oxygen levels and low streamflows or dry channels. In August 2003, the aquatic community near the mouth of

Early hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly and risk factors for evolution into the full-blown syndrome: a single-centre, retrospective, longitudinal study.

PubMed

Bisoffi, Zeno; Leoni, Stefania; Buonfrate, Dora; Lodesani, Claudia; Eseme, Franklin Esoka; Monteiro, Geraldo Badona; Marocco, Stefania; Guerriero, Massimo

2015-12-02

The hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly (HMS) represents a chronic, potentially fatal complication of malaria. Case definition includes: gross splenomegaly, high level of anti-malarial antibody and IgM, response to long-term anti-malarial prophylaxis. In this study, a large series of patients not fully meeting the case definition was tentatively classified as early hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly (e-HMS). The main research questions was: does "e-HMS" tend to evolve to the full-blown syndrome? And if so, what are the main factors influencing this evolution? Retrospective, longitudinal study. The patient database was searched to retrieve all potentially eligible patients. e-HMS was defined by splenomegaly of any size (with or without raised IgM), high anti-malarial antibody titre and exclusion of other causes of splenomegaly. The clinical outcome at following visits was analysed in relation to re-exposure to malaria, and to treatment (only part of the patients with e-HMS were treated with a single anti-malarial treatment and advised to follow an effective anti-malarial prophylaxis, if re-exposed). The association of the outcome with the main independent variables was first assessed with univariate analysis. A stepwise logistic regression model was then performed to study the association of the outcome with the main independent variables. One hundred and twenty-six subjects with e-HMS were retrieved. Eighty-one had at least one follow-up visit. Of 46 re-exposed to malaria for a variable period, 21 (46 %) had progressed, including 10/46 (22 %) evolving to full-blown HMS, while of 29 patients not re-exposed, 24 (93 %) had improved or cured and five (7 %) progressed (p < 0.001). At logistic regression re-exposure was confirmed as a major risk factor of progression (OR 9.458, CI 1.767-50.616) while treatment at initial visit was protective (OR 0.187, CI 0.054-0.650). e-HMS should be regarded as a clinical condition predisposing to HMS. Although the case definition may include false positives, e-HMS should be treated just as the full-blown syndrome. A single anti-malarial treatment is probably adequate, followed by effective prophylaxis for patients exposed again to malaria transmission.

Testing and Results of Human Metabolic Simulation Utilizing Ultrasonic Nebulizer Technology for Water Vapor Generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stubbe, Matthew; Curley, Su

2010-01-01

Life support technology must be evaluated thoroughly before ever being implemented into a functioning design. A major concern during that evaluation is safety. The ability to mimic human metabolic loads allows test engineers to evaluate the effectiveness of new technologies without risking injury to any actual humans. The main function of most life support technologies is the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) vapor. As such any good human metabolic simulator (HMS) will mimic the human body s ability to produce these items. Introducing CO2 into a test chamber is a very straightforward process with few unknowns so the focus of this particular new HMS design was on the much more complicated process of introducing known quantities of H2O vapor on command. Past iterations of the HMS have utilized steam which is very hard to keep in vapor phase while transporting and injecting into a test chamber. Also steam adds large quantities of heat to any test chamber, well beyond what an actual human does. For the new HMS an alternative approach to water vapor generation was designed utilizing ultrasonic nebulizers as a method for creating water vapor. Ultrasonic technology allows water to be vibrated into extremely tiny pieces (2-5 microns) and evaporate without requiring additional heating. Doing this process inside the test chamber itself allows H2O vapor generation without the unwanted heat and the challenging process of transporting water vapor. This paper presents the design details as well as results of all initial and final acceptance system testing. Testing of the system was performed at a range of known human metabolic rates in both sea-level and reduced pressure environments. This multitude of test points fully defines the systems capabilities as they relate to actual environmental systems testing.

Low-grade parasitaemias and cold agglutinins in patients with hyper-reactive malarious splenomegaly and acute haemolysis.

PubMed

Torres, J R; Villegas, L; Perez, H; Suarez, L; Torres V, M A; Campos, M

2003-03-01

A cluster of 16 cases of hyper-reactive malarious splenomegaly (HMS) with severe, acute haemolysis, from an isolated, Venezuelan, Yanomami population, was prospectively investigated. Nine (69%) of the 13 HMS sera investigated but only one (7%) of 14 control sera (P < 0.005) contained elevated titres (of at least 1:32) of complement-fixing IgM cold agglutinins (CA). The CA detected had specificity for both the I and i blood-group antigens (with a relative predominance of anti-I) and wide thermal stability. The mean reciprocal CA titre was much higher for the HMS sera than for the control samples (59.16 v. 2.28; P < 0.001). Indirect tests for antiglobulin were positive for two of the 13 HMS cases (but none of 14 controls) investigated; all of the direct tests for antiglobulin gave negative results. The seven HMS cases checked, using an assay based on a nested PCR which amplified species-specific ribosomal sequences from Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum, each yielded the PCR product that indicated P. vivax infection. However, only six (25%) of the 24 control samples (collected, at the same time as the HMS samples, from asymptomatic adults from the same Yanomami population) were PCR-positive (P < 0.001). In some cases at least, the acute severe episodes of haemolysis occasionally seen in HMS appear to be associated with an auto-immune, cold-agglutinin-mediated response triggered by non-patent parasitaemias.

Ephemeral association between gene CG5762 and hybrid male sterility in Drosophila sibling species.

PubMed

Ma, Daina; Michalak, Pawel

2011-10-01

Interspecies divergence in regulatory pathways may result in hybrid male sterility (HMS) when dominance and epistatic interactions between alleles that are functional within one genome are disrupted in hybrid genomes. The identification of genes contributing to HMS and other hybrid dysfunctions is essential for understanding the origin of new species (speciation). Previously, we identified a panel of male-specific loci misexpressed in sterile male hybrids of Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana relative to parental species. In the current work, we attempt to dissect the genetic associations between HMS and one of the genes, CG5762, a Drosophila-unique locus characterized by rapid sequence divergence within the genus, presumably driven by positive natural selection. CG5762 is underexpressed in sterile backcross males compared with their fertile brothers. In CG5762 heterozygotes, the D. mauritiana allele is consistently overexpressed on both the D. simulans and D. mauritiana backcross genomic background, suggesting a cis-acting regulation factor. There is a significant association between heterozygosity and HMS in hybrid males from early but not later backcross generations. Microsatellite markers spanning CG5762 fail to associate with HMS. These observations lead to a conclusion that CG5762 is not a causative factor of HMS. Although genetic linkage between CG5762 and a neighboring causative introgression cannot be ruled out, it seems that the pattern is most consistent with CG5762 participating in epistatic interactions that are disrupted in flies with HMS.

The Hazard Mapping System (HMS)-a Multiplatform Remote Sensing Approach to Fire and Smoke Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibler, J.; Ruminski, M. G.

2003-12-01

The HMS is a multiplatform remote sensing approach to detecting fires and smoke over the US and adjacent areas of Canada and Mexico that has been in place since June 2002. This system is an integral part of the National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS) near realtime hazard detection and mitigation efforts. The system utilizes NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra and Aqua spacecraft. Automated detection algorithms are employed for each of the satellites for the fire detects while smoke is added by a satellite image analyst. In June 2003 the HMS underwent an upgrade. A number of features were added for users of the products generated on the HMS. Sectors covering Alaska and Hawaii were added. The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) shape files for smoke analysis is a new feature. Shape files show the progression and time of a single smoke plume as each analysis is drawn and then updated. The analyst now has the ability to view GOES, POES, and MODIS data in a single loop. This allows the fire analyst the ability to easily confirm a fire in three different data sets. The upgraded HMS has faster satellite looping and gives the analyst the ability to design a false color image for a particular region. The GOES satellites provide a relatively coarse 4 km infrared resolution at satellite subpoint for thermal fire detection but provide the advantage of a rapid update cycle. GOES imagery is updated every 15 minutes utilizing both GOES-10 and GOES-12. POES imagery from NOAA-15, NOAA-16 and NOAA-17 and MODIS from Terra and Aqua are employed with each satellite providing twice per day coverage (more frequent over Alaska). While the frequency of imagery is much less than with GOES the higher resolution of these satellites (1 km along the suborbital track) allows for detection of smaller and/or cooler burning fires. Each of the algorithms utilizes a number of temporal, thermal and contextual filters in an attempt to screen out false detects. However, false detects do get processed by the algorithms to varying degrees. Therefore, the automated fire detects from each algorithm are quality controlled by an analyst who scans the imagery and may either accept or delete fire points. The analyst also has the ability to manually add additional fire points based on the imagery. Smoke is outlined by the analyst using visible imagery, primarily GOES which provides 1 km resolution. Occasionally a smoke plume seen in visible imagery is the only indicator of a fire and would be manually added to the fire detect file. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) is a forecast model that projects the trajectory and dispersion of a smoke plume over a period of time. The HYSPLIT is run for fires that are selected by the analyst that are seen to be producing a significant smoke plume. The analyst defines a smoke producing area commensurate with the size of the fire and amount of smoke detected. The output is hosted on an Air Resources Lab (ARL) web site which can be accessed from the web site listed below. All of the information is posted to the web page noted below. Besides the interactive GIS presentation users can view the product in graphical jpg format. The analyst edited points as well as the unedited automated fire detects are available for users to view directly on the web page or to download. All of the data is also archived and accessed via ftp.

Impact of wildfires on regional air pollution | Science Inventory ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

We examine the impact of wildfires and agricultural/prescribed burning on regional air pollution and Air Quality Index (AQI) between 2006 and 2013. We define daily regional air pollution using monitoring sites for ozone (n=1595), PM2.5 collected by Federal Reference Method (n=1058), and constituents of PM2.5 from the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) network (n=264) and use satellite image analysis from the NOAA Hazard Mapping System (HMS) to determine days on which visible smoke plumes are detected in the vertical column of the monitoring site. To examine the impact of smoke from these fires on regional air pollution we use a two stage approach, accounting for within site (1st stage) and between site (2nd stage) variations. At the first stage we estimate a monitor-specific plume day effect describing the relative change in pollutant concentrations on the days impacted by smoke plume while accounting for confounding effects of season and temperature_. At the second stage we combine monitor-specific plume day effects with a Bayesian hierarchical model and estimate a pooled nationally-averaged effect. HMS visible smoke plumes were detected on 6% of ozone, 8% of PM2.5 and 6% of IMPROVE network monitoring days. Our preliminary results indicate that the long range transport of air pollutants from wildfires and prescribed burns increase ozone concentration by 11% and PM2.5 mass by 34%. On all of the days where monitoring sites were AQI

Heavy Metal Contents of Soils, Durum and Bread Wheats in Harran Plain, Southeast Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Büyükkılıç Yanardaǧ, Asuman

2013-04-01

Soils are vital for regulating the biological effects and mobility of metals in nature. Iron and zinc are some of the essential nutrients for plants and animals, while other metals are potentially toxic such as lead and cadmium. Toxic heavy metals (HMs) can be taken up easily by organisms. HMs inputs to soil via the application of metal-contained fertilizers often exceed outputs in crops and drainage waters, thus toxic HMs content in many agricultural soils tends to be gradually increasing. Thus adverse human health effects due to soil-plant and plant-human transfer of HMs have been enhanced. HMs may cause harmful effects on human health due to the ingestion of food grain grown in soils. The objectives of this study were (1) to understand the chemistry of metals in soils for managing their agricultural and ecological impacts, (2) to identify metal uptakes of different genotypes of wheat. Concentrations of HMs (Cd, Zn, Ni, Mn, Cu, Mo, Pb) in wheat were investigated in different agricultural areas in Southeast, Turkey. The results showed that concentrations of HMs were in following order: Mn>Ni>Zn>Cu>Pb>Mo>Cd in surface and next to surface soil and Mn>Zn>Cu>Pb> Ni>Mo>Cd in wheat, respectively. HMs concentrations of several soil samples exceeded the permissible limits of Europe standard except for Ni and Mn. In addition, concentration of Cd, Zn, Cu, and Pb were higher in bread wheat than in durum wheat; however, concentration of Mn, Ni and Mo were higher in durum wheat than in bread wheat. Unusual amount of heavy metals found in some fertilizers used in the Southeast region of Turkey, it becomes an important subject to determine the amount of metals added to the soil every year. Heavy metals uptake by plants still remains to be an interest for researchers. As the heavy metals contents of plants were below the threshold levels, we conclude that the quality of wheat is high and it should receive attention in national and international markets. Keywords: Heavy Metals (HMs), Soil, Durum and Bread Wheat, Fertilizers.

Hail Disrometer Array for Launch Systems Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, John E.; Sharp, David W.; Kasparis, Takis C.; Doesken, Nolan J.

2008-01-01

Prior to launch, the space shuttle might be described as a very large thermos bottle containing substantial quantities of cryogenic fuels. Because thermal insulation is a critical design requirement, the external wall of the launch vehicle fuel tank is covered with an insulating foam layer. This foam is fragile and can be damaged by very minor impacts, such as that from small- to medium-size hail, which may go unnoticed. In May 1999, hail damage to the top of the External Tank (ET) of STS-96 required a rollback from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repair of the insulating foam. Because of the potential for hail damage to the ET while exposed to the weather, a vigilant hail sentry system using impact transducers was developed as a hail damage warning system and to record and quantify hail events. The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Hail Monitor System, a joint effort of the NASA and University Affiliated Spaceport Technology Development Contract (USTDC) Physics Labs, was first deployed for operational testing in the fall of 2006. Volunteers from the Community Collaborative Rain. Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) in conjunction with Colorado State University were and continue to be active in testing duplicate hail monitor systems at sites in the hail prone high plains of Colorado. The KSC Hail Monitor System (HMS), consisting of three stations positioned approximately 500 ft from the launch pad and forming an approximate equilateral triangle (see Figure 1), was deployed to Pad 39B for support of STS-115. Two months later, the HMS was deployed to Pad 39A for support of STS-116. During support of STS-117 in late February 2007, an unusual hail event occurred in the immediate vicinity of the exposed space shuttle and launch pad. Hail data of this event was collected by the HMS and analyzed. Support of STS-118 revealed another important application of the hail monitor system. Ground Instrumentation personnel check the hail monitors daily when a vehicle is on the launch pad, with special attention after any storm suspected of containing hail. If no hail is recorded by the HMS, the vehicle and pad inspection team has no need to conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle immediately following a storm. On the afternoon of July 13, 2007, hail on the ground was reported by observers at the VAB, about three miles west of Pad 39A, as well as at several other locations around Kennedy Space Center. The HMS showed no impact detections, indicating that the shuttle had not been damaged by any of the numerous hail events which occurred that day.

Approaching the Minimum Thermal Conductivity in Rhenium-Substituted Higher Manganese Silicides

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

Chen, Xi; Girard, S. N.; Meng, F.

Higher manganese silicides (HMS) made of earth-abundant and non-toxic elements are regarded as promising p-type thermoelectric materials because their complex crystal structure results in low lattice thermal conductivity. It is shown here that the already low thermal conductivity of HMS can be reduced further to approach the minimum thermal conductivity via partial substitu- tion of Mn with heavier rhenium (Re) to increase point defect scattering. The solubility limit of Re in the obtained RexMn1 xSi1.8 is determined to be about x = 0.18. Elemental inhomogeneity and the formation of ReSi1.75 inclusions with 50 200 nm size are found within themore » HMS matrix. It is found that the power factor does not change markedly at low Re content of x 0.04 before it drops considerably at higher Re contents. Compared to pure HMS, the reduced lattice thermal conductivity in RexMn1 xSi1.8 results in a 25% increase of the peak figure of merit ZT to reach 0.57 0.08 at 800 K for x = 0.04. The suppressed thermal conductivity in the pure RexMn1 xSi1.8 can enable further investigations of the ZT limit of this system by exploring different impurity doping strategies to optimize the carrier concentration and power factor.« less

Localized sequence-specific release of a chemopreventive agent and an anticancer drug in a time-controllable manner to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

PubMed

Pan, Wen-Yu; Lin, Kun-Ju; Huang, Chieh-Cheng; Chiang, Wei-Lun; Lin, Yu-Jung; Lin, Wei-Chih; Chuang, Er-Yuan; Chang, Yen; Sung, Hsing-Wen

2016-09-01

Combination chemotherapy with multiple drugs commonly requires several injections on various schedules, and the probability that the drug molecules reach the diseased tissues at the proper time and effective therapeutic concentrations is very low. This work elucidates an injectable co-delivery system that is based on cationic liposomes that are adsorbed on anionic hollow microspheres (Lipos-HMs) via electrostatic interaction, from which the localized sequence-specific release of a chemopreventive agent (1,25(OH)2D3) and an anticancer drug (doxorubicin; DOX) can be thermally driven in a time-controllable manner by an externally applied high-frequency magnetic field (HFMF). Lipos-HMs can greatly promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells by reducing their cytoplasmic expression of an antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase) by 1,25(OH)2D3, increasing the susceptibility of cancer cells to the cytotoxic action of DOX. In nude mice that bear xenograft tumors, treatment with Lipos-HMs under exposure to HFMF effectively inhibits tumor growth and is the most effective therapeutic intervention among all the investigated. These empirical results demonstrate that the synergistic anticancer effects of sequential release of 1,25(OH)2D3 and DOX from the Lipos-HMs may have potential for maximizing DOX cytotoxicity, supporting more effective cancer treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic dissection of hybrid incompatibilities between Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana. I. Differential accumulation of hybrid male sterility effects on the X and autosomes.

PubMed Central

Tao, Yun; Chen, Sining; Hartl, Daniel L; Laurie, Cathy C

2003-01-01

The genetic basis of hybrid incompatibility in crosses between Drosophila mauritiana and D. simulans was investigated to gain insight into the evolutionary mechanisms of speciation. In this study, segments of the D. mauritiana third chromosome were introgressed into a D. simulans genetic background and tested as homozygotes for viability, male fertility, and female fertility. The entire third chromosome was covered with partially overlapping segments. Many segments were male sterile, while none were female sterile or lethal, confirming previous reports of the rapid evolution of hybrid male sterility (HMS). A statistical model was developed to quantify the HMS accumulation. In comparison with previous work on the X chromosome, we estimate that the X has approximately 2.5 times the density of HMS factors as the autosomes. We also estimate that the whole genome contains approximately 15 HMS "equivalents"-i.e., 15 times the minimum number of incompatibility factors necessary to cause complete sterility. Although some caveats for the quantitative estimate of a 2.5-fold density difference are described, this study supports the notion that the X chromosome plays a special role in the evolution of reproductive isolation. Possible mechanisms of a "large X" effect include selective fixation of new mutations that are recessive or partially recessive and the evolution of sex-ratio distortion systems. PMID:12930747

Genetic dissection of hybrid incompatibilities between Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana. I. Differential accumulation of hybrid male sterility effects on the X and autosomes.

PubMed

Tao, Yun; Chen, Sining; Hartl, Daniel L; Laurie, Cathy C

2003-08-01

The genetic basis of hybrid incompatibility in crosses between Drosophila mauritiana and D. simulans was investigated to gain insight into the evolutionary mechanisms of speciation. In this study, segments of the D. mauritiana third chromosome were introgressed into a D. simulans genetic background and tested as homozygotes for viability, male fertility, and female fertility. The entire third chromosome was covered with partially overlapping segments. Many segments were male sterile, while none were female sterile or lethal, confirming previous reports of the rapid evolution of hybrid male sterility (HMS). A statistical model was developed to quantify the HMS accumulation. In comparison with previous work on the X chromosome, we estimate that the X has approximately 2.5 times the density of HMS factors as the autosomes. We also estimate that the whole genome contains approximately 15 HMS "equivalents"-i.e., 15 times the minimum number of incompatibility factors necessary to cause complete sterility. Although some caveats for the quantitative estimate of a 2.5-fold density difference are described, this study supports the notion that the X chromosome plays a special role in the evolution of reproductive isolation. Possible mechanisms of a "large X" effect include selective fixation of new mutations that are recessive or partially recessive and the evolution of sex-ratio distortion systems.

Managing critically Ill hematology patients: Time to think differently.

PubMed

Azoulay, Elie; Pène, Frédéric; Darmon, Michael; Lengliné, Etienne; Benoit, Dominique; Soares, Marcio; Vincent, Francois; Bruneel, Fabrice; Perez, Pierre; Lemiale, Virginie; Mokart, Djamel

2015-11-01

The number of patients living with hematological malignancies (HMs) has increased steadily over time. This is the result of intensive and effective treatments that also increase the probability of infiltrative, infectious or toxic life threatening event. Over the last two decades, the number of patients with HMs admitted to the ICU increased and their mortality has dropped sharply. ICU patients with HMs require an extensive diagnostic workup and the optimal use of ICU treatments to identify the reason for ICU admission and the nature of the complication that explains organ dysfunctions. Mortality of ARDS or septic shock is up to 50%, respectively. In this review, the authors share their experience with managing critically ill patients with HMs. They discuss the main aspects of the diagnostic and therapeutic management of critically ill patients with HMs and argue that outcomes have improved over time and that many classic determinants of mortality have become irrelevant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Finished Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 Strain HMS174 (ATCC 47011).

PubMed

Mairhofer, Juergen; Krempl, Peter M; Thallinger, Gerhard G; Striedner, Gerald

2014-11-20

Escherichia coli strain K-12 substrain HMS174 is an engineered descendant of the E. coli K-12 wild-type strain. Like its ancestor, it is an important organism in biotechnological research and is used in fermentation processes for heterologous protein production. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of E. coli HMS174 (ATCC 47011). Copyright © 2014 Mairhofer et al.

Chronic pain in hypermobility syndrome and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hypermobility type): it is a challenge

PubMed Central

Scheper, Mark C; de Vries, Janneke E; Verbunt, Jeanine; Engelbert, Raoul HH

2015-01-01

Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is highly prevalent among patients diagnosed with chronic pain. When GJH is accompanied by pain in ≥4 joints over a period ≥3 months in the absence of other conditions that cause chronic pain, the hypermobility syndrome (HMS) may be diagnosed. In addition, GJH is also a clinical sign that is frequently present in hereditary diseases of the connective tissue, such as the Marfan syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, and the Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. However, within the Ehlers–Danlos spectrum, a similar subcategory of patients having similar clinical features as HMS but lacking a specific genetic profile was identified: Ehlers–Danlos syndrome hypermobility type (EDS-HT). Researchers and clinicians have struggled for decades with the highly diverse clinical presentation within the HMS and EDS-HT phenotypes (Challenge 1) and the lack of understanding of the pathological mechanisms that underlie the development of pain and its persistence (Challenge 2). In addition, within the HMS/EDS-HT phenotype, there is a high prevalence of psychosocial factors, which again presents a difficult issue that needs to be addressed (Challenge 3). Despite recent scientific advances, many obstacles for clinical care and research still remain. To gain further insight into the phenotype of HMS/EDS-HT and its mechanisms, clearer descriptions of these populations should be made available. Future research and clinical care should revise and create consensus on the diagnostic criteria for HMS/EDS-HT (Solution 1), account for clinical heterogeneity by the classification of subtypes within the HMS/EDS-HT spectrum (Solution 2), and create a clinical core set (Solution 3). PMID:26316810

Chronic pain in hypermobility syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hypermobility type): it is a challenge.

PubMed

Scheper, Mark C; de Vries, Janneke E; Verbunt, Jeanine; Engelbert, Raoul Hh

2015-01-01

Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is highly prevalent among patients diagnosed with chronic pain. When GJH is accompanied by pain in ≥4 joints over a period ≥3 months in the absence of other conditions that cause chronic pain, the hypermobility syndrome (HMS) may be diagnosed. In addition, GJH is also a clinical sign that is frequently present in hereditary diseases of the connective tissue, such as the Marfan syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, and the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. However, within the Ehlers-Danlos spectrum, a similar subcategory of patients having similar clinical features as HMS but lacking a specific genetic profile was identified: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type (EDS-HT). Researchers and clinicians have struggled for decades with the highly diverse clinical presentation within the HMS and EDS-HT phenotypes (Challenge 1) and the lack of understanding of the pathological mechanisms that underlie the development of pain and its persistence (Challenge 2). In addition, within the HMS/EDS-HT phenotype, there is a high prevalence of psychosocial factors, which again presents a difficult issue that needs to be addressed (Challenge 3). Despite recent scientific advances, many obstacles for clinical care and research still remain. To gain further insight into the phenotype of HMS/EDS-HT and its mechanisms, clearer descriptions of these populations should be made available. Future research and clinical care should revise and create consensus on the diagnostic criteria for HMS/EDS-HT (Solution 1), account for clinical heterogeneity by the classification of subtypes within the HMS/EDS-HT spectrum (Solution 2), and create a clinical core set (Solution 3).

Risk assessment of occupational exposure to heavy metal mixtures: a study protocol.

PubMed

Omrane, Fatma; Gargouri, Imed; Khadhraoui, Moncef; Elleuch, Boubaker; Zmirou-Navier, Denis

2018-03-05

Sfax is a very industrialized city located in the southern region of Tunisia where heavy metals (HMs) pollution is now an established matter of fact. The health of its residents mainly those engaged in industrial metals-based activities is under threat. Indeed, such workers are being exposed to a variety of HMs mixtures, and this exposure has cumulative properties. Whereas current HMs exposure assessment is mainly carried out using direct air monitoring approaches, the present study aims to assess health risks associated with chronic occupational exposure to HMs in industry, using a modeling approach that will be validated later on. To this end, two questionnaires were used. The first was an identification/descriptive questionnaire aimed at identifying, for each company: the specific activities, materials used, manufactured products and number of employees exposed. The second related to the job-task of the exposed persons, workplace characteristics (dimensions, ventilation, etc.), type of metals and emission configuration in space and time. Indoor air HMs concentrations were predicted, based on the mathematical models generally used to estimate occupational exposure to volatile substances (such as solvents). Later on, and in order to validate the adopted model, air monitoring will be carried out, as well as some biological monitoring aimed at assessing HMs excretion in the urine of workers volunteering to participate. Lastly, an interaction-based hazard index HI int and a decision support tool will be used to predict the cumulative risk assessment for HMs mixtures. One hundred sixty-one persons working in the 5 participating companies have been identified. Of these, 110 are directly engaged with HMs in the course of the manufacturing process. This model-based prediction of occupational exposure represents an alternative tool that is both time-saving and cost-effective in comparison with direct air monitoring approaches. Following validation of the different models according to job processes, via comparison with direct measurements and exploration of correlations with biological monitoring, these estimates will allow a cumulative risk characterization.

Printable low-cost sensor systems for healthcare smart textiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, Pratyush; Kumar, Prashanth S.; Oh, Sechang; Kwon, Hyeokjun; Mathur, Gyanesh N.; Varadan, Vijay K.

2011-04-01

Smart textiles-based wearable health monitoring systems (ST-HMS) have been presented as elegant solutions to the requirements of individuals across a wide range of ages. They can be used to monitor young or elderly recuperating /convalescent patients either in hospital or at home, or they can be used by young athletes to monitor important physiological parameters to better design their training or fitness program. Business and academic interests, all over the world, have fueled a great deal of work in the development of this technology since 1990. However, two important impediments to the development of ST-HMS are:-integration of flexible electrodes, flexible sensors, signal conditioning circuits and data logging or wireless transmission devices into a seamless garment and a means to mass manufacture the same, while keeping the costs low. Roll-to-roll printing and screen printing are two low cost methods for large scale manufacturing on flexible substrates and can be extended to textiles as well. These two methods are, currently, best suited for planar structures. The sensors, integrated with wireless telemetry, facilitate development of a ST-HMS that allows for unobtrusive health monitoring. In this paper, we present our results with planar screen printable sensors based on conductive inks which can be used to monitor EKG, abdominal respiration effort, blood pressure, pulse rate and body temperature. The sensor systems were calibrated, and tested for sensitivity, reliability and robustness to ensure reuse after washing cycles.

Significant enhancement in thermoelectric performance of nanostructured higher manganese silicides synthesized employing a melt spinning technique.

PubMed

Muthiah, Saravanan; Singh, R C; Pathak, B D; Avasthi, Piyush Kumar; Kumar, Rishikesh; Kumar, Anil; Srivastava, A K; Dhar, Ajay

2018-01-25

The limited thermoelectric performance of p-type Higher Manganese Silicides (HMS) in terms of their low figure-of-merit (ZT), which is far below unity, is the main bottle-neck for realising an efficient HMS based thermoelectric generator, which has been recognized as the most promising material for harnessing waste-heat in the mid-temperature range, owing to its thermal stability, earth-abundant and environmentally friendly nature of its constituent elements. We report a significant enhancement in the thermoelectric performance of nanostructured HMS synthesized using rapid solidification by optimizing the cooling rates during melt-spinning followed by spark plasma sintering of the resulting melt-spun ribbons. By employing this experimental strategy, an unprecedented ZT ∼ 0.82 at 800 K was realized in spark plasma sintered 5 at% Al-doped MnSi 1.73 HMS, melt spun at an optimized high cooling rate of ∼2 × 10 7 K s -1 . This enhancement in ZT represents a ∼25% increase over the best reported values thus far for HMS and primarily originates from a nano-crystalline microstructure consisting of a HMS matrix (20-40 nm) with excess Si (3-9 nm) uniformly distributed in it. This nanostructure, resulting from the high cooling rates employed during the melt-spinning of HMS, introduces a high density of nano-crystallite boundaries in a wide spectrum of nano-scale dimensions, which scatter the low-to-mid-wavelength heat-carrying phonons. This abundant phonon scattering results in a significantly reduced thermal conductivity of ∼1.5 W m -1 K -1 at 800 K, which primarily contributes to the enhancement in ZT.

Reasoning about real-time systems with temporal interval logic constraints on multi-state automata

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabrielian, Armen

1991-01-01

Models of real-time systems using a single paradigm often turn out to be inadequate, whether the paradigm is based on states, rules, event sequences, or logic. A model-based approach to reasoning about real-time systems is presented in which a temporal interval logic called TIL is employed to define constraints on a new type of high level automata. The combination, called hierarchical multi-state (HMS) machines, can be used to model formally a real-time system, a dynamic set of requirements, the environment, heuristic knowledge about planning-related problem solving, and the computational states of the reasoning mechanism. In this framework, mathematical techniques were developed for: (1) proving the correctness of a representation; (2) planning of concurrent tasks to achieve goals; and (3) scheduling of plans to satisfy complex temporal constraints. HMS machines allow reasoning about a real-time system from a model of how truth arises instead of merely depending of what is true in a system.

Effect of pyrolysis temperature on chemical form, behavior and environmental risk of Zn, Pb and Cd in biochar produced from phytoremediation residue.

PubMed

Huang, Hui; Yao, Wenlin; Li, Ronghua; Ali, Amjad; Du, Juan; Guo, Di; Xiao, Ran; Guo, Zhanyu; Zhang, Zengqiang; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical forms, behavior and environmental risk of heavy metal (HMs) Zn, Pb and Cd in phytoremediation residue (PMR) pyrolyzed at 350 °C, 550 °C and 750 °C, respectively. The behavior of HMs variation during the PMR pyrolysis process was analyzed and the potential HMs environmental risk of phytoremediation residue biochars (PMB) was assessed which was seldom investigated before. The results showed that the pyrolysis temperature increase decreased the soluble/exchangeable HMs fraction and alleviated the HMs bioavailability. When the temperature was over 550 °C, the adsorbed Zn(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) were turned into oxides forms and concentrated in PMB with more stable forms exhibiting lower risk assessment code and potential ecological risk index. The ecotoxicity test showed higher pyrolysis temperature favored the reduction of PMB ecotoxicity. It is suggested that pyrolysis temperature above 550°C may be suitable for thermal treatment of PMR with acceptable environmental risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synergistic effect of rice husk addition on hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge: fate and environmental risk of heavy metals.

PubMed

Shi, Wansheng; Liu, Chunguang; Shu, Youju; Feng, Chuanping; Lei, Zhongfang; Zhang, Zhenya

2013-12-01

Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) at 200°C was applied to immobilize heavy metals (HMs) and the effect of rice husk (RH) addition was investigated based on total HMs concentration, fractionation and leaching tests. The results indicated that a synergistic effect of RH addition and HTT could be achieved on reducing the risk of HMs from medium and low risk to no risk. Metals were redistributed and transformed from weakly bounded state to stable state during the HTT process under RH addition. Notably at a RH/sludge ratio of 1/1.75 (d.w.), all the HMs showed no eco-toxicity and no leaching toxicity, with the concentrations of leachable Cr, Ni, Cu and Cd decreased by 17%, 89%, 95% and 93%, respectively. This synergistic effect of RH addition and HTT on the risk reduction of HMs implies that HTT process with RH addition could be a promising and safe disposal technology for sewage sludge treatment in practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arsenic and heavy metals contamination, risk assessment and their source in drinking water of the Mardan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

PubMed

Gul, Nida; Shah, Mohammad Tahir; Khan, Sardar; Khattak, Nimat Ullah; Muhammad, Said

2015-12-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the physico-chemical characteristics in drinking water of Mardan District, Pakistan. Furthermore, water quality was evaluated for the risk assessment of arsenic and heavy metals (HMs) and their contamination sources. Representative groundwater samples of shallow and deep sources were collected in the study area. These samples were analyzed for physical parameters, anions, light metals (LMs) and HMs. Results were compared with the drinking water guideline values set by the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Average concentrations of anions, LMs and HMs were found within the maximum allowable contaminant levels except for bicarbonates, Fe, Cu, and Pb. Results revealed that hazard quotients >1 were observed for shallow groundwater for 10% samples only, suggesting potential health risk from water consumption. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed a relationship among various physico-chemical parameters in both shallow and deep groundwater. Statistical analyses suggested the geogenic and anthropogenic sources for possible enhancement of various physico-chemical parameters in the aquifer system of the study area.

Heavy metal pollution in farmland irrigated with river water near a steel plant—magnetic and geochemical signature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunxia; Appel, Erwin; Qiao, Qingqing

2013-03-01

The presence of heavy metals (HMs) in the environment is a major threat for humans. Magnetic proxies provide a rapid method for assessing the degree of HM pollution in environment. We have studied farmland soil irrigated with polluted river water in the vicinity of a steel plant in Loudi city (Hunan Province, China) to test the efficiency of magnetic methods for detecting the degree of HM pollution. Both magnetic and non-magnetic (microscopic, chemical and statistical) methods were used to characterize these farmland soils. Enhanced magnetic concentration values were found in the upper arable soil horizon (0-20 cm), which is related to the presence of spherical ˜10 to 30 μm sized magnetite particles. The spatial distribution of magnetic concentration and HM contents in the farmland soils matches with the spatial pattern of these parameters in river sediments. These findings provide evidence that HM pollution of the farmland soil is mainly caused by irrigation with wastewater. HMs Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Co, Ni, V are well correlate with magnetic susceptibility (χ). The pollution load index (PLI) of all nine anthropogenic HMs (including also Cr and Mo) and log10(χ) are significantly correlated. Using the resulting linear PLI-log10(χ) function, values of χ can serve as a convenient tool for semi-quantifying the degree of HM pollution in the uppermost ˜20 cm of the studied farmland soils. These findings suggest that magnetic methods can generally serve as a convenient tool for detecting and mapping HM pollution in farmland soil irrigated with wastewater from sites nearby heavy industrial activities.

Variation in the Presence of Simple Home Modifications of Older Americans: Findings from the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

PubMed

Meucci, Marissa R; Gozalo, Pedro; Dosa, David; Allen, Susan M

2016-10-01

To investigate the association between sociodemographic and economic factors and the presence of simple home modifications (HMs) among older adults in the United States. Cross-sectional. National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011, Round 1). Community-dwelling Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older (N = 6,628). The primary dependent variable was the reported presence or absence of simple HMs (grab bars in the shower or near the toilet, shower seats, raised toilet seats). Of the individuals sampled, 60.7% reported having at least one HM of interest. Black (odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68-0.91) and Hispanic (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.45-0.78) respondents were less likely than white, non-Hispanic respondents to have HMs. Those with more education (high school graduate: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.01-1.42; >high school: OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.14-1.62) and larger social networks (≥4 people; OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.12-1.89) were more likely to have at least one HM, whereas being divorced (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43-0.74) was associated with lower likelihood. Income (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.97-1.05), Medicaid enrollment (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.77-1.25), and living alone (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.85-1.23) were not significantly associated with the presence of HMs. Minorities, individuals with less education, and those with less social support are less likely to have HMs. Awareness of these disparities and the shortcomings of the HM delivery system is important to clinicians and policy-makers who seek to prevent falls and facilitate aging in place for all older Americans. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Audiologic correlates of hearing handicap in the elderly.

PubMed

Weinstein, B E; Ventry, I M

1983-03-01

This investigation was conducted to determine the relationship between self-assessed hearing handicap and audiometric measures in a large sample of noninstitutionalized elderly individuals. Eighty subjects underwent a complete audiological evaluation and responded to the Hearing Measurement Scale (HMS). Each of the correlations between measures of sensitivity and the HMS score was statistically significant. The speech discrimination scores showed a somewhat lower correlation with the HMS score than did pure-tone measures. The implications of the above findings are discussed.

Tissue distribution and oral exposure risk assessment of heavy metals in an urban bird: magpie from Central Iran.

PubMed

Zarrintab, Mohammad; Mirzaei, Rouhollah

2018-06-01

Direct ingestion of soil and/or soil attached to the food items is a potential rout for wildlife exposure to contaminants. In this study, bioaccumulation of five heavy metals (HMs) in internal tissues of an urban bird (Pica pica) collected from Aran-O-Bidgol City, Central Iran and their related soil were investigated. A total of 15 magpie specimens were collected in autumn 2013 and then their internal tissues were digested using a mixture of HNO 3 and H 2 O 2 , and finally, concentrations of HMs were detected by ICP-OES. In addition, in order to show level of HM exposure risk to magpie, an exposure risk assessment was modeled. Results indicated that HMs were accumulated as follows: liver > kidney > muscle. Zn and Cu were significantly higher in magpie's tissues collected from agricultural site; on the other hand, Pb and Cd were significantly higher in industrial site (p < 0.05). Level of Cd in male's livers (2.11 μg/g dw) was significantly higher than in females (1.85 μg/g dw) (p < 0.05). Levels of Cd, Pb, and Ni in liver, muscle, and kidney, respectively, were significantly higher in adults than in subadults (p < 0.05). Soil exposure doses of all HMs were lower than tolerable daily intake (Zn 4.35, Cu 1.34, Ni 5.65, Pb 0.35, and Cd 0.53). The calculated hazard quotations (HQs) for HMs were as follows: Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cd and for all HMs were at no risk level (HQ < 1). The amounts of hazard index for three sites were as follows: urban (1.032) > agriculture (0.943) ≥ industry (0.941) and only for urban area was at low risk (1 < HQ < 2). It seemed that birds living in a safe environment and/or HM contaminations in soil separately had no negative effects on magpies. We can also suggest that low levels of HMs in magpie's tissues can be due to low levels of HMs in soil.

Flood plain analysis for Petris, , Troas, and Monoros, tia watersheds, the Arad department, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Győri, M.-M.; Haidu, I.

2012-04-01

The present study sets out to determine the flood plains corresponding to flood discharges having 10, 50 and 100 year recurrence intervals on the Monoroštia, Petriš and Troaš Rivers, located in Western Romania, the Arad department. The data of the study area is first collected and pre-processed in ArcGIS. It consists of land use data, soil data, the DEM, stream gauges' and meteorological stations' locations, on the basis of which the watersheds' hydrologic parameters' are computed using the Geospatial Hydrologic Modelling Extension (HEC Geo-HMS). HEC Geo-HMS functions as an interface between ArcGIS and HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Engineering Centre- Hydrologic Modelling System) and converts the data collected and generated in ArcGIS to data useable by HEC-HMS. The basin model component in HEC-HMS represents the physical watershed. It facilitates the effective rainfall computation on the basis of the input hyetograph, passing the results to a transform function that converts the excess precipitation into runoff at the subwatersheds' outlet. This enables the estimation and creation of hydrographs for the ungauged watersheds. In the present study, the results are achieved through the SCS CN loss method and the SCS Unit hydrograph transform method. The simulations use rainfall data that is registered at the stations situated in the catchments' vicinity, data that spans over two decades (1989-2009) and which allows the rainfall hyetographs to be determined for the above mentioned return periods. The model will be calibrated against measured streamflow data from the gauging stations on the main rivers, leading to the adjustment of watershed parameters, such as the CN parameter. As the flood discharges for 10, 50 and 100 year return periods have been determined, the profile of the water surface elevation along the channel will be computed through a steady flow analysis, with HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Centre- River Analysis System). For each of the flood frequencies, a water surface TIN is generated and intersected with the DEM in order to create the flood plain polygons. The final result consists of the flood plain delineation and the water inundation depths for the 10, 50 and 100 year return period flood events. These could be further employed in a risk assessment. Key words : flood plain analysis, frequency analysis, HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS. Aknowledgements This work was possible with the financial support of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU/107/1.5/S/76841 with the title "Modern Doctoral Studies: Internationalization and Interdisciplinarity".

Using TES retrievals to investigate PAN in North American biomass burning plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Emily V.; Zhu, Liye; Payne, Vivienne H.; Worden, John R.; Jiang, Zhe; Kulawik, Susan S.; Brey, Steven; Hecobian, Arsineh; Gombos, Daniel; Cady-Pereira, Karen; Flocke, Frank

2018-04-01

Peroxyacyl nitrate (PAN) is a critical atmospheric reservoir for nitrogen oxide radicals, and plays a lead role in their redistribution in the troposphere. We analyze new Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) PAN observations over North America from July 2006 to July 2009. Using aircraft observations from the Colorado Front Range, we demonstrate that TES can be sensitive to elevated PAN in the boundary layer (˜ 750 hPa) even in the presence of clouds. In situ observations have shown that wildfire emissions can rapidly produce PAN, and PAN decomposition is an important component of ozone production in smoke plumes. We identify smoke-impacted TES PAN retrievals by co-location with NOAA Hazard Mapping System (HMS) smoke plumes. Depending on the year, 15-32 % of cases where elevated PAN is identified in TES observations (retrievals with degrees of freedom (DOF) > 0.6) overlap smoke plumes during July. Of all the retrievals attempted in the July 2006 to July 2009 study period, 18 % is associated with smoke . A case study of smoke transport in July 2007 illustrates that PAN enhancements associated with HMS smoke plumes can be connected to fire complexes, providing evidence that TES is sufficiently sensitive to measure elevated PAN several days downwind of major fires. Using a subset of retrievals with TES 510 hPa carbon monoxide (CO) > 150 ppbv, and multiple estimates of background PAN, we calculate enhancement ratios for tropospheric average PAN relative to CO in smoke-impacted retrievals. Most of the TES-based enhancement ratios fall within the range calculated from in situ measurements.

50 CFR 635.5 - Recordkeeping and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... the NMFS automated catch reporting system within 24 hours of the landing. Such reports may be made by... anyone responsible for offloading, storing, packing, or selling regulated HMS for such permittee, shall...

Effects of mining activities on the release of heavy metals(HMs) in the head water regions of the Heihe River.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, W., Sr.; Ma, R.; Sun, Z.; Bu, J.; Chang, Q.

2017-12-01

The head water regions of Heihe River were located in the Qilian orogenic belt, where belongs to the Qilian Mountains National Ecological Nature Protection and has fragile ecosystem. Previous surveys show that the regions were rich in various metal ores, and the mining activities have been intense.The environmental effect of mining activities will be going on several years, while Our field investigation show that there were 23 mines, of which 18 have been historical. This study collected water samples in main Heihe river and its tributaries, groundwaters and soil water, and the sediment samples near the ores. The concentration of HMs in both waters and sediments was measured for characterizing the spatial distribution of HMs, and determining the origin of the HMs in the river waters. Results of water quality assessment show that 67% of water samples failed to reach the Grade II environmental quality standard for surface water in China (GB3838-2002).The spatial distribution of HMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) is highly correlated with the geographical distribution of local mines, suggesting that various heavy metals(HMs) were released into the Heihe River via mining activities. The Be, Co, Sn, Bi, Th, U were mainly derived from aluminosilicate weathering crusts. And the acid mine wastewater was the main source for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd. The Serpentine wreathing was the main source for Cr and Ni. Mn and Cs were enriched by agricultural activities.

Traffic-related heavy metals uptake by wild plants grow along two main highways in Hunan Province, China: effects of soil factors, accumulation ability, and biological indication potential.

PubMed

Zhai, Yunbo; Dai, Qingyun; Jiang, Kang; Zhu, Yun; Xu, Bibo; Peng, Chuan; Wang, Tengfei; Zeng, Guangming

2016-07-01

This study was performed to investigate pollution of traffic-related heavy metals (HMs-Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Cd) in roadside soils and their uptake by wild plants growing along highways in Hunan Province, China. For this, we analyzed the concentration and chemical fractionation of HMs in soils and plants. Soil samples were collected with different depths in the profile and different distances from highway edge. And leaves and barks of six high-frequency plants were collected. Results of the modified European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) showed that the mobile fraction of these HMs was in the order of Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu > Cr. A high percentage of the mobile fraction indicates Cd, Pb, and Zn were labile and available for uptake by wild plants. The total concentration and values of risk assessment code (RAC) showed that Cd was the main risk factor, which were in the range high to very high risk. The accumulation ability of HMs in plants was evaluated by the biological accumulation factor (BAF) and the metal accumulation index (MAI), and the results showed that all those plant species have good phyto-extraction ability, while accumulation capacity for most HMs plants tissues was bark > leaf. The highest MAI value (5.99) in Cinnamomum camphora (L) Presl indicates the potential for bio-monitoring and a good choice for planting along highways where there is contamination with HMs.

76 FR 38107 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

.... 110520295-1295-01] RIN 0648-BA64 Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems; Correction... Monitoring System requirements in Atlantic HMS fisheries. The document contained an incorrect time for a..., 2011 3:30-6:30 p.m Atlantic County Library System, Brigantine Branch, 201 15th St. South, Brigantine...

Determination and evaluation of heavy metals in soils under two different greenhouse vegetable production systems in eastern China.

PubMed

Tian, Kang; Hu, Wenyou; Xing, Zhe; Huang, Biao; Jia, Mengmeng; Wan, Mengxue

2016-12-01

The evaluation of heavy metals (HMs) in greenhouse soils is crucial for both environmental monitoring and human health; thus, it is imperative to determine their concentrations, identify their sources and assess their potential risks. In this study, eight metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in 167 surface soils were investigated in two representative greenhouse vegetable systems of China: perennial solar greenhouse (SG) and seasonal plastic greenhouse (PG). The results indicated accumulations of Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn in the SG soils and Cd, Pb, Hg and Zn in the PG soils, with higher concentrations than the background values. In particular, Cd and Hg exhibited high levels of pollution under both GVP systems due to their positive Igeo values. Principle component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis suggested that Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn in the SG soils and Cd, Hg and Zn in the PG soils were mainly related to intensive farming practices; Pb in the PG soils was significantly affected by atmospheric deposition. The results showed that soil characteristics, in particular soil organic matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, exerted significant influence on Hg, Cu, Cd, and Zn under the SG system. However, the HMs in the PG soils were weakly affected by soil properties. Overall, this study provides comparative research on the accumulation, potential risks and sources of HMs in two typical greenhouse soils in China, and our findings suggest that, Cd and Hg in both greenhouse soils could potentially represent environmental problems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Survey of Headache Medicine Physicians on the Likeability of Headaches and Their Personal Headache History.

PubMed

Evans, Randolph W; Ghosh, Kamalika

2016-03-01

Two prior studies have shown an increased prevalence of migraine among physicians who are headache medicine specialists (HMS). There have been no studies of the prevalence of other headache disorders among HMS. A prior survey showed that neurologists like to treat some headaches more than others but there has not been a similar survey of HMS. The aim of the survey was to learn more about the prevalence of headaches among HMS and which headache disorders they like to treat. An email survey was sent to 749 physician members of the American Headache Society who were asked to respond to the following statement using a 5-point Likert scale (from 1, strongly disagree to 5, strongly agree): "I like to treat patients with the following types of headaches or syndromes." They were asked, "Have you personally suffered from any of the following at any time during your life: episodic migraine (EM), chronic migraine (CM), refractory migraine (RM), episodic cluster (EC), chronic cluster (CC), new daily persistent headache (NDPH), and postconcussion syndrome (PCS)." The response rate was 15.8% (n = 118) with a mean age of 51.4 years, 64.4% males, and 85.6% neurologists. HMS reported likeability for treating disorders in rank order as follows: EM (mean = 4.69, SD = 0.61); CM (mean = 4.20, SD = 0.94); RM (mean = 3.62, SD = 1.17); EC (mean = 4.37, SD = 0.80); CC (mean = 3.68, SD = 1.10); NDPH (mean = 3.52, SD = 1.21); and PCS (mean = 3.66, SD = 1.18). The lifetime prevalence of disorders was as follows: EM, 69.5% (85.7% in females and 60.5% in males); CM, 13.6% (19% in females and 10.5% in males); RM, .9% (2.4% females and 0% males); EC, 1.7% (0% females and 2.6% males); CC, 0%; NDPH, 0%, and PCS, 4.2% (7.1% females and 2.6% males). HMS with a personal history of EM (mean = 4.73, SD = 0.51) showed a significant preference (t130  = 7.30, P < .001) to treat episodic migraine more than other headaches (mean = 3.90, SD = 0.77). HMS preferred to treat some disorders more than others, with EM most liked and NDPH least preferred, which may reflect how well patients with those disorders respond to treatment. The lifetime prevalence of EM among HMS is significantly greater than among neurologists, both significantly greater than EM in the general population. An explanation for the higher prevalence among neurologists is not certain but perhaps migraine is associated with a choice to become an HMS during or after neurology residency. The lifetime prevalence among HMS of CM may be and EC is much greater than among the general population for uncertain reasons. © 2016 American Headache Society.

Social Mimicry Enhances Mu-Suppression During Action Observation.

PubMed

Hogeveen, Jeremy; Chartrand, Tanya L; Obhi, Sukhvinder S

2015-08-01

During social interactions, there is a tendency for people to mimic the gestures and mannerisms of others, which increases liking and rapport. Psychologists have extensively studied the antecedents and consequences of mimicry at the social level, but the neural basis of this behavior remains unclear. Many researchers have speculated that mimicry is related to activity in the human mirror system (HMS), a network of parietofrontal regions that are involved in both action execution and observation. However, activity of the HMS during reciprocal social interactions involving mimicry has not been demonstrated. Here, we took an electroencephalographic (EEG) index of mirror activity-mu-suppression during action observation-in a pretest/post-test design with 1 of 3 intervening treatments: 1) social interaction in which the participant was mimicked, 2) social interaction without mimicry, or 3) an innocuous computer task, not involving another human agent. The change in mu-suppression from pre- to post-test varied as a function of the intervening treatment, with participants who had been mimicked showing an increase in mu-suppression during the post-treatment action observation session. We propose that this specific modulation of HMS activity as a function of mimicry constitutes the first direct evidence for mirror system involvement in real social mimicry. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Design of high-gain, wideband antenna using microwave hyperbolic metasurface

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

Zhao, Yan, E-mail: yan.z@chula.ac.th

In this work, we apply hyperbolic metasurfaces (HMSs) to design high-gain and wideband antennas. It is shown that HMSs formed by a single layer of split-ring resonators (SRRs) can be excited to generate highly directive beams. In particular, we suggest two types of the SRR-HMS: a capacitively loaded SRR (CLSRR)-HMS and a substrate-backed double SRR (DSRR)-HMS. Both configurations ensure that the periodicity of the structures is sufficiently small for satisfying the effective medium theory. For the antenna design, we propose a two-layer-stacked configuration for the 2.4 GHz frequency band based on the DSRR-HMS excited by a folded monopole. Measurement resultsmore » confirm numerical simulations and demonstrate that an antenna gain of more than 5 dBi can be obtained for the frequency range of 2.1 - 2.6 GHz, with a maximum gain of 7.8 dBi at 2.4 GHz.« less

Towards Breaking the Histone Code – Bayesian Graphical Models for Histone Modifications

PubMed Central

Mitra, Riten; Müller, Peter; Liang, Shoudan; Xu, Yanxun; Ji, Yuan

2013-01-01

Background Histones are proteins that wrap DNA around in small spherical structures called nucleosomes. Histone modifications (HMs) refer to the post-translational modifications to the histone tails. At a particular genomic locus, each of these HMs can either be present or absent, and the combinatory patterns of the presence or absence of multiple HMs, or the ‘histone codes,’ are believed to co-regulate important biological processes. We aim to use raw data on HM markers at different genomic loci to (1) decode the complex biological network of HMs in a single region and (2) demonstrate how the HM networks differ in different regulatory regions. We suggest that these differences in network attributes form a significant link between histones and genomic functions. Methods and Results We develop a powerful graphical model under Bayesian paradigm. Posterior inference is fully probabilistic, allowing us to compute the probabilities of distinct dependence patterns of the HMs using graphs. Furthermore, our model-based framework allows for easy but important extensions for inference on differential networks under various conditions, such as the different annotations of the genomic locations (e.g., promoters versus insulators). We applied these models to ChIP-Seq data based on CD4+ T lymphocytes. The results confirmed many existing findings and provided a unified tool to generate various promising hypotheses. Differential network analyses revealed new insights on co-regulation of HMs of transcriptional activities in different genomic regions. Conclusions The use of Bayesian graphical models and borrowing strength across different conditions provide high power to infer histone networks and their differences. PMID:23748248

Application of Bayesian inference to the study of hierarchical organization in self-organized complex adaptive systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knuth, K. H.

2001-05-01

We consider the application of Bayesian inference to the study of self-organized structures in complex adaptive systems. In particular, we examine the distribution of elements, agents, or processes in systems dominated by hierarchical structure. We demonstrate that results obtained by Caianiello [1] on Hierarchical Modular Systems (HMS) can be found by applying Jaynes' Principle of Group Invariance [2] to a few key assumptions about our knowledge of hierarchical organization. Subsequent application of the Principle of Maximum Entropy allows inferences to be made about specific systems. The utility of the Bayesian method is considered by examining both successes and failures of the hierarchical model. We discuss how Caianiello's original statements suffer from the Mind Projection Fallacy [3] and we restate his assumptions thus widening the applicability of the HMS model. The relationship between inference and statistical physics, described by Jaynes [4], is reiterated with the expectation that this realization will aid the field of complex systems research by moving away from often inappropriate direct application of statistical mechanics to a more encompassing inferential methodology.

Development and application of a high resolution hybrid modelling system for the evaluation of urban air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepe, N.; Pirovano, G.; Lonati, G.; Balzarini, A.; Toppetti, A.; Riva, G. M.; Bedogni, M.

2016-09-01

A hybrid modelling system (HMS) was developed to provide hourly concentrations at the urban local scale. The system is based on the combination of a meteorological model (WRF), a chemical and transport eulerian model (CAMx), which computes concentration levels over the regional domains, and a lagrangian dispersion model (AUSTAL2000), accounting for dispersion phenomena within the urban area due to local emission sources; a source apportionment algorithm is also included in the HMS in order to avoid the double counting of local emissions. The HMS was applied over a set of nested domains, the innermost covering a 1.6 × 1.6 km2 area in Milan city center with 20 m grid resolution, for NOX simulation in 2010. For this paper the innermost domain was defined as ;local;, excluding usual definition of urban areas. WRF model captured the overall evolution of the main meteorological features, except for some very stagnant situations, thus influencing the subsequent performance of regional scale model CAMx. Indeed, CAMx was able to reproduce the spatial and temporal evolution of NOX concentration over the regional domain, except a few episodes, when observed concentrations were higher than 100 ppb. The local scale model AUSTAL2000 provided high-resolution concentration fields that sensibly mirrored the road and traffic pattern in the urban domain. Therefore, the first important outcome of the work is that the application of the hybrid modelling system allowed a thorough and consistent description of urban air quality. This result represents a relevant starting point for future evaluation of pollution exposure within an urban context. However, the overall performance of the HMS did not provide remarkable improvements with respect to stand-alone CAMx at the two only monitoring sites in Milan city center. HMS results were characterized by a smaller average bias, that improved about 6-8 ppb corresponding to 12-13% of the observed concentration, but by a lower correlation, that worsened around 1-3% (e.g. from 0.84 to 0.81 at Senato site), due to the concentration peaks produced by AUSTAL2000 during nighttime stable conditions. Additionally, the HMS results showed that it was unable to correctly take into account some local scale features (e.g. urban canyon effects), pointing out that the emission spatialization and time modulation criteria, especially those from road traffic, need further improvement. Nevertheless, a second important outcome of the work is that some of the most relevant discrepancies between modelled and observed concentrations were not related to the horizontal resolution of the dispersion models but to larger scale meteorological features not captured by the meteorological model, especially during winter period. Finally, the estimated contribution of the local emission sources accounted on the annual average for about 25-30% of the computed concentration levels in the innermost urban domain. This confirmed that the whole Milan urban area as well as the outside background areas, accounting all sources outside the innermost domain, play a key role on air quality. The result suggests that strictly local emission policies could have a limited and indecisive effect on urban air quality, although this finding could be partially biased by model underestimation of the observed concentration.

Heavy Metal Stress and Some Mechanisms of Plant Defense Response

PubMed Central

Emamverdian, Abolghassem; Ding, Yulong; Mokhberdoran, Farzad; Xie, Yinfeng

2015-01-01

Unprecedented bioaccumulation and biomagnification of heavy metals (HMs) in the environment have become a dilemma for all living organisms including plants. HMs at toxic levels have the capability to interact with several vital cellular biomolecules such as nuclear proteins and DNA, leading to excessive augmentation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This would inflict serious morphological, metabolic, and physiological anomalies in plants ranging from chlorosis of shoot to lipid peroxidation and protein degradation. In response, plants are equipped with a repertoire of mechanisms to counteract heavy metal (HM) toxicity. The key elements of these are chelating metals by forming phytochelatins (PCs) or metallothioneins (MTs) metal complex at the intra- and intercellular level, which is followed by the removal of HM ions from sensitive sites or vacuolar sequestration of ligand-metal complex. Nonenzymatically synthesized compounds such as proline (Pro) are able to strengthen metal-detoxification capacity of intracellular antioxidant enzymes. Another important additive component of plant defense system is symbiotic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. AM can effectively immobilize HMs and reduce their uptake by host plants via binding metal ions to hyphal cell wall and excreting several extracellular biomolecules. Additionally, AM fungi can enhance activities of antioxidant defense machinery of plants. PMID:25688377

Visual cognition in amnesic H.M.: selective deficits on the What's-Wrong-Here and Hidden-Figure tasks.

PubMed

MacKay, Donald G; James, Lori E

2009-10-01

Two experiments compared the visual cognition performance of amnesic H.M. and memory-normal controls matched for age, background, intelligence, and education. In Experiment 1 H.M. exhibited deficits relative to the controls in detecting "erroneous objects" in complex visual scenes--for example, a bird flying inside a fishbowl. In Experiment 2 H.M. exhibited deficits relative to the controls in standard Hidden-Figure tasks when detecting unfamiliar targets but not when detecting familiar targets--for example, circles, squares, and right-angle triangles. H.M.'s visual cognition deficits were not due to his well-known problems in explicit learning and recall, inability to comprehend or remember the instructions, general slowness, motoric difficulties, low motivation, low IQ relative to the controls, or working-memory limitations. Parallels between H.M.'s selective deficits in visual cognition, language, and memory are discussed. These parallels contradict the standard "systems theory" account of H.M.'s condition but comport with the hypothesis that H.M. has difficulty representing unfamiliar but not familiar information in visual cognition, language, and memory. Implications of our results are discussed for binding theory and the ongoing debate over what counts as "memory" versus "not-memory."

77 FR 44592 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Electronic Dealer Reporting System Workshop

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-30

... reporting system will allow dealers to submit Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and BAYS tuna data on a more real... to give sufficient time for dealers to adjust to implementation of the new system and the additional... HMS. In order to give sufficient time for dealers to adjust to implementation of the new system and...

Dates of publication of the Zoology parts of the Report of the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76.

PubMed

Low, Martyn E Y; Evenhuis, Neal L

2013-01-01

The dates of publication and exact titles of the 83 parts of the Zoology of the Report of the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76 are presented. Exact dates of publication for 71 of these parts have been determined using notices of their publication in contemporary publications. The dates of publication of the two Narrative volumes of the voyage of the H.M.S. Challenger (which contain available indications of new names) are also determined.

Characterizing fluvial heavy metal pollutions under different rainfall conditions: Implication for aquatic environment protection.

PubMed

Zhang, Lixun; Zhao, Bo; Xu, Gang; Guan, Yuntao

2018-09-01

Globally, fluvial heavy metal (HM) pollution has recently become an increasingly severe problem. However, few studies have investigated the variational characteristics of fluvial HMs after rain over long periods (≥1 year). The Dakan River in Xili Reservoir watershed (China) was selected as a case study to investigate pollution levels, influencing factors, and sources of HMs under different rainfall conditions during 2015 and 2016. Fluvial HMs showed evident spatiotemporal variations attributable to the coupled effects of pollution generation and rainfall diffusion. Fluvial HM concentrations were significantly associated with rainfall characteristics (e.g., rainfall intensity, rainfall amount, and antecedent dry period) and river flow, which influenced the generation and the transmission of fluvial HMs in various ways. Moreover, this interrelationship depended considerably on the HM type and particle size distribution. Mn, Pb, Cr, and Ni were major contributors to high values of the comprehensive pollution index; therefore, they should be afforded special attention. Additionally, quantitative source apportionment of fluvial HMs was conducted by combining principal component analysis with multiple linear regression and chemical mass balance models to obtain comprehensive source profiles. Finally, an environment-friendly control strategy coupling "source elimination" and "transport barriers" was proposed for aquatic environment protection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil near a Pb/Zn smelter in Feng County, China.

PubMed

Shen, Feng; Liao, Renmei; Ali, Amjad; Mahar, Amanullah; Guo, Di; Li, Ronghua; Xining, Sun; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Wang, Quan; Zhang, Zengqiang

2017-05-01

A large scale survey and a small scale continuous monitoring was conducted to evaluate the impact of Pb/Zn smelting on soil heavy metals (HMs) accumulation and potential ecological risk in Feng County, Shaanxi province of China. Soil parameters including pH, texture, CEC, spatial and temporal distribution of HMs (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn), and BCR fractionation were monitored accordingly. The results showed the topsoil in the proximity of smelter, especially the smelter area and county seat, were highly polluted by HMs in contrast to the river basins. Fractionation of Cd and Zn in soil samples revealed higher proportion of mobile fractions than other HMs. The soil Cd and Zn contents decreased vertically, but still exceeded the second level limits of Environmental Quality Standard for Soils of China (EQSS) within 80cm. The dominated soil pollutant (Cd) had higher ecological risk than Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb. The potential ecological risk (PER) factor of Cd were 65.7% and 100% in surrounding county and smelter area, respectively. The long-term smelter dust emission mainly contributed to the HMs pollution and posed serious environment risk to living beings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Herbal medicines: challenges in the modern world. Part 4. Canada and United States.

PubMed

Job, Kathleen M; Kiang, Tony K L; Constance, Jonathan E; Sherwin, Catherine M T; Enioutina, Elena Yu

2016-12-01

Similar to other nations North American people used herbs for thousands of years to treat diseases and purify their spirits. By the middle of the 1900s, evidence-based conventional medicine received wide acceptance in Canada and the United States (US). Nowadays, people are going back to their roots and actively using herbal medicines (HMs) and natural health products (NHPs). Areas covered: This article is focusing on use and regulation of the HMs and NHPs in Canada and the US, raises concerns regarding HM and NHP safety and efficacy, offers suggestions on how to overcome these problems. Materials available from legislative and governmental websites, PubMed and news media were used. Expert commentary: Use of HMs, especially dietary supplements is widespread among adults in Canada and US. HMs and NHPs are regulated in both countries, but minimum criteria for product approval and post-market surveillance have been set. Concerns of quality, contamination, adulteration, and efficacy in are of central importance in the discussion of HMs and NHPs. Detailed product description and research are of vital importance to ensure safety and efficacy of these products. Additionally, 'herbal' education of healthcare providers and patients is needed to guarantee further successful integration of HM and conventional medicines.

Considering context in academic medicine: differences in demographic and professional characteristics and in research productivity and advancement metrics across seven clinical departments.

PubMed

Warner, Erica T; Carapinha, René; Weber, Griffin M; Hill, Emorcia V; Reede, Joan Y

2015-08-01

To understand the disciplinary contexts in which faculty work, the authors examined demographics, professional characteristics, research productivity, and advancement across seven clinical departments at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and nationally. HMS analyses included faculty from seven clinical departments-anesthesiology, medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, and surgery-in May 2011 (N = 7,304). National analyses included faculty at 141 U.S. medical schools in the same seven departments as of December 31, 2011 (N = 91,414). The authors used chi-square and Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney tests to compare departmental characteristics. Heterogeneity in demographics, professional characteristics, and advancement across departments was observed in HMS and national data. At HMS, psychiatry had the highest percentage of underrepresented minority faculty at 6.6% (75/1,139). In anesthesiology, 24.2% (128/530) of faculty were Asian, whereas in psychiatry only 7.9% (90/1,139) were (P < .0001). Female faculty were the majority in pediatrics and psychiatry, whereas in surgery 26.3% (172/654) of the faculty were female (P < .0001). At HMS, surgery, radiology, and neurology had the shortest median times to promotion and the highest median number of publications, H-index, and second-degree centrality. Neurology also had the highest percentage of faculty who had been principal investigators on a National Institutes of Health-funded grant. There were differences in demographics, professional characteristics, and advancement across clinical departments at HMS and nationally. The context in which faculty work, of which department is a proxy, should be accounted for in research on faculty career outcomes and diversity inclusion in academic medicine.

Distribution of heavy metals and metalloids in bulk and particle size fractions of soils from coal-mine brownfield and implications on human health.

PubMed

Li, Hongxia; Ji, Hongbing; Shi, Chunjing; Gao, Yang; Zhang, Yan; Xu, Xiangyu; Ding, Huaijian; Tang, Lei; Xing, Yuxin

2017-04-01

Heavy metals (HMs) and metalloids migrate into their surroundings, thus increasing environmental risks and threatening human health. Current studies on coal-mine brownfields, however, have not thoroughly investigated soil-associated HMs and metalloids produced by coal mining. Therefore, this study explored the spatial and particle fraction distribution and human health implications of HMs and metalloids. The soil-associated HMs and metalloids are Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Mercury (Hg), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Scandium (Sc), Titanium (Ti) and Zinc (Zn). Results showed that Cd, Cu, Pb, and Ni were enriched in bulk soils. Cadmium, Cu and Pb from anthropogenic source were mainly found at entrance roadsides and in sites closest to coal mines. HMs and metalloids primarily accumulated in fine fractions (<1, 1-5, and 5-10 μm). Moreover, HM and metalloid loadings substantially accumulated in the 75-250 μm and 250-1000 μm fractions. Most fine soil fractions showed moderate to strong potential ecological risks, whereas all the coarse particle fractions (50-75, 75-250, and 250-1000 μm) presented slight potential ecological risk. Exposure to soil-associated HMs and metalloids mainly occurred via ingestion. The total non-carcinogenic risks to children and adults fell below the safe level of 1, whereas the total carcinogenic risks to these individuals were higher than that of the maximum acceptable level set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 1 × 10 -4 ). The total carcinogenic risk was mainly contributed by Cd and Ni through ingestion and dermal access. Therefore, hygiene and food security in areas should be emphasized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Splenomegaly in an Eritrean refugee: the hyper-reactive malaria splenomegaly syndrome.

PubMed

Cruijsen, M M; Reuling, I J; Keuter, M; Sauerwein, R W; van der Ven, A J; de Mast, Q

2016-01-01

Hyper-reactive malaria splenomegaly (HMS) is a rare and potentially severe complication of malaria. It is likely that the incidence of patients with HMS will rise in the Netherlands due to the recent increase in asylum-seekers from Sub-Saharan Africa. It can be difficult to diagnose this disease, as this case shows. A 31-year-old male from Eritrea was admitted with fever and dyspnea, caused by an influenza A-infection. The patient also presented with cachexia, pronounced hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Microscopic diagnostic analysis for malaria was negative. HMS was eventually diagnosed through high-sensitivity qPCR for malaria, which showed the presence of a very low level of Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia; furthermore, IgM levels were high and malaria serology was strongly positive. HMS should be considered in patients from malaria-endemic areas presenting with splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Because standard diagnostics for malaria are often negative in this population, malaria serology and sensitive qPCR play an important diagnostic role.

Ceramsite preparation from sea sludge with sewage sludge biochar and its environmental risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jie; Yu, Guangwei; Pan, Lanjia; Li, Chunxing; Xie, Shengyu; Wang, Gang; Wang, Yin

2018-02-01

Ceramsite were produced from sea sludge (SS) by adding different percentage of sewage sludge biochar (SSB). The characteristics of ceramsite including micrograph and elementary composition were analyzed. In addition, the heavy metals (HMs) fractions, leaching behaviour and potential environmental risk were also investigated. The microstructure of the ceramsite was slit pores and the main elements of the ceramsite were Si, Al and O. The residual fraction (F4) of Cu, Cr and Cd in ceramsite with 100% SS (SS100) reached the maximum (100%, 99% and 100%, respectively), while F4 of Zn and Ni in ceramsite with 80% SS and 20% SSB (SS80) reached the top value of 99.5% and 98%. Moreover, the HMs of feedstock can be immobilized after sintering as ceramsite and the leached amounts of HMs in all ceramsite were much lower than that stated by GB 5085.3-2007. Furthermore, ceramsite preparation from sea sludge with sewage sludge biochar will not bring HMs contamination and potential ecological risk.

A comparative study on capability of different tree species in accumulating heavy metals from soil and ambient air.

PubMed

Alahabadi, Ahmad; Ehrampoush, Mohammad Hassan; Miri, Mohammad; Ebrahimi Aval, Hamideh; Yousefzadeh, Samira; Ghaffari, Hamid Reza; Ahmadi, Ehsan; Talebi, Parvaneh; Abaszadeh Fathabadi, Zeynab; Babai, Fatemeh; Nikoonahad, Ali; Sharafi, Kiomars; Hosseini-Bandegharaei, Ahmad

2017-04-01

Heavy metals (HMs) in the urban environment can be bio-accumulated by plant tissues. The aim of this study was to compare fourteen different tree species in terms of their capability to accumulate four airborne and soilborne HMs including; zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd). Samplings were performed during spring, summer, and fall seasons. To compare bioaccumulation ability, bio-concentration factor (BCF), comprehensive bio-concentration index (CBCI), and metal accumulation index (MAI) were applied. Species with the highest accumulation for single metal which shown using BCF did not have the highest CBCI and MAI. Based on CBCI and MAI, Pinus eldarica (7.74), Wistaria sinensis (8.82), Morus alba (8.7), and Nigral morus (27.15) had the highest bioaccumulation capacity of HMs, respectively. Therefore, these species can be used for phytoextraction of HMs pollution and green and buffer zone in the urban. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information support for health information management in regional Sri Lanka: health managers' perspectives.

PubMed

Ranasinghe, Kaduruwane Indika; Chan, Taizan; Yaralagadda, Prasad

Good management, supported by accurate, timely and reliable health information, is vital for increasing the effectiveness of Health Information Systems (HIS). When it comes to managing the under-resourced health systems of developing countries, information-based decision making is particularly important. This paper reports findings of a self-report survey that investigated perceptions of local health managers (HMs) of their own regional HIS in Sri Lanka. Data were collected through a validated, pre-tested postal questionnaire, and distributed among a selected group of HMs to elicit their perceptions of the current HIS in relation to information generation, acquisition and use, required reforms to the information system and application of information and communication technology (ICT). Results based on descriptive statistics indicated that the regional HIS was poorly organised and in need of reform; that management support for the system was unsatisfactory in terms of relevance, accuracy, timeliness and accessibility; that political pressure and community and donor requests took precedence over vital health information when management decisions were made; and use of ICT was unsatisfactory. HIS strengths included user-friendly paper formats, a centralised planning system and an efficient disease notification system; weaknesses were lack of comprehensiveness, inaccuracy, and lack of a feedback system. Responses of participants indicated that HIS would be improved by adopting an internationally accepted framework and introducing ICT applications. Perceived barriers to such improvements were high initial cost of educating staff to improve computer literacy, introduction of ICTs, and HIS restructure. We concluded that the regional HIS of Central Province, Sri Lanka had failed to provide much-needed information support to HMs. These findings are consistent with similar research in other developing countries and reinforce the need for further research to verify causes of poor performance and to design strategic reforms to improve HIS in regional Sri Lanka.

Regulators of pseudohyphal differentiation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified through multicopy suppressor analysis in ammonium permease mutant strains.

PubMed Central

Lorenz, M C; Heitman, J

1998-01-01

Nitrogen-starved diploid cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae differentiate into a filamentous, pseudohyphal growth form. Recognition of nitrogen starvation is mediated, at least in part, by the ammonium permease Mep2p and the Galpha subunit Gpa2p. Genetic activation of the pheromone-responsive MAP kinase cascade, which is also required for filamentous growth, only weakly suppresses the filamentation defect of Deltamep2/Deltamep2 and Deltagpa2/Deltagpa2 strain. Surprisingly, deletion of Mep1p, an ammonium permease not previously thought to regulate differentiation, significantly enhances the potency of MAP kinase activation, such that the STE11-4 allele induces filamentation to near wild-type levels in Deltamep1/Deltamep1 Deltamep2/Deltamep2 and Deltamep1/Deltamep1 Deltagpa2/Deltagpa2 strains. To identify additional regulatory components, we isolated high-copy suppressors of the filamentation defect of the Deltamep1/Deltamep1 Deltamep2/Deltamep2 mutant. Multicopy expression of TEC1, PHD1, PHD2 (MSS10/MSN1/FUP4), MSN5, CDC6, MSS11, MGA1, SKN7, DOT6, HMS1, HMS2, or MEP2 each restored filamentation in a Deltamep1/Deltamep1 Deltamep2/Deltamep2 strain. Overexpression of SRK1 (SSD1), URE2, DAL80, MEP1, or MEP3 suppressed only the growth defect of the Deltamep1/Deltamep1 Deltamep2/Deltamep2 mutant strain. Characterization of these genes through deletion analysis and epistasis underscores the complexity of this developmental pathway and suggests that stress conditions other than nitrogen deprivation may also promote filamentous growth. PMID:9832522

50 CFR 635.71 - Prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... permit, display permit, chartering permit, or shark research permit on board the vessel, as specified in... commercial purposes, other than solely for transport, any BAYS tunas, swordfish, or sharks without the... HMS. (36) Fish with bottom or pelagic longline and shark gillnet gear for HMS without adhering to the...

50 CFR 635.71 - Prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... permit, display permit, chartering permit, or shark research permit on board the vessel, as specified in... HMS. (36) Fish with bottom or pelagic longline and shark gillnet gear for HMS without adhering to the... the number designated by NMFS, the incidental capture of listed whales with shark gillnet gear as...

50 CFR 635.71 - Prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... permit, display permit, chartering permit, or shark research permit on board the vessel, as specified in... commercial purposes, other than solely for transport, any BAYS tunas, swordfish, or sharks without the... HMS. (36) Fish with bottom or pelagic longline and shark gillnet gear for HMS without adhering to the...

76 FR 72382 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Electronic Dealer Reporting System Workshop

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

... tuna data on a more real-time basis and more efficiently, which will reduce duplicative data... a more real-time basis, allowing for timely and efficient data collection for management of Atlantic HMS. In order to give sufficient time for dealers to adjust to implementation of the new system and...

Selective adsorption mechanisms of antilipidemic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug residues on functionalized silica-based porous materials in a mixed solute.

PubMed

Suriyanon, Nakorn; Permrungruang, Jutima; Kaosaiphun, Jidanan; Wongrueng, Aunnop; Ngamcharussrivichai, Chawalit; Punyapalakul, Patiparn

2015-10-01

The selective adsorption mechanisms of naproxen (NAP), acetaminophen (ACT), and clofibric acid (CFA) on silica-based porous materials were examined by single and mixed-batch adsorption. Effects of the types and densities of surface functional groups on adsorption capacities were determined, including the role of hydrophobic and hydrophilic dissolved organic matters (DOMs). Hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS), superparamagnetic HMS (HMS-SP) and SBA-15 were functionalized and applied as adsorbents. Compared with powdered activated carbon (PAC), amine-functionalized HMS had a better adsorption capacity for CFA, but PAC possessed a higher adsorption capacity for the other pharmaceuticals than HMS and its two derivatives. In contrast to PAC, the adsorption capacity of the mesoporous silicas varied with the solution pH, being highest at pH 5. Electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding were found to be the main mechanisms. Increase in grafted amine group density on silica surfaces can enhance the CFA adsorption capacity. Further, hydrophilic DOM can decrease CFA adsorption capacities on amino-grafted adsorbents by adsorption site competition, while hydrophobic DOM can interfere with CFA adsorption by the interaction between hydrophobic DOM and CFA. Finally, in a competitive adsorption study, the adsorption capacity of hydrophilic adsorbents for acidic pharmaceuticals varied with their pKa values. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational analysis suggests that virulence of Chromobacterium violaceum might be linked to biofilm formation and poly-NAG biosynthesis.

PubMed

Becker, Sidnei; Soares, Cíntia; Porto, Luismar Marques

2009-07-01

Groups of genes that produce exopolysaccharide with a N-acetyl-D-glucosamine monomer are in the genome of several pathogenic bacteria. Chromobacterium violaceum, an opportunistic pathogen, has the operon hmsHFR-CV2940, whose proteins can synthesize such polysaccharide. In this work, multiple alignments among proteins from bacteria that synthesize such polysaccharide were used to verify the existence of amino acids that might be critical for pathogen activity. Three-dimensional models were generated for spatial visualization of these amino acid residues. The analysis carried out showed that the protein HmsR preserves the amino acids D135, D228, Q264 and R267, considered critical for the formation of biofilms and, furthermore, that these amino acids are close to each other. The protein HmsF of C. violaceum preserves the residues D86, D87, H156 and W115. It was also shown that these residues are also close to each other in their spatial arrangement. For the proteins HmsH and CV2940 there is evidence of conservation of the residues R104 and W94, respectively. Conservation and favorable spatial location of those critical amino acids that constitute the proteins of the operon indicates that they preserve the same enzymatic function in biofilm synthesis. This is an indicator that the operon hmsHFR-CV2940 is a possible target in C. violaceum pathogenicity.

77 FR 15701 - Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-16

... Species Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 4 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National... Consolidated HMS FMP (Amendment 4) to develop and implement management measures for HMS in the Caribbean Region... Assessment (EA) for Amendment 4. After considering potential environmental effects of the measure and...

50 CFR 660.718 - Exempted fishing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Exempted fishing. 660.718 Section 660.718... Exempted fishing. (a) In the interest of developing an efficient and productive fishery for HMS, the Regional Administrator may issue exempted fishing permits (EFP) for the harvest of HMS that otherwise would...

50 CFR 660.718 - Exempted fishing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Exempted fishing. 660.718 Section 660.718... Exempted fishing. (a) In the interest of developing an efficient and productive fishery for HMS, the Regional Administrator may issue exempted fishing permits (EFP) for the harvest of HMS that otherwise would...

50 CFR 660.718 - Exempted fishing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Exempted fishing. 660.718 Section 660.718... Exempted fishing. (a) In the interest of developing an efficient and productive fishery for HMS, the Regional Administrator may issue exempted fishing permits (EFP) for the harvest of HMS that otherwise would...

50 CFR 660.718 - Exempted fishing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Exempted fishing. 660.718 Section 660.718... Exempted fishing. (a) In the interest of developing an efficient and productive fishery for HMS, the Regional Administrator may issue exempted fishing permits (EFP) for the harvest of HMS that otherwise would...

50 CFR 660.718 - Exempted fishing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Exempted fishing. 660.718 Section 660.718... Exempted fishing. (a) In the interest of developing an efficient and productive fishery for HMS, the Regional Administrator may issue exempted fishing permits (EFP) for the harvest of HMS that otherwise would...

50 CFR 635.71 - Prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... HMS. (36) Fish with bottom or pelagic longline and shark gillnet gear for HMS without adhering to the... Atlantic shark identification workshop certificate as specified at § 635.8. (53) Fish for, catch, possess....8. (12) Fish for Atlantic sharks with unauthorized gear or possess Atlantic sharks on board a vessel...

Integration of rainfall/runoff and geomorphological analyses flood hazard in small catchments: case studies from the southern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, Manuela; Ascione, Alessandra; Santangelo, Nicoletta; Santo, Antonio

2017-04-01

We present the first results of an analysis of flood hazard in ungauged mountain catchments that are associated with intensely urbanized alluvial fans. Assessment of hydrological hazard has been based on the integration of rainfall/runoff modelling of drainage basins with geomorphological analysis and mapping. Some small and steep, ungauged mountain catchments located in various areas of the southern Apennines, in southern Italy, have been chosen as test sites. In the last centuries, the selected basins have been subject to heavy and intense precipitation events, which have caused flash floods with serious damages in the correlated alluvial fan areas. Available spatial information (regional technical maps, DEMs, land use maps, geological/lithological maps, orthophotos) and an automated GIS-based procedure (ArcGis tools and ArcHydro tools) have been used to extract morphological, hydrological and hydraulic parameters. Such parameters have been used to run the HEC (Hydrologic Engineering Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers) software (GeoHMS, GeoRAS, HMS and RAS) based on rainfall-runoff models, which have allowed the hydrological and hydraulic simulations. As the floods occurred in the studied catchments have been debris flows dominated, the solid load simulation has been also performed. In order to validate the simulations, we have compared results of the modelling with the effects produced by past floods. Such effects have been quantified through estimations of both the sediment volumes within each catchment that have the potential to be mobilised (pre-event) during a sediment transfer event, and the volume of sediments delivered by the debris flows at basins' outlets (post-event). The post-event sediment volume has been quantified through post-event surveys and Lidar data. Evaluation of the pre-event sediment volumes in single catchments has been based on mapping of sediment storages that may constitute source zones of bed load transport and debris flows. For such an approach has been used a methodology that consists of the application of a process-based geomorphological mapping, based on data derived from GIS analysis using high-resolution DEMs, field measurements and aerial photograph interpretations. Our integrated approach, which allows quantification of the flow rate and a semi-quantitative assessment of sediment that can be mobilized during hydro-meteorological events, is applied for the first time to torrential catchmenmts of the southern Apennines and may significantly contribute to previsional studies aimed at risk mitigation in the study region.

Predicting the occurrence of channelized debris flow by an integrated cascading model: A case study of a small debris flow-prone catchment in Zhejiang Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Zhen-lei; Xu, Yue-Ping; Sun, Hong-yue; Xie, Wei; Wu, Gang

2018-05-01

Excessive water in a channel is an important factor that triggers channelized debris flows. Floods and debris flows often occur in a cascading manner, and thus, calculating the amount of runoff accurately is important for predicting the occurrence of debris flows. In order to explore the runoff-rainfall relationship, we placed two measuring facilities at the outlet of a small, debris flow-prone headwater catchment to explore the hydrological response of the catchment. The runoff responses generally consisted of a rapid increase in runoff followed by a slower decrease. The peak runoff often occurred after the rainfall ended. The runoff discharge data were simulated by two different modeling approaches, i.e., the NAM model and the Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model. The results showed that the NAM model performed better than the HEC-HMS model. The NAM model provided acceptable simulations, while the HEC-HMS model did not. Then, we coupled the calculated results of the NAM model with an empirically based debris flow initiation model to obtain a new integrated cascading disaster modeling system to provide improved disaster preparedness and hazard management. In this case study, we found that the coupled model could correctly predict the occurrence of debris flows. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of the range of input parameter values on the hydrographical shape of the runoff. We also used the grey relational analysis to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the parameters of the model. This study highlighted the important connections between rainfall, hydrological processes, and debris flow, and it provides a useful prototype model system for operational forecasting of debris flows.

Redesign of the Human Metabolic Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffield, Bruce; Jeng, Frank; Lange, Kevin

2004-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently building a Human Metabolic Simulator (HMS) at the Johnson Space Center as part of the Advanced Life Support Air Revitalization Technology Evaluation Facility (ARTEF). The purpose of ARTEF is to evaluate Environmental Control and Life Support System Technologies for Advanced Missions. The HMS is needed to reproduce the primary metabolic effects of human respiration on an enclosed atmosphere when humans cannot be present and the impact of human presence on the system is required. A HMS was designed, built and successfully operated in 2000 but larger crew size requirements and the expense of upgrade of the current system necessitate redesign. This paper addresses the redesign. Several concepts were considered, ranging from chemical oxidation of a hydrocarbon like ethanol or ethyl acetate to carbon dioxide and water, oxidation of an iron-containing compound, or by using a fuel cell. For reasons of cost, simplicity, safety and other factors, the concept chosen includes: a molecular sieve packaged as an industrial oxygen concentrator to remove oxygen from the atmosphere, with direct carbon dioxide, water and heat injection. The water injection is done via heating water to steam with a heat exchanger and thermal effects are handled by directly adding heat to the air stream with a second heat exchanger. Both heat exchangers are supplied by a hot oil loop. The amount of oxygen removal, carbon dioxide addition, water addition and heat addition were calculated using metabolic profiles for respiration and heat, calculated using a series of empirical equations developed for International Space Station (ISS). Sketches of the Human Metabolic Simulator and the hot oil bath loop used to supply heat to the heat exchangers are included

Multi-metal resistance and plant growth promotion potential of a wastewater bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its synergistic benefits.

PubMed

Biswas, Jayanta Kumar; Mondal, Monojit; Rinklebe, Jörg; Sarkar, Santosh Kumar; Chaudhuri, Punarbasu; Rai, Mahendra; Shaheen, Sabry M; Song, Hocheol; Rizwan, Muhammad

2017-12-01

Water and soil pollution by toxic heavy metals (HMs) is increasing globally because of increase in population, industrialization and urbanization. It is a burning problem for the public, scientists, academicians and politicians how to tackle the toxic contaminants which jeopardize the environment. One possible solution for pollution abatement is a bioremediation-effective and innovative technology that uses biological systems for treatment of contaminants. Many bacteria synthesize indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) which is a product of L-tryptophan metabolism and belongs to the auxin class of plant growth-promoting hormone. The present study aimed at assessing the resistance pattern of wastewater bacteria against multiple HMs and plant growth promotion activity associated with IAA. A Gram-negative bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa KUJM was isolated from Kalyani Sewage Treatment Plant. This strain showed the potential to tolerate multiple contaminations such as As(III) (50 mM), As(V) (800 mM), Cd (8 mM), Co (18 mM), Cu (7 mM), Cr (2.5 mM), Ni (3 mM) and Zn (14 mM). The capability of IAA production at different tryptophan concentration (1, 2, 5 and 10 mg mL -1 ) was determined, and seed germination-enhancing potential was also estimated on lentil (Lens culinaris). Such type of HM-resistant, IAA-producing and seed germination-enhancing P. aeruginosa KUJM offer great promise as inoculants to promote plant growth in the presence of toxic HMs, as well as plant inoculant systems useful for phytoremediation of polluted soils. Hence, P. aeruginosa KUJM finds significant applications in HM-contaminated poor agricultural field as well as in bioremediation of HM-contaminated wastewater system.

77 FR 21015 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-09

... landings data. NMFS also closes the southern area Angling category fishery for large medium and giant... 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (Consolidated HMS FMP) and to prevent overharvest of the... daily retention limit of one school, large school, or small medium BFT (measuring 27 to less than 73...

76 FR 56327 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Highly Migratory Species Fisheries; Annual Catch Limits and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-13

...) are retained. However, upon receipt of any new information based on the best available science, the.... 660.702, revise the definition of ``Highly Migratory Species (HMS)'' to read as follows: Sec. 660.702 Definitions. * * * * * Highly Migratory Species (HMS) means species managed by the FMP, specifically: Billfish...

77 FR 2960 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Pre-Workshop...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-20

... Blacktip Sharks AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 29 pre-workshop webinar for HMS blacktip sharks. SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessment of the HMS stocks of Gulf of Mexico blacktip sharks will consist of one workshop...

Effects of ascorbate on leucocytes: Part II. Effects of ascorbic acid and calcium and sodium ascorbate on neutrophil phagocytosis and post-phagocytic metabolic activity.

PubMed

Anderson, R

1979-09-01

The effects of ascorbic acid and calcium and sodium ascorbate at a concentration range of 10(-6)M - 10(-1)M on polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) phagocytosis of Candida albicans and post-phagocytic nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction, hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity and myeloperoxidase-mediated iodination of ingested protein were investigated. Phagocytosis of C. albicans was unaffected by ascorbate concentrations of 10(-6)M - 10(-2)M; however, progressive inhibition was observed at concentrations of 10(-2)M upwards. Enhancement of resting and stimulated HMS activity and NBT reduction was evident at ascorbate concentrations of 10(-5) M - 10(-2)M. The stimulations of HMS activity and NBT reduction was independent of myeloperoxidase iodination of ingested protein and this latter function was strongly inhibited by ascorbate. Concentrations of ascorbic acid and calcium and sodium ascorbate which caused inhibition of phagocytosis and HMS activity were the same as those which mediated stimulation of cell motility, indicating that independent cellular mechanisms may govern motility and phagocytosis.

Effect of aerotechnogenic emissions on the content of heavy metals in herbaceous plants of the Lower Don region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minkina, T. M.; Mandzhieva, S. S.; Chaplygin, V. A.; Motuzova, G. V.; Burachevskaya, M. V.; Bauer, T. V.; Sushkova, S. N.; Nevidomskaya, D. G.

2017-06-01

The effect of soil properties and distance from the source of technogenic emission on the input of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn, Cr, and Ni into daisy family plants ( Asteraceae) has been studied. It has been found that the high level of anthropogenic load related to the atmospheric emissions from the Novocherkassk power plant (NPP) favors the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in herbaceous plants. Contamination with Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni is revealed in plants growing near the NPP. The main factors affecting the distribution of HMs in the above- and underground organs of plants include individual physiological features of plant species controlling the barrier functions of different plant organs. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Artemisia austriaca Pall. ex. Wild. Jack., and Tanacetum vulgare L. are accumulators of HMs. The resistance of herbaceous plants to pollution has been determined from the acropetal coefficient and actual biogeochemical mobility of HMs. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. is most resistant to contamination with Mn; Achillea nobilis L. is most resistant to Pb, Ni, and Cd; Cichorium intybus L. is most resistant to Zn and Cu.

Haloactamides versus halomethanes formation and toxicity in chloraminated drinking water.

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Zhang, Jing; Chu, Wenhai; Yin, Daqiang; Templeton, Michael R

2014-06-15

In this study we quantified the concentrations of nine haloacetamides (HAcAms) and nine halomethanes (HMs) in the final waters of five drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) that use either chlorination or chloramination for disinfection and evaluated the toxicity of dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm) and dichloromethane (DCM) in normal rat kidney (NRK) cells using four in vitro toxicity assays. All the DWTPs final waters contained primarily di-HAcAms, followed by tri- and mono-HAcAms, and DCAcAm was the most abundant species of the 9 HAcAms, regardless of chlorination or chloramination being applied. In the final waters of DWTPs using chlorination, tri-HMs (trihalomethanes, THMs) accounted for the majority of HMs, whereas chloramination resulted in more di-HMs (especially DCM) than THMs. All four in vitro toxicity assays indicated that the NRK cell chronic cytotoxicity and acute genotoxicity of DCAcAm were substantially higher than that of DCM. In view of observed occurrence concentrations and quantified toxicity levels, the findings of this study suggest that DCAcAm represents a higher toxicity risk than DCM in chloraminated drinking waters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cadmium(II) and lead(II) adsorption onto hetero-atom functional mesoporous silica and activated carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machida, Motoi; Fotoohi, Babak; Amamo, Yoshimasa; Mercier, Louis

2012-07-01

Adsorption of cadmium(II) and lead(II) on amino-, mercapto-functionalized mesoporous silica (HMS) and carboxylic-functionalized activated carbon (AC) were examined. The resultant isotherms fitted the Langmuir model and amino-functionalized HMS exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for both cadmium(II) and lead(II). Adsorption affinities for cadmium(II) were always greater than those for lead(II) in all three adsorbent types, while the difference between the two values was the largest for mercapto-functionalized HMS indicating a selective adsorption of cadmium(II). Influence of equilibrium solution pH on adsorption of cadmium(II), lead(II) and their binary mixtures was also studied. Carboxylic-functionalized AC adsorbed cadmium(II) and lead(II) in a wide pH range than conditions for the mercapto-functionalized HMS. It was concluded that each functional group had its own characteristics and advantages for adsorption of heavy metal ions; amino-groups showed high adsorption capacity, while mercapto-groups had good selectivity toward cadmium(II) adsorption and a wide solution pH in adsorption by carboxylic-groups were established in this study.

Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge: The effect of feed-water pH on fate and risk of heavy metals in hydrochars.

PubMed

Zhai, Yunbo; Liu, Xiangmin; Zhu, Yun; Peng, Chuan; Wang, Tengfei; Zhu, Luo; Li, Caiting; Zeng, Guangming

2016-10-01

In this study, the effect of feed-water pH (pH=2-12) on fate and risk of heavy metals (HMs) in hydrochars (HCs) was investigated. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge (SS) was carried out with different feed-water pH at 270°C. The research results showed that changing feed-water pH had a positive effect on accumulating Pb, Ni, Cd and Zn in HCs. Chemical forms of Cu and Cr converted from an unstable state to stable in the alkaline environment while in the acidic condition was opposite. The effect of feed-water pH on the chemical forms of HMs was variable but not significant. Risk assessments of Igeo, Er(i), RAC and RI were applied to evaluate the accumulation levels of individual metal, the potential ecological risks, the bio-availabilities and the comprehensive toxicity and sensitivity of HMs, respectively. The lowest pollution level of HMs was obtained at 270°C with pH=11. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochar addition for accelerating bioleaching of heavy metals from swine manure and reserving the nutrients.

PubMed

Wei, Xiaocheng; Liu, Dongfang; Li, Wenjiao; Liao, Lirui; Wang, Zhendong; Huang, Weiwei; Huang, Wenli

2018-08-01

Biochar was applied during the bioleaching of heavy metals (HMs) from swine manure (SM), in an attempt to accelerate the HMs removal rates and to reduce the losses of nutrient elements (nitrogen and phosphorus). Results showed that the addition of biochar (5gL -1 ) could not only significantly shorten the leaching time of HMs (Cu, Zn, Mn and Cd) from 10 (control) to 7days with a high solubilization efficiency of 90%, but also decrease the total nitrogen loss efficiency by 42.7% from 180.3 (control) to 103.3mgL -1 in the leachate. In addition, biochar addition facilitated Fe 2+ oxidation rate, achieving much better pH and ORP conditions. Electronic conductivity and adsorption properties of biochar with changed microbial community probably contributed a lot to the enhanced HMs solubilization and reduced nitrogen loss during bioleaching. Although the addition of biochar only slightly reduced the total amount of phosphorus loss, the bioavailable phosphorus in SM after bioleaching was markedly increased by 13.7%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ion-Exchange-Induced Selective Etching for the Synthesis of Amino-Functionalized Hollow Mesoporous Silica for Elevated-High-Temperature Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Jin; Liu, Jian; Lu, Shanfu; Zhu, Haijin; Aili, David; De Marco, Roland; Xiang, Yan; Forsyth, Maria; Li, Qingfeng; Jiang, San Ping

2017-09-20

As differentiated from conventional synthetic processes, amino-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica (NH 2 -HMS) has been synthesized using a new and facile strategy of ion-exchange-induced selective etching of amino-functionalized mesoporous silica (NH 2 -meso-silica) by an alkaline solution. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and in situ time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveal that ion-exchange-induced selective etching arises from the gradient distribution of OH - in the NH 2 -meso-silica nanospheres. Moreover, the ion-exchange-induced selective etching mechanism is verified through a successful synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica. After infiltration with phosphotungstic acid (PWA), PWA-NH 2 -HMS nanoparticles are dispersed in the poly(ether sulfone)-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PES-PVP) matrix, forming a hybrid PWA-NH 2 -HMS/PES-PVP nanocomposite membrane. The resultant nanocomposite membrane with an optimum loading of 10 wt % of PWA-NH 2 -HMS showed an enhanced proton conductivity of 0.175 S cm -1 and peak power density of 420 mW cm -2 at 180 °C under anhydrous conditions. Excellent durability of the hybrid composite membrane fuel cell has been demonstrated at 200 °C. The results of this study demonstrated the potential of the facile synthetic strategy in the fabrication of NH 2 -HMS with controlled mesoporous structure for application in nanocomposite membranes as a technology platform for elevated-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

HIGHLY METHYL ESTERIFIED SEEDS is a pectin methyl esterase involved in embryo development.

PubMed

Levesque-Tremblay, Gabriel; Müller, Kerstin; Mansfield, Shawn D; Haughn, George W

2015-03-01

Homogalacturonan pectin domains are synthesized in a highly methyl-esterified form that later can be differentially demethyl esterified by pectin methyl esterase (PME) to strengthen or loosen plant cell walls that contain pectin, including seed coat mucilage, a specialized secondary cell wall of seed coat epidermal cells. As a means to identify the active PMEs in seed coat mucilage, we identified seven PMEs expressed during seed coat development. One of these, HIGHLY METHYL ESTERIFIED SEEDS (HMS), is abundant during mucilage secretion, peaking at 7 d postanthesis in both the seed coat and the embryo. We have determined that this gene is required for normal levels of PME activity and homogalacturonan methyl esterification in the seed. The hms-1 mutant displays altered embryo morphology and mucilage extrusion, both of which are a consequence of defects in embryo development. A significant decrease in the size of cells in the embryo suggests that the changes in embryo morphology are a consequence of lack of cell expansion. Progeny from a cross between hms-1 and the previously characterized PME inhibitor5 overexpression line suggest that HMS acts independently from other cell wall-modifying enzymes in the embryo. We propose that HMS is required for cell wall loosening in the embryo to facilitate cell expansion during the accumulation of storage reserves and that its role in the seed coat is masked by redundancy. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Quantitative LIBS analysis of vanadium in samples of hexagonal mesoporous silica catalysts.

PubMed

Pouzar, Miloslav; Kratochvíl, Tomás; Capek, Libor; Smoláková, Lucie; Cernohorský, Tomás; Krejcová, Anna; Hromádko, Ludek

2011-02-15

The method for the analysis of vanadium in hexagonal mesoporous silica (V-HMS) catalysts using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometry (LIBS) was suggested. Commercially available LIBS spectrometer was calibrated with the aid of authentic V-HMS samples previously analyzed by ICP OES after microwave digestion. Deposition of the sample on the surface of adhesive tape was adopted as a sample preparation method. Strong matrix effect connected with the catalyst preparation technique (1st vanadium added in the process of HMS synthesis, 2nd already synthesised silica matrix was impregnated by vanadium) was observed. The concentration range of V in the set of nine calibration standards was 1.3-4.5% (w/w). Limit of detection was 0.13% (w/w) and it was calculated as a triple standard deviation from five replicated determinations of vanadium in the real sample with a very low vanadium concentration. Comparable results of LIBS and ED XRF were obtained if the same set of standards was used for calibration of both methods and vanadium was measured in the same type of real samples. LIBS calibration constructed using V-HMS-impregnated samples failed for measuring of V-HMS-synthesized samples. LIBS measurements seem to be strongly influenced with different chemical forms of vanadium in impregnated and synthesised samples. The combination of LIBS and ED XRF is able to provide new information about measured samples (in our case for example about procedure of catalyst preparation). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual soft-template system based on colloidal chemistry for the synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Li, Yunqi; Bastakoti, Bishnu Prasad; Imura, Masataka; Tang, Jing; Aldalbahi, Ali; Torad, Nagy L; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2015-04-20

A new dual soft-template system comprising the asymmetric triblock copolymer poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO) and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is used to synthesize hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) nanoparticles with a center void of around 17 nm. The stable PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO polymeric micelle serves as a template to form the hollow interior, while the CTAB surfactant serves as a template to form mesopores in the shells. The P2VP blocks on the polymeric micelles can interact with positively charged CTA(+) ions via negatively charged hydrolyzed silica species. Thus, dual soft-templates clearly have different roles for the preparation of the HMS nanoparticles. Interestingly, the thicknesses of the mesoporous shell are tunable by varying the amounts of TEOS and CTAB. This study provides new insight on the preparation of mesoporous materials based on colloidal chemistry. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Phytoextraction of initial cutting of Salix matsudana for Cd and Cu.

PubMed

Wang, Wen-Wen; Cheng, Liu Ke; Hao, Jie Wei; Guan, Xin; Tian, Xing-Jun

2016-06-27

Salix species are widely used as vegetation filters because of their flourishing root system and fast growth rate. However, studies have yet to determine whether the root system functions in vegetable filters with mixed heavy metal (HM) pollution or whether initial cutting participates in the phytoextraction of HMs. This study aims to determine the function of the root system and initial cutting as vegetation filters in the absorption and accumulation of Cd and Cu. Thick (>1 cm in diameter) and fine (<1 cm in diameter) initial cuttings of Salix matsudana were planted in a nutrient solution with single and mixed (Cd + Cu) treatments. The roots of several initial cuttings were removed daily to eradicate rhizofiltration. Results revealed that the existence of the root system altered distribution and interaction of Cd and Cu in plant organs and enhanced tolerance and phytoextraction capacity of plants. The initial cuttings could also absorb and accumulate HMs in the early growth stages of willow without roots. Cu inhibited the plant absorption and accumulation of Cd and promoted Cd transport to shoots. Cd inhibited the Cu absorption of the root system. Our study provided essential data regarding woody species as vegetation filters of HM pollution.

Concentrations, bioaccumulation, and human health risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in edible fish from Wuhan, China.

PubMed

Cui, Lili; Ge, Jing; Zhu, Yindi; Yang, Yuyi; Wang, Jun

2015-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine concentration and bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in edible fish from Wuhan, China, in order to assess health risk to the human via fish consumption. Two edible fish species (Aristichthys nobilis and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) were collected and analyzed for 11 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and eight heavy metals (HMs). Concentrations of ∑HCHs, ∑DDTs, and ∑OCPs in fish samples were in the range of 0.37-111.20, not detected (nd)-123.61, and 2.04-189.04 ng g(-1) (wet weight), respectively. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of OCPs in bighead carp (A. nobilis) were higher than those in silver carp (H. molitrix). Concentrations of ∑HMs in bighead carp and silver carp were 352.48 and 345.20 mg kg(-1) (dw), respectively. Daily exposure of OCPs and HMs for consumers was estimated by comparing estimated daily intake (EDI) with different criteria. The results revealed that the EDIs in our study were all lower than those criteria. Target hazard quotient (THQ) and risk ratio (R) were used to evaluate non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, respectively. As regard to non-carcinogenic effects of the contaminants, hazard quotients (THQ) of OCPs and HMs were both lower than 1.0, implying negligible non-carcinogenic risk via fish consumption in study area. Nevertheless, in view of carcinogenic effects of the contaminants, the total value of risk ratio (R) of OCPs was lower than the threshold of tolerable risk while the total value of risk ratio (R) of HMs was higher than the threshold of tolerable risk due to the high carcinogenic risk ratios of As and Cr, indicating high carcinogenic risks via fish consumption. The results demonstrated that HMs in edible fish from Wuhan, China, especially As and Cr required more attention than OCPs.

Real-time system for extracting and monitoring the cerebral functional component during fNIRS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Toru; Ohashi, Mitsuo; Umeyama, Shinji

2015-12-01

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can non-invasively detect hemodynamic changes associated with cerebral neural activation in human subjects. However, its signal is often affected by changes in the optical characteristics of tissues in the head other than brain. To conduct fNIRS measurements precisely and efficiently, the extraction and realtime monitoring of the cerebral functional component is crucial. We previously developed methods for extracting the cerebral functional component—the multidistance optode arrangement (MD) method and the hemodynamic modality separation (HMS) method. In this study, we implemented these methods in a software used with the fNIRS system OEG- 17APD (Spectratech, Japan), and realized a real-time display of the extracted results. When using this system for human subject experiments, the baselines obtained with the MD and HMS methods were highly stabilized, whereas originally, the fNIRS signal fluctuated significantly when the subject moved. Through a functional experiment with repetitive single-sided hand clasping tasks, the extracted signals showed distinctively higher reproducibility than that obtained in the conventional measurements.

Bathymetry Offshore Sumatra First Comprehensive map of International Data Sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaedicke, C.; Ladage, S.; Soh, W.; Weinrebe, W.; Tappin, D. R.; Henstock, T.; McNeill, L.; Sibuet, J.; Klingelhoefer, F.; Singh, S.; Flueh, E.; Djajadihardja, Y.

2006-12-01

Knowledge of the bathymetry offshore Sumatra is of great importance for geohazard risk assessment, modelling of tsunami runup heights and development of tsunami early warning systems as well as for the general understanding of plate boundary processes and morphotectonic features. Since the devastating December 26, 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake and tsunami a number of marine expeditions, funded by Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States have acquired bathymetric data over the southern part of the earthquake rupture zone but also along strike the whole Sunda trench. Here we present the first compilation of these bathymetric data sets as one bathymetric map. The bathymetric data acquired up to date covers a vast part of the trench, continental slope and in part also of the fore arc basins. The map incorporates the newest data sets from 2005 of the British high-resolution HMS SCOTT survey, the French Marion-Dufresene "Aftershocks" and the Japanese Natsushima cruises. While these surveys concentrated on the southern rupture zone of the Dec. 26th, 2004 earthquake, the German RV SONNE SeaCause and Sumatra cruises in 2005 and 2006 mapped the March 28th 2005 rupture area as well as large parts of the central Sunda trench and slope and in part the fore arc basins. Surveys reaching back to 1997 covering parts of the Sunda Strait and offshore southern Sumatra are also incorporated. A nearly complete coverage of the Sunda trench and slope area in the north is achieved. In the south data gaps on the slope still exist. This map compilation is a collaborative international effort initiated and partly funded by InterMARGINS. It is a major contribution to the Indonesian and international science community.

The role of particle-size soil fractions in the adsorption of heavy metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandzhieva, Saglara; Minkina, Tatiana; Pinsky, David; Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Kalinitchenko, Valeriy; Sushkova, Svetlana; Chaplygin, Viktor; Dikaev, Zaurbek; Startsev, Viktor; Bakoev, Serojdin

2014-05-01

Ion-exchange adsorption phenomena are important in the immobilization of heavy metals (HMs) by soils. Numerous works are devoted to the study of this problem. However, the interaction features of different particle-size soil fractions and their role in the immobilization of HMs studied insufficiently. Therefore, the assessment of the effect of the particle-size distribution on the adsorption properties of soils is a vital task. The parameters of Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ adsorption by chernozems of the south of Russia and their particle-size fractions were studied. In the particle-size fractions separated from the soils, the concentrations of Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2 decreased with the decreasing particle size. The parameters of the adsorption values of k (the constant of the affinity)and Cmax.(the maximum adsorption of the HMs) characterizing the adsorption of HMs by the southern chernozem and its particle-size fractions formed the following sequence: silt > clay > entire soil. The adsorption capacity of chernozems for Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ depending on the particle-size distribution decreased in the following sequence: clay loamy ordinary chernozem clay loamy southern chernozem> loamy southern chernozem> loamy sandy southern chernozem. According to the parameters of the adsorption by the different particle-size fractions, the heavy metal cations form a sequence analogous to that obtained for the entire soils: Cu2+ ≥ Pb2+ > Zn2+. The parameters of the heavy metal adsorption by similar particle-size fractions separated from different soils decreased in the following order: clay loamy chernozem> loamy chernozem> loamy sandy chernozem. The analysis of the changes in the parameters of the Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ adsorption by the studied soils and their particle-size fractions showed that the extensive adsorption characteristic - the maximum adsorption (Cmax.) - is a less sensitive parameter characterizing the adsorption capacity of the soils than the intensive characteristic of the process - the adsorption equilibrium constant (k).The ratio between the content of exchangeable cations displaced from the soil adsorbing complex (SAC) into the solution and the content of adsorbed HMs decreased with the increasing concentration of adsorbed HMs. These values could be higher (for Cu2+ and Pb2+), equal, or lower than 1 (for Zn2+) and depend on the properties of HMs. At the first case, this was due to the dissolution of readily soluble salts at low HM concentrations in the SAC. In the latter case, this was related to the adsorption of associated forms HMs and the formation of new phases localized on the surface of soil particles at high HM concentrations in the SAC. Soil solution equilibrium (SSE) accords to the soil fine fraction composition. SSE thermodynamics causes the ratio of free and associated forms of ions and ion's activity in soil solution influencing composition, concentration and adsorption of HMs salts by SAC. This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 12-05-33078,14-05-00586_a, grant of President of MK-6448.2014.4

The Evolution of Polymorphic Hybrid Incompatibilities in House Mice.

PubMed

Larson, Erica L; Vanderpool, Dan; Sarver, Brice A J; Callahan, Colin; Keeble, Sara; Provencio, Lorraine P; Kessler, Michael D; Stewart, Vanessa; Nordquist, Erin; Dean, Matthew D; Good, Jeffrey M

2018-04-24

Resolving the mechanistic and genetic bases of reproductive barriers between species is essential to understanding the evolutionary forces that shape speciation. Intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities are often treated as fixed between species, yet there can be considerable variation in the strength of reproductive isolation between populations. The extent and causes of this variation remain poorly understood in most systems. We investigated the genetic basis of variable hybrid male sterility (HMS) between two recently diverged subspecies of house mice, Mus musculus domesticus and M. m. musculus We found that polymorphic HMS has a surprisingly complex genetic basis, with contributions from at least five autosomal loci segregating between two closely related wild-derived strains of M. m. musculus One of the HMS-linked regions on Chromosome 4 also showed extensive introgression among inbred laboratory strains and transmission ratio distortion (TRD) in hybrid crosses. Using additional crosses and whole genome sequencing of sperm pools, we showed that TRD was limited to hybrid crosses and was not due to differences in sperm motility between M. m. musculus strains. Based on these results, we argue that TRD likely reflects additional incompatibilities that reduce hybrid embryonic viability. In some common inbred strains of mice, selection against deleterious interactions appears to have unexpectedly driven introgression at loci involved in epistatic hybrid incompatibilities. The highly variable genetic basis to F1 hybrid incompatibilities between closely related mouse lineages argues that a thorough dissection of reproductive isolation will require much more extensive sampling of natural variation than has been commonly utilized in mice and other model systems. Copyright © 2018, Genetics.

COSMOS: Python library for massively parallel workflows

PubMed Central

Gafni, Erik; Luquette, Lovelace J.; Lancaster, Alex K.; Hawkins, Jared B.; Jung, Jae-Yoon; Souilmi, Yassine; Wall, Dennis P.; Tonellato, Peter J.

2014-01-01

Summary: Efficient workflows to shepherd clinically generated genomic data through the multiple stages of a next-generation sequencing pipeline are of critical importance in translational biomedical science. Here we present COSMOS, a Python library for workflow management that allows formal description of pipelines and partitioning of jobs. In addition, it includes a user interface for tracking the progress of jobs, abstraction of the queuing system and fine-grained control over the workflow. Workflows can be created on traditional computing clusters as well as cloud-based services. Availability and implementation: Source code is available for academic non-commercial research purposes. Links to code and documentation are provided at http://lpm.hms.harvard.edu and http://wall-lab.stanford.edu. Contact: dpwall@stanford.edu or peter_tonellato@hms.harvard.edu. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:24982428

COSMOS: Python library for massively parallel workflows.

PubMed

Gafni, Erik; Luquette, Lovelace J; Lancaster, Alex K; Hawkins, Jared B; Jung, Jae-Yoon; Souilmi, Yassine; Wall, Dennis P; Tonellato, Peter J

2014-10-15

Efficient workflows to shepherd clinically generated genomic data through the multiple stages of a next-generation sequencing pipeline are of critical importance in translational biomedical science. Here we present COSMOS, a Python library for workflow management that allows formal description of pipelines and partitioning of jobs. In addition, it includes a user interface for tracking the progress of jobs, abstraction of the queuing system and fine-grained control over the workflow. Workflows can be created on traditional computing clusters as well as cloud-based services. Source code is available for academic non-commercial research purposes. Links to code and documentation are provided at http://lpm.hms.harvard.edu and http://wall-lab.stanford.edu. dpwall@stanford.edu or peter_tonellato@hms.harvard.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Building Bridges, Robots, and High Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennie, Fiona; Corbett, Charlotte; Palo, Angela

2015-01-01

This article describes an after-school program at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf (HMS), the oldest public day school for deaf students in the United States, where almost half of the student body imagined and created bridge and robotic machines. The Deaf Robotics Engineering and Math Team, or the DREAM Team club, included HMS students in…

77 FR 64318 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-19

...-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act, Public Law 104-297... migratory species fishery that is under the Secretary's authority. NMFS has consulted with the HMS AP on... shall actively participate in good faith in the meetings and tasks of the HMS AP; and 5. A list of...

77 FR 16812 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-22

...: Notice of SEDAR 29 assessment webinars for Highly Migratory Species (HMS) blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus). SUMMARY: The SEDAR 29 assessment of HMS blacktip shark will consist of a workshop and series of... Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast...

Blood and Blood Product Conservation: Results of Strategies to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Open Heart Surgery Patients at a Tertiary Hospital.

PubMed

Khan, Junaid H; Green, Emily A; Chang, Jimmin; Ayala, Alexandria M; Barkin, Marilyn S; Reinys, Emily E; Stanton, Jeffrey; Stanten, Russell D

2017-12-01

Blood product usage is a quality outcome for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. To address an increase in blood product usage since the discontinuation of aprotinin, blood conservation strategies were initiated at a tertiary hospital in Oakland, CA. Improving transfusion rates for open heart surgery patients requiring Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) involved multiple departments in coordination. Specific changes to conserve blood product usage included advanced CPB technology upgrades, and precise individualized heparin dose response titration assay for heparin and protamine management. Retrospective analysis of blood product usage pre-implementation, post-CPB changes and post-Hemostasis Management System (HMS) implementation was done to determine the effectiveness of the blood conservation strategies. Statistically significant decrease in packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, and platelet usage over the stepped implementation of both technologies was observed. New oxygenator and centrifugal pump technologies reduced active circuitry volume and caused less damage to blood cells. Individualizing heparin and protamine dosing to a patient using the HMS led to transfusion reductions as well. Overall trends toward reductions in hospital length of stay and intensive care unit stay, and as a result, blood product cost and total hospitalization cost are positive over the period of implementation of both CPB circuit changes and HMS implementation. Although they are multifactorial in nature, these trends provide positive enforcement to the changes implemented.

Increased formation of halomethanes during chlorination of chloramphenicol in drinking water by UV irradiation, persulfate oxidation, and combined UV/persulfate pre-treatments.

PubMed

Wenhai, Chu; Tengfei, Chu; Erdeng, Du; Deng, Yang; Yingqing, Guo; Naiyun, Gao

2016-02-01

Ultraviolet/persulfate (UV/PS) has been widely used to generate sulfate radicals for degradation of water organic pollutants in previous studies. However, its impacts on disinfection byproduct formation during post-chlorination of degraded compounds is unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of UV irradiation, PS oxidation, and the combined UV/PS advanced oxidation process (AOP) pre-treatments on halomethane formation during the following chlorination of chloramphenicol (CAP), a model antibiotic commonly found in wastewater-impacted water. Results showed that CAP could be transformed to more trichloromethane (TCM) than monochloromethane (MCM) and dichloromethane (DCM) in the presence of excess chlorine. UV photolysis, PS oxidation and UV/PS AOP all directly decomposed CAP to produce halomethanes (HMs) before post-chlorination. Moreover, UV and UV/PS pre-treatments both enhanced the formation of all the HMs in the subsequent chlorination. PS pre-oxidation decreased the TCM formation during post-chlorination, but increased the yields of MCM, DCM and total HMs. UV pre-irradiation significantly increased the bromide utilization of HMs, whereas UV/PS pre-oxidation decreased the bromine incorporation and utilization of HMs from the chlorination of CAP in a low-bromide water. UV irradiation, PS oxidation, and UV/PS AOP can inactivate pathogens and degrade organic pollutants, but this benefit should be weighed against a potential risk of the increased halomethane formation from degraded organic pollutants with and without post-chlorination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HMS Tonometry Payload

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-06

ISS030-E-200591 (6 April 2012) --- In the International Space Station?s Destiny laboratory, NASA astronaut Dan Burbank (left), Expedition 30 commander, uses the Health Maintenance System Tonometry payload to perform an intraocular pressure test on NASA astronaut Don Pettit, flight engineer. The activity was supervised via live Ku-band video by medical ground personnel.

75 FR 23676 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-04

...), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR Data Workshop for HMS sandbar, dusky, and blacknose sharks. SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessments of the HMS stocks of sandbar, dusky, and blacknose sharks will consist of a series of..., a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a...

77 FR 11066 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

...: Notice of SEDAR Data/Assessment Workshop for Highly Migratory Species (HMS) blacktip sharks. SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessment of the HMS stocks of Gulf of Mexico blacktip sharks will consist of one workshop and a..., Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the...

Rcupcake: an R package for querying and analyzing biomedical data through the BD2K PIC-SURE RESTful API.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Sacristán, Alba; Guedj, Romain; Korodi, Gabor; Stedman, Jason; Furlong, Laura I; Patel, Chirag J; Kohane, Isaac S; Avillach, Paul

2018-04-15

In the era of big data and precision medicine, the number of databases containing clinical, environmental, self-reported and biochemical variables is increasing exponentially. Enabling the experts to focus on their research questions rather than on computational data management, access and analysis is one of the most significant challenges nowadays. We present Rcupcake, an R package that contains a variety of functions for leveraging different databases through the BD2K PIC-SURE RESTful API and facilitating its query, analysis and interpretation. The package offers a variety of analysis and visualization tools, including the study of the phenotype co-occurrence and prevalence, according to multiple layers of data, such as phenome, exposome or genome. The package is implemented in R and is available under Mozilla v2 license from GitHub (https://github.com/hms-dbmi/Rcupcake). Two reproducible case studies are also available (https://github.com/hms-dbmi/Rcupcake-case-studies/blob/master/SSCcaseStudy_v01.ipynb, https://github.com/hms-dbmi/Rcupcake-case-studies/blob/master/NHANEScaseStudy_v01.ipynb). paul_avillach@hms.harvard.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Application of principal component analysis in the pollution assessment with heavy metals of vegetable food chain in the old mining areas

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The aim of the paper is to assess by the principal components analysis (PCA) the heavy metal contamination of soil and vegetables widely used as food for people who live in areas contaminated by heavy metals (HMs) due to long-lasting mining activities. This chemometric technique allowed us to select the best model for determining the risk of HMs on the food chain as well as on people's health. Results Many PCA models were computed with different variables: heavy metals contents and some agro-chemical parameters which characterize the soil samples from contaminated and uncontaminated areas, HMs contents of different types of vegetables grown and consumed in these areas, and the complex parameter target hazard quotients (THQ). Results were discussed in terms of principal component analysis. Conclusion There were two major benefits in processing the data PCA: firstly, it helped in optimizing the number and type of data that are best in rendering the HMs contamination of the soil and vegetables. Secondly, it was valuable for selecting the vegetable species which present the highest/minimum risk of a negative impact on the food chain and human health. PMID:23234365

Home media server content management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokmakoff, Andrew A.; van Vliet, Harry

2001-07-01

With the advent of set-top boxes, the convergence of TV (broadcasting) and PC (Internet) is set to enter the home environment. Currently, a great deal of activity is occurring in developing standards (TV-Anytime Forum) and devices (TiVo) for local storage on Home Media Servers (HMS). These devices lie at the heart of convergence of the triad: communications/networks - content/media - computing/software. Besides massive storage capacity and being a communications 'gateway', the home media server is characterised by the ability to handle metadata and software that provides an easy to use on-screen interface and intelligent search/content handling facilities. In this paper, we describe a research prototype HMS that is being developed within the GigaCE project at the Telematica Instituut . Our prototype demonstrates advanced search and retrieval (video browsing), adaptive user profiling and an innovative 3D component of the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) which represents online presence. We discuss the use of MPEG-7 for representing metadata, the use of MPEG-21 working draft standards for content identification, description and rights expression, and the use of HMS peer-to-peer content distribution approaches. Finally, we outline explorative user behaviour experiments that aim to investigate the effectiveness of the prototype HMS during development.

Development of polyphenylquinoxaline graphite composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shdo, J. D.

1976-01-01

Six polyphenylquinoxalines (PPQ) containing pendant cyano (CN) groups were synthesized. The polymers were characterized in terms of inherent viscosity, glass transition temperature, softening temperature and weight loss due to aging in air at 316 C (600 F). The potential for crosslinking PPQs by trimerization of pendant CN groups was investigated. A polymer derived from 1 mole 3,3,4,4 -tetraaminobenzophenone, .2 mole p-bis(p -cyanophenoxyphenylglyoxalyl)benzene and .8 mole p-bis(phenylglyoxalyl)benzene was selected for more extensive characterization in HM-S graphite fiber-reinforced composites. Mechanical properties were determined using composites made from HM-S fiber and polymer and composites made from HM-S fiber, polymer and a potential CN group trimerization catalyst. Composite mechanical properties, inter-laminar shear strength and flexure properties, were determined over the temperature range of +21 C to 316 C.

Ethiopian Central Rift Valley basin hydrologic modelling using HEC-HMS and ArcSWAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascual-Ferrer, Jordi; Candela, Lucila; Pérez-Foguet, Agustí

2013-04-01

An Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) shall be applied to achieve a sustainable development, to increase population incomes without affecting lives of those who are highly dependent on the environment. First step should be to understand water dynamics at basin level, starting by modeling the basin water resources. For model implementation, a large number of data and parameters are required, but those are not always available, especially in some developing countries where different sources may have different data, there is lack of information on data collection, etc. The Ethiopian Central Rift Valley (CRV) is an endorheic basin covering an area of approximately 10,000 km2. For the period 1996-2005, the average annual volume of rainfall accounted for 9.1 Mm3, and evapotranspiration for 8 Mm3 (Jansen et al., 2007). From the environmental point of view, basin ecosystems are endangered due to human activities. Also, poverty is widespread all over the basin, with population mainly living from agriculture on a subsistence economy. Hence, there is an urgent need to set an IWRM, but datasets required for water dynamics simulation are not too reliable. In order to reduce uncertainty of numerical simulation, two semi-distributed open software hydrologic models were implemented: HEC-HMS and ArcSWAT. HEC-HMS was developed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACoE) Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) to run precipitation-runoff simulations for a variety of applications in dendritic watershed systems. ArcSWAT includes the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool, Arnold et al., 1998) model developed for the USDA Agricultural Research Service into ArcGIS (ESRI®). SWAT was developed to assess the impact of land management practices on large complex watersheds with varying soils, land use and management conditions over long periods of time (Neitsch et al., 2005). According to this, ArcSWAT would be the best option for IWRM implementation in the basin. However, considering data uncertainty and model complexity a previous hydrologic assessment of the basin based in HEC-HMS simulation is advisable. As a first approach HEC-HMS was implemented for basin modeling in order to get physical parameters of interest, results from HEC-HMS calibration were used to setup the accuracy of the ArcSWAT numerical modelling. References Arnold, J.G., Srinivasan, R., Muttiah, R.S. & Williams, J.R. (1998). Large Area Hydrologic Modeling and Assessment Part I: Model Development. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 73-89. Jansen, H., Hengsdijk, H., Legesse, D., Ayenew, T., Hellegers, P. & Spliethoff, P. (2007). Land and water resources assessment in the Ethiopian Central Rift Valley. In Alterra report 1587. Wageningen: Alterra. p. 81. Neitsch, S.L., Arnold, J.G., Kiniry, J.R. & Williams, J.R. (2005). Soil and Water Assessment Tool Theoretical Documentation. Version 2005, Temple, Texas.

Human health risk assessment of heavy metals in the irrigated area of Jinghui, Shaanxi, China, in terms of wheat flour consumption.

PubMed

Lei, Lingming; Liang, Dongli; Yu, Dasong; Chen, Yupeng; Song, Weiwei; Li, Jun

2015-10-01

Contamination of heavy metals (HMs) in agricultural soil has become a serious environmental problem because it poses a serious threat to human health by entering into food chains. Wheat is a staple food of the majority of the world's population; therefore, understanding the relationship between HM concentration in soils and its accumulation in wheat grain is imperative. This study assessed the concentrations of HMs (i.e., Hg, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni) in agricultural soils (a loess soil, eum-orthic anthrosol) and wheat flour in the historical irrigated area of Jinghui, Northwest China. The potential human health risks of HMs among local residents were also determined by evaluating the consumption of wheat flour. Results showed that the mean soil concentrations of HMs exceeded the corresponding natural background values of agricultural surface soil in Shaanxi: 0.07 mg kg(-1) for Hg, 15.4 mg kg(-1) for As, 0.25 mg kg(-1) for Cd, 75.5 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 27.2 mg kg(-1) for Pb, 28.1 mg kg(-1) for Cu, 81.1 mg kg(-1) for Zn, and 36.6 mg kg(-1) for Ni, respectively. However, all of the mean concentrations of HMs in soil were within the safety limits set by the Chinese regulation (HJ332-2006). The total HM concentrations in wheat flour were 0.0017 mg kg(-1) for Hg, 0.028 mg kg(-1) for As, 0.020 mg kg(-1) for Cd, 0.109 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 0.128 mg kg(-1) for Pb, 2.66 mg kg(-1) for Cu, 24.20 mg kg(-1) for Zn, and 0.20 mg kg(-1) for Ni, and they were significantly lower than the tolerance limits of Chinese standards. However, 15% of the wheat flour samples exceeded the Chinese standard (GB2762-2012) for Pb. This study highlighted the human health risks in the relationship of wheat flour consumption for both adults and children with HMs accumulated area. HMs did not cause noncarcinogenic risks in the area (HI < 1) except for children in Jingyang county; Cd generated the greatest carcinogenic risk, which poses a potential health risk to consumers. The results obtained in this study showed that the government and other institutions should implement measures to prevent and control HM contamination in agricultural soil and crops to mitigate the associated health risks.

Elucidating Particle Acidity during North China Winter Haze Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, S.; Gao, M.; Sun, Y.; Li, M.; Wang, S.; Wang, Y.; Xu, W.; Zhu, L.; Munger, W.; McElroy, M. B.

2017-12-01

A characteristic feature of North China winter haze pollution is the rapid formation of sulfate. An accurate prediction of particle acidity, or pH, is critical for evaluating the contributions of various aqueous and heterogeneous sulfate production mechanisms (e.g. the reactions involving reactive nitrogen and transition metal ions), and is also important for evaluating the toxicity of atmospheric particles. However, particle acidity during winter haze periods is poorly constrained, and estimates in several recent studies display significant discrepancies, ranging from moderately acidic (pH 4) to neutral (pH 7). In this study, we calculate fine particle pH for several haze episodes during the 2014/2015 winter, using several methods including phase partitioning of ammonia, ion balance, and multiple thermodynamic equilibrium models. Hourly gaseous and particle composition measurements were taken at an urban site in Beijing. We find that the discrepancies in the calculated pH for recent studies are largely due to their differences in assumed methodology. The ion balance method and the reverse modes of thermodynamic models (using only aerosol phase compositions as input) are not suitable for calculating pH in this atmospheric environment. We also find, for the first time, that hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS), formed from complexation of sulfite and bisulfite with formaldehyde in the aqueous phase, can serve as a tracer of particle pH during winter haze events. Here the concentrations of HMS are quantified using measurement data from an Aerodyne high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer. HMS is found to contribute a few percent to particle mass during winter haze episodes. The presence of HMS is also identified with data from a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer. Since it may be incorrectly identified as sulfate during the typical chemical composition analysis of fine particles (e.g. ion chromatography), the existence of HMS could explain a significant fraction of the underestimation of sulfate formation in current air quality models. Preliminary results suggest that particle pH values estimated with the HMS tracer, phase partitioning of ammonia, and the forward modes (specifying total concentrations of gas and particle phases) of thermodynamic models are in good agreement.

Joint Tactical Radio System Handheld, Manpack, and Small Form Fit Radios (JTRS HMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

requisitions through the Standard Army Supply System ( SASS ). All radios procured under the Full Rate Production (FRP) phase that become unserviceable...will be turned-in to TYAD through the SASS . Radios will be returned to the original equipment manufacturer vendor for warranty repair, or replacement...procure sustainment spares to replace unserviceable radios and ancillary items requisitioned through SASS , operations, maintenance, training

Investigation and risk evaluation of the occurrence of carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, their human metabolites and transformation products in the urban water cycle.

PubMed

Brezina, Elena; Prasse, Carsten; Meyer, Johannes; Mückter, Harald; Ternes, Thomas A

2017-06-01

Trace organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products and industrial chemicals are frequently detected in the urban water cycle, including wastewater, surface water and groundwater, as well as drinking water. These also include human metabolites (HMs), which are formed in the human body and then excreted via urine or feces, as well as transformation products (TPs) formed in engineered treatment systems and the aquatic environment. In the current study, the occurrence of HMs as well as their TPs of the anticonvulsants carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) were investigated using LC tandem MS in effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), surface water and groundwater. Highest concentrations were observed in raw wastewater for 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine (DiOHCBZ), 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy-cabamazepine (10OHCBZ) and CBZ with concentrations ranging up to 2.7 ± 0.4, 1.7 ± 0.2 and 1.07 ± 0.06 μg L -1 , respectively. Predictions of different toxicity endpoints using a Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) expert system query indicated that several HMs and TPs, in particular 9-carboxy-acridine (9-CA-ADIN) and acridone (ADON), may exhibit an increased genotoxicity compared to the parent compound CBZ. As 9-CA-ADIN was also detected in groundwater, a detailed investigation of the genotoxicity of 9-CA-ADIN is warranted. Investigations of an advanced wastewater treatment plant further revealed that the discharge of the investigated compounds into the aquatic environment could be substantially reduced by ozonation followed by granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Joint Precision Approach and Landing System Nunn-McCurdy Breach Root Cause Analysis and Portfolio Assessment Metrics for DoD Weapons Systems. Volume 8

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

system that would help in adverse weather conditions. U.S. operations in Bosnia, which were run from a relatively austere airfield with limited air... operations beginning in 2013 (CVN21, Joint Strike Fighter, Joint Unmanned Combat Air System ). cAccording to multiple FAA ofcial planning documents...Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System HMS Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit HUD Head up Display IAMD Integrated Air and

Progress and prospect of adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution using metal-organic frameworks: A review of studies from the last decade.

PubMed

Wen, Jia; Fang, Ying; Zeng, Guangming

2018-06-01

The efficient removal of heavy metals (HMs) from the environment has become an important issue from both biological and environmental perspectives. Recently, porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), combining central metals and organic ligands, have been proposed as promising materials in the capture of various toxic substances, including HMs, due to their unique characteristics. Here we review recent progress in the field of water remediation from the perspective of primary HMs (including divalent metals and variable-valent metals) in water pollution and the corresponding MOFs (including virgin and modified MOFs, magnetic MOFs composites and so on) that can remove these metals from water. The reported values of various MOFs for adsorption of heavy metal ions were 8.40-313 mg Pb(II) g -1 , 0.65-2173 mg Hg(II) g -1 , 3.63-145 mg Cd(II) g -1 , 14.0-127 mg Cr(III) g -1 , 15.4-145 mg Cr(VI) g -1 , 49.5-123 mg As(III) g -1 , and 12.3-303 mg As(V) g -1 . The main adsorption mechanisms associated with these processes are chemical (including coordination interaction, chemical bonding and acid-base interactions) and physical (including electrostatic interaction, diffusion and van der Waals force) adsorption, which were discussed in detailed. Further efforts should be made towards expanding the repertoire of MOFs that effectively remove multiple targeted HMs, as well as exploring possible applications of MOFs in the removal of HMs from non-aqueous environments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

H.M. never again! An analysis of H.M.'s epilepsy and treatment.

PubMed

Mauguière, F; Corkin, S

2015-03-01

On August 25, 1953, the patient H.M., aged 27, underwent a bilateral surgical destruction of the inner aspect of his temporal lobes performed by William Beecher Scoville with the aim to control H.M.'s drug refractory epileptic seizures and alleviate their impact on his quality of life. Postoperatively, H.M. presented for 55 years a "striking and totally unexpected grave loss of recent memories". This paper reports what we know about H.M.'s epilepsy before and after surgery and puts forward arguments supporting the syndromic classification of his epilepsy. We attempted to elucidate what could have been the rationale, in 1953, of Scoville's decision to carry out a bilateral ablation of H.M.'s medial temporal lobe structures, and we examined whether there was any convincing argument published before 1953 suggesting that bilateral hippocampal ablation could result in a permanent and severe amnesia. Our a posteriori analysis of H.M.'s medical history suggested that he was most probably suffering from idiopathic generalized epilepsy with absences and generalized convulsive seizures worsened by high dosage phenytoin treatment, or less probably from cryptogenic frontal lobe epilepsy. Importantly, he did not have temporal lobe epilepsy. Scoville based his proposal of bilateral mesial temporal lobe ablation on his experience as a psychosurgeon and on the assumption that the threshold of generalized epileptic activity could be lowered by some kind of hippocampal dysfunction potentially epileptic in nature. Given the scanty information on the link between amnesia and medial temporal lobe lesions that was available in humans in 1953, one can understand why Scoville was so surprised by the "striking and totally unexpected" memory loss he observed in H.M. after the bilateral ablation of his mesial temporal lobe structures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Predicting the likelihood of altered streamflows at ungauged rivers across the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eng, Kenny; Carlisle, Daren M.; Wolock, David M.; Falcone, James A.

2013-01-01

An approach is presented in this study to aid water-resource managers in characterizing streamflow alteration at ungauged rivers. Such approaches can be used to take advantage of the substantial amounts of biological data collected at ungauged rivers to evaluate the potential ecological consequences of altered streamflows. National-scale random forest statistical models are developed to predict the likelihood that ungauged rivers have altered streamflows (relative to expected natural condition) for five hydrologic metrics (HMs) representing different aspects of the streamflow regime. The models use human disturbance variables, such as number of dams and road density, to predict the likelihood of streamflow alteration. For each HM, separate models are derived to predict the likelihood that the observed metric is greater than (‘inflated’) or less than (‘diminished’) natural conditions. The utility of these models is demonstrated by applying them to all river segments in the South Platte River in Colorado, USA, and for all 10-digit hydrologic units in the conterminous United States. In general, the models successfully predicted the likelihood of alteration to the five HMs at the national scale as well as in the South Platte River basin. However, the models predicting the likelihood of diminished HMs consistently outperformed models predicting inflated HMs, possibly because of fewer sites across the conterminous United States where HMs are inflated. The results of these analyses suggest that the primary predictors of altered streamflow regimes across the Nation are (i) the residence time of annual runoff held in storage in reservoirs, (ii) the degree of urbanization measured by road density and (iii) the extent of agricultural land cover in the river basin.

Morphological investigation of nanostructured CoMo catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawelec, B.; Castaño, P.; Zepeda, T. A.

2008-04-01

This work reports the morphological investigation of nanostructured sulfided CoMo catalysts by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The catalysts were supported on Ti-modified hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS-Ti) and P-modified HMS-Ti (P/HMS-Ti) materials. The oxide precursors were characterized by specific surface area (S BET), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy in the OH region (DRIFTS-OH) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in order to elucidate the influence of the impregnation sequence (successive vs. simultaneous) and the effect of P-incorporation into HMS-Ti material on the morphology of calcined CoMo catalysts. Both TPR and XPS measurements indicate that the catalysts prepared by successive impregnation possess well-dispersed MoO 3 and CoO phases, whereas their counterparts prepared by simultaneous impregnation additionally possess the CoMoO 4 phase. For all sulfided catalysts, the presence of MoS 2 phase with particle size in the range 3.3-4.4 nm was confirmed by HRTEM. Catalytic activity was evaluated in the reaction of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) carried out in a flow reactor at 593 K and hydrogen pressure of 5.5 MPa. P-incorporation into the HMS-Ti material led to an overall increase in HDS activity and the hydrogenation ability of the sulfided catalysts. All catalysts proved to be stable during 10 h time-on-stream (TOS) operation. The activity of sulfide catalysts in the target reaction depends linearly on the surface exposure of Co species in the oxide precursors, as determined by XPS, and on the morphology of the sulfide form of catalysts (surface density of MoS 2 particles and their sizes) as determined by HRTEM.

Urbanization Impacts on Flooding in the Kansas River Basin and Evaluation of Wetlands as a Mitigation Measure

EPA Science Inventory

This study evaluates the impacts of future land use changes on flooding in the Kansas River Basin. It also studies the impacts of wetlands on flood reduction. The study presents Hydrologic Engineering Centers-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) based runoff modeling and River A...

76 FR 36071 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-21

... 2003. The MTU VMS unit is currently required to report positions on an hourly basis when HMS fishing... position only, and, in some instances, do not even indicate whether the unit is on and functioning properly... to report while vessels are at sea. NMFS enforcement agents have also reported difficulty...

78 FR 53397 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-29

... operators by eliminating the requirement to hail-out two hours in advance of leaving port. Additionally... long as the VMS unit was turned on at least two hours prior to leaving port and remained on until the vessel returned to port. These requirements were specific to vessels both holding an HMS permit and...

Potentiality of rainwater harvesting for an urban community in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akter, Aysha; Ahmed, Shoukat

2015-09-01

Due to cost effectiveness, rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are practicing already in some rural parts of Bangladesh but very few in urban areas. This paper aimed to evaluate the potentiality of RWH systems in the South Agrabad in Chittagong city with an average annual precipitation of 3000 mm, experiencing both water scarcity and urban flooding in the same year. The adopted approach was Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based multicriteria decision analysis technique, and the evaluation criteria were roof area, slope, drainage density and runoff coefficient. Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling Extension supported hydrologic model viz. HEC-HMS used to simulate the precipitation-runoff process, the model outcomes showed RWH potentiality which could minimize stagnant storm water up to 26% through supplementing city water supply annually up to 20 liter/person/day. Then, assigning suitable weightage to the evaluation criteria with their associated features in ArcGIS 9.3, the study area was reasonably divided into three potential zones i.e. good, moderate and poor covering 19%, 64% and 17% of the total area respectively. Thus, this is envisaged AHP using HEC-HMS could provide important guidance to the decision supporting system not only for urban areas but also for the wide sub-basin/basin context.

Graphite fiber reinforced thermoplastic resins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navak, R. C.

1977-01-01

The results of a program designed to optimize the fabrication procedures for graphite thermoplastic composites are described. The properties of the composites as a function of temperature were measured and graphite thermoplastic fan exit guide vanes were fabricated and tested. Three thermoplastics were included in the investigation: polysulfone, polyethersulfone, and polyarylsulfone. Type HMS graphite was used as the reinforcement. Bending fatigue tests of HMS graphite/polyethersulfone demonstrated a gradual shear failure mode which resulted in a loss of stiffness in the specimens. Preliminary curves were generated to show the loss in stiffness as a function of stress and number of cycles. Fan exit guide vanes of HMS graphite polyethersulfone were satisfactorily fabricated in the final phase of the program. These were found to have stiffness and better fatigue behavior than graphite epoxy vanes which were formerly bill of material.

Coastal deposits of heavy mineral sands; Global significance and US resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Bleiwas, Donald I.; Bedinger, George M.; Ellefsen, Karl J.; Shah, Anjana K.

2016-01-01

Ancient and modern coastal deposits of heavy mineral sands (HMS) are the principal source of several heavy industrial minerals, with mining and processing operations on every continent except Antarctica. For example, HMS deposits are the main source of titanium feedstock for the titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigments industry, obtained from the minerals ilmenite (Fe2+TiO3), rutile (TiO2) and leucoxene (an alteration product of ilmenite). HMS deposits are also the principal source of zircon (ZrSiO4), from which zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) is obtained for uses mostly in refractory products. Sometimes monazite [(Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO4] is recovered as a byproduct mineral, sought for its rare earth elements and thorium (Ault and others, 2016; Sengupta and Van Gosen, 2016; Van Gosen and Tulsidas, 2016). 

Source identification and apportionment of heavy metals in urban soil profiles.

PubMed

Luo, Xiao-San; Xue, Yan; Wang, Yan-Ling; Cang, Long; Xu, Bo; Ding, Jing

2015-05-01

Because heavy metals (HMs) occurring naturally in soils accumulate continuously due to human activities, identifying and apportioning their sources becomes a challenging task for pollution prevention in urban environments. Besides the enrichment factors (EFs) and principal component analysis (PCA) for source classification, the receptor model (Absolute Principal Component Scores-Multiple Linear Regression, APCS-MLR) and Pb isotopic mixing model were also developed to quantify the source contribution for typical HMs (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in urban park soils of Xiamen, a representative megacity in southeast China. Furthermore, distribution patterns of their concentrations and sources in 13 soil profiles (top 20 cm) were investigated by different depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-20 cm). Currently the principal anthropogenic source for HMs in urban soil of China is atmospheric deposition from coal combustion rather than vehicle exhaust. Specifically for Pb source by isotopic model ((206)Pb/(207)Pb and (208)Pb/(207)Pb), the average contributions were natural (49%)>coal combustion (45%)≫traffic emissions (6%). Although the urban surface soils are usually more contaminated owing to recent and current human sources, leaching effects and historic vehicle emissions can also make deep soil layer contaminated by HMs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil mineral alters the effect of Cd on the alkaline phosphatase activity.

PubMed

Tan, Xiangping; He, Yike; Wang, Ziquan; Li, Chenghui; Kong, Long; Tian, Haixia; Shen, Weijun; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; He, Wenxiang

2018-05-30

The toxicity of heavy metals (HMs) to soil enzymes is directly influenced by the status of the enzyme (free vs. immobilized on minerals) and the duration of exposure. However, little information is available on the interaction effect of HMs, mineral, and exposure time on soil enzyme activities. We investigated the interaction mechanism of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with minerals (montmorillonite and goethite) and the response of free and immobilized ALP to cadmium (Cd) toxicity under different exposure times. The adsorption isotherms of ALP on both minerals were L-type. The maximum adsorption capacity of goethite for ALP was 3.96 times than montmorillonite, although both had similar adsorption constant (K). Goethite showed a greater inhibitory effect on ALP activity than montmorillonite. The toxicity of Cd to free- and goethite-ALP was enhanced with increasing exposure time, indicating a time-dependent inhibition. However, Cd toxicity to montmorillonite-ALP was not affected by the exposure time. The inhibition of Cd to soil enzyme activity is influenced by the properties of mineral complexes and the duration of exposure. A further understanding of the time pattern of HMs toxicity is helpful for accurately assessing the hazards of HMs to soil enzyme activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Yersinia pestis Biofilm in the Flea Vector and Its Role in the Transmission of Plague

PubMed Central

Erickson, D. L.

2013-01-01

Transmission by fleabite is a relatively recent evolutionary adaptation of Yersinia pestis, the bacterial agent of bubonic plague. To produce a transmissible infection, Y. pestis grows as an attached biofilm in the foregut of the flea vector. Biofilm formation both in the flea foregut and in vitro is dependent on an extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesized by the Yersinia hms gene products. The hms genes are similar to the pga and ica genes of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively, that act to synthesize a poly-β-1,6-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine ECM required for biofilm formation. As with extracellular polysaccharide production in many other bacteria, synthesis of the Hms-dependent ECM is controlled by intracellular levels of cyclic-di-GMP. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, the food- and water-borne enteric pathogen from which Y. pestis evolved recently, possesses identical hms genes and can form biofilm in vitro but not in the flea. The genetic changes in Y. pestis that resulted in adapting biofilm-forming capability to the flea gut environment, a critical step in the evolution of vector-borne transmission, have yet to be identified. During a flea bite, Y. pestis is regurgitated into the dermis in a unique biofilm phenotype, and this has implications for the initial interaction with the mammalian innate immune response. PMID:18453279

Outpatient Closed-Loop Control with Unannounced Moderate Exercise in Adolescents Using Zone Model Predictive Control

PubMed Central

Huyett, Lauren M.; Ly, Trang T.; Forlenza, Gregory P.; Reuschel-DiVirgilio, Suzette; Messer, Laurel H.; Wadwa, R. Paul; Gondhalekar, Ravi; Doyle, Francis J.; Pinsker, Jordan E.; Maahs, David M.; Buckingham, Bruce A.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: The artificial pancreas (AP) has the potential to improve glycemic control in adolescents. This article presents the first evaluation in adolescents of the Zone Model Predictive Control and Health Monitoring System (ZMPC+HMS) AP algorithms, and their first evaluation in a supervised outpatient setting with frequent exercise. Materials and Methods: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes underwent 3 days of closed-loop control (CLC) in a hotel setting with the ZMPC+HMS algorithms on the Diabetes Assistant platform. Subjects engaged in twice-daily exercise, including soccer, tennis, and bicycling. Meal size (unrestricted) was estimated and entered into the system by subjects to trigger a bolus, but exercise was not announced. Results: Ten adolescents (11.9–17.7 years) completed 72 h of CLC, with data on 95 ± 14 h of sensor-augmented pump (SAP) therapy before CLC as a comparison to usual therapy. The percentage of time with continuous glucose monitor (CGM) 70–180 mg/dL was 71% ± 10% during CLC, compared to 57% ± 16% during SAP (P = 0.012). Nocturnal control during CLC was safe, with 0% (0%, 0.6%) of time with CGM <70 mg/dL compared to 1.1% (0.0%, 14%) during SAP. Despite large meals (estimated up to 120 g carbohydrate), only 8.0% ± 6.9% of time during CLC was spent with CGM >250 mg/dL (16% ± 14% during SAP). The system remained connected in CLC for 97% ± 2% of the total study time. No adverse events or severe hypoglycemia occurred. Conclusions: The use of the ZMPC+HMS algorithms is feasible in the adolescent outpatient environment and achieved significantly more time in the desired glycemic range than SAP in the face of unannounced exercise and large announced meal challenges. PMID:28459617

Divide and conquer: The Pseudomonas aeruginosa two-component hybrid SagS enables biofilm formation and recalcitrance of biofilm cells to antimicrobial agents via distinct regulatory circuits

PubMed Central

Petrova, Olga E.; Gupta, Kajal; Liao, Julie; Goodwine, James S.; Sauer, Karin

2017-01-01

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms antimicrobial resistant biofilms through sequential steps requiring several two-component regulatory systems. The sensor-regulator hybrid SagS plays a central role in biofilm development by enabling the switch from the planktonic to the biofilm mode of growth, and by facilitating the transition of biofilm cells to a highly tolerant state. However, the mechanism by which SagS accomplishes both functions is unknown. SagS harbors a periplasmic sensory HmsP, and phosphorelay HisKA and Rec domains. We used SagS domain constructs and site-directed mutagenesis to elucidate how SagS performs its dual functions. We demonstrate that HisKA-Rec and the phospho-signaling between SagS and BfiS contribute to the switch to the biofilm mode of growth, but not to the tolerant state. Instead, expression of SagS domain constructs harboring HmsP rendered ΔsagS biofilm cells as recalcitrant to antimicrobial agents as wild-type biofilms, likely by restoring BrlR production and cellular c-di-GMP levels to wild-type levels. Restoration of biofilm tolerance by HmsP was independent of biofilm biomass accumulation, RsmA, RsmYZ, HptB, and BfiSR-downstream targets. Our findings thus suggest that SagS likely makes use of a “divide-and-conquer” mechanism to regulate its dual switch function, by activating two distinct regulatory networks via its individual domains. PMID:28263038

Development of blood extraction system for health monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, Kazuyoshi; Nakanishi, Naoyuki; Nakamachi, Eiji

2004-03-01

The purpose of this research is to develop the compact human blood sampling device applied for a health monitoring system(HMS), which is called "Mobile Hospital". The HMS consists of (1) a micro electrical pumping system for blood extraction, (2) a bio-sensor to detect and evaluate an amount of Glucose, Cholesterol and Urea in extracted blood, by using enzyme such as Glucoseoxidase (GOD), Cholesteroloxidase and Urease. The mechanical design elements of the device are bio-compatible microneedle, indentation unit using a shape memory alloy(SMA) actuator and pumping unit using a piezoelectric microactuator. The design concept is the biomimetic micromachine of female mosquito"s blood sampling mechanism. The performances of the main mechanical elements such as indentation force of the microneedle, actual stroke of the indentation unit using a SMA actuator and liquid sampling ability of the pumping unit using PZT piezoelectric microactuator were measured. The 3 mm stroke of the indentation load generated by SMA actuator was 0.8mN. The amount of imitation blood extracted by using bimorph PZT actuators was about 0.5 microliters for 10 sec. A 60-micrometer outer diameter and 25-micrometer inner diameter Titanium microneedle, which size is same as female mosquito"s labium, was produced by sputter deposition.

Identifying transcription factor functions and targets by phenotypic activation

PubMed Central

Chua, Gordon; Morris, Quaid D.; Sopko, Richelle; Robinson, Mark D.; Ryan, Owen; Chan, Esther T.; Frey, Brendan J.; Andrews, Brenda J.; Boone, Charles; Hughes, Timothy R.

2006-01-01

Mapping transcriptional regulatory networks is difficult because many transcription factors (TFs) are activated only under specific conditions. We describe a generic strategy for identifying genes and pathways induced by individual TFs that does not require knowledge of their normal activation cues. Microarray analysis of 55 yeast TFs that caused a growth phenotype when overexpressed showed that the majority caused increased transcript levels of genes in specific physiological categories, suggesting a mechanism for growth inhibition. Induced genes typically included established targets and genes with consensus promoter motifs, if known, indicating that these data are useful for identifying potential new target genes and binding sites. We identified the sequence 5′-TCACGCAA as a binding sequence for Hms1p, a TF that positively regulates pseudohyphal growth and previously had no known motif. The general strategy outlined here presents a straightforward approach to discovery of TF activities and mapping targets that could be adapted to any organism with transgenic technology. PMID:16880382

Potential Improvements for HEC-HMS Automated Parameter Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

and is now a graduate student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana /Champaign. Daniel...divided into 14 nested subwatersheds with a flow measuring flume constructed at each of the subwatershed outlets. The drainage areas above the...boundaries and stream network, and rain and stream gauge locations are shown in Figure 1. The first HEC-HMS model was applied to the 39.8-acre drainage

Understanding Work-Family Spillover in Hotel Managers.

PubMed

Lawson, Katie M; Davis, Kelly D; Crouter, Ann C; O'Neill, John W

2013-06-01

The present study examined the experience of work-family spillover among 586 hotel managers (HMs) working in 50 full-service hotels throughout the U.S. Work-family spillover occurs when behaviors, moods, stresses, and emotions from work spill over into family. We first investigated which hotel managers were more likely to experience spillover and stressful work conditions based on their life circumstances (gender, parental status, age, decision-making latitude at work). Second, we investigated which work conditions (hours worked per week, organizational time expectations, emotional labor, and permeable boundaries) predicted more work-family spillover. Women, employees without children at home, and younger adults experienced the highest levels of negative work-family spillover. Work conditions, particularly organizational time expectations, put HMs at risk for experiencing more negative and less positive work-family spillover. The results provide evidence that modifying certain work conditions in the hotel industry may be helpful in improving the quality of HMs' jobs and retention.

Hybrid metasurfaces for microwave reflection and infrared emission reduction.

PubMed

Pang, Yongqiang; Li, Yongfeng; Yan, Mingbao; Liu, Dongqing; Wang, Jiafu; Xu, Zhuo; Qu, Shaobo

2018-04-30

Controlling of electromagnetic wave radiation is of great importance in many fields. In this work, a hybrid metasurface (HMS) is designed to simultaneously reduce the microwave reflection and the infrared emission. The HMS is composed of the metal/dielectric/metal/dielectric/metal configuration. The reflection reduction at microwave frequencies mainly results from the phase cancellation technique, while the infrared emission reduction is due to the reflection of the metal with a high filling ration in the top layer. It has been analytically indicated that reflection reduction with an efficiency larger than 10 dB can be achieved in the frequency band of 8.2-18 GHz, and this has been well verified by the simulated and experimental results. Meanwhile, the designed HMS displays a low emission performance in the infrared band, with the emissivity less than 0.27 from 3 to 14 μm. It is believed that our proposal may find the application of multispectral stealth technology.

Further development of high temperature-resistant graphite fiber coupling agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, R. N.

1976-01-01

Potential coupling agents for graphite fibers were screened by their effect on the weight losses of Thornel 300, HMS, and HTS fibers at 588K for 200 and 400 hours. Unidirectional laminates were made from HMS and HTS fibers, untreated, and treated with each of the seven coupling agents. The matrix of all laminates was PMR polyimide (PMR-PR). On the basis of the best overall retention of elevated temperature interlaminar shear strength after 200 hours at 588K, composite weight after 200 hours at 588K, and fiber weight after 400 hours at 588K, ventromer T-1 applied from aqueous solution and pyrolyzed PPQ were selected for further evaluation as coupling agents for HTS fiber while ventromer T-2 and pyrolyzed PPQ were selected as coupling agents for HMS fiber. It was shown that pyrolyzed PPQ as a coupling agent improves the oxidative stability of HTS/PMR-PI composites.

Resources for human genetics on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Osborne, L R; Lee, J R; Scherer, S W

1997-09-01

A little over a century ago, the HMS Beagle sailed the Pacific Ocean bringing Charles Darwin to the perfect environment in which to piece together his observations forming the theory of evolution. Now, geneticists and laypeople alike surf the equally formidable waters of the internet in search of enlightenment. Here, we attempt to help you navigate towards resources for human genetics by providing maps to three destinations: The Human Genome Project (Box 1), education (Box 2), and human genetic diseases (Box 3). For each, we highlight a few sites that we consider are the most informative and original. A more extensive list containing other useful sites has been compiled and posted on a 'jump site' at: http:/(/)www.cgdn.generes.ca/.

Corps Water Management System (CWMS) Decision Support Modeling and Integration Use in the June 2007 Texas Floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charley, W. J.; Luna, M.

2007-12-01

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Corps Water Management System (CWMS) is a comprehensive data acquisition and hydrologic modeling system for short-term decision support of water control operations in real time. It encompasses data collection, validation and transformation, data storage, visualization, real time model simulation for decision-making support, and data dissemination. CWMS uses an Oracle database and Sun Solaris workstations for data processes, storage and the execution of models, with a client application (the Control and Visualization Interface, or CAVI) that can run on a Windows PC. CWMS was used by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to make hydrologic forecasts of flows on the Lower Colorado River and operate reservoirs during the June 2007 event in Texas. The LCRA receives real-time observed gridded spatial rainfall data from OneRain, Inc. that which is a result of adjusting NexRad rainfall data with precipitation gages. This data is used, along with future precipitation estimates, for hydrologic forecasting by the rainfall-runoff modeling program HEC-HMS. Forecasted flows from HEC-HMS and combined with observed flows and reservoir information to simulate LCRA's reservoir operations and help engineers make release decisions based on the results. The river hydraulics program, HEC-RAS, computes river stages and water surface profiles for the computed flow. An inundation boundary and depth map of water in the flood plain can be calculated from the HEC-RAS results using ArcInfo. By varying future precipitation and releases, engineers can evaluate different "What if?" scenarios. What was described as an "extraordinary cluster of thunderstorms" that stalled over Burnet and Llano counties in Texas on June 27, 2007, dropped 17 to 19 inches of rainfall over a 6-hour period. The storm was classified over a 500-year event and the resulting flow over some of the smaller tributaries as a 100-year or better. CWMS was used by LCRA for flood forecasting and reservoir operations. The models accurately forecasting the flows and allowed engineers to determine that only four floodgates needed to be opened for Mansfield dam, in the Chain of Highland lakes. CWMS also forecasted the peak of the flood well before it happened. Smaller rain storms continued for a period of weeks and CWMS was used throughout the event calculating lake levels, closing of gates along with a hydro-generation schedule.

Operation PATWIN: HMS DARING's experience of providing humanitarian disaster relief following super-Typhoon Haiyan.

PubMed

Butterworth, S J

2014-01-01

Super-Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on 7 November 2013. The initial reports estimated 10 000 fatalities and four million displaced persons. As the United Kingdom's initial response to this disaster, HMS DARING was diverted from her deployment to take part in humanitarian aid, named Operation PATWIN. This article will outline the medical aspects of the relief effort undertaken and aim to identify any lessons that may inform future operations.

Single-Event Effect Testing of the Linear Technology LTC6103HMS8#PBF Current Sense Amplifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yau, Ka-Yen; Campola, Michael J.; Wilcox, Edward

2016-01-01

The LTC6103HMS8#PBF (henceforth abbreviated as LTC6103) current sense amplifier from Linear Technology was tested for both destructive and non-destructive single-event effects (SEE) using the heavy-ion cyclotron accelerator beam at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Berkeley Accelerator Effects (BASE) facility. During testing, the input voltages and output currents were monitored to detect single event latch-up (SEL) and single-event transients (SETs).

Halomethane-induced cytotoxicity and cell proliferation in human lung MRC-5 fibroblasts and NL20-TA epithelial cells.

PubMed

Nájera-Martínez, Minerva; García-Latorre, Ethel A; Reyes-Maldonado, Elba; Domínguez-López, M Lilia; Vega-López, Armando

2012-09-01

Halomethanes (HMs) can be formed during the chlorination process to obtain drinking water. In liver cells, HMs had been shown to be mutagenic and carcinogenic; however, their bioactivation by CYP 2E1 and GSTT1 is required. Although inhalation is the most common pathway of exposure, reports on the toxic effects induced by HMs in human lung are contradictory. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate in vitro cytotoxicity and cell proliferation induced by CH(2)Cl(2), CHCl(3) and BrCHCl(2) in human lung NL20-TA epithelial cells and MRC-5 fibroblasts, and their relationship with CYP 2E1 and GSTT1 activity. High concentrations of these HMs induced cytotoxicity, particularly in cells treated with BrCHCl(2). Low concentrations of BrCHCl(2) stimulated hyperproliferation of fibroblasts, the most probable consequence of which is regenerative proliferation related to collagen induction. Fibroblasts exposed to BrCHCl(2) exhibited low levels of CYP 2E1 activity suggesting that released bromine is able to alter this activity by affecting the active site or auto regulating the activity itself. GSTT1 was up to ten times more active than CYP 2E1 in both cell lines, indicating that potential lung damage is due to formation of pro-carcinogens such as formaldehyde.

H.M.'s contributions to neuroscience: a review and autopsy studies.

PubMed

Augustinack, Jean C; van der Kouwe, André J W; Salat, David H; Benner, Thomas; Stevens, Allison A; Annese, Jacopo; Fischl, Bruce; Frosch, Matthew P; Corkin, Suzanne

2014-11-01

H.M., Henry Molaison, was one of the world's most famous amnesic patients. His amnesia was caused by an experimental brain operation, bilateral medial temporal lobe resection, carried out in 1953 to relieve intractable epilepsy. He died on December 2, 2008, and that night we conducted a wide variety of in situ MRI scans in a 3 T scanner at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. For the in situ experiments, we acquired a full set of standard clinical scans, 1 mm isotropic anatomical scans, and multiple averages of 440 μm isotropic anatomical scans. The next morning, H.M.'s body was transported to the Mass General Morgue for autopsy. The photographs taken at that time provided the first documentation of H.M.'s lesions in his physical brain. After tissue fixation, we obtained ex vivo structural data at ultra-high resolution using 3 T and 7 T magnets. For the ex vivo acquisitions, the highest resolution images were 210 μm isotropic. Based on the MRI data, the anatomical areas removed during H.M.'s experimental operation were the medial temporopolar cortex, piriform cortex, virtually all of the entorhinal cortex, most of the perirhinal cortex and subiculum, the amygdala (except parts of the dorsal-most nuclei-central and medial), anterior half of the hippocampus, and the dentate gyrus (posterior head and body). The posterior parahippocampal gyrus and medial temporal stem were partially damaged. Spared medial temporal lobe tissue included the dorsal-most amygdala, the hippocampal-amygdalo-transition-area, ∼2 cm of the tail of the hippocampus, a small part of perirhinal cortex, a small portion of medial hippocampal tissue, and ∼2 cm of posterior parahippocampal gyrus. H.M.'s impact on the field of memory has been remarkable, and his contributions to neuroscience continue with a unique dataset that includes in vivo, in situ, and ex vivo high-resolution MRI. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risk of heavy metals in street dust of Suzhou, China.

PubMed

Lin, Manli; Gui, Herong; Wang, Yao; Peng, Weihua

2017-01-01

To analyze the pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risk of heavy metals (HMs) in street dust of Suzhou, China, 23 sampling sites were selected and periodically sampled for 12 months. A total of 276 samples were collected, and the concentrations of selected HMs (e.g., Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn) were examined with an X-ray fluorescence spectrum analyzer. Results showed that the mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn in the street dust of Suzhou were 112.9, 27.5, 19941.3, 410.3, 45.2, 75.6, and 225.3 mg kg -1 , respectively. Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn exceeded their background values in local natural soils by 1.3-3.6-fold, whereas Fe, Mn, and V were all within their background values. However, enrichment factor analysis revealed that Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn, especially Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn, were enriched in Suzhou street dust. The HMs showed no significant seasonal changes overall, but spatial distribution analysis implied that the high values of Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn were mainly distributed in areas with frequent human activities. Results of multivariate techniques (e.g., Pearson correlation, hierarchical cluster, and principal components analyses) suggested that Pb and Zn had complicated sources; Cu and V mainly originated from traffic sources; Fe and Mn mainly came from natural sources; and Cr was dominantly related to industrial district. Health risk assessment revealed that a single heavy metal might not cause both non-cancer and carcinogenic risks to local residents. Nevertheless, the sum of the hazard index of all selected HMs for children slightly exceeded the safety value, thereby implying that the HMs from Suzhou street dust can possibly produce significant risk to children. Cr was the priority pollutant in the study area because of its high concentration, high enrichment, and high contribution to non-cancer risk values.

78 FR 68757 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Vessel Monitoring Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-15

... vessel that declares out of the HMS fishery long-term declaration by as much as 4 hours if it declares... hours a day, 7 days a week to provide hourly position reports for the duration of the long-term... to use VMS, to provide hourly position reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7) via VMS. The...

Amnesic H.M. Exhibits Parallel Deficits and Sparing in Language and Memory: Systems versus Binding Theory Accounts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKay, Donald G.; James, Lori E.; Taylor, Jennifer K.; Marian, Diane E.

2007-01-01

This study examines sentence-level language abilities of amnesic H.M. to test competing theoretical conceptions of relations between language and memory. We present 11 new sources of experimental evidence indicating deficits in H.M's comprehension and production of non-cliche sentences. Contrary to recent claims that H.M.'s comprehension is…

The Role of Consumer-Controlled Personal Health Management Systems in the Evolution of Employer-Based Health Care Benefits.

PubMed

Jones, Spencer S; Caloyeras, John; Mattke, Soeren

2011-01-01

The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has piqued employers' interest in new benefit designs because it includes numerous provisions that favor cost-reducing strategies, such as workplace wellness programs, value-based insurance design (VBID), and consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs). Consumer-controlled personal health management systems (HMSs) are a class of tools that provide encouragement, data, and decision support to individuals. Their functionalities fall into the following three categories: health information management, promotion of wellness and healthy lifestyles, and decision support. In this study, we review the evidence for many of the possible components of an HMS, including personal health records, web-based health risk assessments, integrated remote monitoring data, personalized health education and messaging, nutrition solutions and physical activity monitoring, diabetes-management solutions, medication reminders, vaccination and preventive-care applications, integrated incentive programs, social-networking tools, comparative data on price and value of providers, telehealth consultations, virtual coaching, and an integrated nurse hotline. The value of the HMS will be borne out as employers begin to adopt and implement these emerging technologies, enabling further assessment as their benefits and costs become better understood.

Portsmouth, England as seen from STS-60

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-02-09

STS060-94-007 (3-11 Feb 1994) --- The Isle of Wight, over 380 square kilometers, is a diamond-shaped island located off the south coast of England. Separated from the mainland by The Solent, a narrow channel of water, the island is a popular resort area due to its scenery and mild climate. Sediment from English Lowland drainage systems, most notably the River Test, is visible entering The Solent and spilling into the English Channel. At the tip of the linear, northwestward inlet is the mouth of the Test and the city of Southampton, discernible as a small patch of lighter gray. Further east is a series of protected bays which are, from west to east: Portsmouth Harbour, Langstone Harbour, and Chichester Harbour. The city of Portsmouth is the location of Great Britain's chief naval station and arsenal. Portsmouth houses numerous ships of past and present glory. Two of the most notable vessels in Portsmouth are the 104-gun Victory, and the remains of the Mary Rose. The renowned HMS Victory, still carried on active duty rolls of the Royal Navy, and the acting Post Ship of the Royal Navy Base Commander, was built in 1765. The HMS Victory was severely damaged and dismasted in battle. A careful inspection of the original film will show the 175-foot long HMS Victory in this frame. According to NASA geologists it is extremely unusual for Portsmouth to be this cloud-free. It has been a site of some interest for many Space Shuttle missions during the past 10 years.

Geochemical characterization of soils of the eastern coast of the Northern Sakhalin Lowland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zharikova, E. A.

2017-01-01

Concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) were determined in soils of the eastern coast of the Northern Sakhalin Lowland. The total contents of HMs and their distribution in the studied soils differed from those in the world soils. Thus, barium and mercury concentrations exceeded clarke values for the world soils. The reserves of mobile forms of microelements were found to be low. Significant biogenic accumulation in organic soil horizons in the process of soil formation was found for copper, arsenic, and barium.

Nitrile crosslinked polyphenyl-quinoxaline/graphite fiber composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alston, W. B.

1976-01-01

Studies were performed to reduce the 600 F thermoplasticity of polyphenylquinoxaline (PPQ) matrix resins by introducing crosslinking by the reaction of terminal nitrile groups. Seven solvents and solvent mixtures were studied as the crosslinking catalysts and used to fabricate crosslinked PPQ/HMS graphite fiber composites. The room temperature and 600 F composite mechanical properties after short time and prolonged 600 F air exposure and the 600 F composite weight loss were determined and compared to those properties of high molecular weight, linear PPQ/HMS graphite fiber composites.

Redesigned Human Metabolic Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffield, Bruce; Jeng, Frank; Lange, Kevin

2008-01-01

A design has been formulated for a proposed improved version of an apparatus that simulates atmospheric effects of human respiration by introducing controlled amounts of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and heat into the air. Denoted a human metabolic simulator (HMS), the apparatus is used for testing life-support equipment when human test subjects are not available. The prior version of the HMS, to be replaced, was designed to simulate the respiratory effects of as many as four persons. It exploits the catalytic combustion of methyl acetate, for which the respiratory quotient (the molar ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed) is very close to the human respiratory quotient of about 0.86. The design of the improved HMS provides for simulation of the respiratory effects of as many as eight persons at various levels of activity. The design would also increase safety by eliminating the use of combustion. The improved HMS (see figure) would include a computer that would exert overall control. The computer would calculate the required amounts of oxygen removal, carbon dioxide addition, water addition, and heat addition by use of empirical equations for metabolic profiles of respiration and heat. A blower would circulate air between the HMS and a chamber containing a life-support system to be tested. With the help of feedback from a mass flowmeter, the blower speed would be adjusted to regulate the rate of flow according to the number of persons to be simulated and to a temperature-regulation requirement (the air temperature would indirectly depend on the rate of flow, among other parameters). Oxygen would be removed from the circulating air by means of a commercially available molecular sieve configured as an oxygen concentrator. Oxygen, argon, and trace amounts of nitrogen would pass through a bed in the molecular sieve while carbon dioxide, the majority of nitrogen, and other trace gases would be trapped by the bed and subsequently returned to the chamber. If, as recommended, the oxygen concentrator were of a rotating twelve-bed design, then variations in the product stream could be made very small. Carbon dioxide would be added directly to the circulating air by simple injection from a supply tank. The rate of injection would be maintained at the required rate by use of a mass flowmeter/controller. In the same way, nitrogen would be added to make up for the small amount of nitrogen lost through the oxygen concentrator. Water vapor would be added to the circulating air by heating the corresponding required flow of water to steam in a heat exchanger. More heat, required to complete the simulation of the thermal effect of respiration, would be added through another heat exchanger. Heat would be supplied to both heat exchangers via a hot-oil loop.

Evaluating the effect of the Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding after Birth (HMS BAB) training in Tanzania and Uganda: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Hanson, Claudia; Pembe, Andrea B; Alwy, Fadhlun; Atuhairwe, Susan; Leshabari, Sebalda; Morris, Jessica; Kaharuza, Frank; Marrone, Gaetano

2017-07-06

Postpartum haemorrhage complicates approximately 10% of all deliveries and contributes to at least a quarter of all maternal deaths worldwide. The competency-based Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding after Birth (HMS BAB) training was developed to support evidence-based management of postpartum haemorrhage. This one-day training includes low-cost MamaNatalie® birthing simulators and addresses both prevention and first-line treatment of haemorrhage. While evidence is accumulating that the training improves health provider's knowledge, skills and confidence, evidence is missing as to whether this translates into improved practices and reduced maternal morbidity and mortality. This cluster-randomised trial aims to assess whether this training package - involving a one-day competency-based HMS BAB in-facility training provided by certified trainers followed by 8 weeks of in-service peer-based practice - has an effect on the occurrence of haemorrhage-related morbidity and mortality. In Tanzania and Uganda we randomise 20 and 18 districts (clusters) respectively, with half receiving the training intervention. We use unblinded matched-pair randomisation to balance district health system characteristics and the main outcome, which is in-facility severe morbidity due to haemorrhage defined by the World Health Organizationation-promoted disease and management-based near-miss criteria. Data are collected continuously in the intervention and comparison districts throughout the 6-month baseline and the 9-month intervention phase, which commences after the training intervention. Trained facility midwives or clinicians review severe maternal complications to identify near misses on a daily basis. They abstract the case information from case notes and enter it onto programmed tablets where it is uploaded. Intention-to-treat analysis will be used, taking the matched design into consideration using paired t test statistics to compare the outcomes between the intervention and comparison districts. We also assess the impact pathway from the effects of the training on the health provider's skills, care and interventions and health system readiness. This trial aims to generate evidence on the effect and limitations of this well-designed training package supported by birthing simulations. While the lack of blinding of participants and data collectors provides an inevitable limitation of this trial, the additional evaluation along the pathway of implementation will provide solid evidence on the effects of this HMS BAB training package. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, PACTR201604001582128 . Registered on 12 April 2016.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution and Health Risks in the Soil-Plant-Human System in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

PubMed

Hu, Bifeng; Jia, Xiaolin; Hu, Jie; Xu, Dongyun; Xia, Fang; Li, Yan

2017-09-10

Heavy metal (HM) contamination and accumulation is a serious problem around the world due to the toxicity, abundant sources, non-biodegradable properties, and accumulative behaviour of HMs. The degree of soil HM contamination in China, especially in the Yangtze River Delta, is prominent. In this study, 1822 pairs of soil and crop samples at corresponding locations were collected from the southern Yangtze River Delta of China, and the contents of Ni, Cr, Zn, Cd, As, Cu, Hg, and Pb were measured. The single pollution index in soil (SPI) and Nemerow composite pollution index (NCPI) were used to assess the degree of HM pollution in soil, and the crop pollution index (CPI) was used to explore the degree of HM accumulation in crops. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was used to investigate the translocation of heavy metals in the soil-crop system. The health risks caused by HMs were calculated based on the model released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The SPIs of all elements were at the unpolluted level. The mean NCPI was at the alert level. The mean CPIs were in the following decreasing order: Ni (1.007) > Cr (0.483) > Zn (0.335) > Cd (0.314) > As (0.232) > Cu (0.187) > Hg (0.118) > Pb (0.105). Only the mean content of Ni in the crops exceeded the national standard value. The standard exceeding rates were used to represent the percentage of samples whose heavy metal content is higher than the corresponding national standard values. The standard exceeding rates of Cu, Hg, and Cd in soil were significantly higher than corresponding values in crops. Meanwhile, the standard exceeding rates of Ni, As, and Cr in crops were significantly higher than corresponding values in soil. The chronic daily intake (CDI) of children (13.8 × 10 -3 ) was the largest among three age groups, followed by adults (6.998 × 10 -4 ) and seniors (5.488 × 10 -4 ). The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of all crops followed the order Cd (0.249) > Zn (0.133) > As (0.076) > Cu (0.064) > Ni (0.018) > Hg (0.011) > Cr (0.010) > Pb (0.001). Therefore, Cd was most easily absorbed by crops, and different crops had different capacities to absorb HMs. The hazard quotient (HQ) represents the potential non-carcinogenic risk for an individual HM and it is an estimation of daily exposure to the human population that is not likely to represent an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime. All the HQs of the HMs for the different age groups were significantly less than the alert value of 1.0 and were at a safe level. This indicated that citizens in the study area face low potential non-carcinogenic risk caused by HMs. The total carcinogens risks (TCRs) for children, adults, and seniors were 5.24 × 10 -5 , 2.65 × 10 -5 , and 2.08 × 10 -5 , respectively, all of which were less than the guideline value but at the alert level. Ingestion was the main pathway of carcinogen risk to human health.

77 FR 73608 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-11

...On November 26, 2012, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in response to several shark stock assessments that were completed from 2009 to 2012. As described in the proposed rule, NMFS is proposing measures that would reduce fishing mortality and effort in order to rebuild overfished Atlantic shark species while ensuring that a limited sustainable shark fishery can be maintained consistent with our legal obligations. The proposed measures include changes to commercial quotas and species groups, the creation of several time/area closures, a change to an existing time/area closure, an increase in the recreational minimum size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for certain species of sharks. Comments received by NMFS will be considered in the development and finalization of Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. This notice announces public hearings, conference calls, and an HMS Advisory Panel meeting to discuss the proposed rule.

Cavity-excited Huygens' metasurface antennas for near-unity aperture illumination efficiency from arbitrarily large apertures

PubMed Central

Epstein, Ariel; Wong, Joseph P. S.; Eleftheriades, George V.

2016-01-01

One of the long-standing problems in antenna engineering is the realization of highly directive beams using low-profile devices. In this paper, we provide a solution to this problem by means of Huygens' metasurfaces (HMSs), based on the equivalence principle. This principle states that a given excitation can be transformed to a desirable aperture field by inducing suitable electric and (equivalent) magnetic surface currents. Building on this concept, we propose and demonstrate cavity-excited HMS antennas, where the single-source-fed cavity is designed to optimize aperture illumination, while the HMS facilitates the current distribution that ensures phase purity of aperture fields. The HMS breaks the coupling between the excitation and radiation spectra typical to standard partially reflecting surfaces, allowing tailoring of the aperture properties to produce a desirable radiation pattern, without incurring edge-taper losses. The proposed low-profile design yields near-unity aperture illumination efficiencies from arbitrarily large apertures, offering new capabilities for microwave, terahertz and optical radiators. PMID:26790605

Cavity-excited Huygens' metasurface antennas for near-unity aperture illumination efficiency from arbitrarily large apertures.

PubMed

Epstein, Ariel; Wong, Joseph P S; Eleftheriades, George V

2016-01-21

One of the long-standing problems in antenna engineering is the realization of highly directive beams using low-profile devices. In this paper, we provide a solution to this problem by means of Huygens' metasurfaces (HMSs), based on the equivalence principle. This principle states that a given excitation can be transformed to a desirable aperture field by inducing suitable electric and (equivalent) magnetic surface currents. Building on this concept, we propose and demonstrate cavity-excited HMS antennas, where the single-source-fed cavity is designed to optimize aperture illumination, while the HMS facilitates the current distribution that ensures phase purity of aperture fields. The HMS breaks the coupling between the excitation and radiation spectra typical to standard partially reflecting surfaces, allowing tailoring of the aperture properties to produce a desirable radiation pattern, without incurring edge-taper losses. The proposed low-profile design yields near-unity aperture illumination efficiencies from arbitrarily large apertures, offering new capabilities for microwave, terahertz and optical radiators.

The two faces of Robert Fitzroy, Captain of HMS Beagle and governor of New Zealand.

PubMed

Paul, Diane B; Stenhouse, John; Spencer, Hamish G

2013-09-01

Robert FitzRoy, Captain of HMS Beagle and second governor of New Zealand, has two contradictory reputations among modern academics. Evolutionary biologists and Darwin scholars generally view FitzRoy as a supporter of slavery, famously quarrelling with the abolitionist Darwin over that topic during a Brazilian stopover early in the voyage of HMS Beagle. He is also regarded as a political and religious reactionary, taking a biblically creationist position at the infamous 1860 Oxford meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. New Zealand historians, however, view his record as governor much more positively. They emphasize that FitzRoy was wildly unpopular with the British settlers because of his enlightened insistence that the native Maori should be treated fairly. We outline the history of these seemingly inconsistent views and examine the evidence for each. We conclude by suggesting that a more nuanced account of FitzRoy's career would surely be more thought-provoking as well as respectful of the facts.

Incidence of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Herbal Medicines from German Retail Markets: Risk Assessments and Implications to Consumers.

PubMed

Letsyo, Emmanuel; Jerz, Gerold; Winterhalter, Peter; Lindigkeit, Rainer; Beuerle, Till

2017-12-01

The occurrence of potentially toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in herbal medicines (HMs) is currently intensely being discussed in Europe. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, particularly the 1,2-unsaturated PAs, are undesired compounds in HMs due to their potential hepatotoxic and carcinogenic properties. In this study, 98 widely patronized HMs from six popular German retail supermarkets/drugstores, as well as from pharmacies, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry for the presence of PAs. The results showed that about 63% of the HMs were PA positive, whereas the average PA concentration of the samples was 201 μg/kg, the highest concentration of PAs (3270 μg/kg) was attributed to a product that was purchased from the pharmacy and contained Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's Wort) as an active ingredient. In addition, H. perforatum-containing products were frequently contaminated with PAs from Echium spp., while both Cynara cardunculus L. products and fixed-combination products of Gentiana lutea L., Rumex acetosa L., Verbena officinalis L., Sambucus nigra L., and Primula veris L. products were commonly contaminated with PAs of Senecio spp. The study showed that H. perforatum, C. cardunculus, Urtica dioica L., and fixed-combination products were frequently contaminated with PA levels above the recommended values of both the German and European Medicines Agencies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pattern of hematological malignancies in adolescents and young adults in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hasan, Md Mahbub; Raheem, Enayetur; Sultana, Tanvira Afroze; Hossain, Mohammad Sorowar

2017-12-01

The adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group (15-39 years) bears distinct characteristics in terms of cancer biology, long-term health and treatment-related complications and psychosocial aspects. The overall scenario of cancer including hematological malignancies (HMs) is largely unknown in Bangladesh, where a significant proportion of people (44% of total population) belong to AYA age group. This study aims to describe the patterns of HM among AYA in the context of Bangladesh METHODS: Two previously published datasets (on hematological malignancies and childhood and adolescent cancer) were merged to construct a comprehensive dataset focusing exclusively on HMs in AYA age group. Univariate descriptive statistics were calculated and bivariate association were tested using Pearson's Chi-square test. A total of 2144 diagnosed HM related cases over a period of 2007-2014 were analyzed. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was the most frequent HM (35.1%) in AYAs, which was followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) constituting 22.7% and 20.8%, respectively. Among lymphomas, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) constituted 13.9% of all HMs while 4.6% was for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). This is the first attempt to provide a glimpse on the pattern and distribution of HMs among AYA in Bangladesh. Future studies are essential to get a better insight on the epidemiology, biology, potential risk factors and treatment outcomes for the AYA age group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly is associated with low levels of antibodies against red blood cell and Plasmodium falciparum derived glycolipids in Yanomami Amerindians from Venezuela.

PubMed

Vivas, Livia; O'Dea, Kieran P; Noya, Oscar; Pabon, Rosalba; Magris, Magda; Botto, Carlos; Holder, Anthony A; Brown, K Neil

2008-03-01

The immunological basis of the aberrant immune response in hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly (HMS) is poorly understood, but believed to be associated with polyclonal B cell activation by an unidentified malaria mitogen, leading to unregulated immunoglobulin and autoantibody production. HMS has been previously reported in Yanomami communities in the Upper Orinoco region of the Venezuelan Amazon. To investigate a possible association between antibody responses against Plasmodium falciparum and uninfected red blood cell (URBC) glycolipids and splenomegaly, a direct comparison of the parasite versus host anti-glycolipid antibody responses was made in an isolated community of this area. The anti-P. falciparum glycolipid (Pfglp) response was IgG3 dominated, whereas the uninfected red blood cell glycolipid (URBCglp) response showed a predominance of IgG1. The levels of IgG1 against Pfglp, and of IgG4 and IgM against URBCglp were significantly higher in women, while the anti-Pfglp or URBCglp IgM levels were inversely correlated with the degree of splenomegaly. Overall, these results suggest differential regulation of anti-parasite and autoreactive responses and that these responses may be linked to the development and evolution of HMS in this population exposed to endemic malaria. The high mortality rates associated with HMS point out that its early diagnosis together with the implementation of malaria control measures in these isolated Amerindian communities are a priority.

Hydrologic modeling of Guinale River Basin using HEC-HMS and synthetic aperture radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bien, Ferdinand E.; Plopenio, Joanaviva C.

2017-09-01

This paper presents the methods and results of hydrologic modeling of Guinale river basin through the use of HEC-HMS software and Synthetic Aperture Radar Digital Elevation Model (SAR DEM). Guinale River Basin is located in the province of Albay, Philippines which is one of the river basins covered by the Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) Phil-LiDAR 1. This research project was funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD). Its objectives are to simulate the hydrologic model of Guinale River basin using HEC-HMS software and SAR DEM. Its basin covers an area of 165.395 sq.km. and the hydrologic model was calibrated using the storm event typhoon Nona (international name Melor). Its parameter had undergone a series of optimization processes of HEC-HMS software in order to produce an acceptable level of model efficiency. The Nash-Sutcliffe (E), Percent Bias and Standard Deviation Ratio were used to measure the model efficiency, giving values of 0.880, 0.260 and 0.346 respectively which resulted to a "very good" performance rating of the model. The flood inundation model was simulated using Legazpi Rainfall Intensity Duration Frequency Curves (RIDF) and HEC-RAS software developed by the US Army corps of Engineers (USACE). This hydrologic model will provide the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO), Local Government units (LGUs) and the community a tool for the prediction of runoff in the area.

Misregulation of Gene Expression and Sterility in Interspecies Hybrids: Causal Links and Alternative Hypotheses.

PubMed

Civetta, Alberto

2016-05-01

Understanding the origin of species is of interest to biologist in general and evolutionary biologist in particular. Hybrid male sterility (HMS) has been a focus in studies of speciation because sterility imposes a barrier to free gene flow between organisms, thus effectively isolating them as distinct species. In this review, I focus on the role of differential gene expression in HMS and speciation. Microarray and qPCR assays have established associations between misregulation of gene expression and sterility in hybrids between closely related species. These studies originally proposed disrupted expression of spermatogenesis genes as a causative of sterility. Alternatively, rapid genetic divergence of regulatory elements, particularly as they relate to the male sex (fast-male evolution), can drive the misregulation of sperm developmental genes in the absence of sterility. The use of fertile hybrids (both backcross and F1 progeny) as controls has lent support to this alternative explanation. Differences in gene expression between fertile and sterile hybrids can also be influenced by a pattern of faster evolution of the sex chromosome (fast-X evolution) than autosomes. In particular, it would be desirable to establish whether known X-chromosome sterility factors can act as trans-regulatory drivers of genome-wide patterns of misregulation. Genome-wide expression studies coupled with assays of proxies of sterility in F1 and BC progeny have identified candidate HMS genes but functional assays, and a better phenotypic characterization of sterility phenotypes, are needed to rigorously test how these genes might contribute to HMS.

Classification of Tree Species in Overstorey Canopy of Subtropical Forest Using QuickBird Images.

PubMed

Lin, Chinsu; Popescu, Sorin C; Thomson, Gavin; Tsogt, Khongor; Chang, Chein-I

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a supervised classification scheme to identify 40 tree species (2 coniferous, 38 broadleaf) belonging to 22 families and 36 genera in high spatial resolution QuickBird multispectral images (HMS). Overall kappa coefficient (OKC) and species conditional kappa coefficients (SCKC) were used to evaluate classification performance in training samples and estimate accuracy and uncertainty in test samples. Baseline classification performance using HMS images and vegetation index (VI) images were evaluated with an OKC value of 0.58 and 0.48 respectively, but performance improved significantly (up to 0.99) when used in combination with an HMS spectral-spatial texture image (SpecTex). One of the 40 species had very high conditional kappa coefficient performance (SCKC ≥ 0.95) using 4-band HMS and 5-band VIs images, but, only five species had lower performance (0.68 ≤ SCKC ≤ 0.94) using the SpecTex images. When SpecTex images were combined with a Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI), there was a significant improvement in performance in the training samples. The same level of improvement could not be replicated in the test samples indicating that a high degree of uncertainty exists in species classification accuracy which may be due to individual tree crown density, leaf greenness (inter-canopy gaps), and noise in the background environment (intra-canopy gaps). These factors increase uncertainty in the spectral texture features and therefore represent potential problems when using pixel-based classification techniques for multi-species classification.

Fundamentals of EUV resist-inorganic hardmask interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfarb, Dario L.; Glodde, Martin; De Silva, Anuja; Sheshadri, Indira; Felix, Nelson M.; Lionti, Krystelle; Magbitang, Teddie

2017-03-01

High resolution Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) patterning is currently limited by EUV resist thickness and pattern collapse, thus impacting the faithful image transfer into the underlying stack. Such limitation requires the investigation of improved hardmasks (HMs) as etch transfer layers for EUV patterning. Ultrathin (<5nm) inorganic HMs can provide higher etch selectivity, lower post-etch LWR, decreased defectivity and wet strippability compared to spin-on hybrid HMs (e.g., SiARC), however such novel layers can induce resist adhesion failure and resist residue. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of EUV resist-inorganic HM interactions is needed in order to optimize the EUV resist interfacial behavior. In this paper, novel materials and processing techniques are introduced to characterize and improve the EUV resist-inorganic HM interface. HM surface interactions with specific EUV resist components are evaluated for open-source experimental resist formulations dissected into its individual additives using EUV contrast curves as an effective characterization method to determine post-development residue formation. Separately, an alternative adhesion promoter platform specifically tailored for a selected ultrathin inorganic HM based on amorphous silicon (aSi) is presented and the mitigation of resist delamination is exemplified for the cases of positive-tone and negative-tone development (PTD, NTD). Additionally, original wafer priming hardware for the deposition of such novel adhesion promoters is unveiled. The lessons learned in this work can be directly applied to the engineering of EUV resist materials and processes specifically designed to work on such novel HMs.

Hunter-McAlpine craniosynostosis phenotype associated with skeletal anomalies and interstitial deletion of chromosome 17q

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

Thomas, J.; Prescott, K.; Milner, R.

1994-09-01

Syndromic craniosynostosis is frequently associated with skeletal abnormalities, but the biological basis for this association is unclear. Molecular genetic studies have the biological basis for this association is unclear. Molecular genetic studies have identified a number of loci and at least one candidate gene, the MSX2 gene. We recently encountered a 9 y.o. boy with moderate mental retardation, congenital craniosynostosis, and multiple skeletal anomalies. Physical features strongly suggested Hunter-McAlpine syndrome (HMS). Specifically, he had triangular facies with a small mouth prominent chin, bulbous nose, thin vermillion border, malaligned and malformed teeth, and low set, rudimentary ears. Skeletal features included: bilambdoidal,more » bicoronal, and sagittal craniosynostosis; right preaxial polydactyly; bilateral talipes; coxa valga; genu valgum; bilateral fusion of the hamate and capitate; scoliosis; and small, irregular middle phalangeal epiphyses. High resolution chromosome analysis revealed an interstitial deletion of G negative material of subbands q23.1{r_arrow}23.3 or q23.3{r_arrow}q24.2 of a No. 17 homologue. HMS, a presumed autosomal dominant disorder associated with characteristic facies, variable degrees of mental retardation, craniosynostosis, and minor acral-skeletal anomalies, proved to be the most likely explanation for this patient`s findings. We propose that our patient has a new mutation for HMS with more severe skeletal involvement than previously reported. Linkage studies are in progress to test the hypothesis that familial HMS may be localized to chromosome 17.« less

Dual mechanochemical immobilization of heavy metals and decomposition of halogenated compounds in automobile shredder residue using a nano-sized metallic calcium reagent.

PubMed

Mallampati, Srinivasa Reddy; Lee, Byoung Ho; Mitoma, Yoshiharu; Simion, Cristian

2016-11-01

Simultaneous immobilization of heavy metals and decomposition of halogenated organic compounds in different fractions of automobile shredder residue (ASR) were achieved with a nano-sized metallic calcium through a 60-min ball milling treatment. Heavy metal (HM) immobilization and chlorinated/brominated compound (CBC) decomposition efficiencies both reached 90-100 %, after ball milling with nanometallic calcium/calcium oxide (Ca/CaO) dispersion, regardless of ASR particle size (1.0, 0.45-1.0, and 0.250 mm). Concentrations of leachable HMs substantially decreased to a level lower than the regulatory standard limits (Co and Cd 0.3 mg L -1 ; Cr 1.5 mg L -1 ; Fe, Pb, and Zn 3.0 mg L -1 ; Mn and Ni 1 mg L -1 ) proposed by the Korean hazardous waste elution standard regulatory threshold. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) element maps/spectra showed that while the amounts of HMs and CBCs detectable in ASR significantly decreased, the calcium mass percentage increased. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that the main fraction of enclosed/bound materials on ASR includes Ca-associated crystalline complexes that remarkably inhibit HM desorption and simultaneously transform dangerous CBCs into harmless compounds. The use of a nanometallic Ca/CaO mixture in a mechanochemical process to treat hazardous ASR (dry conditions) is an innovative approach to remediate cross-contaminated residues with heavy metals and halogenated compounds.

Rainfall Runoff Modelling for Cedar Creek using HEC-HMS model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, P.; Kalra, A.

2015-12-01

Rainfall-runoff modelling studies are carried out for the purpose of basin and river management. Different models have been effectively used to examine relationships between rainfall and runoff. Cedar Creek Watershed Basin, the largest tributary of St. Josephs River, located in northeastern Indiana, was selected as a study area. The HEC-HMS model developed by US Army Corps of Engineers was used for the hydrological modelling. The national elevation and national hydrography data was obtained from United States Geological Survey National Map Viewer and the SSURGO soil data was obtained from United States Department of Agriculture. The watershed received hypothetical uniform rainfall for a duration of 13 hours. The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number and Unit Hydrograph methods were used for simulating surface runoff. The simulation provided hydrological details about the quantity and variability of runoff in the watershed. The runoff for different curve numbers was computed for the same basin and rainfall, and it was found that outflow peaked at an earlier time with a higher value for higher curve numbers than for smaller curve numbers. It was also noticed that the impact on outflow values nearly doubled with an increase of curve number of 10 for each subbasin in the watershed. The results from the current analysis may aid water managers in effectively managing the water resources within the basin. 1 Graduate Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901-6603 2 Development Review Division, Clark County Public Works, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89155, USA

The ecological risk, source identification, and pollution assessment of heavy metals in road dust: a case study in Rafsanjan, SE Iran.

PubMed

Mirzaei Aminiyan, Milad; Baalousha, Mohammed; Mousavi, Rouhollah; Mirzaei Aminiyan, Farzad; Hosseini, Hamideh; Heydariyan, Amin

2018-05-01

Heavy metal (HM) contamination in road dust is a potential environmental and human health threat. The sources, concentrations, spatial distribution, and ecological risk of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in road dust in Rafsanjan City, Iran, were investigated. Pollution was assessed using the enrichment factor (EF). The potentially harmful effects of HMs were evaluated by calculating the potential ecological risk factor of individual metals (E r ) and of multiple metals (RI) using the Hakanson method. Correlation and principal component analyses (PCA) were applied to identify HM pollution sources. The concentrations of HMs in road dust were higher (ca. 5-10 folds) than their natural background values. The EF and E r increased according to the following order Cu > Pb > As > Zn > Cd > Cr > Ni and Cu > Cd > Pb > As > Ni > Zn > Cr, respectively. Thus, Cu is regarded as the pollutant of highest concern. Based on potential ecological risk index (RI) spatial distribution, all parts of Rafsanjan are characterized by significantly high potential ecological risk. HM concentration heat maps, PCA, and correlation analysis suggest that Cu, Pb, As, Cd, and Zn may have originated from the same source and follow the same spatial distribution pattern. These metals originated mainly from anthropogenic sources like copper mining and smelting plants, industrial and chemical activities, inordinate application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in farmlands, and heavy traffic. Ni and Cr are likely to origniate from the industrial activities and traffic load in Rafsanjan City.

50 CFR 635.69 - Vessel monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... operator of a commercial vessel, permitted to fish for Atlantic HMS under § 635.4 and that fishes with a... directed shark LAP, is away from port with bottom longline gear on board, is located between 33°00′ N. lat. and 36°30′ N. lat., and the mid-Atlantic shark closed area is closed as specified in § 635.21(d)(1...

50 CFR 635.69 - Vessel monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... operator of a commercial vessel, permitted to fish for Atlantic HMS under § 635.4 and that fishes with a... directed shark LAP, is away from port with bottom longline gear on board, is located between 33°00′ N. lat. and 36°30′ N. lat., and the mid-Atlantic shark closed area is closed as specified in § 635.21(d)(1...

Development (design and systematization) of HMS Group pump ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tverdokhleb, I.; Yamburenko, V.

2017-08-01

The article reveals the need for pump range charts development for different applications and describes main principles used by HMS Group. Some modern approaches to pump selection are reviewed and highlighted the need for pump compliance with international standards and modern customer requirements. Even though pump design types are similar for different applications they need adjustment to specific requirements, which gets manufacturers develop their particular design for each pump range. Having wide pump ranges for different applications enables to create pump selection software, facilitating manufacturers to prepare high quality quotations in shortest time.

Evaluation of MOSFET-type glucose sensor using platinum electrode with glucose oxidase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ooe, Katsutoshi; Hamamoto, Yasutaro; Hirano, Yoshiaki

2005-02-01

As the population ages, health management will be one of the important issues. The development of a safe medical machine based on MEMS technologies for the human body will be the primary research project in the future. We have developed the glucose sensor, as one of the medical based devices, for use in the Health Monitoring System (HMS). HMS is the device that continuously monitors human health conditions. For example, blood is the monitoring target of HMS. The glucose sensor specifically detects the glucose levels of the blood and monitors the glucose concentration as the blood sugar level. This glucose sensor has a "separated Au electrode", which immobilizes GOx. In our previous work, GOx was immobilized onto Au electrode by the SAMs (Self-Assembled Monolayer) method, and the sensor, using this working electrode, detected the glucose concentration of an aqueous glucose solution. In this report, we used a Pt electrode, which immobilized GOx, as a working electrode. Au electrode, which was used previously, was dissolved by the application of current in the presence of chloride ions. Based on the above-mentioned fact, a new working electrode, which immobilized GOx, was produced using Pt, which did not possess such characteristics. These Pt working electrodes were produced using the covalent binding method and the cross-link method, and both the electrodes displayed a good sensing property. In addition, the electrode using glutaraldehyde (GA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as crosslinking agents was produced, and it displayed better characteristics as compared with those displayed by the electrode that used only GA. Based on the above-mentioned techniques, the improvement in performance of the sensor was confirmed.

Investigating Heavy Metal Pollution in Mining Brownfield and Its Policy Implications: A Case Study of the Bayan Obo Rare Earth Mine, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Yuxue; Li, Haitao

2016-04-01

The rapid urbanization of China and associated demand for land resources necessitates remediation, redevelopment, and reclamation of contaminated soil. Before these measures are taken, a basic investigation and inventory of heavy metal (HM) pollution levels in contaminated soil is necessary for establishing and implementing the redevelopment plan. In the present study, to identify the policy implications of inventorying and mapping HM pollution of soil in brownfields throughout China, the Bayan Obo giant rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe ore deposit of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, China, which is the largest REE mineral deposit in the world, was taken as a case study. Soil samples from 24 sites in Bayan Obo mining area (MA) and 76 sites in mine tailing area (TA) were collected for determining contents of soil HMs (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in both MA and TA were all higher than their corresponding background values for Inner Mongolia but lower than the Class II criteria of the National Soil Quality Standards of China (GB 15618—1995). Enrichment factor (EF) analysis of the soil samples indicated that the soil in the brownfield sites was highly enriched with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn compared to the corresponding background values. In MA, the EF for Cd was the highest among the studied elements, while in TA, the EF for Cr (3.45) was the highest, closely followed by the EF for Cd (3.34). The potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated a moderate potential ecological risk from the studied HMs in MA and a low potential ecological risk in TA, and the results of RI also suggested that the soil was most heavily polluted by Cd. According to the spatial distribution maps of HM, contamination hot-spots were primarily located near mining-related high-pollution plants. Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed related to brownfield management in urban planning.

Investigating Heavy Metal Pollution in Mining Brownfield and Its Policy Implications: A Case Study of the Bayan Obo Rare Earth Mine, Inner Mongolia, China.

PubMed

Pan, Yuxue; Li, Haitao

2016-04-01

The rapid urbanization of China and associated demand for land resources necessitates remediation, redevelopment, and reclamation of contaminated soil. Before these measures are taken, a basic investigation and inventory of heavy metal (HM) pollution levels in contaminated soil is necessary for establishing and implementing the redevelopment plan. In the present study, to identify the policy implications of inventorying and mapping HM pollution of soil in brownfields throughout China, the Bayan Obo giant rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe ore deposit of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, China, which is the largest REE mineral deposit in the world, was taken as a case study. Soil samples from 24 sites in Bayan Obo mining area (MA) and 76 sites in mine tailing area (TA) were collected for determining contents of soil HMs (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in both MA and TA were all higher than their corresponding background values for Inner Mongolia but lower than the Class II criteria of the National Soil Quality Standards of China (GB 15618-1995). Enrichment factor (EF) analysis of the soil samples indicated that the soil in the brownfield sites was highly enriched with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn compared to the corresponding background values. In MA, the EF for Cd was the highest among the studied elements, while in TA, the EF for Cr (3.45) was the highest, closely followed by the EF for Cd (3.34). The potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated a moderate potential ecological risk from the studied HMs in MA and a low potential ecological risk in TA, and the results of RI also suggested that the soil was most heavily polluted by Cd. According to the spatial distribution maps of HM, contamination hot-spots were primarily located near mining-related high-pollution plants. Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed related to brownfield management in urban planning.

Estimation of the formation rates of polyatomic species of heavy metals in plutonium analyses using a multicollector ICP-MS with a desolvating nebulizer

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

Mitroshkov, Alexandre V.; Olsen, Khris B.; Thomas, Linda M.

2015-01-01

The analyses of IAEA and environmental samples for Plutonium isotopic content are conducted normally at very low concentrations of Pu–usually in the range of part per trillion level and even more often at the parts per quadrillion level. To analyze such low concentrations, the interferences in the analytical solution must be reduced as much as possible. Polyatomic interferences (PIs), formed by the heavy metals (HMs) from Hf to Bi are known to create the problems for Pu isotopic analyses, because even the relatively high resolution of a modern multicollector ICP-MS is not enough to separate Pu isotopes from this PIsmore » in most of the cases. Desolvating nebulizers (DSN) (e.g. APEX and AridusII) reduce significantly the formation of PIs compare to the use of wet plasma. The purpose of this work was to investigate the rate of formation of PIs, produced by HMs, when high resolution MC ICP-MS with desolvating nebulizer was used for Pu isotopic analyses and to estimate the influence of the metals present in the sample on the results of analyses. The NU Plasma HR Multicollector and AridusII desolvating nebulizer were used in this investigation. This investigation was done for all Pu isotopes normally analyzed by ICP-MS, including ²⁴⁴Pu, with the exception of ²³⁸Pu, which most of the time can’t be analyzed by ICP-MS, because of the overwhelming presence of ²³⁸U in the solutions. The PI formation rates were determined and reported for all 12 HMs from Hf to Bi. Selected IAEA samples were scanned for the presence of HMs and the influence of HMs on the results of Pu isotopic analyses was evaluated. It was found that the implemented separation procedure provides sufficient separation of HM from Pu, although the effect of PIs on the measurement of low level isotopes like ²⁴¹Pu and ²⁴²Pu in some cases can still be observed.« less

Evaluation of enterochromaffin cells and melatonin secretion exponents in ulcerative colitis

PubMed Central

Chojnacki, Cezary; Wiśniewska-Jarosińska, Maria; Kulig, Grażyna; Majsterek, Ireneusz; Reiter, Russel J; Chojnacki, Jan

2013-01-01

AIM: To study an assessment of the number of enterochromaffin cells and expression of hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase in colonic mucosa and urine excretion of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in patients with ulcerative colitis. METHODS: The study included 30 healthy subjects (group I-C), 30 patients with ulcerative proctitis [group II-ulcerative proctitis (UP)] and 30 patients with ulcerative colitis [group III-ulcerative colitis (UC)] in acute phases of these diseases. The number of enterochromaffin cells (EC) was estimated in rectal and colonic mucosa. Bioptates were assembled from many different parts of the large intestine. Immunorective cells collected from various parts of the colon were counted according to the Eurovision DAKO (Dako A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark) System in the range of 10 fields in each bioptate at × 200 magnification. The level of mRNA expression of hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) in colonic mucosa was estimated with RT-PCR. Urine 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-HMS) excretion was determined immunoenzymatically using an IBL (IBL International GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) kit (RE 54031). RESULTS: The number of EC cells in healthy subjects (C) was 132.40 ± 31.26. In patients of group II (UP) and group III (UC) the number of these cells was higher - 225.40 ± 37.35 (P < 0.001) and - 225.24 ± 40.50 (P < 0.001) respectively. Similar differences were related to HIOMT expression, which was 1.04 ± 0.36 in group C, 1.56 ± 0.56 (P < 0.01) in group UP and 2.00 ± 0.35 (P < 0.001) in group UC. Twenty-four hour 6-HMS urinary excretion was as follows: C - 16.32 ± 4.95 μg/24 h, UP - 26.30 ± 7.29 μg/24 h (P < 0.01), UC - 42.30 ± 12.56 μg/24h (P < 0.001). A correlation between number of EC cells and 6-HMS excretion was noted in all groups: r = 0.766 in patients with UP, r = 0.703 with UC and r = 0.8551 in the control group; the correlation between the results is statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In the acute phases of both UP and UC, proliferation of EC cells and high expression of HIOMT and urine excretion of 6-HMS is noted. These changes may represent a beneficial response in the anti-inflammatory and defense mechanism. PMID:23801861

Simple combination of oxidants with zero-valent-iron (ZVI) achieved very rapid and highly efficient removal of heavy metals from water.

PubMed

Guo, Xuejun; Yang, Zhe; Dong, Haiyang; Guan, Xiaohong; Ren, Qidong; Lv, Xiaofang; Jin, Xin

2016-01-01

This study, for the first time, demonstrated a continuously accelerated Fe(0) corrosion driven by common oxidants (i.e., NaClO, KMnO4 or H2O2) and thereby the rapid and efficient removal of heavy metals (HMs) by zero-valent iron (ZVI) under the experimental conditions of jar tests and column running. ZVI simply coupled with NaClO, KMnO4 or H2O2 (0.5 mM) resulted in almost complete As(V) removal within only 10 min with 1000 μg/L of initial As(V) at initial pH of 7.5(±0.1) and liquid solid ratio of 200:1. Simultaneous removal of 200 μg/L of initial Cd(II) and Hg(II) to 2.4-4.4 μg/L for Cd(II) and to 4.0-5.0 μg/L for Hg(II) were achieved within 30 min. No deterioration of HM removal was observed during the ten recycles of jar tests. The ZVI columns activated by 0.1 mM of oxidants had stably treated 40,200 (NaClO), 20,295 (KMnO4) and 40,200 (H2O2) bed volumes (BV) of HM-contaminated drinking water, but with no any indication of As breakthrough (<10 μg/L) even at short empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 8.0 min. The high efficiency of HMs removal from both the jar tests and column running implied a continuous and stable activation (overcoming of iron passivation) of Fe(0) surface by the oxidants. Via the proper increase in oxidant dosing, the ZVI/oxidant combination was applicable to treat highly As(V)-contaminated wastewater. During Fe(0) surface corrosion accelerated by oxidants, a large amount of fresh and reactive iron oxides and oxyhydroxides were continuously generated, which were responsible for the rapid and efficient removal of HMs through multiple mechanisms including adsorption and co-precipitation. A steady state of Fe(0) surface activation and HM removal enabled this simply coupled system to remove HMs with high speed, efficiency and perdurability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In situ investigation of heavy metals at trace concentrations in greenhouse soils via portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tian, Kang; Huang, Biao; Xing, Zhe; Hu, Wenyou

2018-04-01

Soil pollution by heavy metals (HMs) has rapidly become a major threat to vegetable security. Nearly all cultivated soils are at risk of metal accumulation, and greenhouse soils are among the most heavily impacted soils. In this study, a rapid assessment of HMs at trace concentrations was conducted via portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectroscopy in Shouguang, China. Measurements were made via PXRF under in situ, ex situ and sieved conditions and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after acid digestion. The performance of each PXRF measure relative to the ICP-MS method was assessed by linear regression. Redundancy analysis was performed to quantify the proportion of explained variability between the PXRF and ICP-MS data. Evaluation of the possible sources of HMs and their potential risks was then conducted by multivariate analysis. The results showed that the PXRF data were closely correlated with ICP-MS quantification for Cu, Mn and Zn, whereas no significant correlations were found for As, Ni and Pb. The uncertainties of PXRF measurement derived from soil heterogeneity accounted for 20.02% of total variability and those from moisture and particle size accounted for 20.15%. The geo-accumulation index (I geo ) indicated that the greenhouse soils were potentially contaminated by Cu and Zn (I geo  > 0), which can be attributed to anthropogenic activities. Overall, PXRF spectroscopy is promising as a rapid and nondestructive in situ technique for assessing the potential risks of HMs at trace concentrations in greenhouse soils.

Associations between allergies and risk of hematologic malignancies: results from the VITamins and lifestyle cohort study.

PubMed

Shadman, Mazyar; White, Emily; De Roos, Anneclaire J; Walter, Roland B

2013-12-01

Immune dysregulations associated with allergies may affect cancer cell biology but studies on the relationship between allergies and risk of hematologic malignancies (HM) yielded inconsistent results. Herein, we used the vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort to examine this association. From 2000 to 2002, 66,212 participants, aged 50-76, completed a baseline questionnaire on cancer risk factors, medical conditions, allergies, and asthma. Through 2009, incident HMs (n = 681) were identified via linkage to the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results cancer registry. After adjustment for factors possibly associated with HMs, a history of airborne allergy was associated with increased risk of HMs (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.19 [95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.41], P = 0.039) in Cox proportional hazards models. This association was limited to allergies to plants/grass/trees (HR = 1.26 [1.05-1.50], P = 0.011) and was strongest for some mature B-cell lymphomas (HR = 1.50 [1.14-2.00], P = 0.005). Gender-stratified analyses revealed that the associations between airborne allergies overall and those to plants, grass, and trees were only seen in women (HR = 1.47 [1.14-1.91], P = 0.004; and HR = 1.73 [1.32-2.25], P < 0.001) but not men (HR = 1.03 [0.82-1.29], P = 0.782; and HR = 0.99 [0.77-1.27], P = 0.960). Together, our study indicates a moderately increased risk of HMs in women but not men with a history of allergies to airborne allergens, especially to plant, grass, or trees. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Helping mothers survive bleeding after birth: an evaluation of simulation-based training in a low-resource setting.

PubMed

Nelissen, Ellen; Ersdal, Hege; Ostergaard, Doris; Mduma, Estomih; Broerse, Jacqueline; Evjen-Olsen, Bjørg; van Roosmalen, Jos; Stekelenburg, Jelle

2014-03-01

To evaluate "Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding After Birth" (HMS BAB) simulation-based training in a low-resource setting. Educational intervention study. Rural referral hospital in Northern Tanzania. Clinicians, nurse-midwives, medical attendants, and ambulance drivers involved in maternity care. In March 2012, health care workers were trained in HMS BAB, a half-day simulation-based training, using a train-the-trainer model. The training focused on basic delivery care, active management of third stage of labor, and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage, including bimanual uterine compression. Evaluation questionnaires provided information on course perception. Knowledge, skills, and confidence of facilitators and learners were tested before and after training. Four master trainers trained eight local facilitators, who subsequently trained 89 learners. After training, all facilitators passed the knowledge test, but pass rates for the skills test were low (29% pass rate for basic delivery and 0% pass rate for management of postpartum hemorrhage). Evaluation revealed that HMS BAB training was considered acceptable and feasible, although more time should be allocated for training, and teaching materials should be translated into the local language. Knowledge, skills, and confidence of learners increased significantly immediately after training. However, overall pass rates for skills tests of learners after training were low (3% pass rate for basic delivery and management of postpartum hemorrhage). The HMS BAB simulation-based training has potential to contribute to education of health care providers. We recommend a full day of training and validation of the facilitators to improve the training. © 2013 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Health Maintenance System (HMS) CMO - Fundoscope

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-09

ISS043E099306 (04/09/2015) --- NASA astronauts Terry Virts (bottom) and Scott Kelly (top) are seen here inside the Destiny Laboratory performing eye exams as part of ongoing studies into crew vision health. Vision changes in astronauts spending long periods of time in microgravity is a critical health issue that scientists are looking to solve as humanity prepares to travel to destinations far outside our planet like an asteroid and Mars.

Defense Acquisitions. Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

Selected Weapon Programs March 2007 GAO-07-406SP Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for...unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 What GAO Found United States Government Accountability Office Why GAO Did This...Joint Tactical Radio System Ground Mobile Radio (JTRS GMR) 93 JTRS Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (JTRS HMS) 95 Kinetic Energy Interceptors (KEI) 97

78 FR 279 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-03

...On November 26, 2012, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in response to several shark stock assessments that were completed from 2009 to 2012. As described in the proposed rule, NMFS is proposing measures that would reduce fishing mortality and effort in order to rebuild overfished Atlantic shark species while ensuring that a limited sustainable shark fishery can be maintained consistent with our legal obligations and the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP as amended. The proposed measures include changes to commercial quotas and species groups, the creation of several time/ area closures, a change to an existing time/area closure, an increase in the recreational minimum size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for certain species of sharks. Comments received by NMFS will be considered in the development and finalization of Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. This notice announces the rescheduling of the Louisiana public hearing and the addition of two public hearings in Maryland and Texas.

Beneficial effect of mixture of additives amendment on enzymatic activities, organic matter degradation and humification during biosolids co-composting.

PubMed

Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Wang, Quan; Chen, Hongyu; Awasthi, Sanjeev Kumar; Wang, Meijing; Ren, Xiuna; Zhao, Junchao; Zhang, Zengqiang

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify the effect of mixture of additives to improve the enzymatic activities, organic matter humification and diminished the bioavailability of heavy metals (HMs) during biosolids co-composting. In this study, zeolite (Z) (10%, 15% and 30%) with 1%lime (L) (dry weight basis of biosolids) was blended into the mixture of biosolids and wheat straw, respectively. The without any amendment and 1%lime applied treatments were run for comparison (Control). The Z+L addition resulted rapid organic matter degradation and humification with maximum enzymatic activities. In addition, higher dosage of Z+1%L amendment reduced the bioavailability of HMs (Cu and Zn) and improved the end product quality as compared to control and 1%L applied treatments. However, the 30%Z+1%L applied treatment showed maximum humification and low bioavailability of HMs but considering the economic feasibility and compost quality results, the treatment with 10%Z+1%L is recommended for biosolids co-composting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution and Health Risks in the Soil-Plant-Human System in the Yangtze River Delta, China

PubMed Central

Hu, Bifeng; Jia, Xiaolin; Hu, Jie; Xu, Dongyun; Xia, Fang; Li, Yan

2017-01-01

Heavy metal (HM) contamination and accumulation is a serious problem around the world due to the toxicity, abundant sources, non-biodegradable properties, and accumulative behaviour of HMs. The degree of soil HM contamination in China, especially in the Yangtze River Delta, is prominent. In this study, 1822 pairs of soil and crop samples at corresponding locations were collected from the southern Yangtze River Delta of China, and the contents of Ni, Cr, Zn, Cd, As, Cu, Hg, and Pb were measured. The single pollution index in soil (SPI) and Nemerow composite pollution index (NCPI) were used to assess the degree of HM pollution in soil, and the crop pollution index (CPI) was used to explore the degree of HM accumulation in crops. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was used to investigate the translocation of heavy metals in the soil-crop system. The health risks caused by HMs were calculated based on the model released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The SPIs of all elements were at the unpolluted level. The mean NCPI was at the alert level. The mean CPIs were in the following decreasing order: Ni (1.007) > Cr (0.483) > Zn (0.335) > Cd (0.314) > As (0.232) > Cu (0.187) > Hg (0.118) > Pb (0.105). Only the mean content of Ni in the crops exceeded the national standard value. The standard exceeding rates were used to represent the percentage of samples whose heavy metal content is higher than the corresponding national standard values. The standard exceeding rates of Cu, Hg, and Cd in soil were significantly higher than corresponding values in crops. Meanwhile, the standard exceeding rates of Ni, As, and Cr in crops were significantly higher than corresponding values in soil. The chronic daily intake (CDI) of children (13.8 × 10−3) was the largest among three age groups, followed by adults (6.998 × 10−4) and seniors (5.488 × 10−4). The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of all crops followed the order Cd (0.249) > Zn (0.133) > As (0.076) > Cu (0.064) > Ni (0.018) > Hg (0.011) > Cr (0.010) > Pb (0.001). Therefore, Cd was most easily absorbed by crops, and different crops had different capacities to absorb HMs. The hazard quotient (HQ) represents the potential non-carcinogenic risk for an individual HM and it is an estimation of daily exposure to the human population that is not likely to represent an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime. All the HQs of the HMs for the different age groups were significantly less than the alert value of 1.0 and were at a safe level. This indicated that citizens in the study area face low potential non-carcinogenic risk caused by HMs. The total carcinogens risks (TCRs) for children, adults, and seniors were 5.24 × 10−5, 2.65 × 10−5, and 2.08 × 10−5, respectively, all of which were less than the guideline value but at the alert level. Ingestion was the main pathway of carcinogen risk to human health. PMID:28891954

Model Integration for Real-Time Flood Forecasting Inundation Mapping for Nashville Tributaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charley, W.; Moran, B.; LaRosa, J.

2012-12-01

In May of 2010, between 14 and 19 inches of rain fell on the Nashville metro area in two days, quickly overwhelming tributaries to the Cumberland River and causing wide-spread, serious flooding. Tractor-trailers and houses were seen floating down Mill Creek, a primary tributary in the south eastern area of Nashville. Twenty-six people died and over 2 billion dollars in damage occurred as a result of the flood. Since that time, several other significant rainfall events have occurred in the area. Emergency responders were unable to deliver aid or preventive measures to areas under threat of flooding (or under water) in time to reduce damages because they could not identify those areas far enough in advance of the floods. Nashville Metro Water, the National Weather Service, the US Geological Survey and the US Army Corps of Engineers established a joint venture to seek ways to better forecast short-term flood events in the region. One component of this effort was a pilot project to compute and display real time inundation maps for Mill Creek, a 108 square-mile basin to the south east of Nashville. HEC-RTS (Real-Time Simulation) was used to assimilate and integrate the hydrologic model HEC-HMS with the hydraulics model HEC-RAS and the inundation mapping program HEC-RAS Mapper. The USGS, along with the other agencies, installed additional precipitation and flow/stage gages in the area. Measurements are recorded every 5-30 minutes and are posted on the USGS NWIS database, which are downloaded by HEC-RTS. Using this data in combination with QPFs (Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts) from the NWS, HEC-RTS applies HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS to estimate current and forecast stage hydrographs. The peak stages are read by HEC-RAS Mapper to compute inundation depths for 6 by 6 foot grid cells. HEC-RTS displays the inundation on a high resolution MrSid aerial photo, along with subbasin boundary, street and various other layers. When a user zooms in and "mouses" over a cell, the inundation depth for that cell is displayed as a tool-tip. This procedure for real-time inundation mapping provides a relatively accurate depiction of water depths throughout the basin, as it is computed using the temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall that has actually occurred and will compute depths based on forecasted rainfall. In addition, the HEC-RAS hydraulics model can be modified as the event is occurring to represent changes in the stream channels, such as obstructions at bridges. This paper covers the procedure used and provides results and images from the integrated models for various precipitation scenarios.

Biomass Burning Smoke Climatology of the United States: Implications for Particulate Matter Air Quality.

PubMed

Kaulfus, Aaron S; Nair, Udaysankar; Jaffe, Daniel; Christopher, Sundar A; Goodrick, Scott

2017-10-17

We utilize the NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke product for the period of 2005 to 2016 to develop climatology of smoke occurrence over the Continental United States (CONUS) region and to study the impact of wildland fires on particulate matter air quality at the surface. Our results indicate that smoke is most frequently found over the Great Plains and western states during the summer months. Other hotspots of smoke occurrence are found over state and national parks in the southeast during winter and spring, in the Gulf of Mexico southwards of the Texas and Louisiana coastline during spring season and along the Mississippi River Delta during the fall season. A substantial portion (20%) of the 24 h federal standard for particulate pollution exceedance events in the CONUS region occur when smoke is present. If the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations continue to reduce anthropogenic emissions, wildland fire emissions will become the major contributor to particulate pollution and exceedance events. In this context, we show that HMS smoke product is a valuable tool for analysis of exceptional events caused by wildland fires and our results indicate that these tools can be valuable for policy and decision makers.

"Flooding Risk Analysis and the Understanding of Hydrological Disturbance due to the Rapid Urbanization in a Low-Scale Subwatershed in Houston Area". ( The project develops a relavant Model of flooding risk assessment to define the connection between increased streamflow/flooding and the rapid urban land development).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geldiyev, P.

2017-12-01

Rapid urban development and changing climate influences the frequency and magnitude of flooding in Houston area. This proposed project aims to evaluate the flooding risks with the current and future land use changes by 2040 for one subbasin of the San Jacinto Brazos/Neches-Trinity Coastal basin. Surface environments and streamflow data of the Clear Creek are analyzed and stimulated to discuss the possible impact of urbanization on the occurrence of floods. The streamflow data is analyzed and simulated with the application of the Geographic Information Systems and its extensions. Both hydrologic and hydraulic models of the Clear Creek are created with the use of HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS software. Both models are duplicated for the year 2040, based on projected 2040 Landcover Maps developed by Houston and Galveston Area Council. This project examines a type of contemporary hydrologic disturbance and the interaction between land cover and changes in hydrological processes. Expected results will be very significant for urban development and flooding management.

Development of blood vessel searching system for HMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandani, Hirofumi; Uenoya, Toshiyuki; Uetsuji, Yasutomo; Nakamachi, Eiji

2008-08-01

In this study, we develop a new 3D miniature blood vessel searching system by using near-infrared LED light, a CMOS camera module with an image processing unit for a health monitoring system (HMS), a drug delivery system (DDS) which requires very high performance for automatic micro blood volume extraction and automatic blood examination. Our objective is to fabricate a highly reliable micro detection system by utilizing image capturing, image processing, and micro blood extraction devices. For the searching system to determine 3D blood vessel location, we employ the stereo method. The stereo method is a common photogrammetric method. It employs the optical path principle to detect 3D location of the disparity between two cameras. The principle for blood vessel visualization is derived from the ratio of hemoglobin's absorption of the near-infrared LED light. To get a high quality blood vessel image, we adopted an LED, with peak a wavelength of 940nm. The LED is set on the dorsal side of the finger and it irradiates the human finger. A blood vessel image is captured by a CMOS camera module, which is set below the palmer side of the finger. 2D blood vessel location can be detected by the luminance distribution of a one pixel line. To examine the accuracy of our detecting system, we carried out experiments using finger phantoms with blood vessel diameters of 0.5, 0.75, 1.0mm, at the depths of 0.5 ~ 2.0 mm from the phantom's surface. The experimental results of the estimated depth obtained by our detecting system shows good agreements with the given depths, and the viability of this system is confirmed.

A Flash Flood Study on the Small Montaneous River Catchments in Western Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Győri, Maria-Mihaela; Haidu, Ionel; Humbert, Joël

2013-04-01

The present study focuses on flash flood modeling on several mountaneous catchments situated in Western Romania by the use of two methodologies, when rainfall and catchment characteristics are known. Hence, the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Method and the Rational Method will be employed for the generation of the 1%, 2% and 10% historical flash flood hydrographs on the basis of data spanning from 1989-2009. The SCS Method has been applied on the three gauged catchments in the study area: Petris, Troas and Monorostia making use of the existing interconnection between GIS and the rainfall-runoff models. The DEM, soil data and land use preprocessing in GIS allowed a determination of the hydrologic parameters needed for the rainfall-runoff model, with special emphasis on determining the time of concentration, Lag time and the weighted Curve Number according to Antecedent Moisture Conditions II, adapted for the Romanian territory. HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model (Hydrologic Engineering Center- Hydrologic Modeling System) facilitates the historical 1%, 2% and 10% flash flood hydrograph generation for the three afore mentioned watersheds. The model is calibrated against measured streamflow data from the three existing gauging stations. The results show a good match between the resulted hydrographs and the observed hydrographs under the form of the Peak Weighted Error RMS values. The hydrographs generated by surface runoff on the ungauged catchments in the area is based on an automation of a workflow in GIS, built with ArcGIS Model Builder graphical interface, as a large part of the functions needed were available as ArcGIS tools. The several components of this model calculate: the runoff depth in mm, the runoff coefficient, the travel time and finally the discharge module which is an application of the rational method, allowing the discharge computation for every cell within the catchment. The result consists of discharges for each isochrones that will be subsequently interpolated in order to obtain the hydrograph of the historical flash floods. The two methodologies employed offer the hydrologist the opportunity of computing the historical hydrographs be it on a section of the river at choice, or for every affluent within the small river basins studied, the graphical data being easily accessed both in GIS and HEC-HMS. The peak discharge values of the main rivers as well as those of their tributaries are of great importance in establishing the hydrologic hazard under the form of floodplain maps that are inexistent for the studied watersheds. Key words: flash flood modeling, ungauged catchments, GIS, HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model. Aknowledgements This work was possible with the financial support of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU/107/1.5/S/76841 with the title "Modern Doctoral Studies: Internationalization and Interdisciplinarity".

Assessing the Impacts of Flooding Caused by Extreme Rainfall Events Through a Combined Geospatial and Numerical Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santillan, J. R.; Amora, A. M.; Makinano-Santillan, M.; Marqueso, J. T.; Cutamora, L. C.; Serviano, J. L.; Makinano, R. M.

2016-06-01

In this paper, we present a combined geospatial and two dimensional (2D) flood modeling approach to assess the impacts of flooding due to extreme rainfall events. We developed and implemented this approach to the Tago River Basin in the province of Surigao del Sur in Mindanao, Philippines, an area which suffered great damage due to flooding caused by Tropical Storms Lingling and Jangmi in the year 2014. The geospatial component of the approach involves extraction of several layers of information such as detailed topography/terrain, man-made features (buildings, roads, bridges) from 1-m spatial resolution LiDAR Digital Surface and Terrain Models (DTM/DSMs), and recent land-cover from Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI images. We then used these layers as inputs in developing a Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC HMS)-based hydrologic model, and a hydraulic model based on the 2D module of the latest version of HEC River Analysis System (RAS) to dynamically simulate and map the depth and extent of flooding due to extreme rainfall events. The extreme rainfall events used in the simulation represent 6 hypothetical rainfall events with return periods of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. For each event, maximum flood depth maps were generated from the simulations, and these maps were further transformed into hazard maps by categorizing the flood depth into low, medium and high hazard levels. Using both the flood hazard maps and the layers of information extracted from remotely-sensed datasets in spatial overlay analysis, we were then able to estimate and assess the impacts of these flooding events to buildings, roads, bridges and landcover. Results of the assessments revealed increase in number of buildings, roads and bridges; and increase in areas of land-cover exposed to various flood hazards as rainfall events become more extreme. The wealth of information generated from the flood impact assessment using the approach can be very useful to the local government units and the concerned communities within Tago River Basin as an aid in determining in an advance manner all those infrastructures (buildings, roads and bridges) and land-cover that can be affected by different extreme rainfall event flood scenarios.

Graphene Nanowalls as Ingenious Material for Catalysts and Superconductors

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-12

whole transferred graphene films by using ECOPIA Hall measurement system HMS-3000 with silver paint used as electrodes at the four corners of graphene ...introduced for 15 min during growth stage. On the right: (a) A picture of the transferred graphene on SiO2/Si wafer with silver paint as electrodes at...Final Report for AOARD Grant 104057 “ Graphene Nanowalls as Ingenious Material for Catalysts and Superconductors” March 12, 2011 Name of

Joint Tactical Radio System Handheld, Manpack, and Small Form Fit Radios (JTRS HMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

Waveform (SRW). It is the primary squad level communication system. The Manpack Radio is for use in a classified environment and ports the following...0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Acq O&M 0.0 0.0 -- 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Total 8242.6 8242.6 N/A 8755.6 9201.0 9201.0 10907.0 Confidence Level Confidence Level of cost...acquisition programs in which the Department has been successful. It is difficult to calculate mathematically the precise confidence levels

Communication Skills Training in Ophthalmology: Results of a Needs Assessment and Pilot Training Program.

PubMed

Mishra, Anuradha; Browning, David; Haviland, Miriam J; Jackson, Mary Lou; Luff, Donna; Meyer, Elaine C; Talcott, Katherine; Kloek, Carolyn E

To conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in communication skills training in ophthalmology residency programs and to use these results to pilot a communication workshop that prepares residents for difficult conversations. A mixed-methods design was used to perform the needs assessment. A pre-and postsurvey was administered to workshop participants. Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School (HMS), Department of Ophthalmology. HMS ophthalmology residents from postgraduate years 2-4 participated in the needs assessment and the workshop. Ophthalmology residency program directors in the United States participated in national needs assessment. Ophthalmology program directors across the United States were queried on their perception of resident communication skills training through an online survey. A targeted needs assessment in the form of a narrative exercise captured resident perspectives on communication in ophthalmology from HMS residents. A group of HMS residents participated in the pilot workshop and a pre- and postsurvey was administered to participants to assess its effectiveness. The survey of program directors yielded a response rate of 40%. Ninety percent of respondents agreed that the communication skills training in their programs could be improved. Fifteen of 24 residents (62%) completed the needs assessment. Qualitative analysis of the narrative material revealed four themes; (1) differing expectations, (2) work role and environment, (3) challenges specific to ophthalmology, and (4) successful strategies adopted. Nine residents participated in the workshop. There was a significant improvement post-workshop in resident reported scores on their ability to manage their emotions during difficult conversations (p = 0.03). There is an opportunity to improve communication skills training in ophthalmology residency through formalized curriculum. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase-α deficiency leads to metabolic reprogramming in glycogen storage disease type Ia.

PubMed

Cho, Jun-Ho; Kim, Goo-Young; Mansfield, Brian C; Chou, Janice Y

2018-04-15

Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD-Ia) is caused by a deficiency in glucose-6-phosphatase-α (G6Pase-α or G6PC), a key enzyme in endogenous glucose production. This autosomal recessive disorder is characterized by impaired glucose homeostasis and long-term complications of hepatocellular adenoma/carcinoma (HCA/HCC). We have shown that hepatic G6Pase-α deficiency-mediated steatosis leads to defective autophagy that is frequently associated with carcinogenesis. We now show that hepatic G6Pase-α deficiency also leads to enhancement of hepatic glycolysis and hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) that can contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. The enhanced hepatic glycolysis is reflected by increased lactate accumulation, increased expression of many glycolytic enzymes, and elevated expression of c-Myc that stimulates glycolysis. The increased HMS is reflected by increased glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and elevated production of NADPH and the reduced glutathione. We have previously shown that restoration of hepatic G6Pase-α expression in G6Pase-α-deficient liver corrects metabolic abnormalities, normalizes autophagy, and prevents HCA/HCC development in GSD-Ia. We now show that restoration of hepatic G6Pase-α expression normalizes both glycolysis and HMS in GSD-Ia. Moreover, the HCA/HCC lesions in L-G6pc-/- mice exhibit elevated levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2) and the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) which play an important role in aerobic glycolysis and cancer cell proliferation. Taken together, hepatic G6Pase-α deficiency causes metabolic reprogramming, leading to enhanced glycolysis and elevated HMS that along with impaired autophagy can contribute to HCA/HCC development in GSD-Ia. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Assessment of trace heavy metals dynamics during the interaction of aqueous solutions with the artificial OECD soil: Evaluation of the effect of soil organic matter content and colloidal mobilization.

PubMed

Pontoni, Ludovico; van Hullebusch, Eric D; Fabbricino, Massimiliano; Esposito, Giovanni; Pirozzi, Francesco

2016-11-01

A micro-contamination phenomenon was reproduced and studied at lab-scale, mimicking the irrigation of a standard artificial soil with a water solution containing three Heavy Metals (HMs) at trace concentration level. To assess the dynamics of micro-pollutants accumulation and migration trough the soil, the organic matter in the soil was varied, together with sodicity of the irrigation water. Accumulation of the investigated contaminants was observed mainly in the top layer (≤1 cm) of the irrigated soil. This was attributed to the high interaction capacity of the soil compared to the low HM concentrations in the water phase. HMs transport pattern was described assuming a multi-component mechanism including: i) the interaction of HMs with the colloidal phase of the soil; ii) the slow and constant release of small molecular weight ligands detaching from the soil immobile matrix; iii) the transportation of HMs through the soil by these low molecular weight chaperon molecules. The mobility was directly related to the soil organic matter (SOM), since higher amount of SOM correspond to a higher number of chaperon molecules. In the first centimetre of the soil the metals were mostly bound to the acid labile fraction. Very low mobilization was observed with increasing sodicity in the leaching water, since such conditions were unfavourable to the colloidal mobilization of SOM. This indicated that water/soil transfer of pollutant is not only related to the contaminant concentration in the irrigation water but also to the characteristics of the aqueous solution and to the physical-chemical properties of the soil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Receipt of National Institutes of Health R01 Grants Among Junior Faculty at an Academic Medical Center: The Role of Connectivity, Rank, and Research Productivity.

PubMed

Warner, Erica T; Carapinha, René; Weber, Griffin M; Hill, Emorcia V; Reede, Joan Y

2017-10-01

To determine whether there were gender differences in likelihood of receiving a first National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 award among 5445 instructors and assistant professors at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Data on R01 award principal investigators were obtained from NIH ExPORTER and linked with faculty data. Using Cox proportional hazard regression, we examined the association of gender with receipt of first R01 award between 2008 and 2015 accounting for demographics, research productivity metrics, and professional characteristics. Compared to males, females had fewer publications, lower h-index, smaller coauthor networks and were less likely to be assistant professors (p < 0.0001). Four hundred and thirteen of 5445 faculty (7.6%) received their first R01 award during the study period. There was no gender difference in receipt of R01 awards in age-adjusted (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70-1.08) or multivariable-adjusted models (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.86-1.34). Compared to white males, there was a nonsignificant 10%, 18%, and 30% lower rate of R01 receipt among white, Asian or Pacific Islander, and underrepresented minority females, respectively. These differences were eliminated in the multivariable-adjusted model. Network reach, age, HMS start year, h-index, academic rank, previous K award, terminal degree, and HMS training were all significant predictors of receiving an R01 award. A relatively small proportion of HMS junior faculty obtained their first NIH R01 award during the study period. There was no significant gender difference in likelihood of award. However, we are unable to distinguish faculty that never applied from those who applied and were not successful.

Distribution of heavy metals, stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) and risk assessment of fish from the Yellow River Estuary, China.

PubMed

Liu, Houqi; Liu, Guijian; Wang, Shanshan; Zhou, Chuncai; Yuan, Zijiao; Da, Chunnian

2018-06-05

This study measured the concentrations of eight heavy metals, including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni), and the stable isotope ratios of δ 13 C and δ 15 N in 129 fish samples collected from the Yellow River Estuary (YRE) of China. Accumulation characteristics and possible sources of these heavy metals (HMs) were analyzed. The levels of HMs presented high variations among sampling sites, higher concentrations of ∑HMs were observed at the sites closest to the estuary. Cu and Cd in fishes of the YRE were much higher than those found in the fishes of other rivers of China. Furthermore, the mean concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd were also significantly higher than those measured in the fishes of the same region twenty years ago. According to the results of correlation analysis and principal components analysis (PCA), Pb, Cr, Fe, Mn and Ni might be originated from similar sources. The values of δ 13 C and δ 15 N presented high variation in fishes, indicating a wide range of energy sources and trophic status of the investigated fish species. The mean concentrations of Pb, Cr and Cd in fishes were all lower than the recommended values enacted by the Chinese government. The human health risk assessment showed that the estimated daily intake (EDI) of these HMs did not exceed the permissible tolerable daily intake (PTDI) and oral reference dose (RfD), indicating a situation of no potential health risk for consumption of these fish species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Competence center for insurance sciences].

PubMed

Körner, W

2002-09-01

The insurance companies located in Hannover have launched an initiative for a "Compentence Center for Insurance Sciences" whose participants include the Hannover Medical School (MHH/HMS), the University of Göttingen and the University of Hannover. A chair of insurance medicine has been established at the MHH/HMS, a professorship for insurance mathematics in Hannover and a professorship for insurance law in Göttingen. In cooperation with the chair of insurance economics, the above-mentioned participants are preparing to open a competence center that will operate as a limited liability company (GmbH), coordinating activities with economic relevance and providing information to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation among the university institutes and the insurance industry.

Evolution of the Moon's Mantle and Crust as Reflected in Trace-Element Microbeam Studies of Lunar Magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shearer, C. K.; Floss, C.

Ion microprobe trace-element studies of lunar cumulates [ferroan anorthosites (FAN), highlands Mg suite (HMS), and highlands alkali suite (HAS)] and volcanic glasses have provided an additional perspective in reconstructing lunar magmatism and early differentiation. Calculated melt compositions for the FANs indicate that a simple lunar magma ocean (LMO) model does not account for differences between FANs with highly magnesian mafic minerals and “typical” ferroan anorthosites. The HMS and HAS appear to have crystallized from magmas that had incompatible trace-element concentrations equal to or greater than KREEP. Partial melting of distinct, hybridized sources is consistent with these calculated melt compositions. However, the high-Mg silicates with relatively low Ni content that are observed in the HMS are suggestive of other possible processes (reduction, metal removal). The compositions of the picritic glasses indicate that they were produced by melting of hybrid cumulate sources produced by mixing of early and late LMO cumulates. The wide compositional range of near-primitive mare basalts indicates small degrees of localized melting preserved the signature of distinct mantle reservoirs. The relationship between ilmenite anomalies and 182W in the mare basalts suggests that the LMO crystallized over a short period of time.

GPUmotif: An Ultra-Fast and Energy-Efficient Motif Analysis Program Using Graphics Processing Units

PubMed Central

Zandevakili, Pooya; Hu, Ming; Qin, Zhaohui

2012-01-01

Computational detection of TF binding patterns has become an indispensable tool in functional genomics research. With the rapid advance of new sequencing technologies, large amounts of protein-DNA interaction data have been produced. Analyzing this data can provide substantial insight into the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. However, the massive amount of sequence data presents daunting challenges. In our previous work, we have developed a novel algorithm called Hybrid Motif Sampler (HMS) that enables more scalable and accurate motif analysis. Despite much improvement, HMS is still time-consuming due to the requirement to calculate matching probabilities position-by-position. Using the NVIDIA CUDA toolkit, we developed a graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated motif analysis program named GPUmotif. We proposed a “fragmentation" technique to hide data transfer time between memories. Performance comparison studies showed that commonly-used model-based motif scan and de novo motif finding procedures such as HMS can be dramatically accelerated when running GPUmotif on NVIDIA graphics cards. As a result, energy consumption can also be greatly reduced when running motif analysis using GPUmotif. The GPUmotif program is freely available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gpumotif/ PMID:22662128

GPUmotif: an ultra-fast and energy-efficient motif analysis program using graphics processing units.

PubMed

Zandevakili, Pooya; Hu, Ming; Qin, Zhaohui

2012-01-01

Computational detection of TF binding patterns has become an indispensable tool in functional genomics research. With the rapid advance of new sequencing technologies, large amounts of protein-DNA interaction data have been produced. Analyzing this data can provide substantial insight into the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. However, the massive amount of sequence data presents daunting challenges. In our previous work, we have developed a novel algorithm called Hybrid Motif Sampler (HMS) that enables more scalable and accurate motif analysis. Despite much improvement, HMS is still time-consuming due to the requirement to calculate matching probabilities position-by-position. Using the NVIDIA CUDA toolkit, we developed a graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated motif analysis program named GPUmotif. We proposed a "fragmentation" technique to hide data transfer time between memories. Performance comparison studies showed that commonly-used model-based motif scan and de novo motif finding procedures such as HMS can be dramatically accelerated when running GPUmotif on NVIDIA graphics cards. As a result, energy consumption can also be greatly reduced when running motif analysis using GPUmotif. The GPUmotif program is freely available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gpumotif/

Utilizing Ecological Health Index to Monitor Grazingland Ecological Health: A Quick and Flexible Method for Ranchers and Farmers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, S.; Borrelli, P. R.; Raven, M. R.; Rowntree, J. E.

2017-12-01

Grazing lands should be monitored to ensure their long-term productivity and sustainability. While monitoring protocols do exist, there is a need to simplify procedures for land managers while maintaining efficacy in order to increase usage. The objective in this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an Ecological Health Index (EHI) on indicating ecological health in grazing lands. We introduced the EHI, which was derived by synthesizing vegetation and soil cover indicators already existing in the literature to ranchers in Patagonia. Additionally, we implemented long-term transects at 44 farms from two ecological regions in Patagonia, the non-brittle Humid Magellan Steppe (HMS) (n=24) and the brittle Subandean Grasslands (SG) (n=20), to collect quantitative vegetative and soil measurements and correlated this back to EHI. In the non-brittle area HMS with even distribution of rainfall and good temperature which can support more plant biomass, the EHI ranged from -40 to 65 with a mean of 12.5 ± 24. The EHI from brittle SG ranged from -80 to 75 with a mean of 1.25 ± 35, which was 90% lower than the mean non-brittle EHI. From a quantitative perspective, HMS had greater species richness compared to SG (27 vs. 20, P=0.0003). Similarly, the average percentage of total live vegetation was higher in HMS than that in SG (77% vs. 48%, P < 0.0001). There was a positive correlation between EHI and carrying capacity. Mean HMS carrying capacity was 123 animal days per hectare (AD/ha) (P = 0.0022) which was greater compared to 35 AD/ha in SG. Moreover, our data indicate that EHI was positively correlated with species richness, the percentage of total live vegetation, and carrying capacity and it was negatively correlated with erosion pavement percentage and bare ground + erosion pavement (P < 0.05). These results suggest that EHI could be a useful method to detect the ecological health and productivity in grazing lands. Overall, we conclude that EHI is an effective short and long-term monitoring approach that ranchers could easily use annually to monitor grazing lands and determine the impacts of ranch decision-making on important ecosystem indicators.

Intelligent neuroprocessors for in-situ launch vehicle propulsion systems health management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulati, S.; Tawel, R.; Thakoor, A. P.

1993-01-01

Efficacy of existing on-board propulsion systems health management systems (HMS) are severely impacted by computational limitations (e.g., low sampling rates); paradigmatic limitations (e.g., low-fidelity logic/parameter redlining only, false alarms due to noisy/corrupted sensor signatures, preprogrammed diagnostics only); and telemetry bandwidth limitations on space/ground interactions. Ultra-compact/light, adaptive neural networks with massively parallel, asynchronous, fast reconfigurable and fault-tolerant information processing properties have already demonstrated significant potential for inflight diagnostic analyses and resource allocation with reduced ground dependence. In particular, they can automatically exploit correlation effects across multiple sensor streams (plume analyzer, flow meters, vibration detectors, etc.) so as to detect anomaly signatures that cannot be determined from the exploitation of single sensor. Furthermore, neural networks have already demonstrated the potential for impacting real-time fault recovery in vehicle subsystems by adaptively regulating combustion mixture/power subsystems and optimizing resource utilization under degraded conditions. A class of high-performance neuroprocessors, developed at JPL, that have demonstrated potential for next-generation HMS for a family of space transportation vehicles envisioned for the next few decades, including HLLV, NLS, and space shuttle is presented. Of fundamental interest are intelligent neuroprocessors for real-time plume analysis, optimizing combustion mixture-ratio, and feedback to hydraulic, pneumatic control systems. This class includes concurrently asynchronous reprogrammable, nonvolatile, analog neural processors with high speed, high bandwidth electronic/optical I/O interfaced, with special emphasis on NASA's unique requirements in terms of performance, reliability, ultra-high density ultra-compactness, ultra-light weight devices, radiation hardened devices, power stringency, and long life terms.

Use of Combination Thermal Therapy and Radiation in Breast Conserving Treatment of Extensive Intraductal Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-07-11

Hospital (NEDH); a Harvard Medical School (HMS) affiliated hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. The program director, Goran K. Svensson, Ph.D. is an...Recipes, The Art of Scientific Computing. Cambridge University Press, 1985. 17. Recht, A., Come, S.E., Gelman, R.S., Goldstein, M., Tishler, S., Gore...of Radiation oncology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Mh 02115 *E.C. Burdette, Dornier Medical System Inc. Champaign, IL 61820 ARTBC at the base of

UpSetR: an R package for the visualization of intersecting sets and their properties.

PubMed

Conway, Jake R; Lex, Alexander; Gehlenborg, Nils

2017-09-15

Venn and Euler diagrams are a popular yet inadequate solution for quantitative visualization of set intersections. A scalable alternative to Venn and Euler diagrams for visualizing intersecting sets and their properties is needed. We developed UpSetR, an open source R package that employs a scalable matrix-based visualization to show intersections of sets, their size, and other properties. UpSetR is available at https://github.com/hms-dbmi/UpSetR/ and released under the MIT License. A Shiny app is available at https://gehlenborglab.shinyapps.io/upsetr/ . nils@hms.harvard.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Health Mentor-Reported Outcomes and Perceptions of Student Team Performance in a Longitudinal Interprofessional Education Program.

PubMed

Umland, Elena; Collins, Lauren; Baronner, Ashley; Lim, Edwin; Giordano, Carolyn

2016-01-01

The need to evaluate the impact of interprofessional education (IPE) on learner outcomes is clear, but assessment of IPE's impact on patient health and well-being is lacking. This mixed-methods study evaluated perspectives of community volunteers, health mentors (HMs) who have at least one chronic condition, who participated in an IPE curriculum. In May 2014, 93 HMs concluding the Health Mentors Program completed a survey evaluating their student teams according to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies' four domains and program impact on health/wellbeing using a 4-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree; 4=strongly agree). The average response to statements regarding the four domains of values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, and teamwork statements were all >3.0. HMs rated program satisfaction on a 10-point scale (1=least satisfied, 10=most satisfied) and answered open-ended outcome questions. The average program satisfaction score was 9.13±1.43; increased motivation to make and maintain healthy behaviors was reported. In a follow-up focus group with 10 mentors, high satisfaction levels from working with interprofessional student teams were reported, and substantial improvements in managing health conditions and improving overall health status were relayed. Further studies will determine if the patient-reported outcomes of the mentors correlate with objective health measures.

Mechanisms Underlying Mammalian Hybrid Sterility in Two Feline Interspecies Models

PubMed Central

Davis, Brian W.; Seabury, Christopher M.; Brashear, Wesley A.; Li, Gang; Roelke-Parker, Melody; Murphy, William J.

2015-01-01

The phenomenon of male sterility in interspecies hybrids has been observed for over a century, however, few genes influencing this recurrent phenotype have been identified. Genetic investigations have been primarily limited to a small number of model organisms, thus limiting our understanding of the underlying molecular basis of this well-documented “rule of speciation.” We utilized two interspecies hybrid cat breeds in a genome-wide association study employing the Illumina 63 K single-nucleotide polymorphism array. Collectively, we identified eight autosomal genes/gene regions underlying associations with hybrid male sterility (HMS) involved in the function of the blood-testis barrier, gamete structural development, and transcriptional regulation. We also identified several candidate hybrid sterility regions on the X chromosome, with most residing in close proximity to complex duplicated regions. Differential gene expression analyses revealed significant chromosome-wide upregulation of X chromosome transcripts in testes of sterile hybrids, which were enriched for genes involved in chromatin regulation of gene expression. Our expression results parallel those reported in Mus hybrids, supporting the “Large X-Effect” in mammalian HMS and the potential epigenetic basis for this phenomenon. These results support the value of the interspecies feline model as a powerful tool for comparison to rodent models of HMS, demonstrating unique aspects and potential commonalities that underpin mammalian reproductive isolation. PMID:26006188

Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Lai, Hung-Yu; Hseu, Zeng-Yei; Chen, Ting-Chien; Chen, Bo-Ching; Guo, Horng-Yuh; Chen, Zueng-Sang

2010-01-01

Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act) uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs) have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1) food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2) a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3) risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4) soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan. PMID:21139851

Arctic Sea Ice Thickness - Past, Present And Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadhams, P.

2007-12-01

In November 2005 the International Workshop on Arctic Sea Ice Thickness: Past, Present and Future was held at Rungstedgaard Conference Center, near Copenhagen, Denmark. The proceedings of the Workshop were subsequently published as a book by the European Commission. In this review we summarise the conclusions of the Workshop on the techniques which show the greatest promise for thickness monitoring on different spatial and temporal scales, and for different purposes. Sonic methods, EM techniques, buoys and satellite methods will be considered. Some copies of the book will be available at the lecture, and others can be ordered from the European Commission. The paper goes on to consider early results from some of the latest measurements on Arctic sea ice thickness done in 2007. These comprise a trans-Arctic voyage by a UK submarine, HMS "Tireless", equipped with a Kongsberg 3002 multibeam sonar which generates a 3-D digital terrain map of the ice underside; and experiments at the APLIS ice station in the Beaufort Sea carried out by the Gavia AUV equipped with a GeoSwath interferometric sonar. In both cases 3-D mapping of sea ice constitutes a new step forward in sea ice data collection, but in the case of the submarine the purpose is to map change in ice thickness (comparing results with a 2004 "Tireless" cruise and with US and UK data prior to 2000), while for the small AUV the purpose is intensive local mapping of a few ridges to improve our knowledge of their structure, as part of a multisensor programme

Hydrologic Simulation in Mediterranean flood prone Watersheds using high-resolution quality data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eirini Vozinaki, Anthi; Alexakis, Dimitrios; Pappa, Polixeni; Tsanis, Ioannis

2015-04-01

Flooding is a significant threat causing lots of inconveniencies in several societies, worldwide. The fact that the climatic change is already happening, increases the flooding risk, which is no longer a substantial menace to several societies and their economies. The improvement of spatial-resolution and accuracy of the topography and land use data due to remote sensing techniques could provide integrated flood inundation simulations. In this work hydrological analysis of several historic flood events in Mediterranean flood prone watersheds (island of Crete/Greece) takes place. Satellite images of high resolution are elaborated. A very high resolution (VHR) digital elevation model (DEM) is produced from a GeoEye-1 0.5-m-resolution satellite stereo pair and is used for floodplain management and mapping applications such as watershed delineation and river cross-section extraction. Sophisticated classification algorithms are implemented for improving Land Use/ Land Cover maps accuracy. In addition, soil maps are updated with means of Radar satellite images. The above high-resolution data are innovatively used to simulate and validate several historical flood events in Mediterranean watersheds, which have experienced severe flooding in the past. The hydrologic/hydraulic models used for flood inundation simulation in this work are HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS. The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) curve number (CN) approach is implemented to account for the effect of LULC and soil on the hydrologic response of the catchment. The use of high resolution data provides detailed validation results and results of high precision, accordingly. Furthermore, the meteorological forecasting data, which are also combined to the simulation model results, manage the development of an integrated flood forecasting and early warning system tool, which is capable of confronting or even preventing this imminent risk. The research reported in this paper was fully supported by the "ARISTEIA II" Action ("REINFORCE" program) of the "Operational Education and Life Long Learning programme" and is co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and National Resources.

Comparison of Diagnostic Yield of a FISH Panel Against Conventional Cytogenetic Studies for Hematological Malignancies: A South Indian Referral Laboratory Analysis Of 201 Cases

PubMed Central

Ashok, Vishal; Ranganathan, Ramya; Chander, Smitha; Damodar, Sharat; Bhat, Sunil; KS, Nataraj; A, Satish Kumar; Jadav, Sachin Suresh; Rajashekaraiah, Mahesh; TS, Sundareshan

2017-01-01

Objectives: Genetic markers are crucial fort diagnostic and prognostic investigation of hematological malignancies (HM). The conventional cytogenetic study (CCS) has been the gold standard for more than five decades. However, FISH (Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization) testing has become a popular modality owing to its targeted approach and the ability to detect abnormalities in non-mitotic cells. We here aimed to compare the diagnostic yields of a FISH panel against CCS in HMs. Methods: Samples of bone marrow and peripheral blood for a total of 201 HMs were tested for specific gene rearrangements using multi-target FISH and the results were compared with those from CCS. Results: Exhibited a greater diagnostic yield with a positive result in 39.8% of the cases, as compared to 17.9% of cases detected by CCS. Cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) benefited the most by FISH testing, which identified chromosomal aberrations beyond the capacity of CCS. FISH was least beneficial in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) where the highest concordance with CCS was exhibited. Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) demonstrated greater benefit with CCS. In addition, we found the following abnormalities to be most prevalent in HMs by FISH panel testing: RUNX1 (21q22) amplification in ALL, deletion of D13S319/LAMP1 (13q14) in CLL, CKS1B (1q21) amplification in multiple myeloma and deletion of EGR1/RPS14 (5q31/5q32) in MDS, consistent with the literature. Conclusions: In conclusion, FISH was found to be advantageous in only a subset of HMs and cannot completely replace CCS. Utilization of the two modalities in conjunction or independently should depend on the indicated HM for an optimal approach to detecting chromosomal aberrations. PMID:29286619

Petrogenesis of lunar highlands meteorites: Dhofar 025, Dhofar 081 Dar al Gani 262, and Dar al Gani 400

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahill, J. T.; Floss, C.; Anand, M.; Taylor, L. A.; Nazarov, M. A.; Cohen, B. A.

2004-04-01

The petrogenesis of four lunar highlands meteorites, Dhofar 025 (Dho 025), Dhofar 081 (Dho 081), Dar al Gani 262 (DaG 262), and Dar al Gani 400 (DaG 400) were studied. For Dho 025, measured oxygen isotopic values and Fe-Mn ratios for mafic minerals provide corroboratory evidence that it originated on the Moon. Similarly, Fe-Mn ratios in the mafic minerals of Dho 081 indicate lunar origin. Lithologies in Dho 025 and Dho 081 include lithic clasts, granulites, and mineral fragments. A large number of lithic clasts have plagioclase AN# and coexisting mafic mineral Mg# that plot within the "gap" separating ferroan anorthosite suite (FAN) and high-magnesium suite (HMS) rocks. This is consistent with whole rock Ti-Sm ratios for Dho 025, Dho 081, and DaG 262, which are also intermediate compared to FAN and HMS lithologies. Although ion microprobe analyses performed on Dho 025, Dho 081, DaG 262, and DaG 400 clasts and minerals show far stronger FAN affinities than whole rock data suggest, most clasts indicate admixture of £12% HMS component based on geochemical modeling. In addition, coexisting plagioclase-pyroxene REE concentration ratios in several clasts were compared to experimentally determined plagioclase-pyroxene REE distribution coefficient ratios. Two Dho 025 clasts have concordant plagioclase-pyroxene profiles, indicating that equilibrium between these minerals has been sustained despite shock metamorphism. One clast has an intermediate FAN-HMS composition. These lunar meteorites appear to represent a type of highland terrain that differs substantially from the KREEP-signatured impact breccias that dominate the lunar database. From remote sensing data, it is inferred that the lunar far side appears to have appropriate geochemical signatures and lithologies to be the source regions for these rocks; although, the near side cannot be completely excluded as a possibility. If these rocks are, indeed, from the far side, their geochemical characteristics may have far-reaching implications for our current scientific understanding of the Moon.

Biomechanical evaluation of different suture techniques for arthroscopic transtibial pull-out repair of posterior medial meniscus root tears.

PubMed

Feucht, Matthias J; Grande, Eduardo; Brunhuber, Johannes; Burgkart, Rainer; Imhoff, Andreas B; Braun, Sepp

2013-12-01

A tear of the posterior medial meniscus root (PMMR) is increasingly recognized as a serious knee joint injury. Several suture techniques for arthroscopic transtibial pull-out repair have been described; however, only limited data about the biomechanical properties of these techniques are currently available. There are significant differences between the tested suture techniques, with more complex suture configurations providing superior biomechanical properties. Controlled laboratory study. A total of 40 porcine medial menisci were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups (10 specimens each) according to suture technique: two simple stitches (TSS), horizontal mattress suture (HMS), modified Mason-Allen suture (MMA), and two modified loop stitches (TLS). Meniscus-suture constructs were subjected to cyclic loading followed by load-to-failure testing in a servohydraulic material testing machine. During cyclic loading, the HMS and TLS groups showed a significantly higher displacement after 100, 500, and 1000 cycles compared with the TSS and MMA groups. After 1000 cycles, the highest displacement was found for the TLS group, with significant differences compared with all other groups. During load-to-failure testing, the highest maximum load and yield load were observed for the MMA group, with statistically significant differences compared with the TSS and TLS groups. With regard to stiffness, the TSS and MMA groups showed significantly higher values compared with the HMS and TLS groups. The MMA technique provided the best biomechanical properties with regard to cyclic loading and load-to-failure testing. The TSS technique seems to be a valuable alternative. Both the HMS and TLS techniques have the disadvantage of lower stiffness and higher displacement during cyclic loading. Using a MMA technique may improve healing rates and avoid progressive extrusion of the medial meniscus after transtibial pull-out repair of PMMR tears. The TSS technique may be used as an alternative that is easier to perform, but a more careful rehabilitation program is possibly necessary to avoid early failure.

Building a new life in Australia: an analysis of the first wave of the longitudinal study of humanitarian migrants in Australia to assess the association between social integration and self-rated health.

PubMed

Chen, Wen; Ling, Li; Renzaho, Andre M N

2017-03-15

To assess the relationship between social integration and physical and mental health among humanitarian migrants (HMs) in Australia. We used the recently released first wave of data from the 2013 'Building a New Life in Australia' survey, which is an ongoing nationwide longitudinal study. A total of 2399 HMs participated in the survey. Self-rated physical health was measured using four items selected from the SF-36 which is a generic measure of health status. The 6-item Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6) was used to measure mental health. Social integration was measured using four dimensions: economic integration, acculturation, social capital and self-identity. More than half (63%), 47% and 49% of participants self-rated well on the general health, physical function and role-physical dimensions, respectively and 46% reported not having any bodily pain. Seventeen per cent of participants had a serious mental illness. There was a positive relationship between social integration and physical and mental health. That is, factors associated with better health included less financial hardship (economic integration dimension), better English proficiency and self-sufficiency (acculturation dimension), having the capacity to communicate with locals, having friends from different ethnic/religious groups and attending a place of worship weekly or more often (social capital dimension) and feeling welcomed and having a strong sense of belonging in Australia (self-identity dimension). Using a more comprehensive framework of social integration, we found that greater social integration was associated with better physical and mental health outcomes among HMs. Social integration should be embedded in HMs' resettlement programmes in order to reduce migration-related health inequities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Building a new life in Australia: an analysis of the first wave of the longitudinal study of humanitarian migrants in Australia to assess the association between social integration and self-rated health

PubMed Central

Chen, Wen; Ling, Li; Renzaho, Andre M N

2017-01-01

Objectives To assess the relationship between social integration and physical and mental health among humanitarian migrants (HMs) in Australia. Design, setting and participants We used the recently released first wave of data from the 2013 ‘Building a New Life in Australia’ survey, which is an ongoing nationwide longitudinal study. A total of 2399 HMs participated in the survey. Main outcome measures Self-rated physical health was measured using four items selected from the SF-36 which is a generic measure of health status. The 6-item Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6) was used to measure mental health. Social integration was measured using four dimensions: economic integration, acculturation, social capital and self-identity. Results More than half (63%), 47% and 49% of participants self-rated well on the general health, physical function and role-physical dimensions, respectively and 46% reported not having any bodily pain. Seventeen per cent of participants had a serious mental illness. There was a positive relationship between social integration and physical and mental health. That is, factors associated with better health included less financial hardship (economic integration dimension), better English proficiency and self-sufficiency (acculturation dimension), having the capacity to communicate with locals, having friends from different ethnic/religious groups and attending a place of worship weekly or more often (social capital dimension) and feeling welcomed and having a strong sense of belonging in Australia (self-identity dimension). Conclusions Using a more comprehensive framework of social integration, we found that greater social integration was associated with better physical and mental health outcomes among HMs. Social integration should be embedded in HMs' resettlement programmes in order to reduce migration-related health inequities. PMID:28298368

Heavy metals seasonal variability and distribution in Lake Qaroun sediments, El-Fayoum, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redwan, Mostafa; Elhaddad, Engy

2017-10-01

This study was carried out to investigate the seasonal variability and distribution of heavy metals ;HMs; (Fe, Mn, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and V) in the bottom sediments of Lake Qaroun, in Egypt. The samples were collected from 10 sites in summer and winter seasons in 2015. Total metals concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. Multivariate techniques were applied to analyse the distribution and potential source of heavy metals. The mean seasonal concentrations follow a descending order of Fe > Mn > V > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Co > Pb. The mean concentrations of HMs in sediments during summer were higher than the concentrations during winter and above the average world shale values, except for Pb, suggesting potential adverse toxicity to aquatic organisms. All metals showed enrichment during summer and winter at sites S3 and S5 in the southeastern parts of the lake due to the heavy discharge of contaminants from El-Bats and El-Wadi drains. Principal component analysis results suggested two principal components controlling HMs variability in sediments, which accounted for 63.9% (factor 1: Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and V), 15.9% (factor 2: Mn and Fe) during summer, and 76.7% (factor 1: Fe, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and V), 13.8% (factor 2: Mn) during winter of the total variance. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed some pollution risk at the southeastern and southern parts (sites S3 and S5). Dilution during winter, concentration during summer, impact of non-point sources from different agricultural, industrial, municipal sewage and fish farms in the southern part of Lake Qaroun, adsorption and salt dissolution reactions and lithogenic sources are the main controlling factors for HMs in the study area. Monitoring of contaminant discharge at Lake Qaroun should be introduced for future remediation and management strategies.

Heavy metals in soils of Hechuan County in the upper Yangtze (SW China): Comparative pollution assessment using multiple indices with high-spatial-resolution sampling.

PubMed

Ni, Maofei; Mao, Rong; Jia, Zhongmin; Dong, Ruozhu; Li, Siyue

2018-02-01

In order to assess heavy metals (HMs) in soils of the upper Yangtze Basin, a very high-spatial-resolution sampling (582 soil samples) was conducted from Hechuan County, an important agricultural practice area in the Southwest China. Multiple indices including geoaccumulation index (I geo ), enrichment factor (EF), sediment pollution index (SPI) and risk index (RI), as well as multivariate statistics were employed for pollution assessment and source identification of HMs in soils. Our results demonstrated that the averages of eight HMs decreased in the following order: Zn (82.8 ± 15.9) > Cr (71.6 ± 12.2) > Ni (32.1 ± 9.89) > Pb (27.6 ± 13.8) > Cu (25.9 ± 11.8) > As (5.48 ± 3.42) > Cd (0.30 ± 0.077) > Hg (0.082 ± 0.092). Averages of HMs except Cd were lower than threshold value of Environmental Quality Standard for Soils, while 43% of total samples had Cd concentration exceeding the national standard, 1% of samples for Hg and 5% samples for Ni, moreover, Cd and Hg averages were much higher than their background levels. I geo and EF indicated that their levels decreased as follows: Cd > Hg > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cr > As, with moderate enrichments of Cd and Hg. RI indicated that 61.7% of all samples showed moderate risk, while 6.5% of samples with greater than considerable risk due to human activities should be paid more attention. Multivariate analysis showed lithogenic source of Cu, Cr, Ni and Zn, while Cd and Hg were largely contributed by anthropogenic activities such as agricultural practices. Our study would be helpful for improving soil environmental quality in SW, China, as well as supplying modern approaches for other areas with soil HM pollution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Yin and Yang of SagS: Distinct Residues in the HmsP Domain of SagS Independently Regulate Biofilm Formation and Biofilm Drug Tolerance

PubMed Central

Dingemans, Jozef; Poudyal, Bandita

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT The formation of inherently drug-tolerant biofilms by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires the sensor-regulator hybrid SagS, with ΔsagS biofilms being unstructured and exhibiting increased antimicrobial susceptibility. Recent findings indicated SagS to function as a switch to control biofilm formation and drug tolerance independently. Moreover, findings suggested the periplasmic sensory HmsP domain of SagS is likely to be the control point in the regulation of biofilm formation and biofilm cells transitioning to a drug-tolerant state. We thus asked whether specific amino acid residues present in the HmsP domain contribute to the switch function of SagS. HmsP domain residues were therefore subjected to alanine replacement mutagenesis to identify substitutions that block the sensory function(s) of SagS, which is apparent by attached cells being unable to develop mature biofilms and/or prevent transition to an antimicrobial-resistant state. Mutant analyses revealed 32 residues that only contribute to blocking one sensory function. Moreover, amino acid residues affecting attachment and subsequent biofilm formation but not biofilm tolerance also impaired histidine kinase signaling via BfiS. In contrast, residues affecting biofilm drug tolerance but not attachment and subsequent biofilm formation negatively impacted BrlR transcription factor levels. Structure prediction suggested the two sets of residues affecting sensory functions are located in distinct areas that were previously described as being involved in ligand binding interactions. Taken together, these studies identify the molecular basis for the dual regulatory function of SagS. IMPORTANCE The membrane-bound sensory protein SagS plays a pivotal role in P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and biofilm cells gaining their heightened resistance to antimicrobial agents, with SagS being the control point at which both pathways diverge. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the two distinct pathways leading to biofilm formation and biofilm drug tolerance are under the control of two sets of amino acid residues located within the HmsP sensory domain of SagS. The respective amino acids are likely part of ligand binding interaction sites. Thus, our findings have the potential not only to enable the manipulation of SagS function but also to enable research of biofilm drug tolerance in a manner independent of biofilm formation (and vice versa). Moreover, the manipulation of SagS function represents a promising target/avenue open for biofilm control. PMID:29848761

Comparing the Hydrologic and Watershed Processes between a Full Scale Stochastic Model Versus a Scaled Physical Model of Bell Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, K. F.; Shah-Fairbank, S.

2016-12-01

The San Dimas Experimental Forest has been designated as a research area by the United States Forest Service for use as a hydrologic testing facility since 1933 to investigate watershed hydrology of the 27 square mile land. Incorporation of a computer model provides validity to the testing of the physical model. This study focuses on San Dimas Experimental Forest's Bell Canyon, one of the triad of watersheds contained within the Big Dalton watershed of the San Dimas Experimental Forest. A scaled physical model was constructed of Bell Canyon to highlight watershed characteristics and each's effect on runoff. The physical model offers a comprehensive visualization of a natural watershed and can vary the characteristics of rainfall intensity, slope, and roughness through interchangeable parts and adjustments to the system. The scaled physical model is validated and calibrated through a HEC-HMS model to assure similitude of the system. Preliminary results of the physical model suggest that a 50-year storm event can be represented by a peak discharge of 2.2 X 10-3 cfs. When comparing the results to HEC-HMS, this equates to a flow relationship of approximately 1:160,000, which can be used to model other return periods. The completion of the Bell Canyon physical model can be used for educational instruction in the classroom, outreach in the community, and further research using the model as an accurate representation of the watershed present in the San Dimas Experimental Forest.

"My appointment received the sanction of the Admiralty": why Charles Darwin really was the naturalist on HMS Beagle.

PubMed

van Wyhe, John

2013-09-01

For decades historians of science and science writers in general have maintained that Charles Darwin was not the 'naturalist' or 'official naturalist' during the 1831-1836 surveying voyage of HMS Beagle but instead Captain Robert FitzRoy's 'companion', 'gentleman companion' or 'dining companion'. That is, Darwin was primarily the captain's social companion and only secondarily and unofficially naturalist. Instead, it is usually maintained, the ship's surgeon Robert McCormick was the official naturalist because this was the default or official practice at the time. Although these views have been repeated in countless accounts of Darwin's life, this essay aims to show that they are incorrect. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

UpSetR: an R package for the visualization of intersecting sets and their properties

PubMed Central

Conway, Jake R.; Lex, Alexander; Gehlenborg, Nils

2017-01-01

Abstract Motivation: Venn and Euler diagrams are a popular yet inadequate solution for quantitative visualization of set intersections. A scalable alternative to Venn and Euler diagrams for visualizing intersecting sets and their properties is needed. Results: We developed UpSetR, an open source R package that employs a scalable matrix-based visualization to show intersections of sets, their size, and other properties. Availability and implementation: UpSetR is available at https://github.com/hms-dbmi/UpSetR/ and released under the MIT License. A Shiny app is available at https://gehlenborglab.shinyapps.io/upsetr/. Contact: nils@hms.harvard.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:28645171

Mesoporous silica originating from a gaseous ammonia epoxide ring opening and the thermodynamic data on some divalent cation adsorptions.

PubMed

Sales, José A A; Petrucelli, Giovanni C; Oliveira, Fernando J V E; Airoldi, Claudio

2007-11-15

An organofunctionalized mesoporous HMS-like compound has been synthesized by reacting the silylating agent 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane with gaseous ammonia. The reaction path leads to the opening of the three membered epoxide ring to incorporate ammonia to give the modified silylating agent. This new silylating agent was used to synthesize a mesostructure inorganic-organic hybrid through the neutral template directing agent, dodecylamine, using a co-condensation process, and exploring the ability of the silicon source tetraethoxysilane. The final solid named HMS-NH has been characterized through elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, nitrogen gas adsorption, infrared spectroscopy and solid state NMR for the 29Si nucleus. An amount of 1.06+/-0.10 mmol of pendant groups is covalently bonded to the inorganic backbone. The attached basic centers adsorbed divalent cations to give the maxima adsorption capacity of 0.74+/-0.03, 0.55+/-0.06, 0.53+/-0.05 and 0.51+/-0.06 mmolg(-1) for copper, nickel, zinc and cobalt, respectively. From calorimetric determinations the quantitative thermal effects for all these cation/basic center interactions gave exothermic enthalpy, negative Gibbs free energy and positive entropy. These thermodynamic data confirmed the energetically favorable condition of such interactions at the solid/liquid interface for all systems.

Estimation of River Discharge at Ungauged Catchment using GIS Map Correlation Method as Applied in Sta. Lucia River in Mauban, Quezon, Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monjardin, Cris Edward F.; Uy, Francis Aldrine A.; Tan, Fibor J.

2017-06-01

This paper presents use of GIS Map Correlation Method, a novel method of Prediction of Ungauged Basin, which is used to estimate the river flow at an ungauged catchment. The PUB Method used here intends to reduce the time and costs of data gathering procedure since it will just rely on a reference calibrated watershed that has almost the same characteristics in terms of slope, curve number, land cover, climatic condition, and average basin elevation. Furthermore, this utilized a set of modelling software which used digital elevation models (DEM), rainfall and discharge data. The researchers estimated the river flow of Sta. Lucia River in Quezon province, which is the ungauged catchment. The researchers assessed 11 gauged catchments and determined which basin could be correlated to Sta. Lucia. After finding the most correlated basin, the researchers used the data considering adjusted parameters of the gauged catchment. In evaluating the accuracy of the method, the researchers simulated a rainfall event in the said catchment and compared the actual discharge and the generated discharge from HEC-HMS. The researchers found out that method showed a good fit in the compared results, proving GMC Method is effective for use in the calibration of ungauged catchments.

Compensating for Language Deficits in Amnesia I: H.M.'s Spared Retrieval Categories.

PubMed

MacKay, Donald G; Johnson, Laura W; Fazel, Vedad; James, Lori E

2013-03-14

Three studies examined amnesic H.M.'s use of words, phrases, and propositions on the Test of Language Competence (TLC). In Study 1, H.M. used 19 lexical categories (e.g., common nouns, verbs) and one syntactic category (noun phrases) with the same relative frequency as memory-normal controls, he used no lexical or syntactic category with less-than-normal frequency, and he used proper names (e.g., Melanie) and coordinative conjunctions (e.g., and) with reliably greater-than-normal frequency. In Study 2, H.M. overused proper names relative to controls when answering episodic memory questions about childhood experiences in speech and writing, replicating and extending Study 1 results for proper names. Based on detailed analyses of the use (and misuse) of coordinating conjunctions on the TLC, Study 3 developed a syntax-level "compensation hypothesis" for explaining why H.M. overused coordinating conjunctions relative to controls in Study 1. Present results suggested that (a) frontal mechanisms for retrieving word-, phrase-, and propositional-categories are intact in H.M., unlike in category-specific aphasia, (b) using his intact retrieval mechanisms, H.M. has developed a never-previously-observed proposition-level free association strategy to compensate for the hippocampal region damage that has impaired his mechanisms for encoding novel linguistic structures, and (c) H.M.'s overuse of proper names warrants further research.

[Determination of five representative ultraviolet filters in water by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

PubMed

Ding, Yiran; Huang, Yun; Zhao, Tingting; Cai, Qian; Luo, Yu; Huang, Bin; Zhang, Yuxia; Pan, Xuejun

2014-06-01

A method for the determination of five representative organic UV filters: ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC), octocrylene (OC), homosalate (HMS) in water was investigated. The method was ased on derivatization, solid phase extraction (SPE), followed by determination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The variables involved in the derivatization of BP-3 and HMS were optimized, and SPE conditions were studied. For derivatization, 100 microL N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) was used as derivatization reagent and reacted with BP-3 and HMS at 100 degrees C for 100 min. For SPE, the pH value of water sample was adjusted to 3-5. The Oasis HLB cartridges were employed and the solution of ethyl acetate and dichloromethane (1 : 1, v/v) was used as the eluting solvent, and good recoveries of the target compounds were obtained. The limits of detection (LODs) and the limits of quantification (LOQs) for the five target compounds in water samples were 0.5-1.2 ng/L and 1.4-4.0 ng/L, respectively. The recoveries of spiked water samples were 87.85%-102.34% with good repeatability and reproducibility (RSD < 5%, n = 3) for all the target compounds. Finally, the validated method was applied to analysis the representative UV filters in water samples collected from a wastewater treatment plant in Kunming city of Yunnan province.

Response of soil bacterial communities to lead and zinc pollution revealed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing investigation.

PubMed

Xu, Xihui; Zhang, Zhou; Hu, Shunli; Ruan, Zhepu; Jiang, Jiandong; Chen, Chen; Shen, Zhenguo

2017-01-01

Soil provides a critical environment for microbial community development. However, microorganisms may be sensitive to substances such as heavy metals (HMs), which are common soil contaminants. This study investigated bacterial communities using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene fragment sequencing in geographic regions with and without HM pollution to elucidate the effects of soil properties and HMs on bacterial communities. No obvious changes in the richness or diversity of bacterial communities were observed between samples from mining and control areas. Significant differences in bacterial richness and diversity were detected between samples from different geographic regions, indicating that the basic soil characteristics were the most important factors affecting bacterial communities other than HMs. However, the abundances of several phyla and genera differed significantly between mining and control samples, suggesting that Zn and Pb pollution may impact the soil bacterial community composition. Moreover, regression analyses showed that the relative abundances of these phyla and genera were correlated significantly with the soil-available Zn and Pb contents. Redundancy analysis indicated that the soil K, ammoniacal nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), total Cu, and available Zn and Cu contents were the most important factors. Our results not only suggested that the soil bacteria were sensitive to HM stresses but also indicated that other soil properties may affect soil microorganisms to a greater extent.

Homogenous stands of a wetland grass living in heavy metal polluted wetlands harbor diverse consortia of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

PubMed

Ban, Yihui; Jiang, Yinghe; Li, Meng; Zhang, Xiangling; Zhang, Shiyang; Wu, Yang; Xu, Zhouying

2017-08-01

Over the last three decades, the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in wetland habitats had received increased attention, however, their distribution and functions have not been studied intensively. Using Illumina sequencing technology, we examined the AM fungal communities in roots of Phragmites australis living in 3 heavy metals (HMs) polluted wetlands located in Hubei Province, China. A total of 258 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from 235,213 sequences affiliated with 6 Glomeromycota families (Glomeraceae, Paraglomeraceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Ambisporaceae, Archaeosporaceae, and Diversisporaceae) were obtained, with Glomeraceae and Paraglomeraceae being the most and second-most dominant family, respectively. P. australis living in the HMs polluted wetlands harbored diverse AM fungi, including many non-recorded species in upland habitats, and the OTU number which we obtained in this study was higher than most of the records of upland habitats. Dry and waterlogged samples had common OTUs, however, AM fungal communities at different levels in dry and corresponding waterlogged P. australis roots were significant different. In addition, results from this study suggested that a preemption (geometric model) species abundance distributions (SAD), which might due to the distinctive features, e.g. heavy overdominance and difference in the most dominant taxon of each sample, was observed across AM fugal taxa in P. australis roots of the 3 HMs polluted wetlands. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Levels of rare earth elements, heavy metals and uranium in a population living in Baiyun Obo, Inner Mongolia, China: a pilot study.

PubMed

Hao, Zhe; Li, Yonghua; Li, Hairong; Wei, Binggan; Liao, Xiaoyong; Liang, Tao; Yu, Jiangping

2015-06-01

The Baiyun Obo deposit is the world's largest rare earth elements (REE) deposit. We aimed to investigate levels of REE, heavy metals (HMs) and uranium (U) based on morning urine samples in a population in Baiyun Obo and to assess the possible influence of rare earth mining processes on human exposure. In the mining area, elevated levels were found for the sum of the concentrations of light REE (LREE) and heavy REE (HREE) with mean values at 3.453 and 1.151 μg g(-1) creatinine, which were significantly higher than those in the control area. Concentrations of HMs and U in the population increased concomitantly with increasing REE levels. The results revealed that besides REE, HMs and U were produced with REE exploitation. Gender, age, educational level, alcohol and smoking habit were major factors contributing to inter-individual variation. Males were more exposed to these metals than females. Concentrations in people in the senior age group and those with only primary education were low. Drinking and smoking were associated with the levels of LREE, Cr, Cu, Cd and Pb in morning urine. Hence this study provides basic and useful information when addressing public and environmental health challenges in the areas where REE are mined and processed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Manning System Field Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

tckovics Un,!,d LTC Larry H. tng.anam, Ph.D. zust n - Farts R. Ki~rk.land, Ph.0. CharLene S. Lewis, Ph.D. David H. MarLowe, h.D ByDlstribuatoflf LTC James...parcticipacing agencies) wich an updaCe of WTAZ&’s current HMS research accivicies; (Z) Co raise Issues chac varranc, discassson among Che agencies...provides a summacy of che uniCs Chac have compLeced Che first LcecaCIon of ch•e Soldier VILL quesctona~ve as weLil as projeccLons .or cthe second and

50 CFR 660.707 - Permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... or downloaded from the Southwest Region home page (http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/permits.htm) to apply for... the vessel is fishing for, taking, retaining, possessing, or landing HMS shoreward of the outer...

50 CFR 660.707 - Permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... or downloaded from the Southwest Region home page (http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/permits.htm) to apply for... the vessel is fishing for, taking, retaining, possessing, or landing HMS shoreward of the outer...

Soil contamination in the impact zone of mining enterprises in the Bashkir Transural region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opekunova, M. G.; Somov, V. V.; Papyan, E. E.

2017-06-01

The results of long-term studies of the contents of bulk forms of metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Mn, Co, and Cd) and their mobile compounds in soils of background and human-disturbed areas within the Krasnoural'sk-Sibai-Gai copper-zinc and Baimak-Buribai mixed copper mineralization zones in the Bashkir Transural region are discussed. It is shown that soils of the region are characterized by abnormally high natural total contents of heavy metals (HMs) typomorphic for ore mineralization: Cu, Zn, and Fe for the Sibai province and Cu, Zn, and Ni for the Baimak province. In the case of a shallow depth of the ores, the concentrations of HMs in the soils are close to or higher than the tentative permissible concentration values. The concentrations of mobile HM compounds in soils of background areas and their percentage in the total HM content strongly vary from year to year in dependence on weather conditions, position in the soil catenas, species composition of vegetation, and distance from the source of technogenic contamination. The high natural variability in the content of mobile HM compounds in soils complicates the reliable determination of the regional geochemical background and necessitates annual estimation of background parameters for the purposes of the ecological monitoring of soils. The bulk content of Cu and Zn content in soils near mining enterprises exceeds the regional geochemical background values by 2-12 times and the tentative permissible concentrations of these metals by 2-4 times. Anthropogenic contamination results in a sharp rise in the content of mobile HM compounds in soils. Their highest concentrations exceed the maximum permissible concentrations by 26 times for Cu, 18 times for Zn, and 2 times for Pb. Soil contamination in the impact zone of mining enterprises is extremely dangerous or dangerous. However, because of the high temporal variability in the migration and accumulation of HMs in the soils, the recent decline in the ore mining activities, and the construction of purification facilities, no definite temporal trends in the contents of HMs in the soils have been found in the studied region for the period from 1998 to 2015.

High resolution of anthropogenic atmospheric emissions of 12 heavy metals in the three biggest metropolitan areas, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, H.; Zhu, C.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric emissions of typical toxic heavy metals from anthropogenic sources have received worldwide concerns due to their adverse effects on human health and the ecosystem. An integrated inventory of anthropogenic emissions of twelve HMs (Hg, As, Se, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Sb, Mn, Co, Cu and Zn) in the three biggest metropolitan areas, including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region and Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, are developed for 1980-2012 by combining with detailed activity data and inter-annual dynamic emission factors which are determined by S-shaped curves on account of technology progress, economic development, and emission control. The results indicate total emissions of twelve HMs in the three metropolitan regions have increased from 5448.8 tons in 1980 to 19054.9 tons in 2012, with an annual average growth rate of about 4.0%. Due to significant difference in industrial structures and energy consumption compositions, remarkable distinctions can be observed with respect to source contributions of total HM emissions from above three metropolitan areas. Specifically, the ferrous metal smelting sector, coal combustion by industrial boilers and coal combustion by power plants are found to be the primary source of total HM emissions in the BTH region (about 34.2%), YRD region (about 28.2%) and PRD region (about 24.3%), respectively. Furthermore, we allocate the annual emissions of these heavy metals in 2012 at a high spatial resolution of 9 km × 9 km grid with ArcGIS methodology and surrogate indexes, such as regional population and gross domestic product (GDP). The peak of HM emissions are mainly distributed over the grid cells of Beijing, Tianjin, Tangshan, Shijiazhuang, Handan and Baoding in the BTH region; Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo in the YRD region; Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan in the PYD region, respectively. Additionally, monthly emission profiles are established in order to further identify the temporal emission characteristics of HMs. Key words: heavy metals (HMs), emission inventory, time-varying dynamic emission factor, temporal and spatial characteristics, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China

50 CFR 635.5 - Recordkeeping and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... all BFT caught under the Angling category quota designated at § 635.27(a) through the NMFS automated... anyone responsible for offloading, storing, packing, or selling regulated HMS for such permittee, shall...

50 CFR 635.5 - Recordkeeping and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... all BFT caught under the Angling category quota designated at § 635.27(a) through the NMFS automated... anyone responsible for offloading, storing, packing, or selling regulated HMS for such permittee, shall...

50 CFR 300.182 - HMS international trade permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... those entities authorized under 19 CFR 141.18. A resident agent or resident corporate surety provider..., at least annually, in accordance with the procedures of the NOAA Finance Handbook, available from...

Landslides and mass wasting offshore Sumatra - results from the Sumatra Earthquake HMS Scott survey January-February 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tappin, D. R.; Henstock, T.; McNeill, L.; Grilli, S.; Biscontin, G.; Watts, P.

2005-12-01

Earthquakes are a commonly cited mechanism for triggering submarine landslides that have the potential to generate damaging tsunamis (e.g. Papua New Guinea 1998). Notwithstanding, the Indian Ocean earthquake of December 26th 2005 has been cited as the cause of both far field and local tsunami runups that have been measured at over 35 metres on the west coast of Sumatra. On the basis of present modelling this seems to be the case. However, if earthquakes are such a common trigger for landslides then the magnitude 9.3 earthquake of December 26th might be expected to have caused numerous seabed failures within the area of rupture that may have contributed to local tsunami runup. This contribution discusses the seabed morphology offshore of Sumatra acquired during the survey carried out by HMS Scott in January and February 2005. Utilising a unique high resolution 12 kHz, 361-beam hull-mounted Sass IV sonar, over 40,000 square kilometres of seabed were mapped. The objective was to identify seabed movements that were the result of the earthquake and to identify submarine slope failures that may have contributed to the tsunami. This paper reports on the results of the survey using Fledermaus imaging software. The area mapped is an accretionary complex formed as the two plates have converged over the past 40 million years. From the data several seabed failure mechanisms of different ages have been identified. Along the plate margin in the west of the survey area the deformation front comprises a series of young thrust folds up to 1000m in elevation and tens of kilometres in length. In places the seaward faces of these folds have failed cohesively and slumped blocks 100's of metres high and up to several kilometres long have been displaced up to 13 kilometres onto the inner trench floor. At other locations older episodes of failure are identified by the presence of displaced slumped blocks located on the crests of the folds; the slumps thus predating uplift. Where young thrust folds are absent, the outer margin of the accretionary prism is deeply dissected and comprises a steeply sloping seabed incised by numerous gullies and slide scars. Here, mechanisms of failure are incremental, and take place mainly through headwall erosion. There are small cohesive failures, although most sediment appears to be shed from the gullies onto the inner trench through channels incised into the seabed. Sediment overflow from the channels has resulted in the construction of sediment fans upon which are located giant sediment waves.

A case of hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly. The role of rapid antigen-detecting and PCR-based tests.

PubMed

Mothe, B; Lopez-Contreras, J; Torres, O H; Muñoz, C; Domingo, P; Gurgui, M

2008-03-01

Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly (HMS) - originally referred to as tropical splenomegaly syndrome - is characterized by a massive splenomegaly, high titres of anti-malarial antibodies and polyclonal IgM hypergammaglobulinemia. It is believed to be a consequence of an aberrant immunological response to prolonged exposure to malarial parasites. Although it is a frequent disease in the tropics, it is infrequent in western countries and is only seen in long-term residents from endemic areas. We describe the case of a 67-year-old Spanish man, a missionary in Cameroon for 30 years, who presented with a clinical history that fulfilled the diagnosis of HMS. We discuss the role and importance of PCR-based techniques in demonstrating lowgrade malarial parasitemia and the usefulness of new rapid antigen-detecting dipstick tests.

Mechanisms Underlying Mammalian Hybrid Sterility in Two Feline Interspecies Models.

PubMed

Davis, Brian W; Seabury, Christopher M; Brashear, Wesley A; Li, Gang; Roelke-Parker, Melody; Murphy, William J

2015-10-01

The phenomenon of male sterility in interspecies hybrids has been observed for over a century, however, few genes influencing this recurrent phenotype have been identified. Genetic investigations have been primarily limited to a small number of model organisms, thus limiting our understanding of the underlying molecular basis of this well-documented "rule of speciation." We utilized two interspecies hybrid cat breeds in a genome-wide association study employing the Illumina 63 K single-nucleotide polymorphism array. Collectively, we identified eight autosomal genes/gene regions underlying associations with hybrid male sterility (HMS) involved in the function of the blood-testis barrier, gamete structural development, and transcriptional regulation. We also identified several candidate hybrid sterility regions on the X chromosome, with most residing in close proximity to complex duplicated regions. Differential gene expression analyses revealed significant chromosome-wide upregulation of X chromosome transcripts in testes of sterile hybrids, which were enriched for genes involved in chromatin regulation of gene expression. Our expression results parallel those reported in Mus hybrids, supporting the "Large X-Effect" in mammalian HMS and the potential epigenetic basis for this phenomenon. These results support the value of the interspecies feline model as a powerful tool for comparison to rodent models of HMS, demonstrating unique aspects and potential commonalities that underpin mammalian reproductive isolation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Characterization of heavy metals and PCDD/Fs from water-washing pretreatment and a cement kiln co-processing municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash.

PubMed

Yan, Dahai; Peng, Zheng; Yu, Lifeng; Sun, Yangzhao; Yong, Ren; Helge Karstensen, Kåre

2018-03-21

A disposal method for fly ash from a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI-FA) that involved a water washing pretreatment and co-processing in a cement kiln was tested. The mass flows of toxic heavy metals (HMs), including volatile HM (Hg), semi-volatile HMs (Pb, Cd, Tl, and As), and low-volatility HMs, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/Fs) in the input, intermediate, and output materials were characterized. The flue gas Hg concentrations from tests 0, 1, and 2, fed with 0, 3.1, and 1.7 t/h of dried-washed FA (DWFA), were 28.60, 61.95, and 35.40 μg N m -3 , respectively. Co-processing of DWFA did not significantly affect the metal concentration in clinker as most of the major input metals, with the exception of Cd, Pb, and Sb (which came from DWFA), were from raw materials and coal. Co-processing of DWFA did not influence on the release of PCDD/Fs; baseline and co-processing values ranged from 0.022 to 0.039 ng-TEQ/N m 3 , and from 0.01 to 0.031 ng-TEQ/N m 3 , respectively. The total destruction efficiency for PCDD/Fs in MSWI fly was 82.6%. This technology seems to be an environmentally sound option for the disposal of MSWI-FA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An affinity-structure database of helix-turn-helix: DNA complexes with a universal coordinate system.

PubMed

AlQuraishi, Mohammed; Tang, Shengdong; Xia, Xide

2015-11-19

Molecular interactions between proteins and DNA molecules underlie many cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromosome replication, and nucleosome positioning. Computational analyses of protein-DNA interactions rely on experimental data characterizing known protein-DNA interactions structurally and biochemically. While many databases exist that contain either structural or biochemical data, few integrate these two data sources in a unified fashion. Such integration is becoming increasingly critical with the rapid growth of structural and biochemical data, and the emergence of algorithms that rely on the synthesis of multiple data types to derive computational models of molecular interactions. We have developed an integrated affinity-structure database in which the experimental and quantitative DNA binding affinities of helix-turn-helix proteins are mapped onto the crystal structures of the corresponding protein-DNA complexes. This database provides access to: (i) protein-DNA structures, (ii) quantitative summaries of protein-DNA binding affinities using position weight matrices, and (iii) raw experimental data of protein-DNA binding instances. Critically, this database establishes a correspondence between experimental structural data and quantitative binding affinity data at the single basepair level. Furthermore, we present a novel alignment algorithm that structurally aligns the protein-DNA complexes in the database and creates a unified residue-level coordinate system for comparing the physico-chemical environments at the interface between complexes. Using this unified coordinate system, we compute the statistics of atomic interactions at the protein-DNA interface of helix-turn-helix proteins. We provide an interactive website for visualization, querying, and analyzing this database, and a downloadable version to facilitate programmatic analysis. This database will facilitate the analysis of protein-DNA interactions and the development of programmatic computational methods that capitalize on integration of structural and biochemical datasets. The database can be accessed at http://ProteinDNA.hms.harvard.edu.

78 FR 65974 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Southeast...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-04

... HMS stock assessment. In order to ensure that the peer review is unbiased, individuals who... fisheries, related industries, research, teaching, writing, conservation, or management of marine organisms...

Heat resistant composite structure for shuttle applications (Ryton-B)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A program was undertaken to characterize Ryton-B resin, develop graphite filament prepregs, undirectional laminates and determine the strength and heat resistance of the composite system. Through the use of a water soluble resin binder, high quality prepreg tape, three inches wide with 4 tows of HM-S were produced. The tape laminated to 0.00175 inch per ply. A wide range of properties in the cured resin and laminate were found using different curing conditions. The thermal stability and strength of molded laminates appears to be very dependent upon the cure cycle used for polymerization.

Climate change alters low flows in Europe under global warming of 1.5, 2, and 3 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marx, Andreas; Kumar, Rohini; Thober, Stephan; Rakovec, Oldrich; Wanders, Niko; Zink, Matthias; Wood, Eric F.; Pan, Ming; Sheffield, Justin; Samaniego, Luis

2018-02-01

There is growing evidence that climate change will alter water availability in Europe. Here, we investigate how hydrological low flows are affected under different levels of future global warming (i.e. 1.5, 2, and 3 K with respect to the pre-industrial period) in rivers with a contributing area of more than 1000 km2. The analysis is based on a multi-model ensemble of 45 hydrological simulations based on three representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP6.0, RCP8.5), five Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) general circulation models (GCMs: GFDL-ESM2M, HadGEM2-ES, IPSL-CM5A-LR, MIROC-ESM-CHEM, NorESM1-M) and three state-of-the-art hydrological models (HMs: mHM, Noah-MP, and PCR-GLOBWB). High-resolution model results are available at a spatial resolution of 5 km across the pan-European domain at a daily temporal resolution. Low river flow is described as the percentile of daily streamflow that is exceeded 90 % of the time. It is determined separately for each GCM/HM combination and warming scenario. The results show that the low-flow change signal amplifies with increasing warming levels. Low flows decrease in the Mediterranean region, while they increase in the Alpine and Northern regions. In the Mediterranean, the level of warming amplifies the signal from -12 % under 1.5 K, compared to the baseline period 1971-2000, to -35 % under global warming of 3 K, largely due to the projected decreases in annual precipitation. In contrast, the signal is amplified from +22 (1.5 K) to +45 % (3 K) in the Alpine region due to changes in snow accumulation. The changes in low flows are significant for regions with relatively large change signals and under higher levels of warming. However, it is not possible to distinguish climate-induced differences in low flows between 1.5 and 2 K warming because of (1) the large inter-annual variability which prevents distinguishing statistical estimates of period-averaged changes for a given GCM/HM combination, and (2) the uncertainty in the multi-model ensemble expressed by the signal-to-noise ratio. The contribution by the GCMs to the uncertainty in the model results is generally higher than the one by the HMs. However, the uncertainty due to HMs cannot be neglected. In the Alpine, Northern, and Mediterranean regions, the uncertainty contribution by the HMs is partly higher than those by the GCMs due to different representations of processes such as snow, soil moisture and evapotranspiration. Based on the analysis results, it is recommended (1) to use multiple HMs in climate impact studies and (2) to embrace uncertainty information on the multi-model ensemble as well as its single members in the adaptation process.

[The contribution of patient H.M. to modern neuroscience].

PubMed

Kawachi, Juro

2013-08-01

In 1953, 27-year-old H.M. underwent bilateral medial temporal lobes resection to control his seizures; however, he suffered from severe amnesia as a result. For the next five decades until his death in December 2008 at the age 82, he was the subject of numerous studies performed by over 100 investigators. The reason why research on H.M. continued for so long is mostly attributed to the efficient organization of excellent researchers. The principal findings of H.M. study encouraged the concept of medial temporal lobe memory system and multiple memory systems, and suggested the slow acquisition of semantic knowledge without medial temporal lobe memory system through repeated experience. By the grace of H.M.'s lifelong contribution, the neuroscience of memory is in full flourish.

Mineralogy and Petrology of ``New'' Lunar Meteorite Dhofar 025

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahill, J. T.; Cohen, B. A.; Taylor, L. A.; Nazarov, M. A.

2001-03-01

Dh25 is an anorthositic regolith breccia. The mineral chemistry of most rock and melt clasts have compositions intermediate between FAN and HMS fields, indicative of a non-Apollo, FAN-rich locale, possibly the lunar farside.

76 FR 68162 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-03

... listed. Rather, NMFS will aim toward having as diverse and balanced an AP as possible. Table 1--Current.... Depending on availability of funds, members may be reimbursed for travel costs related to the HMS AP...

76 FR 68164 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-03

... listed. Rather, NMFS will aim toward having as diverse and balanced an AP as possible. Table 1-- Current.... Depending on availability of funds, members may be reimbursed for travel costs related to the HMS AP...

Application of EDTA decontamination on soils affected by mining activities and impact of treatment on the geochemical partition of metal contaminants.

PubMed

Xia, Wenbin; Gao, Hui; Wang, Xianhai; Zhou, Chunhua; Liu, Yunguo; Fan, Ting; Wang, Xin

2009-05-30

Two soil samples were collected at mining areas located in southern Hunan Province, China. EDTA extraction of Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd from these two tailing soils was studied using column leaching experiments. The redistributions of heavy metals (HMs) were determined using the modified BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction procedure, before and after EDTA extraction. The results indicated that EDTA was an effective extractant because of its strong chelating ability for various HMs. The proportions of Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd in the four fractions varied largely after EDTA extraction. The extraction efficiency of EDTA of the acid-extractable fraction (AEX) was significant in shallow soil column, while in deeper soil column, decrease of the extraction efficiency of reduced (RED), oxidizable (OX) and residual fractions (RES) was obtained, which was mainly due to the decrease of EDTA concentration.

Understanding Work-Family Spillover in Hotel Managers

PubMed Central

Lawson, Katie M.; Davis, Kelly D.; Crouter, Ann C.; O’Neill, John W.

2013-01-01

The present study examined the experience of work-family spillover among 586 hotel managers (HMs) working in 50 full-service hotels throughout the U.S. Work-family spillover occurs when behaviors, moods, stresses, and emotions from work spill over into family. We first investigated which hotel managers were more likely to experience spillover and stressful work conditions based on their life circumstances (gender, parental status, age, decision-making latitude at work). Second, we investigated which work conditions (hours worked per week, organizational time expectations, emotional labor, and permeable boundaries) predicted more work-family spillover. Women, employees without children at home, and younger adults experienced the highest levels of negative work-family spillover. Work conditions, particularly organizational time expectations, put HMs at risk for experiencing more negative and less positive work-family spillover. The results provide evidence that modifying certain work conditions in the hotel industry may be helpful in improving the quality of HMs’ jobs and retention. PMID:23888092

Rapid adsorption of Pb, Cu and Cd from aqueous solutions by β-cyclodextrin polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Junyong; Li, Yulian; Wang, Chengming; Zhang, Kaisheng; Lin, Dongyue; Kong, Lingtao; Liu, Jinhuai

2017-12-01

Removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions has drawn more and more attentions these years because of their serious global health challenge to human society. To develop an adsorbent with low-cost and high-efficiency for removal of heavy metals (HMs), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) polymers crosslinked with rigid aromatic groups were prepared and used for lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) removal for the first time. The negatively charged β-CD polymers with large BET surface area were suitable to be used in HMs adsorption. The adsorption process completed in 5 min was well fit by Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order model. The intraparticle diffusion model was also appropriate to describe the adsorption of Pb, Cu and Cd on β-CD polymer. The maximum of adsorption capacities at 25 °C for Pb, Cu and Cd were 196.42, 164.43 and 136.43 mg/g when the initial concentration was 200 mg/L. The HMs adsorption process on the surface of β-CD polymer was an endothermic and spontaneous process. Both of the electrostatic interaction and distribution of Pb, Cu and Cd species influenced the adsorption process at different pH values. The order of removal efficiencies in multi-component adsorption for the three metal ions were Pb > Cu > Cd. The adsorption mechanisms were H+ ions on hydroxyl groups exchanged with heavy metal ions and electrostatic interactions. This study indicated that β-CD polymers could be developed into effective adsorbents for rapid removal of heavy metals.

Improving the Teaching Skills of Residents in a Surgical Training Program: Results of the Pilot Year of a Curricular Initiative in an Ophthalmology Residency Program.

PubMed

Chee, Yewlin E; Newman, Lori R; Loewenstein, John I; Kloek, Carolyn E

2015-01-01

To design and implement a teaching skills curriculum that addressed the needs of an ophthalmology residency training program, to assess the effect of the curriculum, and to present important lessons learned. A teaching skills curriculum was designed for the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Residency Training Program in Ophthalmology. Results of a needs assessment survey were used to guide curriculum objectives. Overall, 3 teaching workshops were conducted between October 2012 and March 2013 that addressed areas of need, including procedural teaching. A postcurriculum survey was used to assess the effect of the curriculum. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, a tertiary care institution in Boston, MA. Overall, 24 residents in the HMS Residency Training Program in Ophthalmology were included. The needs assessment survey demonstrated that although most residents anticipated that teaching would be important in their future career, only one-third had prior formal training in teaching. All residents reported they found the teaching workshops to be either very or extremely useful. All residents reported they would like further training in teaching, with most residents requesting additional training in best procedural teaching practices for future sessions. The pilot year of the resident-as-teacher curriculum for the HMS Residency Training Program in Ophthalmology demonstrated a need for this curriculum and was perceived as beneficial by the residents, who reported increased comfort in their teaching skills after attending the workshops. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uranium and Associated Heavy Metals in Ovis aries in a Mining Impacted Area in Northwestern New Mexico.

PubMed

Samuel-Nakamura, Christine; Robbins, Wendie A; Hodge, Felicia S

2017-07-28

The objective of this study was to determine uranium (U) and other heavy metal (HM) concentrations (As, Cd, Pb, Mo, and Se) in tissue samples collected from sheep ( Ovis aries ), the primary meat staple on the Navajo reservation in northwestern New Mexico. The study setting was a prime target of U mining, where more than 1100 unreclaimed abandoned U mines and structures remain. The forage and water sources for the sheep in this study were located within 3.2 km of abandoned U mines and structures. Tissue samples from sheep ( n = 3), their local forage grasses ( n = 24), soil ( n = 24), and drinking water ( n = 14) sources were collected. The samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Results: In general, HMs concentrated more in the roots of forage compared to the above ground parts. The sheep forage samples fell below the National Research Council maximum tolerable concentration (5 mg/kg). The bioaccumulation factor ratio was >1 in several forage samples, ranging from 1.12 to 16.86 for Mo, Cd, and Se. The study findings showed that the concentrations of HMs were greatest in the liver and kidneys. Of the calculated human intake, Se Reference Dietary Intake and Mo Recommended Dietary Allowance were exceeded, but the tolerable upper limits for both were not exceeded. Food intake recommendations informed by research are needed for individuals especially those that may be more sensitive to HMs. Further study with larger sample sizes is needed to explore other impacted communities across the reservation.

Uranium and Associated Heavy Metals in Ovis aries in a Mining Impacted Area in Northwestern New Mexico

PubMed Central

Samuel-Nakamura, Christine; Robbins, Wendie A.; Hodge, Felicia S.

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine uranium (U) and other heavy metal (HM) concentrations (As, Cd, Pb, Mo, and Se) in tissue samples collected from sheep (Ovis aries), the primary meat staple on the Navajo reservation in northwestern New Mexico. The study setting was a prime target of U mining, where more than 1100 unreclaimed abandoned U mines and structures remain. The forage and water sources for the sheep in this study were located within 3.2 km of abandoned U mines and structures. Tissue samples from sheep (n = 3), their local forage grasses (n = 24), soil (n = 24), and drinking water (n = 14) sources were collected. The samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Results: In general, HMs concentrated more in the roots of forage compared to the above ground parts. The sheep forage samples fell below the National Research Council maximum tolerable concentration (5 mg/kg). The bioaccumulation factor ratio was >1 in several forage samples, ranging from 1.12 to 16.86 for Mo, Cd, and Se. The study findings showed that the concentrations of HMs were greatest in the liver and kidneys. Of the calculated human intake, Se Reference Dietary Intake and Mo Recommended Dietary Allowance were exceeded, but the tolerable upper limits for both were not exceeded. Food intake recommendations informed by research are needed for individuals especially those that may be more sensitive to HMs. Further study with larger sample sizes is needed to explore other impacted communities across the reservation. PMID:28788090

Neighboring genes for DNA-binding proteins rescue male sterility in Drosophila hybrids.

PubMed

Liénard, Marjorie A; Araripe, Luciana O; Hartl, Daniel L

2016-07-19

Crosses between closely related animal species often result in male hybrids that are sterile, and the molecular and functional basis of genetic factors for hybrid male sterility is of great interest. Here, we report a molecular and functional analysis of HMS1, a region of 9.2 kb in chromosome 3 of Drosophila mauritiana, which results in virtually complete hybrid male sterility when homozygous in the genetic background of sibling species Drosophila simulans. The HMS1 region contains two strong candidate genes for the genetic incompatibility, agt and Taf1 Both encode unrelated DNA-binding proteins, agt for an alkyl-cysteine-S-alkyltransferase and Taf1 for a subunit of transcription factor TFIID that serves as a multifunctional transcriptional regulator. The contribution of each gene to hybrid male sterility was assessed by means of germ-line transformation, with constructs containing complete agt and Taf1 genomic sequences as well as various chimeric constructs. Both agt and Taf1 contribute about equally to HMS1 hybrid male sterility. Transgenes containing either locus rescue sterility in about one-half of the males, and among fertile males the number of offspring is in the normal range. This finding suggests compensatory proliferation of the rescued, nondysfunctional germ cells. Results with chimeric transgenes imply that the hybrid incompatibilities result from interactions among nucleotide differences residing along both agt and Taf1 Our results challenge a number of preliminary generalizations about the molecular and functional basis of hybrid male sterility, and strongly reinforce the role of DNA-binding proteins as a class of genes contributing to the maintenance of postzygotic reproductive isolation.

DETERMINATION OF NEWLY IDENTIFIED DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWDSC) is investigating the occurrence of 39 newly identified disinfection by-products (DBPs)-which were not included in the Information Collection Rule (ICR)-in drinking waters. Halomethanes (HMs), haloacetonitriles (HANs),...

Flood Hazard Mapping Assessment for Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdallah, Chadi; Darwich, Talal; Hamze, Mouin; Zaarour, Nathalie

2014-05-01

Of all natural disasters, floods affect the greatest number of people worldwide and have the greatest potential to cause damage. In fact, floods are responsible for over one third of people affected by natural disasters; almost 190 million people in more than 90 countries are exposed to catastrophic floods every year. Nowadays, with the emerging global warming phenomenon, this number is expected to increase, therefore, flood prediction and prevention has become a necessity in many places around the globe to decrease damages caused by flooding. Available evidence hints at an increasing frequency of flooding disasters being witnessed in the last 25 years in Lebanon. The consequences of such events are tragic including annual financial losses of around 15 million dollars. In this work, a hydrologic-hydraulic modeling framework for flood hazard mapping over Lebanon covering 19 watershed was introduced. Several empirical, statistical and stochastic methods to calculate the flood magnitude and its related return periods, where rainfall and river gauge data are neither continuous nor available on a long term basis with an absence of proper river sections that under estimate flows during flood events. TRMM weather satellite information, automated drainage networks, curve numbers and other geometrical characteristics for each basin was prepared using WMS-software and then exported into HMS files to implement the hydrologic modeling (rainfall-runoff) for single designed storm of uniformly distributed depth along each basin. The obtained flow hydrographs were implemented in the hydraulic model (HEC-RAS) where relative water surface profiles are calculated and flood plains are delineated. The model was calibrated using the last flood event of January 2013, field investigation, and high resolution satellite images. Flow results proved to have an accuracy ranging between 83-87% when compared to the computed statistical and stochastic methods. Results included the generation of recurrence flood plain maps of 10, 50 & 100 years intensity maps along with flood hazard maps for each watershed. It is of utmost significance for this study to be effective that the produced flood intensity and hazard maps will be made available to decision-makers, planners and relevant community stakeholders.

Effect of MSW source-classified collection on the emission of PCDDs/Fs and heavy metals from incineration in China.

PubMed

Shi, De-Zhi; Wu, Wei-Xiang; Lu, Sheng-Yong; Chen, Tong; Huang, Hui-Liang; Chen, Ying-Xu; Yan, Jian-Hua

2008-05-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) source-classified collection represents a change in MSW management in China and other developing countries. Comparative experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of a newly established MSW source-classified collection system on the emission of PCDDs/Fs (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans) and heavy metals (HMs) from a full-scale incinerator in China. As a result of presorting and dewatering, the chlorine level, heavy metal and water content were lower, but heat value was higher in the source-classified MSW (classified MSW) as compared with the conventionally mixed collected MSW (mixed MSW). The generation of PCDDs/Fs in flue gas from the classified MSW incineration was 9.28 ng I-TEQ/Nm(3), only 69.4% of that from the mixed MSW incineration, and the final emission of PCDDs/Fs was only 0.12 ng I-TEQ/Nm(3), although activated carbon injection was reduced by 20%. The level of PCDDs/Fs in fly ash from the bag filter was 0.27 ng I-TEQ/g. These results indicated that the source-classified collection with pretreatment could improve the characteristics of MSW for incineration, and significantly decrease formation of PCDDs/Fs in MSW incineration. Furthermore, distributions of HMs such as Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, As, Ni, Hg in bottom ash and fly ash were investigated to assess the need for treatment of residual ash.

Predicting hospitalization due to worsening heart failure using daily weight measurement: analysis of the Trans-European Network-Home-Care Management System (TEN-HMS) study.

PubMed

Zhang, Jufen; Goode, Kevin M; Cuddihy, Paul E; Cleland, John G F

2009-04-01

We sought to test the utility of weight gain algorithms to predict episodes of worsening heart failure (WHF) using home-telemonitoring data collected as part of the TEN-HMS study. Simple rule-of-thumb (RoT) algorithms (i.e. 3 lbs in 1 day and 5 lbs in 3 days) and a moving average convergence divergence (MACD) algorithm were compared. WHF was defined as hospitalization for WHF or worsening of breathlessness or leg oedema. Of 168 patients, 45 were hospitalized with WHF and 76 were hospitalized for other reasons. On average, weight gain occurred in the 14 days prior to WHF hospitalizations but not in the 14 days prior to non-WHF hospitalizations [1.9 +/- 4.7 lbs (0.9 +/- 2.1 kg) vs. -0.4 +/- 2.5 lbs (-0.2 +/- 1.1 kg), P < 0.0001]. The true alerts rate was higher for the RoT algorithms compared with the MACD (58 and 65% vs. 20%). However, the RoT algorithms had much higher false alert rates (54 and 58% vs. 9%) rendering them of little practical use for predicting WHF events. A MACD algorithm is more specific but less sensitive than RoT when trying to predict episodes of WHF based on daily weight measurements. However, many episodes of WHF do not appear to be associated with weight gain and therefore telemonitoring of weight alone may not have great value for heart failure management.

An Integrated Ensemble-Based Operational Framework to Predict Urban Flooding: A Case Study of Hurricane Sandy in the Passaic and Hackensack River Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, F.; Ramaswamy, V.; Georgas, N.; Blumberg, A. F.; Wang, Y.

2016-12-01

Advances in computational resources and modeling techniques are opening the path to effectively integrate existing complex models. In the context of flood prediction, recent extreme events have demonstrated the importance of integrating components of the hydrosystem to better represent the interactions amongst different physical processes and phenomena. As such, there is a pressing need to develop holistic and cross-disciplinary modeling frameworks that effectively integrate existing models and better represent the operative dynamics. This work presents a novel Hydrologic-Hydraulic-Hydrodynamic Ensemble (H3E) flood prediction framework that operationally integrates existing predictive models representing coastal (New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System, NYHOPS), hydrologic (US Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Modeling System, HEC-HMS) and hydraulic (2-dimensional River Analysis System, HEC-RAS) components. The state-of-the-art framework is forced with 125 ensemble meteorological inputs from numerical weather prediction models including the Global Ensemble Forecast System, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC), the Short Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) and the North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM). The framework produces, within a 96-hour forecast horizon, on-the-fly Google Earth flood maps that provide critical information for decision makers and emergency preparedness managers. The utility of the framework was demonstrated by retrospectively forecasting an extreme flood event, hurricane Sandy in the Passaic and Hackensack watersheds (New Jersey, USA). Hurricane Sandy caused significant damage to a number of critical facilities in this area including the New Jersey Transit's main storage and maintenance facility. The results of this work demonstrate that ensemble based frameworks provide improved flood predictions and useful information about associated uncertainties, thus improving the assessment of risks as when compared to a deterministic forecast. The work offers perspectives for short-term flood forecasts, flood mitigation strategies and best management practices for climate change scenarios.

Development of blood extraction system designed by female mosquito's blood sampling mechanism for bio-MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, Kazuyoshi; Nakanishi, Naoyuki; Nakamachi, Eiji

2005-02-01

A compact and wearable wristwatch type Bio-MEMS such as a health monitoring system (HMS) to detect blood sugar level for diabetic patient, was newly developed. The HMS consists of (1) a indentation unit with a microneedle to generate the skin penetration force using a shape memory alloy(SMA) actuator, (2) a pumping unit using a bimorph PZT piezoelectric actuator to extract the blood and (3) a gold (Au) electrode as a biosensor immobilized GOx and attached to the gate electrode of MOSFET to detect the amount of Glucose in extracted blood. GOx was immobilized on a self assembled spacer combined with an Au electrode by the cross-link method using BSA as an additional bonding material. The device can extract blood in a few microliter through a painless microneedle with the negative pressure by deflection of the bimorph PZT piezoelectric actuator produced in the blood chamber, by the similar way the female mosquito extracts human blood with muscle motion to flex or relax. The performances of the liquid sampling ability of the pumping unit through a microneedle (3.8mm length, 100μm internal diameter) using the bimorph PZT piezoelectric microactuator were measured. The blood extraction micro device could extract human blood at the speed of 2μl/min, and it is enough volume to measure a glucose level, compared to the amount of commercial based glucose level monitor. The electrode embedded in the blood extraction device chamber could detect electrons generated by the hydrolysis of hydrogen peroxide produced by the reaction between GOx and glucose in a few microliter extracted blood, using the constant electric current measurement system of the MOSFET type hybrid biosensor. The output voltage for the glucose diluted in the chamber was increased lineally with increase of the glucose concentration.

MYC RNAi-Pt Combination Nanotherapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

cell line-based allograft tumors by the hybrid NPs. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Nanotechnology , nanoparticle, siRNA delivery, platinum, MYC, prostate cancer...co-investigators (Dr. Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian from JHU and Dr. Jinjun Shi from BWH/HMS). 3 2. KEYWORDS Nanotechnology , lipid, polymer

76 FR 45781 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-01

..., February and September 2009, and May 2010); an Advanced Notice of the Proposed Rule (ANPR) for the future management of the shark fishery (September 2010) and the ANPR for Atlantic HMS published June 2009 (September...

76 FR 7547 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

..., February and September 2009, and May 2010), and an Advanced Notice of the Proposed Rule (ANPR) for the future management of the shark fishery and the ANPR for Atlantic HMS published June 2009 (September 2010...

Academia-industry collaboration in continuing medical education: description of two approaches.

PubMed

Katz, Harvey P; Goldfinger, Stephen E; Fletcher, Suzanne W

2002-01-01

Although concerns have been raised about industry support of continuing medical education (CME), there are few published reports of academia-industry collaboration in the field. We describe and evaluate Pri-Med, a CME experience for primary care clinicians developed jointly by the Harvard Medical School (HMS) and M/C Communications. Since 1995, 19 Pri-Med conferences have been held in four cities, drawing more than 100,000 primary care clinicians. The educational core of each Pri-Med conference is a 3-day Harvard course, "Current Clinical Issues in Primary Care." Course content is determined by a faculty committee independent of any commercial influence. Revenues from multiple industry sources flow through M/C Communications to the medical school as an educational grant to support primary care education. Pri-Med also offers separate pharmaceutical company-funded symposia. Comparing the two educational approaches during four conferences, 221 HMS talks and 103 symposia were presented. The HMS course covered a wide range with 133 topics; the symposia focused on 30 topics, most of which were linked to recently approved new therapeutic products manufactured by the funders. Both the course and the symposia were highly rated by attendees. When CME presentations for primary care physicians receive direct support from industry, the range of offered topics is narrower than when programs are developed independently of such support. There appear to be no differences in the perceived quality of presentations delivered with and without such support. Our experience suggests that a firewall between program planners and providers of financial support will result in a broader array of educational subjects relevant to the field of primary care.

Genome-wide identification of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) histone modification gene families and their expression analysis during the fruit development and fruit-blue mold infection process.

PubMed

Xu, Jidi; Xu, Haidan; Liu, Yuanlong; Wang, Xia; Xu, Qiang; Deng, Xiuxin

2015-01-01

In eukaryotes, histone acetylation and methylation have been known to be involved in regulating diverse developmental processes and plant defense. These histone modification events are controlled by a series of histone modification gene families. To date, there is no study regarding genome-wide characterization of histone modification related genes in citrus species. Based on the two recent sequenced sweet orange genome databases, a total of 136 CsHMs (Citrus sinensis histone modification genes), including 47 CsHMTs (histone methyltransferase genes), 23 CsHDMs (histone demethylase genes), 50 CsHATs (histone acetyltransferase genes), and 16 CsHDACs (histone deacetylase genes) were identified. These genes were categorized to 11 gene families. A comprehensive analysis of these 11 gene families was performed with chromosome locations, phylogenetic comparison, gene structures, and conserved domain compositions of proteins. In order to gain an insight into the potential roles of these genes in citrus fruit development, 42 CsHMs with high mRNA abundance in fruit tissues were selected to further analyze their expression profiles at six stages of fruit development. Interestingly, a numbers of genes were expressed highly in flesh of ripening fruit and some of them showed the increasing expression levels along with the fruit development. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression patterns of all 136 CsHMs response to the infection of blue mold (Penicillium digitatum), which is the most devastating pathogen in citrus post-harvest process. The results indicated that 20 of them showed the strong alterations of their expression levels during the fruit-pathogen infection. In conclusion, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of the histone modification gene families in sweet orange and further elucidates their behaviors during the fruit development and the blue mold infection responses.

Regulation of bone formation by osteoclasts involves Wnt/BMP signaling and the chemokine sphingosine-1-phosphate

PubMed Central

Pederson, Larry; Ruan, Ming; Westendorf, Jennifer J.; Khosla, Sundeep; Oursler, Merry Jo

2008-01-01

Under most conditions, resorbed bone is nearly precisely replaced in location and amount by new bone. Thus, it has long been recognized that bone loss through osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and bone replacement through osteoblast-mediated bone formation are tightly coupled processes. Abundant data conclusively demonstrate that osteoblasts direct osteoclast differentiation. Key questions remain, however, as to how osteoblasts are recruited to the resorption site and how the amount of bone produced is so precisely controlled. We hypothesized that osteoclasts play a crucial role in the promotion of bone formation. We found that osteoclast conditioned medium stimulates human mesenchymal stem (hMS) cell migration and differentiation toward the osteoblast lineage as measured by mineralized nodule formation in vitro. We identified candidate osteoclast-derived coupling factors using the Affymetrix microarray. We observed significant induction of sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1), which catalyzes the phosphorylation of sphingosine to form sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), in mature multinucleated osteoclasts as compared with preosteoclasts. S1P induces osteoblast precursor recruitment and promotes mature cell survival. Wnt10b and BMP6 also were significantly increased in mature osteoclasts, whereas sclerostin levels decreased during differentiation. Stimulation of hMS cell nodule formation by osteoclast conditioned media was attenuated by the Wnt antagonist Dkk1, a BMP6-neutralizing antibody, and by a S1P antagonist. BMP6 antibodies and the S1P antagonist, but not Dkk1, reduced osteoclast conditioned media-induced hMS chemokinesis. In summary, our findings indicate that osteoclasts may recruit osteoprogenitors to the site of bone remodeling through SIP and BMP6 and stimulate bone formation through increased activation of Wnt/BMP pathways. PMID:19075223

Disability in Adolescents and Adults Diagnosed With Hypermobility-Related Disorders: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Scheper, Mark C; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit; Rombaut, Lies; Rameckers, Eugene A; Verbunt, Jeanine; Engelbert, Raoul H

2016-12-01

To (1) establish the association of the most common reported symptoms on disability; and (2) study the effectiveness of treatment on disability in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome-hypermobility type (EDS-HT)/hypermobility syndrome (HMS). An electronic search (Medical Subject Headings and free-text terms) was conducted in bibliographic databases CENTRAL/MEDLINE. Comparative, cross-sectional, longitudinal cohort studies and (randomized) controlled trials including patients with HMS/EDS-HT aged ≥17 years were considered for inclusion. A class of symptoms was included when 5 publications were available. In regards to treatment (physical, cognitive interventions), only (randomized) controlled trials were considered. Surgical and medicinal interventions were excluded. Bias was assessed according to the methodological scoring tools of the Cochrane collaboration. Z-score transformations were applied to classify the extent of disability in comparison with healthy controls and to ensure comparability between studies. Initially, the electronic search yielded 714 publications, and 21 articles remained for analysis after selection. The following symptoms were included for meta-analysis: pain (n=12), fatigue (n=6), and psychological distress (n=7). Pain (r=.64, P=.021), fatigue (r=.91, P=.011), and psychological distress (r=.86, P=.018) had a significant impact on disability. Regarding treatment, a significant pain reduction was achieved by a variety of physical and cognitive approaches. Treatment effectiveness on disability was not established. Disability can affect patients with HMS/EDS-HT significantly and is highly correlated with both physical and psychological factors. Although evidence is available that physical and psychological treatment modalities can induce significant pain reduction, the evidence regarding disability reduction is lacking. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neighboring genes for DNA-binding proteins rescue male sterility in Drosophila hybrids

PubMed Central

Liénard, Marjorie A.; Araripe, Luciana O.; Hartl, Daniel L.

2016-01-01

Crosses between closely related animal species often result in male hybrids that are sterile, and the molecular and functional basis of genetic factors for hybrid male sterility is of great interest. Here, we report a molecular and functional analysis of HMS1, a region of 9.2 kb in chromosome 3 of Drosophila mauritiana, which results in virtually complete hybrid male sterility when homozygous in the genetic background of sibling species Drosophila simulans. The HMS1 region contains two strong candidate genes for the genetic incompatibility, agt and Taf1. Both encode unrelated DNA-binding proteins, agt for an alkyl-cysteine-S-alkyltransferase and Taf1 for a subunit of transcription factor TFIID that serves as a multifunctional transcriptional regulator. The contribution of each gene to hybrid male sterility was assessed by means of germ-line transformation, with constructs containing complete agt and Taf1 genomic sequences as well as various chimeric constructs. Both agt and Taf1 contribute about equally to HMS1 hybrid male sterility. Transgenes containing either locus rescue sterility in about one-half of the males, and among fertile males the number of offspring is in the normal range. This finding suggests compensatory proliferation of the rescued, nondysfunctional germ cells. Results with chimeric transgenes imply that the hybrid incompatibilities result from interactions among nucleotide differences residing along both agt and Taf1. Our results challenge a number of preliminary generalizations about the molecular and functional basis of hybrid male sterility, and strongly reinforce the role of DNA-binding proteins as a class of genes contributing to the maintenance of postzygotic reproductive isolation. PMID:27357670

50 CFR 660.703 - Management area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Management area. 660.703 Section 660.703 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION... Management area. The fishery management area for the regulation of fishing for HMS has the following...

50 CFR 660.703 - Management area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Management area. 660.703 Section 660.703 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION... Management area. The fishery management area for the regulation of fishing for HMS has the following...

50 CFR 660.703 - Management area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Management area. 660.703 Section 660.703 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION... Management area. The fishery management area for the regulation of fishing for HMS has the following...

50 CFR 660.703 - Management area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Management area. 660.703 Section 660.703 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION... Management area. The fishery management area for the regulation of fishing for HMS has the following...

NLRP7 affects trophoblast lineage differentiation, binds to overexpressed YY1 and alters CpG methylation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maternal-effect mutations in NLRP7 cause rare biparentally inherited hydatidiform moles (BiHMs), abnormal pregnancies containing hypertrophic vesicular trophoblast but no embryo. BiHM trophoblasts display abnormal DNA methylation patterns affecting maternally methylated germline differentially methy...

50 CFR 660.703 - Management area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Management area. 660.703 Section 660.703 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION... Management area. The fishery management area for the regulation of fishing for HMS has the following...

Hydrologic Modeling in the Kenai River Watershed using Event Based Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, B.; Toniolo, H. A.; Stuefer, S. L.

2015-12-01

Understanding hydrologic changes is key for preparing for possible future scenarios. On the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska the yearly salmon runs provide a valuable stimulus to the economy. It is the focus of a large commercial fishing fleet, but also a prime tourist attraction. Modeling of anadromous waters provides a tool that assists in the prediction of future salmon run size. Beaver Creek, in Kenai, Alaska, is a lowlands stream that has been modeled using the Army Corps of Engineers event based modeling package HEC-HMS. With the use of historic precipitation and discharge data, the model was calibrated to observed discharge values. The hydrologic parameters were measured in the field or calculated, while soil parameters were estimated and adjusted during the calibration. With the calibrated parameter for HEC-HMS, discharge estimates can be used by other researches studying the area and help guide communities and officials to make better-educated decisions regarding the changing hydrology in the area and the tied economic drivers.

Herbal Medicines: challenges in the modern world. Part 5. status and current directions of complementary and alternative herbal medicine worldwide.

PubMed

Enioutina, Elena Yu; Salis, Emma R; Job, Kathleen M; Gubarev, Michael I; Krepkova, Lubov V; Sherwin, Catherine M T

2017-03-01

Herbal medicine (HM) use is growing worldwide. Single herb preparations, ethnic and modern HM formulations are widely used as adjunct therapies or to improve consumer wellbeing. Areas covered: This final part in the publication series summarizes common tendencies in HM use as adjunct or alternative medicine, education of healthcare professionals and consumers, current and proposed guidelines regulating of production. We discuss potential HM-HM and HM-drug interactions that could lead to severe adverse events in situations where HMs are taken without proper medical professional oversight. Expert commentary: A number of serious problems have arisen with the steady global increase in HM use. HM interaction with conventional drugs (CD) may result in inadequate dosing of CD or adverse reactions; HM-HM interaction within herbal supplements could lead to toxicity of formulations. Inadequate education of clinicians and patients regarding medicinal properties of HMs must be addressed regionally and globally to ensure consumer safety.

Differences in Hospital Managers’, Unit Managers’, and Health Care Workers’ Perceptions of the Safety Climate for Respiratory Protection

PubMed Central

Peterson, Kristina; Rogers, Bonnie M. E.; Brosseau, Lisa M.; Payne, Julianne; Cooney, Jennifer; Joe, Lauren; Novak, Debra

2017-01-01

This article compares hospital managers’ (HM), unit managers’ (UM), and health care workers’ (HCW) perceptions of respiratory protection safety climate in acute care hospitals. The article is based on survey responses from 215 HMs, 245 UMs, and 1,105 HCWs employed by 98 acute care hospitals in six states. Ten survey questions assessed five of the key dimensions of safety climate commonly identified in the literature: managerial commitment to safety, management feedback on safety procedures, coworkers’ safety norms, worker involvement, and worker safety training. Clinically and statistically significant differences were found across the three respondent types. HCWs had less positive perceptions of management commitment, worker involvement, and safety training aspects of safety climate than HMs and UMs. UMs had more positive perceptions of management’s supervision of HCWs’ respiratory protection practices. Implications for practice improvements indicate the need for frontline HCWs’ inclusion in efforts to reduce safety climate barriers and better support effective respiratory protection programs and daily health protection practices. PMID:27056750

Differences in Hospital Managers', Unit Managers', and Health Care Workers' Perceptions of the Safety Climate for Respiratory Protection.

PubMed

Peterson, Kristina; Rogers, Bonnie M E; Brosseau, Lisa M; Payne, Julianne; Cooney, Jennifer; Joe, Lauren; Novak, Debra

2016-07-01

This article compares hospital managers' (HM), unit managers' (UM), and health care workers' (HCW) perceptions of respiratory protection safety climate in acute care hospitals. The article is based on survey responses from 215 HMs, 245 UMs, and 1,105 HCWs employed by 98 acute care hospitals in six states. Ten survey questions assessed five of the key dimensions of safety climate commonly identified in the literature: managerial commitment to safety, management feedback on safety procedures, coworkers' safety norms, worker involvement, and worker safety training. Clinically and statistically significant differences were found across the three respondent types. HCWs had less positive perceptions of management commitment, worker involvement, and safety training aspects of safety climate than HMs and UMs. UMs had more positive perceptions of management's supervision of HCWs' respiratory protection practices. Implications for practice improvements indicate the need for frontline HCWs' inclusion in efforts to reduce safety climate barriers and better support effective respiratory protection programs and daily health protection practices. © 2016 The Author(s).

Adsorption behavior of natural anthocyanin dye on mesoporous silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohno, Yoshiumi; Haga, Eriko; Yoda, Keiko; Shibata, Masashi; Fukuhara, Choji; Tomita, Yasumasa; Maeda, Yasuhisa; Kobayashi, Kenkichiro

2014-01-01

Because of its non-toxicity, naturally occurring anthocyanin is potentially suitable as a colorant for foods and cosmetics. To the wider use of the anthocyanin, the immobilization on the inorganic host for an easy handling as well as the improvement of the stability is required. This study is focused on the adsorption of significant amount of the natural anthocyanin dye onto mesoporous silica, and on the stability enhancement of the anthocyanin by the complexation. The anthocyanin has successfully been adsorbed on the HMS type mesoporous silica containing small amount of aluminum. The amount of the adsorbed anthocyanin has been increased by modifying the pore wall with n-propyl group to make the silica surface hydrophobic. The light fastness of the adsorbed anthocyanin has been improved by making the composite with the HMS samples containing aluminum, although the degree of the improvement is not so large. It has been proposed that incorporation of the anthocyanin molecule deep inside the mesopore is required for the further enhancement of the stability.

Comparison of polyacrylamide and agarose gel thin-layer isoelectric focusing for the characterization of beta-lactamases.

PubMed

Vecoli, C; Prevost, F E; Ververis, J J; Medeiros, A A; O'Leary, G P

1983-08-01

Plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases from strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were separated by isoelectric focusing on a 0.8-mm thin-layer agarose gel with a pH gradient of 3.5 to 9.5. Their banding patterns and isoelectric points were compared with those obtained with a 2.0-mm polyacrylamide gel as the support medium. The agarose method produced banding patterns and isoelectric points which corresponded to the polyacrylamide gel data for most samples. Differences were observed for HMS-1 and PSE-1 beta-lactamases. The HMS-1 sample produced two highly resolvable enzyme bands in agarose gels rather than the single faint enzyme band observed on polyacrylamide gels. The PSE-1 sample showed an isoelectric point shift of 0.2 pH unit between polyacrylamide and agarose gel (pI 5.7 and 5.5, respectively). The short focusing time, lack of toxic hazard, and ease of formulation make agarose a practical medium for the characterization of beta-lactamases.

Comparison of polyacrylamide and agarose gel thin-layer isoelectric focusing for the characterization of beta-lactamases.

PubMed Central

Vecoli, C; Prevost, F E; Ververis, J J; Medeiros, A A; O'Leary, G P

1983-01-01

Plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases from strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were separated by isoelectric focusing on a 0.8-mm thin-layer agarose gel with a pH gradient of 3.5 to 9.5. Their banding patterns and isoelectric points were compared with those obtained with a 2.0-mm polyacrylamide gel as the support medium. The agarose method produced banding patterns and isoelectric points which corresponded to the polyacrylamide gel data for most samples. Differences were observed for HMS-1 and PSE-1 beta-lactamases. The HMS-1 sample produced two highly resolvable enzyme bands in agarose gels rather than the single faint enzyme band observed on polyacrylamide gels. The PSE-1 sample showed an isoelectric point shift of 0.2 pH unit between polyacrylamide and agarose gel (pI 5.7 and 5.5, respectively). The short focusing time, lack of toxic hazard, and ease of formulation make agarose a practical medium for the characterization of beta-lactamases. Images PMID:6605714

Flood-inundation and flood-mitigation modeling of the West Branch Wapsinonoc Creek Watershed in West Branch, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cigrand, Charles V.

2018-03-26

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the city of West Branch and the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site of the National Park Service assessed flood-mitigation scenarios within the West Branch Wapsinonoc Creek watershed. The scenarios are intended to demonstrate several means of decreasing peak streamflows and improving the conveyance of overbank flows from the West Branch Wapsinonoc Creek and its tributary Hoover Creek where they flow through the city and the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site located within the city.Hydrologic and hydraulic models of the watershed were constructed to assess the flood-mitigation scenarios. To accomplish this, the models used the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC–HMS) version 4.2 to simulate the amount of runoff and streamflow produced from single rain events. The Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC–RAS) version 5.0 was then used to construct an unsteady-state model that may be used for routing streamflows, mapping areas that may be inundated during floods, and simulating the effects of different measures taken to decrease the effects of floods on people and infrastructure.Both models were calibrated to three historic rainfall events that produced peak streamflows ranging between the 2-year and 10-year flood-frequency recurrence intervals at the USGS streamgage (05464942) on Hoover Creek. The historic rainfall events were calibrated by using data from two USGS streamgages along with surveyed high-water marks from one of the events. The calibrated HEC–HMS model was then used to simulate streamflows from design rainfall events of 24-hour duration ranging from a 20-percent to a 1-percent annual exceedance probability. These simulated streamflows were incorporated into the HEC–RAS model.The unsteady-state HEC–RAS model was calibrated to represent existing conditions within the watershed. HEC–RAS model simulations with the existing conditions and streamflows from the design rainfall events were then done to serve as a baseline for evaluating flood-mitigation scenarios. After these simulations were completed, three different flood-mitigation scenarios were developed with HEC–RAS: a detention-storage scenario, a conveyance improvement scenario, and a combination of both. In the detention-storage scenario, four in-channel detention structures were placed upstream from the city of West Branch to attenuate peak streamflows. To investigate possible improvements to conveying floodwaters through the city of West Branch, a section of abandoned railroad embankment and an old truss bridge were removed in the model, because these structures were producing backwater areas during flooding events. The third scenario combines the detention and conveyance scenarios so their joint efficiency could be evaluated. The scenarios with the design rainfall events were run in the HEC–RAS model so their flood-mitigation effects could be analyzed across a wide range of flood magnitudes.

A coupled hydrological-hydraulic flood inundation model calibrated using post-event measurements and integrated uncertainty analysis in a poorly gauged Mediterranean basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hdeib, Rouya; Abdallah, Chadi; Moussa, Roger; Colin, Francois

2017-04-01

Developing flood inundation maps of defined exceedance probabilities is required to provide information on the flood hazard and the associated risk. A methodology has been developed to model flood inundation in poorly gauged basins, where reliable information on the hydrological characteristics of floods are uncertain and partially captured by the traditional rain-gauge networks. Flood inundation is performed through coupling a hydrological rainfall-runoff (RR) model (HEC-HMS) with a hydraulic model (HEC-RAS). The RR model is calibrated against the January 2013 flood event in the Awali River basin, Lebanon (300 km2), whose flood peak discharge was estimated by post-event measurements. The resulting flows of the RR model are defined as boundary conditions of the hydraulic model, which is run to generate the corresponding water surface profiles and calibrated against 20 post-event surveyed cross sections after the January-2013 flood event. An uncertainty analysis is performed to assess the results of the models. Consequently, the coupled flood inundation model is simulated with design storms and flood inundation maps are generated of defined exceedance probabilities. The peak discharges estimated by the simulated RR model were in close agreement with the results from different empirical and statistical methods. This methodology can be extended to other poorly gauged basins facing common stage-gauge failure or characterized by floods with a stage exceeding the gauge measurement level, or higher than that defined by the rating curve.

78 FR 34348 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-07

... INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction..., and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include...

50 CFR 635.4 - Permits and fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... and to fish for, take, retain or possess Atlantic tunas, swordfish, or sharks when engaged in... harvesting vessel must present for inspection the vessel's HMS Charter/Headboat permit; Atlantic tunas, shark... the shark research permit to the first receiver. The permit(s) must be presented prior to completing...

50 CFR 635.4 - Permits and fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... and to fish for, take, retain or possess Atlantic tunas, swordfish, or sharks when engaged in... harvesting vessel must present for inspection the vessel's HMS Charter/Headboat permit; Atlantic tunas, shark... the shark research permit to the first receiver. The permit(s) must be presented prior to completing...

76 FR 41216 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Environmental Assessment for Amendment 4 to the 2006...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RIN 0648-AW83] Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Environmental Assessment for Amendment 4 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic... Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) instead an Environmental Impact...

50 CFR 300.218 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... fishing vessel of the United States used for commercial fishing for HMS in the Pacific Ocean must maintain... INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species § 300.218... reporting requirements as listed below: (i) Western Pacific pelagic fisheries. Fishing activities subject to...

50 CFR 300.218 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... fishing vessel of the United States used for commercial fishing for HMS in the Pacific Ocean must maintain... INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species § 300.218... reporting requirements as listed below: (i) Western Pacific pelagic fisheries. Fishing activities subject to...

Comparison of algorithms and parameterisations for infiltration into organic-covered permafrost soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infiltration into frozen and unfrozen soils is critical in hydrology, controlling active layer soil water dynamics and influencing runoff. Few Land Surface Models (LSMs) and Hydrological Models (HMs) have been developed, adapted or tested for frozen conditions and permafrost soils. Considering the v...

Development of design data for graphite reinforced epoxy and polyimide composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheck, W. G.

1974-01-01

Processing techniques and design data were characterized for a graphite/epoxy composite system that is useful from 75 K to 450 K, and a graphite/polyimide composite system that is useful from 75 K to 589 K. The Monsanto 710 polyimide resin was selected as the resin to be characterized and used with the graphite fiber reinforcement. Material was purchased using the prepreg specification for the design data generation for both the HT-S/710 and HM-S/710 graphite/polyimide composite system. Lamina and laminate properties were determined at 75 K, 297 K, and 589 K. The test results obtained on the skin-stringer components proved that graphite/polyimide composites can be reliably designed and analyzed much like graphite/epoxy composites. The design data generated in the program includes the standard static mechanical properties, biaxial strain data, creep, fatigue, aging, and thick laminate data.

76 FR 30905 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... commercial or recreational fishing platforms. To regulate these fishing activities, NMFS needs information to.... Regulations at 50 CFR 600.745 and 50 CFR 635.32 govern scientific research activity, exempted fishing, and exempted educational activities with respect to Atlantic HMS. Since the Magnuson-Stevens Act does not...

78 FR 25255 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Public Conference Call and Webinar Regarding Updates to the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-30

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XC621 Atlantic... Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Announcement of public conference call and webinar. SUMMARY: NMFS will... Commerce manages Atlantic HMS, including Atlantic tunas, sharks, billfish, and swordfish, and has delegated...

JPRS Report Near East & South Asia, Pakistan.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-11

foreign luxury goods; video shops are engaged in the business of por- nographic films; snack shops appear on every corner. There was a time when parties...8217 missiles (which sank British warship HMS Sheffield in the Falkland War in 1982). The Navy apparently also possesses French tor- pedoes (F-17P) which

76 FR 72678 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Exempted Fishing, Scientific Research, Display, and Chartering...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-25

... from regulation. Examples of research conducted under LOAs include tagging and releasing of sharks... researchers to collect HMS from bona fide research vessels. One example of research conducted under SRPs... require scientists to report their activities associated with these tags. Examples of research conducted...

78 FR 58522 - Fisheries of the Caribbean; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-24

... . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in... appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division, and Southeast...

77 FR 75613 - Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR); Data Webinar for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-21

..., South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the... appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division, and Southeast...

76 FR 10007 - Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-23

... . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in... Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science...

75 FR 70216 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-17

... Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic... appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center...

77 FR 67341 - Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-09

... Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA... Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division, and...

77 FR 72993 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Electronic Dealer Reporting Requirements; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

.... 110208116-2233-02] RIN 0648-BA75 Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Electronic Dealer Reporting Requirements... rule not yet in effect. It contains a correction to the final regulations regarding electronic dealer... things, require electronic dealer reporting for all federal Atlantic HMS dealers. On August 8, 2012 (77...

50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

77 FR 50470 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Recreational...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

..., West Atlantic sailfish, or North Atlantic swordfish in states (and the United States Virgin Islands and... Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Recreational Landings Reports AGENCY: National... provides important data used to monitor catches of Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) and supplements...

Optimal Sensor Selection for Health Monitoring Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santi, L. Michael; Sowers, T. Shane; Aguilar, Robert B.

2005-01-01

Sensor data are the basis for performance and health assessment of most complex systems. Careful selection and implementation of sensors is critical to enable high fidelity system health assessment. A model-based procedure that systematically selects an optimal sensor suite for overall health assessment of a designated host system is described. This procedure, termed the Systematic Sensor Selection Strategy (S4), was developed at NASA John H. Glenn Research Center in order to enhance design phase planning and preparations for in-space propulsion health management systems (HMS). Information and capabilities required to utilize the S4 approach in support of design phase development of robust health diagnostics are outlined. A merit metric that quantifies diagnostic performance and overall risk reduction potential of individual sensor suites is introduced. The conceptual foundation for this merit metric is presented and the algorithmic organization of the S4 optimization process is described. Representative results from S4 analyses of a boost stage rocket engine previously under development as part of NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) program are presented.

Holonic Rationale and Bio-inspiration on Design of Complex Emergent and Evolvable Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitao, Paulo

Traditional centralized and rigid control structures are becoming inflexible to face the requirements of reconfigurability, responsiveness and robustness, imposed by customer demands in the current global economy. The Holonic Manufacturing Systems (HMS) paradigm, which was pointed out as a suitable solution to face these requirements, translates the concepts inherited from social organizations and biology to the manufacturing world. It offers an alternative way of designing adaptive systems where the traditional centralized control is replaced by decentralization over distributed and autonomous entities organized in hierarchical structures formed by intermediate stable forms. In spite of its enormous potential, methods regarding the self-adaptation and self-organization of complex systems are still missing. This paper discusses how the insights from biology in connection with new fields of computer science can be useful to enhance the holonic design aiming to achieve more self-adaptive and evolvable systems. Special attention is devoted to the discussion of emergent behavior and self-organization concepts, and the way they can be combined with the holonic rationale.

Research on graphite reinforced glass matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bacon, J. F.; Prewo, K. M.; Thompson, E. R.

1978-01-01

A composite that can be used at temperatures up to 875 K with mechanical properties equal or superior to graphite fiber reinforced epoxy composites is presented. The composite system consist of graphite fiber, uniaxially or biaxially, reinforced borosilicate glass. The mechanical and thermal properties of such a graphite fiber reinforced glass composite are described, and the system is shown to offer promise as a high performance structural material. Specific properties that were measured were: a modified borosilicate glass uniaxially reinforced by Hercules HMS graphite fiber has a three-point flexural strength of 1030 MPa, a four-point flexural strength of 964 MPa, an elastic modulus of 199 GPa and a failure strain of 0.0052. The preparation and properties of similar composites with Hercules HTS, Celanese DG-102, Thornel 300 and Thornel Pitch graphite fibers are also described.

High-resolution multimodel projections of soil moisture drought in Europe under 1.5, 2 and 3 degree global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samaniego, L. E.; Kumar, R.; Zink, M.; Pan, M.; Wanders, N.; Marx, A.; Sheffield, J.; Wood, E. F.; Thober, S.

2017-12-01

Droughts are creeping hydro-meteorological events that may bring societies and natural systems to their limits by inducing significant environmental changes and large socio-economic losses. Little is know about the effects of varios degrees of warming (i.e., 1.5 , 2 and 3 K) and their respective uncertainties on extreme characteristics such as drought duration and area under drought in general, and in Europe in particular. In this study we investigate the evolution of droughts characteristics under three levels of warming using an unprecedented high-resolution multi-model hydrologic ensemble over the Pan-EU domain at a scale of 5x5 km2 from 1950 until 2100. This multi-model ensemble comprises four hydrologic models (HMs: mHM, Noah-MP, PCR-GLOBWB, VIC) which are forced by five CMIP-5 Global Climate Models (GFDL-ESM2M, HadGEM2-ES, IPSL-CM5A-LR, MIROC-ESM-CHEM, NorESM1-M) under three RCP scenarios 2.6, 6.0, and 8.5. This results in a 60-member ensemble. The contribution GCM/HM uncertainties were analyzed based on a sequential sampling algorithm proposed by Samaniego et al. 2016. This study is carried out within the EDgE project funded by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (edge.climate.copernicus.eu) and the HOKLIM project funded by the German Ministry of Education (BMBF)(www.ufz.de/hoklim). The changes under three levels of warming indicate significant increase (more than 10%) of the number of droughts and area under drought with respect to 30-year climatological means obtained with E-OBS observations. Furthermore, we found that: 1) the number of drought events exhibit significant regional changes. Largest changes are observed in the Mediterrinian where frequency of droughts increases from 25% under 1.5 K to 33% under 2 K, and to more than 50% under 3 K warming. Minor changes are seen in Central-Europe and the British Isles. 2) The GCMs/HMs uncertainties have marked regional differences too, with GCM uncertainty appear to be larger everywhere. The uncertainty of HMs are, however, similar to those of the GCMs in the Iberian peninsula due to different representation of evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics. And, 3) despite the large uncertainty in the full ensemble, significant positive trends have been observed in all drought characteristics that intensify with increased global warming.

An affinity-structure database of helix-turn-helix: DNA complexes with a universal coordinate system

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

AlQuraishi, Mohammed; Tang, Shengdong; Xia, Xide

Molecular interactions between proteins and DNA molecules underlie many cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromosome replication, and nucleosome positioning. Computational analyses of protein-DNA interactions rely on experimental data characterizing known protein-DNA interactions structurally and biochemically. While many databases exist that contain either structural or biochemical data, few integrate these two data sources in a unified fashion. Such integration is becoming increasingly critical with the rapid growth of structural and biochemical data, and the emergence of algorithms that rely on the synthesis of multiple data types to derive computational models of molecular interactions. We have developed an integrated affinity-structure database inmore » which the experimental and quantitative DNA binding affinities of helix-turn-helix proteins are mapped onto the crystal structures of the corresponding protein-DNA complexes. This database provides access to: (i) protein-DNA structures, (ii) quantitative summaries of protein-DNA binding affinities using position weight matrices, and (iii) raw experimental data of protein-DNA binding instances. Critically, this database establishes a correspondence between experimental structural data and quantitative binding affinity data at the single basepair level. Furthermore, we present a novel alignment algorithm that structurally aligns the protein-DNA complexes in the database and creates a unified residue-level coordinate system for comparing the physico-chemical environments at the interface between complexes. Using this unified coordinate system, we compute the statistics of atomic interactions at the protein-DNA interface of helix-turn-helix proteins. We provide an interactive website for visualization, querying, and analyzing this database, and a downloadable version to facilitate programmatic analysis. Lastly, this database will facilitate the analysis of protein-DNA interactions and the development of programmatic computational methods that capitalize on integration of structural and biochemical datasets. The database can be accessed at http://ProteinDNA.hms.harvard.edu.« less

An affinity-structure database of helix-turn-helix: DNA complexes with a universal coordinate system

DOE PAGES

AlQuraishi, Mohammed; Tang, Shengdong; Xia, Xide

2015-11-19

Molecular interactions between proteins and DNA molecules underlie many cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromosome replication, and nucleosome positioning. Computational analyses of protein-DNA interactions rely on experimental data characterizing known protein-DNA interactions structurally and biochemically. While many databases exist that contain either structural or biochemical data, few integrate these two data sources in a unified fashion. Such integration is becoming increasingly critical with the rapid growth of structural and biochemical data, and the emergence of algorithms that rely on the synthesis of multiple data types to derive computational models of molecular interactions. We have developed an integrated affinity-structure database inmore » which the experimental and quantitative DNA binding affinities of helix-turn-helix proteins are mapped onto the crystal structures of the corresponding protein-DNA complexes. This database provides access to: (i) protein-DNA structures, (ii) quantitative summaries of protein-DNA binding affinities using position weight matrices, and (iii) raw experimental data of protein-DNA binding instances. Critically, this database establishes a correspondence between experimental structural data and quantitative binding affinity data at the single basepair level. Furthermore, we present a novel alignment algorithm that structurally aligns the protein-DNA complexes in the database and creates a unified residue-level coordinate system for comparing the physico-chemical environments at the interface between complexes. Using this unified coordinate system, we compute the statistics of atomic interactions at the protein-DNA interface of helix-turn-helix proteins. We provide an interactive website for visualization, querying, and analyzing this database, and a downloadable version to facilitate programmatic analysis. Lastly, this database will facilitate the analysis of protein-DNA interactions and the development of programmatic computational methods that capitalize on integration of structural and biochemical datasets. The database can be accessed at http://ProteinDNA.hms.harvard.edu.« less

Measuring population health: costs of alternative survey approaches in the Nouna Health and Demographic Surveillance System in rural Burkina Faso

PubMed Central

Lietz, Henrike; Lingani, Moustapha; Sié, Ali; Sauerborn, Rainer; Souares, Aurelia; Tozan, Yesim

2015-01-01

Background There are more than 40 Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites in 19 different countries. The running costs of HDSS sites are high. The financing of HDSS activities is of major importance, and adding external health surveys to the HDSS is challenging. To investigate the ways of improving data quality and collection efficiency in the Nouna HDSS in Burkina Faso, the stand-alone data collection activities of the HDSS and the Household Morbidity Survey (HMS) were integrated, and the paper-based questionnaires were consolidated into a single tablet-based questionnaire, the Comprehensive Disease Assessment (CDA). Objective The aims of this study are to estimate and compare the implementation costs of the two different survey approaches for measuring population health. Design All financial costs of stand-alone (HDSS and HMS) and integrated (CDA) surveys were estimated from the perspective of the implementing agency. Fixed and variable costs of survey implementation and key cost drivers were identified. The costs per household visit were calculated for both survey approaches. Results While fixed costs of survey implementation were similar for the two survey approaches, there were considerable variations in variable costs, resulting in an estimated annual cost saving of about US$45,000 under the integrated survey approach. This was primarily because the costs of data management for the tablet-based CDA survey were considerably lower than for the paper-based stand-alone surveys. The cost per household visit from the integrated survey approach was US$21 compared with US$25 from the stand-alone surveys for collecting the same amount of information from 10,000 HDSS households. Conclusions The CDA tablet-based survey method appears to be feasible and efficient for collecting health and demographic data in the Nouna HDSS in rural Burkina Faso. The possibility of using the tablet-based data collection platform to improve the quality of population health data requires further exploration. PMID:26257048

Analysis of flood vulnerability in urban area; a case study in deli watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indrawan, I.; Siregar, R. I.

2018-03-01

Based on the National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia, the distribution of disasters and victims died until the year 2016 is the largest flood disaster. Deli River is a river that has the greatest flood potential through Medan City. In Deli Watershed, flow discharge affected by the discharge from its tributaries, the high rainfall intensity and human activity. We should anticipate reducing and preventing the occurrence of losses due to flood damage. One of the ways to anticipate flood disaster is to predict which part of urban area is would flood. The objective of this study is to analyze the flood inundation areas due to overflow of Deli River through Medan city. Two-dimensional modeling by HEC-RAS 5.0.3 is a widely used hydraulic software tool developed by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, which combined with the HEC-HMS for hydrological modeling. The result shows flood vulnerability in Medan by a map to present the spot that vulnerable about flood. The flooded area due to the overflowing of Deli River consists of seven sub districts, namely Medan Johor, Medan Selayang, Medan Kota, Medan Petisah, Medan Maimun, Medan Perjuangan and Medan Barat.

Community Education and Youth Mentoring: How to Build Good Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broadbent, Robyn; Papadopoulos, Theo

2009-01-01

In 2008, the Helen Macpherson Smith (HMS) Trust commissioned Victoria University to conduct an evaluation of the Mentoring and Capacity Building Initiative's Regional Coordination Projects (RCPs). The RCPs are founded on a model of community education and collaboration that aims to enhance cross-sectoral and whole-of-community approaches to…

75 FR 33531 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-14

... also closes the southern area Angling category fishery for large medium and giant (``trophy'') BFT, and... Management Plan and to prevent overharvest of the 2010 Angling category quota. DATES: Effective June 12, 2010... Management Plan (2006 Consolidated HMS FMP) (71 FR 58058, October 2, 2006). The 2010 BFT fishing year, which...

50 CFR 635.7 - At-sea observer coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false At-sea observer coverage. 635.7 Section... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES General § 635.7 At-sea observer coverage. (a) Applicability. NMFS may select for at-sea observer coverage any vessel that has an Atlantic HMS...

50 CFR 635.7 - At-sea observer coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 10 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false At-sea observer coverage. 635.7 Section... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES General § 635.7 At-sea observer coverage. (a) Applicability. NMFS may select for at-sea observer coverage any vessel that has an Atlantic HMS...

50 CFR 635.7 - At-sea observer coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false At-sea observer coverage. 635.7 Section... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES General § 635.7 At-sea observer coverage. (a) Applicability. NMFS may select for at-sea observer coverage any vessel that has an Atlantic HMS...

77 FR 8758 - International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species; High...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

... Migratory Species; High Seas Transshipment Prohibitions AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS...) to prohibit the transshipment of highly migratory species (HMS) on the high seas to or from certain... potential effects of a prohibition on high seas transshipments in the Convention Area. DATES: Comments must...

50 CFR 635.7 - At-sea observer coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false At-sea observer coverage. 635.7 Section... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES General § 635.7 At-sea observer coverage. (a) Applicability. NMFS may select for at-sea observer coverage any vessel that has an Atlantic HMS...

50 CFR 635.7 - At-sea observer coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false At-sea observer coverage. 635.7 Section... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES General § 635.7 At-sea observer coverage. (a) Applicability. NMFS may select for at-sea observer coverage any vessel that has an Atlantic HMS...

77 FR 11065 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in... Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science...

76 FR 10887 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-28

...: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with... Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science...

Development of lightweight graphite/polyimide honeycomb. Phase 1: Materials selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poesch, J. G.

1971-01-01

The materials selected for the production of extremely lightweight honeycomb sandwich panels are discussed. The resin selected for the first core and face sheet fabrication was Monsanto RS6234 polyimide. The fiber selected for core manufacture was Hercules HT-S, and for face sheets, Hercules HM-S; these selections are discussed.

78 FR 24148 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management Measures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-24

... Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to address the results of recent shark stock... declared that the status of the dusky shark stock is still overfished and still experiencing overfishing (i.e., their stock status has not changed). On November 26, 2012, we published a proposed rule for...

75 FR 64994 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-21

... Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as... nominee shall actively participate in good faith in the meetings and tasks of the HMS AP; and 4. A list of... hearings. Dated: October 15, 2010. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries...

The Voyage of the Beagle: Field Work Lessons from Charles Darwin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Louis M.

1987-01-01

Analyzes Charles Darwin's letters to his family during his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle. Relates the information to the development of Darwin's professional identity and the degree to which the concepts, field methods, and research methods revealed in Darwin's personal correspondence are useful to students of educational administration. (MD)

78 FR 36525 - Fisheries of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-18

...) Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) and Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) sharks. SUMMARY: The SEDAR 34 assessment of HMS Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead sharks will consist of an in-person workshop... for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multi-step process...

50 CFR 635.71 - Prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Fish with bottom or pelagic longline and shark gillnet gear for HMS without adhering to the gear... workshop in violation of § 635.8. (12) Fish for Atlantic sharks with unauthorized gear or possess Atlantic sharks on board a vessel with unauthorized gear on board as specified in § 635.21(e)(3). (13) Fish for...

50 CFR 635.5 - Recordkeeping and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., a shark vessel, or a swordfish vessel, for which a permit has been issued under § 635.4(b), (d), (e... effort and the number of fish landed and discarded. Entries on a day's fishing activities must be entered... of an HMS charter/headboat vessel, Atlantic tunas vessel, shark vessel, or swordfish vessel...

75 FR 30483 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management Measures; Amendment 3

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-01

...NMFS publishes this final rule implementing the Final Amendment 3 to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). As it developed Amendment 3, NMFS examined a full range of management alternatives available to rebuild blacknose sharks and end overfishing of blacknose and shortfin mako sharks, consistent with recent stock assessments, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and other applicable law, and evaluated options for managing smooth dogfish as a highly migratory species under the HMS FMP. This final rule implements the final conservation and management measures in Amendment 3 for blacknose sharks, shortfin mako sharks, and smooth dogfish. In order to reduce confusion with spiny dogfish regulations, this final rule places both smooth dogfish and Florida smoothhound into the ``smoothhound shark complex.'' This final rule also announces the opening date and 2010 annual quotas for small coastal sharks (SCS). These changes could affect all fishermen, commercial and recreational, who fish for sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea.

Subcellular Distribution and Chemical Forms of Pb in Corn: Strategies Underlying Tolerance in Pb Stress.

PubMed

Sun, Jianling; Luo, Liqiang

2018-06-22

Studying the accumulation position and forms of heavy metals (HMs) in organisms and cells is helpful to understand the transport process and detoxification mechanism. As typical HMs, lead (Pb) subcellular content, localization, and speciation of corn subcellular fractions were studied by a series of technologies, including transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and X-ray absorption near edge structure. The results revealed that the electrodense granules of Pb were localized in the cell wall, intercellular space, and plasma membranes. About 71% Pb was localized at the cell wall and soluble fraction. In cell walls, the total amount of pyromorphite and Pb carbonate was about 80% and the remaining was Pb stearate. In the nuclear and chloroplast fraction, which demonstrated significant changes, major speciations were Pb sulfide (72%), basic Pb carbonate (16%), and Pb stearate (12%). Pb is blocked by cell walls as pyromorphite and Pb carbonate sediments and compartmentalized by vacuoles, which both play an inportant role in cell detoxification. Besides, sulfur-containing compounds form inside the cells.

Simulation of the influence of EDTA on the sorption of heavy metals by humic acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kropacheva, T. N.; Didik, M. V.; Kornev, V. I.

2015-04-01

The results of mathematical simulation of sorption equilibria with the participation of divalent cations of heavy metals (HMs), chelant (EDTA), and insoluble forms of humic acids (HAs) are discussed. It is shown that the formation of chelates of metals with EDTA in solutions results in the decreasing sorption of the metals by humic acids. We also analyzed the effect of the acidity of the medium and the HM: EDTA: HA ratio (in a wide range) on the desorption of metals. The desorbing effect of EDTA on the metals is the highest at pH 3-5 and increases with an increase in the concentration of EDTA and a decrease in the concentration of HAs. With respect to the remobilization of metals under the impact of EDTA, the metal cations can be arranged into the following sequence: Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Pb(II) ≫ Cd(II) > Co(II) > Zn(II). The obtained data have been used to analyze the remobilization / extraction of HMs from soils with a high content of humic substances.

Native Phytoremediation Potential of Urtica dioica for Removal of PCBs and Heavy Metals Can Be Improved by Genetic Manipulations Using Constitutive CaMV 35S Promoter.

PubMed

Viktorova, Jitka; Jandova, Zuzana; Madlenakova, Michaela; Prouzova, Petra; Bartunek, Vilem; Vrchotova, Blanka; Lovecka, Petra; Musilova, Lucie; Macek, Tomas

2016-01-01

Although stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has been shown to reduce HM (heavy metal) content in soil, its wider phytoremediation potential has been neglected. Urtica dioica was cultivated in soils contaminated with HMs or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). After four months, up to 33% of the less chlorinated biphenyls and 8% of HMs (Zn, Pb, Cd) had been removed. Bacteria were isolated from the plant tissue, with the endophytic bacteria Bacillus shackletonii and Streptomyces badius shown to have the most significant effect. These bacteria demonstrated not only benefits for plant growth, but also extreme tolerance to As, Zn and Pb. Despite these results, the native phytoremediation potential of nettles could be improved by biotechnologies. Transient expression was used to investigate the functionality of the most common constitutive promoter, CaMV 35S in Urtica dioica. This showed the expression of the CUP and bphC transgenes. Collectively, our findings suggest that remediation by stinging nettle could have a much wider range of applications than previously thought.

Bioaccessibility, dietary exposure and human risk assessment of heavy metals from market vegetables in Hong Kong revealed with an in vitro gastrointestinal model.

PubMed

Hu, Junli; Wu, Fuyong; Wu, Shengchun; Cao, Zhihong; Lin, Xiangui; Wong, Ming Hung

2013-04-01

A systematic survey of heavy metal (HM) concentrations and bioaccessibilities in market vegetables in Hong Kong were carried out for assessing potential health risk to local inhabitants. The average concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in nine major groups of fresh vegetable varied within 0.007-0.053, 0.05-0.17, 0.05-0.24, 0.26-1.1, 0.62-3.0, and 0.96-4.3 mg kg(-1), respectively, and their average bioaccessibilities varied within 21-96%, 20-68%, 24-62%, 29-64%, 30-77%, and 69-94%, respectively. The bioaccessible estimated daily intakes (BEDIs) of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn from vegetables were far below the tolerable limits. The total bioaccessible target hazard quotient (TBTHQ) of the six HMs was 0.18 and 0.64 for average and high consumers, respectively, with Cd and leafy vegetable being the major risk contributors. Risk assessment of HMs from foods should be modified by taking bioaccessibility into account. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Native Phytoremediation Potential of Urtica dioica for Removal of PCBs and Heavy Metals Can Be Improved by Genetic Manipulations Using Constitutive CaMV 35S Promoter

PubMed Central

Viktorova, Jitka; Jandova, Zuzana; Madlenakova, Michaela; Prouzova, Petra; Bartunek, Vilem; Vrchotova, Blanka; Lovecka, Petra; Musilova, Lucie; Macek, Tomas

2016-01-01

Although stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has been shown to reduce HM (heavy metal) content in soil, its wider phytoremediation potential has been neglected. Urtica dioica was cultivated in soils contaminated with HMs or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). After four months, up to 33% of the less chlorinated biphenyls and 8% of HMs (Zn, Pb, Cd) had been removed. Bacteria were isolated from the plant tissue, with the endophytic bacteria Bacillus shackletonii and Streptomyces badius shown to have the most significant effect. These bacteria demonstrated not only benefits for plant growth, but also extreme tolerance to As, Zn and Pb. Despite these results, the native phytoremediation potential of nettles could be improved by biotechnologies. Transient expression was used to investigate the functionality of the most common constitutive promoter, CaMV 35S in Urtica dioica. This showed the expression of the CUP and bphC transgenes. Collectively, our findings suggest that remediation by stinging nettle could have a much wider range of applications than previously thought. PMID:27930707

Impacts of environmental factors on the whole microbial communities in the rhizosphere of a metal-tolerant plant: Elsholtzia haichowensis Sun.

PubMed

Deng, Songqiang; Ke, Tan; Li, Longtai; Cai, Shenwen; Zhou, Yuyue; Liu, Yue; Guo, Limin; Chen, Lanzhou; Zhang, Dayi

2018-06-01

Rhizospheric microbes play important roles in plant growth and heavy metals (HMs) transformation, possessing great potential for the successful phytoremediation of environmental pollutants. In the present study, the rhizosphere of Elsholtzia haichowensis Sun was comprehensively studied to uncover the influence of environmental factors (EFs) on the whole microbial communities including bacteria, fungi and archaea, via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing. By analyzing molecular ecological network and multivariate regression trees (MRT), we evaluated the distinct impacts of 37 EFs on soil microbial community. Of them, soil pH, HMs, soil texture and nitrogen were identified as the most influencing factors, and their roles varied across different domains. Soil pH was the main environmental variable on archaeal and bacterial community but not fungi, explaining 25.7%, 46.5% and 40.7% variation of bacterial taxonomic composition, archaeal taxonomic composition and a-diversity, respectively. HMs showed important roles in driving the whole microbial community and explained the major variation in different domains. Nitrogen (NH 4 -N, NO 3 -N, NO 2 -N and TN) explained 47.3% variation of microbial population composition and 15.9% of archaeal taxonomic composition, demonstrating its influence in structuring the rhizospheric microbiome, particularly archaeal and bacterial community. Soil texture accounted for 10.2% variation of population composition, 28.9% of fungal taxonomic composition, 19.2% of fungal a-diversity and 7.8% of archaeal a-diversity. Rhizosphere only showed strong impacts on fungi and bacteria, accounting for 14.7% and 4.9% variation of fungal taxonomic composition and bacterial a-diversity. Spatial distance had stronger influence on bacteria and archaea than fungi, but not as significant as other EFs. For the first time, our study provides a complete insight into key influential EFs on rhizospheric microbes and how their roles vary across microbial domains, giving a hand for understanding the construction of microbial communities in rhizosphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide identification of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) histone modification gene families and their expression analysis during the fruit development and fruit-blue mold infection process

PubMed Central

Xu, Jidi; Xu, Haidan; Liu, Yuanlong; Wang, Xia; Xu, Qiang; Deng, Xiuxin

2015-01-01

In eukaryotes, histone acetylation and methylation have been known to be involved in regulating diverse developmental processes and plant defense. These histone modification events are controlled by a series of histone modification gene families. To date, there is no study regarding genome-wide characterization of histone modification related genes in citrus species. Based on the two recent sequenced sweet orange genome databases, a total of 136 CsHMs (Citrus sinensis histone modification genes), including 47 CsHMTs (histone methyltransferase genes), 23 CsHDMs (histone demethylase genes), 50 CsHATs (histone acetyltransferase genes), and 16 CsHDACs (histone deacetylase genes) were identified. These genes were categorized to 11 gene families. A comprehensive analysis of these 11 gene families was performed with chromosome locations, phylogenetic comparison, gene structures, and conserved domain compositions of proteins. In order to gain an insight into the potential roles of these genes in citrus fruit development, 42 CsHMs with high mRNA abundance in fruit tissues were selected to further analyze their expression profiles at six stages of fruit development. Interestingly, a numbers of genes were expressed highly in flesh of ripening fruit and some of them showed the increasing expression levels along with the fruit development. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression patterns of all 136 CsHMs response to the infection of blue mold (Penicillium digitatum), which is the most devastating pathogen in citrus post-harvest process. The results indicated that 20 of them showed the strong alterations of their expression levels during the fruit-pathogen infection. In conclusion, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of the histone modification gene families in sweet orange and further elucidates their behaviors during the fruit development and the blue mold infection responses. PMID:26300904

Incidence and survival of hematological cancers among adults ages ≥75 years.

PubMed

Krok-Schoen, Jessica L; Fisher, James L; Stephens, Julie A; Mims, Alice; Ayyappan, Sabarish; Woyach, Jennifer A; Rosko, Ashley E

2018-04-13

Evaluating population-based data of hematologic malignancies (HMs) in older adults provides prognostic information for this growing demographic. Incidence rates and one- and five-year relative survival rates were examined for specific HMs among adults ages ≥75 years using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. Hematologic malignancy cases (Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), multiple myeloma (MM), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)) were reported to one of 18 SEER registries. Recent average annual (2010-2014) incidence rates and incidence trends from 1973 to 2014 were examined for cases ages ≥75 years. One- and five-year relative cancer survival rates were examined for adults ages ≥75 years diagnosed 2007-2013, with follow-up into 2014. From 1973 to 2014, incidence rates increased for NHL, MM, and AML, decreased for HL, and remained relatively stable for ALL, CLL, and CML among adults ages ≥75 years. The highest one- and five-year relative survival rates were observed among adults with CLL ages 75-84 years (1 year: 91.8% (95% CI = 91.8-90.8)) and 5 years: 76.5% (95% CI = 74.2-78.6)). The lowest one- and five-year survival rates were observed among adults with AML ages 75-84 (1 year: 18.2% (95% CI = 74.2-78.6) and 5 years: 2.7% (95% CI = 2.0-3.6)). Survival for older adults ages ≥75 years with HMs is poor, particularly for acute leukemia. Understanding the heterogeneity in HM outcomes among older patients may help clinicians better address the hematological cancer burden and mortality in the aging population. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Study on Real-Time Scheduling Methods in Holonic Manufacturing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwamura, Koji; Taimizu, Yoshitaka; Sugimura, Nobuhiro

Recently, new architectures of manufacturing systems have been proposed to realize flexible control structures of the manufacturing systems, which can cope with the dynamic changes in the volume and the variety of the products and also the unforeseen disruptions, such as failures of manufacturing resources and interruptions by high priority jobs. They are so called as the autonomous distributed manufacturing system, the biological manufacturing system and the holonic manufacturing system. Rule-based scheduling methods were proposed and applied to the real-time production scheduling problems of the HMS (Holonic Manufacturing System) in the previous report. However, there are still remaining problems from the viewpoint of the optimization of the whole production schedules. New procedures are proposed, in the present paper, to select the production schedules, aimed at generating effective production schedules in real-time. The proposed methods enable the individual holons to select suitable machining operations to be carried out in the next time period. Coordination process among the holons is also proposed to carry out the coordination based on the effectiveness values of the individual holons.

Performance and Results for Quartz Detector for the SuperHMS Spectrometer at Hall C Jefferson Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griego, Benjamin F., Jr.

A quartz detector has been constructed to be part of the trigger system for the Super High Momentum Spectrometer (SHMS). The SHMS will play a pivotal role in carrying out the 12 -- GeV physics program at Hal -- C Jefferson Lab. The quartz hodoscope consists of twenty one fused silica bars. Each bar is 125 cm long, 5.5 cm wide, 2.5 cm thick, and is viewed by a UV -- sensitive PMT on each end. The quartz hodoscope's task is to provide a clean detection of charged particles, a high level of background suppression, and an accurate tracking efficiency determination. Initial test results of the quartz detectors which include light yield and position resolution will be presented.

Lead toxicity, defense strategies and associated indicative biomarkers in Talinum triangulare grown hydroponically.

PubMed

Kumar, Abhay; Prasad, M N V; Sytar, Oksana

2012-11-01

Talinum species have been used to investigate a variety of environmental problems for e.g. determination of metal pollution index and total petroleum hydrocarbons in roadside soils, stabilization and reclamation of heavy metals (HMs) in dump sites, removal of HMs from storm water-runoff and green roof leachates. Species of Talinum are popular leaf vegetables having nutrient antinutrient properties. In this study, Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd (Ceylon spinach) grown hydroponically were exposed to different concentrations of lead (Pb) (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mM) to investigate the biomarkers of toxicity and tolerance mechanisms. Relative water content, cell death, photosynthetic pigments, sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG), anthocyanins, α-tocopherol, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) glutathione (GSH and GSSG) and elemental analysis have been investigated. The results showed that Pb in roots and shoots gradually increased as the function of Pb exposure; however Pb concentration in leaves was below detectable level. Chlorophylls and SQDG contents increased at 0.25 mM of Pb treatment in comparison to control at all treated durations, thereafter decreased. Levels of carotenoid, anthocyanins, α-tocopherol, and lipid peroxidation increased in Pb treated plants compared to control. Water content, cells death and elemental analysis suggested the damage of transport system interfering with nutrient transport causing cell death. The present study also explained that Pb imposed indirect oxidative stress in leaves is characterized by decreases in GSH/GSSG ratio with increased doses of Pb treatment. Lead-induced oxidative stress was alleviated by carotenoids, anthocyanins, α-tocopherol and glutathione suggesting that these defense responses as potential biomarkers for detecting Pb toxicity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eocene and Miocene extension, meteoric fluid infiltration, and core complex formation in the Great Basin (Raft River Mountains, Utah)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Methner, Katharina; Mulch, Andreas; Teyssier, Christian; Wells, Michael L.; Cosca, Michael A.; Gottardi, Raphael; Gebelin, Aude; Chamberlain, C. Page

2015-01-01

Metamorphic core complexes (MCCs) in the North American Cordillera reflect the effects of lithospheric extension and contribute to crustal adjustments both during and after a protracted subduction history along the Pacific plate margin. While the Miocene-to-recent history of most MCCs in the Great Basin, including the Raft River-Albion-Grouse Creek MCC, is well documented, early Cenozoic tectonic fabrics are commonly severely overprinted. We present stable isotope, geochronological (40Ar/39Ar), and microstructural data from the Raft River detachment shear zone. Hydrogen isotope ratios of syntectonic white mica (δ2Hms) from mylonitic quartzite within the shear zone are very low (−90‰ to −154‰, Vienna SMOW) and result from multiphase synkinematic interaction with surface-derived fluids. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology reveals Eocene (re)crystallization of white mica with δ2Hms ≥ −154‰ in quartzite mylonite of the western segment of the detachment system. These δ2Hms values are distinctively lower than in localities farther east (δ2Hms ≥ −125‰), where 40Ar/39Ar geochronological data indicate Miocene (18–15 Ma) extensional shearing and mylonitic fabric formation. These data indicate that very low δ2H surface-derived fluids penetrated the brittle-ductile transition as early as the mid-Eocene during a first phase of exhumation along a detachment rooted to the east. In the eastern part of the core complex, prominent top-to-the-east ductile shearing, mid-Miocene 40Ar/39Ar ages, and higher δ2H values of recrystallized white mica, indicate Miocene structural and isotopic overprinting of Eocene fabrics.

Modeling Hydrologic Processes after Vegetation Restoration in an Urban Watershed with HEC-HMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, K.; Kinoshita, A. M.

2017-12-01

The San Diego River Watershed in California (USA) is highly urbanized, where stream channel geomorphology are directly affected by anthropogenic disturbances. Flooding and water quality concerns have led to an increased interest in improving the condition of urban waterways. Alvarado Creek, a 1200-meter section of a tributary to the San Diego River will be used as a case study to understand the degree to which restoration efforts reduce the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on hydrologic processes and water quality in urban stream ecosystems. In 2016, non-native vegetation (i.e. Washingtonia spp. (fan palm), Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island palm)) and approximately 7257 kilograms of refuse were removed from the study reach. This research develops the United States Army Corp of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydraulic Modeling System (USACE HEC-HMS) using field-based data to model and predict the short- and long-term impacts of restoration on geomorphic and hydrologic processes. Observations include cross-sectional area, grain-size distributions, water quality, and continuous measurements of streamflow, temperature, and precipitation. Baseline and design storms are simulated before and after restoration. The model will be calibrated and validated using field observations. The design storms represent statistical likelihoods of storms occurrences, and the pre- and post-restoration hydrologic responses will be compared to evaluate the impact of vegetation and waste removal on runoff processes. Ultimately model parameters will be transferred to other urban creeks in San Diego that may potentially undergo restoration. Modeling will be used to learn about the response trajectory of rainfall-runoff processes following restoration efforts in urban streams and guide future management and restoration activities.

A retrospective streamflow ensemble forecast for an extreme hydrologic event: a case study of Hurricane Irene and on the Hudson River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, Firas; Ramaswamy, Venkatsundar; Georgas, Nickitas; Blumberg, Alan F.; Pullen, Julie

2016-07-01

This paper investigates the uncertainties in hourly streamflow ensemble forecasts for an extreme hydrological event using a hydrological model forced with short-range ensemble weather prediction models. A state-of-the art, automated, short-term hydrologic prediction framework was implemented using GIS and a regional scale hydrological model (HEC-HMS). The hydrologic framework was applied to the Hudson River basin ( ˜ 36 000 km2) in the United States using gridded precipitation data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) and was validated against streamflow observations from the United States Geologic Survey (USGS). Finally, 21 precipitation ensemble members of the latest Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS/R) were forced into HEC-HMS to generate a retrospective streamflow ensemble forecast for an extreme hydrological event, Hurricane Irene. The work shows that ensemble stream discharge forecasts provide improved predictions and useful information about associated uncertainties, thus improving the assessment of risks when compared with deterministic forecasts. The uncertainties in weather inputs may result in false warnings and missed river flooding events, reducing the potential to effectively mitigate flood damage. The findings demonstrate how errors in the ensemble median streamflow forecast and time of peak, as well as the ensemble spread (uncertainty) are reduced 48 h pre-event by utilizing the ensemble framework. The methodology and implications of this work benefit efforts of short-term streamflow forecasts at regional scales, notably regarding the peak timing of an extreme hydrologic event when combined with a flood threshold exceedance diagram. Although the modeling framework was implemented on the Hudson River basin, it is flexible and applicable in other parts of the world where atmospheric reanalysis products and streamflow data are available.

75 FR 3335 - International Fisheries; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-21

... boarding and inspection on the high seas, among others. NMFS has determined that this action is necessary... fishing for highly migratory species (HMS) on the high seas in the Convention Area will be required to... Region, supplemental to, and as an endorsement on, the permits issued under the authority of the High...

Take a Voyage of Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texley, Juliana

2008-01-01

On December 27, 1831, the "H.M.S. Beagle" left Plymouth Harbor for a round-the-world voyage. On board was would-be botanist Charles Darwin, the best tour guide biology has ever known. In 2009, we will celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of "The Origin of Species" publication. What better way to prepare for this celebration…

50 CFR 635.24 - Commercial retention limits for sharks, swordfish, and BAYS tunas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Small Boat permit trip limit is set above zero. The current shark trip limit for HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders is set at zero. (5) A person who owns or operates a vessel that has been... released in the water in a manner that maximizes survival. (7) [Reserved] (8) Inseason trip limit...

Homework Management Scale: Confirming the Factor Structure with Middle School Students in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Jianzhong; Fan, Xitao; Du, Jianxia

2015-01-01

This study presents a psychometric evaluation of the Homework Management Scale (HMS) for mathematics, consisting of five subscales for measuring homework management strategies. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted with a sample of middle school students (N = 796). Results indicated that the factor structure of the Chinese version of the HMS…

Using Autumn Hawk Watch to track raptor migration and to monitor populations of North American birds of prey

Treesearch

Kyle McCarty; Keith L. Bildstein

2005-01-01

Raptors are secretive, area-sensitive predators whose populations can be logistically difficult and financially prohibitive to monitor. Many North American populations of raptors are migratory however, and on migration raptors are frequently counted at traditional migration watchsites. Experiences at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (HMS) and elsewhere suggest that long-term...

78 FR 20258 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-04

... landings data. The adjusted limit for HMS Charter/Headboat vessels is one school BFT and one large school... regulations. NMFS is required under ATCA and the Magnuson-Stevens Act to provide U.S. fishing vessels with a... default Angling category daily retention limit of one school, large school, or small medium BFT (measuring...

THE HEALTHY MEN STUDY: A MODEL APPROACH FOR EXAMINING POTENTIAL MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER.

EPA Science Inventory

The Healthy Men Study (HMS) is a prospective multisite community study on drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and male reproductive health. We are testing whether exposure to DBPs in drinking water may be associated with altered semen quality, a hypothesis derived from...

77 FR 19164 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

...: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: March 27, 2012. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of... governing the Federal small-scale HMS fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean, and announced that public hearings...- 0053 in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from the resulting list and...

50 CFR 660.701 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Purpose and scope. 660.701 Section 660... § 660.701 Purpose and scope. This subpart implements the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast... for HMS in the U.S. EEZ off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California and in adjacent high seas...

78 FR 66327 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS); 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-05

... Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2013-26451 Filed 10.... SUMMARY: On August 22, 2013, NMFS published a notice of public hearings for Draft Amendment 7 to the 2006... cancelled due to the shut- down of the Federal Government from October 1 through 16, 2013. In this document...

78 FR 52487 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2014 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishing Season

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-23

... commercial quotas within the shark research fishery are 50.0 mt dw (110,230 lb dw) for research large coastal... Consolidated HMS FMP and its amendments and the Environmental Assessment (EA) that accompanied the 2011 shark... consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act that were previously analyzed in the EA with the...

75 FR 52510 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-26

... Species Fisheries Sandbar, Dusky, and Blacknose Sharks AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS... blacknose sharks assessment webinar. SUMMARY: The SEDAR 21 assessments of the HMS stocks of sandbar, dusky, and blacknose sharks will consist of a series of workshops and webinars: a Data Workshop, a series of...

75 FR 75416 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Inseason Action To Close the Commercial Non-Sandbar Large...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-03

... vessel that fishes only in state waters and had not been issued an Atlantic Shark LAP, HMS Angling permit... Commercial Non-Sandbar Large Coastal Shark Fishery in the Atlantic Region AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries.... SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the commercial fishery for non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS) in the Atlantic...

78 FR 34046 - Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-06

... Bonnethead sharks. SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessment of the HMS stocks of Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead sharks will consist of one workshop and a series of Webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. DATES: The... status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multi-step process including: (1) Data...

78 FR 52032 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF... categories per the percentages outlined in the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. In other words, the combined effect... other words, if a vessel is not allowed access to the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area due to the...

Flood Hazard Mapping Assessment for El-Awali River Catchment-Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hdeib, Rouya; Abdallah, Chadi; Moussa, Roger; Hijazi, Samar

2016-04-01

River flooding prediction and flood forecasting has become an essential stage in the major flood mitigation plans worldwide. Delineation of floodplains resulting from a river flooding event requires coupling between a Hydrological rainfall-runoff model to calculate the resulting outflows of the catchment and a hydraulic model to calculate the corresponding water surface profiles along the river main course. In this study several methods were applied to predict the flood discharge of El-Awali River using the available historical data and gauging records and by conducting several site visits. The HEC-HMS Rainfall-Runoff model was built and applied to calculate the flood hydrographs along several outlets on El-Awali River and calibrated using the storm that took place on January 2013 and caused flooding of the major Lebanese rivers and by conducting additional site visits to calculate proper river sections and record witnesses of the locals. The Hydraulic HEC-RAS model was then applied to calculate the corresponding water surface profiles along El-Awali River main reach. Floodplain delineation and Hazard mapping for 10,50 and 100 years return periods was performed using the Watershed Modeling System WMS. The results first show an underestimation of the flood discharge recorded by the operating gauge stations on El-Awali River, whereas, the discharge of the 100 years flood may reach up to 506 m3/s compared by lower values calculated using the traditional discharge estimation methods. Second any flooding of El-Awali River may be catastrophic especially to the coastal part of the catchment and can cause tragic losses in agricultural lands and properties. Last a major floodplain was noticed in Marj Bisri village this floodplain can reach more than 200 meters in width. Overall, performance was good and the Rainfall-Runoff model can provide valuable information about flows especially on ungauged points and can perform a great aid for the floodplain delineation and flood prediction methods in poorly gauged basins, but further model updates and calibration is always required to compensate the weaknesses in such model and attain better results.

Producing remote sensing-based emission estimates of prescribed burning in the contiguous United States for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2011 National Emissions Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCarty, J. L.; Pouliot, G. A.; Soja, A. J.; Miller, M. E.; Rao, T.

2013-12-01

Prescribed fires in agricultural landscapes generally produce smaller burned areas than wildland fires but are important contributors to emissions impacting air quality and human health. Currently, there are a variety of available satellite-based estimates of crop residue burning, including the NOAA/NESDIS Hazard Mapping System (HMS) the Satellite Mapping Automated Reanalysis Tool for Fire Incident Reconciliation (SMARTFIRE 2), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Official Burned Area Product (MCD45A1)), the MODIS Direct Broadcast Burned Area Product (MCD64A1) the MODIS Active Fire Product (MCD14ML), and a regionally-tuned 8-day cropland differenced Normalized Burn Ratio product for the contiguous U.S. The purpose of this NASA-funded research was to refine the regionally-tuned product utilizing higher spatial resolution crop type data from the USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer and burned area training data from field work and high resolution commercial satellite data to improve the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Emissions Inventory (NEI). The final product delivered to the EPA included a detailed database of 25 different atmospheric emissions at the county level, emission distributions by crop type and seasonality, and GIS data. The resulting emission databases were shared with the U.S. EPA and regional offices, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWGC) Smoke Committee, and all 48 states in the contiguous U.S., with detailed error estimations for Wyoming and Indiana and detailed analyses of results for Florida, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Oregon. This work also provided opportunities in discovering the different needs of federal and state partners, including the various geospatial abilities and platforms across the many users and how to incorporate expert air quality, policy, and land management knowledge into quantitative earth observation-based estimations of prescribed fire emissions. Finally, this work created direct communication paths between federal and state partners to the scientists creating the remote sensing-based products, further improving the geospatial products and understanding of air quality impacts of prescribed burning at the state, regional, and national scales.

Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) Design Research, Documentations, and Evaluations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

CLement, Bethany M.

2011-01-01

The Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) is a group within the Space Life Science Directorate (SLSD) that focuses on the overall health of astronauts by reinforcing the three divisions - the Environmental Maintenance System (EMS), the Countermeasures System (CMS), and the Health Maintenance System (HMS). This internship provided opportunity to gain knowledge, experience, and skills in CHeCS engineering and operations tasks. Various and differing tasks allowed for occasions to work independently, network to get things done, and show leadership abilities. Specific exercises included reviewing hardware certification, operations, and documentation within the ongoing Med Kit Redesign (MKR) project, and learning, writing, and working various common pieces of paperwork used in the engineering and design process. Another project focused on the distribution of various pieces of hardware to off-site research facilities with an interest in space flight health care. The main focus of this internship, though, was on a broad and encompassing understanding of the engineering process as time was spent looking at each individual step in a variety of settings and tasks.

Thermally stable laminating resins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, R. J.; Vaughan, R. W.; Burns, E. A.

1972-01-01

Improved thermally stable laminating resins were developed based on the addition-type pyrolytic polymerization. Detailed monomer and polymer synthesis and characterization studies identified formulations which facilitate press molding processing and autoclave fabrication of glass and graphite fiber reinforced composites. A specific resin formulation, termed P10P was utilized to prepare a Courtaulds HMS reinforced simulated airfoil demonstration part by an autoclave molding process.

Getting Our Own House in Order: Improving Psychiatry Education to Medical Students as a Prelude to Medical School Education Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpert, Jonathan E.; Schlozman, Steve; Badaracco, Mary Anne; Burke, Jay; Borus, Jonathan F.

2006-01-01

Objective: The authors summarize efforts to revitalize psychiatry teaching to medical students at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in advance of a major overhaul of the medical school curriculum. Methods: This preliminary report chronicles key challenges and the organization of the reform effort within the departments of psychiatry affiliated with the…

75 FR 75458 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Exempted Fishing, Scientific Research, Display, and Chartering...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-03

... research related to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. To date, an additional nine... issued solely for research related to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill research in the Gulf of Mexico... for research related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Table 1--Summary of HMS Exempted Permits...

77 FR 61562 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2013 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishing Season

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

... 9.1 (20,015 lb 50.0 (110,230 50.0 (110,230 Shark Research Quota. quotas. dw). dw). lb dw). lb dw... Amendment 2 and Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and the Environmental Assessment (EA) that... the EA with the 2011 shark quota specifications rule. Thus, NMFS has limited flexibility to modify the...

Raman spectroscopic analysis of archaeological specimens from the wreck of HMS Swift, 1770

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Howell G. M.; Elkin, Dolores; Maier, Marta S.

2016-12-01

Specimens from underwater archaeological excavations have rarely been analysed by Raman spectroscopy probably due to the problems associated with the presence of water and the use of alternative techniques. The discovery of the remains of the Royal Navy warship HMS Swift off the coast of Patagonia, South America, which was wrecked in 1770 while undertaking a survey from its base in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, has afforded the opportunity for a first-pass Raman spectroscopic study of the contents of several glass jars from a wooden chest, some of which had suffered deterioration of their contents owing to leakage through their stoppers. From the Raman spectroscopic data, it was possible to identify organic compounds such as anthraquinone and copal resin, which were empirically used as materia medica in the eighteenth century to treat shipboard diseases; it seems very likely, therefore, that the wooden chest belonged to the barber-surgeon on the ship. Spectra were obtained from the wet and desiccated samples, but several samples from containers that had leaked were found to contain only minerals, such as aragonite and sediment. This article is part of the themed issue "Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology".

Raman spectroscopic analysis of archaeological specimens from the wreck of HMS Swift, 1770.

PubMed

Edwards, Howell G M; Elkin, Dolores; Maier, Marta S

2016-12-13

Specimens from underwater archaeological excavations have rarely been analysed by Raman spectroscopy probably due to the problems associated with the presence of water and the use of alternative techniques. The discovery of the remains of the Royal Navy warship HMS Swift off the coast of Patagonia, South America, which was wrecked in 1770 while undertaking a survey from its base in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, has afforded the opportunity for a first-pass Raman spectroscopic study of the contents of several glass jars from a wooden chest, some of which had suffered deterioration of their contents owing to leakage through their stoppers. From the Raman spectroscopic data, it was possible to identify organic compounds such as anthraquinone and copal resin, which were empirically used as materia medica in the eighteenth century to treat shipboard diseases; it seems very likely, therefore, that the wooden chest belonged to the barber-surgeon on the ship. Spectra were obtained from the wet and desiccated samples, but several samples from containers that had leaked were found to contain only minerals, such as aragonite and sediment.This article is part of the themed issue 'Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Herbal medicines used in the treatment of malaria in Budiope county, Uganda.

PubMed

Tabuti, John R S

2008-02-28

This study was conducted to document herbal medicines (HMs) used in the treatment of malaria as well as the existing knowledge, attitudes and practices related to malaria recognition, control and treatment in Budiope county, Uganda. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, and open- and close-ended questionnaires. The respondents had a good understanding of malaria, and could recognize it and distinguish it from other fever types. They were also aware that malaria was spread by mosquitoes. Malaria prevalence was high, and affected individuals an average of six times a year. Respondents avoided mosquito bites by using mosquito nets, clearing bush around their homesteads, and burning plant parts to generate smoke. They preferred treating malaria using allopathic medicines because, according to them, they lacked the appropriate traditional knowledge necessary to exploit plants for the treatment of malaria. Secondly, allopathic medicines were believed to be superior to HMs in the treatment of malaria. Twenty-seven species were used for the treatment of malaria. The most frequently mentioned were Vernonia amygdalina, Momordica foetida, Zanthoxylum chalybeum, Lantana camara and Mangifera indica. Drugs from these plants were prepared from single species as water extracts and were administered in variable doses over varied time periods.

Raman spectroscopic analysis of archaeological specimens from the wreck of HMS Swift, 1770

PubMed Central

Elkin, Dolores

2016-01-01

Specimens from underwater archaeological excavations have rarely been analysed by Raman spectroscopy probably due to the problems associated with the presence of water and the use of alternative techniques. The discovery of the remains of the Royal Navy warship HMS Swift off the coast of Patagonia, South America, which was wrecked in 1770 while undertaking a survey from its base in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, has afforded the opportunity for a first-pass Raman spectroscopic study of the contents of several glass jars from a wooden chest, some of which had suffered deterioration of their contents owing to leakage through their stoppers. From the Raman spectroscopic data, it was possible to identify organic compounds such as anthraquinone and copal resin, which were empirically used as materia medica in the eighteenth century to treat shipboard diseases; it seems very likely, therefore, that the wooden chest belonged to the barber-surgeon on the ship. Spectra were obtained from the wet and desiccated samples, but several samples from containers that had leaked were found to contain only minerals, such as aragonite and sediment. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology’. PMID:27799436

Laser Monitoring Of Phytoextraction Enhancement Of Lead Contaminated Soil Adopting EDTA And EDDS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, M.; Abdelhamied, M.; Hanafy, A. H.; Fantoni, R.; Harith, M. A.

2011-09-01

Removal of heavy metals (HMs) such as Pb from soil, wastewater, and air is essential for environment and human health. Phytoremediation is a well established technology based on the use of certain green plants for contaminants removal from soil, wastewater as well as air. Scented geranium, Pelargonium zonal, is a flowering plant recently used in HMs removal from contaminated soil. In the present work, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and EDDS (S, S-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid) were used as chemical assistants providing higher Pb availability for extraction by plant roots. Lead was artificially added to the planting media, peatmoss, at different concentrations. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to follow up Pb relative concentrations in peatmoss as well as plant shoots, at different sampling times during the experiment period. Laser induced chlorophyll fluorescence (LICF), has been also used to evaluate chlorophyll formation and photosynthetic apparatus status in geranium plants. Such measurements were performed on geranium plants grown under various Pb levels, as well as EDTA and EDDS combinations. The combined effect of EDTA and EDDS was found to enhance Pb extraction with time. Good correlation was found between LICF results and chlorophyll (a) (Chl.a) concentrations in plant tissues extracted by chemical analysis.

Cylindrical Electrolyser Enhanced Electrokinetic Remediation of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Tao; Zhou, Lulu; Tao, Junjun; Liu, Longfei

2018-01-01

The paper discusses enhancement and efficiency of removing spiked heavy metal (HM) contaminants from the municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ashes in the cylindrical electrolyser device. The characterization parameters of the electrolyte solution pH, electric current, electrical conductivity, voltage gradient were discussed after the experiment. The chemical speciation of HMs was analysed between the original samples and remediated ones by BCR sequential extraction. The detoxification efficiencies of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd in the column-uniform device were compared with that in the traditional rectangular apparatus. The pH value changed smoothly with small amplitude of oscillation in general in cathode and anode compartments except the initial break. The electrical current rapidly increased on the first day of the experiment and steadily declined after that and the electrical conductivity presented a clear rising trend. The residual partition of detoxified samples were obviously lifted which was much higher than the analysis data of the raw materials. The pH and the electrical conductivity in sample region were distributed more uniformly and the blind area was effectively eliminated in the electrolytic cells which was indirectly validated by the contrastive detoxification result of the spiked HMs between the rectangular and cylindrical devices.

HESTIA Phase I Test Results: The Air Revitalization System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Sarah E.; Hansen, Scott W.

2016-01-01

In any human spaceflight mission, a number of Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) technologies work together to provide the conditions astronauts need to live healthily, productively, and comfortably in space. In a long-duration mission, many of these ECLSS technologies may use materials supplied by In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), introducing more interactions between systems. The Human Exploration Spacecraft Test-bed for Integration & Advancement (HESTIA) Project aims to create a test-bed to evaluate ECLSS and ISRU technologies and how they interact in a high-fidelity, closed-loop, human-rated analog habitat. Air purity and conditioning are essential components within any ECLSS and for HESTIA's first test they were achieved with the Air Revitalization System (ARS) described below. The ARS provided four essential functions to the test-bed chamber: cooling the air, removing humidity from the air, removing trace contaminants, and scrubbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. In this case, the oxygen supply function was provided by ISRU. In the current configuration, the ARS is a collection of different subsystems. A fan circulates the air, while a condensing heat exchanger (CHX) pulls humidity out of the air. A Trace Contaminant Removal System (TCRS) filters the air of potentially harmful contaminants. Lastly, a Reactive Plastic Lithium Hydroxide (RP-LiOH) unit removes CO2 from the breathing air. During the HESTIA Phase I test in September 2015, the ARS and its individual components each functioned as expected, although further analysis is underway. During the Phase I testing and in prior bench-top tests, the energy balance of heat removed by the CHX was not equal to the cooling it received. This indicated possible instrument error and therefore recalibration of the instruments and follow-up testing is planned in 2016 to address the issue. The ARS was tested in conjunction with two other systems: the Human Metabolic Simulator (HMS) and the Electrolyzer. They behaved as anticipated as well. The HMS added humidity, CO2, and heat to the chamber while removing oxygen, and the Electrolyzer (an ISRU technology) added oxygen. The objective for HESTIA in 2015 was achieved: the creation of a high-fidelity test-bed for ECLSS and ISRU technologies. With the 'backbone' technologies installed, more technologies will be added to increase the analog habitat's fidelity over the next few years. The ARS was designed with this in mind, and as new technologies develop and mature, the strategic installation of the existing components will allow for them to be replaced with the new technologies.

Airborne Measurements and Air Quality Impacts of the 2016 California Soberanes Wildfire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrero, J. E.; Asher, E. C. C.; Yates, E. L.; St Clair, J. M.; Ryoo, J. M.; McNamara, M.; Hanisco, T. F.; Gore, W.; Faloona, I. C.; Iraci, L. T.

2017-12-01

Emissions from biomass burning are an important source of a multitude of trace gases and particles that contribute to local and regional air quality, climate forcing, and have human health impacts. Among the compounds emitted are greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), organics such as formaldehyde (HCHO), and other harmful species including carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM). In addition, biomass burning is a primary source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), contributing to formation of tropospheric ozone (O3) and reduced regional air quality. Emissions of the various ozone precursors in a fire differ based on vegetation (fuel) type, fire intensity, and age of the plume, complicating the prediction of O3 formation. The Soberanes Fire began from an illegal campfire on 22 July 2016 in the Garrapata State Park in Monterey County, California (36.460 °N, -121.900 °W). Over the following three months the fire burned a total of 132,127 acres. Presented here are aircraft measurements of CO2, CH4, O3, and HCHO from five flights near and downwind of the Soberanes wildfire, collected as part of the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX). In situ data are used to determine emission ratios (ERs), or excess mixing ratio relative to CO2. In addition, measurements of NOx and O3 from a coastal mountaintop site are presented, and are used to estimate O3 production rates during the Soberanes Fire burning period. Lastly, the extent of ozone enhancement and air quality impacts downwind of the fire will be addressed using ground-based monitoring data, the NOAA Hazard Mapping System (HMS) smoke product and HYSPLIT trajectory model.

Chemical fields during Southeast Nexus (SENEX) field experiment and design of verification metrics for efficacy of capturing wild fire emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, P.

2016-12-01

Wildfires are commonplace in North America. Air pollution resulted from wildfires pose a significant risk for human health and crop damage. The pollutants alter the vertical distribution of many atmospheric constituents including O3 and many fine particulate (PM) species. Compared to anthropogenic emissions of air pollutants, emissions from wildfires are largely uncontrolled and unpredictable. Therefore, quantitatively describing wildfire emissions and their contributions to air pollution remains a substantial challenge for atmospheric modeler and air quality forecasters. In this study, we investigated the modification and redistribution of atmospheric composition within the Conterminous U.S (CONUS) by wild fire plumes originated within and outside of the CONUS. We used the National Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC) to conduct the investigation. NAQFC uses dynamic lateral chemical boundary conditions derived from the National Weather Service experimental global aerosol tracer model accounting for intrusion of fire-associated aerosol species. Within CONUS, the NAQFC derives both gaseous and aerosol wildfire associated species from the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) hazard mapping system (HMS) hot-spot detection, and US Forestry Service Blue-sky protocol for quantifying fire characteristics, and the US EPA Sparse Matrix Object Kernel Emission (SMOKE) calculation for plume rise. Attributions of both of these wildfire influences inherently reflect the aged plumes intruded into the CONUS through the model boundaries as well as the fresher emissions from sources within the CONUS. Both emission sources contribute significantly to the vertical structure modification of the atmosphere. We conducted case studies within the fire active seasons to demonstrate some possible impacts on the vertical structures of O3 and PM species by the wildfire activities.

Fire and Smoke Monitoring at NOAA' Satellite Service; Applications to Smoke Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, G.; Ruminski, M.

2005-12-01

The Hazard Mapping System (HMS), developed and run operationally by NOAA's Satellite Services Division (SSD), is a multiplatform remote sensing approach to detecting fires and smoke over the US and adjacent areas of Canada and Mexico. The system utilizes sensors on 7 different NOAA and NASA satellites. Automated detection algorithms are employed for each of the satellites for the fire detects while smoke is delineated by an image analyst. Analyses are quality control by an analyst who inspects all available imagery and automated fire detects, deleting suspected false detects and adding fires that the automated routines miss. Graphical, text, and GIS compatible analyses are posted to a web site as soon as updates are performed, and a final product for a given day is posted early the following morning. All products are archived at NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center. Areal extent of detectable smoke is outlined using animated visible imagery, for input to a dispersion and transport model, the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT), developed by NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL). Resulting smoke forecasts will soon be used as input to NOAA's Air Quality forecasts. The GOES Aerosol and Smoke Product (GASP) is an experimental GOES imagery based aerosol optical depth (AOD) product developed by the NESDIS Office of Research and Applications, being implemented for evaluation by the NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch for use in smoke and volcanic ash monitoring. Currently, research is underway in NESDIS' Office of Research and Applications to objectivize smoke delineation using GASP and MODIS AOD retrievals. NOAA's Operational Significant Event Imagery (OSEI) program processes satellite imagery of environmentally significant events, including fire, smoke and volcanic ash, visible in operational satellite data. This imagery is often referred to by fire managers and air quality agencies. Future plans include the integration of high resolution global data from the European Space Agency's MetOp satellite and global geostationary satellites.

Human Factors Considerations for Safe Recovery from Faults In Flight Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pritchett, Amy; Belcastro, C. M. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

It is now possible - and important - to develop systems to help resolve Flight Control System (FCS) faults. From a human factors viewpoint, it is imperative that these systems take on roles, and provide functions, that are the most supportive to the pilot, given the stress, time pressure and workload they may experience following a FCS fault. FCS fault recovery systems may provide several different functions, including alerting, control assistance, and decision aiding. The biggest human factors questions are in the role suitable for the technology, and its specific functioning to achieve that role. Specifically, for these systems to be effective, they must meet the fundamental requirements that (1) they alert pilots to problems early enough that the pilot can reasonably resolve the fault and regain control of the aircraft and that (2) if the aircraft s handling qualities are severely degraded the HMS provide the appropriate stability augmentation to help the pilot stabilize and control the aircraft. This project undertook several research steps to develop such systems, focusing on the capabilities of pilots and on realistically attainable technologies. The ability to estimate which functions are the most valuable will help steer system development in the directions that can establish the highest safety levels.

Spatial variation in mortality risk for haematological malignancies near a petrochemical refinery: a population-based case-control study

PubMed Central

Di Salvo, Francesca; Meneghini, Elisabetta; Vieira, Veronica; Baili, Paolo; Mariottini, Mauro; Baldini, Marco; Micheli, Andrea; Sant, Milena

2015-01-01

Introduction The study investigated the geographic variation of mortality risk for hematological malignancies (HMs) in order to identify potential high-risk areas near an Italian petrochemical refinery. Material and methods A population-based case-control study was conducted and residential histories for 171 cases and 338 sex- and age-matched controls were collected. Confounding factors were obtained from interviews with consenting relatives for 109 HM deaths and 267 controls. To produce risk mortality maps, two different approaches were applied. We mapped (1) adptive kernel density relative risk estimation (KDE) for case-control studies which estimates a spatial relative risk function using the ratio between cases and controls’ densities, and (2) estimated odds ratios for case-control study data using generalized additive models (GAMs) to smooth the effect of location, a proxy for exposure, while adjusting for confounding variables. Results No high-risk areas for HM mortality were identified among all subjects (men and women combined), by applying both approaches. Using the adaptive KDE approach, we found a significant increase in death risk only among women in a large area 2–6 km southeast of the refinery and the application of GAMs also identified a similarly-located significant high-risk area among women only (global p-value<0.025). Potential confounding risk factors we considered in the GAM did not alter the results. Conclusion Both approaches identified a high-risk area close to the refinery among women only. Those spatial methods are useful tools for public policy management to determine priority areas for intervention. Our findings suggest several directions for further research in order to identify other potential environmental exposures that may be assessed in forthcoming studies based on detailed exposure modeling. PMID:26073202

A characterization methodology for post-wildfire flood hazard assessments

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

McLin, Stephen G.; Van Eeckhout, M. E.; Springer, E. P.

A combined GIS-HEC modeling application for floodplain analysis of pre- and post-burned watersheds is described. The burned study area is located on Pajarito Plateau near Los Alamos, New Mexico (USA), where the Cerro Grande Wildfire burned 17,353 ha (42,878 ac) in May 2000. This area is dominated by rugged mountains that are dissected by numerous steep canyons having both ephemeral and perennial channel reaches. Vegetation consists of pinon-juniper woodlands located between 1,829-2,134 m (6,000-7,000 ft) above mean sea level (m MSL), and Ponderosa pine stands between 2,134-3,048 m MSL (7,000-10,000 ft). Approximately seventeen percent of the burned area is locatedmore » within Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the remainder is located in upstream or adjacent watersheds. Pre-burn floodplains were previously mapped in 1991-92 using early HEC models as part of the RCRA/HSWA permitting process. Numerous recording precipitation and stream gages have also been installed. These data provide essential information characterizing rainfall-runoff relationships before and after the fire. They are also being used to monitor spatial and temporal changes as forest recovery progresses. Post-burn changes in HEC-HMS predicted rainfall-runoff patterns are related to changes in watershed vegetation cover and hydrophobic soil conditions. Stream channel cross-sectional geometries were extracted from 0.3 m (1 ft) DEM data using ArcView GIS. Then floodpool topwidths, depths, and flow velocities were remapped using the HEC-RAS model. Finally, numerous surveyed channel sections were selectively made at crucial sites for model verification. Direct comparisons are made between alternative data acquisition and mapping techniques.« less

Flood modelling with global precipitation measurement (GPM) satellite rainfall data: a case study of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sai Krishna, V. V.; Dikshit, Anil Kumar; Pandey, Kamal

2016-05-01

Urban expansion, water bodies and climate change are inextricably linked with each other. The macro and micro level climate changes are leading to extreme precipitation events which have severe consequences on flooding in urban areas. Flood simulations shall be helpful in demarcation of flooded areas and effective flood planning and preparedness. The temporal availability of satellite rainfall data at varying spatial scale of 0.10 to 0.50 is helpful in near real time flood simulations. The present research aims at analysing stream flow and runoff to monitor flood condition using satellite rainfall data in a hydrologic model. The satellite rainfall data used in the research was NASA's Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG), which is available at 30 minutes temporal resolution. Landsat data was used for mapping the water bodies in the study area. Land use land cover (LULC) data was prepared using Landsat 8 data with maximum likelihood technique that was provided as an input to the HEC-HMS hydrological model. The research was applied to one of the urbanized cities of India, viz. Dehradun, which is the capital of Uttarakhand State. The research helped in identifying the flood vulnerability at the basin level on the basis of the runoff and various socio economic parameters using multi criteria analysis.

The Binding Problem for Syntax, Semantics, and Prosody: H.M.'s Selective Sentence-Reading Deficits under the Theoretical-Syndrome Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKay, Donald G.; James, Lori E.

2001-01-01

A "hippocampal amnesiac" (H.M.) and memory-normal controls of similar age, background, intelligence, and education read novel sentences aloud in tasks where fast and accurate reading was or was not the primary goal. H.M produced more misreadings than normal and cerebellar controls, usually without self-correction. Results support a theoretical…

Perceptions of the Muslim religious leaders and their attitudes on herbal medicine in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Herbal Medicines (HMs) are playing major roles in the health of the millions of people worldwide. Muslim Religious Leader (MRLs), being an important component of the society with huge influence on it, could contribute a lot to promote HM. This study was aimed at evaluating perceptions of the MRLs, their satisfaction and attitudes towards HM in Bangladesh. Methods This cross-sectional study collected data from a purposive sample of 503 MRLs using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire during December 2010 and January 2011. Main outcome measures included sociodemographic variables, MRLs' preferences in using HMs, their satisfaction and intent to use HMs in the future, and finally MRLs' attitudes toward HM use. Results Although two-fifth (40.4%) of the MRLs preferred HM among different form of complementary and alternative medicines, they used orthodox medicine (OM) more frequently than HM in last one year. Majority believed that HM was effective for all age groups (52.6%) and both sexes (74.5%). One-third felt that HM was more effective for chronic diseases, 68.5% felt that it only promotes health, and 40.8% said it keeps them relaxed. About 98.0% of the respondents experienced 'no harm' but 'benefit' from HM; naturally, they were satisfied with HM and were willing to recommend it to others. Urban, older (>40 years), and 'single' respondents were more likely to use HM (gender and education adjusted odds ratios = 1.7 [95% confidence interval, CI = 1.1-2.6], 1.9 [95% CI = 1.3-3.0], and 1.6 [95% CI = 1.2-2.1], respectively). Overall, respondents exhibited very positive attitude towards HM with mean score of 4.2 (range, 3.7-4.6) of a 5-point Likert scale (Score 5 for strongly agree to 1 for strongly disagree). Conclusions We report adequate perceptions, satisfaction, and very positive attitudes towards HM among MRLs. Mass media had a significant contribution towards its promotion. If HM are to assume a respected place in the contemporary healthcare, its acceptance among general population needs to be established through incorporating MRLs in the process of HM promotion in Bangladesh. PMID:21943359

Retinal hemorrhage detection by rule-based and machine learning approach.

PubMed

Di Xiao; Shuang Yu; Vignarajan, Janardhan; Dong An; Mei-Ling Tay-Kearney; Kanagasingam, Yogi

2017-07-01

Robust detection of hemorrhages (HMs) in color fundus image is important in an automatic diabetic retinopathy grading system. Detection of the hemorrhages that are close to or connected with retinal blood vessels was found to be challenge. However, most methods didn't put research on it, even some of them mentioned this issue. In this paper, we proposed a novel hemorrhage detection method based on rule-based and machine learning methods. We focused on the improvement of detection of the hemorrhages that are close to or connected with retinal blood vessels, besides detecting the independent hemorrhage regions. A preliminary test for detecting HM presence was conducted on the images from two databases. We achieved sensitivity and specificity of 93.3% and 88% as well as 91.9% and 85.6% on the two datasets.

Phytoscreening and phytoextraction of heavy metals at Danish polluted sites using willow and poplar trees.

PubMed

Algreen, Mette; Trapp, Stefan; Rein, Arno

2014-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to determine typical concentrations of heavy metals (HM) in wood from willows and poplars, in order to test the feasibility of phytoscreening and phytoextraction of HM. Samples were taken from one strongly, one moderately, and one slightly polluted site and from three reference sites. Wood from both tree species had similar background concentrations at 0.5 mg kg(-1) for cadmium (Cd), 1.6 mg kg(-1) for copper (Cu), 0.3 mg kg(-1) for nickel (Ni), and 25 mg kg(-1) for zinc (Zn). Concentrations of chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) were below or close to detection limit. Concentrations in wood from the highly polluted site were significantly elevated, compared to references, in particular for willow. The conclusion from these results is that tree coring could be used successfully to identify strongly heavy metal-polluted soil for Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, and that willow trees were superior to poplars, except when screening for Ni. Phytoextraction of HMs was quantified from measured concentration in wood at the most polluted site. Extraction efficiencies were best for willows and Cd, but below 0.5% over 10 years, and below 1‰ in 10 years for all other HMs.

Genotyping in the Brazilian Criollo Horse Stud Book: resources and perspectives.

PubMed

Costa, M A P; Bressel, R M C; Almeida, D B; Oliveira, P A; Bassini, L N; Moreira, C G A; Manzke, V H B; Siewerdt, F; Moreira, H L M

2010-08-24

The goal of this research was to evaluate the ability of the genotyping information available in the Brazilian Criollo Horse Stud Book to describe the genetic variability of the breed and the exclusion probability determined in comparative tests. Altogether, two softwares were used in the analyses of the available genotypes: Cervus 3.0.3 and Genepop 4.0. Eight microsatellite markers totaled 109 alleles, with an average of 13.6 +/- 0.6 alleles per locus. Large differences between expected and observed heterozygosity were ubiquitous (0.821 +/- 0.07 and 0.470 +/- 0.17, respectively). Although the estimated null allele frequency caused initial concern (0.284 +/- 0.199), it is likely that it was a reflection of the inbreeding coefficients found (0.432 +/- 0.184). All loci showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with heterozygote deficit (P < 0.0001) and genotypic linkage disequilibrium with at least one marker. The high polymorphic information content (0.798 +/- 0.088) could not warrant exclusion power for three loci (HMS7, HMS6 and HTG4) above 50% (0.491 +/- 0.158). However, combined exclusion probability reached 99.61%, a level close to ideal. The results demonstrate the excellent performance of the markers assessed in describing the genetic status of the breed and suggest the considerable ability to establish parentage.

Graphene-Selenium Hybrid Microballs as Cathode Materials for High-performance Lithium-Selenium Secondary Battery Applications.

PubMed

Youn, Hee-Chang; Jeong, Jun Hui; Roh, Kwang Chul; Kim, Kwang-Bum

2016-08-02

In this study, graphene-selenium hybrid microballs (G-SeHMs) are prepared in one step by aerosol microdroplet drying using a commercial spray dryer, which represents a simple, scalable continuous process, and the potential of the G-SeHMs thus prepared is investigated for use as cathode material in applications of lithium-selenium secondary batteries. These morphologically unique graphene microballs filled with Se particles exhibited good electrochemical properties, such as high initial specific capacity (642 mA h g(-1) at 0.1 C, corresponding to Se electrochemical utilisation as high as 95.1%), good cycling stability (544 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.1 C; 84.5% retention) and high rate capability (specific capacity of 301 mA h g(-1) at 5 C). These electrochemical properties are attributed to the fact that the G-SeHM structure acts as a confinement matrix for suppressing the dissolution of polyselenides in the organic electrolyte, as well as an electron conduction path for increasing the transport rate of electrons for electrochemical reactions. Notably, based on the weight of hybrid materials, electrochemical performance is considerably better than that of previously reported Se-based cathode materials, attributed to the high Se loading content (80 wt%) in hybrid materials.

Examining the effects of urban agglomeration polders on flood events in Qinhuai River basin, China with HEC-HMS model.

PubMed

Gao, Yuqin; Yuan, Yu; Wang, Huaizhi; Schmidt, Arthur R; Wang, Kexuan; Ye, Liu

2017-05-01

The urban agglomeration polders type of flood control pattern is a general flood control pattern in the eastern plain area and some of the secondary river basins in China. A HEC-HMS model of Qinhuai River basin based on the flood control pattern was established for simulating basin runoff, examining the impact of urban agglomeration polders on flood events, and estimating the effects of urbanization on hydrological processes of the urban agglomeration polders in Qinhuai River basin. The results indicate that the urban agglomeration polders could increase the peak flow and flood volume. The smaller the scale of the flood, the more significant the influence of the polder was to the flood volume. The distribution of the city circle polder has no obvious impact on the flood volume, but has effect on the peak flow. The closer the polder is to basin output, the smaller the influence it has on peak flows. As the level of urbanization gradually improving of city circle polder, flood volumes and peak flows gradually increase compared to those with the current level of urbanization (the impervious rate was 20%). The potential change in flood volume and peak flow with increasing impervious rate shows a linear relationship.

Genetic diversity in Spanish donkey breeds using microsatellite DNA markers

PubMed Central

Aranguren-Méndez, José; Jordana, Jordi; Gomez, Mariano

2001-01-01

Genetic diversity at 13 equine microsatellite loci was compared in five endangered Spanish donkey breeds: Andaluza, Catalana, Mallorquina, Encartaciones and Zamorano-Leonesa. All of the equine microsatellites used in this study were amplified and were polymorphic in the domestic donkey breeds with the exception of HMS1, which was monomorphic, and ASB2, which failed to amplify. Allele number, frequency distributions and mean heterozygosities were very similar among the Spanish donkey breeds. The unbiased expected heterozygosity (HE) over all the populations varied between 0.637 and 0.684 in this study. The low GST value showed that only 3.6% of the diversity was between breeds (P < 0.01). Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were shown for a number of locus-population combinations, except HMS5 that showed agreement in all analysed populations. The cumulative exclusion probability (PE) was 0.999 in each breed, suggesting that the loci would be suitable for donkey parentage testing. The constructed dendrogram from the DA distance matrix showed little differentiation between Spanish breeds, but great differentiation between them and the Moroccan ass and also with the horse, used as an outgroup. These results confirm the potential use of equine microsatellite loci as a tool for genetic studies in domestic donkey populations, which could also be useful for conservation plans. PMID:11559485

Toward seamless hydrologic predictions across spatial scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samaniego, Luis; Kumar, Rohini; Thober, Stephan; Rakovec, Oldrich; Zink, Matthias; Wanders, Niko; Eisner, Stephanie; Müller Schmied, Hannes; Sutanudjaja, Edwin H.; Warrach-Sagi, Kirsten; Attinger, Sabine

2017-09-01

Land surface and hydrologic models (LSMs/HMs) are used at diverse spatial resolutions ranging from catchment-scale (1-10 km) to global-scale (over 50 km) applications. Applying the same model structure at different spatial scales requires that the model estimates similar fluxes independent of the chosen resolution, i.e., fulfills a flux-matching condition across scales. An analysis of state-of-the-art LSMs and HMs reveals that most do not have consistent hydrologic parameter fields. Multiple experiments with the mHM, Noah-MP, PCR-GLOBWB, and WaterGAP models demonstrate the pitfalls of deficient parameterization practices currently used in most operational models, which are insufficient to satisfy the flux-matching condition. These examples demonstrate that J. Dooge's 1982 statement on the unsolved problem of parameterization in these models remains true. Based on a review of existing parameter regionalization techniques, we postulate that the multiscale parameter regionalization (MPR) technique offers a practical and robust method that provides consistent (seamless) parameter and flux fields across scales. Herein, we develop a general model protocol to describe how MPR can be applied to a particular model and present an example application using the PCR-GLOBWB model. Finally, we discuss potential advantages and limitations of MPR in obtaining the seamless prediction of hydrological fluxes and states across spatial scales.

Assessment of soil heavy metals for eco-environment and human health in a rapidly urbanization area of the upper Yangtze Basin.

PubMed

Jia, Zhongmin; Li, Siyue; Wang, Li

2018-02-19

Soil pollution with heavy metals (HMs) has been attracting more and more interests, however, assessment of eco-environmental and human risks particularly in a rapidly urbanization area (the upper Yangtze) remains limited. Multiple modern indices were firstly performed for complete risk assessment of eco-environment and human health based on a high-spatial-resolution sampling. Averages of HMs were far below grade II threshold level of the Chinese Environmental Quality standards for soils, whereas Cd, As and Hg considerably exceeded the local background values. EF suggested overall moderate enrichments of Cd and Se, resulting in soils uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with them. Potential ecological risk index showed significant differences among Counties that were characterized by moderate risk. However, several sites were moderately to heavily contaminated with As, Cd and Hg by Igeo, resulting in that these sites were categorized as "considerable risk", or "high risk". Moreover, children were more susceptible to the potential health risk irrespective of the carcinogenic or non - carcinogenic risk. There were no significant carcinogenic and non - carcinogenic risks for adults, children however showed significant non - carcinogenic effect. Our first assessment provided important information for policy making to reduce the potential effects of soil contamination on human and eco-environment.

Development of a Test Facility for Air Revitalization Technology Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Sao-Dung; Lin, Amy; Campbell, Melissa; Smith, Frederick; Curley, Su

2007-01-01

Development of new air revitalization system (ARS) technology can initially be performed in a subscale laboratory environment, but in order to advance the maturity level, the technology must be tested in an end-to-end integrated environment. The Air Revitalization Technology Evaluation Facility (ARTEF) at the NASA Johnson Space Center serves as a ground test bed for evaluating emerging ARS technologies in an environment representative of spacecraft atmospheres. At the center of the ARTEF is a hypobaric chamber which serves as a sealed atmospheric chamber for closed loop testing. A Human Metabolic Simulator (HMS) was custom-built to simulate the consumption of oxygen, and production of carbon dioxide, moisture and heat of up to eight persons. A multitude of gas analyzers and dew point sensors are used to monitor the chamber atmosphere upstream and downstream of a test article. A robust vacuum system is needed to simulate the vacuum of space. A reliable data acquisition and control system is required to connect all the subsystems together. This paper presents the capabilities of the integrated test facility and some of the issues encountered during the integration.

Flood hydrology and dam-breach hydraulic analyses of four reservoirs in the Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoogestraat, Galen K.

2011-01-01

Extensive information about the construction of dams or potential downstream hazards in the event of a dam breach is not available for many small reservoirs within the Black Hills National Forest. In 2009, the U.S. Forest Service identified the need for reconnaissance-level dam-breach assessments for four of these reservoirs within the Black Hills National Forest (Iron Creek, Horsethief, Lakota, and Mitchell Lakes) with the potential to flood downstream structures. Flood hydrology and dam-breach hydraulic analyses for the four selected reservoirs were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Forest service to estimate the areal extent of downstream inundation. Three high-flow breach scenarios were considered for cases when the dam is in place (overtopped) and when a dam break (failure) occurs: the 100-year recurrence 24-hour precipitation, 500-year recurrence peak flow, and the probable maximum precipitation. Inundation maps were developed that show the estimated extent of downstream floodwaters from simulated scenarios. Simulation results were used to determine the hazard classification of a dam break (high, significant, or low), based primarily on the potential for loss of life or property damage resulting from downstream inundation because of the flood surge.The inflow design floods resulting from the two simulated storm events (100-year 24-hour and probable maximum precipitation) were determined using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS). The inflow design flood for the 500-year recurrence peak flow was determined by using regional regression equations developed for streamflow-gaging stations with similar watershed characteristics. The step-backwater hydraulic analysis model, Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), was used to determine water-surface profiles of in-place and dam-break scenarios for the three inflow design floods that were simulated. Inundation maps for in-place and dam-break scenarios were developed for the area downstream from the dam to the mouth of each stream.Dam-break scenarios for three of the four reservoirs assessed in this study were rated as low hazards owing to absence of permanent structures downstream from the dams. Iron Creek Lake's downstream channel to its mouth does not include any permanent structures within the inundation flood plains. For the two reservoirs with the largest watershed areas, Lakota and Mitchell Lake, the additional floodwater surge resulting from a dam break would be minor relative to the magnitude of the large flood streamflow into the reservoirs, based on the similar areal extent of inundation for the in-place and dam-break scenarios as indicated by the developed maps. A dam-break scenario at Horsethief Lake is rated as a significant hazard because of potential lives-in-jeopardy in downstream dwellings and appreciable economic loss.

Charles Darwin and the 1835 earthquake at Concepcion, Chile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spall, H.

1981-01-01

On a stormy night in October 1836, H.M.S Beagle hove to and dropped anchor at Falmouth, a remote harbor in southwest England. Charles Darwin, the ship's naturalist, came ashore to take the mail coach to Shrewsbury. This was inauspicious end to an epic 5-year voyage around the coast of South America, the results of which were to have a tumultuous impact on scientific thought that has lasted to this day. 

Applicability of ranked Regional Climate Models (RCM) to assess the impact of climate change on Ganges: A case study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anand, Jatin; Devak, Manjula; Gosain, Ashvani Kumar; Khosa, Rakesh; Dhanya, Ct

2017-04-01

The negative impact of climate change is felt over wide range of spatial scales, ranging from small basins to large watershed area, which can possibly outweighs the benefits of natural water system. General Circulation Models (GCMs) has been widely used as an input to a hydrological models (HMs), to simulate different hydrological components of a river basin. However, the coarser scale of GCMs and spatio-temporal biases, restricted its use at finer resolution. If downscaled, adds one more level of uncertainty i.e., downscaling uncertainty together with model and scenario uncertainty. The outputs computed from Regional Climate Models (RCM) may aid the uncertainties arising from GCMs, as the RCMs are the miniatures of GCMs. However, the RCMs do have some inherent systematic biases, hence bias correction is a prerequisite process before it is fed to HMs. RCMs, together with the input from GCMs at later boundaries also takes topography of the area into account. Hence, RCMs need to be ranked a priori. In this study, impact of climate change on the Ganga basin, India, is assessed using the ranked RCMs. Firstly, bias correction of 14 RCM models are done using Quantile-Quantile mapping and Equidistant cumulative distribution method, for historic (1990-2004) and future scenario (2021-2100), respectively. The runoff simulations from Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), for historic scenario is used for ranking of RCMs. Entropy and PROMETHEE-2 method is employed to rank the RCMs based on five performance indicators namely, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), coefficient of determination (R2), normalised root mean square error (NRMSE), absolute normalised mean bias error (ANMBE) and average absolute relative error (AARE). The results illustrated that each of the performance indicators behaves differently for different RCMs. RCA 4 (CNRM-CERFACS) is found as the best model with the highest value of  (0.85), followed by RCA4 (MIROC) and RCA4 (ICHEC) with  values of 0.80 and 0.53, respectively, for Ganga basin. Flow-duration curve and long-term average of streamflow for ranked RCMs, confirm that SWAT model is efficient in capturing the hydrology of the basin. For monsoon months (June, July, August and September), future annual mean surface runoff decreases substantially ( -50 % to -10%), while the base flow for October, November and December is projected to increase ( 10- 20 %). Analysis of snow-melt hydrology, indicated that the snow-melt is projected to increase during the months of November to March, with a maximum increase (400%) shown by RCA 4 (CNRM-CERFACS) and least by RCA4 (ICHEC) (15%). Further, all the RCMs projected higher and lower frequency of dry and wet monsoon, respectively. The analysis of simulated base flow and recharge illustrates that the change varies from +100% to - 500% and +97% to -600%, respectively, with central part of the basin undergoing major loss in the recharge. Hence, this research provides important insights of surface runoff to climate change projections and therefore, better administration and management of available resources is necessary. Keyword: Climate change, uncertainty, Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), General Circulation Model (GCM), Regional Climate Models (RCM), Bias correction.

FlyRNAi.org—the database of the Drosophila RNAi screening center and transgenic RNAi project: 2017 update

PubMed Central

Hu, Yanhui; Comjean, Aram; Roesel, Charles; Vinayagam, Arunachalam; Flockhart, Ian; Zirin, Jonathan; Perkins, Lizabeth; Perrimon, Norbert; Mohr, Stephanie E.

2017-01-01

The FlyRNAi database of the Drosophila RNAi Screening Center (DRSC) and Transgenic RNAi Project (TRiP) at Harvard Medical School and associated DRSC/TRiP Functional Genomics Resources website (http://fgr.hms.harvard.edu) serve as a reagent production tracking system, screen data repository, and portal to the community. Through this portal, we make available protocols, online tools, and other resources useful to researchers at all stages of high-throughput functional genomics screening, from assay design and reagent identification to data analysis and interpretation. In this update, we describe recent changes and additions to our website, database and suite of online tools. Recent changes reflect a shift in our focus from a single technology (RNAi) and model species (Drosophila) to the application of additional technologies (e.g. CRISPR) and support of integrated, cross-species approaches to uncovering gene function using functional genomics and other approaches. PMID:27924039

The BlueSky Smoke Modeling Framework: Recent Developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, D. C.; Larkin, N.; Raffuse, S. M.; Strand, T.; ONeill, S. M.; Leung, F. T.; Qu, J. J.; Hao, X.

2012-12-01

BlueSky systems—a set of decision support tools including SmartFire and the BlueSky Framework—aid public policy decision makers and scientific researchers in evaluating the air quality impacts of fires. Smoke and fire managers use BlueSky systems in decisions about prescribed burns and wildland firefighting. Air quality agencies use BlueSky systems to support decisions related to air quality regulations. We will discuss a range of recent improvements to the BlueSky systems, as well as examples of applications and future plans. BlueSky systems have the flexibility to accept basic fire information from virtually any source and can reconcile multiple information sources so that duplication of fire records is eliminated. BlueSky systems currently apply information from (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Hazard Mapping System (HMS), which represents remotely sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES); (2) the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) interagency project, which derives fire perimeters from Landsat 30-meter burn scars; (3) the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group (GeoMAC), which produces helicopter-flown burn perimeters; and (4) ground-based fire reports, such as the ICS-209 reports managed by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Efforts are currently underway to streamline the use of additional ground-based systems, such as states' prescribed burn databases. BlueSky systems were recently modified to address known uncertainties in smoke modeling associated with (1) estimates of biomass consumption derived from sparse fuel moisture data, and (2) models of plume injection heights. Additional sources of remotely sensed data are being applied to address these issues as follows: - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis Real-Time (TMPA-RT) data set is being used to improve dead fuel moisture estimates. - EastFire live fuel moisture estimates, which are derived from NASA's MODIS direct broadcast, are being used to improve live fuel moisture estimates. - NASA's Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) stereo heights are being used to improve estimates of plume injection heights. Further, the Fire Location and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBÉ) model was incorporated into the BlueSky Framework as an alternative means of calculating fire emissions. FLAMBÉ directly estimates emissions on the basis of fire detections and radiance measures from NASA's MODIS and NOAA's GOES satellites. (The authors gratefully acknowledge NASA's Applied Sciences Program [Grant Nos. NN506AB52A and NNX09AV76G)], the USDA Forest Service, and the Joint Fire Science Program for their support.)

Analysis and mapping of post-fire hydrologic hazards for the 2002 Hayman, Coal Seam, and Missionary Ridge wildfires, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliott, J.G.; Smith, M.E.; Friedel, M.J.; Stevens, M.R.; Bossong, C.R.; Litke, D.W.; Parker, R.S.; Costello, C.; Wagner, J.; Char, S.J.; Bauer, M.A.; Wilds, S.R.

2005-01-01

Wildfires caused extreme changes in the hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphologic characteristics of many Colorado drainage basins in the summer of 2002. Detailed assessments were made of the short-term effects of three wildfires on burned and adjacent unburned parts of drainage basins. These were the Hayman, Coal Seam, and Missionary Ridge wildfires. Longer term runoff characteristics that reflect post-fire drainage basin recovery expected to develop over a period of several years also were analyzed for two affected stream reaches: the South Platte River between Deckers and Trumbull, and Mitchell Creek in Glenwood Springs. The 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year flood-plain boundaries and water-surface profiles were computed in a detailed hydraulic study of the Deckers-to-Trumbull reach. The Hayman wildfire burned approximately 138,000 acres (216 square miles) in granitic terrain near Denver, and the predominant potential hazard in this area is flooding by sediment-laden water along the large tributaries to and the main stem of the South Platte River. The Coal Seam wildfire burned approximately 12,200 acres (19.1 square miles) near Glenwood Springs, and the Missionary Ridge wildfire burned approximately 70,500 acres (110 square miles) near Durango, both in areas underlain by marine shales where the predominant potential hazard is debris-flow inundation of low-lying areas. Hydrographs and peak discharges for pre-burn and post-burn scenarios were computed for each drainage basin and tributary subbasin by using rainfall-runoff models because streamflow data for most tributary subbasins were not available. An objective rainfall-runoff model calibration method based on nonlinear regression and referred to as the ?objective calibration method? was developed and applied to rainfall-runoff models for three burned areas. The HEC-1 rainfall-runoff model was used to simulate the pre-burn rainfall-runoff processes in response to the 100-year storm, and HEC-HMS was used for runoff hydrograph generation. Post-burn rainfall-runoff parameters were determined by adjusting the runoff-curve numbers on the basis of a weighting procedure derived from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (now the National Resources Conservation Service) equation for precipitation excess and the effect of burn severity. This weighting procedure was determined to be more appropriate than simple area weighting because of the potentially marked effect of even small burned areas on the runoff hydrograph in individual drainage basins. Computed water-peak discharges from HEC-HMS models were increased volumetrically to account for increased sediment concentrations that are expected as a result of accelerated erosion after burning. Peak discharge estimates for potential floods in the South Platte River were increased by a factor that assumed a volumetric sediment concentration (Cv) of 20 percent. Flood hydrographs for the South Platte River and Mitchell Creek were routed down main-stem channels using watershed-routing algorithms included in the HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model. In areas subject to debris flows in the Coal Seam and Missionary Ridge burned areas, debris-flow discharges were simulated by 100-year rainfall events, and the inflow hydrographs at tributary mouths were simulated by using the objective calibration method. Sediment concentrations (Cv) used in debris-flow simulations were varied through the event, and were initial Cv 20 percent, mean Cv approximately 31 percent, maximum Cv 48 percent, Cv 43 percent at the time of the water hydrograph peak, and Cv 20 percent for the duration of the event. The FLO-2D flood- and debris-flow routing model was used to delineate the area of unconfined debris-flow inundation on selected alluvial fan and valley floor areas. A method was developed to objectively determine the post-fire recovery period for the Hayman and Coal Seam burned areas using runoff-curve numbers (RCN) for all drainage basins for a 50-year period. A

A Micro-Ark for Cells: Highly Open Porous Polyhydroxyalkanoate Microspheres as Injectable Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration.

PubMed

Wei, Dai-Xu; Dao, Jin-Wei; Chen, Guo-Qiang

2018-06-19

To avoid large open surgery using scaffold transplants, small-sized cell carriers are employed to repair complexly shaped tissue defects. However, most cell carriers show poor cell adherences and viability. Therefore, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a natural biopolymer, is used to prepare highly open porous microspheres (OPMs) of 300-360 µm in diameter, combining the advantages of microspheres and scaffolds to serve as injectable carriers harboring proliferating stem cells. In addition to the convenient injection to a defected tissue, and in contrast to poor performances of OPMs made of polylactides (PLA OPMs) and traditional less porous hollow microspheres (PHA HMs), PHA OPMs present suitable surface pores of 10-60 µm and interconnected passages with an average size of 8.8 µm, leading to a high in vitro cell adhesion of 93.4%, continuous proliferation for 10 d and improved differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). PHA OPMs also support stronger osteoblast-regeneration compared with traditional PHA HMs, PLA OPMs, commercial hyaluronic acid hydrogels, and carrier-free hMSCs in an ectopic bone-formation mouse model. PHA OPMs protect cells against stresses during injection, allowing more living cells to proliferate and migrate to damaged tissues. They function like a micro-Noah's Ark to safely transport cells to a defect tissue. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of rivers Niger and Benue confluence, Lokoja, Central Nigeria.

PubMed

Ekere, Nwachukwu; Yakubu, Newman; Ihedioha, Janefrances

2017-08-01

The concentrations of six heavy metals (HMs) and 16 US EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment samples of the confluence of rivers Niger and Benue were investigated. The ecological risk assessment of the contaminants was carried out. The results showed that the sediment samples were heavily polluted with iron and moderately polluted with Cd while other metals posed no pollution problem when compared with USEPA sediment quality guidelines. Only six out of the 16 priority PAHs were detected in the samples, and source apportionment of the PAHs indicated that they are of pyrogenic origin. The ∑PAHs in the samples were lower than many of similar studies and were of no pollution risk. The ecological risk assessment result of the heavy metals showed that the sediments were of considerable risk due majorly to Cd levels. The HM concentration results statistically showed significant difference between seasons at probability value (P < .05). Data analysis by PCA classified the metals into three different components according to sources. The levels of HMS and PAHs detected in the sediments were correlated for source identification, and the correlation showed that the majority of the pollutants were mainly from anthropogenic sources. There is increasing level of anthropogenic activities at the vicinity of the confluence due to urbanization which may call for periodic monitoring of the sediment quality.

A Study on Estimation on Flood Warning Trigger Rainfall in medium and small Stream Affected by Urban Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youngseok, Song; Moojong, Park; JungHo, Lee; HeeSup, Lee

2013-04-01

As extreme floods occur frequently in recent years due to global climate changes, an in sudden local flooding of great volume and short duration is becoming the significant danger and loss of life and property in the Korean Peninsula as well as most parts of the world. The desire for living without hazardous damages grows these days, the city strategy to make the safer community has become an issue. Previously most of flood prevention efforts have been made for relatively large watersheds near to channel flow. However, as economical development and the expansion of city near medium and small stream, human casualty and property by flood occurs frequently. Therefore, to reduce the damage of human lives and property by flood, we develop an assessment method for flood warning trigger rainfall considering urban effect. Considering complex land use, HEC-HMS is used for rural area and SWMM is adopted for sewer networks runoff. And relationship between runoff and stream water level, HEC-RAS is accompanied with runoff results. Proposed flood warning trigger rainfall assessment method shows good agreement with gauged data and could be used for another case to mitigate damage. Acknowledgement: "This research was supported by a grant [NEMA-NH-2011-45] from the Natural Hazard Mitigation Research Group, National Emergency Management Agency of Korea." Keyword: HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, critical precipitation, medium and small stream

Volatile anesthetics interfere with muscarinic receptor-g protein interactions in rat heart

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

Anthony, B.L.

The influence of halothane and enflurane (0.5-8%) on muscarinic receptor binding in rat atrium was studied using (/sup 3/H) methylscopolamine ((/sup 3/H)MS). Anesthetic-gas mixtures were blown over membrane suspensions for 20 min before and during the binding assays. Halothane and enflurane increased the affinity of cardiac muscarinic receptors for (/sup 3/H)MS by slowing the rate of dissociation. These anesthetics did not affect the affinity of the receptor for carbamylcholine, but significantly reduced the sensitivity of agonist binding to regulation by guanine nucleotides. For example, the fraction of receptors displaying high affinity agonist binding was decreased by a GTP analog frommore » 0.64 to 0.43 in the absence, but only to 0.52 in the presence of 2% halothane. The binding of a radiolabeled agonist, (/sup 3/H)oxotremorine-M, was reduced by 50% by halothane, while its sensitivity to guanine nucleotides was reduced by at least 100 fold. The diminution of the guanine nucleotide effect may reflect a stabilization of the receptor-G proteincomplex due to either a direct action on the receptor complex or to an alteration of the physical state of the membrane. It is also possible that the ability of the G protein to bind guanine nucleotides is adversely affected by anesthetic agents.« less

Effects of Shiitake Intake on Serum Lipids in Rats Fed Different High-Oil or High-Fat Diets.

PubMed

Asada, Norihiko; Kairiku, Rumi; Tobo, Mika; Ono, Akifumi

2018-04-27

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) extract, eritadenine, has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, and its hypocholesterolemic actions are involved in the metabolism of methionine. However, the mechanisms by which eritadenine affects cholesterol metabolism in animals fed a high-fat diet containing different sources of lipids have not yet been elucidated in detail. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of shiitake supplementation on serum lipid concentrations in rats fed a diet including a high amount of a plant oil (HO [high oil] and HOS [high oil with shiitake] groups), animal fat (HF [high fat] and HFS [high fat with shiitake] groups), or MCT- (medium-chain triglyceride-) rich plant oil (HM [high MCT] and HMS [high MCT with shiitake] groups). Rats in the HOS, HFS, and HMS groups were fed shiitake. When rats were fed a diet containing shiitake, serum triglyceride, cholesterol levels, and LCAT (lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase) activities were lower in rats given MCT-rich plant oil than in those that consumed lard. The lipid type in the diet with shiitake also affected serum cholesterol levels and LCAT activities. The diet containing MCT-rich plant oil showed the greatest rates of decrease in all serum lipid profiles and LCAT activities. These results suggest that shiitake and MCT-rich plant oil work together to reduce lipid profiles and LCAT activity in serum.

Heavy metal removal from MSWI fly ash by electrokinetic remediation coupled with a permeable activated charcoal reactive barrier

PubMed Central

Huang, Tao; Li, Dongwei; Kexiang, Liu; Zhang, Yuewei

2015-01-01

This paper presents the investigations into the feasibility of the application of a remediation system that couples electrokinetic remediation (EKR) with the permeable reactive barrier (PRB) concept for municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash with activated charcoal as the PRB material. The experimental results of this study showed that the proposed combined method can effectively improve the remediation efficiency and that the addition of the oxalic acid to the PRB media before the coupled system can further enhance the remediation process. In the optimization tests, the maximum removals of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd were achieved under different experimental conditions. The voltage gradient and processing time were shown to have significant effects on the removal of Cu and Cd, whereas the addition of the oxalic acid had a more significant influence on the removal of Pb. Generally, the processing time is the most significant factor in changing the removal rates of HMs in the enhanced coupled system. In terms of the leaching toxicity, the specimen remediated by ENEKR + PRB showed the lowest leaching value for each HM in the S2 and S3 regions. PMID:26486449

Stranger than Fiction. Soviet Submarine Operations in Swedish Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

information. Coupled with Gorbachev’s political agenda in Europe, the changes he has instituted within the military command structure , and his early moves to...Defee, 1SS, pp. 29-37, 39-45. nAUp.l, 1963, pp. 270-271. For the initWl wacount of Swodish ction during thetHms de icident, me Andixaubw Operatio in...established and have been matched by a series of key changes in the Soviet wartime command structure , force structure and organization, military logistics

Development of the Breakaway Integrated Chin-Nape Strap

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-01

Concurrent with the increased use of HMS, the anthropometry of the aircrew has been expanding to include smaller and larger sized individuals as well as a...sized helmet (L/ XL ), and one for individuals less than 73 kg, who wear a small or medium sized helmet (S/M). For each size a lower limit was given such...of approximately 600 Lbs +- 65 Lbs (Pellettiere 2002). To develop the L/ XL corridor, the average failure load for the SCNS was increased by

Combining Hydrological Modeling and Remote Sensing Observations to Enable Data-Driven Decision Making for Devils Lake Flood Mitigation in a Changing Climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Xiaodong; Kirilenko, Andrei; Lim, Howe; Teng, Williams

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews work to combine the hydrological models and remote sensing observations to monitor Devils Lake in North Dakota, to assist in flood damage mitigation. This reports on the use of a distributed rainfall-runoff model, HEC-HMS, to simulate the hydro-dynamics of the lake watershed, and used NASA's remote sensing data, including the TRMM Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) and AIRS surface air temperature, to drive the model.

Satellite altimetry and hydrologic modeling of poorly-gauged tropical watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulistioadi, Yohanes Budi

Fresh water resources are critical for daily human consumption. Therefore, a continuous monitoring effort over their quantity and quality is instrumental. One important model for water quantity monitoring is the rainfall-runoff model, which represents the response of a watershed to the variability of precipitation, thus estimating the discharge of a channel (Bedient and Huber, 2002, Beven, 2012). Remote sensing and satellite geodetic observations are capable to provide critical hydrological parameters, which can be used to support hydrologic modeling. For the case of satellite radar altimetry, limited temporal resolutions (e.g., satellite revisit period) prohibit the use of this method for a short (less than weekly) interval monitoring of water level or discharge. On the other hand, the current satellite radar altimeter footprints limit the water level measurement for rivers wider than 1 km (Birkett, 1998, Birkett et al., 2002). Some studies indeed reported successful retrieval of water level for small-size rivers as narrow as 80 m (Kuo and Kao, 2011, Michailovsky et al., 2012); however, the processing of current satellite altimetry signals for small water bodies to retrieve accurate water levels, remains challenging. To address this scientific challenge, this study poses two main objectives: (1) to monitor small (40--200 m width) and medium-sized (200--800 m width) rivers and lakes using satellite altimetry through identification and choice of the over-water radar waveforms corresponding to the appropriately waveform-retracked water level; and (2) to develop a rainfall-runoff hydrological model to represent the response of mesoscale watershed to the variability of precipitation. Both studies address the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, specifically in Indonesia, where similar studies do not yet exist. This study uses the Level 2 radar altimeter measurements generated by European Space Agency's (ESA's) Envisat (Environmental Satellite) mission. The first study proves that satellite altimetry provides a good alternative or the only means in some regions to measure the water level of medium-sized river (200--800 m width) and small lake (extent less than 1000 km 2) in Southeast Asia humid tropic with reasonable accuracy. In addition, the procedure to choose retracked Envisat altimetry water level heights via identification or selection of over water waveform shapes is reliable; therefore this study concluded that the use of waveform shape selection procedure should be a standard measure in determining qualified range measurements especially over small rivers and lakes. This study also found that Ice-1 is not necessarily the best retracker as reported by previous studies, among the four standard waveform retracking algorithms for Envisat altimetry observing hydrologic bodies. The second study modeled the response of the poorly-gauged watershed in the Southeast Asia's humid tropic through the application of Hydrologic Engineering Center -- Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS). The performance evaluation of HEC-HMS discharge estimation confirms a good match between the simulated discharges with the observed ones. As the result of precipitation data analysis, this study found that Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) is the preferred input forcing for the model, given the thorough evaluation of its relationship with field-measured precipitation data prior to its use as primary climatic forcing. This research also proposes a novel approach to process the TRMM precipitation estimation spatially through Thiessen polygon and area average hybrid method, which model the spatial distribution of TRMM data to match the spatial location of field meteorological stations. Through a simultaneous validation that compares the water level anomaly transformed from HEC-HMS simulated discharge and satellite altimetry measurement, this study found that satellite altimetry measures water level anomaly closer to the true water level anomaly than the water level anomaly converted from HEC-HMS simulated discharge. Some critical recommendations for future studies include the use of waveform shape selection procedure in the satellite altimetry based water level measurement of small and medium-sized rivers and small lakes, as well as the exploration to implement data assimilation between satellite altimetry and the hydrologic model for better discharge and water level estimations.

Use of Air Quality Observations by the National Air Quality Forecast Capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stajner, I.; McQueen, J.; Lee, P.; Stein, A. F.; Kondragunta, S.; Ruminski, M.; Tong, D.; Pan, L.; Huang, J. P.; Shafran, P.; Huang, H. C.; Dickerson, P.; Upadhayay, S.

2015-12-01

The National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC) operational predictions of ozone and wildfire smoke for the United States (U.S.) and predictions of airborne dust for continental U.S. are available at http://airquality.weather.gov/. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational North American Mesoscale (NAM) weather predictions are combined with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to produce the ozone predictions and test fine particulate matter (PM2.5) predictions. The Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model provides smoke and dust predictions. Air quality observations constrain emissions used by NAQFC predictions. NAQFC NOx emissions from mobile sources were updated using National Emissions Inventory (NEI) projections for year 2012. These updates were evaluated over large U.S. cities by comparing observed changes in OMI NO2 observations and NOx measured by surface monitors. The rate of decrease in NOx emission projections from year 2005 to year 2012 is in good agreement with the observed changes over the same period. Smoke emissions rely on the fire locations detected from satellite observations obtained from NESDIS Hazard Mapping System (HMS). Dust emissions rely on a climatology of areas with a potential for dust emissions based on MODIS Deep Blue aerosol retrievals. Verification of NAQFC predictions uses AIRNow compilation of surface measurements for ozone and PM2.5. Retrievals of smoke from GOES satellites are used for verification of smoke predictions. Retrievals of dust from MODIS are used for verification of dust predictions. In summary, observations are the basis for the emissions inputs for NAQFC, they are critical for evaluation of performance of NAQFC predictions, and furthermore they are used in real-time testing of bias correction of PM2.5 predictions, as we continue to work on improving modeling and emissions important for representation of PM2.5.

Quantifying the sources of uncertainty in an ensemble of hydrological climate-impact projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aryal, Anil; Shrestha, Sangam; Babel, Mukand S.

2018-01-01

The objective of this paper is to quantify the various sources of uncertainty in the assessment of climate change impact on hydrology in the Tamakoshi River Basin, located in the north-eastern part of Nepal. Multiple climate and hydrological models were used to simulate future climate conditions and discharge in the basin. The simulated results of future climate and river discharge were analysed for the quantification of sources of uncertainty using two-way and three-way ANOVA. The results showed that temperature and precipitation in the study area are projected to change in near- (2010-2039), mid- (2040-2069) and far-future (2070-2099) periods. Maximum temperature is likely to rise by 1.75 °C under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and by 3.52 °C under RCP 8.5. Similarly, the minimum temperature is expected to rise by 2.10 °C under RCP 4.5 and by 3.73 °C under RCP 8.5 by the end of the twenty-first century. Similarly, the precipitation in the study area is expected to change by - 2.15% under RCP 4.5 and - 2.44% under RCP 8.5 scenarios. The future discharge in the study area was projected using two hydrological models, viz. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS). The SWAT model projected discharge is expected to change by small amount, whereas HEC-HMS model projected considerably lower discharge in future compared to the baseline period. The results also show that future climate variables and river hydrology contain uncertainty due to the choice of climate models, RCP scenarios, bias correction methods and hydrological models. During wet days, more uncertainty is observed due to the use of different climate models, whereas during dry days, the use of different hydrological models has a greater effect on uncertainty. Inter-comparison of the impacts of different climate models reveals that the REMO climate model shows higher uncertainty in the prediction of precipitation and, consequently, in the prediction of future discharge and maximum probable flood.

Speech errors of amnesic H.M.: unlike everyday slips-of-the-tongue.

PubMed

MacKay, Donald G; James, Lori E; Hadley, Christopher B; Fogler, Kethera A

2011-03-01

Three language production studies indicate that amnesic H.M. produces speech errors unlike everyday slips-of-the-tongue. Study 1 was a naturalistic task: H.M. and six controls closely matched for age, education, background and IQ described what makes captioned cartoons funny. Nine judges rated the descriptions blind to speaker identity and gave reliably more negative ratings for coherence, vagueness, comprehensibility, grammaticality, and adequacy of humor-description for H.M. than the controls. Study 2 examined "major errors", a novel type of speech error that is uncorrected and reduces the coherence, grammaticality, accuracy and/or comprehensibility of an utterance. The results indicated that H.M. produced seven types of major errors reliably more often than controls: substitutions, omissions, additions, transpositions, reading errors, free associations, and accuracy errors. These results contradict recent claims that H.M. retains unconscious or implicit language abilities and produces spoken discourse that is "sophisticated," "intact" and "without major errors." Study 3 examined whether three classical types of errors (omissions, additions, and substitutions of words and phrases) differed for H.M. versus controls in basic nature and relative frequency by error type. The results indicated that omissions, and especially multi-word omissions, were relatively more common for H.M. than the controls; and substitutions violated the syntactic class regularity (whereby, e.g., nouns substitute with nouns but not verbs) relatively more often for H.M. than the controls. These results suggest that H.M.'s medial temporal lobe damage impaired his ability to rapidly form new connections between units in the cortex, a process necessary to form complete and coherent internal representations for novel sentence-level plans. In short, different brain mechanisms underlie H.M.'s major errors (which reflect incomplete and incoherent sentence-level plans) versus everyday slips-of-the tongue (which reflect errors in activating pre-planned units in fully intact sentence-level plans). Implications of the results of Studies 1-3 are discussed for systems theory, binding theory and relational memory theories. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Effect of a Six-Week Preparation Period on Acute Physiological Responses to a Simulated Combat in Young National-Level Taekwondo Athletes.

PubMed

Nikolaidis, Pantelis T; Chtourou, Hamdi; Torres-Luque, Gema; Tasiopoulos, Ioannis G; Heller, Jan; Padulo, Johnny

2015-09-29

The aim of this study was to examine changes in physical attributes, physiological characteristics and responses that occurred in a simulated combat during a six-week preparatory period in young taekwondo athletes. Seven athletes (age 12.17 ± 1.11 years) were examined before (pre-intervention) and after (post-intervention) a preparatory period for physical fitness and physiological responses to a 2×90 s simulated bout with a 30 s rest period. The heart rate (HR) was monitored during the simulated combat, and handgrip muscle strength (HMS) along with the countermovement jump (CMJ) were recorded before and after the combat. When compared with pre-intervention values, in post-intervention we observed a decrease in body mass, body fat percentage, and the HR at rest and during recovery after a 3 min step test, and an increase in maximal velocity of the cycle ergometer force-velocity test, the CMJ and mean power during the 30 s continuous jumping test (p<0.05). Furthermore, HR responses to a simulated combat were lower in the post-intervention session (p<0.05). CMJ values increased after the bout in both pre and post-intervention, with higher absolute values in the latter case (p<0.05), whereas there was no difference in HMS. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the acute physiological responses to a simulated taekwondo combat vary during a season, which might be explained by changes in physical fitness.

Effect of a Six-Week Preparation Period on Acute Physiological Responses to a Simulated Combat in Young National-Level Taekwondo Athletes

PubMed Central

Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.; Chtourou, Hamdi; Torres-Luque, Gema; Tasiopoulos, Ioannis G.; Heller, Jan; Padulo, Johnny

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine changes in physical attributes, physiological characteristics and responses that occurred in a simulated combat during a six-week preparatory period in young taekwondo athletes. Seven athletes (age 12.17 ± 1.11 years) were examined before (pre-intervention) and after (post-intervention) a preparatory period for physical fitness and physiological responses to a 2×90 s simulated bout with a 30 s rest period. The heart rate (HR) was monitored during the simulated combat, and handgrip muscle strength (HMS) along with the countermovement jump (CMJ) were recorded before and after the combat. When compared with pre-intervention values, in post-intervention we observed a decrease in body mass, body fat percentage, and the HR at rest and during recovery after a 3 min step test, and an increase in maximal velocity of the cycle ergometer force-velocity test, the CMJ and mean power during the 30 s continuous jumping test (p<0.05). Furthermore, HR responses to a simulated combat were lower in the post-intervention session (p<0.05). CMJ values increased after the bout in both pre and post-intervention, with higher absolute values in the latter case (p<0.05), whereas there was no difference in HMS. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the acute physiological responses to a simulated taekwondo combat vary during a season, which might be explained by changes in physical fitness. PMID:26557196

Trichoderma virens PDR-28: a heavy metal-tolerant and plant growth-promoting fungus for remediation and bioenergy crop production on mine tailing soil.

PubMed

Babu, A Giridhar; Shim, Jaehong; Bang, Keuk-Soo; Shea, Patrick J; Oh, Byung-Taek

2014-01-01

A heavy metal-tolerant fungus, Trichoderma virens PDR-28, was isolated from rhizosphere soil and evaluated for use in remediating mine tailing soil and for plant biomass production. PDR-28 exhibited plant growth-promoting traits, including 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase, acid phosphatase and phytase activity, siderophore production, and P solubilization. HMs were more available in mine tailing soil inoculated soil with PDR-28 than in uninoculated soil; the order of HM bioleaching was Cd > As > Zn > Pb > Cu. PDR-28 effectively removed HMs in the order of Pb > Cd > As > Zn > Cu from liquid media containing 100 mg HM L(-1). Inoculating HM-contaminated mine tailing soil with the fungus significantly increased the dry biomass of maize roots (64%) and shoots (56%). Chlorophyll, total soluble sugars (reducible and nonreducible), starch, and protein contents increased by 46%, 28%, 30%, and 29%, respectively, compared to plants grown in uninoculated soil. Inoculation increased heavy metal concentrations in maize roots by 25% (Cu) to 62% (Cd) and in shoots by 35% (Cu) to 64% (Pb) compared to uninoculated plants. Results suggest that PDR-28 would be beneficial for phytostabilization and plant biomass production as a potential source of biofuel in the quest for renewable energy. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Measuring the Impact of Longitudinal Faculty Development: A Study of Academic Achievement.

PubMed

Newman, Lori R; Pelletier, Stephen R; Lown, Beth A

2016-12-01

Although faculty development programs in medical education have increased over the past two decades, there is a lack of rigorous program evaluation. The aim of this study was to determine quantifiable outcomes of Harvard Medical School's (HMS's) Fellowship in Medical Education and evaluate attainment of its goals. In 2005 and 2009 the authors collected curricula vitae (CVs) and conducted within-subject analysis of 42 fellowship graduates and also conducted comparison analysis between 12 academic year 2005 fellows and 12 faculty who did not participate in the program. The authors identified 10 metrics of academic advancement. CV analysis for the 42 graduates started 2 years prior to fellowship enrollment and continued for 2-year intervals until June 2009 (10 years of data collection). CV analysis for the comparison group was from 2003 to 2009. The authors also analyzed association between gender and academic outcomes. Fellowship graduates demonstrated significant changes in 4 of 10 academic metrics by the end of the fellowship year: academic promotion, educational leadership, education committees, and education funding. Two metrics-educational leadership and committees-showed increased outcomes two years post fellowship, with a positive trend for promotions. Fellowship graduates significantly outpaced the comparison group in 6 of 10 metrics. Women did significantly more committee work, secured more education funding, and were promoted more often than men. Findings indicate that the HMS Fellowship in Medical Education meets programmatic goals and produces positive, measurable academic outcomes. Standardized evaluation metrics of longitudinal faculty development programs would aid cross-institutional comparisons.

The effect of technogenic emissions on the heavy metals accumulation by herbaceous plants.

PubMed

Chaplygin, Victor; Minkina, Tatiana; Mandzhieva, Saglara; Burachevskaya, Marina; Sushkova, Svetlana; Poluektov, Evgeniy; Antonenko, Elena; Kumacheva, Valentina

2018-02-07

The effect of technogenic emissions on the input of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn, Cr, and Ni into plants from the Poaceae and Asteraceae families has been studied. Soil and plant contamination by anthropogenic emissions from industrial enterprises leads the decreasing of crop quality; therefore, the monitoring investigation of plants and soils acquires special importance. The herbaceous plants may be used as bioindicators for main environmental changes. It was found that the high level of anthropogenic load related to atmospheric emissions from the power plant favors the heavy metal (HM) accumulation in herbaceous plants. Contamination with Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni was revealed in plants growing near the power plant. Heavy metals arrive to plants from the soil in the form of mobile compounds. Plant family is one of the main factors affecting the HM distribution in the above- and underground parts of plants. Plants from the Poaceae family accumulate less chemical elements in their aboveground parts than the Asteraceae plants. Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Artemisia austriaca are HM accumulators. For assessing the stability of plants under contamination with HMs, metal accumulation by plants from soil (the bioconcentration factor) and metal phytoavailability from plants above- and underground parts (the acropetal coefficient) were calculated. According to the bioconcentration factor and translocation factor values, Poaceae species are most resistant to technogenic contamination with HMs. The translocation factor highest values were found for Tanacetum vulgare; the lowest bioconcentration factor values were typical for Poa pratensis.

The Impact of a Junior Faculty Fellowship Award on Academic Advancement and Retention.

PubMed

Connelly, Maureen T; Sullivan, Amy M; Chinchilla, Manuel; Dale, Margaret L; Emans, S Jean; Nadelson, Carol Cooperman; Notman, Malkah Tolpin; Tarbell, Nancy J; Zigler, Corwin M; Shore, Eleanor G

2017-08-01

Academic faculty experience barriers to career development and promotion. In 1996, Harvard Medical School (HMS) initiated an intramural junior faculty fellowship to address these obstacles. The authors sought to understand whether receiving a fellowship was associated with more rapid academic promotion and retention. Junior faculty fellowship recipients and all other instructor and assistant professors at HMS between 1996 and 2011 were identified. Using propensity score modeling, the authors created a matched comparison group for the fellowship recipients based on educational background, training, academic rank, department, hospital affiliation, and demographics. Time to promotion and time to leaving were assessed by Kaplan-Meier curves. A total of 622 junior faculty received fellowships. Faculty who received fellowships while instructors (n = 480) had shorter times to promotion to assistant professor (P < .0001) and longer retention times (P < .0001) than matched controls. There were no significant differences in time to promotion for assistant professors who received fellowships (n = 142) compared with matched controls, but assistant professor fellowship recipients were significantly more likely to remain longer on the faculty (P = .0005). Women instructors advanced more quickly than matched controls, while male instructors' rates of promotions did not differ. Fellowships to support junior faculty were associated with shorter times to promotion for instructors and more sustained faculty retention for both instructors and assistant professors. This suggests that relatively small amounts of funding early in faculty careers can play a critical role in supporting academic advancement and retention.

Operational flood forecasting system of Umbria Region "Functional Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berni, N.; Pandolfo, C.; Stelluti, M.; Ponziani, F.; Viterbo, A.

2009-04-01

The hydrometeorological alert office (called "Decentrate Functional Centre" - CFD) of Umbria Region, in central Italy, is the office that provides technical tools able to support decisions when significant flood/landslide events occur, furnishing 24h support for the whole duration of the emergency period, according to the national directive DPCM 27 February 2004 concerning the "Operating concepts for functional management of national and regional alert system during flooding and landslide events for civil protection activities purposes" that designs, within the Italian Civil Defence Emergency Management System, a network of 21 regional Functional Centres coordinated by a central office at the National Civil Protection Department in Rome. Due to its "linking" role between Civil Protection "real time" activities and environmental/planning "deferred time" ones, the Centre is in charge to acquire and collect both real time and quasi-static data: quantitative data from monitoring networks (hydrometeorological stations, meteo radar, ...), meteorological forecasting models output, Earth Observation data, hydraulic and hydrological simulation models, cartographic and thematic GIS data (vectorial and raster type), planning studies related to flooding areas mapping, dam managing plans during flood events, non instrumental information from direct control of "territorial presidium". A detailed procedure for the management of critical events was planned, also in order to define the different role of various authorities and institutions involved. Tiber River catchment, of which Umbria region represents the main upper-medium portion, includes also regional trans-boundary issues very important to cope with, especially for what concerns large dam behavior and management during heavy rainfall. The alert system is referred to 6 different warning areas in which the territory has been divided into and based on a threshold system of three different increasing critical levels according to the expected ground effects: ordinary, moderate and high. Particularly, hydrometric and rainfall thresholds for both floods and landslides alarms were assessed. Based on these thresholds, at the Umbria Region Functional Centre an automatic phone-call and SMS alert system is operating. For a real time flood forecasting system, at the CFD several hydrological and hydraulic models were developed. Three rainfall-runoff hydrological models, using different quantitative meteorological forecasts, are available: the event based models X-Nash (based on the Nash theory) and Mike-Drift coupled with the hydraulic model Mike-11 (developed by the Danish Hydraulic Institute - DHI); and the physically-based continuous model Mobidic (MOdello di Bilancio Idrologico DIstribuito e Continuo - Distributed and Continuous Model for the Hydrological Balance, developed by the University of Florence in cooperation with the Functional Centre of Tuscany Region). Other two hydrological models, using observed data of the real time hydrometeorological network, were implemented: the first one is the rainfall-runoff hydrological model Hec-Hms coupled with the hydraulic model Hec-Ras (United States Army Corps of Engineers - USACE). Moreover, Hec-Hms, is coupled also with a continuous soil moisture model for a more precise evaluation of the antecedent moisture condition of the basin, which is a key factor for a correct runoff volume evaluation. The second one is the routing hydrological model Stafom (STage FOrecasting Model, developed by the Italian Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection of the National Research Council - IRPI-CNR). This model is an adaptive model for on-line stage forecasting for river branches where significant lateral inflow contributions occur and, up to now, it is implemented for the main Tiber River branch and it allows a forecasting lead time up to 10 hours for the downstream river section. Recently, during the period between December the 4th and the 16th 2008, Umbria region territory was interested by a severe rainfall event causing many floods and landslides. During the mainly critical phases the CFD furnished an immediate, significant 24h support for the decision support activities. The official web site (www.cfumbria.it), entirely developed with open source tools, represented a very useful device furnishing good performances for the monitoring and data dissemination to all the subjects involved, especially to the National/Regional Civil Protection offices and territorial presidium. Thresholds presented good accordance with non instrumental observations and automatic alert system was very effective. At last, during the flooding event a continuous link with the National Department, regional Civil Protection offices, territorial presidium and local public services, together with real time instrumental monitoring and now-casting hydrological activities performed by available models, represented a suitable junction between practice and science in CFD operational forecasting system at local, regional and national scale.

Hydrological modelling in sandstone rocks watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponížilová, Iva; Unucka, Jan

2015-04-01

The contribution is focused on the modelling of surface and subsurface runoff in the Ploučnice basin. The used rainfall-runoff model is HEC-HMS comprising of the method of SCS CN curves and a recession method. The geological subsurface consisting of sandstone is characterised by reduced surface runoff and, on the contrary, it contributes to subsurface runoff. The aim of this paper is comparison of the rate of influence of sandstone on reducing surface runoff. The recession method for subsurface runoff was used to determine the subsurface runoff. The HEC-HMS model allows semi- and fully distributed approaches to schematisation of the watershed and rainfall situations. To determine the volume of runoff the method of SCS CN curves is used, which results depend on hydrological conditions of the soils. The rainfall-runoff model assuming selection of so-called methods of event of the SCS-CN type is used to determine the hydrograph and peak flow rate based on simulation of surface runoff in precipitation exceeding the infiltration capacity of the soil. The recession method is used to solve the baseflow (subsurface) runoff. The method is based on the separation of hydrograph to direct runoff and subsurface or baseflow runoff. The study area for the simulation of runoff using the method of SCS CN curves to determine the hydrological transformation is the Ploučnice basin. The Ploučnice is a hydrologically significant river in the northern part of the Czech Republic, it is a right tributary of the Elbe river with a total basin area of 1.194 km2. The average value of CN curves for the Ploučnice basin is 72. The geological structure of the Ploučnice basin is predominantly formed by Mesozoic sandstone. Despite significant initial loss of rainfall the basin response to the causal rainfall was demonstrated by a rapid rise of the surface runoff from the watershed and reached culmination flow. Basically, only surface runoff occures in the catchment during the initial phase of this extreme event. The increase of the baseflow runoff is slower and remains constant after reaching a certain level. The rise of the baseflow runoff is showed in a descending part of the hydrograph. The recession method in this case shows almost 20 hours delay. Results from the HEC-HMS prove availability of both methods for the runoff modeling in this type of catchment. When simulating extreme short-term rainfall-runoff episodes, the influence of geological subsurface is not significant, but it is manifested. Using more relevant rainfall events would bring more satisfactory results.

Recent sea ice thickness trends in the Arctic Basin from submarine data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadhams, P.; Rodriguez, J. M.; Toberg, N.

2009-04-01

Detailed mapping of the underside of Arctic sea ice in the 21st Century is largely the result of two UK submarine cruises by HMS "Tireless", in April of 2004 and 2007, since the annual US cruises of the SCICEX program ended in 2000. The 2007 cruise reproduced part of the 2004 track, across the north of Greenland and Ellesmere Island, and went on to cover the Beaufort Sea, including a gridded survey of the region of the APLIS-2007 ice camp. Where the 2004 and 2007 tracks matched, the mean thicknesses of the ice cover were essentially identical, with no evidence of significant further thinning between 2004 and 2007. In the Beaufort Sea, there is a direct comparison possible with a cruise covering the same region in the same season (April) of 1976. Here a very significant thinning can be seen, with a much lower mean draft, less multi-year ice and less ridging. In all cases the ridge draft distribution falls away quickly in probability with increasing depth, with no ridges deeper than 30 m anywhere in the submarine profiles, whereas in earlier cruises such ridges were numerous in the multi-year ice zone with some ridges exceeding 40 m. The 2007 cruise had the added advantage of a multibeam sonar fitted to the submarine to give a 3-D view of the underside; the data reinforce the view that active melt and decay of pressure ridges is taking place.

SATORI: a system for ontology-guided visual exploration of biomedical data repositories.

PubMed

Lekschas, Fritz; Gehlenborg, Nils

2018-04-01

The ever-increasing number of biomedical datasets provides tremendous opportunities for re-use but current data repositories provide limited means of exploration apart from text-based search. Ontological metadata annotations provide context by semantically relating datasets. Visualizing this rich network of relationships can improve the explorability of large data repositories and help researchers find datasets of interest. We developed SATORI-an integrative search and visual exploration interface for the exploration of biomedical data repositories. The design is informed by a requirements analysis through a series of semi-structured interviews. We evaluated the implementation of SATORI in a field study on a real-world data collection. SATORI enables researchers to seamlessly search, browse and semantically query data repositories via two visualizations that are highly interconnected with a powerful search interface. SATORI is an open-source web application, which is freely available at http://satori.refinery-platform.org and integrated into the Refinery Platform. nils@hms.harvard.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

A selfish genetic element confers non-Mendelian inheritance in rice.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaowen; Zhao, Zhigang; Zheng, Xiaoming; Zhou, Jiawu; Kong, Weiyi; Wang, Peiran; Bai, Wenting; Zheng, Hai; Zhang, Huan; Li, Jing; Liu, Jiafan; Wang, Qiming; Zhang, Long; Liu, Kai; Yu, Yang; Guo, Xiuping; Wang, Jiulin; Lin, Qibing; Wu, Fuqing; Ren, Yulong; Zhu, Shanshan; Zhang, Xin; Cheng, Zhijun; Lei, Cailin; Liu, Shijia; Liu, Xi; Tian, Yunlu; Jiang, Ling; Ge, Song; Wu, Chuanyin; Tao, Dayun; Wang, Haiyang; Wan, Jianmin

2018-06-08

Selfish genetic elements are pervasive in eukaryote genomes, but their role remains controversial. We show that qHMS7 , a major quantitative genetic locus for hybrid male sterility between wild rice ( Oryza meridionalis ) and Asian cultivated rice ( O. sativa ), contains two tightly linked genes [ Open Reading Frame 2 ( ORF2 ) and ORF3 ]. ORF2 encodes a toxic genetic element that aborts pollen in a sporophytic manner, whereas ORF3 encodes an antidote that protects pollen in a gametophytic manner. Pollens lacking ORF3 are selectively eliminated, leading to segregation distortion in the progeny. Analysis of the genetic sequence suggests that ORF3 arose first, followed by gradual functionalization of ORF2 Furthermore, this toxin-antidote system may have promoted the differentiation and/or maintained the genome stability of wild and cultivated rice. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

The Expeditions of William Bayly and Jeremiah Dixon to Honningsvag and Hammerfest, 1769

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voje Johansen, Nils

2013-05-01

In 1769 the Royal Society in London sent the astronomers William Bayly and Jeremiah Dixon to northernmost Norway to observe the transit of Venus taking place the night between 3 and 4 June. The astronomers should set up two prefabricated observatories and were brought to Norway by H.M.S. Emerald, a ship provided by the Admiralty and commanded by Captain Charles Douglas. This paper describes the expedition as well as some results including Captain Douglas' attempt to measure the temperature of sea water at great depth.