The Ironic Effect of Significant Results on the Credibility of Multiple-Study Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schimmack, Ulrich

2012-01-01

Cohen (1962) pointed out the importance of statistical power for psychology as a science, but statistical power of studies has not increased, while the number of studies in a single article has increased. It has been overlooked that multiple studies with modest power have a high probability of producing nonsignificant results because power…

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Frontal EEG Asymmetry and Alpha Power in 9–10 Year Old Twins

PubMed Central

Gao, Yu; Tuvblad, Catherine; Raine, Adrian; Lozano, Dora I.; Baker, Laura A.

2008-01-01

Modest genetic influences on frontal EEG asymmetry have been found in adults, but little is known about its genetic origins in children. Resting frontal asymmetry and alpha power were examined in 951 9–10-year-old twins. Results showed that in both males and females: (1) a modest but significant amount of variance in frontal asymmetry was accounted for by genetic factors (11–27%) with the remainder accounted for by non-shared environmental influences, and (2) alpha power were highly heritable, with 70–85% of the variance accounted for by genetic factors. Results suggest that the genetic architecture of frontal asymmetry and alpha power in late childhood are similar to that in adulthood and that the high non-shared environmental influences on frontal asymmetry may reflect environmentally-influenced individual differences in the maturation of frontal cortex as well as state-dependent influences on specific measurements. PMID:19386046

Agonist-antagonist active knee prosthesis: a preliminary study in level-ground walking.

PubMed

Martinez-Villalpando, Ernesto C; Herr, Hugh

2009-01-01

We present a powered knee prosthesis with two series-elastic actuators positioned in parallel in an agonist-antagonist arrangement. To motivate the knee's design, we developed a prosthetic knee model that comprises a variable damper and two series-elastic clutch units that span the knee joint. Using human gait data to constrain the model's joint to move biologically, we varied model parameters using an optimization scheme that minimized the sum over time of the squared difference between the model's joint torque and biological knee values. We then used these optimized values to specify the mechanical and control design of the prosthesis for level-ground walking. We hypothesized that a variable-impedance control design could produce humanlike knee mechanics during steady-state level-ground walking. As a preliminary evaluation of this hypothesis, we compared the prosthetic knee mechanics of an amputee walking at a self-selected gait speed with those of a weight- and height-matched nonamputee. We found qualitative agreement between prosthetic and human knee mechanics. Because the knee's motors never perform positive work on the knee joint throughout the level-ground gait cycle, the knee's electrical power requirement is modest in walking (8 W), decreasing the size of the onboard battery required to power the prosthesis.

Analysis and design of a 10 to 30 kW grid-connected solar power system for the JPL fire station and first aid station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Josephs, R. H.

1982-01-01

The design and performance of a modestly sized utility-connected power conditioning system and its supporting photovoltaic collector are described and estimated. Utility preparations and guidelines to conform with the output of a small generating station with that of a large power network are examined.

Solar power satellite system sizing tradeoffs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arndt, G. D.; Monford, L. G.

1981-01-01

Technical and economic tradeoffs of smaller solar power satellite systems configured with larger antennas, reduced output power, and smaller rectennas, are considered. The differential costs in electricity for seven antenna/rectenna configurations operating at 2.45 GHz and five satellite systems operating at 5.8 GHz are calculated. Two 2.45 GHz configurations dependent upon the ionospheric power density limit are chosen as examples. If the ionospheric limit could be increased to 54 mW sq/cm from the present 23 mW sq/cm level, a 1.53 km antenna satellite operating at 2.45 GHz would provide 5.05 GW of output power from a 6.8 km diameter rectenna. This system gives a 54 percent reduction in rectenna area relative to the reference solar power satellite system at a modest 17 percent increase in electricity costs. At 5.8 GHz, an 0.75 km antenna providing 2.72 GW of power from a 5.8 km diameter rectenna is selected for analysis. This configuration would have a 67 percent reduction in rectenna area at a 36 percent increase in electricity costs. Ionospheric, atmospheric, and thermal limitations are discussed. Antenna patterns for three configurations to show the relative main beam and sidelobe characteristics are included.

Large On-Chip Amplification in Silicon via Forward Stimulated Brillouin Scattering

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

Kittlaus, Eric; Shin, Heedeuk; Rakich, Peter

2015-10-15

Strong Brillouin coupling has only recently been realized in silicon using a new class of op- tomechanical waveguides that yield both optical and phononic con nement. Despite these major advances, appreciable Brillouin ampli cation has yet to be observed in silicon. Using new membrane- suspended silicon waveguide we report large Brillouin ampli cation for the rst time, reaching levels greater than 5 dB for modest pump powers, and demonstrate a record low (5 mW) threshold for net ampli cation. This work represents a crucial advance necessary to realize high-performance Brillouin lasers and ampli ers in silicon.

A case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, David A.; Gibson, Garth; Katz, Randy H.

1988-01-01

Increasing performance of CPUs and memories will be squandered if not matched by a similar performance increase in I/O. While the capacity of Single Large Expensive Disks (SLED) has grown rapidly, the performance improvement of SLED has been modest. Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), based on the magnetic disk technology developed for personal computers, offers an attractive alternative to SLED, promising improvements of an order of magnitude in performance, reliability, power consumption, and scalability. This paper introduces five levels of RAIDs, giving their relative cost/performance, and compares RAID to an IBM 3380 and a Fujitsu Super Eagle.

Reference Reactor Module for the Affordable Fission Surface Power System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poston, David I.; Kapernick, Richard J.; Dixon, David D.; Amiri, Benjamin W.; Marcille, Thomas F.

2008-01-01

Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The requirements of many surface power applications allow the consideration of systems with much less development risk than most other space reactor applications, because of modest power (10s of kWe) and no driving need for minimal mass (allowing temperatures <1000 K). The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. This paper describes the reference AFSPS reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on the lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based, UO2-fueled, liquid metal-cooled fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. One of the important ``affordability'' attributes is that the concept has been designed to minimize both the technical and programmatic safety risk.

School of Shock: Film, Television and Anal Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosewarne, Lauren

2015-01-01

Since their inception, film and television have been accused of having all kinds of magical powers to alter behaviour, coerce malfeasance and encourage debauchery. Decades of media theory later, the powers of persuasion are in fact thought to be much more modest. One area where popular media is considered to be particularly influential is…

Impacts of Variable Renewable Energy on Bulk Power System Assets, Pricing, and Costs

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

Wiser, Ryan H.; Mills, Andrew; Seel, Joachim

We synthesize available literature, data, and analysis on the degree to which growth in variable renewable energy (VRE) has impacted to date or might in the future impact bulk power system assets, pricing, and costs. We do not analyze impacts on specific power plants, instead focusing on national and regional system-level trends. The issues addressed are highly context dependent—affected by the underlying generation mix of the system, the amount of wind and solar penetration, and the design and structure of the bulk power system in each region. Moreover, analyzing the impacts of VRE on the bulk power system is amore » complex area of research and there is much more to be done to increase understanding of how VRE impacts the dynamics of current and future electricity markets. While more analysis is warranted, including additional location-specific assessments, several high-level findings emerge from this synthesis: -VRE Is Already Impacting the Bulk Power Market -VRE Impacts on Average Wholesale Prices Have Been Modest -VRE Impacts on Power Plant Retirements Have So Far Been Limited -VRE Impacts on the Bulk Power Market will Grow with Penetration -The ’System Value’ of VRE will Decline with Penetration -Power System Flexibility Can Reduce the Rate of VRE Value Decline All generation types are unique in some respect—bringing benefits and challenges to the power system—and wholesale markets, industry investments, and operational procedures have evolved over time to manage the characteristics of a changing generation fleet. With increased VRE penetrations, power system planners, operators, regulators, and policymakers will continue to be challenged to develop methods to smoothly and cost-effectively manage the reliable integration of these new and growing sources of electricity supply.« less

Energy Storage (II): Developing Advanced Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Arthur L

1974-01-01

Energy storage, considered by some scientists to be the best technological and economic advancement after advanced nuclear power, still rates only modest funding for research concerning the development of advanced technologies. (PEB)

Electric utility of the year for 1984: Potomac Electric Power

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

Not Available

1984-11-01

High performance, efficiency improvements, a modest construction program, a clear balance sheet, and an effort to expend power plant life were among the qualities that earned Potomac Electric Power (PEPCO) the title of 1984 Utility of the Year. Other key elements in the utility's selection were its strategy for purchasing power, a load management plan, diversified investments into subsidiary businesses, community concern that considers the aesthetics of transmission facilities, and its interest in personnel development, especially among minorities. 3 figures.

Gait speed using powered robotic exoskeletons after spinal cord injury: a systematic review and correlational study.

PubMed

Louie, Dennis R; Eng, Janice J; Lam, Tania

2015-10-14

Powered robotic exoskeletons are an emerging technology of wearable orthoses that can be used as an assistive device to enable non-ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to walk, or as a rehabilitation tool to improve walking ability in ambulatory individuals with SCI. No studies to date have systematically reviewed the literature on the efficacy of powered exoskeletons on restoring walking function. Our objective was to systematically review the literature to determine the gait speed attained by individuals with SCI when using a powered exoskeleton to walk, factors influencing this speed, and characteristics of studies involving a powered exoskeleton (e.g. inclusion criteria, screening, and training processes). A systematic search in computerized databases was conducted to identify articles that reported on walking outcomes when using a powered exoskeleton. Individual gait speed data from each study was extracted. Pearson correlations were performed between gait speed and 1) age, 2) years post-injury, 3) injury level, and 4) number of training sessions. Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria, 14 of which investigated the powered exoskeleton as an assistive device for non-ambulatory individuals and one which used it as a training intervention for ambulatory individuals with SCI. The mean gait speed attained by non-ambulatory participants (n = 84) while wearing a powered exoskeleton was 0.26 m/s, with the majority having a thoracic-level motor-complete injury. Twelve articles reported individual data for the non-ambulatory participants, from which a positive correlation was found between gait speed and 1) age (r = 0.27, 95 % CI 0.02-0.48, p = 0.03, 63 participants), 2) injury level (r = 0.27, 95 % CI 0.02-0.48, p = 0.03, 63 participants), and 3) training sessions (r = 0.41, 95 % CI 0.16-0.61, p = 0.002, 55 participants). In conclusion, powered exoskeletons can provide non-ambulatory individuals with thoracic-level motor-complete SCI the ability to walk at modest speeds. This speed is related to level of injury as well as training time.

Thermoelectric Waste Heat Recovery Program for Passenger Vehicles

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

Jovovic, Vladimir

2015-12-31

Gentherm began work in October 2011 to develop a Thermoelectric Waste Energy Recovery System for passenger vehicle applications. Partners in this program were BMW and Tenneco. Tenneco, in the role of TIER 1 supplier, developed the system-level packaging of the thermoelectric power generator. As the OEM, BMW Group demonstrated the TEG system in their vehicle in the final program phase. Gentherm demonstrated the performance of the TEG in medium duty and heavy duty vehicles. Technology developed and demonstrated in this program showed potential to reduce fuel consumption in medium and heavy duty vehicles. In light duty vehicles it showed moremore » modest potential.« less

Translations on USSR Science and Technology, Physical Sciences and Technology, Number 16

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-05

34INVESTIGATION OF SPLITTING OF LIGHT NUCLEI WITH HIGH-ENERGY y -RAYS WITH THE METHOD OF WILSON’S CHAMBER OPERATING IN POWERFUL BEAMS OF ELECTRONIC...boast high reliability, high speed, and extremely modest power requirements. Information oh the Screen Visual display devices greatly facilitate...area of application of these units Includes navigation, control of power systems, machine tools, and manufac- turing processes. Th» ^»abilities of

Non-Fermi-liquid nature and exotic thermoelectric power in the heavy-fermion superconductor UBe13

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Yusei; Pourret, Alexandre; Knebel, Georg; Palacio-Morales, Alexandra; Aoki, Dai

2015-12-01

We report quite exotic thermoelectric power S in UBe13. At 0 T, the negative S /T continues to strongly enhance down to the superconducting transition temperature with no Fermi-liquid behavior. |S /T | is dramatically suppressed and becomes rather modest with increasing field. We have also obtained precise field dependencies of (i) an anomaly in S due to an exotic Kondo effect and (ii) a field-induced anomaly in S /T associated with the anomalous upward Hc 2(T ) . In contrast to the field-sensitive transport property, the normal-state specific heat is magnetically robust, indicating that the largeness of the 5 f density of states remains in high fields. This unusual behavior in UBe13 can be explained by a considerable change in the energy derivative of the conduction-electron lifetime τc(ɛ ) at the Fermi level under magnetic fields.

Reference reactor module for NASA's lunar surface fission power system

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

Poston, David I; Kapernick, Richard J; Dixon, David D

Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. The AFSPS concept is now being further developed within the Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project, which is a near-term technology program to demonstrate system-level TRL-6 by 2013. This paper describes the reference FSP reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on themore » lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based. UO{sub 2}-fueled, pumped-NaK fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a 'workhorse' power system that NASA can utilize in near-term and future Lunar and Martian mission architectures, with the eventual capability to evolve to very high power, low mass systems, for either surface, deep space, and/or orbital missions.« less

PG 1553+113: Five Years Of Observations With Magic

DOE PAGES

J., Aleksić

2012-03-05

We present the results of five years (2005-2009) of MAGIC observations of the BL Lac object PG 1553+113 at very high energies (VHEs; E > 100 GeV). Power-law fits of the individual years are compatible with a steady mean photon index Γ = 4.27 ± 0.14. In the last three years of data, the flux level above 150 GeV shows a clear variability (probability of constant flux < 0.001%). The flux variations are modest, lying in the range from 4% to 11% of the Crab Nebula flux. Simultaneous optical data also show only modest variability that seems to be correlatedmore » with VHE gamma-ray variability. We also performed a temporal analysis of (all available) simultaneous Fermi/Large Area Telescope data of PG 1553+113 above 1 GeV, which reveals hints of variability in the 2008-2009 sample. Finally, we present a combination of the mean spectrum measured at VHEs with archival data available for other wavelengths. The mean spectral energy distribution can be modeled with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model, which gives the main physical parameters governing the VHE emission in the blazar jet.« less

RFMix: A Discriminative Modeling Approach for Rapid and Robust Local-Ancestry Inference

PubMed Central

Maples, Brian K.; Gravel, Simon; Kenny, Eimear E.; Bustamante, Carlos D.

2013-01-01

Local-ancestry inference is an important step in the genetic analysis of fully sequenced human genomes. Current methods can only detect continental-level ancestry (i.e., European versus African versus Asian) accurately even when using millions of markers. Here, we present RFMix, a powerful discriminative modeling approach that is faster (∼30×) and more accurate than existing methods. We accomplish this by using a conditional random field parameterized by random forests trained on reference panels. RFMix is capable of learning from the admixed samples themselves to boost performance and autocorrect phasing errors. RFMix shows high sensitivity and specificity in simulated Hispanics/Latinos and African Americans and admixed Europeans, Africans, and Asians. Finally, we demonstrate that African Americans in HapMap contain modest (but nonzero) levels of Native American ancestry (∼0.4%). PMID:23910464

Attenuation of sound in sand sediments due to porosity fluctuations.

PubMed

Hefner, Brian T; Jackson, Darrell R

2014-08-01

At high frequencies, the attenuation measured in sand sediments is larger than that predicted by Biot theory. To account for this discrepancy, perturbation theory is used to incorporate losses due to scattering by porosity variations into both Biot's poroelastic equations and the effective density fluid model. While previous results showed that fluctuations in the bulk frame modulus were insufficient to produce significant attenuation in a sand sediment, modest levels of fluctuations in the porosity produce significant scattering loss. By using the sediment parameters and the heterogeneity power spectrum measured during the Sediment Acoustics Experiment in 2004, the perturbation theory result shows good agreement with the sound speed and attenuation data without any free parameters.

Improving the power of long term rodent carcinogenicity bioassays by adjusting the experimental design.

PubMed

Jackson, Matthew T

2015-07-01

Since long term rodent carcinogenicity studies are used to test a very large number of potential tumor endpoints, finding a balance between the control of Type 1 and Type 2 error is challenging. As a result, these studies can suffer from very low power to detect effects of regulatory significance. In the present paper, a new design is proposed in order address this problem. This design is a simple modification of the existing standard designs and uses the same number of animals. Where it differs from the currently used designs is that it uses just three treatment groups rather than four, with the animals concentrated in the control and high dose groups, rather than being equally distributed among the groups. This new design is tested, in a pair of simulation studies over a range of scenarios, against two currently used designs, and against a maximally powerful two group design. It consistently performs at levels close to the optimal design, and except in the case of relatively modest effects and very rare tumors, is found to increase power by 10%-20% over the current designs while maintaining or reducing the Type 1 error rate. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Electrolysis Propulsion Provides High-Performance, Inexpensive, Clean Spacecraft Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deGroot, Wim A.

1999-01-01

An electrolysis propulsion system consumes electrical energy to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen. These gases are stored in separate tanks and used when needed in gaseous bipropellant thrusters for spacecraft propulsion. The propellant and combustion products are clean and nontoxic. As a result, costs associated with testing, handling, and launching can be an order of magnitude lower than for conventional propulsion systems, making electrolysis a cost-effective alternative to state-of-the-art systems. The electrical conversion efficiency is high (>85 percent), and maximum thrust-to-power ratios of 0.2 newtons per kilowatt (N/kW), a 370-sec specific impulse, can be obtained. A further advantage of the water rocket is its dual-mode potential. For relatively high thrust applications, the system can be used as a bipropellant engine. For low thrust levels and/or small impulse bit requirements, cold gas oxygen can be used alone. An added innovation is that the same hardware, with modest modifications, can be converted into an energy-storage and power-generation fuel cell, reducing the spacecraft power and propulsion system weight by an order of magnitude.

Soft, thin skin-mounted power management systems and their use in wireless thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Renxiao; Lee, Seungmin; Jang, Kyung-In; Yang, Yichen; Banks, Anthony; Yu, Ki Jun; Kim, Jeonghyun; Xu, Sheng; Ma, Siyi; Jang, Sung Woo; Won, Phillip; Li, Yuhang; Kim, Bong Hoon; Choe, Jo Young; Huh, Soojeong; Kwon, Yong Ho; Huang, Yonggang; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A.

2016-05-01

Power supply represents a critical challenge in the development of body-integrated electronic technologies. Although recent research establishes an impressive variety of options in energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors) and generation (triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices), the modest electrical performance and/or the absence of soft, biocompatible mechanical properties limit their practical use. The results presented here form the basis of soft, skin-compatible means for efficient photovoltaic generation and high-capacity storage of electrical power using dual-junction, compound semiconductor solar cells and chip-scale, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Miniaturized components, deformable interconnects, optimized array layouts, and dual-composition elastomer substrates, superstrates, and encapsulation layers represent key features. Systematic studies of the materials and mechanics identify optimized designs, including unusual configurations that exploit a folded, multilayer construct to improve the functional density without adversely affecting the soft, stretchable characteristics. System-level examples exploit such technologies in fully wireless sensors for precision skin thermography, with capabilities in continuous data logging and local processing, validated through demonstrations on volunteer subjects in various realistic scenarios.

Soft, thin skin-mounted power management systems and their use in wireless thermography.

PubMed

Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Renxiao; Lee, Seungmin; Jang, Kyung-In; Yang, Yichen; Banks, Anthony; Yu, Ki Jun; Kim, Jeonghyun; Xu, Sheng; Ma, Siyi; Jang, Sung Woo; Won, Phillip; Li, Yuhang; Kim, Bong Hoon; Choe, Jo Young; Huh, Soojeong; Kwon, Yong Ho; Huang, Yonggang; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A

2016-05-31

Power supply represents a critical challenge in the development of body-integrated electronic technologies. Although recent research establishes an impressive variety of options in energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors) and generation (triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices), the modest electrical performance and/or the absence of soft, biocompatible mechanical properties limit their practical use. The results presented here form the basis of soft, skin-compatible means for efficient photovoltaic generation and high-capacity storage of electrical power using dual-junction, compound semiconductor solar cells and chip-scale, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Miniaturized components, deformable interconnects, optimized array layouts, and dual-composition elastomer substrates, superstrates, and encapsulation layers represent key features. Systematic studies of the materials and mechanics identify optimized designs, including unusual configurations that exploit a folded, multilayer construct to improve the functional density without adversely affecting the soft, stretchable characteristics. System-level examples exploit such technologies in fully wireless sensors for precision skin thermography, with capabilities in continuous data logging and local processing, validated through demonstrations on volunteer subjects in various realistic scenarios.

Soft, thin skin-mounted power management systems and their use in wireless thermography

PubMed Central

Lee, Jung Woo; Xu, Renxiao; Lee, Seungmin; Jang, Kyung-In; Yang, Yichen; Banks, Anthony; Yu, Ki Jun; Kim, Jeonghyun; Xu, Sheng; Ma, Siyi; Jang, Sung Woo; Won, Phillip; Li, Yuhang; Kim, Bong Hoon; Choe, Jo Young; Huh, Soojeong; Kwon, Yong Ho; Huang, Yonggang; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A.

2016-01-01

Power supply represents a critical challenge in the development of body-integrated electronic technologies. Although recent research establishes an impressive variety of options in energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors) and generation (triboelectric, piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices), the modest electrical performance and/or the absence of soft, biocompatible mechanical properties limit their practical use. The results presented here form the basis of soft, skin-compatible means for efficient photovoltaic generation and high-capacity storage of electrical power using dual-junction, compound semiconductor solar cells and chip-scale, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Miniaturized components, deformable interconnects, optimized array layouts, and dual-composition elastomer substrates, superstrates, and encapsulation layers represent key features. Systematic studies of the materials and mechanics identify optimized designs, including unusual configurations that exploit a folded, multilayer construct to improve the functional density without adversely affecting the soft, stretchable characteristics. System-level examples exploit such technologies in fully wireless sensors for precision skin thermography, with capabilities in continuous data logging and local processing, validated through demonstrations on volunteer subjects in various realistic scenarios. PMID:27185907

Relationship between frequency power spectra and intermittent, large-amplitude bursts in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theodorsen, A.; Garcia, O. E.; Kube, R.; LaBombard, B.; Terry, J. L.

2017-11-01

Fluctuations in the boundary region of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak have been analyzed using gas puff imaging data from a set of Ohmically heated plasma density scan experiments. It is found that the relative fluctuation amplitudes are modest and close to normally distributed at the separatrix but become increasingly larger and skewed towards the main chamber wall. The frequency power spectra are nevertheless similar for all radial positions and line-averaged densities. Predictions of a stochastic model, describing the plasma fluctuations as a super-position of uncorrelated pulses, are shown to be in excellent agreement with the measurements. This implies that the pulse duration is the same, while the degree of pulse overlap decreases radially outwards in the scrape-off layer. The universal frequency power spectral density is thus determined by the shape and duration of the large-amplitude bursts associated with blob-like structures. The model also describes the rate of threshold level crossings, for which the exponential tails underline the intermittency of the fluctuations in the far scarpe-off layer.

Sub-paresthesia spinal cord stimulation reverses thermal hyperalgesia and modulates low frequency EEG in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Koyama, Suguru; Xia, Jimmy; Leblanc, Brian W; Gu, Jianwen Wendy; Saab, Carl Y

2018-05-08

Paresthesia, a common feature of epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for pain management, presents a challenge to the double-blind study design. Although sub-paresthesia SCS has been shown to be effective in alleviating pain, empirical criteria for sub-paresthesia SCS have not been established and its basic mechanisms of action at supraspinal levels are unknown. We tested our hypothesis that sub-paresthesia SCS attenuates behavioral signs of neuropathic pain in a rat model, and modulates pain-related theta (4-8 Hz) power of the electroencephalogram (EEG), a previously validated correlate of spontaneous pain in rodent models. Results show that sub-paresthesia SCS attenuates thermal hyperalgesia and power amplitude in the 3-4 Hz range, consistent with clinical data showing significant yet modest analgesic effects of sub-paresthesia SCS in humans. Therefore, we present evidence for anti-nociceptive effects of sub-paresthesia SCS in a rat model of neuropathic pain and further validate EEG theta power as a reliable 'biosignature' of spontaneous pain.

Merits of flywheels for spacecraft energy storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gross, S.

1984-01-01

Flywheel energy storage systems which have a very good potential for use in spacecraft are discussed. This system can be superior to alkaline secondary batteries and regenerable fuel cells in most of the areas that are important in spacecraft applications. Of special importance, relative to batteries, are lighter weight, longer cycle and operating life, and high efficiency which minimizes solar array size and the amount of orbital makeup fuel required. Flywheel systems have a long shelf life, give a precise state of charge indication, have modest thermal control needs, are capable of multiple discharges per orbit, have simple ground handling needs, and have characteristics which would be useful for military applications. The major disadvantages of flywheel energy storage systems are that: power is not available during the launch phase without special provisions; and in flight failure of units may force shutdown of good counter rotating units, amplifying the effects of failure and limiting power distribution system options; no inherent emergency power capability unless specifically designed for, and a high level of complexity compared with batteries. The potential advantages of the flywheel energy storage system far outweigh the disadvantages.

The added value of world views over self-views: Predicting modest behaviour in Eastern and Western cultures.

PubMed

Chen, Sylvia Xiaohua; Ng, Jacky C K; Buchtel, Emma E; Guan, Yanjun; Deng, Hong; Bond, Michael Harris

2017-12-01

Personality research has been focused on different aspects of the self, including traits, attitudes, beliefs, goals, and motivation. These aspects of the self are used to explain and predict social behaviour. The present research assessed generalized beliefs about the world, termed 'social axioms' (Leung et al., ), and examined their additive power over beliefs about the self in explaining a communal behaviour, that is, modesty. Three studies predicted reported modest behaviour among Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, East Asian Canadians, and European Canadians. In addition to self-reports in Studies 1 and 2, informant reports from participants' parents and close friends were collected in Study 3 to construct a behavioural composite after examining the resulting multitrait-multimethod matrix and intraclass correlations. World views (operationalized as social axioms) explained additional variance in modest behaviour over and above self-views (operationalized as self-efficacy, self-construals, and trait modesty) in both Eastern and Western cultures. Variation in reports on three factors of modest behaviour was found across self-, parent, and friend perspectives, with significant differences across perspectives in self-effacement and other-enhancement, but not in avoidance of attention-seeking. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Feasibility Study for a Near Term Demonstration of Laser-Sail Propulsion from the Ground to Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, Edward E., IV; Johnson, Les; Thomas, Herbert D.

2016-01-01

This paper adds to the body of research related to the concept of propellant-less in-space propulsion utilizing an external high energy laser (HEL) to provide momentum to an ultra-lightweight (gossamer) spacecraft. It has been suggested that the capabilities of Space Situational Awareness assets and the advanced analytical tools available for fine resolution orbit determination make it possible to investigate the practicalities of a ground to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) demonstration at delivered power levels that only illuminate a spacecraft without causing damage to it. The degree to which this can be expected to produce a measurable change in the orbit of a low ballistic coefficient spacecraft is investigated. Key system characteristics and estimated performance are derived for a near term mission opportunity involving the LightSail 2 spacecraft and laser power levels modest in comparison to those proposed previously by Forward, Landis, or Marx. [1,2,3] A more detailed investigation of accessing LightSail 2 from Santa Rosa Island on Eglin Air Force Base on the United States coast of the Gulf of Mexico is provided to show expected results in a specific case.

Energy harvesting: small scale energy production from ambient sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeatman, Eric M.

2009-03-01

Energy harvesting - the collection of otherwise unexploited energy in the local environment - is attracting increasing attention for the powering of electronic devices. While the power levels that can be reached are typically modest (microwatts to milliwatts), the key motivation is to avoid the need for battery replacement or recharging in portable or inaccessible devices. Wireless sensor networks are a particularly important application: the availability of essentially maintenance free sensor nodes, as enabled by energy harvesting, will greatly increase the feasibility of large scale networks, in the paradigm often known as pervasive sensing. Such pervasive sensing networks, used to monitor buildings, structures, outdoor environments or the human body, offer significant benefits for large scale energy efficiency, health and safety, and many other areas. Sources of energy for harvesting include light, temperature differences, and ambient motion, and a wide range of miniature energy harvesters based on these sources have been proposed or demonstrated. This paper reviews the principles and practice in miniature energy harvesters, and discusses trends, suitable applications, and possible future developments.

Periodic control of the individual-blade-control helicopter rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckillip, R. M., Jr.

1985-01-01

This paper describes the results of an investigation into methods of controller design for linear periodic systems utilizing an extension of modern control methods. Trends present in the selection of various cost functions are outlined, and closed-loop controller results are demonstrated for two cases: first, on an analog computer simulation of the rigid out of plane flapping dynamics of a single rotor blade, and second, on a 4 ft diameter single-bladed model helicopter rotor in the MIT 5 x 7 subsonic wind tunnel, both for various high levels of advance ratio. It is shown that modal control using the IBC concept is possible over a large range of advance ratios with only a modest amount of computational power required.

Assessing the Power of Exome Chips.

PubMed

Page, Christian Magnus; Baranzini, Sergio E; Mevik, Bjørn-Helge; Bos, Steffan Daniel; Harbo, Hanne F; Andreassen, Bettina Kulle

2015-01-01

Genotyping chips for rare and low-frequent variants have recently gained popularity with the introduction of exome chips, but the utility of these chips remains unclear. These chips were designed using exome sequencing data from mainly American-European individuals, enriched for a narrow set of common diseases. In addition, it is well-known that the statistical power of detecting associations with rare and low-frequent variants is much lower compared to studies exclusively involving common variants. We developed a simulation program adaptable to any exome chip design to empirically evaluate the power of the exome chips. We implemented the main properties of the Illumina HumanExome BeadChip array. The simulated data sets were used to assess the power of exome chip based studies for varying effect sizes and causal variant scenarios. We applied two widely-used statistical approaches for rare and low-frequency variants, which collapse the variants into genetic regions or genes. Under optimal conditions, we found that a sample size between 20,000 to 30,000 individuals were needed in order to detect modest effect sizes (0.5% < PAR > 1%) with 80% power. For small effect sizes (PAR <0.5%), 60,000-100,000 individuals were needed in the presence of non-causal variants. In conclusion, we found that at least tens of thousands of individuals are necessary to detect modest effects under optimal conditions. In addition, when using rare variant chips on cohorts or diseases they were not originally designed for, the identification of associated variants or genes will be even more challenging.

THz in biology and medicine: toward quantifying and understanding the interaction of millimeter- and submillimeter-waves with cells and cell processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Peter H.; Pikov, Victor

2010-02-01

As the application and commercial use of millimeter- and submillimeter-wavelength radiation become more widespread, there is a growing need to understand and quantify both the coupling mechanisms and the impact of this long wavelength energy on biological function. Independent of the health impact of high doses of radio frequency (RF) energy on full organisms, which has been extensively investigated, there exists the potential for more subtle effects, which can best be quantified in studies which examine real-time changes in cellular functions as RF energy is applied. In this paper we present the first real time examination of RF induced changes in cellular activity at absorbed power levels well below the existing safe exposure limits. Fluorescence microscopy imaging of immortalized epithelial and neuronal cells in vitro indicate increased cellular membrane permeability and nanoporation after short term exposure to modest levels (10-50 mW/cm2) of RF power at 60 GHz. Sensitive patch clamp measurements on pyramidal neurons in cortical slices of neonatal rats showed a dramatic increase in cellular membrane permeability resulting either in suppression or facilitation of neuronal activity during exposure to sub-μW/cm2 of RF power at 60 GHz. Non-invasive modulation of neuronal activity could prove useful in a variety of health applications from suppression of peripheral neuropathic pain to treatment of central neurological disorders.

Linear transmitter design for MSAT terminals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, Ross; Macleod, John; Beach, Mark; Bateman, Andrew

1990-01-01

One of the factors that will undoubtedly influence the choice of modulation format for mobile satellites, is the availability of cheap, power-efficient, linear amplifiers for mobile terminal equipment operating in the 1.5-1.7 GHz band. Transmitter linearity is not easily achieved at these frequencies, although high power (20W) class A/AB devices are becoming available. However, these components are expensive and require careful design to achieve a modest degree of linearity. In this paper an alternative approach to radio frequency (RF) power amplifier design for mobile satellite (MSAT) terminals using readily-available, power-efficient, and cheap class C devices in a feedback amplifier architecture is presented.

Optimizing Wind Power Generation while Minimizing Wildlife Impacts in an Urban Area

PubMed Central

Bohrer, Gil; Zhu, Kunpeng; Jones, Robert L.; Curtis, Peter S.

2013-01-01

The location of a wind turbine is critical to its power output, which is strongly affected by the local wind field. Turbine operators typically seek locations with the best wind at the lowest level above ground since turbine height affects installation costs. In many urban applications, such as small-scale turbines owned by local communities or organizations, turbine placement is challenging because of limited available space and because the turbine often must be added without removing existing infrastructure, including buildings and trees. The need to minimize turbine hazard to wildlife compounds the challenge. We used an exclusion zone approach for turbine-placement optimization that incorporates spatially detailed maps of wind distribution and wildlife densities with power output predictions for the Ohio State University campus. We processed public GIS records and airborne lidar point-cloud data to develop a 3D map of all campus buildings and trees. High resolution large-eddy simulations and long-term wind climatology were combined to provide land-surface-affected 3D wind fields and the corresponding wind-power generation potential. This power prediction map was then combined with bird survey data. Our assessment predicts that exclusion of areas where bird numbers are highest will have modest effects on the availability of locations for power generation. The exclusion zone approach allows the incorporation of wildlife hazard in wind turbine siting and power output considerations in complex urban environments even when the quantitative interaction between wildlife behavior and turbine activity is unknown. PMID:23409117

CONSTRAINING POLARIZED FOREGROUNDS FOR EoR EXPERIMENTS. I. 2D POWER SPECTRA FROM THE PAPER-32 IMAGING ARRAY

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

Kohn, S. A.; Aguirre, J. E.; Moore, D. F.

2016-06-01

Current generation low-frequency interferometers constructed with the objective of detecting the high-redshift 21 cm background aim to generate power spectra of the brightness temperature contrast of neutral hydrogen in primordial intergalactic medium. Two-dimensional (2D) power spectra (power in Fourier modes parallel and perpendicular to the line of sight) that formed from interferometric visibilities have been shown to delineate a boundary between spectrally smooth foregrounds (known as the wedge ) and spectrally structured 21 cm background emission (the EoR window ). However, polarized foregrounds are known to possess spectral structure due to Faraday rotation, which can leak into the EoR window.more » In this work we create and analyze 2D power spectra from the PAPER-32 imaging array in Stokes I, Q, U, and V. These allow us to observe and diagnose systematic effects in our calibration at high signal-to-noise within the Fourier space most relevant to EoR experiments. We observe well-defined windows in the Stokes visibilities, with Stokes Q, U, and V power spectra sharing a similar wedge shape to that seen in Stokes I. With modest polarization calibration, we see no evidence that polarization calibration errors move power outside the wedge in any Stokes visibility to the noise levels attained. Deeper integrations will be required to confirm that this behavior persists to the depth required for EoR detection.« less

Optimizing wind power generation while minimizing wildlife impacts in an urban area.

PubMed

Bohrer, Gil; Zhu, Kunpeng; Jones, Robert L; Curtis, Peter S

2013-01-01

The location of a wind turbine is critical to its power output, which is strongly affected by the local wind field. Turbine operators typically seek locations with the best wind at the lowest level above ground since turbine height affects installation costs. In many urban applications, such as small-scale turbines owned by local communities or organizations, turbine placement is challenging because of limited available space and because the turbine often must be added without removing existing infrastructure, including buildings and trees. The need to minimize turbine hazard to wildlife compounds the challenge. We used an exclusion zone approach for turbine-placement optimization that incorporates spatially detailed maps of wind distribution and wildlife densities with power output predictions for the Ohio State University campus. We processed public GIS records and airborne lidar point-cloud data to develop a 3D map of all campus buildings and trees. High resolution large-eddy simulations and long-term wind climatology were combined to provide land-surface-affected 3D wind fields and the corresponding wind-power generation potential. This power prediction map was then combined with bird survey data. Our assessment predicts that exclusion of areas where bird numbers are highest will have modest effects on the availability of locations for power generation. The exclusion zone approach allows the incorporation of wildlife hazard in wind turbine siting and power output considerations in complex urban environments even when the quantitative interaction between wildlife behavior and turbine activity is unknown.

Microstructured snow targets for high energy quasi-monoenergetic proton acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleifer, E.; Nahum, E.; Eisenmann, S.; Botton, M.; Baspaly, A.; Pomerantz, I.; Abricht, F.; Branzel, J.; Priebe, G.; Steinke, S.; Andreev, A.; Schnuerer, M.; Sandner, W.; Gordon, D.; Sprangle, P.; Ledingham, K. W. D.; Zigler, A.

2013-05-01

Compact size sources of high energy protons (50-200MeV) are expected to be key technology in a wide range of scientific applications 1-8. One promising approach is the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) scheme 9,10, holding record level of 67MeV protons generated by a peta-Watt laser 11. In general, laser intensity exceeding 1018 W/cm2 is required to produce MeV level protons. Another approach is the Break-Out Afterburner (BOA) scheme which is a more efficient acceleration scheme but requires an extremely clean pulse with contrast ratio of above 10-10. Increasing the energy of the accelerated protons using modest energy laser sources is a very attractive task nowadays. Recently, nano-scale targets were used to accelerate ions 12,13 but no significant enhancement of the accelerated proton energy was measured. Here we report on the generation of up to 20MeV by a modest (5TW) laser system interacting with a microstructured snow target deposited on a Sapphire substrate. This scheme relax also the requirement of high contrast ratio between the pulse and the pre-pulse, where the latter produces the highly structured plasma essential for the interaction process. The plasma near the tip of the snow target is subject to locally enhanced laser intensity with high spatial gradients, and enhanced charge separation is obtained. Electrostatic fields of extremely high intensities are produced, and protons are accelerated to MeV-level energies. PIC simulations of this targets reproduce the experimentally measured energy scaling and predict the generation of 150 MeV protons from laser power of 100TW laser system18.

Ultrasound generation with high power and coil only EMAT concepts.

PubMed

Rueter, Dirk; Morgenstern, Tino

2014-12-01

Electro-magnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are intended as non-contact and non-destructive ultrasound transducers for metallic material. The transmitted intensities from EMATS are modest, particularly at notable lift off distances. Some time ago a concept for a "coil only EMAT" was presented, without static magnetic field. In this contribution, such compact "coil only EMATs" with effective areas of 1-5cm(2) were driven to excessive power levels at MHz frequencies, using pulsed power technologies. RF induction currents of 10kA and tens of Megawatts are applied. With increasing power the electroacoustic conversion efficiency also increases. The total effect is of second order or quadratic, therefore non-linear and progressive, and yields strong ultrasound signals up to kW/cm(2) at MHz frequencies in the metal. Even at considerable lift off distances (cm) the ultrasound can be readily detected. Test materials are aluminum, ferromagnetic steel and stainless steel (non-ferromagnetic). Thereby, most metal types are represented. The technique is compared experimentally with other non-contact methods: laser pulse induced ultrasound and spark induced ultrasound, both damaging to the test object's surface. At small lift off distances, the intensity from this EMAT concept clearly outperforms the laser pulses or heavy spark impacts. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2014 Wind Technologies Market Report

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

Wiser, Ryan; Bolinger, Mark; Barbose, Galen

Wind power capacity additions in the United States rebounded in 2014, and continued growth through 2016 is anticipated. Recent and projected near-term growth is supported by the industry’s primary federal incentive—the production tax credit (PTC)—which is available for projects that began construction by the end of 2014. Wind additions are also being driven by recent improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies, which have resulted in the lowest power sales prices ever seen in the U.S. wind sector. Growing corporate demand for wind energy and state-level policies play important roles as well. Expectations for continued technological advancementsmore » and cost reductions may further boost future growth. At the same time, the prospects for growth beyond 2016 are uncertain. The PTC has expired, and its renewal remains in question. Continued low natural gas prices, modest electricity demand growth, and limited near-term demand from state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) have also put a damper on growth expectations. These trends, in combination with increasingly global supply chains, have limited the growth of domestic manufacturing of wind equipment. What they mean for wind power additions through the end of the decade and beyond will be dictated in part by future natural gas prices, fossil plant retirements, and policy decisions.« less

Educational Research in Educational Practice: Predictors of Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lysenko, Larysa V.; Abrami, Philip C.; Dagenais, Christian; Janosz, Michel

2014-01-01

This study investigates the predictors of school practitioners' (N = 2,425) use of educational research. The suggested model explained significantly but modestly the infrequent use of educational research by practitioners. Of the four factors in the study, "opinions about research" had the most explanatory power. The results are…

The Surprisingly Modest Relationship between SES and Educational Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harwell, Michael; Maeda, Yukiko; Bishop, Kyoungwon; Xie, Aolin

2017-01-01

Measures of socioeconomic status (SES) are routinely used in analyses of achievement data to increase statistical power, statistically control for the effects of SES, and enhance causality arguments under the premise that the SES-achievement relationship is moderate to strong. Empirical evidence characterizing the strength of the SES-achievement…

Influence of Modest Endotoxemia on Postoperative Antithrombin Deficiency and Circulating Secretory Immunoglobulin A Levels

PubMed Central

Fujita, Tetsuji; Imai, Takashi; Anazawa, Sadao

2003-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the influence of modest endotoxemia on postoperative antithrombin deficiency and cholestasis. Summary Background Data: It has not been determined whether endotoxin translocation in small amounts is a physiological phenomenon or whether it is a potential health hazard. Methods: Blood endotoxin, antithrombin III (ATIII), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), which was selected as a marker of cholestasis, C-reactive protein (CRP), and α-1-antitrypsin (AAT) concentrations were measured from the 20 patients undergoing curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer preoperatively and postoperatively. Portal and systemic blood samples were taken for the analysis of endotoxin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations during surgery in these patients. Results: Although plasma endotoxin levels showed a significant increase during surgery, we did not find a correlation with ATIII, sIgA, CRP, and IL-6 levels. Systemic blood endotoxin levels during surgery correlated with a postoperative rise of serum AAT levels. Plasma ATIII levels transiently decreased on the first and third postoperative day, and sIgA levels were shown to increase on the seventh postoperative day. There was a weak relationship between the extent of postoperative endotoxemia and a reduction in ATIII concentrations. Conclusions: The influence of modest endotoxemia on postoperative antithrombin deficiency and cholestasis was limited, and increased translocational endotoxemia during abdominal surgery may be a physiological phenomenon to trigger off an acute-phase protein response. PMID:12894020

Noise effects in bacterial motor switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Yuhai

2006-03-01

The clockwise (CW) or counter clockwise (CCW) spinning of bacterial flagellar motors is controlled by the concentration of a phosphorylated protein CheY-P. In this talk, we represent the stochastic switching behavior of a bacterial flagellar motor by a dynamical two-state (CW and CCW) model, with the energy levels of the two states fluctuating in time according to the variation of the CheY-P concentration in the cell. We show that with a generic normal distribution and a modest amplitude for CheY-P concentration fluctuations, the dynamical two-state model is capable of generating a power-law distribution (as opposed to an exponential Poisson-like distribution) for the durations of the CCW states, in agreement with recent experimental observations of Korobkova et al (Nature, 428, 574(2004)). In addition, we show that the power spectrum for the flagellar motor switching time series is not determined solely by the power-law duration distribution, but also by the temporal correlation between the duration times of different CCW intervals. We point out the intrinsic connection between anomalously large fluctuations of the motor output and the overall high gain of the bacterial chemotaxis system. Suggestions for experimental verification of the dynamical two-state model will also be discussed.

Model studies of laser absorption computed tomography for remote air pollution measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, D. C., Jr.; Byer, R. L.

1982-01-01

Model studies of the potential of laser absorption-computed tomography are presented which demonstrate the possibility of sensitive remote atmospheric pollutant measurements, over kilometer-sized areas, with two-dimensional resolution, at modest laser source powers. An analysis of this tomographic reconstruction process as a function of measurement SNR, laser power, range, and system geometry, shows that the system is able to yield two-dimensional maps of pollutant concentrations at ranges and resolutions superior to those attainable with existing, direct-detection laser radars.

Deep Space Systems Technology Program Future Deliveries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salvo, Christopher G.; Keuneke, Matthew S.

2000-01-01

NASA is in a period of frequent launches of low cost deep space missions with challenging performance needs. The modest budgets of these missions make it impossible for each to develop its own technology, therefore, efficient and effective development and insertion of technology for these missions must be approached at a higher level than has been done in the past. The Deep Space Systems Technology Program (DSST), often referred to as X2000, has been formed to address this need. The program is divided into a series of "Deliveries" that develop and demonstrate a set of spacecraft system capabilities with broad applicability for use by multiple missions. The First Delivery Project, to be completed in 2001, will provide a one MRAD-tolerant flight computer, power switching electronics, efficient radioisotope power source, and a transponder with services at 8.4 GHz and 32 GHz bands. Plans call for a Second Delivery in late 2003 to enable complete deep space systems in the 10 to 50 kg class, and a Third Delivery built around Systems on a Chip (extreme levels of electronic and microsystems integration) around 2006. Formulation of Future Deliveries (past the First Delivery) is ongoing and includes plans for such developments as highly miniaturized digital/analog/power electronics, optical communications, multifunctional structures, miniature lightweight propulsion, advanced thermal control techniques, highly efficient radioisotope power sources, and a unified flight ground software architecture to support the needs of future highly intelligent space systems. All developments are targeted at broad applicability and reuse, and will be commercialized within the US.

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Mission 1 Experiments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lenwood G., Ed.; And Others

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) has been designed to take advantage of the two-way transportation capability of the space shuttle by providing a large number of economical opportunities for science and technology experiments that require modest electrical power and data processing while in space and which benefit from postflight…

United States-China-India Relationship: An Analysis of the Emergence of a Strategic Triangle

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-14

rules of rational play. The shift from one pattern dynamic to another is a function of the attempts of the players to freeze a given configuration...It seeks only modest or no change in the international system (the relative power status of the major states, the rules governing interaction...

Development in helicopter tail boom strake applications in the US

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John C.; Kelley, Henry L.; Donahue, Cynthia C.; Yenni, Kenneth R.

1988-01-01

The use of a strake or spoiler on a helicopter tail boom to beneficially change helicopter tail boom air loads was suggested in the United States in 1975. The anticipated benefits were a change of tail boom loads to reduce required tail rotor thrust and power and improve directional control. High tail boom air loads experienced by the YAH-64 and described in 1978 led to a wind tunnel investigation of the usefullness of strakes in altering such loads on the AH-64, UH-60, and UH-1 helicopters. The wind tunnel tests of 2-D cross sections of the tail boom of each demonstrated that a strake or strakes would be effective. Several limited test programs with the U.S. Army's OH-58A, AH-64, and UH-60A were conducted which showed the effects of strakes were modest for those helicopters. The most recent flight test program, with a Bell 204B, disclosed that for the 204B the tail boom strake or strakes would provide more than a modest improvement in directional control and reduction in tail rotor power.

Field-Reversed Configuration Power Plant Critical-Issue Scoping Study

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

Santarius, J. F.; Mogahed, E. A.; Emmert, G. A.

A team from the Universities of Wisconsin, Washington, and Illinois performed an engineering scoping study of critical issues for field-reversed configuration (FRC) power plants. The key tasks for this research were (1) systems analysis for deuterium-tritium (D-T) FRC fusion power plants, and (2) conceptual design of the blanket and shield module for an FRC fusion core. For the engineering conceptual design of the fusion core, the project team focused on intermediate-term technology. For example, one decision was to use steele structure. The FRC systems analysis led to a fusion power plant with attractive features including modest size, cylindrical symmetry, goodmore » thermal efficiency (52%), relatively easy maintenance, and a high ratio of electric power to fusion core mass, indicating that it would have favorable economics.« less

Longitudinal trends in hedonic hunger after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in adolescents.

PubMed

Cushing, Christopher C; Benoit, Stephen C; Peugh, James L; Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer; Inge, Thomas H; Zeller, Meg H

2014-01-01

Initial outcome studies have reported that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is safe and efficacious for adolescents with extreme obesity. Although rapid weight loss is seen initially, data also show that modest weight regain typically occurs as early as the second postoperative year. The contribution of various psychological factors, including hedonic hunger, to postoperative weight regain has not previously been studied in adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the variability in hedonic hunger and body mass index (BMI) over the initial 2-year period of weight loss and modest weight regain in adolescent RYGB recipients. A total of 16 adolescents completed the Power of Food Scale before surgery and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively. Height and weight were measured at each time point, from which BMI was calculated. Nonlinear trends were observed for time on both overall hedonic hunger and hedonic hunger specifically related to food available in the adolescent's environment. The BMI reduction during the first 18 months postoperatively was paralleled by reduction in hedonic hunger; increases in hedonic hunger also paralleled the modest BMI increase at 24 months. In growth analysis, significant power gains are available to models using 4 or more points of data. However, only large effect sizes that are>.85 were detectable with a sample of 16 patients. These data provide preliminary evidence that hedonic hunger is in need of further study in adolescent patients receiving RYGB both preoperatively and postoperatively. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Studying the Motivated Agent Through Time: Personal Goal Development During the Adult Life Span.

PubMed

Dunlop, William L; Bannon, Brittany L; McAdams, Dan P

2017-04-01

This research examined the rank-order and mean-level consistency of personal goals at two periods in the adult life span. Personal goal continuity was considered among a group of young adults (N = 145) who reported their goals three times over a 3-year period and among a group of midlife adults (N = 163) who specified their goals annually over a 4-year period. Goals were coded for a series of motive-based (viz., achievement, affiliation, intimacy, power) and domain-based (viz., finance, generativity, health, travel) categories. In both samples, we noted a moderate degree of rank-order consistency across assessment periods. In addition, the majority of goal categories exhibited a high degree of mean-level consistency. The results of this research suggest that (a) the content of goals exhibits a modest degree of rank-order consistency and a substantial degree of mean-level consistency over time, and (b) considering personality continuity and development as manifest via goals represents a viable strategy for personality psychologists. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Remote sensing of atmospheric winds using a coherent, CW lidar and speckle-turbulence interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, J. F.; Amzajerdian, F.; Gudimetla, V. S. R.; Hunt, J. M.

1986-01-01

Speckle turbulence interaction has the potential for allowing single ended remote sensing of the path averaged vector crosswind in a plane perpendicular to the line of sight to a target. If a laser transmitter is used to illuminate a target, the resultant speckle field generated by the target is randomly perturbed by the atmospheric turbulence as it propagates back to the location of the transmitter-receiver. When a cross wind is present, this scintillation pattern will move with time across the receiver. A continuous wave (cw) laser transmitter of modest power level in conjunction with optical heterodyne detection was used to exploit the speckel turbulence interaction and measure the crosswind. The use of a cw transmitter at 10.6 microns and optical heterodyne detection has many advantages over direct detection and a double pulsed source in the visible or near infrared. These advantages include the availability of compact, reliable and inexpensive transmitters, better penetration of smoke, dust and fog; stable output power; low beam pointing jitter; and considerably reduced complexity in the receiver electronics.

Small Microprocessor for ASIC or FPGA Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleyner, Igor; Katz, Richard; Blair-Smith, Hugh

2011-01-01

A small microprocessor, suitable for use in applications in which high reliability is required, was designed to be implemented in either an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The design is based on commercial microprocessor architecture, making it possible to use available software development tools and thereby to implement the microprocessor at relatively low cost. The design features enhancements, including trapping during execution of illegal instructions. The internal structure of the design yields relatively high performance, with a significant decrease, relative to other microprocessors that perform the same functions, in the number of microcycles needed to execute macroinstructions. The problem meant to be solved in designing this microprocessor was to provide a modest level of computational capability in a general-purpose processor while adding as little as possible to the power demand, size, and weight of a system into which the microprocessor would be incorporated. As designed, this microprocessor consumes very little power and occupies only a small portion of a typical modern ASIC or FPGA. The microprocessor operates at a rate of about 4 million instructions per second with clock frequency of 20 MHz.

Modest Amounts of Voluntary Exercise Reduce Pain- and Stress-Related Outcomes in a Rat Model of Persistent Hind Limb Inflammation.

PubMed

Pitcher, Mark H; Tarum, Farid; Rauf, Imran Z; Low, Lucie A; Bushnell, Catherine

2017-06-01

Aerobic exercise improves outcomes in a variety of chronic health conditions, yet the support for exercise-induced effects on chronic pain in humans is mixed. Although many rodent studies have examined the effects of exercise on persistent hypersensitivity, the most used forced exercise paradigms that are known to be highly stressful. Because stress can also produce analgesic effects, we studied how voluntary exercise, known to reduce stress in healthy subjects, alters hypersensitivity, stress, and swelling in a rat model of persistent hind paw inflammation. Our data indicate that voluntary exercise rapidly and effectively reduces hypersensitivity as well as stress-related outcomes without altering swelling. Moreover, the level of exercise is unrelated to the analgesic and stress-reducing effects, suggesting that even modest amounts of exercise may impart significant benefit in persistent inflammatory pain states. Modest levels of voluntary exercise reduce pain- and stress-related outcomes in a rat model of persistent inflammatory pain, independently of the amount of exercise. As such, consistent, self-regulated activity levels may be more relevant to health improvement in persistent pain states than standardized exercise goals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

American business ethics and health care costs.

PubMed

Garrett, T M; Klonoski, R J; Baillie, H W

1993-01-01

The health care industry operates in the margin between market competition and social welfare programs. Violations of business ethics on the market side add considerably to costs. When the inefficient use of resources and market distortions due to power and ignorance as well as legal and subsidized monopolies are added, increased costs can approach $100 billion. Modest remedies are suggested.

Three-dimension imaging lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degnan, John J. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

This invention is directed to a 3-dimensional imaging lidar, which utilizes modest power kHz rate lasers, array detectors, photon-counting multi-channel timing receivers, and dual wedge optical scanners with transmitter point-ahead correction to provide contiguous high spatial resolution mapping of surface features including ground, water, man-made objects, vegetation and submerged surfaces from an aircraft or a spacecraft.

Experimental Investigation of a Direct-drive Hall Thruster and Solar Array System at Power Levels up to 10 kW

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, John S.; Brophy, John R.; Hofer, Richard R.; Goebel, Dan M.; Katz, Ira

2012-01-01

As NASA considers future exploration missions, high-power solar-electric propulsion (SEP) plays a prominent role in achieving many mission goals. Studies of high-power SEP systems (i.e. tens to hundreds of kilowatts) suggest that significant mass savings may be realized by implementing a direct-drive power system, so NASA recently established the National Direct-Drive Testbed to examine technical issues identified by previous investigations. The testbed includes a 12-kW solar array and power control station designed to power single and multiple Hall thrusters over a wide range of voltages and currents. In this paper, single Hall thruster operation directly from solar array output at discharge voltages of 200 to 450 V and discharge powers of 1 to 10 kW is reported. Hall thruster control and operation is shown to be simple and no different than for operation on conventional power supplies. Thruster and power system electrical oscillations were investigated over a large range of operating conditions and with different filter capacitances. Thruster oscillations were the same as for conventional power supplies, did not adversely affect solar array operation, and were independent of filter capacitance from 8 to 80 ?F. Solar array current and voltage oscillations were very small compared to their mean values and showed a modest dependence on capacitor size. No instabilities or anomalous behavior were observed in the thruster or power system at any operating condition investigated, including near and at the array peak power point. Thruster startup using the anode propellant flow as the power 'switch' was shown to be simple and reliable with system transients mitigated by the proper selection of filter capacitance size. Shutdown via cutoff of propellant flow was also demonstrated. A simple electrical circuit model was developed and is shown to have good agreement with the experimental data.

Divestiture summary report: Sale of Eklutna and Snettisham hydroelectric projects

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

Not Available

1992-04-01

This report accompanies the legislative proposal to authorize sale of the two Alaskan Federal hydroelectric projects and close out the Alaska Power Administration (APA). The 78,210 kill Snettisham Project serving Juneau would be sold to the Alaska Energy Authority, a State corporation which owns six other hydroelectric projects. The 30,000 kill Eklutna Project serving the Anchorage and Matanuska Valley areas would be sold to the three electric utilities which now purchase power from that project. Terms and conditions for the sales are set out in negotiated Purchase Agreements. Key aspects include: (1) Development of Transition Plans within six months aftermore » Congress authorizes the divestiture. (2) Transaction Date to be set in the Transition Plans. (3) Description of assets to be transferred. (4) Price and payment terms. (5) Environmental Management Plans. (6) Protection of interests in several important non-power'' uses of project land and water. Under a separate agreement, the Purchasers assume responsibility for developing and implementing post-sale programs for protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources impacted by hydroelectric development in the Eldutna and Snettisham basins. The estimated sale proceeds to the United States Treasury are between $73.5 and $80.3 million, assuming the transactions are completed between October 1, 1992 and October 1, 1993. Eklutna and Snettisham are modest-sized, single-purpose hydroelectric projects involving small river basins entirely within Alaska. Locally, they are important long-term suppliers of economically-priced hydroelectric power. The sale terms and structure assure that the projects will continue to serve their intended purposes. Modest rate increases are expected over the short term, but long-term power rates are expected to be similar to those that would prevail under continued Federal ownership.« less

Divestiture summary report: Sale of Eklutna and Snettisham hydroelectric projects

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

Not Available

1992-04-01

This report accompanies the legislative proposal to authorize sale of the two Alaskan Federal hydroelectric projects and close out the Alaska Power Administration (APA). The 78,210 kill Snettisham Project serving Juneau would be sold to the Alaska Energy Authority, a State corporation which owns six other hydroelectric projects. The 30,000 kill Eklutna Project serving the Anchorage and Matanuska Valley areas would be sold to the three electric utilities which now purchase power from that project. Terms and conditions for the sales are set out in negotiated Purchase Agreements. Key aspects include: (1) Development of Transition Plans within six months aftermore » Congress authorizes the divestiture. (2) Transaction Date to be set in the Transition Plans. (3) Description of assets to be transferred. (4) Price and payment terms. (5) Environmental Management Plans. (6) Protection of interests in several important ``non-power`` uses of project land and water. Under a separate agreement, the Purchasers assume responsibility for developing and implementing post-sale programs for protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources impacted by hydroelectric development in the Eldutna and Snettisham basins. The estimated sale proceeds to the United States Treasury are between $73.5 and $80.3 million, assuming the transactions are completed between October 1, 1992 and October 1, 1993. Eklutna and Snettisham are modest-sized, single-purpose hydroelectric projects involving small river basins entirely within Alaska. Locally, they are important long-term suppliers of economically-priced hydroelectric power. The sale terms and structure assure that the projects will continue to serve their intended purposes. Modest rate increases are expected over the short term, but long-term power rates are expected to be similar to those that would prevail under continued Federal ownership.« less

Gamma rays from dark matter subhalos revisited: Refining the predictions and constraints

DOE PAGES

Hooper, Dan; Witte, Samuel J.

2017-04-11

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those basedmore » on observations of dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.« less

The variability puzzle in human memory.

PubMed

Kahana, Michael J; Aggarwal, Eash V; Phan, Tung D

2018-04-26

Memory performance exhibits a high level of variability from moment to moment. Much of this variability may reflect inadequately controlled experimental variables, such as word memorability, past practice and subject fatigue. Alternatively, stochastic variability in performance may largely reflect the efficiency of endogenous neural processes that govern memory function. To help adjudicate between these competing views, the authors conducted a multisession study in which subjects completed 552 trials of a delayed free-recall task. Applying a statistical model to predict variability in each subject's recall performance uncovered modest effects of word memorability, proactive interference, and other variables. In contrast to the limited explanatory power of these experimental variables, performance on the prior list strongly predicted current list recall. These findings suggest that endogenous factors underlying successful encoding and retrieval drive variability in performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Gamma rays from dark matter subhalos revisited: refining the predictions and constraints

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

Hooper, Dan; Witte, Samuel J., E-mail: dhooper@fnal.gov, E-mail: switte@physics.ucla.edu

2017-04-01

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those basedmore » on observations of dwarf galaxies. We also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.« less

Gamma rays from dark matter subhalos revisited: Refining the predictions and constraints

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

Hooper, Dan; Witte, Samuel J.

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those basedmore » on observations of dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.« less

Overexpression of a citrus NDR1 ortholog increases disease resistance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Lu, Hua; Zhang, Chong; Albrecht, Ute; Shimizu, Rena; Wang, Guanfeng; Bowman, Kim D

2013-01-01

Emerging devastating diseases, such as Huanglongbing (HLB) and citrus canker, have caused tremendous losses to the citrus industry worldwide. Genetic engineering is a powerful approach that could allow us to increase citrus resistance against these diseases. The key to the success of this approach relies on a thorough understanding of defense mechanisms of citrus. Studies of Arabidopsis and other plants have provided a framework for us to better understand defense mechanisms of citrus. Salicylic acid (SA) is a key signaling molecule involved in basal defense and resistance (R) gene-mediated defense against broad-spectrum pathogens. The Arabidopsis gene NDR1 (NON-RACE-SPECIFIC DISEASE RESISTANCE 1) is a positive regulator of SA accumulation and is specifically required for signaling mediated by a subset of R genes upon recognition of their cognate pathogen effectors. Our bioinformatic analysis identified an ortholog of NDR1 from citrus, CsNDR1. Overexpression of CsNDR1 complemented susceptibility conferred by the Arabidopsis ndr1-1 mutant to Pseudomonas syringae strains and also led to enhanced resistance to an oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Such heightened resistance is associated with increased SA production and expression of the defense marker gene PATHOGENESIS RELATED 1 (PR1). In addition, we found that expression of PR1 and accumulation of SA were induced to modest levels in citrus infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the bacterial pathogen associated with HLB disease. Thus, our data suggest that CsNDR1 is a functional ortholog of Arabidopsis NDR1. Since Ca. L. asiaticus infection only activates modest levels of defense responses in citrus, we propose that genetically increasing SA/NDR1-mediated pathways could potentially lead to enhanced resistance against HLB, citrus canker, and other destructive diseases challenging global citrus production.

Overexpression of a citrus NDR1 ortholog increases disease resistance in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Lu, Hua; Zhang, Chong; Albrecht, Ute; Shimizu, Rena; Wang, Guanfeng; Bowman, Kim D.

2013-01-01

Emerging devastating diseases, such as Huanglongbing (HLB) and citrus canker, have caused tremendous losses to the citrus industry worldwide. Genetic engineering is a powerful approach that could allow us to increase citrus resistance against these diseases. The key to the success of this approach relies on a thorough understanding of defense mechanisms of citrus. Studies of Arabidopsis and other plants have provided a framework for us to better understand defense mechanisms of citrus. Salicylic acid (SA) is a key signaling molecule involved in basal defense and resistance (R) gene-mediated defense against broad-spectrum pathogens. The Arabidopsis gene NDR1 (NON-RACE-SPECIFIC DISEASE RESISTANCE 1) is a positive regulator of SA accumulation and is specifically required for signaling mediated by a subset of R genes upon recognition of their cognate pathogen effectors. Our bioinformatic analysis identified an ortholog of NDR1 from citrus, CsNDR1. Overexpression of CsNDR1 complemented susceptibility conferred by the Arabidopsis ndr1-1 mutant to Pseudomonas syringae strains and also led to enhanced resistance to an oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Such heightened resistance is associated with increased SA production and expression of the defense marker gene PATHOGENESIS RELATED 1 (PR1). In addition, we found that expression of PR1 and accumulation of SA were induced to modest levels in citrus infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the bacterial pathogen associated with HLB disease. Thus, our data suggest that CsNDR1 is a functional ortholog of Arabidopsis NDR1. Since Ca. L. asiaticus infection only activates modest levels of defense responses in citrus, we propose that genetically increasing SA/NDR1-mediated pathways could potentially lead to enhanced resistance against HLB, citrus canker, and other destructive diseases challenging global citrus production. PMID:23761797

Apparatus and method for generating continuous wave 16. mu. m laser radiation using gaseous CF/sub 4/

DOEpatents

Telle, J.M.

1984-05-01

Apparatus and method for generating continuous wave 16 ..mu..m laser radiation using gaseous CF/sub 4/. Laser radiation at 16 ..mu..m has been observed in a cooled static cell containing low pressure CF/sub 4/ optically pumped by an approximately 3 W output power c-w CO/sub 2/ laser. The laser cavity employed was a multiple-pass off-axis-path two spherical mirror ring resonator. Unidirectional CF/sub 4/ laser output power at 615 cm/sup -1/ exceeded 2 mW. Computer calculations indicate that for modest pump powers of about 40 W, approximately 1 W of emitted laser radiation at 16 ..mu..m might be obtained.

Apparatus and method for generating continuous wave 16 .mu.m laser radiation using gaseous CF.sub.4

DOEpatents

Telle, John M.

1986-01-01

Apparatus and method for generating continuous wave 16 .mu.m laser radiation using gaseous CF.sub.4. Laser radiation at 16 .mu.m has been observed in a cooled static cell containing low pressure CF.sub.4 optically pumped by an approximately 3 W output power cw CO.sub.2 laser. The laser cavity employed was a multiple-pass off-axis-path two spherical mirror ring resonator. Unidirectional CF.sub.4 laser output power at 615 cm.sup.-1 exceeded 2 mW. Computer calculations indicate that for modest pump powers of about 40 W, approximately 1 W of emitted laser radiation at 16 .mu.m might be obtained.

Comparative Study of Glucose Homeostasis, Lipids and Lipoproteins, HDL Functionality, and Cardiometabolic Parameters in Modestly Severely Obese African Americans and White Americans With Prediabetes: Implications for the Metabolic Paradoxes

PubMed Central

Healy, Sara J.; Osei, Kwame

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To determine whether modestly severe obesity modifies glucose homeostasis, levels of cardiometabolic markers, and HDL function in African Americans (AAs) and white Americans (WAs) with prediabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 145 subjects with prediabetes (N = 61 WAs, N = 84 AAs, mean age 46.5 ± 11.2 years, mean BMI 37.8 ± 6.3 kg/m2). We measured fasting levels of lipids, lipoproteins, and an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein [CRP]); HDL functionality (i.e., levels of paraoxonase 1 [PON1]); and levels of oxidized LDL, adiponectin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). We measured serum levels of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide during an oral glucose tolerance test. Values for insulin sensitivity index (Si), glucose effectiveness index (Sg), glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI), and acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) were derived using a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (using MINMOD software). RESULTS Mean levels of fasting and incremental serum glucose, insulin, and C-peptide tended to be higher in WAs versus AAs. The mean Si was not different in WAs versus AAs (2.6 ± 2.3 vs. 2.9 ± 3.0 × 10−4 × min−1 [μU/mL]−1). Mean values for AIRg and disposition index as well as Sg and GEZI were lower in WAs than AAs. WAs had higher serum triglyceride levels than AAs (116.1 ± 55.5 vs. 82.7 ± 44.2 mg/dL, P = 0.0002). Mean levels of apolipoprotein (apo) A1, HDL cholesterol, PON1, oxidized LDL, CRP, adiponectin, and IL-6 were not significantly different in obese AAs versus WAs with prediabetes. CONCLUSIONS Modestly severe obesity attenuated the ethnic differences in Si, but not in Sg and triglyceride levels in WAs and AAs with prediabetes. Despite the lower Si and PON1 values, AAs preserved paradoxical relationships between the Si and HDL/apoA1/triglyceride ratios. We conclude that modestly severe obesity has differential effects on the pathogenic mechanisms underlying glucose homeostasis and atherogenesis in obese AAs and WAs with prediabetes. PMID:25524949

comparative study of glucose homeostasis, lipids and lipoproteins, HDL functionality, and cardiometabolic parameters in modestly severely obese African Americans and White Americans with prediabetes: implications for the metabolic paradoxes.

PubMed

Healy, Sara J; Osei, Kwame; Gaillard, Trudy

2015-02-01

To determine whether modestly severe obesity modifies glucose homeostasis, levels of cardiometabolic markers, and HDL function in African Americans (AAs) and white Americans (WAs) with prediabetes. We studied 145 subjects with prediabetes (N = 61 WAs, N = 84 AAs, mean age 46.5 ± 11.2 years, mean BMI 37.8 ± 6.3 kg/m(2)). We measured fasting levels of lipids, lipoproteins, and an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein [CRP]); HDL functionality (i.e., levels of paraoxonase 1 [PON1]); and levels of oxidized LDL, adiponectin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). We measured serum levels of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide during an oral glucose tolerance test. Values for insulin sensitivity index (Si), glucose effectiveness index (Sg), glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI), and acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) were derived using a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (using MINMOD software). Mean levels of fasting and incremental serum glucose, insulin, and C-peptide tended to be higher in WAs versus AAs. The mean Si was not different in WAs versus AAs (2.6 ± 2.3 vs. 2.9 ± 3.0 × 10(-4) × min(-1) [μU/mL](-1)). Mean values for AIRg and disposition index as well as Sg and GEZI were lower in WAs than AAs. WAs had higher serum triglyceride levels than AAs (116.1 ± 55.5 vs. 82.7 ± 44.2 mg/dL, P = 0.0002). Mean levels of apolipoprotein (apo) A1, HDL cholesterol, PON1, oxidized LDL, CRP, adiponectin, and IL-6 were not significantly different in obese AAs versus WAs with prediabetes. Modestly severe obesity attenuated the ethnic differences in Si, but not in Sg and triglyceride levels in WAs and AAs with prediabetes. Despite the lower Si and PON1 values, AAs preserved paradoxical relationships between the Si and HDL/apoA1/triglyceride ratios. We conclude that modestly severe obesity has differential effects on the pathogenic mechanisms underlying glucose homeostasis and atherogenesis in obese AAs and WAs with prediabetes. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

Plasma mirrors for short pulse KrF lasers

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

Gilicze, Barnabás; Szatmári, Sándor; Barna, Angéla

2016-08-15

It is demonstrated for the first time that plasma mirrors can be successfully applied for KrF laser systems. High reflectivity up to 70% is achieved by optimization of the beam quality on the plasma mirror. The modest spectral shift and the good reflected beam quality allow its applicability for high power laser systems for which a new arrangement is suggested.

The influence of vertical motor responses on explicit and incidental processing of power words.

PubMed

Jiang, Tianjiao; Sun, Lining; Zhu, Lei

2015-07-01

There is increasing evidence demonstrating that power judgment is affected by vertical information. Such interaction between vertical space and power (i.e., response facilitation under space-power congruent conditions) is generally elicited in paradigms that require participants to explicitly evaluate the power of the presented words. The current research explored the possibility that explicit evaluative processing is not a prerequisite for the emergence of this effect. Here we compared the influence of vertical information on a standard explicit power evaluation task with influence on a task that linked power with stimuli in a more incidental manner, requiring participants to report whether the words represented people or animals or the font of the words. The results revealed that although the effect is more modest, the interaction between responses and power is also evident in an incidental task. Furthermore, we also found that explicit semantic processing is a prerequisite to ensure such an effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Earth to Orbit Beamed Energy Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Montgomery, Edward E.

2017-01-01

As a means of primary propulsion, beamed energy propulsion offers the benefit of offloading much of the propulsion system mass from the vehicle, increasing its potential performance and freeing it from the constraints of the rocket equation. For interstellar missions, beamed energy propulsion is arguably the most viable in the near- to mid-term. A near-term demonstration showing the feasibility of beamed energy propulsion is necessary and, fortunately, feasible using existing technologies. Key enabling technologies are large area, low mass spacecraft and efficient and safe high power laser systems capable of long distance propagation. NASA is currently developing the spacecraft technology through the Near Earth Asteroid Scout solar sail mission and has signed agreements with the Planetary Society to study the feasibility of precursor laser propulsion experiments using their LightSail-2 solar sail spacecraft. The capabilities of Space Situational Awareness assets and the advanced analytical tools available for fine resolution orbit determination now make it possible to investigate the practicalities of an Earth-to-orbit Beamed Energy eXperiment (EBEX) - a demonstration at delivered power levels that only illuminate a spacecraft without causing damage to it. The degree to which this can be expected to produce a measurable change in the orbit of a low ballistic coefficient spacecraft is investigated. Key system characteristics and estimated performance are derived for a near term mission opportunity involving the LightSail-2 spacecraft and laser power levels modest in comparison to those proposed previously. While the technology demonstrated by such an experiment is not sufficient to enable an interstellar precursor mission, if approved, then it would be the next step toward that goal.

Fusion Propulsion and Power for Future Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Froning, H. D., Jr.

1996-01-01

There are innovative magnetic and electric confinement fusion power and propulsion system designs with potential for: vacuum specific impulses of 1500-2000 seconds with rocket engine thrust/mass ratios of 5-10 g's; environmentally favorable exhaust emissions if aneutronic fusion propellants can be used; a 2 to 3-fold reduction in the mass of hypersonic airliners and SSTO aerospace planes; a 10 to 20 fold reduction in Mars expedition mass and cost (if propellant from planetary atmospheres is used); and feasibility or in-feasibility of these systems could be confirmed with a modest applied research and exploratory development cost.

Low-thrust roundtrip trajectories to Mars with one-synodic-period repeat time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okutsu, Masataka; Landau, Damon F.; Rogers, Blake A.; Longuski, James M.

2015-05-01

Cycler trajectories-both ballistic and powered-are reported in the literature in which there are two-vehicle, three-vehicle, and four-vehicle cases. Such trajectories permit the installation of cycler vehicles which provide safe and comfortable living conditions for human space travel between Earth and Mars during every synodic opportunity. The question the present paper answers is a logical, obvious one: Does a single-vehicle, one-synodic-period cycler exist? The answer is yes: such a trajectory can be flown-but only with a high-power electric propulsion system. In our example, it is found that "stopover" trajectories that spend 30 days in orbit about Earth and 30 days about Mars, and return astronauts to Earth in one synodic period require a 90-t power generator with a power level of 11 MWe. Fortuitously, and in lieu of using chemical propulsion, the high power level of the electric propulsion system would also be effective in hauling the cargo payload via a spiral trajectory about the Earth. But because one synodic period is not enough for the cycler vehicle to fly both the interplanetary trajectories and the Earth-spiral trajectories, we suggest developing two nuclear power generators, which could alternate flying the interplanetary trajectories and the Earth-spiral trajectories. Once these power generators are launched and begin operating in space, the mass requirement in seven subsequent missions (over a period of 15 years beginning in 2022) would be modest at 250-300 metric tons to low-Earth orbit per mission. Thus two cargo launches of NASA's Space Launch System and one crew launch of the Falcon Heavy, for example, would be adequate to maintain support for each consecutive mission. Although we propose developing two sets of electric propulsion systems to account for the Earth-spiral phases, only one vehicle is flown on a heliocentric trajectory at any given time. Thus, our low-thrust stopover cycler with zero encounter velocities falls into a category of a "one-vehicle cycler," which completes the gap in the literature, where we have already seen multiple-vehicle cycler concepts.

Update on results of SPRE testing at NASA Lewis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cairelli, James E.; Swec, Diane M.; Wong, Wayne A.; Doeberling, Thomas J.; Madi, Frank J.

1991-01-01

The Space Power Research Engine (SPRE), a free-piston Stirling engine with a linear alternator, is being tested at NASA Lewis Research Center as part of the Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) as a candidate for high capacity space power. Results are presented from recent SPRE tests designed to investigated the effects of variation in the displacer seal clearance and piston centering port area on engine performance and dynamics. The impact of these variations on PV power and efficiency are presented. Comparisons of the displacer seal clearance tests results with HFAST code predictions show good agreement for PV power, but show poor agreement for PV efficiency. Correlations are presented relating the piston midstroke position to the dynamic Delta P across the piston and the centering port area. Test results indicate that a modest improvement in PV power and efficiency may be realized with a reduction in piston centering port area.

Update on results of SPRE testing at NASA Lewis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cairelli, James E.; Swec, Diane M.; Wong, Wayne A.; Doeberling, Thomas J.; Madi, Frank J.

1991-01-01

The Space Power Research Engine (SPRE), a free-piston Stirling engine with a linear alternator, is being tested at NASA Lewis Research Center as part of the Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) as a candidate for high capacity space power. Results are presented from recent SPRE tests designed to investigate the effects of variation in the displacer seal clearance and piston centering port area on engine performance and dynamics. The effects of these variations on PV power and efficiency are presented. Comparisons of the displacer seal clearance test results with HFAST code predictions show good agreement for PV power but poor agreement for PV efficiency. Correlations are presented relating the piston mid-stroke position to the dynamic Delta P across the piston and the centering port area. Test results indicate that a modest improvement in PV power and efficiency may be realized with a reduction in piston centering port area.

Statistical power to detect violation of the proportional hazards assumption when using the Cox regression model.

PubMed

Austin, Peter C

2018-01-01

The use of the Cox proportional hazards regression model is widespread. A key assumption of the model is that of proportional hazards. Analysts frequently test the validity of this assumption using statistical significance testing. However, the statistical power of such assessments is frequently unknown. We used Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the statistical power of two different methods for detecting violations of this assumption. When the covariate was binary, we found that a model-based method had greater power than a method based on cumulative sums of martingale residuals. Furthermore, the parametric nature of the distribution of event times had an impact on power when the covariate was binary. Statistical power to detect a strong violation of the proportional hazards assumption was low to moderate even when the number of observed events was high. In many data sets, power to detect a violation of this assumption is likely to be low to modest.

Statistical power to detect violation of the proportional hazards assumption when using the Cox regression model

PubMed Central

Austin, Peter C.

2017-01-01

The use of the Cox proportional hazards regression model is widespread. A key assumption of the model is that of proportional hazards. Analysts frequently test the validity of this assumption using statistical significance testing. However, the statistical power of such assessments is frequently unknown. We used Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the statistical power of two different methods for detecting violations of this assumption. When the covariate was binary, we found that a model-based method had greater power than a method based on cumulative sums of martingale residuals. Furthermore, the parametric nature of the distribution of event times had an impact on power when the covariate was binary. Statistical power to detect a strong violation of the proportional hazards assumption was low to moderate even when the number of observed events was high. In many data sets, power to detect a violation of this assumption is likely to be low to modest. PMID:29321694

Periodic control of the individual-blade-control helicopter rotor. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckillip, R. M., Jr.

1984-01-01

Results of an investigation into methods of controller design for an individual helicopter rotor blade in the high forward-flight speed regime are described. This operating condition poses a unique control problem in that the perturbation equations of motion are linear with coefficients that vary periodically with time. The design of a control law was based on extensions to modern multivariate synthesis techniques and incorporated a novel approach to the reconstruction of the missing system state variables. The controller was tested on both an electronic analog computer simulation of the out-of-plane flapping dynamics, and on a four foot diameter single-bladed model helicopter rotor in the M.I.T. 5x7 subsonic wind tunnel at high levels of advance ratio. It is shown that modal control using the IBC concept is possible over a large range of advance ratios with only a modest amount of computational power required.

Microelectromechanical reprogrammable logic device.

PubMed

Hafiz, M A A; Kosuru, L; Younis, M I

2016-03-29

In modern computing, the Boolean logic operations are set by interconnect schemes between the transistors. As the miniaturization in the component level to enhance the computational power is rapidly approaching physical limits, alternative computing methods are vigorously pursued. One of the desired aspects in the future computing approaches is the provision for hardware reconfigurability at run time to allow enhanced functionality. Here we demonstrate a reprogrammable logic device based on the electrothermal frequency modulation scheme of a single microelectromechanical resonator, capable of performing all the fundamental 2-bit logic functions as well as n-bit logic operations. Logic functions are performed by actively tuning the linear resonance frequency of the resonator operated at room temperature and under modest vacuum conditions, reprogrammable by the a.c.-driving frequency. The device is fabricated using complementary metal oxide semiconductor compatible mass fabrication process, suitable for on-chip integration, and promises an alternative electromechanical computing scheme.

Microelectromechanical reprogrammable logic device

PubMed Central

Hafiz, M. A. A.; Kosuru, L.; Younis, M. I.

2016-01-01

In modern computing, the Boolean logic operations are set by interconnect schemes between the transistors. As the miniaturization in the component level to enhance the computational power is rapidly approaching physical limits, alternative computing methods are vigorously pursued. One of the desired aspects in the future computing approaches is the provision for hardware reconfigurability at run time to allow enhanced functionality. Here we demonstrate a reprogrammable logic device based on the electrothermal frequency modulation scheme of a single microelectromechanical resonator, capable of performing all the fundamental 2-bit logic functions as well as n-bit logic operations. Logic functions are performed by actively tuning the linear resonance frequency of the resonator operated at room temperature and under modest vacuum conditions, reprogrammable by the a.c.-driving frequency. The device is fabricated using complementary metal oxide semiconductor compatible mass fabrication process, suitable for on-chip integration, and promises an alternative electromechanical computing scheme. PMID:27021295

Detection of gas leakage

DOEpatents

Thornberg, Steven [Peralta, NM; Brown, Jason [Albuquerque, NM

2012-06-19

A method of detecting leaks and measuring volumes as well as an apparatus, the Power-free Pump Module (PPM), that is a self-contained leak test and volume measurement apparatus that requires no external sources of electrical power during leak testing or volume measurement, where the invention is a portable, pneumatically-controlled instrument capable of generating a vacuum, calibrating volumes, and performing quantitative leak tests on a closed test system or device, all without the use of alternating current (AC) power. Capabilities include the ability is to provide a modest vacuum (less than 10 Torr), perform a pressure rise leak test, measure the gas's absolute pressure, and perform volume measurements. All operations are performed through a simple rotary control valve which controls pneumatically-operated manifold valves.

Detection of gas leakage

DOEpatents

Thornberg, Steven M; Brown, Jason

2015-02-17

A method of detecting leaks and measuring volumes as well as a device, the Power-free Pump Module (PPM), provides a self-contained leak test and volume measurement apparatus that requires no external sources of electrical power during leak testing or volume measurement. The PPM is a portable, pneumatically-controlled instrument capable of generating a vacuum, calibrating volumes, and performing quantitative leak tests on a closed test system or device, all without the use of alternating current (AC) power. Capabilities include the ability is to provide a modest vacuum (less than 10 Torr) using a venturi pump, perform a pressure rise leak test, measure the gas's absolute pressure, and perform volume measurements. All operations are performed through a simple rotary control valve which controls pneumatically-operated manifold valves.

Measuring changes in aerodynamic/rolling resistances by cycle-mounted power meters.

PubMed

Lim, Allen C; Homestead, Eric P; Edwards, Andrew G; Carver, Todd C; Kram, Rodger; Byrnes, William C

2011-05-01

To develop a protocol for isolating changes in aerodynamic and rolling resistances from field-based measures of power and velocity during level bicycling. We assessed the effect of body position (hands on brake hoods vs drops) and tire pressure changes (414 vs 828 kPa) on aerodynamic and rolling resistances by measuring the power (Pext)-versus-speed (V) relationship using commercially available bicycle-mounted power meters. Measurements were obtained using standard road bicycles in calm wind (<1.0 m·s) conditions at constant velocities (acceleration <0.5 m·s) on a flat 200-m section of a smooth asphalt road. For each experimental condition, experienced road cyclists rode in 50-W increments from 100 to 300 W for women (n=2) or 100 to 400 W for men (n=6). Aerodynamic resistance per velocity squared (k) was calculated as the slope of a linear plot of tractive resistance (RT=power/velocity) versus velocity squared. Rolling resistance (Rr) was calculated as the intercept of this relationship. Aerodynamic resistance per velocity squared (k) was significantly greater (P<0.05) while riding on the brake hoods compared with the drops (mean ± SD: 0.175 ± 0.025 vs 0.155 ± 0.03 N·V). Rolling resistance was significantly greater at 60 psi compared with 120 psi (5.575 ± 0.695 vs 4.215 ± 0.815 N). These results demonstrate that commercially available power meters are sensitive enough to independently detect the changes in aerodynamic and rolling resistances associated with modest changes in body position and substantial changes in tire pressure. © 2011 by the American College of Sports Medicine

Measurements of the Temperature and E-mode Polarization of the CMB from 500 Square Degrees of SPTpol Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henning, J. W.; Sayre, J. T.; Reichardt, C. L.; Ade, P. A. R.; Anderson, A. J.; Austermann, J. E.; Beall, J. A.; Bender, A. N.; Benson, B. A.; Bleem, L. E.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Chang, C. L.; Chiang, H. C.; Cho, H.-M.; Citron, R.; Corbett Moran, C.; Crawford, T. M.; Crites, A. T.; de Haan, T.; Dobbs, M. A.; Everett, W.; Gallicchio, J.; George, E. M.; Gilbert, A.; Halverson, N. W.; Harrington, N.; Hilton, G. C.; Holder, G. P.; Holzapfel, W. L.; Hoover, S.; Hou, Z.; Hrubes, J. D.; Huang, N.; Hubmayr, J.; Irwin, K. D.; Keisler, R.; Knox, L.; Lee, A. T.; Leitch, E. M.; Li, D.; Lowitz, A.; Manzotti, A.; McMahon, J. J.; Meyer, S. S.; Mocanu, L.; Montgomery, J.; Nadolski, A.; Natoli, T.; Nibarger, J. P.; Novosad, V.; Padin, S.; Pryke, C.; Ruhl, J. E.; Saliwanchik, B. R.; Schaffer, K. K.; Sievers, C.; Smecher, G.; Stark, A. A.; Story, K. T.; Tucker, C.; Vanderlinde, K.; Veach, T.; Vieira, J. D.; Wang, G.; Whitehorn, N.; Wu, W. L. K.; Yefremenko, V.

2018-01-01

We present measurements of the E-mode polarization angular auto-power spectrum (EE) and temperature–E-mode cross-power spectrum (TE) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using 150 GHz data from three seasons of SPTpol observations. We report the power spectra over the spherical harmonic multipole range 50< {\\ell }≤slant 8000 and detect nine acoustic peaks in the EE spectrum with high signal-to-noise ratio. These measurements are the most sensitive to date of the EE and TE power spectra at {\\ell }> 1050 and {\\ell }> 1475, respectively. The observations cover 500 {\\deg }2, a fivefold increase in area compared to previous SPTpol analyses, which increases our sensitivity to the photon diffusion damping tail of the CMB power spectra enabling tighter constraints on ΛCDM model extensions. After masking all sources with unpolarized flux > 50 mJy, we place a 95% confidence upper limit on residual polarized point-source power of {D}{\\ell }={\\ell }({\\ell }+1){C}{\\ell }/2π < 0.107 μ {{{K}}}2 at {\\ell }=3000, suggesting that the EE damping tail dominates foregrounds to at least {\\ell }=4050 with modest source masking. We find that the SPTpol data set is in mild tension with the ΛCDM model (2.1σ ), and different data splits prefer parameter values that differ at the ∼ 1 σ level. When fitting SPTpol data at {\\ell }< 1000, we find cosmological parameter constraints consistent with those for Planck temperature. Including SPTpol data at {\\ell }> 1000 results in a preference for a higher value of the expansion rate ({H}0=71.3+/- 2.1 {km} {{{s}}}-1{{Mpc}}-1 ) and a lower value for present-day density fluctuations ({σ }8=0.77+/- 0.02).

Measurements of the Temperature and E-mode Polarization of the CMB from 500 Square Degrees of SPTpol Data

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

Henning, J. W.; Sayre, J. T.; Reichardt, C. L.

We present measurements of the E-mode polarization angular auto-power spectrum (EE) and temperature-E-mode cross-power spectrum (TE) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using 150 GHz data from three seasons of SPTpol observations. We report the power spectra over the spherical harmonic multipole range 50 < l <= 8000 and detect nine acoustic peaks in the EE spectrum with high signal-to-noise ratio. These measurements are the most sensitive to date of the EE and TE power spectra at l > 1050 and l > 1475, respectively. The observations cover 500 deg(2), a fivefold increase in area compared to previous SPTpol analyses,more » which increases our sensitivity to the photon diffusion damping tail of the CMB power spectra enabling tighter constraints on Lambda CDM model extensions. After masking all sources with unpolarized flux > 50 mJy, we place a 95% confidence upper limit on residual polarized point-source power of D-l= l(l + 1)C-l/2 pi < 0.107 mu K-2 at l = 3000, suggesting that the EE damping tail dominates foregrounds to at least l = 4050 with modest source masking. We find that the SPTpol data set is in mild tension with the Lambda CDM model (2.1 sigma), and different data splits prefer parameter values that differ at the similar to 1 sigma level. When fitting SPTpol data at l < 1000, we find cosmological parameter constraints consistent with those for Planck temperature. Including SPTpol data at l > 1000 results in a preference for a higher value of the expansion rate (H-0 = 71.3 +/- 2.1 km s(-1) Mpc(-1)) and a lower value for present-day density fluctuations (sigma(8) = 0.77 +/- 0.02).« less

Ion heating and flows in a high power helicon source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Derek S.; Agnello, Riccardo; Furno, Ivo; Howling, Alan; Jacquier, Rémy; Plyushchev, Gennady; Scime, Earl E.

2017-06-01

We report experimental measurements of ion temperatures and flows in a high power, linear, magnetized, helicon plasma device, the Resonant Antenna Ion Device (RAID). Parallel and perpendicular ion temperatures on the order of 0.6 eV are observed for an rf power of 4 kW, suggesting that higher power helicon sources should attain ion temperatures in excess of 1 eV. The unique RAID antenna design produces broad, uniform plasma density and perpendicular ion temperature radial profiles. Measurements of the azimuthal flow indicate rigid body rotation of the plasma column of a few kHz. When configured with an expanding magnetic field, modest parallel ion flows are observed in the expansion region. The ion flows and temperatures are derived from laser induced fluorescence measurements of the Doppler resolved velocity distribution functions of argon ions.

Post O-Level English--The Study of Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gannon, P.

1976-01-01

Examines objections to the study of language and linguistics in secondary education and suggests that it is time to resolve the false dichotomy between English literature and English language by providing a modest optional language element in A-level English. (Author/RK)

Discovery of the Accretion-Powered Millisecond Pulsar SWIFT 51756.9-2508 with a Low-Mass Companion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krimm, H.A.; Markwardt, C.B.; Deloye, C.J.; Romano, P.; Chakrabarty, S.; Campana. S.; Cummings, J.C.; Galloway, D.K.; Gehrels, N.; Hartman, J.M.;

SFD-261 crossed-field amplifier manufacturing technology program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laplante, R. A.; Trojan, F. E.

1980-09-01

The objective of the MT program is to demonstrate improved production techniques by a pilot production run of ten (10) tubes to meet performance specification and system compatibility criteria under production line conditions. The SFD-261 is a microwave amplifier used to increase the power level of pulses of energy by a factor of 20. It is used in the Aegis AN/SPY-1 radar transmitter. A single ship's complement without spares is seventy-six. Its internal parts are made from high purity copper and many are complex and involve high precision. Most of the fabrication is by precious metal brazing in hydrogen or in vacuum. Modest production rates (10 to 30 units per month) presently restrict the amount of automation which can be effectively applied. Nearly 30 design changes were made without altering performance significantly. Self-jigging techniques permitted assembly by lower skill levels. A 'one-shot' vacuum braze for the cathode produced significant cost and equipment reduction. If the selling price of the standard design is normalized at 100, the price of the MT design is now 57.

Does Bachelor's-Level Social Work Education Impact Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Substance-Abusing Clients?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senreich, Evan; Straussner, Shulamith Lala A.

2013-01-01

This study compared 248 graduating seniors with 301 beginning juniors at 10 bachelor's-level social work programs in the Northeast concerning their knowledge and attitudes regarding working with substance-abusing clients. Graduating seniors demonstrated modestly higher levels of knowledge and only slightly more positive attitudes toward working…

Modeling of gas turbine - solid oxide fuel cell systems for combined propulsion and power on aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waters, Daniel Francis

This dissertation investigates the use of gas turbine (GT) engine integrated solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to reduce fuel burn in aircraft with large electrical loads like sensor-laden unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The concept offers a number of advantages: the GT absorbs many SOFC balance of plant functions (supplying fuel, air, and heat to the fuel cell) thereby reducing the number of components in the system; the GT supplies fuel and pressurized air that significantly increases SOFC performance; heat and unreacted fuel from the SOFC are recaptured by the GT cycle offsetting system-level losses; good transient response of the GT cycle compensates for poor transient response of the SOFC. The net result is a system that can supply more electrical power more efficiently than comparable engine-generator systems with only modest (<10%) decrease in power density. Thermodynamic models of SOFCs, catalytic partial oxidation (CPOx) reactors, and three GT engine types (turbojet, combined exhaust turbofan, separate exhaust turbofan) are developed that account for equilibrium gas phase and electrochemical reaction, pressure losses, and heat losses in ways that capture `down-the-channel' effects (a level of fidelity necessary for making meaningful performance, mass, and volume estimates). Models are created in a NASA-developed environment called Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS). A sensitivity analysis identifies important design parameters and translates uncertainties in model parameters into uncertainties in overall performance. GT-SOFC integrations reduce fuel burn 3-4% in 50 kW systems on 35 kN rated engines (all types) with overall uncertainty <1%. Reductions of 15-20% are possible at the 200 kW power level. GT-SOFCs are also able to provide more electric power (factors >3 in some cases) than generator-based systems before encountering turbine inlet temperature limits. Aerodynamic drag effects of engine-airframe integration are by far the most important limiter of the combined propulsion/electrical generation concept. However, up to 100-200 kW can be produced in a bypass ratio = 8, overall pressure ratio = 40 turbofan with little or no drag penalty. This study shows that it is possible to create cooperatively integrated GT-SOFC systems for combined propulsion and power with better overall performance than stand-alone components.

Development status of the heatpipe power and bimodal systems

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

Poston, David I.; Houts, Michael G.

1999-01-01

Space fission power systems can potentially enhance or enable ambitious lunar and Martian surface missions. Research into space fission power systems has been ongoing (at various levels) since the 1950s, but to date the United States (US) has flown only one space fission system, SNAP-10A, in 1965. Cost and development time have been significant reasons why space fission systems have not been used by the US. High cost and long development time are not inherent to the use of space fission power. However, high cost and long development time are inherent to any program that tries to do too muchmore » at once. Nearly all US space fission power programs have attempted to field systems capable of high power, even though more modest systems had not yet been flown. All of these programs have failed to fly a space fission system. Relatively low power (10 to 100 kWe) fission systems may be useful for near-term lunar and Martian surface missions, including missions in which in situ resource utilization is a priority. Such systems may also be useful for deep-space science missions and other missions. These systems can be significantly less expensive to develop than high power systems. Experience gained in the development of low-power space fission systems can then be used to enable cost-effective development of high-power ({gt}1000 kWe) fission systems. The Heatpipe Power System (HPS) is a potential, near-term, low-cost space fission power system. The Heatpipe Bimodal System (HBS) is a potential, near-term, low-cost space fission power and/or propulsion system. Both systems will be composed of independent modules, and all components use existing technology and operate within the existing database. The HPS and HBS have relatively few system integration issues; thus, the successful development of a module is a significant step toward verifying system feasibility and performance estimates. A prototypic HPS module was fabricated, and initial testing was completed in April 1997. All test objectives were accomplished, demonstrating the basic feasibility of the HPS. Fabrication of an HBS module is under way, and testing should begin in 1999. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Development status of the heatpipe power and bimodal systems

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

Poston, David I.; Houts, Michael G.; Emrich, William J. Jr.

1999-01-22

Space fission power systems can potentially enhance or enable ambitious lunar and Martian surface missions. Research into space fission power systems has been ongoing (at various levels) since the 1950s, but to date the United States (US) has flown only one space fission system, SNAP-10A, in 1965. Cost and development time have been significant reasons why space fission systems have not been used by the US. High cost and long development time are not inherent to the use of space fission power. However, high cost and long development time are inherent to any program that tries to do too muchmore » at once. Nearly all US space fission power programs have attempted to field systems capable of high power, even though more modest systems had not yet been flown. All of these programs have failed to fly a space fission system. Relatively low power (10 to 100 kWe) fission systems may be useful for near-term lunar and Martian surface missions, including missions in which in situ resource utilization is a priority. Such systems may also be useful for deep-space science missions and other missions. These systems can be significantly less expensive to develop than high power systems. Experience gained in the development of low-power space fission systems can then be used to enable cost-effective development of high-power (>1000 kWe) fission systems. The Heatpipe Power System (HPS) is a potential, near-term, low-cost space fission power system. The Heatpipe Bimodal System (HBS) is a potential, near-term, low-cost space fission power and/or propulsion system. Both systems will be composed of independent modules, and all components use existing technology and operate within the existing database. The HPS and HBS have relatively few system integration issues; thus, the successful development of a module is a significant step toward verifying system feasibility and performance estimates. A prototypic HPS module was fabricated, and initial testing was completed in April 1997. All test objectives were accomplished, demonstrating the basic feasibility of the HPS. Fabrication of an HBS module is under way, and testing should begin in 1999.« less

Development status of the heatpipe power and bimodal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poston, David I.; Houts, Michael G.; Emrich, William J.

1999-01-01

Space fission power systems can potentially enhance or enable ambitious lunar and Martian surface missions. Research into space fission power systems has been ongoing (at various levels) since the 1950s, but to date the United States (US) has flown only one space fission system, SNAP-10A, in 1965. Cost and development time have been significant reasons why space fission systems have not been used by the US. High cost and long development time are not inherent to the use of space fission power. However, high cost and long development time are inherent to any program that tries to do too much at once. Nearly all US space fission power programs have attempted to field systems capable of high power, even though more modest systems had not yet been flown. All of these programs have failed to fly a space fission system. Relatively low power (10 to 100 kWe) fission systems may be useful for near-term lunar and Martian surface missions, including missions in which in situ resource utilization is a priority. Such systems may also be useful for deep-space science missions and other missions. These systems can be significantly less expensive to develop than high power systems. Experience gained in the development of low-power space fission systems can then be used to enable cost-effective development of high-power (>1000 kWe) fission systems. The Heatpipe Power System (HPS) is a potential, near-term, low-cost space fission power system. The Heatpipe Bimodal System (HBS) is a potential, near-term, low-cost space fission power and/or propulsion system. Both systems will be composed of independent modules, and all components use existing technology and operate within the existing database. The HPS and HBS have relatively few system integration issues; thus, the successful development of a module is a significant step toward verifying system feasibility and performance estimates. A prototypic HPS module was fabricated, and initial testing was completed in April 1997. All test objectives were accomplished, demonstrating the basic feasibility of the HPS. Fabrication of an HBS module is under way, and testing should begin in 1999.

Aerospace Power: The Case for Indivisible Application

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

missile, used with such impact by Argentina during the Falklands battle, will be seen as just a modest beginning . The CEP of new weapons will likely be... Argentina to the Soviet Union, to accomplish a spectrum of combat missions with rapidly increasing effectiveness . The mixed nature of the "blessings of...aerospace forces according to their capabilities and the elimination of the rigid strategic and tactical stereotypes . 60 AEROSPACEPOWER These global

Gas-fired power in the UK: Bridging supply gaps and implications of domestic shale gas exploitation for UK climate change targets.

PubMed

Turk, Jeremy K; Reay, David S; Haszeldine, R Stuart

2018-03-01

There is a projected shortcoming in the fourth carbon budget of 7.5%. This shortfall may be increased if the UK pursues a domestic shale gas industry to offset projected decreases in traditional gas supply. Here we estimate that, if the project domestic gas supply gap for power generation were to be met by UK shale gas with low fugitive emissions (0.08%), an additional 20.4MtCO 2 e 1 would need to be accommodated during carbon budget periods 3-6. We find that a modest fugitive emissions rate (1%) for UK shale gas would increase global emissions compared to importing an equal quantity of Qatari liquefied natural gas. Additionally, we estimate that natural gas electricity generation would emit 420-466MtCO 2 e (460 central estimate) during the same time period within the traded EU emissions cap. We conclude that domestic shale gas production with even a modest 1% fugitive emissions rate would risk exceedance of UK carbon budgets. We also highlight that, under the current production-based greenhouse gas accounting system, the UK is incentivized to import natural gas rather than produce it domestically. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Generation of vacuum ultraviolet radiation by intracavity high-harmonic generation toward state detection of single trapped ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakui, Kentaro; Hayasaka, Kazuhiro; Ido, Tetsuya

2014-12-01

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation around 159 nm is obtained toward direct excitation of a single trapped ion. An efficient fluoride-based VUV output coupler is employed for intracavity high-harmonic generation of a Ti:S oscillator. Using this coupler, where we measured its reflectance to be about 90 %, an average power reaching 6.4 W is coupled out from a modest fundamental power of 650 mW. When a single comb component out of 1.9 10 teeth is resonant to the atomic transition, 100s of fluorescence photons per second will be detectable under a realistic condition.

Applications of the Electrodynamic Tether to Interstellar Travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matloff, Gregory L.; Johnson, Les

2005-01-01

After considering relevant properties of the local interstellar medium and defining a sample interstellar mission, this paper considers possible interstellar applications of the electrodynamic tether, or EDT. These include use of the EDT to provide on-board power and affect trajectory modifications and direct application of the EDT to starship acceleration. It is demonstrated that comparatively modest EDTs can provide substantial quantities of on-board power, if combined with a large-area electron-collection device such as the Cassenti toroidal-field ramscoop. More substantial tethers can be used to accomplish large-radius thrustless turns. Direct application of the EDT to starship acceleration is apparently infeasible.

Laser demonstration and performance characterization of optically pumped Alkali Laser systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulham, Clifford V.

Diode Pumped Alkali Lasers (DPALs) offer a promising approach for high power lasers in military applications that will not suffer from the long logistical trails of chemical lasers or the thermal management issues of diode pumped solid state lasers. This research focuses on characterizing a DPAL-type system to gain a better understanding of using this type of laser as a directed energy weapon. A rubidium laser operating at 795 nm is optically pumped by a pulsed titanium sapphire laser to investigate the dynamics of DPALs at pump intensities between 1.3 and 45 kW/cm2. Linear scaling as high as 32 times threshold is observed, with no evidence of second order kinetics. Comparison of laser characteristics with a quasi-two level analytic model suggests performance near the ideal steady-state limit, disregarding the mode mis-match. Additionally, the peak power scales linearly as high as 1 kW, suggesting aperture scaling to a few cm2 is sufficient to achieve tactical level laser powers. The temporal dynamics of the 100 ns pump and rubidium laser pulses are presented, and the continually evolving laser efficiency provides insight into the bottlenecking of the rubidium atoms in the 2P3/2 state. Lastly, multiple excited states of rubidium and cesium were accessed through two photon absorption in the red, yielding a blue and an IR photon through amplified stimulated emission. Threshold is modest at 0.3 mJ/pulse, and slope efficiencies increase dramatically with alkali concentrations and peak at 0.4%, with considerable opportunity for improvement. This versatile system might find applications for IR countermeasures or underwater communications.

Needs assessment for business strategies of anesthesiology groups' practices.

PubMed

Scurlock, Corey; Dexter, Franklin; Reich, David L; Galati, Maria

2011-07-01

Progress has been made in understanding strategic decision making influencing anesthesia groups' operating room business practices. However, there has been little analysis of the remaining gaps in our knowledge. We performed a needs assessment to identify unsolved problems in anesthesia business strategy based on Porter's Five Forces Analysis. The methodology was a narrative literature review. We found little previous investigation for 2 of the 5 forces (threat of new entrants and bargaining power of suppliers), modest understanding for 1 force (threat of substitute products or services), and substantial understanding for 2 forces (bargaining power of customers and jockeying for position among current competitors). Additional research in strategic decisions influencing anesthesia groups should focus on the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, and the threat of substitute products or services.

Energy-filtering-induced high power factor in PbS-nanoparticles-embedded TiS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yulong; Wen, Junfu; Fan, Zhenghua; Bao, Ningzhong; Huang, Rong; Tu, Rong; Wang, Yifeng

2015-04-01

We report on a greatly enhanced power factor for 1%PbS-nanoparticle-embedded TiS2 bulk ceramic, about 1 mW/(mK2) at 300 K and 1.23 mW/(mK2) in a wide temperature range of 573 ˜ 673 K, of which the latter is among the highest so far for TiS2-based thermoelectric materials. Compared to TiS2, the power factor is increased by ˜110% at 300 K and (50 ˜ 35)% at 573 ˜ 673 K. This enhancement is derived from a large increase in Seebeck coefficient which overwhelmed the modest degradation of electrical conductivity, which should be attributed to energy filtering induced by the band gap offset between TiS2 and PbS.

Transient and Steady-state Tests of the Space Power Research Engine with Resistive and Motor Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rauch, Jeffrey S.; Kankam, M. David

1995-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has been testing free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternators (FPSE/LA) to develop advanced power convertors for space-based electrical power generation. Tests reported herein were performed to evaluate the interaction and transient behavior of FPSE/LA-based power systems with typical user loads. Both resistive and small induction motor loads were tested with the space power research engine (SPRE) power system. Tests showed that the control system could maintain constant long term voltage and stable periodic operation over a large range of engine operating parameters and loads. Modest resistive load changes were shown to cause relatively large voltage and, therefore, piston and displacer amplitude excursions. Starting a typical small induction motor was shown to cause large and, in some cases, deleterious voltage transients. The tests identified the need for more effective controls, if FPSE/LAs are to be used for stand-alone power systems. The tests also generated a large body of transient dynamic data useful for analysis code validation.

Transient and steady-state tests of the space power research engine with resistive and motor loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauch, Jeffrey S.; Kankam, M. David

1995-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has been testing free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternators (FPSE/LA) to develop advanced power convertors for space-based electrical power generation. Tests reported herein were performed to evaluate the interaction and transient behavior of FPSE/LA-based power systems with typical user loads. Both resistive and small induction motor loads were tested with the space power research engine (SPRE) power system. Tests showed that the control system could maintain constant long term voltage and stable periodic operation over a large range of engine operating parameters and loads. Modest resistive load changes were shown to cause relatively large voltage and, therefore, piston and displacer amplitude excursions. Starting a typical small induction motor was shown to cause large and, in some cases, deleterious voltage transients. The tests identified the need for more effective controls, if FPSE/LAs are to be used for stand-alone power systems. The tests also generated a large body of transient dynamic data useful for analysis code validation.

A Graphical Approach to Teaching Amplifier Design at the Undergraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Assaad, R. S.; Silva-Martinez, J.

2009-01-01

Current methods of teaching basic amplifier design at the undergraduate level need further development to match today's technological advances. The general class approach to amplifier design is analytical and heavily based on mathematical manipulations. However, the students mathematical abilities are generally modest, creating a void in which…

A structural abnormality associated with graded levels of thyroid hormone insufficiency: Dose dependent increases in heterotopia volume

EPA Science Inventory

A large number of environmental contaminants reduce circulating levels of thyroid hormone (TH), but clear markers of neurological insult associated with modest TH insufficiency are lacking. We have previously identified the presence of an abnormal cluster of misplaced neurons in ...

Intellectual Issues in the History of Artificial Intelligence

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-28

the history of science is in terms of important scientific events and discoveries, linked to and by the scientists who were responsible for them...knowledge (coupled, sometimes, with modest search). However, as is usual in the history of science , work on powerful Al programs never stopped; it only...for AL, perhaps, because the nature of mind seems i,* .othe quick. But the history of science reminds us easily 0enough that at various stages

Ion Heating and Flows in a High Power Helicon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scime, Earl; Agnello, Riccardo; Furno, Ivo; Howling, Alan; Jacquier, Remy; Plyushchev, Gennady; Thompson, Derek

2017-10-01

We report experimental measurements of ion temperatures and flows in a high power, linear, magnetized, helicon plasma device, the Resonant Antenna Ion Device (RAID). RAID is equipped with a high power helicon source. Parallel and perpendicular ion temperatures on the order of 0.6 eV are observed for an rf power of 4 kW, suggesting that higher power helicon sources should attain ion temperatures in excess of 1 eV. The unique RAID antenna design produces broad, uniform plasma density and perpendicular ion temperature radial profiles. Measurements of the azimuthal flow indicate rigid body rotation of the plasma column of a few kHz. When configured with an expanding magnetic field, modest parallel ion flows are observed in the expansion region. The ion flows and temperatures are derived from laser induced fluorescence measurements of the Doppler resolved velocity distribution functions of argon ions. This work supported by U.S. National Science Foundation Grant No. PHY-1360278.

Outlook for trucks and trailers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-11-01

Demand for commercial trucks and trailers scored impressive gains last year as a vibrant : economy, strong customer markets, relatively modest levels of inflation and interest rates, : and the accelerated depreciation provisions of the Tax Stimulus p...

Effects of massive wind power integration on short-term water resource management in central Chile - a grid-wide study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, J.; Olivares, M. A.; Palma, R.

2013-12-01

In central Chile, water from reservoirs and streams is mainly used for irrigation and power generation. Hydropower reservoirs operation is particularly challenging because: i) decisions at each plant impact the entire power system, and ii) the existence of large storage capacity implies inter-temporal ties. An Independent System Operator (ISO) decides the grid-wide optimal allocation of water for power generation, under irrigation-related constraints. To account for the long-term opportunity cost of water, a future cost function is determined and used in the short term planning. As population growth and green policies demand increasing levels of renewable energy in power systems, deployment of wind farms and solar plants is rising quickly. However, their power output is highly fluctuating on short time scales, affecting the operation of power plants, particularly those fast responding units as hydropower reservoirs. This study addresses these indirect consequences of massive introduction of green energy sources on reservoir operations. Short-term reservoir operation, under different wind penetration scenarios, is simulated using a replica of Chile's ISO's scheduling optimization tools. Furthermore, an ongoing study is exploring the potential to augment the capacity the existing hydro-power plants to better cope with the balancing needs due to a higher wind power share in the system. As reservoir releases determine to a great extent flows at downstream locations, hourly time series of turbined flows for 24-hour periods were computed for selected combinations between new wind farms and increased capacity of existing hydropower plants. These time series are compiled into subdaily hydrologic alteration (SDHA) indexes (Zimmerman et al, 2010). The resulting sample of indexes is then analyzed using duration curves. Results show a clear increase in the SDHA for every reservoir of the system as more fluctuating renewables are integrated into the system. High-fluctuation events become more frequent. While the main load-following reservoirs are very susceptible to even small levels of additional wind power, the remaining withstand greater amounts before producing a significant SDHA. The additional effect of augmented installed capacity of existing hydropower plants on the SDHA is modest. The increase in SDHA calls for alternative operational constraints beyond the current practice based exclusively on minimum instream flows. Previous research by this group has shown the potential of maximum ramping rates constraints to efficiently achieve improvement in the SDHA. This alternative is being studied as part of a project currently in progress. This may contribute to make hydropower projects more socially acceptable and environmentally sound.

Key issues in the design of NO{sub x} emission trading programs to reduce ground-level ozone. Final report

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

Nichols, A.; Harrison, D.

1994-07-01

This report is the first product of a study being conducted by National Economic Research Associates for the Electric Power Research Institute to evaluate various market-based alternatives for managing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) as part of strategies to achieve the ambient ozone standard. The report focuses on choices in the design of relatively broad, ambitious emission trading programs, rather than on more modest programs designed to generate offsets within a regulatory framework that continues to rely primarily on traditional emission standards and nontransferable permits. After a brief introductory chapter, Chapter 2 reviews both the conceptual underpinnings of emissionmore » trading and prior experience. This review suggests the need for clear initial allocations-generally based on emission caps-to simplify trading while assuring the achievement of emission-reduction goals. Chapter 3 lays out the basic choices required in establishing an emission trading program. For concreteness, the basic design is discussed in terms of trading among utilities and other large stationary sources of NO{sub x}, generally the most promising candidates for trading. Chapter 4 discusses various ways in which a basic trading program could be extended to other source categories and to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the other major precursor of ozone. Chapter 5 analyzes various ways in which trading programs can be refined to focus control efforts on those times and at those locations where ozone problems are most severe. Although highly refined targeting programs are unlikely to be worth the effort, modest differentials can be implemented by making the number of allowances required for each ton of emissions vary with the time and location of emissions. Chapter 6 reviews various alternatives for making the initial allocation of emission allowances among sources in the trading program, breaking the process into two components, an emission rate and an activity level.« less

A Perspective on Middle-Aged and Older Men With Functional Hypogonadism: Focus on Holistic Management.

PubMed

Grossmann, Mathis; Matsumoto, Alvin M

2017-03-01

Middle-aged and older men (≥50 years), especially those who are obese and suffer from comorbidities, not uncommonly present with clinical features consistent with androgen deficiency and modestly reduced testosterone levels. Commonly, such men do not demonstrate anatomical hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis pathology but have functional hypogonadism that is potentially reversible. Literature review from 1970 to October 2016. Although definitive randomized controlled trials are lacking, evidence suggests that in such men, lifestyle measures to achieve weight loss and optimization of comorbidities, including discontinuation of offending medications, lead to clinical improvement and a modest increase in testosterone. Also, androgen deficiency-like symptoms and end-organ deficits respond to targeted treatments (such as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction) without evidence that hypogonadal men are refractory. Unfortunately, lifestyle interventions remain difficult and may be insufficient even if successful. Testosterone therapy should be considered primarily for men who have significant clinical features of androgen deficiency and unequivocally low testosterone levels. Testosterone should be initiated either concomitantly with a trial of lifestyle measures, or after such a trial fails, after a tailored diagnostic work-up, exclusion of contraindications, and appropriate counseling. There is modest evidence that functional hypogonadism responds to lifestyle measures and optimization of comorbidities. If achievable, these interventions may have demonstrable health benefits beyond the potential for increasing testosterone levels. Therefore, treatment of underlying causes of functional hypogonadism and of symptoms should be used either as an initial or adjunctive approach to testosterone therapy.

Wastewater and Sludge Nutrient Utilization in Forest Ecosystems

Treesearch

D.G. Brockway; D.H. Urie; P.V. Nguyen; J.B. Hart

1986-01-01

Although forest ecosystems have evolved efficient mechanisms to assimilate and retain modest levels of annual geochemical input, their productivity is frequently limited by low levels of available nutrients. A review of research studies conducted in the major U.S. forest regions indicates that the nutrients and organic matter in wastewater and sludge representa...

Is Cognitive Test-Taking Anxiety Associated With Academic Performance Among Nursing Students?

PubMed

Duty, Susan M; Christian, Ladonna; Loftus, Jocelyn; Zappi, Victoria

2016-01-01

The cognitive component of test anxiety was correlated with academic performance among nursing students. Modest but statistically significant lower examination grade T scores were observed for students with high compared with low levels of cognitive test anxiety (CTA). High levels of CTA were associated with reduced academic performance.

Handling PBIS with Care: Scaling up to School-Wide Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cressey, James M.; Whitcomb, Sara A.; McGilvray-Rivet, Susan J.; Morrison, Rebecca J.; Shander-Reynolds, Katherine J.

2015-01-01

This case study describes the leadership of a school counselor in implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in a low-income, diverse elementary school with a modest level of external supports. After initiating a grade-level pilot program, the school counselor partnered with university-based consultants to expand the PBIS…

An Opportunity for Social Work Researchers: Climbing out of Educational Loan Debt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnette, Catherine E.; McCleary, Jennifer S.

2014-01-01

Objectives: Recruitment of the needed doctoral level social workers is impeded upon when doctoral graduates experience greater educational debt burden, modest salaries, and limited opportunities for student loan debt repayment. The purpose of this article is to describe a promising opportunity to reduce doctoral level social workers'…

Power systems for production, construction, life support and operations in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sovie, Ronald J.

1988-01-01

As one looks to man's future in space it becomes obvious that unprecedented amounts of power are required for the exploration, colonization, and exploitation of space. Activities envisioned include interplanetary travel and LEO to GEO transport using electric propulsion, Earth and lunar observatories, advance space stations, free-flying manufacturing platforms, communications platforms, and eventually evolutionary lunar and Mars bases. These latter bases would start as camps with modest power requirements (kWes) and evolve to large bases as manufacturing, food production, and life support materials are developed from lunar raw materials. These latter activities require very robust power supplies (MWes). The advanced power system technologies being pursued by NASA to fulfill these future needs are described. Technologies discussed will include nuclear, photovoltaic, and solar dynamic space power systems, including energy storage, power conditioning, power transmission, and thermal management. The state-of-the-art and gains to be made by technology advancements will be discussed. Mission requirements for a variety of applications (LEO, GEO, lunar, and Martian) will be treated, and data for power systems ranging from a few kilowatts to megawatt power systems will be represented. In addition the space power technologies being initiated under NASA's new Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) and Space Leadership Planning Group Activities will be discussed.

Power systems for production, construction, life support, and operations in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sovie, Ronald J.

1988-01-01

As one looks to man's future in space it becomes obvious that unprecedented amounts of power are required for the exploration, colonization, and exploitation of space. Activities envisioned include interplanetary travel and LEO to GEO transport using electric propulsion, earth and lunar observatories, advance space stations, free-flying manufacturing platforms, communications platforms, and eventually evolutionary lunar and Mars bases. These latter bases would start as camps with modest power requirements (kWes) and evolve to large bases as manufacturing, food production, and life support materials are developed from lunar raw materials. These latter activities require very robust power supplies (MWes). The advanced power system technologies being pursued by NASA to fulfill these future needs are described. Technologies discussed will include nuclear, photovoltaic, and solar dynamic space power systems, including energy storage, power conditioning, power transmission, and thermal management. The state-of-the-art and gains to be made by technology advancements will be discussed. Mission requirements for a variety of applications (LEO, GEO, lunar, and Martian) will be treated, and data for power systems ranging from a few kilowatts to megawatt power systems will be represented. In addition the space power technologies being initiated under NASA's new Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) and Space Leadership Planning Group Activities will be discussed.

The justificatory power of moral experience.

PubMed

van Thiel, G J M W; van Delden, J J M

2009-04-01

A recurrent issue in the vast amount of literature on reasoning models in ethics is the role and nature of moral intuitions. In this paper, we start from the view that people who work and live in a certain moral practice usually possess specific moral wisdom. If we manage to incorporate their moral intuitions in ethical reasoning, we can arrive at judgements and (modest) theories that grasp a moral experience that generally cannot be found outside the practice. Reflective equilibrium (RE) provides a framework for balancing moral intuitions, ethical principles and general theories. Nevertheless, persisting problems associated with the use of intuitions need to be addressed. One is the objection that moral intuitions lack the credibility necessary to guide moral reasoning. Ethicists have tried to solve this problem by formulating criteria to separate the "bad" intuitions from the "good" ones at the beginning of the reasoning process. We call this the credible input-justified outcome strategy. An example is the appeal to the common morality by Beauchamp and Childress. We think this approach is unsuccessful. As an alternative, we outline the good reasoning-justified outcome strategy. It connects to a variant of RE in which intuitions from different sources are incorporated. We argue that the elements of RE have different levels of justificatory power at the start of reasoning. In our strategy, each element can gain or lose justificatory power when it is tested in a reasoning process that meets several criteria.

Measurement Uncertainty Within the Uniform Engine Test Programme

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

Design to Cost and l.ifc (.cle Cost to Aircraft Engines AGARD LS 107 (May 1980) Microcomputer Applications in Power and Propulsion Systems AGARD LS...Flows in Propulsion Systems AGARD LS 140 (June 1985) Engine Airframe Integration for Rotorcraft AGARD LS 148 (June 1986) Design Methods Used in Solid...modest nero-thermodynamic design was of no consequence. Two engines were loaned to the proeram by the U.S. Air Force. Due to higher priority test workload

Wire-packed heat exchangers for dilution refrigerators.

PubMed

Polturak, E; Rappaport, M; Rosenbaum, R

1978-03-01

Very simple wire-packed step heat exchangers for dilution refrigerators are described. No sintering is used in fabrication. Flow impedances and thermal resistance between the liquid and the copper wires are low. A refrigerator with five wire-packed heat exchangers in addition to a countercurrent heat exchanger attains a temperature of 11.4 mK with a single mixing chamber and 6.1 mK with two mixing chambers. High cooling power is achieved at modest (3)He circulation rates.

Deep Sequencing of the Oral Microbiome Reveals Signatures of Periodontal Disease

PubMed Central

Ghodsi, Mohammad; Sommer, Daniel D.; Gibbons, Theodore R.; Treangen, Todd J.; Chang, Yi-Chien; Li, Shan; Stine, O. Colin; Hasturk, Hatice; Kasif, Simon; Segrè, Daniel; Pop, Mihai; Amar, Salomon

2012-01-01

The oral microbiome, the complex ecosystem of microbes inhabiting the human mouth, harbors several thousands of bacterial types. The proliferation of pathogenic bacteria within the mouth gives rise to periodontitis, an inflammatory disease known to also constitute a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While much is known about individual species associated with pathogenesis, the system-level mechanisms underlying the transition from health to disease are still poorly understood. Through the sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and of whole community DNA we provide a glimpse at the global genetic, metabolic, and ecological changes associated with periodontitis in 15 subgingival plaque samples, four from each of two periodontitis patients, and the remaining samples from three healthy individuals. We also demonstrate the power of whole-metagenome sequencing approaches in characterizing the genomes of key players in the oral microbiome, including an unculturable TM7 organism. We reveal the disease microbiome to be enriched in virulence factors, and adapted to a parasitic lifestyle that takes advantage of the disrupted host homeostasis. Furthermore, diseased samples share a common structure that was not found in completely healthy samples, suggesting that the disease state may occupy a narrow region within the space of possible configurations of the oral microbiome. Our pilot study demonstrates the power of high-throughput sequencing as a tool for understanding the role of the oral microbiome in periodontal disease. Despite a modest level of sequencing (∼2 lanes Illumina 76 bp PE) and high human DNA contamination (up to ∼90%) we were able to partially reconstruct several oral microbes and to preliminarily characterize some systems-level differences between the healthy and diseased oral microbiomes. PMID:22675498

SPECTRAL LINE DE-CONFUSION IN AN INTENSITY MAPPING SURVEY

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

Cheng, Yun-Ting; Bock, James; Bradford, C. Matt

2016-12-01

Spectral line intensity mapping (LIM) has been proposed as a promising tool to efficiently probe the cosmic reionization and the large-scale structure. Without detecting individual sources, LIM makes use of all available photons and measures the integrated light in the source confusion limit to efficiently map the three-dimensional matter distribution on large scales as traced by a given emission line. One particular challenge is the separation of desired signals from astrophysical continuum foregrounds and line interlopers. Here we present a technique to extract large-scale structure information traced by emission lines from different redshifts, embedded in a three-dimensional intensity mapping data cube.more » The line redshifts are distinguished by the anisotropic shape of the power spectra when projected onto a common coordinate frame. We consider the case where high-redshift [C ii] lines are confused with multiple low-redshift CO rotational lines. We present a semi-analytic model for [C ii] and CO line estimates based on the cosmic infrared background measurements, and show that with a modest instrumental noise level and survey geometry, the large-scale [C ii] and CO power spectrum amplitudes can be successfully extracted from a confusion-limited data set, without external information. We discuss the implications and limits of this technique for possible LIM experiments.« less

Back-end of the fuel cycle - Indian scenario

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

Wattal, P.K.

Nuclear power has a key role in meeting the energy demands of India. This can be sustained by ensuring robust technology for the back end of the fuel cycle. Considering the modest indigenous resources of U and a huge Th reserve, India has adopted a three stage Nuclear Power Programme (NPP) based on 'closed fuel cycle' approach. This option on 'Recovery and Recycle' serves twin objectives of ensuring adequate supply of nuclear fuel and also reducing the long term radio-toxicity of the wastes. Reprocessing of the spent fuel by Purex process is currently employed. High Level Liquid Waste (HLW) generatedmore » during reprocessing is vitrified and undergoes interim storage. Back-end technologies are constantly modified to address waste volume minimization and radio-toxicity reduction. Long-term management of HLW in Indian context would involve partitioning of long lived minor actinides and recovery of valuable fission products specifically cesium. Recovery of minor actinides from HLW and its recycle is highly desirable for the sustained growth of India's NPPs. In this context, programme for developing and deploying partitioning technologies on industrial scale is pursued. The partitioned elements could be either transmuted in Fast Reactors (FRs)/Accelerated Driven Systems (ADS) as an integral part of sustainable Indian NPP. (authors)« less

Accessible magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Kaufman, L; Arakawa, M; Hale, J; Rothschild, P; Carlson, J; Hake, K; Kramer, D; Lu, W; Van Heteren, J

1989-10-01

The cost of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is driven by magnetic field strength. Misperceptions as to the impact of field strength on performance have led to systems that are more expensive than they need to be. Careful analysis of all the factors that affect diagnostic quality lead to the conclusion that field strength per se is not a strong determinant of system performance. Freed from the constraints imposed by high-field operation, it is possible to exploit a varied set of opportunities afforded by low-field operation. In addition to lower costs and easier siting, we can take advantage of shortened T1 times, higher contrast, reduced sensitivity to motion, and reduced radiofrequency power deposition. These conceptual advantages can be made to coalesce onto practical imaging systems. We describe a low-cost MRI system that utilizes a permanent magnet of open design. Careful optimization of receiving antennas and acquisition sequences permit performance levels consistent with those needed for an effective diagnostic unit. Ancillary advantages include easy access to the patient, reduced claustrophobia, quiet and comfortable operation, and absence of a missile effect. The system can be sited in 350 sq ft and consumes a modest amount of electricity. MRI equipment of this kind can widen the population base than can access this powerful and beneficial diagnostic modality.

Air ion mobility spectra and concentrations upwind and downwind of overhead AC high voltage power lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Matthew D.; Buckley, Alison J.; Matthews, James C.; Shallcross, Dudley E.; Henshaw, Denis L.

2014-10-01

Corona ions produced by high-voltage power lines (HVPLs) can alter the nearby electrical environment, potentially increasing aerosol charge levels downwind. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the concentration and mobility of ions from AC HVPLs and their dispersion away from the line. We present ion concentration and mobility measurements made near AC HVPLs in South-West England. Examples of typical mobility spectra are shown highlighting features commonly observed. Corona was observed during 33 of 46 measurements, at 9 of 11 sites, with positive or ‘bipolar' (both polarities) ion production commonly seen. Ion production usually increases atmospheric concentrations by only a modest amount, but extreme cases can enhance concentration by an order of magnitude or more. A polarity imbalance is required to increase aerosol charge via ion attachment; this was observed on 15 of 24 days when positive corona was observed, but was not seen for negative ions. Ion mobility was higher downwind compared with upwind for both ion polarities, but the increase was not statistically significant. Future work should focus on identifying and characterising ‘heavy-producing' HVPLs, and obtaining results in conditions which may favour negative ion production e.g. high humidity, inclement weather or during nighttime.

Abatement of an aircraft exhaust plume using aerodynamic baffles.

PubMed

Bennett, Michael; Christie, Simon M; Graham, Angus; Garry, Kevin P; Velikov, Stefan; Poll, D Ian; Smith, Malcolm G; Mead, M Iqbal; Popoola, Olalekan A M; Stewart, Gregor B; Jones, Roderic L

2013-03-05

The exhaust jet from a departing commercial aircraft will eventually rise buoyantly away from the ground; given the high thrust/power (i.e., momentum/buoyancy) ratio of modern aero-engines, however, this is a slow process, perhaps requiring ∼ 1 min or more. Supported by theoretical and wind tunnel modeling, we have experimented with an array of aerodynamic baffles on the surface behind a set of turbofan engines of 124 kN thrust. Lidar and point sampler measurements show that, as long as the intervention takes place within the zone where the Coanda effect holds the jet to the surface (i.e., within about 70 m in this case), then quite modest surface-mounted baffles can rapidly lift the jet away from the ground. This is of potential benefit in abating both surface concentrations and jet blast downstream. There is also some modest acoustic benefit. By distributing the aerodynamic lift and drag across an array of baffles, each need only be a fraction of the height of a single blast fence.

Is wealthier always healthier? The impact of national income level, inequality, and poverty on public health in Latin America.

PubMed

Biggs, Brian; King, Lawrence; Basu, Sanjay; Stuckler, David

2010-07-01

Despite findings indicating that both national income level and income inequality are each determinants of public health, few have studied how national income level, poverty and inequality interact with each other to influence public health outcomes. We analyzed the relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power parity, extreme poverty rates, the gini coefficient for personal income and three common measures of public health: life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and tuberculosis (TB) mortality rates. Introducing poverty and inequality as modifying factors, we then assessed whether the relationship between GDP and health differed during times of increasing, decreasing, and decreasing or constant poverty and inequality. Data were taken from twenty-two Latin American countries from 1960 to 2007 from the December 2008 World Bank World Development Indicators, World Health Organization Global Tuberculosis Database 2008, and the Socio-Economic Database for Latin America and the Caribbean. Consistent with previous studies, we found increases in GDP have a sizable positive impact on population health. However, the strength of the relationship is powerfully influenced by changing levels of poverty and inequality. When poverty was increasing, greater GDP had no significant effect on life expectancy or TB mortality, and only led to a small reduction in infant mortality rates. When inequality was rising, greater GDP had only a modest effect on life expectancy and infant mortality rates, and no effect on TB mortality rates. In sharp contrast, during times of decreasing or constant poverty and inequality, there was a very strong relationship between increasing GDP and higher life expectancy and lower TB and infant mortality rates. Finally, inequality and poverty were found to exert independent, substantial effects on the relationship between national income level and health. Wealthier is indeed healthier, but how much healthier depends on how increases in wealth are distributed. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Revolver Ignition Design at the National Ignition Facility Using Polar-Direct-Drive Illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenty, P. W.; Collins, T. J. B.; Marozas, J. A.; Campbell, E. M.; Molvig, K.; Schmitt, M.

2017-10-01

The direct-drive ignition design Revolver employs a triple-shell target using a beryllium ablator, a copper driver, and an eventual gold pusher. Symmetric numerical calculations indicate that each of the three shells exhibit low convergence ( 3to 5) resulting in a modest gain (G 4) for 1.7 MJ of incident laser energy. Studies are now underway to evaluate the robustness of this design employing polar direct drive (PDD) at the National Ignition Facility. Integral to these calculations is the leveraging of illumination conditioning afforded by research done to demonstrate ignition for a traditional PDD hot-spot target design. Two-dimensional simulation results, employing nonlocal electron-thermal transport and cross-beam energy transport, will be presented that indicate ignition using PDD. A study of the allowed levels of long-wavelength perturbations (target offset and power imbalance) not precluding ignition will also be examined. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944.

Progress of LMJ-relevant implosions experiments on OMEGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casner, A.; Philippe, F.; Tassin, V.; Seytor, P.; Monteil, M.-C.; Gauthier, P.; Park, H. S.; Robey, H.; Ross, J.; Amendt, P.; Girard, F.; Villette, B.; Reverdin, C.; Loiseau, P.; Caillaud, T.; Landoas, O.; Li, C. K.; Petrasso, R.; Seguin, F.; Rosenberg, M.; Renaudin, P.

2013-11-01

In preparation of the first ignition attempts on the Laser Mégajoule (LMJ), an experimental program is being pursued on OMEGA to investigate LMJ-relevant hohlraums. First, radiation temperature levels close to 300 eV were recently achieved in reduced-scale hohlraums with modest backscatter losses. Regarding the baseline target design for fusion experiments on LMJ, an extensive experimental database has also been collected for scaled implosions experiments in both empty and gas-filled rugby-shaped hohlraums. We acquired a full picture of hohlraum energetics and implosion dynamics. Not only did the rugby hohlraums show significantly higher x-ray drive energy over the cylindrical hohlraums, but symmetry control by power balance was demonstrated, as well as high-performance D2 implosions enabling the use of a complete suite of neutrons diagnostics. Charged particle diagnostics provide complementary insights into the physics of these x-ray driven implosions. An overview of these results demonstrates our ability to control the key parameters driving the implosion, lending more confidence in extrapolations to ignition-scale targets.

Self-Heating Effects In Polysilicon Source Gated Transistors

PubMed Central

Sporea, R. A.; Burridge, T.; Silva, S. R. P.

2015-01-01

Source-gated transistors (SGTs) are thin-film devices which rely on a potential barrier at the source to achieve high gain, tolerance to fabrication variability, and low series voltage drop, relevant to a multitude of energy-efficient, large-area, cost effective applications. The current through the reverse-biased source barrier has a potentially high positive temperature coefficient, which may lead to undesirable thermal runaway effects and even device failure through self-heating. Using numerical simulations we show that, even in highly thermally-confined scenarios and at high current levels, self-heating is insufficient to compromise device integrity. Performance is minimally affected through a modest increase in output conductance, which may limit the maximum attainable gain. Measurements on polysilicon devices confirm the simulated results, with even smaller penalties in performance, largely due to improved heat dissipation through metal contacts. We conclude that SGTs can be reliably used for high gain, power efficient analog and digital circuits without significant performance impact due to self-heating. This further demonstrates the robustness of SGTs. PMID:26351099

Application of Printed Circuit Board Technology to FT-ICR MS Analyzer Cell Construction and Prototyping

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

Leach, Franklin E.; Norheim, Randolph V.; Anderson, Gordon A.

Although Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICRMS) remains themass spectrometry platform that provides the highest levels of performance for mass accuracy and resolving power, there is room for improvement in analyzer cell design as the ideal quadrupolar trapping potential has yet to be generated for a broadband MS experiment. To this end, analyzer cell designs have improved since the field’s inception, yet few research groups participate in this area because of the high cost of instrumentation efforts. As a step towards reducing this barrier to participation and allowing for more designs to be physically tested, we introduce amore » method of FT-ICR analyzer cell prototyping utilizing printed circuit boards at modest vacuum conditions. This method allows for inexpensive devices to be readily fabricated and tested over short intervals and should open the field to laboratories lacking or unable to access high performance machine shop facilities because of the required financial investment.« less

The cultural evolution of fertility decline

PubMed Central

Colleran, Heidi

2016-01-01

Cultural evolutionists have long been interested in the problem of why fertility declines as populations develop. By outlining plausible mechanistic links between individual decision-making, information flow in populations and competition between groups, models of cultural evolution offer a novel and powerful approach for integrating multiple levels of explanation of fertility transitions. However, only a modest number of models have been published. Their assumptions often differ from those in other evolutionary approaches to social behaviour, but their empirical predictions are often similar. Here I offer the first overview of cultural evolutionary research on demographic transition, critically compare it with approaches taken by other evolutionary researchers, identify gaps and overlaps, and highlight parallel debates in demography. I suggest that researchers divide their labour between three distinct phases of fertility decline—the origin, spread and maintenance of low fertility—each of which may be driven by different causal processes, at different scales, requiring different theoretical and empirical tools. A comparative, multi-level and mechanistic framework is essential for elucidating both the evolved aspects of our psychology that govern reproductive decision-making, and the social, ecological and cultural contingencies that precipitate and sustain fertility decline. PMID:27022079

Responsive partisanship: public support for the clinton and obama health care plans.

PubMed

Kriner, Douglas L; Reeves, Andrew

2014-08-01

We examine the contours of support for the Clinton and Obama health care plans during the 1990s and 2000s based on our own compilation of 120,000 individual-level survey responses from throughout the debates. Despite the rise of the Tea Party, and the racialization of health care politics, opinion dynamics are remarkably similar in both periods. Party ID is the single most powerful predictor of support for reform and the president's handling of it. Contrary to prominent claims, after controlling for partisanship, demographic characteristics are at best weak predictors of support for reform. We also show that Clinton and Obama did not "lose" blacks, seniors, or wealthy voters over the course of the debate. The small and often nonexistent relationship between these characteristics and support for the plan are constant over time. Instead, the modest fluctuations in support for reform appear to follow the ebb and flow of elite rhetoric. Both mean levels of support and its volatility over time covary with elite partisan discourse. These findings suggest that presidents courting public opinion should seek consensus among their own party's elites before appealing to other narrower interests. Copyright © 2014 by Duke University Press.

Grain transportation prospects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-06-01

U.S. grain transportation demand has strengthened relative : to year-ago levels since the beginning of calendar : year 1999. Rail demand has risen modestly during the : first months of the year. Rail shipments of grain since : January are up 4 percen...

Profound metabolic acidosis and oxoprolinuria in an adult.

PubMed

Hodgman, Michael J; Horn, James F; Stork, Christine M; Marraffa, Jeanna M; Holland, Michael G; Cantor, Richard; Carmel, Patti M

2007-09-01

Profound metabolic acidosis in critically ill adults sometimes remains unexplained despite extensive evaluation. A 58-year-old female presented in a confused state to the emergency department; she had been confused for several days. Laboratory evaluation revealed a high anion gap metabolic acidosis and modestly elevated acetaminophen level. Lactic acid was only modestly elevated. There was no evidence of ketoacids, salicylate, methanol, or ethylene glycol. A urine sample submitted on day 1 of hospitalization revealed a markedly elevated level of 5-oxoproline. Originally described in children with an inherited defect of glutathione synthetase, 5-oxoproline is an unusual cause of metabolic acidosis. More recently this disturbance has been recognized in critically ill adults without a recognized inherited metabolic disorder. In most of these cases there has been the concomitant use of acetaminophen. Any causal relationship between acetaminophen and this disturbance is speculative. In critically ill adults with unexplained metabolic acidosis, 5-Oxoproline should be considered in the differential.

A New Precision Measurement of the Small-scale Line-of-sight Power Spectrum of the Lyα Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walther, Michael; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Hiss, Hector; Oñorbe, Jose; Lee, Khee-Gan; Rorai, Alberto; O’Meara, John

2018-01-01

We present a new measurement of the Lyα forest power spectrum at 1.8 < z < 3.4 using 74 Keck/HIRES and VLT/UVES high-resolution, high-signal-to-noise-ratio quasar spectra. We developed a custom pipeline to measure the power spectrum and its uncertainty, which fully accounts for finite resolution and noise and corrects for the bias induced by masking missing data, damped Lyα absorption systems, and metal absorption lines. Our measurement results in unprecedented precision on the small-scale modes k> 0.02 {{s}} {{km}}-1, inaccessible to previous SDSS/BOSS analyses. It is well known that these high-k modes are highly sensitive to the thermal state of the intergalactic medium, but contamination by narrow metal lines is a significant concern. We quantify the effect of metals on the small-scale power and find a modest effect on modes with k< 0.1 {{s}} {{km}}-1. As a result, by masking metals and restricting to k< 0.1 {{s}} {{km}}-1, their impact is completely mitigated. We present an end-to-end Bayesian forward-modeling framework whereby mock spectra with the same noise, resolution, and masking as our data are generated from Lyα forest simulations. These mock spectra are used to build a custom emulator, enabling us to interpolate between a sparse grid of models and perform Markov chain Monte Carlo fits. Our results agree well with BOSS on scales k< 0.02 {{s}} {{km}}-1, where the measurements overlap. The combination of the percent-level low-k precision of BOSS with our 5%–15% high-k measurements results in a powerful new data set for precisely constraining the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, cosmological parameters, and the nature of dark matter. The power spectra and their covariance matrices are provided as electronic tables.

The New Regionalism in Sub-Saharan Africa: More Than Meets the Eye? Policy Brief No. 20

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Andrea

2002-01-01

Following independence in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1960s, traditional integration strategies produced disappointing results in most instances, as they started with very modest levels of intra-regional trade, marked differences in income and industrialisation levels and diffuse fiscal weakness. They also had a strong protectionist bias, trying to…

Education and a Progressive Orientation towards a Cosmopolitan Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Klas

2012-01-01

Robin Barrow claims in his "Moral education's modest agenda" that "the task of moral education is to develop understanding, at the lowest level, of the expectations of society and, at the highest level, of the nature of morality...[that is, that moral education] should go on to develop understanding, not of a particular social code, but of the…

"But I Thought I Knew That!" Student Confidence Judgments on Course Examinations in Introductory Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevid, Jeffrey S.; Cheney, Brianna; Thompson, Clarissa

2015-01-01

Students in an introductory psychology class rated their level of confidence in their answers to exam questions on four multiple-choice exams through the course of a semester. Correlations between confidence judgments and accuracy (correct vs. incorrect) at the individual item level showed modest but significant relationships for item sets scaled…

Multilevel analysis of the Be Active Eat Well intervention: environmental and behavioural influences on reductions in child obesity risk.

PubMed

Johnson, B A; Kremer, P J; Swinburn, B A; de Silva-Sanigorski, A M

2012-07-01

The Be Active Eat Well (BAEW) community-based child obesity prevention intervention was successful in modestly reducing unhealthy weight gain in primary school children using a multi-strategy and multi-setting approach. To (1) examine the relationship between changes in obesity-related individual, household and school factors and changes in standardised child body mass index (zBMI), and (2) determine if the BAEW intervention moderated these effects. The longitudinal relationships between changes in individual, household and school variables and changes in zBMI were explored using multilevel modelling, with measurement time (baseline and follow-up) at level 1, individual (behaviours, n = 1812) at level 2 and households (n = 1318) and schools (n = 18) as higher levels (environments). The effect of the intervention was tested while controlling for child age, gender and maternal education level. This study confirmed that the BAEW intervention lowered child zBMI compared with the comparison group (-0.085 units, P = 0.03). The variation between household environments was found to be a large contributor to the percentage of unexplained change in child zBMI (59%), compared with contributions from the individual (23%) and school levels (1%). Across both groups, screen time (P = 0.03), sweet drink consumption (P = 0.03) and lack of household rules for television (TV) viewing (P = 0.05) were associated with increased zBMI, whereas there was a non-significant association with the frequency the TV was on during evening meals (P = 0.07). The moderating effect of the intervention was only evident for the relationship between the frequency of TV on during meals and zBMI, however, this effect was modest (P = 0.04). The development of childhood obesity involves multi-factorial and multi-level influences, some of which are amenable to change. Obesity prevention strategies should not only target individual behaviours but also the household environment and family practices. Although zBMI changes were modest, these findings are encouraging as small reductions can have population level impacts on childhood obesity levels.

An ultra low-power CMOS automatic action potential detector.

PubMed

Gosselin, Benoit; Sawan, Mohamad

2009-08-01

We present a low-power complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) analog integrated biopotential detector intended for neural recording in wireless multichannel implants. The proposed detector can achieve accurate automatic discrimination of action potential (APs) from the background activity by means of an energy-based preprocessor and a linear delay element. This strategy improves detected waveforms integrity and prompts for better performance in neural prostheses. The delay element is implemented with a low-power continuous-time filter using a ninth-order equiripple allpass transfer function. All circuit building blocks use subthreshold OTAs employing dedicated circuit techniques for achieving ultra low-power and high dynamic range. The proposed circuit function in the submicrowatt range as the implemented CMOS 0.18- microm chip dissipates 780 nW, and it features a size of 0.07 mm(2). So it is suitable for massive integration in a multichannel device with modest overhead. The fabricated detector succeeds to automatically detect APs from underlying background activity. Testbench validation results obtained with synthetic neural waveforms are presented.

Goals of thermionic program for space power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

English, R. E.

1981-01-01

The thermionic and Brayton reactor concepts were compared for application to space power. For a turbine inlet temperature of 15000 K the Brayton powerplant weighted 5 to 40% less than the thermionic concept. The out of core concept separates the thermionic converters from their reactor. Technical risks are diminished by: (1) moving the insolator out of the reactor; (2) allowing a higher thermal flux for the thermionic converters than is required of the reactor fuel; and (3) eliminating fuel swelling's threat against lifetime of the thermionic converters. Overall performance can be improved by including power processing in system optimization for design and technology on more efficient, higher temperature power processors. The thermionic reactors will be larger than those for competitive systems with higher conversion efficiency and lower reactor operating temperatures. It is concluded that although the effect of reactor size on shield weight will be modest for unmanned spacecraft, the penalty in shield weight will be large for manned or man-tended spacecraft.

A Perspective on Middle-Aged and Older Men With Functional Hypogonadism: Focus on Holistic Management

PubMed Central

Matsumoto, Alvin M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Context: Middle-aged and older men (≥50 years), especially those who are obese and suffer from comorbidities, not uncommonly present with clinical features consistent with androgen deficiency and modestly reduced testosterone levels. Commonly, such men do not demonstrate anatomical hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis pathology but have functional hypogonadism that is potentially reversible. Evidence Acquisition: Literature review from 1970 to October 2016. Evidence Synthesis: Although definitive randomized controlled trials are lacking, evidence suggests that in such men, lifestyle measures to achieve weight loss and optimization of comorbidities, including discontinuation of offending medications, lead to clinical improvement and a modest increase in testosterone. Also, androgen deficiency–like symptoms and end-organ deficits respond to targeted treatments (such as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction) without evidence that hypogonadal men are refractory. Unfortunately, lifestyle interventions remain difficult and may be insufficient even if successful. Testosterone therapy should be considered primarily for men who have significant clinical features of androgen deficiency and unequivocally low testosterone levels. Testosterone should be initiated either concomitantly with a trial of lifestyle measures, or after such a trial fails, after a tailored diagnostic work-up, exclusion of contraindications, and appropriate counseling. Conclusions: There is modest evidence that functional hypogonadism responds to lifestyle measures and optimization of comorbidities. If achievable, these interventions may have demonstrable health benefits beyond the potential for increasing testosterone levels. Therefore, treatment of underlying causes of functional hypogonadism and of symptoms should be used either as an initial or adjunctive approach to testosterone therapy. PMID:28359097

Tube furnace

DOEpatents

Foster, Kenneth G.; Frohwein, Eugene J.; Taylor, Robert W.; Bowen, David W.

1991-01-01

A vermiculite insulated tube furnace is heated by a helically-wound resistance wire positioned within a helical groove on the surface of a ceramic cylinder, that in turn is surroundingly disposed about a doubly slotted stainless steel cylindrical liner. For uniform heating, the pitch of the helix is of shorter length over the two end portions of the ceramic cylinder. The furnace is of large volume, provides uniform temperature, offers an extremely precise programmed heating capability, features very rapid cool-down, and has a modest electrical power requirement.

Demonstration of a high repetition rate capillary discharge waveguide

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

Gonsalves, A. J., E-mail: ajgonsalves@lbl.gov; Pieronek, C.; Daniels, J.

2016-01-21

A hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide operating at kHz repetition rates is presented for parameters relevant to laser plasma acceleration (LPA). The discharge current pulse was optimized for erosion mitigation with laser guiding experiments and MHD simulation. Heat flow simulations and measurements showed modest temperature rise at the capillary wall due to the average heat load at kHz repetition rates with water-cooled capillaries, which is promising for applications of LPAs such as high average power radiation sources.

Admission temperatures following radiant warmer or incubator transport for preterm infants <28 weeks: a randomised study.

PubMed

Meyer, Michael P; Bold, Geoff T

2007-07-01

Sixty two infants <28 weeks were occlusively wrapped and randomised to radiant warmer or incubator transport to the neonatal unit. Median axillary temperature on arrival was 36.8 degrees C in both groups. Target temperatures (36.5-37.5 degrees C) were achieved in 60% of the incubator group compared to 75% in the warmer group (not statistically significant). While powered to detect a 35% difference between warming devices, a more modest difference is not excluded.

Iran and the Big Powers, 1900-1953.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-26

projects- all in return for a modest royalty and initial fee . The threat from both Britain and Russia forced Iran to develop a foreign policy for its...ignored Russian interests in keeping Iran under political and economic bondage through bank loans and trade with Iran. By posing a direct threat to...34.-".-",."..".. . . - . . .. .., ,--.".... 14 Russia 28,972,124 rubles in long-term debt and 3,223,810 in short-term debts . This was against a mere 2,000,000 ruble

Ocean Microbial Fuel Cell: Power Source and Research Tool for Studying Marine Biogeochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimers, C. E.; Girguis, P.; Westall, J. C.; Nielsen, M. E.

2007-05-01

Ocean microbial fuel cells (OMFCs) are devices capable of producing modest levels of electrical power. The cells are ultimately driven by the oxidation of marine organic matter at the anode and reduction of dissolved oxygen at the cathode, but microbial transformations and electrochemically active intermediates play important roles in the overall process of electricity generation. By separating the factors that affect the performance of OMFCs into components of an equivalent circuit and manipulating these factors in laboratory and field experiments, we are gaining new insight into how specific redox reactions, sources of organic matter, and mass transport at small and intermediate scales may enrich environments with certain groups of microorganisms that in turn regulate anaerobic organic matter degradation. This talk will illustrate these relationships with the results from at least four experiments in which either fresh plankton, or substrates within continental margin sediments, fuelled the OMFCs. In each example, reduced sulfur compounds were found to be major electron carriers to the fuel cell anode. These intermediates came from a variety of sources including sulfide generated from sulfate reduction in mixed solutions surrounding the electrode, sulfide generated distally but transported by pore-water diffusion and advection, iron monosulfides and pyrite present is a sediment matrix centimeters from the electrode, and sulfide or polysulfide produced within an electrode biofilm. To illustrate a practical application of an OMFC, we are currently constructing a benthic cell that will power a sonic receiver in a network of underwater sensors. The form of this OMFC resembles a benthic chamber with a footprint of one square meter. It should be capable of supplying electrical power and regulating its output for years to decades.

Measuring the level of interstellar inheritance in the solar protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Conel M. O'd.; Nittler, Larry R.; Davidson, Jemma; Ciesla, Fred J.

2017-09-01

The timing and extent to which the initial interstellar material was thermally processed provide fundamental constraints for models of the formation and early evolution of the solar protoplanetary disk. We argue that the nonsolar (solar Δ17O ≈ -29‰) and near-terrestrial (Δ17O ≈ 0‰) O-isotopic compositions of the Earth and most extraterrestrial materials (Moon, Mars, asteroids, and comet dust) were established very early by heating of regions of the disk that were modestly enriched (dust/gas ≥ 5-10 times solar) in primordial silicates (Δ17O ≈ -29‰) and water-dominated ice (Δ17O ≈ 24‰) relative to the gas. Such modest enrichments could be achieved by grain growth and settling of dust to the midplane in regions where the levels of turbulence were modest. The episodic heating of the disk associated with FU Orionis outbursts were the likely causes of this early thermal processing of dust. We also estimate that at the time of accretion the CI chondrite and interplanetary dust particle parent bodies were composed of 5-10% of pristine interstellar material. The matrices of all chondrites included roughly similar interstellar fractions. Whether this interstellar material avoided the thermal processing experienced by most dust during FU Orionis outbursts or was accreted by the disk after the outbursts ceased to be important remains to be established.

Efficiency in SETI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shostak, Seth

2011-02-01

While modern SETI experiments are often highly sensitive, reaching detection limits of 10 -25 W/m 2 Hz in the radio, interstellar distances imply that if extraterrestrial societies are using isotropic or broad-beamed transmitters, the power requirements for their emissions are enormous. Indeed, isotropic transmissions to the entire Galaxy, sufficiently intense to be detectable by our current searches, would consume power comparable to the stellar insolation of an Earth-size planet. In this paper we consider how knowledge can be traded for power, and how, and to what degree, astronomical accuracy can reduce the energy costs of a comprehensive transmission program by putative extraterrestrials. Indeed, an exploration of how far this trade-off might be taken suggests that extraterrestrial transmitting strategies of civilizations only modestly more advanced than our own would be, as are our SETI receiving experiments, inexpensive enough to allow multiple efforts. We explore the consequences this supposition has for our SETI listening experiments.

Relapse Risk Assessment for Schizophrenia Patients (RASP): A New Self-Report Screening Tool.

PubMed

Velligan, Dawn; Carpenter, William; Waters, Heidi C; Gerlanc, Nicole M; Legacy, Susan N; Ruetsch, Charles

2018-01-01

The Relapse Assessment for Schizophrenia Patients (RASP) was developed as a six-question self-report screener that measures indicators of Increased Anxiety and Social Isolation to assess patient stability and predict imminent relapse. This paper describes the development and psychometric characteristics of the RASP. The RASP and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were administered to patients with schizophrenia (n=166) three separate times. Chart data were collected on a subsample of patients (n=81). Psychometric analyses of RASP included tests of reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity of items. Factors from RASP were correlated with subscales from PANSS (sensitivity to change and criterion validity [agreement between RASP and evidence of relapse]). Test-retest reliability returned modest to strong agreement at the item level and strong agreement at the questionnaire level. RASP showed good item response curves and internal consistency for the total instrument and within each of the two subscales (Increased Anxiety and Social Isolation). RASP Total Score and subscales showed good concurrent validity when correlated with PANSS Total Score, Positive, Excitement, and Anxiety subscales. RASP correctly predicted relapse in 67% of cases, with good specificity and negative predictive power and acceptable positive predictive power and sensitivity. The reliability and validity data presented support the use of RASP in settings where addition of a brief self-report assessment of relapse risk among patients with schizophrenia may be of benefit. Ease of use and scoring, and the ability to administer without clinical supervision allows for routine administration and assessment of relapse risk.

Multi-Spectral Stereo Atmospheric Remote Sensing (STARS) for Retrieval of Cloud Properties and Cloud-Motion Vectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, M. A.; Boldt, J.; Wilson, J. P.; Yee, J. H.; Stoffler, R.

2017-12-01

The multi-spectral STereo Atmospheric Remote Sensing (STARS) concept has the objective to provide high-spatial and -temporal-resolution observations of 3D cloud structures related to hurricane development and other severe weather events. The rapid evolution of severe weather demonstrates a critical need for mesoscale observations of severe weather dynamics, but such observations are rare, particularly over the ocean where extratropical and tropical cyclones can undergo explosive development. Coincident space-based measurements of wind velocity and cloud properties at the mesoscale remain a great challenge, but are critically needed to improve the understanding and prediction of severe weather and cyclogenesis. STARS employs a mature stereoscopic imaging technique on two satellites (e.g. two CubeSats, two hosted payloads) to simultaneously retrieve cloud motion vectors (CMVs), cloud-top temperatures (CTTs), and cloud geometric heights (CGHs) from multi-angle, multi-spectral observations of cloud features. STARS is a pushbroom system based on separate wide-field-of-view co-boresighted multi-spectral cameras in the visible, midwave infrared (MWIR), and longwave infrared (LWIR) with high spatial resolution (better than 1 km). The visible system is based on a pan-chromatic, low-light imager to resolve cloud structures under nighttime illumination down to ¼ moon. The MWIR instrument, which is being developed as a NASA ESTO Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) project, is based on recent advances in MWIR detector technology that requires only modest cooling. The STARS payload provides flexible options for spaceflight due to its low size, weight, power (SWaP) and very modest cooling requirements. STARS also meets AF operational requirements for cloud characterization and theater weather imagery. In this paper, an overview of the STARS concept, including the high-level sensor design, the concept of operations, and measurement capability will be presented.

Dietary and exercise change following acute cardiac syndrome onset: A latent class growth modelling analysis.

PubMed

Bennett, Paul; Gruszczynska, Ewa; Marke, Victoria

2016-10-01

The present study aim determine sub-group trajectories of change on measures of diet and exercise following acute coronary syndrome. 150 participants were assessed in hospital, 1 month and 6 months subsequently on measures including physical activity, diet, illness beliefs, coping and mood. Change trajectories were measured using latent class growth modelling. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict class membership. These analyses revealed changes in exercise were confined to a sub-group of participants already reporting relatively high exercise levels; those eating less healthily evidenced modest dietary improvements. Coping, gender, depression and perceived control predicted group membership to a modest degree. © The Author(s) 2015.

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

Ono, M.; Jaworski, M. A.; Kaita, R.

Steady-state fusion reactor operation presents major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both steady-state and transients. In addition to those issues, there are unresolved issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiative liquid lithium divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues while potentially improving the reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-freemore » core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. It was estimated that only a few moles/sec of lithium injection would be needed to significantly reduce the divertor heat flux in a tokamak fusion power plant. By operating at lower temperatures ≤ 500°C than the first wall ~ 600 – 700°C, the LL-covered divertor chamber wall surfaces can serve as an effective particle pump, as impurities generally migrate toward lower temperature LL divertor surfaces. To maintain the LL purity, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~ 1 liter/second (l/sec) is envisioned to sustain the steady-state operation of a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant. By running the Li loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to outside where the dust / impurities are removed by relatively simple filter and cold/hot trap systems. Using a cold trap system, it can recover in tritium (T) in real time from LL at a rate of ~ 0.5 g / sec needed to sustain the fusion reaction while minimizing the T inventory issue. With an expected T fraction of ≤ 0.7 %, an acceptable level of T inventory can be achieved. In NSTX-U, preparations are now underway to elucidate the physics of Li plasma interactions with a number of Li application tools and Li radiation spectroscopic instruments. The NSTX-U Li evaporator which provides Li coating over the lower divertor plate, can offer important information on the RLLD concept, and the Li granule injector will test some of the key physics issue on the ARLLD concept. A LL-loop is also being prepared off line for prototyping future use on NSTX-U.« less

Developmental Hypothyroidism Alters Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Expression in Adulthood.

EPA Science Inventory

Severe developmental thyroid hormone (TH) insufficiency results in alterations in brain structure/function and lasting behavioral impairments. Environmental toxicants reduce circulating levels of TH, but the disruption is modest and the doseresponse relationships of TH and neuro...

Technologies for Lunar Surface Power Systems Power Beaming and Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzwell, Neville; Pogorzelski, Ronald J.; Chang, Kai; Little, Frank

2008-01-01

Wireless power transmission within a given working area is required or enabling for many NASA Exploration Systems. Fields of application include robotics, habitats, autonomous rendezvous and docking, life support, EVA, and many others. In robotics applications, for example, the robots must move in the working area without being hampered by power cables and, meanwhile, obtain a continuous and constant power from a power transmitter. The development of modern technology for transmitting electric power over free space has been studied for several decades, but its use in a system has been mainly limited to low power, 1-2 Vdc output voltage at a transmission distance of few meters for which relatively less than 0.5 mW/cm2 is required (e.g., Radio frequency identification RFID). Most of the rectenna conversion efficiency research to date has concentrated in low GHz frequency range of 2.45 to 10 GHz, with some work at 35 GHz. However, for space application, atmospheric adsorbtion is irrelevant and higher frequency systems with smaller transmit and receive apertures may be appropriate. For high power, most of the work on rectennas has concentrated on optimizing the conversion efficiency of the microwave rectifier element; the highest power demonstrated was 35 kW of power over a distance of 1.5 km. The objective of this paper is to establish the manner in which a very large number of very low power microwave devices can be synchronized to provide a beam of microwaves that can be used to efficiently and safely transport a significant amount of power to a remote location where it can be converted to dc (or ac) power by a ``rectenna.'' The proposed system is based on spatial power combining of the outputs of a large number of devices synchronized by mutual injection locking. We have demonstrated at JPL that such power could be achieved by combining 25 sources in a configuration that allows for convenient steering of the resulting beam of microwaves. Retrodirective beam steering for microwave power transmission (the ability to accurately track a moving receiver) has been demonstrated at Texas A&M. It is proposed that the next step in development of this concept is a modest scale up from 25 elements to 435 followed by a further scale up using such 435 element arrays as subarrays for a still larger retrodirective system. Ultimately, transmit antenna sizes on the order of 100 meters are envisioned permitting transfer levels on the order of 30 kW to aerial vehicles up to 20 km.

Stress Management-Augmented Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for African American Women: A Pilot, Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Tiffany L.; Krukowski, Rebecca; Love, ShaRhonda J.; Eddings, Kenya; DiCarlo, Marisha; Chang, Jason Y.; Prewitt, T. Elaine; West, Delia Smith

2013-01-01

The relationship between chronic stress and weight management efforts may be a concern for African American (AA) women, who have a high prevalence of obesity, high stress levels, and modest response to obesity treatment. This pilot study randomly assigned 44 overweight/obese AA women with moderate to high stress levels to either a 12-week…

Wake County Public School System K-5 Assessment Results: 2009-10. Measuring Up. E&R Report No. 10.19

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhea, Anisa

2010-01-01

Moderate to high percentages of Wake County Public School (WCPSS) students demonstrated grade-level performance on K-5 assessments in 2009-10. Results indicate very slight changes from prior years. The percentage of students proficient in reading book level and mathematics strands increased very slightly since 2007-08. Modest declines in…

Understanding future emissions from low-carbon power systems by integration of life-cycle assessment and integrated energy modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehl, Michaja; Arvesen, Anders; Humpenöder, Florian; Popp, Alexander; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Luderer, Gunnar

2017-12-01

Both fossil-fuel and non-fossil-fuel power technologies induce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to their embodied energy requirements for construction and operation, and upstream CH4 emissions. Here, we integrate prospective life-cycle assessment with global integrated energy-economy-land-use-climate modelling to explore life-cycle emissions of future low-carbon power supply systems and implications for technology choice. Future per-unit life-cycle emissions differ substantially across technologies. For a climate protection scenario, we project life-cycle emissions from fossil fuel carbon capture and sequestration plants of 78-110 gCO2eq kWh-1, compared with 3.5-12 gCO2eq kWh-1 for nuclear, wind and solar power for 2050. Life-cycle emissions from hydropower and bioenergy are substantial (˜100 gCO2eq kWh-1), but highly uncertain. We find that cumulative emissions attributable to upscaling low-carbon power other than hydropower are small compared with direct sectoral fossil fuel emissions and the total carbon budget. Fully considering life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions has only modest effects on the scale and structure of power production in cost-optimal mitigation scenarios.

Ketamine has distinct electrophysiological and behavioral effects in depressed and healthy subjects.

PubMed

Nugent, Allison C; Ballard, Elizabeth D; Gould, Todd D; Park, Lawrence T; Moaddel, Ruin; Brutsche, Nancy E; Zarate, Carlos A

2018-02-27

Ketamine's mechanism of action was assessed using gamma power from magnetoencephalography (MEG) as a proxy measure for homeostatic balance in 35 unmedicated subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 25 healthy controls enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine. MDD subjects showed significant improvements in depressive symptoms, and healthy control subjects exhibited modest but significant increases in depressive symptoms for up to 1 day after ketamine administration. Both groups showed increased resting gamma power following ketamine. In MDD subjects, gamma power was not associated with the magnitude of the antidepressant effect. However, baseline gamma power was found to moderate the relationship between post-ketamine gamma power and antidepressant response; specifically, higher post-ketamine gamma power was associated with better response in MDD subjects with lower baseline gamma, with an inverted relationship in MDD subjects with higher baseline gamma. This relationship was observed in multiple regions involved in networks hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. This finding suggests biological subtypes based on the direction of homeostatic dysregulation and has important implications for inferring ketamine's mechanism of action from studies of healthy controls alone.

Association of cardiac troponin T with left ventricular structure and function in CKD.

PubMed

Mishra, Rakesh K; Li, Yongmei; DeFilippi, Christopher; Fischer, Michael J; Yang, Wei; Keane, Martin; Chen, Jing; He, Jiang; Kallem, Radhakrishna; Horwitz, Edward J; Rafey, Mohammad; Raj, Dominic S; Go, Alan S; Shlipak, Michael G

2013-05-01

Serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is associated with increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death in several population settings. We evaluated associations of cTnT levels with cardiac structural and functional abnormalities in a cohort of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) without heart failure. Cross-sectional. Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC; N=3,243). The primary predictor was cTnT level. Secondary predictors included demographic and clinical characteristics, hemoglobin level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, and estimated glomerular filtration rate using cystatin C. Echocardiography was used to determine left ventricular (LV) mass and LV systolic and diastolic function. Circulating cTnT was measured in stored sera using the highly sensitive assay. Logistic and linear regression models were used to examine associations of cTnT level with each echocardiographic outcome. cTnT was detectable in 2,735 (84%) persons; median level was 13.3 (IQR, 7.7-23.8) pg/mL. Compared with undetectable cTnT (<3.0 pg/mL), the highest quartile (23.9-738.7 pg/mL) was approximately 2 times as likely to have LV hypertrophy (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.44-4.09) in the fully adjusted model. cTnT level had a more modest association with LV systolic dysfunction; as a log-linear variable, a significant association was present in the fully adjusted model (OR of 1.4 [95% CI, 1.2-1.7] per 1-log unit; P < 0.001). There was no significant independent association between cTnT level and LV diastolic dysfunction. When evaluated as a screening test, cTnT level functioned only modestly for LV hypertrophy and concentric hypertrophy detection (area under the curve, 0.64 for both), with weaker areas under the curve for the other outcomes. The presence of coronary artery disease was not formally assessed using either noninvasive or angiographic techniques in this study. In this large CKD cohort without heart failure, detectable cTnT had a strong association with LV hypertrophy, a more modest association with LV systolic dysfunction, and no association with diastolic dysfunction. These findings indicate that circulating cTnT levels in patients with CKD are predominantly an indicator of pathologic LV hypertrophy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Are Tobacco Dependence and Withdrawal Related Amongst Heavy Smokers? Relevance to Conceptualizations of Dependence

PubMed Central

Baker, Timothy B.; Piper, Megan E.; Schlam, Tanya R.; Cook, Jessica W.; Smith, Stevens S.; Loh, Wei-Yin; Bolt, Daniel

2013-01-01

Measured tobacco dependence is typically only modestly related to tobacco withdrawal severity amongst regular smokers making a quit attempt. The weak association between dependence and withdrawal is notable because it conflicts with core theories of dependence and because both measures predict cessation outcomes, suggesting they both index a common dependence construct. This study used data from a smoking cessation comparative effectiveness trial (N = 1504) to characterize relations of tobacco dependence with craving and negative affect withdrawal symptoms using multiple dependence measures and analytic methods to detect both additive and interactive effects and to determine whether withdrawal meaningfully mediates the influence of dependence on smoking cessation. We conclude: (1) while univariate analyses suggest dependence and withdrawal measures are only modestly interrelated, more powerful analytic techniques show they are, in fact, meaningfully related and their shared variance is associated with cessation likelihood; (2) there are clear differences between craving and negative affective withdrawal symptoms, with the former more related to smoking heaviness and the latter related to trait measures of negative affect; moreover, craving more strongly mediates dependence effects on cessation; (3) both craving and negative affect withdrawal symptoms are strongly related to a pattern of regular smoking that is sensitive to the passage of time and powerfully affected by smoking cues. These findings support models that accord an important role for associative processes and withdrawal symptoms, especially craving, in drug dependence. The findings also support the use of withdrawal variables as criteria for the evaluation of dependence measures. PMID:22642839

Direct and Conceptual Replications of Burgmer & Englich (2012): Power May Have Little to No Effect on Motor Performance

PubMed Central

Gottschalk, Christopher; Calin-Jageman, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Burgmer and Englich (2012) have reported that manipulating feelings of power can substantially improve performance on two motor tasks: golf and darts. We conducted two high-powered direct replications of the effects of power on golf, two online conceptual replications using mirror-tracing as a performance measure, and an additional conceptual replication using a cognitive performance measure (word-search). Overall, we found little to no effect of power on motor skill (d = 0.09, 95% CI[-0.07, 0.22], n = 603). We varied task difficulty, re-analyzed data without participants showing weak responses on manipulation checks, and tried adjusting performance scores for age, gender, and initial task skill. None of these secondary analyses revealed a strong effect of power on performance. A meta-analysis integrating our data with Burgmer & Englich leaves open the possibility that manipulating power could provide a modest boost in motor skill (d = 0.19, 95% CI [0.001, 0.38], n = 685). Unfortunately, the pattern of performance changes we observed was unrelated to group differences in perceived and rated power, suggesting that what motor effects do occur with this protocol may not be directly related to the construct of power. [Burgmer, P., &Englich, B. (2012). Bullseye!: How Power Improves Motor Performance. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4(2), 224–232.] PMID:26536592

Association between blood lead and blood pressure: Results from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007 to 2011).

PubMed

Bushnik, Tracey; Levallois, Patrick; D'Amour, Monique; Anderson, Todd J; McAlister, Finlay A

2014-07-01

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but its cause is not always known. Interest is increasing in the potential role of environmental chemicals, including lead. Data are from the first two cycles of the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Lead in whole blood (PbB), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure were measured and hypertension status was derived for 4,550 respondents aged 40 to 79. Linear regression estimated associations between PbB and SBP and DBP. Logistic regression estimated associations between PbB and hypertension. Adjusted least squares geometric means of PbB were estimated for hypertensive versus non-hypertensive individuals. Compared with non-hypertensive individuals, those with hypertension had higher average PbB levels, were older, more likely to be male, and more likely to have other hypertension risk factors (diabetes, family history of high blood pressure). In adjusted regression models, a modest association emerged between PbB levels and SBP among 40- to 54-year-olds, and between PbB levels and DBP for the overall population. No association emerged between PbB levels and hypertension prevalence. A modest association was observed between blood lead levels and blood pressure, but not with hypertension, in Canadian adults aged 40 to 79.

Earth-to-Orbit Beamed Energy eXperiment (EBEX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Montgomery, Edward E.

2017-01-01

As a means of primary propulsion, beamed energy propulsion offers the benefit of offloading much of the propulsion system mass from the vehicle, increasing its potential performance and freeing it from the constraints of the rocket equation. For interstellar missions, beamed energy propulsion is arguably the most viable in the near- to mid-term. A near-term demonstration showing the feasibility of beamed energy propulsion is necessary and, fortunately, feasible using existing technologies. Key enabling technologies are 1) large area, low mass spacecraft and 2) efficient and safe high power laser systems capable of long distance propagation. NASA is currently developing the spacecraft technology through the Near Earth Asteroid Scout solar sail mission and has signed agreements with the Planetary Society to study the feasibility of precursor laser propulsion experiments using their LightSail-2 solar sail spacecraft. The capabilities of Space Situational Awareness assets and the advanced analytical tools available for fine resolution orbit determination now make it possible to investigate the practicalities of an Earth-to-orbit Beamed Energy eXperiment (EBEX) - a demonstration at delivered power levels that only illuminate a spacecraft without causing damage to it. The degree to which this can be expected to produce a measurable change in the orbit of a low ballistic coefficient spacecraft is investigated. Key system characteristics and estimated performance are derived for a near term mission opportunity involving the LightSail-2 spacecraft and laser power levels modest in comparison to those proposed previously. A more detailed investigation of accessing LightSail-2 from Santa Rosa Island on Eglin Air Force Base on the United States coast of the Gulf of Mexico is provided to show expected results in a specific case. While the technology demonstrated by such an experiment is not sufficient to enable an interstellar precursor mission, it is a first step toward that goal.

metaCCA: summary statistics-based multivariate meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies using canonical correlation analysis.

PubMed

Cichonska, Anna; Rousu, Juho; Marttinen, Pekka; Kangas, Antti J; Soininen, Pasi; Lehtimäki, Terho; Raitakari, Olli T; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Salomaa, Veikko; Ala-Korpela, Mika; Ripatti, Samuli; Pirinen, Matti

2016-07-01

A dominant approach to genetic association studies is to perform univariate tests between genotype-phenotype pairs. However, analyzing related traits together increases statistical power, and certain complex associations become detectable only when several variants are tested jointly. Currently, modest sample sizes of individual cohorts, and restricted availability of individual-level genotype-phenotype data across the cohorts limit conducting multivariate tests. We introduce metaCCA, a computational framework for summary statistics-based analysis of a single or multiple studies that allows multivariate representation of both genotype and phenotype. It extends the statistical technique of canonical correlation analysis to the setting where original individual-level records are not available, and employs a covariance shrinkage algorithm to achieve robustness.Multivariate meta-analysis of two Finnish studies of nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics by metaCCA, using standard univariate output from the program SNPTEST, shows an excellent agreement with the pooled individual-level analysis of original data. Motivated by strong multivariate signals in the lipid genes tested, we envision that multivariate association testing using metaCCA has a great potential to provide novel insights from already published summary statistics from high-throughput phenotyping technologies. Code is available at https://github.com/aalto-ics-kepaco anna.cichonska@helsinki.fi or matti.pirinen@helsinki.fi Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

metaCCA: summary statistics-based multivariate meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies using canonical correlation analysis

PubMed Central

Cichonska, Anna; Rousu, Juho; Marttinen, Pekka; Kangas, Antti J.; Soininen, Pasi; Lehtimäki, Terho; Raitakari, Olli T.; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Salomaa, Veikko; Ala-Korpela, Mika; Ripatti, Samuli; Pirinen, Matti

2016-01-01

Motivation: A dominant approach to genetic association studies is to perform univariate tests between genotype-phenotype pairs. However, analyzing related traits together increases statistical power, and certain complex associations become detectable only when several variants are tested jointly. Currently, modest sample sizes of individual cohorts, and restricted availability of individual-level genotype-phenotype data across the cohorts limit conducting multivariate tests. Results: We introduce metaCCA, a computational framework for summary statistics-based analysis of a single or multiple studies that allows multivariate representation of both genotype and phenotype. It extends the statistical technique of canonical correlation analysis to the setting where original individual-level records are not available, and employs a covariance shrinkage algorithm to achieve robustness. Multivariate meta-analysis of two Finnish studies of nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics by metaCCA, using standard univariate output from the program SNPTEST, shows an excellent agreement with the pooled individual-level analysis of original data. Motivated by strong multivariate signals in the lipid genes tested, we envision that multivariate association testing using metaCCA has a great potential to provide novel insights from already published summary statistics from high-throughput phenotyping technologies. Availability and implementation: Code is available at https://github.com/aalto-ics-kepaco Contacts: anna.cichonska@helsinki.fi or matti.pirinen@helsinki.fi Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:27153689

Efficacy outcome selection in the therapeutic hypothermia after pediatric cardiac arrest trials.

PubMed

Holubkov, Richard; Clark, Amy E; Moler, Frank W; Slomine, Beth S; Christensen, James R; Silverstein, Faye S; Meert, Kathleen L; Pollack, Murray M; Dean, J Michael

2015-01-01

The Therapeutic Hypothermia After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials will determine whether therapeutic hypothermia improves survival with good neurobehavioral outcome, as assessed by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition, in children resuscitated after cardiac arrest in the in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings. We describe the innovative efficacy outcome selection process during Therapeutic Hypothermia After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest protocol development. Consensus assessment of potential outcomes and evaluation timepoints. None. We evaluated practical and technical advantages of several follow-up timepoints and continuous/categorical outcome variants. Simulations estimated power assuming varying hypothermia benefit on mortality and on neurobehavioral function among survivors. Twelve months after arrest was selected as the optimal assessment timepoint for pragmatic and clinical reasons. Change in Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition from prearrest level, measured as quasicontinuous with death and vegetative status being worst-possible levels, yielded optimal statistical power. However, clinicians preferred simpler multicategorical or binary outcomes because of easier interpretability and favored outcomes based solely on postarrest status because of concerns about accurate parental assessment of prearrest status and differing clinical impact of a given Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition change depending on prearrest status. Simulations found only modest power loss from categorizing or dichotomizing quasicontinuous outcomes because of high expected mortality. The primary outcome selected was survival with 12-month Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition no less than two SD below a reference population mean (70 points), necessarily evaluated only among children with prearrest Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition greater than or equal to 70. Two secondary efficacy outcomes, 12-month survival and quasicontinuous Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition change from prearrest level, will be evaluated among all randomized children, including those with compromised function prearrest. Extensive discussion of optimal efficacy assessment timing, and of the advantages versus drawbacks of incorporating prearrest status and using quasicontinuous versus simpler outcomes, was highly beneficial to the final Therapeutic Hypothermia After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest design. A relatively simple, binary primary outcome evaluated at 12 months was selected, with two secondary outcomes that address the potential disadvantages of primary outcome.

24 CFR 891.670 - Cost containment and modest design standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Cost containment and modest design... Handicapped Families and Individuals-Section 162 Assistance § 891.670 Cost containment and modest design standards. (a) Restrictions on amenities. Projects must be modest in design. Except as provided in paragraph...

24 CFR 891.670 - Cost containment and modest design standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Cost containment and modest design... Handicapped Families and Individuals-Section 162 Assistance § 891.670 Cost containment and modest design standards. (a) Restrictions on amenities. Projects must be modest in design. Except as provided in paragraph...

24 CFR 891.670 - Cost containment and modest design standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Cost containment and modest design... Handicapped Families and Individuals-Section 162 Assistance § 891.670 Cost containment and modest design standards. (a) Restrictions on amenities. Projects must be modest in design. Except as provided in paragraph...

24 CFR 891.670 - Cost containment and modest design standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Cost containment and modest design... Handicapped Families and Individuals-Section 162 Assistance § 891.670 Cost containment and modest design standards. (a) Restrictions on amenities. Projects must be modest in design. Except as provided in paragraph...

24 CFR 891.670 - Cost containment and modest design standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cost containment and modest design... Handicapped Families and Individuals-Section 162 Assistance § 891.670 Cost containment and modest design standards. (a) Restrictions on amenities. Projects must be modest in design. Except as provided in paragraph...

Mechanisms underlying very-low-frequency RR-interval oscillations in humans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, J. A.; Carr, D. L.; Myers, C. W.; Eckberg, D. L.

1998-01-01

BACKGROUND: Survival of post-myocardial infarction patients is related inversely to their levels of very-low-frequency (0.003 to 0.03 Hz) RR-interval variability. The physiological basis for such oscillations is unclear. In our study, we used blocking drugs to evaluate potential contributions of sympathetic and vagal mechanisms and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to very-low-frequency RR-interval variability in 10 young healthy subjects. METHODS AND RESULTS: We recorded RR intervals and arterial pressures during three separate sessions, with the patient in supine and 40 degree upright tilt positions, during 20-minute frequency (0.25 Hz) and tidal volume-controlled breathing after intravenous injections: saline (control), atenolol (0.2 mg/kg, beta-adrenergic blockade), atropine sulfate (0.04 mg/kg, parasympathetic blockade), atenolol and atropine (complete autonomic blockade), and enalaprilat (0.02 mg/kg, ACE blockade). We integrated fast Fourier transform RR-interval spectral power at very low (0.003 to 0.03 Hz), low (0.05 to 0. 15 Hz), and respiratory (0.2 to 0.3 Hz) frequencies. Beta-adrenergic blockade had no significant effect on very-low- or low-frequency RR-interval power but increased respiratory frequency power 2-fold. ACE blockade had no significant effect on low or respiratory frequency RR-interval power but modestly (approximately 21%) increased very-low-frequency power in the supine (but not upright tilt) position (P<0.05). The most profound effects were exerted by parasympathetic blockade: Atropine, given alone or with atenolol, abolished nearly all RR-interval variability and decreased very-low-frequency variability by 92%. CONCLUSIONS: Although very-low-frequency heart period rhythms are influenced by the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, as low and respiratory frequency RR-interval rhythms, they depend primarily on the presence of parasympathetic outflow. Therefore the prognostic value of very-low-frequency heart period oscillations may derive from the fundamental importance of parasympathetic mechanisms in cardiovascular health.

A review of nickel hydrogen battery technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smithrick, John J.; Odonnell, Patricia M.

1995-01-01

This paper on nickel hydrogen batteries is an overview of the various nickel hydrogen battery design options, technical accomplishments, validation test results and trends. There is more than one nickel hydrogen battery design, each having its advantage for specific applications. The major battery designs are individual pressure vessel (IPV), common pressure vessel (CPV), bipolar and low pressure metal hydride. State-of-the-art (SOA) nickel hydrogen batteries are replacing nickel cadmium batteries in almost all geosynchronous orbit (GEO) applications requiring power above 1 kW. However, for the more severe low earth orbit (LEO) applications (greater than 30,000 cycles), the current cycle life of 4000 to 10,000 cycles at 60 percent DOD should be improved. A NASA Lewis Research Center innovative advanced design IPV nickel hydrogen cell led to a breakthrough in cycle life enabling LEO applications at deep depths of discharge (DOD). A trend for some future satellites is to increase the power level to greater than 6 kW. Another trend is to decrease the power to less than 1 kW for small low cost satellites. Hence, the challenge is to reduce battery mass, volume and cost. A key is to develop a light weight nickel electrode and alternate battery designs. A common pressure vessel (CPV) nickel hydrogen battery is emerging as a viable alternative to the IPV design. It has the advantage of reduced mass, volume and manufacturing costs. A 10 Ah CPV battery has successfully provided power on the relatively short lived Clementine Spacecraft. A bipolar nickel hydrogen battery design has been demonstrated (15,000 LEO cycles, 40 percent DOD). The advantage is also a significant reduction in volume, a modest reduction in mass, and like most bipolar designs, features a high pulse power capability. A low pressure aerospace nickel metal hydride battery cell has been developed and is on the market. It is a prismatic design which has the advantage of a significant reduction in volume and a reduction in manufacturing cost.

Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries - An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smithrick, John J.; ODonnell, Patricia M.

1996-01-01

This article on nickel-hydrogen batteries is an overview of the various nickel-hydrogen battery design options, technical accomplishments, validation test results, and trends. There is more than one nickel-hydrogen battery design, each having its advantage for specific applications. The major battery designs are Individual Pressure Vessel (IPV), Common Pressure Vessel (CPV), bipolar, and low-pressure metal hydride. State-of-the-art nickel-hydrogen batteries are replacing nickel-cadmium batteries in almost all geosynchronous Earth orbit applications requiring power above 1 kW. However, for the more severe Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) applications (greater than 30,000 cycles), the current cycle life of 4000-10,000 cycles at 60 - 80 % DOD should be improved. A NASA Lewis Research Center innovative advanced design IPV nickel-hydrogen cell led to a breakthrough in cycle life enabling LEO applications at deep Depths of Discharge (DOD). A trend for some future satellites is to increase the power level to greater than 6 kW. Another trend is to decrease the power to less than 1 kW for small low-cost satellites. Hence, the challenge is to reduce battery mass, volume, and cost. A key is to develop a lightweight nickel electrode and alternate battery designs. A CPV nickel-hydrogen battery is emerging as a viable alternative to the IPV design. It has the advantage of reduced mass, volume, and manufacturing costs. A 10-A-h CPV battery has successfully provided power on the relatively short-lived Clementine spacecraft. A bipolar nickel -hydrogen battery design has been demonstrated (15,000 LEO cycles, 40 % DOD). The advantage is also a significant reduction in volume, a modest reduction in mass, and like most bipolar designs, features a high-pulse power capability. A low-pressure aerospace nickel-metal-hydride battery cell has been developed and is on the market. It is a prismatic design that has the advantage of a significant reduction in volume and a reduction in manufacturing cost.

Nickel hydrogen batteries: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smithrick, John J.; Odonnell, Patricia M.

1994-01-01

This paper on nickel hydrogen batteries is an overview of the various nickel hydrogen battery design options, technical accomplishments, validation test results and trends. There is more than one nickel hydrogen battery design, each having its advantage for specific applications. The major battery designs are individual pressure vessel (IPV), common pressure vessel (CPV), bipolar and low pressure metal hydride. State-of-the-art (SOA) nickel hydrogen batteries are replacing nickel cadmium batteries in almost all geosynchronous orbit (GEO) applications requiring power above 1 kW. However, for the more severe low earth orbit (LEO) applications (greater than 30,000 cycles), the current cycle life of 4000 to 10,000 cycles at 60 percent DOD should be improved. A LeRC innovative advanced design IPV nickel hydrogen cell led to a breakthrough in cycle life enabling LEO applications at deep depths of discharge (DOD). A trend for some future satellites is to increase the power level to greater than 6 kW. Another trend is to decrease the power to less than 1 kW for small low cost satellites. Hence, the challenge is to reduce battery mass,volume, and cost. A key is to develop a light weight nickel electrode and alternate battery designs. A common pressure vessel (CPV) nickel hydrogen battery is emerging as a viable alternative to the IPV design. It has the advantage of reduced mass, volume and manufacturing costs. A 10 Ah CPV battery has successfully provided power on the relatively short lived Clementine Spacecraft. A bipolar nickel hydrogen battery design has been demonstrated (15,000 LEO cycles, 40 percent DOD). The advantage is also a significant reduction in volume, a modest reduction in mass, and like most bipolar designs, features a high pulse power capability. A low pressure aerospace nickel metal hydride battery cell has been developed and is on the market. It is a prismatic design which has the advantage of a significant reduction in volume and a reduction in manufacturing cost.

Efficient Plasma Production in Low Background Neutral Pressures with the M2P2 Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ziemba, T.; Euripides, P.; Winglee, R.; Slough, J.; Giersch, L.

2003-01-01

Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion (M2P2) seeks the creation of a large-scale (10 km radius) magnetic wall or bubble (i.e. a magnetosphere) by the electromagnetic inflation of a small-scale (20 cm radius) dipole magnet. The inflated magnetosphere will intercept the solar wind and thereby provide high-speed propulsion with modest power and fuel requirements due to the gain provided by the ambient medium. Magnetic field inflation is produced by the injection of plasma onto the dipole magnetic field eliminating the need for large mechanical structures and added material weight at launch. For successful inflation of the magnetic bubble a beta near unity must be achieved along the imposed dipole field. This is dependent on the plasma parameters that can be achieved with a plasma source that provide continuous operation at the desired power levels of 1 to 2 kilowatts. Over the last two years we have been developing a laboratory prototype to demonstrate the inflation of the magnetic field under space-like conditions. In this paper we will present some of the latest results from the prototype development at the University of Washington and show that the prototype can produce high ionization efficiencies while operating in near space like neutral background pressures producing electron temperatures of a few tens of electron volts. This allows for operation with propellant expenditures lower than originally estimated.

The Pegasus-Upgrade Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonck, R. J.; Bongard, M. W.; Barr, J. L.; Frerichs, H. G.; Lewicki, B. T.; Reusch, J. A.; Schmitz, O.; Winz, G. R.

2015-11-01

Tokamak operation at near-unity aspect ratio provides access to advanced tokamak physics at modest parameters. High plasma current is accessible at very low toroidal field. This offers H-mode performance at Te levels that allow use of electrostatic and magnetic probe arrays through the edge pedestal region into the plasma core. An upgrade to the Pegasus ST is planned to exploit these features and pursue unique studies in three areas: local measurements of pedestal and ELM dynamics at Alfvenic timescales; direct measurement of the local plasma response to application of 3D magnetic perturbations with high spectral flexibility; and extension of Local Helicity Injection for nonsolenoidal startup to NSTX-U-relevant confinement and stability regimes. Significant but relatively low-cost upgrades to the facility are proposed: a new centerstack with larger solenoid and 2x the number of toroidal field conductors; a new TF power supply and conversion of the 200 MVA OH power supply to a cascaded multilevel inverter configuration; and installation of an extensive 3D-magnetic perturbation coil system for ELM mitigation and suppression studies. The upgraded facility will provide 0.3 MA plasmas with pulse lengths of 50-100 msec flattop, aspect ratio <1.25, and toroidal field up to 0.4 T. These research activities will be integrated into related efforts on DIII-D and NSTX-U. Work supported by US DOE grant DE-FG02-96ER54375.

Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbons As Electrode Materials for High-Performance Supercapacitor and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell.

PubMed

Wang, Lan; Gao, Zhiyong; Chang, Jiuli; Liu, Xiao; Wu, Dapeng; Xu, Fang; Guo, Yuming; Jiang, Kai

2015-09-16

Activated N-doped porous carbons (a-NCs) were synthesized by pyrolysis and alkali activation of graphene incorporated melamine formaldehyde resin (MF). The moderate N doping levels, mesopores rich porous texture, and incorporation of graphene enable the applications of a-NCs in surface and conductivity dependent electrode materials for supercapacitor and dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Under optimal activation temperature of 700 °C, the afforded sample, labeled as a-NC700, possesses a specific surface area of 1302 m2 g(-1), a N fraction of 4.5%, and a modest graphitization. When used as a supercapacitor electrode, a-NC700 offers a high specific capacitance of 296 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1), an acceptable rate capability, and a high cycling stability in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. As a result, a-NC700 supercapacitor delivers energy densities of 5.0-3.5 Wh kg(-1) under power densities of 83-1609 W kg(-1). Moreover, a-NC700 also demonstrates high electrocatalytic activity for I3- reduction. When employed as a counter electrode (CE) of DSSC, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.9% is achieved, which is comparable to that of the Pt CE based counterpart (7.1%). The excellent capacitive and photovoltaic performances highlight the potential of a-NCs in sustainable energy devices.

Simple battery armor to protect against gastrointestinal injury from accidental ingestion

PubMed Central

Laulicht, Bryan; Deshpande, Vikram; Langer, Robert; Karp, Jeffrey M.

2014-01-01

Inadvertent battery ingestion in children and the associated morbidity and mortality results in thousands of emergency room visits every year. Given the risk for serious electrochemical burns within hours of ingestion, the current standard of care for the treatment of batteries in the esophagus is emergent endoscopic removal. Safety standards now regulate locked battery compartments in toys, which have resulted in a modest reduction in inadvertent battery ingestion; specifically, 3,461 ingestions were reported in 2009, and 3,366 in 2013. Aside from legislation, minimal technological development has taken place at the level of the battery to limit injury. We have constructed a waterproof, pressure-sensitive coating, harnessing a commercially available quantum tunneling composite. Quantum tunneling composite coated (QTCC) batteries are nonconductive in the low-pressure gastrointestinal environment yet conduct within the higher pressure of standard battery housings. Importantly, this coating technology enables most battery-operated equipment to be powered without modification. If these new batteries are swallowed, they limit the external electrolytic currents responsible for tissue injury. We demonstrate in a large-animal model a significant decrease in tissue injury with QTCC batteries compared with uncoated control batteries. In summary, here we describe a facile approach to increasing the safety of batteries by minimizing the risk for electrochemical burn if the batteries are inadvertently ingested, without the need for modification of most battery-powered devices. PMID:25368176

Architecture for an integrated real-time air combat and sensor network simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criswell, Evans A.; Rushing, John; Lin, Hong; Graves, Sara

2007-04-01

An architecture for an integrated air combat and sensor network simulation is presented. The architecture integrates two components: a parallel real-time sensor fusion and target tracking simulation, and an air combat simulation. By integrating these two simulations, it becomes possible to experiment with scenarios in which one or both sides in a battle have very large numbers of primitive passive sensors, and to assess the likely effects of those sensors on the outcome of the battle. Modern Air Power is a real-time theater-level air combat simulation that is currently being used as a part of the USAF Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC). The simulation includes a variety of scenarios from the Vietnam war to the present day, and also includes several hypothetical future scenarios. Modern Air Power includes a scenario editor, an order of battle editor, and full AI customization features that make it possible to quickly construct scenarios for any conflict of interest. The scenario editor makes it possible to place a wide variety of sensors including both high fidelity sensors such as radars, and primitive passive sensors that provide only very limited information. The parallel real-time sensor network simulation is capable of handling very large numbers of sensors on a computing cluster of modest size. It can fuse information provided by disparate sensors to detect and track targets, and produce target tracks.

Simple battery armor to protect against gastrointestinal injury from accidental ingestion.

PubMed

Laulicht, Bryan; Traverso, Giovanni; Deshpande, Vikram; Langer, Robert; Karp, Jeffrey M

2014-11-18

Inadvertent battery ingestion in children and the associated morbidity and mortality results in thousands of emergency room visits every year. Given the risk for serious electrochemical burns within hours of ingestion, the current standard of care for the treatment of batteries in the esophagus is emergent endoscopic removal. Safety standards now regulate locked battery compartments in toys, which have resulted in a modest reduction in inadvertent battery ingestion; specifically, 3,461 ingestions were reported in 2009, and 3,366 in 2013. Aside from legislation, minimal technological development has taken place at the level of the battery to limit injury. We have constructed a waterproof, pressure-sensitive coating, harnessing a commercially available quantum tunneling composite. Quantum tunneling composite coated (QTCC) batteries are nonconductive in the low-pressure gastrointestinal environment yet conduct within the higher pressure of standard battery housings. Importantly, this coating technology enables most battery-operated equipment to be powered without modification. If these new batteries are swallowed, they limit the external electrolytic currents responsible for tissue injury. We demonstrate in a large-animal model a significant decrease in tissue injury with QTCC batteries compared with uncoated control batteries. In summary, here we describe a facile approach to increasing the safety of batteries by minimizing the risk for electrochemical burn if the batteries are inadvertently ingested, without the need for modification of most battery-powered devices.

Testing association and linkage using affected-sib-parent study designs.

PubMed

Millstein, Joshua; Siegmund, Kimberly D; Conti, David V; Gauderman, W James

2005-11-01

We have developed a method for jointly testing linkage and association using data from affected sib pairs and their parents. We specify a conditional logistic regression model with two covariates, one that quantifies association (either direct association or indirect association via linkage disequilibrium), and a second that quantifies linkage. The latter covariate is computed based on expected identity-by-descend (ibd) sharing of marker alleles between siblings. In addition to a joint test of linkage and association, our general framework can be used to obtain a linkage test comparable to the mean test (Blackwelder and Elston [1985] Genet. Epidemiol. 2:85-97), and an association test comparable to the Family-Based Association Test (FBAT; Rabinowitz and Laird [2000] Hum. Hered. 50:211-223). We present simulation results demonstrating that our joint test can be more powerful than some standard tests of linkage or association. For example, with a relative risk of 2.7 per variant allele at a disease locus, the estimated power to detect a nearby marker with a modest level of LD was 58.1% by the mean test (linkage only), 69.8% by FBAT, and 82.5% by our joint test of linkage and association. Our model can also be used to obtain tests of linkage conditional on association and association conditional on linkage, which can be helpful in fine mapping. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A High Performance H2-Cl2 Fuel Cell for Space Power Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Everett B.; Taylor, E. Jennings; Wilemski, Gerald; Gelb, Alan

1993-01-01

NASA has numerous airborne/spaceborne applications for which high power and energy density power sources are needed. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an attractive candidate for such a power source. PEMFC's offer many advantages for airborne/spaceborne applications. They have high power and energy densities, convert fuel to electrical power with high efficiency at both part and full load, and can rapidly startup and shutdown. In addition, PEMFC's are lightweight and operate silently. A significant impediment to the attainment of very high power and energy densities by PEMFC's is their current exclusive reliance on oxygen as the oxidant. Conventional PEMFC's oxidize hydrogen at the anode and reduce oxygen at the cathode. The electrode kinetics of oxygen reduction are known to be highly irreversible, incurring large overpotential losses. In addition, the modest open circuit potential of 1.2V for the H2-O2 fuel cell is unattainable due to mixed potential effects at the oxygen electrode. Because of the high overpotential losses, cells using H2 and O2 are capable of achieving high current densities only at very low cell voltages, greatly curtailing their power output. Based on experimental work on chlorine reduction in a gas diffusion electrode, we believe significant increases in both the energy and power densities of PEMFC systems can be achieved by employing chlorine as an alternative oxidant.

Smoking cessation after 12 months with multi-component therapy.

PubMed

Raich, Antònia; Martínez-Sánchez, Jose Maria; Marquilles, Emili; Rubio, Lídia; Fu, Marcela; Fernández, Esteve

2015-03-01

Smoking is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. One of the priorities of public health programmes is the reduction of its prevalence, which would involve millions of people quitting smoking, but cessation programs often have modest results, especially within certain population groups. The aim of this study was to analyze the variables determining the success of a multicomponent therapy programme for smoking cessation. We conducted the study in the Smoking Addiction Unit at the Hospital of Manresa, with 314 patients (91.4% of whom had medium or high-level dependency). We observed that higher educational level, not living with a smoker, following a multimodal programme or smoking cessation with psychological therapy, and pharmacological treatment are relevant factors for quitting smoking. Abstinence rates are not associated with other factors, such as sex, age, smoking behaviour characteristics or psychiatric history. The combination of pharmacological and psychological treatment increased success rates in multicomponent therapy. Psychological therapy only also obtained positive results, though somewhat more modest.

The use of low-level light therapy in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and female pattern hair loss.

PubMed

Gupta, Aditya K; Daigle, Deanne

2014-04-01

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most common form of hair loss in men and women. Despite its common occurrence, our understanding of the etiology of AGA and FPHL remains incomplete. As such, traditional therapies demonstrate modest efficacies and new therapies continue to be sought. Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is a relatively new technique used to promote hair growth in both men and women with AGA and FPHL. Currently, there exist several LLLT devices marketed for the treatment of alopecia, which claim to stimulate hair growth; yet marketing these devices only requires that safety, not efficacy, be established. A handful of studies have since investigated the efficacy of LLLT for alopecia with mixed results. These studies suffered from power, confounding and analysis issues which resulted in a high risk of bias in LLLT studies. Due to the paucity of well-conducted randomized controlled trials, the efficacy of LLLT devices remains unclear. Randomized controlled trials of LLLT conducted and reported according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement would greatly increase the credibility of the evidence and clarify the ambiguity of the effectiveness of LLLT in the treatment of AGA and FPHL.

Biological effects of tritium on fish cells in the concentration range of international drinking water standards.

PubMed

Stuart, Marilyne; Festarini, Amy; Schleicher, Krista; Tan, Elizabeth; Kim, Sang Bog; Wen, Kendall; Gawlik, Jilian; Ulsh, Brant

2016-10-01

To evaluate whether the current Canadian tritium drinking water limit is protective of aquatic biota, an in vitro study was designed to assess the biological effects of low concentrations of tritium, similar to what would typically be found near a Canadian nuclear power station, and higher concentrations spanning the range of international tritium drinking water standards. Channel catfish peripheral blood B-lymphoblast and fathead minnow testis cells were exposed to 10-100,000 Bq l(-1) of tritium, after which eight molecular and cellular endpoints were assessed. Increased numbers of DNA strand breaks were observed and ATP levels were increased. There were no increases in γH2AX-mediated DNA repair. No differences in cell growth were noted. Exposure to the lowest concentrations of tritium were associated with a modest increase in the viability of fathead minnow testicular cells. Using the micronucleus assay, an adaptive response was observed in catfish B-lymphoblasts. Using molecular endpoints, biological responses to tritium in the range of Canadian and international drinking water standards were observed. At the cellular level, no detrimental effects were noted on growth or cycling, and protective effects were observed as an increase in cell viability and an induced resistance to a large challenge dose.

The light ion pulsed power induction accelerator for ETF

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

Mazarakis, M.G.; Olson, R.E.; Olson, C.L.

1994-12-31

Our Engineering Test Facility (ETF) driver concept is based on HERMES III and RHEPP technologies. Actually, it is a scaled-down version of the LMF design incorporating repetition rate capabilities of up to 10 Hz CW. The preconceptual design presented here provides 200-TW peak power to the ETF target during 10 ns, equal to 2-MJ total ion beam energy. Linear inductive voltage addition driving a self-magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) is utilized to generate the 36-MV peak voltage needed for lithium ion beams. The {approximately} 3-MA ion current is achieved by utilizing many accelerating modules in parallel. Since the current permore » module is relatively modest ({approximately}300 kA), two-stage or one-stage extraction diodes can be utilized for the generation of singly charged lithium ions. The accelerating modules are arranged symmetrically around the fusion chamber in order to provide uniform irradiation onto the ETF target. In addition, the modules are fired in a programmed sequence in order to generate the optimum power pulse shape onto the target. This design utilizes RHEPP accelerator modules as the principal power source.« less

Evaluation of pressure and thermal data from a wind tunnel test of a large-scale, powered, STOL fighter model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, G. A.; Crosthwait, E. L.; Witte, M. C.

1981-01-01

A STOL fighter model employing the vectored-engine-over wing concept was tested at low speeds in the NASA/Ames 40 by 80-foot wind tunnel. The model, approximately 0.75 scale of an operational fighter, was powered by two General Electric J-97 turbojet engines. Limited pressure and thermal instrumentation were provided to measure power effects (chordwise and spanwise blowing) and control-surface-deflection effects. An indepth study of the pressure and temperature data revealed many flow field features - the foremost being wing and canard leading-edge vortices. These vortices delineated regions of attached and separated flow, and their movements were often keys to an understanding of flow field changes caused by power and control-surface variations. Chordwise blowing increased wing lift and caused a modest aft shift in the center of pressure. The induced effects of chordwise blowing extended forward to the canard and significantly increased the canard lift when the surface was stalled. Spanwise blowing effectively enhanced the wing leading-edge vortex, thereby increasing lift and causing a forward shift in the center of pressure.

Impact of Low-Level Thyroid Hormone Disruption Induced by Propylthiouracil on Brain Development and Function.*

EPA Science Inventory

The critical role of thyroid hormone (TH) in brain development is well established, severe deficiencies leading to significant neurological dysfunction. Much less information is available on more modest perturbations of TH on brain function. The present study induced varying degr...

A Practical Approach to Starting Fission Surface Power Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.

2006-01-01

The Prometheus Power and Propulsion Program has been reformulated to address NASA needs relative to lunar and Mars exploration. Emphasis has switched from the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) flight system development to more generalized technology development addressing Fission Surface Power (FSP) and Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP). Current NASA budget priorities and the deferred mission need date for nuclear systems prohibit a fully funded reactor Flight Development Program. However, a modestly funded Advanced Technology Program can and should be conducted to reduce the risk and cost of future flight systems. A potential roadmap for FSP technology development leading to possible flight applications could include three elements: 1) Conceptual Design Studies, 2) Advanced Component Technology, and 3) Non-Nuclear System Testing. The Conceptual Design Studies would expand on recent NASA and DOE analyses while increasing the depth of study in areas of greatest uncertainty such as reactor integration and human-rated shielding. The Advanced Component Technology element would address the major technology risks through development and testing of reactor fuels, structural materials, primary loop components, shielding, power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution (PMAD). The Non-Nuclear System Testing would provide a modular, technology testbed to investigate and resolve system integration issues.

Performance of comorbidity, risk adjustment, and functional status measures in expenditure prediction for patients with diabetes.

PubMed

Maciejewski, Matthew L; Liu, Chuan-Fen; Fihn, Stephan D

2009-01-01

To compare the ability of generic comorbidity and risk adjustment measures, a diabetes-specific measure, and a self-reported functional status measure to explain variation in health care expenditures for individuals with diabetes. This study included a retrospective cohort of 3,092 diabetic veterans participating in a multisite trial. Two comorbidity measures, four risk adjusters, a functional status measure, a diabetes complication count, and baseline expenditures were constructed from administrative and survey data. Outpatient, inpatient, and total expenditure models were estimated using ordinary least squares regression. Adjusted R(2) statistics and predictive ratios were compared across measures to assess overall explanatory power and explanatory power of low- and high-cost subgroups. Administrative data-based risk adjusters performed better than the comorbidity, functional status, and diabetes-specific measures in all expenditure models. The diagnostic cost groups (DCGs) measure had the greatest predictive power overall and for the low- and high-cost subgroups, while the diabetes-specific measure had the lowest predictive power. A model with DCGs and the diabetes-specific measure modestly improved predictive power. Existing generic measures can be useful for diabetes-specific research and policy applications, but more predictive diabetes-specific measures are needed.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Neurological Disorders by Millimeter-Wave Stimulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siegel, Peter H.; Pikov, Victor

2011-01-01

Increasingly, millimeter waves are being employed for telecomm, radar, and imaging applications. To date in the U.S, however, very few investigations on the impact of this radiation on biological systems at the cellular level have been undertaken. In the beginning, to examine the impact of millimeter waves on cellular processes, researchers discovered that cell membrane depolarization may be triggered by low levels of integrated power at these high frequencies. Such a situation could be used to advantage in the direct stimulation of neuronal cells for applications in neuroprosthetics and diagnosing or treating neurological disorders. An experimental system was set up to directly monitor cell response on exposure to continuous-wave, fixed-frequency, millimeter-wave radiation at low and modest power levels (0.1 to 100 safe exposure standards) between 50 and 100 GHz. Two immortalized cell lines derived from lung and neuronal tissue were transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP) that locates on the inside of the cell membrane lipid bi-layer. Oxonol dye was added to the cell medium. When membrane depolarization occurs, the oxonal bound to the outer wall of the lipid bi-layer can penetrate close to the inner wall where the GFP resides. Under fluorescent excitation (488 nm), the normally green GFP (520 nm) optical signal quenches and gives rise to a red output when the oxonol comes close enough to the GFP to excite a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with an output at 620 nm. The presence of a strong FRET signature upon exposures of 30 seconds to 2 minutes at 5-10 milliwatts per square centimeter RF power at 50 GHz, followed by a return to the normal 520-nm GFP signal after a few minutes indicating repolarization of the membrane, indicates that low levels of RF energy may be able to trigger non-destructive membrane depolarization without direct cell contact. Such a mechanism could be used to stimulate neuronal cells in the cortex without the need for invasive electrodes as millimeter waves penetrate skin and bone on the order of 15 mm in depth. Although 50 GHz could not readily penetrate from the outer skull to the center of the cortex, implants on the outer skull or even on the scalp could reach the outer layer of the cerebral cortex where substantial benefit could be realized from such non-contact type excitation.

Acute Kynurenine Challenge Disrupts Sleep-Wake Architecture and Impairs Contextual Memory in Adult Rats.

PubMed

Pocivavsek, Ana; Baratta, Annalisa M; Mong, Jessica A; Viechweg, Shaun S

2017-11-01

Tryptophan metabolism via the kynurenine pathway may represent a key molecular link between sleep loss and cognitive dysfunction. Modest increases in the kynurenine pathway metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA), which acts as an antagonist at N-methyl-d-aspartate and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain, result in cognitive impairments. As glutamatergic and cholinergic neurotransmissions are critically involved in modulation of sleep, our current experiments tested the hypothesis that elevated KYNA adversely impacts sleep quality. Adult male Wistar rats were treated with vehicle (saline) and kynurenine (25, 50, 100, and 250 mg/kg), the direct bioprecursor of KYNA, intraperitoneally at zeitgeber time (ZT) 0 to rapidly increase brain KYNA. Levels of KYNA in the brainstem, cortex, and hippocampus were determined at ZT 0, ZT 2, and ZT 4, respectively. Analyses of vigilance state-related parameters categorized as wake, rapid eye movement (REM), and non-REM (NREM) as well as spectra power analysis during NREM and REM were assessed during the light phase. Separate animals were tested in the passive avoidance paradigm, testing contextual memory. When KYNA levels were elevated in the brain, total REM duration was reduced and total wake duration was increased. REM and wake architecture, assessed as number of vigilance state bouts and average duration of each bout, and theta power during REM were significantly impacted. Kynurenine challenge impaired performance in the hippocampal-dependent contextual memory task. Our results introduce kynurenine pathway metabolism and formation of KYNA as a novel molecular target contributing to sleep disruptions and cognitive impairments. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Testing a level of response to alcohol-based model of heavy drinking and alcohol problems in 1,905 17-year-olds.

PubMed

Schuckit, Marc A; Smith, Tom L; Heron, Jon; Hickman, Matthew; Macleod, John; Lewis, Glyn; Davis, John M; Hibbeln, Joseph R; Brown, Sandra; Zuccolo, Luisa; Miller, Laura L; Davey-Smith, George

2011-10-01

The low level of response (LR) to alcohol is one of several genetically influenced characteristics that increase the risk for heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Efforts to understand how LR operates through additional life influences have been carried out primarily in modest-sized U.S.-based samples with limited statistical power, raising questions about generalizability and about the importance of components with smaller effects. This study evaluates a full LR-based model of risk in a large sample of adolescents from the United Kingdom. Cross-sectional structural equation models were used for the approximate first half of the age 17 subjects assessed by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, generating data on 1,905 adolescents (mean age 17.8 years, 44.2% boys). LR was measured with the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol Questionnaire, outcomes were based on drinking quantities and problems, and standardized questionnaires were used to evaluate peer substance use, alcohol expectancies, and using alcohol to cope with stress. In this young and large U.K. sample, a low LR related to more adverse alcohol outcomes both directly and through partial mediation by all 3 additional key variables (peer substance use, expectancies, and coping). The models were similar in boys and girls. These results confirm key elements of the hypothesized LR-based model in a large U.K. sample, supporting some generalizability beyond U.S. groups. They also indicate that with enough statistical power, multiple elements contribute to how LR relates to alcohol outcomes and reinforce the applicability of the model to both genders. Copyright © 2011 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Integrated Design of Downwind Land-Based Wind Turbines using Analytic Gradients

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

Ning, Andrew; Petch, Derek

2016-12-01

Wind turbines are complex systems where component-level changes can have significant system-level effects. Effective wind turbine optimization generally requires an integrated analysis approach with a large number of design variables. Optimizing across large variable sets is orders of magnitude more efficient with gradient-based methods as compared with gradient-free method, particularly when using exact gradients. We have developed a wind turbine analysis set of over 100 components where 90% of the models provide numerically exact gradients through symbolic differentiation, automatic differentiation, and adjoint methods. This framework is applied to a specific design study focused on downwind land-based wind turbines. Downwind machinesmore » are of potential interest for large wind turbines where the blades are often constrained by the stiffness required to prevent a tower strike. The mass of these rotor blades may be reduced by utilizing a downwind configuration where the constraints on tower strike are less restrictive. The large turbines of this study range in power rating from 5-7MW and in diameter from 105m to 175m. The changes in blade mass and power production have important effects on the rest of the system, and thus the nacelle and tower systems are also optimized. For high-speed wind sites, downwind configurations do not appear advantageous. The decrease in blade mass (10%) is offset by increases in tower mass caused by the bending moment from the rotor-nacelle-assembly. For low-wind speed sites, the decrease in blade mass is more significant (25-30%) and shows potential for modest decreases in overall cost of energy (around 1-2%).« less

Poverty eradication in a carbon constrained world.

PubMed

Hubacek, Klaus; Baiocchi, Giovanni; Feng, Kuishuang; Patwardhan, Anand

2017-10-24

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to keep warming below 2 °C while recognizing developing countries' right to eradicate extreme poverty. Poverty eradication is also the first of the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper investigates potential consequences for climate targets of achieving poverty eradication. We find that eradicating extreme poverty, i.e., moving people to an income above $1.9 purchasing power parity (PPP) a day, does not jeopardize the climate target even in the absence of climate policies and with current technologies. On the other hand, bringing everybody to a still modest expenditure level of at least $2.97 PPP would have long-term consequences on achieving emission targets. Compared to the reference mitigation pathway, eradicating extreme poverty increases the effort by 2.8% whereas bringing everybody to at least $2.97 PPP would increase the required mitigation rate by 27%. Given that the top 10% global income earners are responsible for 36% of the current carbon footprint of households; the discourse should address income distribution and the carbon intensity of lifestyles.

Pharmacogenomics Study of Thiazide Diuretics and QT Interval in Multi-Ethnic Populations: The Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE)

PubMed Central

Seyerle, Amanda A; Sitlani, Colleen M; Noordam, Raymond; Gogarten, Stephanie M; Li, Jin; Li, Xiaohui; Evans, Daniel S; Sun, Fangui; Laaksonen, Maarit A; Isaacs, Aaron; Kristiansson, Kati; Highland, Heather M; Stewart, James D; Harris, Tamara B; Trompet, Stella; Bis, Joshua C; Peloso, Gina M; Brody, Jennifer A; Broer, Linda; Busch, Evan L; Duan, Qing; Stilp, Adrienne M; O’Donnell, Christopher J; Macfarlane, Peter W; Floyd, James S; Kors, Jan A; Lin, Henry J; Li-Gao, Ruifang; Sofer, Tamar; Méndez-Giráldez, Raúl; Cummings, Steven R; Heckbert, Susan R; Hofman, Albert; Ford, Ian; Li, Yun; Launer, Lenore J; Porthan, Kimmo; Newton-Cheh, Christopher; Napier, Melanie D; Kerr, Kathleen F; Reiner, Alexander P; Rice, Kenneth M; Roach, Jeffrey; Buckley, Brendan M; Soliman, Elsayed Z; de Mutsert, Renée; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Uitterlinden, André G; North, Kari E; Lee, Craig R; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Stürmer, Til; Rosendaal, Frits R; Taylor, Kent D; Wiggins, Kerri L; Wilson, James G; Chen, Yii-Der I; Kaplan, Robert C; Wilhelmsen, Kirk; Cupples, L Adrienne; Salomaa, Veikko; van Duijn, Cornelia; Jukema, J Wouter; Liu, Yongmei; Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O; Lange, Leslie A; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Smith, Albert V; Stricker, Bruno H; Laurie, Cathy C; Rotter, Jerome I; Whitsel, Eric A; Psaty, Bruce M; Avery, Christy L

2017-01-01

Thiazide diuretics, commonly used antihypertensives, may cause QT interval (QT) prolongation, a risk factor for highly fatal and difficult to predict ventricular arrhythmias. We examined whether common SNPs modified the association between thiazide use and QT or its component parts (QRS interval, JT interval) by performing ancestry-specific, trans-ethnic, and cross-phenotype genome-wide analyses of European (66%), African American (15%), and Hispanic (19%) populations (N=78,199), leveraging longitudinal data, incorporating corrected standard errors to account for underestimation of interaction estimate variances and evaluating evidence for pathway enrichment. Although no loci achieved genome-wide significance (P<5×10−8), we found suggestive evidence (P<5×10−6) for SNPs modifying the thiazide-QT association at 22 loci, including ion transport loci (e.g. NELL1, KCNQ3). The biologic plausibility of our suggestive results and simulations demonstrating modest power to detect interaction effects at genome-wide significant levels indicate that larger studies and innovative statistical methods are warranted in future efforts evaluating thiazide-SNP interactions. PMID:28719597

Entering the Pantheon of 21st Century Molecular Biology Tools: A Perspective on Digital PCR.

PubMed

Karlin-Neumann, George; Bizouarn, Francisco

2018-01-01

After several decades of relatively modest use, in the last several years digital PCR (dPCR) has grown to become the new gold standard for nucleic acid quantification. This coincides with the commercial availability of scalable, affordable, and reproducible droplet-based dPCR platforms in the past five years and has led to its rapid dissemination into diverse research fields and testing applications. Among these, it has been adopted most vigorously into clinical oncology where it is beginning to be used for plasma genotyping in cancer patients undergoing treatment. Additionally, innovation across the scientific community has extended the benefits of reaction partitioning beyond DNA and RNA quantification alone, and demonstrated its usefulness in evaluating DNA size and integrity, the physical linkage of colocalized markers, levels of enzyme activity and specific cation concentrations in a sample, and more. As dPCR technology gains in popularity and breadth, its power and simplicity can often be taken for granted; thus, the reader is reminded that due diligence must be exercised in order to make claims not only of precision but also of accuracy in their measurements.

Structure of the 30 kDa HIV-1 RNA Dimerization Signal by a Hybrid Cryo-EM, NMR, and Molecular Dynamics Approach.

PubMed

Zhang, Kaiming; Keane, Sarah C; Su, Zhaoming; Irobalieva, Rossitza N; Chen, Muyuan; Van, Verna; Sciandra, Carly A; Marchant, Jan; Heng, Xiao; Schmid, Michael F; Case, David A; Ludtke, Steven J; Summers, Michael F; Chiu, Wah

2018-03-06

Cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are routinely used to determine structures of macromolecules with molecular weights over 65 and under 25 kDa, respectively. We combined these techniques to study a 30 kDa HIV-1 dimer initiation site RNA ([DIS] 2 ; 47 nt/strand). A 9 Å cryo-EM map clearly shows major groove features of the double helix and a right-handed superhelical twist. Simulated cryo-EM maps generated from time-averaged molecular dynamics trajectories (10 ns) exhibited levels of detail similar to those in the experimental maps, suggesting internal structural flexibility limits the cryo-EM resolution. Simultaneous inclusion of the cryo-EM map and 2 H-edited NMR-derived distance restraints during structure refinement generates a structure consistent with both datasets and supporting a flipped-out base within a conserved purine-rich bulge. Our findings demonstrate the power of combining global and local structural information from these techniques for structure determination of modest-sized RNAs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whole-genome association studies of alcoholism with loci linked to schizophrenia susceptibility.

PubMed

Namkung, Junghyun; Kim, Youngchul; Park, Taesung

2005-12-30

Alcoholism is a complex disease. There have been many reports on significant comorbidity between alcoholism and schizophrenia. For the genetic study of complex diseases, association analysis has been recommended because of its higher power than that of the linkage analysis for detecting genes with modest effects on disease. To identify alcoholism susceptibility loci, we performed genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) association tests, which yielded 489 significant SNPs at the 1% significance level. The association tests showed that tsc0593964 (P-value 0.000013) on chromosome 7 was most significantly associated with alcoholism. From 489 SNPs, 74 genes were identified. Among these genes, GABRA1 is a member of the same gene family with GABRA2 that was recently reported as alcoholism susceptibility gene. By comparing 74 genes to the published results of various linkage studies of schizophrenia, we identified 13 alcoholism associated genes that were located in the regions reported to be linked to schizophrenia. These 13 identified genes can be important candidate genes to study the genetic mechanism of co-occurrence of both diseases.

Effects of nutritional supplementation on periodontal parameters, carotenoid antioxidant levels, and serum C-reactive protein.

PubMed

Harpenau, Lisa A; Cheema, Abida T; Zingale, Joseph A; Chambers, David W; Lundergan, William P

2011-05-01

Few studies have focused on the role of nutrition in periodontal disease. The purpose of this trial was to determine the effect of a nutritional supplement on gingival inflammation, bleeding, probing depth, clinical attachment level, carotenoid antioxidant level, and C-reactive protein. The test supplement, consisting of a standard multivitamin formula, as well as several phytonutrients associated with antiinflammatory/antioxidant effects, provided modest benefits in reducing inflammation; however, further studies with larger populations and longer intervention are warranted.

Human Mars Transportation Applications Using Solar Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donahue, Benjamin B.; Martin, Jim; Potter, Seth; Henley, Mark; Carrington, Connie (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Advanced solar electric power systems and electric propulsion technology constitute viable elements for conducting human Mars transfer missions that are roughly comparable in performance to similar missions utilizing alternative high thrust systems, with the one exception being their inability to achieve short Earth-Mars trip times. A modest solar electric propulsion human Mars scenario is presented that features the use of conjunction class trajectories in concert with pre-emplacement of surface assets that can be used in a series of visits to Mars. Major elements of the Mars solar electric transfer vehicle can be direct derivatives of present state-of-the-art Solar array and electric thruster systems. During the study, several elements affecting system performance were evaluated, including varying Earth orbit altitude for departure, recapturing the transfer stage at Earth for reuse, varying power system mass-to-power ratio, and assessing solar array degradation on performance induced by Van Allen belt passage. Comparisons are made to chemical propulsion and nuclear thermal propulsion Mars vehicles carrying similar payloads.

Hydro-Quebec is at it again

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

Hamilton, G.

1993-12-31

When New York governor Mario Cuomo pulled the plug on a purchase of 1,000 megawatts of power from Hydro-Quebec last June, the provincial utility talked tough. The cancellation, a senior Hydro-Quebec official claimed, would not jeopardize the future of its controversial Great Whale hydro project in the North. Bu Hydro-Quebec has quietly shoved Great Whale onto the back burner while an environmental review is underway. In the meantime the utility is barreling ahead with another mega-dam. The Ste. Marquerite project planned for north-eastern Quebec is modest by Hydro-Quebec standards, generating less than a third the power of Great Whale. Still,more » with an 880-megawatt power station and 190 square miles of reservoirs, it is one of the largest hydro projects on any drawing board in North America. Environmentalists say it is being pushed ahead without a serious study of its impacts. This article details the environmental impacts of the project, and the extended impacts, not yet accounted for.« less

Experimental Results from a Resonant Dielectric Laser Accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoder, Rodney; McNeur, Joshua; Sozer, Esin; Travish, Gil; Hazra, Kiran Shankar; Matthews, Brian; England, Joel; Peralta, Edgar; Wu, Ziran

2015-04-01

Laser-powered accelerators have the potential to operate with very large accelerating gradients (~ GV/m) and represent a path toward extremely compact colliders and accelerator technology. Optical-scale laser-powered devices based on field-shaping structures (known as dielectric laser accelerators, or DLAs) have been described and demonstrated recently. Here we report on the first experimental results from the Micro-Accelerator Platform (MAP), a DLA based on a slab-symmetric resonant optical-scale structure. As a resonant (rather than near-field) device, the MAP is distinct from other DLAs. Its cavity resonance enhances its accelerating field relative to the incoming laser fields, which are coupled efficiently through a diffractive optic on the upper face of the device. The MAP demonstrated modest accelerating gradients in recent experiments, in which it was powered by a Ti:Sapphire laser well below its breakdown limit. More detailed results and some implications for future developments will be discussed. Supported in part by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (UCLA); U.S. Dept of Energy (SLAC); and DARPA (SLAC).

Verification and optimization of the CFETR baseline scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, D.; Lao, L. L.; Meneghini, O.; Staebler, G. M.; Candy, J.; Smith, S. P.; Snyder, P. B.; Prater, R.; Chen, X.; Chan, V. S.; Li, J.; Chen, J.; Shi, N.; Guo, W.; Pan, C.; Jian, X.

2016-10-01

The baseline scenario of China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) was designed starting from 0D calculations. The CFETR baseline scenario satisfies the minimum goal of Fusion Nuclear Science Facility aimed at bridging the gaps between ITER and DEMO. 1.5D calculations are presented to verify the on-going efforts in higher-dimensional modeling of CFETR. Steady-state scenarios are calculated self-consistently by the OMFIT integrated modeling framework that includes EFIT for equilibrium, ONETWO for sources and current, TGYRO for transport. With 68MW of neutral beam power and 8MW of ECH injected to the plasma, the average ion temperature is maintained at 15keV, while 150MW fusion power is produced. The neutral beams also drive 55% of the plasma current. Modest fast ion diffusion will reduce NBCD and affect the profile substantially. Top-launch ECH will increase the current drive and the power absorption rate. EPED model are being included. Work supported by U.S. DOE under DE-FC02-04ER54698 and the USTC CFETR contract.

An animal model of marginal iodine deficiency during development: The thyroid axis and neurodevelopmental outcome

EPA Science Inventory

Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential for brain development and iodine is required for TH synthesis. Environmental chemicals that perturb the thyroid axis result in modest reductions in TH, yet there is a paucity of data on the neurological impairments associated with low level TH ...

Gene Expression in Developing Brain is Altered by Modest Reductions in Circulating Levels of Thyroid Hormone.

EPA Science Inventory

Disruption of thyroid hormone (TH) homeostasis is a known effect of environmental contaminants. Although animal models of developmental TH deficiency can predict the impact of severe insults to the thyroid system, the effects of moderate TH insufficiencies have not been adequatel...

Strategies and Initiatives That Revitalize Wesley College STEM Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Souza, Malcolm J.; Kroen, William K.; Stephens, Charlene B.; Kashmar, Richard J.

2015-01-01

Church-related small private liberal arts baccalaureate minority-serving institutions like Wesley College have modest endowments, are heavily tuition-dependent, and have large numbers of financially-challenged students. In order to sustain the level of academic excellence and to continue to build student demographic diversity in its accessible…

The Effect of MSW Education on Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Substance Abusing Clients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senreich, Evan; Straussner, Shulamith Lala A.

2013-01-01

Entering ("n"?=?475) and graduating ("n"?=?454) students at 3 master's of social work programs in the northeast were compared regarding their knowledge and attitudes concerning working with substance abusing clients. In comparison to entering students, graduating students demonstrated modestly higher levels of knowledge, role…

University Teacher Educators' Research Engagement: Perspectives from Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borg, Simon; Alshumaimeri, Yousif

2012-01-01

This paper examines university teacher educators' engagement with and in educational research. Survey results collected from eighty-two teacher educators at a leading university in Saudi Arabia pointed to modest levels of research activity and also suggested that these individuals held largely technical views of what research is. Their assessments…

Quantifying the AGN-driven outflows in ULIRGs (QUADROS) III: Measurements of the radii and kinetic powers of 8 near-nuclear outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spence, R. A. W.; Tadhunter, C. N.; Rose, M.; Rodríguez Zaurín, J.

2018-05-01

As part of the QUADROS project to quantify the impact of AGN-driven outflows in rapidly evolving galaxies in the local universe, we present observations of 8 nearby ULIRGs (0.04 < z < 0.2) taken with the ISIS spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), and also summarize the results of the project as a whole. Consistent with Rose et al. (2018), we find that the outflow regions are compact (0.08 < R_{[O III]} < 1.5 kpc), and the electron densities measured using the [S II], [O II] trans-auroral emission-line ratios are relatively high (2.5 < log ne (cm-3) < 4.5, median log ne (cm-3) ˜ 3.1). Many of the outflow regions are also significantly reddened (median E(B - V) ˜ 0.5). Assuming that the de-projected outflow velocities are represented by the 5^{th} percentile velocities (v05) of the broad, blueshifted components of [O III] λ5007, we calculate relatively modest mass outflow rates (0.1 < \\dot{M} < 20 M⊙ yr-1, median \\dot{M} ˜ 2 M⊙ yr-1), and find kinetic powers as a fraction of the AGN bolometric luminosity (\\dot{F} = \\dot{E}/L_bol) in the range 0.02 < \\dot{F} < 3 per cent, median \\dot{F} ˜ 0.3 per cent). The latter estimates are in line with the predictions of multi-stage outflow models, or single-stage models in which only a modest fraction of the initial kinetic power of the inner disk winds is transferred to the larger-scale outflows. Considering the QUADROS sample as a whole, we find no clear evidence for correlations between the properties of the outflows and the bolometric luminosities of the AGN, albeit based on a sample that covers a relatively small range in Lbol. Overall, our results suggest that there is a significant intrinsic scatter in outflow properties of ULIRGs for a given AGN luminosity.

Pester power and its consequences: do European children's food purchasing requests relate to diet and weight outcomes?

PubMed

Huang, Christina Y; Reisch, Lucia A; Gwozdz, Wencke; Molnár, Dénes; Konstabel, Kenn; Michels, Nathalie; Tornaritis, Michalis; Eiben, Gabriele; Siani, Alfonso; Fernández-Alvira, Juan M; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Pigeot, Iris; Lissner, Lauren

2016-09-01

Children may influence household spending through 'pester power'. The present study examined pestering through parent-child food shopping behaviours in relation to children's diet and weight status. Cross-sectional and prospective analyses drawn from the IDEFICS study, a cohort study of parents and their children. Children's height and weight were measured and their recent diets were reported by parental proxy based on the Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire-FFQ at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Parents also completed questionnaires at both time points about pestering, including whether the child goes grocery shopping with them, asks for items seen on television and is bought requested food items. Participants were recruited from eight European countries for the IDEFICS study (non-nationally representative sample). Study participants were children aged 2-9 years at enrolment and their parents. A total of 13 217 parent-child dyads were included at baseline. Two years later, 7820 of the children were re-examined. Most parents (63 %) at baseline reported 'sometimes' acquiescing to their children's requests to purchase specific foods. Pestering was modestly associated with weight and diet. At baseline, children whose parents 'often' complied consumed more high-sugar and high-fat foods. Children who 'often' asked for items seen on television were likely to become overweight after 2 years (OR=1·31), whereas 'never' asking protected against overweight (OR=0·72). Pestering was modestly related to diet and weight in cross-sectional, but not longitudinal analyses. Asking for items seen on television had the most robust relationships across child outcomes and over time.

The Detection of Diffuse Extended Structure in 3C 273: Implications for Jet Power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punsly, Brian; Kharb, Preeti

2016-12-01

We present deep Very Large Array imaging of 3C 273 in order to determine the diffuse, large scale radio structure of this famous radio-loud quasar. Diffuse extended structure (radio lobes) is detected for the first time in these observations as a consequence of high dynamic range in the 327.5 and 1365 MHz images. This emission is used to estimate a time averaged jet power, 7.2 × 1043 erg s-1 < \\overline{Q} < 3.7 × 1044 erg s-1. Brightness temperature arguments indicate consistent values of the time variability Doppler factor and the compactness Doppler factor for the inner jet, δ ≳ 10. Thus, the large apparent broadband bolometric luminosity of the jet, ˜3 × 1046 erg s-1, corresponds to a modest intrinsic luminosity ≳1042 erg s-1, or ˜1% of \\overline{Q}. In summary, we find that 3C 273 is actually a “typical” radio-loud quasar contrary to suggestions in the literature. The modest \\overline{Q} is near the peak of the luminosity distribution for radio-loud quasars and it is consistent with the current rate of dissipation emitted from millimeter wavelengths to gamma rays. The extreme core-jet morphology is an illusion from a near pole-on line of sight to a highly relativistic jet that produces a Doppler enhanced glow that previously swamped the lobe emission. 3C 273 apparently has the intrinsic kpc scale morphology of a classical double radio source, but it is distorted by an extreme Doppler aberration.

Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation: A Sobering Review.

PubMed

Voskoboinik, Aleksandr; Prabhu, Sandeep; Ling, Liang-Han; Kalman, Jonathan M; Kistler, Peter M

2016-12-13

Alcohol is popular in Western culture, supported by a perception that modest intake is cardioprotective. However, excessive drinking has detrimental implications for cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation (AF) following an alcohol binge or the "holiday heart syndrome" is well characterized. However, more modest levels of alcohol intake on a regular basis may also increase the risk of AF. The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the relationship between alcohol and AF may include direct toxicity and alcohol's contribution to obesity, sleep-disordered breathing, and hypertension. We aim to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiology and pathophysiology by which alcohol may be responsible for AF and determine whether alcohol abstinence is required for patients with AF. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of ionic membranes for zinc/bromine storage batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assink, R. A.; Arnold, C., Jr.

Zinc/bromine flow batteries are being developed for vehicular and utility load leveling applications. During charge, an aqueous zinc bromide salt is electrolyzed to zinc metal and molecular bromine. During discharge, the zinc and bromine react to again form the zinc bromide salt. One serious disadvantage of the microporous separators presently used in the zinc/bromine battery is that modest amounts of bromine and negatively charged bromine moieties permeate through these materials and react with the zinc anode. This results in partial self-discharge of the battery and low coulombic efficiencies. Our approach to this problem is to impregnate the microporous separators with a soluble cationic polyelectrolyte. In laboratory screening tests a sulfonated polysulfone resin and fully fluorinated sulfonic acid polymer substantially reduced bromine permeation with only modest increases in the area resistance.

Development of Experimental Myopia in Chicks in a Natural Environment

PubMed Central

Stone, Richard A.; Cohen, Yuval; McGlinn, Alice M.; Davison, Sherrill; Casavant, Susan; Shaffer, James; Khurana, Tejvir S.; Pardue, Machelle T.; Iuvone, P. Michael

2016-01-01

Purpose The hypothesis that outdoor exposure might protect against myopia has generated much interest, although available data find only modest clinical efficacy. We tested the effect of outdoor rearing on form-deprivation myopia in chicks, a myopia model markedly inhibited by high-intensity indoor laboratory lighting. Methods Unilaterally goggled cohorts of White Leghorn chicks were maintained in a species-appropriate, outdoor rural setting during daylight hours to the extent permitted by weather. Control chicks were reared indoors with incandescent lighting. Besides ocular refraction and ultrasound, we determined dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) content in retina and vitreous and measured mRNA expression levels of selected clock and circadian rhythm-related genes in the retina/RPE. Results Myopia developed in the goggled eyes of all cohorts. Whereas outdoor rearing lessened myopia by 44% at 4 days, a protective effect was no longer evident at 11 days. Outdoor rearing had no consistent effect on retinal or vitreous content of dopamine or DOPAC. Conforming to prior data on form-deprivation myopia, retina and vitreous levels of DOPAC were reduced in goggled eyes. Compared with contralateral eyes, the retinal expression of clock and circadian rhythm-related genes was modestly altered in myopic eyes of chicks reared indoors or outdoors. Conclusions Outdoor rearing of chicks induces only a partial decrease of goggle-induced myopia that is not maintained, without evidence that retinal dopamine metabolism accounts for the partial myopia inhibition under these outdoor conditions. Although modest, alterations in retinal gene expression suggest that studying circadian signals might be informative for understanding refractive mechanisms. PMID:27618415

Urine and toenail cadmium levels in pregnant women: A reliability study.

PubMed

White, Alexandra J; O'Brien, Katie M; Jackson, Brian P; Karagas, Margaret R

2018-05-29

Cadmium, as measured in human tissue, has been associated with numerous health outcomes. However, few studies have evaluated the reliability of cadmium measurements across different biologic samples. We evaluated toenail cadmium levels over time and compared toenail cadmium to urinary cadmium. We also evaluated the relationship between biomarker concentrations and cigarette smoking, a known source of cadmium exposure. Cadmium was assessed in urine and toenail samples collected from 1338 pregnant women participating in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. Each participant was asked to provide a urine and a toenail sample at enrollment (between 24 and 28 weeks gestation) and another toenail sample 2-8 weeks postpartum. Cadmium concentrations were determined using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Spearman correlations were assessed for cadmium in the toenails across the two-time points and comparing toenail and urine levels. Smoking status was evaluated as a predictor of cadmium levels. Toenail cadmium assessed during pregnancy and postpartum were modestly correlated (R = 0.3, p < 0.0001). However, urine and toenail cadmium levels were unrelated (R = -0.03, p = 0.46). Both toenail and urinary cadmium levels were associated with women's smoking status. Our findings suggest that both toenail and urinary cadmium concentrations reflect the major source of exposure - cigarette smoking. Toenail cadmium concentrations are modestly reproducible pre- and postpartum; but do not appear to be related to urinary cadmium and thus likely represent different windows and chronicity of exposure among pregnant women. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

MODEST - JPL GEODETIC AND ASTROMETRIC VLBI MODELING AND PARAMETER ESTIMATION PROGRAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sovers, O. J.

1994-01-01

Observations of extragalactic radio sources in the gigahertz region of the radio frequency spectrum by two or more antennas, separated by a baseline as long as the diameter of the Earth, can be reduced, by radio interferometry techniques, to yield time delays and their rates of change. The Very Long Baseline Interferometric (VLBI) observables can be processed by the MODEST software to yield geodetic and astrometric parameters of interest in areas such as geophysical satellite and spacecraft tracking applications and geodynamics. As the accuracy of radio interferometry has improved, increasingly complete models of the delay and delay rate observables have been developed. MODEST is a delay model (MOD) and parameter estimation (EST) program that takes into account delay effects such as geometry, clock, troposphere, and the ionosphere. MODEST includes all known effects at the centimeter level in modeling. As the field evolves and new effects are discovered, these can be included in the model. In general, the model includes contributions to the observables from Earth orientation, antenna motion, clock behavior, atmospheric effects, and radio source structure. Within each of these categories, a number of unknown parameters may be estimated from the observations. Since all parts of the time delay model contain nearly linear parameter terms, a square-root-information filter (SRIF) linear least-squares algorithm is employed in parameter estimation. Flexibility (via dynamic memory allocation) in the MODEST code ensures that the same executable can process a wide array of problems. These range from a few hundred observations on a single baseline, yielding estimates of tens of parameters, to global solutions estimating tens of thousands of parameters from hundreds of thousands of observations at antennas widely distributed over the Earth's surface. Depending on memory and disk storage availability, large problems may be subdivided into more tractable pieces that are processed sequentially. MODEST is written in FORTRAN 77, C-language, and VAX ASSEMBLER for DEC VAX series computers running VMS. It requires 6Mb of RAM for execution. The standard distribution medium for this package is a 1600 BPI 9-track magnetic tape in DEC VAX BACKUP format. It is also available on a TK50 tape cartridge in DEC VAX BACKUP format. Instructions for use and sample input and output data are available on the distribution media. This program was released in 1993 and is a copyrighted work with all copyright vested in NASA.

Runaway Costs in Medi-Cal—A Myth

PubMed Central

Heckman, John R.; Jones, Michael W.

1980-01-01

An analysis of increases in Medi-Cal expenditures to their present level, more than $4 billion a year, shows them to be attributable largely to changes in eligibility and scope of benefits. The actual costs of providing care have risen at a relatively modest rate. If in fact costs are to be lowered from present levels, public policy makers must make important decisions concerning program changes which transcend merely altering payment and delivery methods. PMID:6996335

Smart Grid Integrity Attacks: Characterizations and Countermeasures

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

Annarita Giani; Eilyan Bitar; Miles McQueen

2011-10-01

Real power injections at loads and generators, and real power flows on selected lines in a transmission network are monitored, transmitted over a SCADA network to the system operator, and used in state estimation algorithms to make dispatch, re-balance and other energy management system [EMS] decisions. Coordinated cyber attacks of power meter readings can be arranged to be undetectable by any bad data detection algorithm. These unobservable attacks present a serious threat to grid operations. Of particular interest are sparse attacks that involve the compromise of a modest number of meter readings. An efficient algorithm to find all unobservable attacksmore » [under standard DC load flow approximations] involving the compromise of exactly two power injection meters and an arbitrary number of power meters on lines is presented. This requires O(n2m) flops for a power system with n buses and m line meters. If all lines are metered, there exist canonical forms that characterize all 3, 4, and 5-sparse unobservable attacks. These can be quickly detected in power systems using standard graph algorithms. Known secure phase measurement units [PMUs] can be used as countermeasures against an arbitrary collection of cyber attacks. Finding the minimum number of necessary PMUs is NP-hard. It is shown that p + 1 PMUs at carefully chosen buses are sufficient to neutralize a collection of p cyber attacks.« less

Liquid lithium applications for solving challenging fusion reactor issues and NSTX-U contributions

DOE PAGES

Ono, M.; Jaworski, M. A.; Kaita, R.; ...

2016-08-05

Steady-state fusion reactor operation presents major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both steady-state and transients. In addition to those issues, there are unresolved issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiative liquid lithium divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues while potentially improving the reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-freemore » core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. It was estimated that only a few moles/sec of lithium injection would be needed to significantly reduce the divertor heat flux in a tokamak fusion power plant. By operating at lower temperatures ≤ 500°C than the first wall ~ 600 – 700°C, the LL-covered divertor chamber wall surfaces can serve as an effective particle pump, as impurities generally migrate toward lower temperature LL divertor surfaces. To maintain the LL purity, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~ 1 liter/second (l/sec) is envisioned to sustain the steady-state operation of a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant. By running the Li loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to outside where the dust / impurities are removed by relatively simple filter and cold/hot trap systems. Using a cold trap system, it can recover in tritium (T) in real time from LL at a rate of ~ 0.5 g / sec needed to sustain the fusion reaction while minimizing the T inventory issue. With an expected T fraction of ≤ 0.7 %, an acceptable level of T inventory can be achieved. In NSTX-U, preparations are now underway to elucidate the physics of Li plasma interactions with a number of Li application tools and Li radiation spectroscopic instruments. The NSTX-U Li evaporator which provides Li coating over the lower divertor plate, can offer important information on the RLLD concept, and the Li granule injector will test some of the key physics issue on the ARLLD concept. A LL-loop is also being prepared off line for prototyping future use on NSTX-U.« less

Observations of potential ultra high energy gamma-ray sources above 10(15) eV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, A.; Lloyd-Evans, J.; Perrett, J. C.; Watson, A. A.; West, A. A.

1985-01-01

The Haverah Park 50 m water-Cerenkov array has been used to examine a number of periodic sources for ultra high energy gamma-ray emission above 10 to the 15th power eV. The data, recorded between 1 Jan. 1979 and 31 Dec. 1984, feature a modest angular resolution of approx 3 deg with millisecond arrival time resolution post 1982. The sources investigated include the Crab pulsar, Her X-1, Au0115 + 63 and Geminga. All objects have been detected by workers in the TeV region, with varying degrees of confidence.

Thermally driven electrokinetic energy conversion with liquid water microjets

DOE PAGES

Lam, Royce K.; Gamlieli, Zach; Harris, Stephen J.; ...

2015-11-01

One goal of current energy research is to design systems and devices that can efficiently exploit waste heat and utilize solar or geothermal heat energy for electrical power generation. We demonstrate a novel technique exploiting water's large coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein modest thermal gradients produce the requisite high pressure for driving fast-flowing liquid water microjets, which can effect the direct conversion of the kinetic energy into electricity and gaseous hydrogen. Waste heat in thermoelectric generating plants and combustion engines, as well as solar and geothermal energy could be used to drive these systems.

Thermally driven electrokinetic energy conversion with liquid water microjets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Royce K.; Gamlieli, Zach; Harris, Stephen J.; Saykally, Richard J.

2015-11-01

A goal of current energy research is to design systems and devices that can efficiently exploit waste heat and utilize solar or geothermal heat energy for electrical power generation. We demonstrate a novel technique exploiting water's large coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein modest thermal gradients produce the requisite high pressure for driving fast-flowing liquid water microjets, which can effect the direct conversion of the kinetic energy into electricity and gaseous hydrogen. Waste heat in thermoelectric generating plants and combustion engines, as well as solar and geothermal energy could be used to drive these systems.

Career Education at the College Level: A Modest Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reschke, Claus

Foreign language programs in America have not tried to meet the specific needs of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in professional schools who are preparing for an international career in law, marketing, accounting, hotel management, or engineering. These students need to be able to use the language in the performance of their…

Assessing Residential Segregation among Medicaid Recipients with Psychiatric Disability in Philadelphia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metraux, Stephen; Caplan, Joel M.; Klugman, Dutch; Hadley, Trevor R.

2007-01-01

This study assesses the extent of residential segregation among 15,246 people diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities and receiving Medicaid (MA) in Philadelphia, and an identically sized group of MA recipients serving as matched controls. Results indicate that overall levels of residential segregation among this group were modest at their most…

What Limits the Encoding Effect of Note-Taking? A Meta-Analytic Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kobayashi, K.

2005-01-01

Previous meta-analyses indicate that the overall encoding effect of note-taking is positive but modest. This meta-analysis of 57 note-taking versus no note-taking comparison studies explored what limits the encoding effect by examining the moderating influence of seven variables: intervention, schooling level, presentation mode and length, test…

Tracking Adult Literacy Acquisition with Functional MRI: A Single-Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braga, Lucia W.; Amemiya, Eduardo; Tauil, Alexandre; Suguieda, Denis; Lacerda, Carolina; Klein, Elise; Dehaene-Lambertz, Ghislaine; Dehaene, Stanislas

2017-01-01

We evaluated neuro-functional changes associated with late acquisition of reading in an illiterate adult who underwent 20 longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans during 2 years, while the participant progressed from complete illiteracy to a modest level of alphabetical decoding. Initially, the participant did not activate…

Critical Leadership and Music Educational Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Patrick K.

2012-01-01

The difference between systemic change and the micro level engagements or modest kinds of successes that teachers hope for is a largely unaddressed issue in music education policy and leadership. This article outlines a few propositions that place the notion of critical leadership as a central element in music and education focusing on the notion…

MODEST THYROID HORMONE INSUFFICIENCY DURING DEVELOPMENT INDUCES A CELLULAR MALFORMATION IN THE CORPUS CALLOSUM: A MODEL OF CORTICAL DYSPLASIA.

EPA Science Inventory

There is a growing body of evidence that subtle decreases in maternal thyroid hormone during gestation can impact fetal brain development. The present study examined the impact of graded levels of thyroid hormone insufficiency on brain development in rodents. Maternal thyroid ho...

2016-17 KASB Enrollment Projection Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Ted

2017-01-01

This report presents the findings from the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB's) 2016-17 Enrollment Projections for the state of Kansas as a whole, and also provides instructions on how these projections can be accessed at the district level. Key Findings include: (1) Total headcount enrollment will see modest increases from 2016-17 through…

A Study of Learning-Centered Leadership Skills of Principals in Career and Technical Education Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodman, Mary E.

2012-01-01

Despite years of educational reform, secondary students have demonstrated only modest increases in achievement. Career and technical education students have not demonstrated the same level of performance as non-career and technical education students. Except for teachers, principals have the greatest influence over student achievement. What should…

15. Interior view, greenhouse, from the northwest. The greenhouse interior ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

15. Interior view, greenhouse, from the northwest. The greenhouse interior was quite modest, the space between the floor of the lower level and the joists carrying the loft floor is only five-and-one-half feet. - John Bartram House & Garden, Greenhouse, 54th Street & LIndbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Analysis of physical activity mass media campaign design.

PubMed

Lankford, Tina; Wallace, Jana; Brown, David; Soares, Jesus; Epping, Jacqueline N; Fridinger, Fred

2014-08-01

Mass media campaigns are a necessary tool for public health practitioners to reach large populations and promote healthy behaviors. Most health scholars have concluded that mass media can significantly influence the health behaviors of populations; however the effects of such campaigns are typically modest and may require significant resources. A recent Community Preventive Services Task Force review on stand-alone mass media campaigns concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine their effectiveness in increasing physical activity, partly due to mixed methods and modest and inconsistent effects on levels of physical activity. A secondary analysis was performed on the campaigns evaluated in the Task Force review to determine use of campaign-building principles, channels, and levels of awareness and their impact on campaign outcomes. Each study was analyzed by 2 reviewers for inclusion of campaign building principles. Campaigns that included 5 or more campaign principles were more likely to be successful in achieving physical activity outcomes. Campaign success is more likely if the campaign building principles (formative research, audience segmentation, message design, channel placement, process evaluation, and theory-based) are used as part of campaign design and planning.

A Multi-Purpose Modular Electronics Integration Node for Exploration Extravehicular Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodgson, Edward; Papale, William; Wichowski, Robert; Rosenbush, David; Hawes, Kevin; Stankiewicz, Tom

2013-01-01

As NASA works to develop an effective integrated portable life support system design for exploration Extravehicular activity (EVA), alternatives to the current system s electrical power and control architecture are needed to support new requirements for flexibility, maintainability, reliability, and reduced mass and volume. Experience with the current Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) has demonstrated that the current architecture, based in a central power supply, monitoring and control unit, with dedicated analog wiring harness connections to active components in the system has a significant impact on system packaging and seriously constrains design flexibility in adapting to component obsolescence and changing system needs over time. An alternative architecture based in the use of a digital data bus offers possible wiring harness and system power savings, but risks significant penalties in component complexity and cost. A hybrid architecture that relies on a set of electronic and power interface nodes serving functional models within the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) is proposed to minimize both packaging and component level penalties. A common interface node hardware design can further reduce penalties by reducing the nonrecurring development costs, making miniaturization more practical, maximizing opportunities for maturation and reliability growth, providing enhanced fault tolerance, and providing stable design interfaces for system components and a central control. Adaptation to varying specific module requirements can be achieved with modest changes in firmware code within the module. A preliminary design effort has developed a common set of hardware interface requirements and functional capabilities for such a node based on anticipated modules comprising an exploration PLSS, and a prototype node has been designed assembled, programmed, and tested. One instance of such a node has been adapted to support testing the swingbed carbon dioxide and humidity control element in NASA s advanced PLSS 2.0 test article. This paper will describe the common interface node design concept, results of the prototype development and test effort, and plans for use in NASA PLSS 2.0 integrated tests.

New markers of dietary added sugar intake.

PubMed

Davy, Brenda; Jahren, Hope

2016-07-01

Added sugar consumption is associated with adverse health outcomes, including weight gain and cardio-metabolic disease, yet the reliance on self-reported methods to determine added sugar intake continues to be a significant research limitation. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in the development of two potential predictive biomarkers of added sugar intake: δC and urinary sugar excretion. The results of numerous cross-sectional investigations have indicated modest associations of the δC sugar biomarker measured in a variety of sample types (e.g., fingerstick blood, serum, red blood cells, and hair) with self-reported added sugar and sugar-sweetened beverage intake, and δC values have been reported to change over time with changes in reported sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Results from large-scale trials have suggested modest associations of urinary sugar excretion with reported sugar intake, and a dose-response relation has been demonstrated between urinary sugar excretion and actual sugar intake. Valid markers of sugar intake are urgently needed to more definitively determine the health consequences of added sugar intake. Adequately powered controlled feeding studies are needed to validate and compare these two biomarkers of sugar intake, and to determine what individual characteristics and conditions impact biomarker results.

Radar systems for the water resources mission. Volume 4: Appendices E-I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, R. K.; Claassen, J. P.; Erickson, R. L.; Fong, R. K. T.; Hanson, B. C.; Komen, M. J.; Mcmillan, S. B.; Parashar, S. K.

1976-01-01

The use of a scanning antenna beam for a synthetic aperture system was examined. When the resolution required was modest, the radar did not use all the time the beam was passing a given point on the ground to build a synthetic aperture, so time was available to scan the beam to other positions and build several images at different ranges. The scanning synthetic-aperture radar (SCANSAR) could achieve swathwidths of well over 100 km with modest antenna size. Design considerations for a SCANSAR for hydrologic parameter observation are presented. Because of the high sensitivity to soil moisture at angles of incidence near vertical, a 7 to 22 deg swath was considered for that application. For snow and ice monitoring, a 22 to 37 deg scan was used. Frequencies from X-band to L-band were used in the design studies, but the proposed system operated in C-band at 4.75 GHz. It achieved an azimuth resolution of about 50 meters at all angles, with a range resolution varying from 150 meters at 7 deg to 31 meters at 37 deg. The antenna required an aperture of 3 x 4.16 meters, and the average transmitter power was under 2 watts.

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

Bolme, David S; Mikkilineni, Aravind K; Rose, Derek C

Analog computational circuits have been demonstrated to provide substantial improvements in power and speed relative to digital circuits, especially for applications requiring extreme parallelism but only modest precision. Deep machine learning is one such area and stands to benefit greatly from analog and mixed-signal implementations. However, even at modest precisions, offsets and non-linearity can degrade system performance. Furthermore, in all but the simplest systems, it is impossible to directly measure the intermediate outputs of all sub-circuits. The result is that circuit designers are unable to accurately evaluate the non-idealities of computational circuits in-situ and are therefore unable to fully utilizemore » measurement results to improve future designs. In this paper we present a technique to use deep learning frameworks to model physical systems. Recently developed libraries like TensorFlow make it possible to use back propagation to learn parameters in the context of modeling circuit behavior. Offsets and scaling errors can be discovered even for sub-circuits that are deeply embedded in a computational system and not directly observable. The learned parameters can be used to refine simulation methods or to identify appropriate compensation strategies. We demonstrate the framework using a mixed-signal convolution operator as an example circuit.« less

Conservation Biological Control of Pests in the Molecular Era: New Opportunities to Address Old Constraints

PubMed Central

Gurr, Geoff M.; You, Minsheng

2016-01-01

Biological control has long been considered a potential alternative to pesticidal strategies for pest management but its impact and level of use globally remain modest and inconsistent. A rapidly expanding range of molecular – particularly DNA-related – techniques is currently revolutionizing many life sciences. This review identifies a series of constraints on the development and uptake of conservation biological control and considers the contemporary and likely future influence of molecular methods on these constraints. Molecular approaches are now often used to complement morphological taxonomic methods for the identification and study of biological control agents including microbes. A succession of molecular techniques has been applied to ‘who eats whom’ questions in food-web ecology. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approaches have largely superseded immunological approaches such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and now – in turn – are being overtaken by next generation sequencing (NGS)-based approaches that offer unparalleled power at a rapidly diminishing cost. There is scope also to use molecular techniques to manipulate biological control agents, which will be accelerated with the advent of gene editing tools, the CRISPR/Cas9 system in particular. Gene editing tools also offer unparalleled power to both elucidate and manipulate plant defense mechanisms including those that involve natural enemy attraction to attacked plants. Rapid advances in technology will allow the development of still more novel pest management options for which uptake is likely to be limited chiefly by regulatory hurdles. PMID:26793225

2015 Wind Technologies Market Report

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

Wiser, Ryan; Bolinger, Mark; Barbose, Galen

Annual wind power capacity additions in the United States surged in 2015 and are projected to continue at a rapid clip in the coming five years. Recent and projected near-term growth is supported by the industry’s primary federal incentive—the production tax credit (PTC)—having been extended for several years (though with a phase-down schedule, described further on pages 68-69), as well as a myriad of state-level policies. Wind additions are also being driven by improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies, yielding low power sales prices for utility, corporate, and other purchasers. At the same time, the prospectsmore » for growth beyond the current PTC cycle remain uncertain: growth could be blunted by declining federal tax support, expectations for low natural gas prices, and modest electricity demand growth. This annual report—now in its tenth year—provides a detailed overview of developments and trends in the U.S. wind power market, with a particular focus on 2015. The report begins with an overview of key installation-related trends: trends in U.S. wind power capacity growth; how that growth compares to other countries and generation sources; the amount and percentage of wind energy in individual states; the status of offshore wind power development; and the quantity of proposed wind power capacity in various interconnection queues in the United States. Next, the report covers an array of wind power industry trends: developments in turbine manufacturer market share; manufacturing and supply-chain developments; wind turbine and component imports into and exports from the United States; project financing developments; and trends among wind power project owners and power purchasers. The report then turns to a summary of wind turbine technology trends: turbine size, hub height, rotor diameter, specific power, and IEC Class. After that, the report discusses wind power performance, cost, and pricing trends. In so doing, it describes trends in project performance, wind turbine transaction prices, installed project costs, and operations and maintenance (O&M) expenses. It also reviews the prices paid for wind power in the United States and how those prices compare to short-term wholesale electricity prices and forecasts of future natural gas prices. Next, the report examines policy and market factors impacting the domestic wind power market, including federal and state policy drivers as well as transmission and grid integration issues. The report concludes with a preview of possible near-term market developments. This edition of the annual report updates data presented in previous editions while highlighting key trends and important new developments from 2015. The report concentrates on larger, utility-scale wind turbines, defined here as individual turbines that exceed 100 kW in size.« less

Socioeconomic and urban-rural differentials in exposure to air pollution and mortality burden in England.

PubMed

Milojevic, Ai; Niedzwiedz, Claire L; Pearce, Jamie; Milner, James; MacKenzie, Ian A; Doherty, Ruth M; Wilkinson, Paul

2017-10-06

Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations often have higher exposures to particulate air pollution, which can be expected to contribute to differentials in life expectancy. We examined socioeconomic differentials in exposure and air pollution-related mortality relating to larger scale (5 km resolution) variations in background concentrations of selected pollutants across England. Ozone and particulate matter (sub-divided into PM 10 , PM 2.5 , PM 2.5-10 , primary, nitrate and sulphate PM 2.5 ) were simulated at 5 km horizontal resolution using an atmospheric chemistry transport model (EMEP4UK). Annual mean concentrations of these pollutants were assigned to all 1,202,578 residential postcodes in England, which were classified by urban-rural status and socioeconomic deprivation based on the income and employment domains of the 2010 English Index of Multiple Deprivation for the Lower-level Super Output Area of residence. We used life table methods to estimate PM 2.5 -attributable life years (LYs) lost in both relative and absolute terms. Concentrations of the most particulate fractions, but not of nitrate PM 2.5 or ozone, were modestly higher in areas of greater socioeconomic deprivation. Relationships between pollution level and socioeconomic deprivation were non-linear and varied by urban-rural status. The pattern of PM 2.5 concentrations made only a small contribution to the steep socioeconomic gradient in LYs lost due to PM 2.5 per 10 3 population, which primarily was driven by the steep socioeconomic gradient in underlying mortality rates. In rural areas, the absolute burden of air pollution-related LYs lost was lowest in the most deprived deciles. Air pollution shows modest socioeconomic patterning at 5 km resolution in England, but absolute attributable mortality burdens are strongly related to area-level deprivation because of underlying mortality rates. Measures that cause a general reduction in background concentrations of air pollution may modestly help narrow socioeconomic differences in health.

The greenhouse gas intensity and potential biofuel production capacity of maize stover harvest in the US Midwest

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

Jones, Curtis D.; Zhang, Xuesong; Reddy, Ashwan D.

Agricultural residues are important sources of feedstock for a cellulosic biofuels industry that is being developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy independence. While the US Midwest has been recognized as key to providing maize stover for meeting near-term cellulosic biofuel production goals, there is uncertainty that such feedstocks can produce biofuels that meet federal cellulosic standards. Here, we conducted extensive site-level calibration of the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) terrestrial ecosystems model and applied the model at high spatial resolution across the US Midwest to improve estimates of the maximum production potential and greenhouse gas emissions expectedmore » from continuous maize residue-derived biofuels. A comparison of methodologies for calculating the soil carbon impacts of residue harvesting demonstrates the large impact of study duration, depth of soil considered, and inclusion of litter carbon in soil carbon change calculations on the estimated greenhouse gas intensity of maize stover-derived biofuels. Using the most representative methodology for assessing long-term residue harvesting impacts, we estimate that only 5.3 billion liters per year (bly) of ethanol, or 8.7% of the near-term US cellulosic biofuel demand, could be met under common no-till farming practices. However, appreciably more feedstock becomes available at modestly higher emissions levels, with potential for 89.0 bly of ethanol production meeting US advanced biofuel standards. Adjustments to management practices, such as adding cover crops to no-till management, will be required to produce sufficient quantities of residue meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction standard for cellulosic biofuels. Considering the rapid increase in residue availability with modest relaxations in GHG reduction level, it is expected that management practices with modest benefits to soil carbon would allow considerable expansion of potential cellulosic biofuel production.« less

Hypothyroidism and obesity: An intriguing link.

PubMed

Sanyal, Debmalya; Raychaudhuri, Moutusi

2016-01-01

According to common perception, hypothyroidism is held responsible for obesity. However, linking them causally is controversial. Overt hypothyroidism is associated with modest weight gain, but there is a lack of clarity regarding subclinical hypothyroidism. Novel view indicates that changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) could well be secondary to obesity. The increasing prevalence of obesity further confounds definition of normal TSH range in population studies. Thyroid autoantibody status may help in establishing the diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism in obesity. High leptin levels may play a role in the hyperthyrotropinemia of obesity and also increase susceptibility to thyroid autoimmunity and subsequent hypothyroidism. There is at most a modest effect of L-T4 treatment in overt hypothyroidism in inducing weight loss; benefit in subclinical hypothyroidism is not established with no data supporting thyroid hormone use in euthyroid obese patients.

Illinois SB 1987: the Clean Coal Portfolio Standard Law

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

NONE

On January 12, 2009, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed SB 1987, the Clean Coal Portfolio Standard Law. The legislation establishes emission standards for new coal-fueled power plants power plants that use coal as their primary feedstock. From 2009-2015, new coal-fueled power plants must capture and store 50 percent of the carbon emissions that the facility would otherwise emit; from 2016-2017, 70 percent must be captured and stored; and after 2017, 90 percent must be captured and stored. SB 1987 also establishes a goal of having 25 percent of electricity used in the state to come from cost-effective coal-fueled power plants thatmore » capture and store carbon emissions by 2025. Illinois is the first state to establish a goal for producing electricity from coal-fueled power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS). To support the commercial development of CCS technology, the legislation guarantees purchase agreements for the first Illinois coal facility with CCS technology, the Taylorville Energy Center (TEC); Illinois utilities are required to purchase at least 5 percent of their electricity supply from the TEC, provided that customer rates experience only modest increases. The TEC is expected to be completed in 2014 with the ability to capture and store at least 50 percent of its carbon emissions.« less

Performance of Comorbidity, Risk Adjustment, and Functional Status Measures in Expenditure Prediction for Patients With Diabetes

PubMed Central

Maciejewski, Matthew L.; Liu, Chuan-Fen; Fihn, Stephan D.

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE—To compare the ability of generic comorbidity and risk adjustment measures, a diabetes-specific measure, and a self-reported functional status measure to explain variation in health care expenditures for individuals with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This study included a retrospective cohort of 3,092 diabetic veterans participating in a multisite trial. Two comorbidity measures, four risk adjusters, a functional status measure, a diabetes complication count, and baseline expenditures were constructed from administrative and survey data. Outpatient, inpatient, and total expenditure models were estimated using ordinary least squares regression. Adjusted R2 statistics and predictive ratios were compared across measures to assess overall explanatory power and explanatory power of low- and high-cost subgroups. RESULTS—Administrative data–based risk adjusters performed better than the comorbidity, functional status, and diabetes-specific measures in all expenditure models. The diagnostic cost groups (DCGs) measure had the greatest predictive power overall and for the low- and high-cost subgroups, while the diabetes-specific measure had the lowest predictive power. A model with DCGs and the diabetes-specific measure modestly improved predictive power. CONCLUSIONS—Existing generic measures can be useful for diabetes-specific research and policy applications, but more predictive diabetes-specific measures are needed. PMID:18945927

Fifth amendment taking and environmental protection under the police power: Historical development and a modest proposal to address the muddle

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

Root, T.E.; Dotterrer, I.L.

1995-12-01

Under its developing {open_quotes}just compensation{close_quotes} jurisprudence, the United States Supreme Court has applied the constitutional requirement (of just compensation for taking private property for public use) to overly intrusive regulations. The application of the just compensation clause to governmental environmental protection activity has pitted the basic principle of protection of private property from government confiscation against another basic principle-the police power (which allows the government to regulate the use of property to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people). The authors outline the muddle resulting from the conflict of these two constitutional principles after tracing the development ofmore » each. This article first outlines the general trend of increasing regulation of the uses of private property under environmental laws pursuant to the police power, and then outlines the development of Fifth Amendment just compensation jurisprudence (from eminent domain, through inverse condemnation, to regulatory taking). The authors urge Congress to authorize a Commission to review exercise of the police power and environmental protection legislation in light of the Fifth Amendment just compensation provision and to recommend legislation that will reconcile the two principles.« less

Single Null Negative Triangularity Tokamak for Power Handling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Medvedev, S.; Takizuka, T.; Sauter, O.; Merle, A.; Coda, S.; Chen, D.; Li, J. X.

2017-10-01

Power and particle control in fusion reactor is challenge and we proposed the negative triangularity tokamak (NTT) to eliminate ELM by operating L-mode edge with improved core confinement. The SN configuration has more flexibility in shaping by adopting rectangular-shaped TF coils. The limiting normalized beta is 3.56 with wall stabilization and 3.14 without wall. The vertical stability is assured under a reasonable control system. The wetted area on the divertor plates becomes wider in proportion to the larger major radius at the divertor strike points due to the NT configuration. In addition to the major-radius effect, the ``Flux Tune Expansion (FTE)'' is adopted to further reduce the heat load on the divertor plate by factor of 2.6 with a coil current 3 MA. L-mode edge also allows further increase in wetted area. The fusion power of 3 GW is deliverable only at normalized beta 2.1. Therefore this reactor may be operable stably against the serious MHD activities. The CD power for SS operation is 175 MW at Q = 17. AC operation is also possible option. A required HH factor is relatively modest H = 1.12.

Accelerated reduction in SO₂ emissions from the U.S. power sector triggered by changing prices of natural gas.

PubMed

Lu, Xi; McElroy, Michael B; Wu, Gang; Nielsen, Chris P

2012-07-17

Emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) from the U.S. power sector decreased by 24% in 2009 relative to 2008. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) approach was applied to isolate the factors responsible for this decrease. It is concluded that 15% of the decrease can be attributed to the drop in demand for electricity triggered by the economic recession, and 28% can be attributed to switching of fuel from coal to gas responding to the decrease in prices for the latter. The largest factor in the decrease, close to 57%, resulted from an overall decline in emissions per unit of power generated from coal. This is attributed in part to selective idling of older, less efficient coal plants that generally do not incorporate technology for sulfur removal, and in part to continued investments by the power sector in removal equipment in response to the requirements limiting emissions imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The paper argues further that imposition of a modest tax on emissions of carbon would have ancillary benefits in terms of emissions of SO(2).

Two-level noncontiguous versus three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a biomechanical comparison.

PubMed

Finn, Michael A; Samuelson, Mical M; Bishop, Frank; Bachus, Kent N; Brodke, Darrel S

2011-03-15

Biomechanical study. To determine biomechanical forces exerted on intermediate and adjacent segments after two- or three-level fusion for treatment of noncontiguous levels. Increased motion adjacent to fused spinal segments is postulated to be a driving force in adjacent segment degeneration. Occasionally, a patient requires treatment of noncontiguous levels on either side of a normal level. The biomechanical forces exerted on the intermediate and adjacent levels are unknown. Seven intact human cadaveric cervical spines (C3-T1) were mounted in a custom seven-axis spine simulator equipped with a follower load apparatus and OptoTRAK three-dimensional tracking system. Each intact specimen underwent five cycles each of flexion/extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation under a ± 1.5 Nm moment and a 100-Nm axial follower load. Applied torque and motion data in each axis of motion and level were recorded. Testing was repeated under the same parameters after C4-C5 and C6-C7 diskectomies were performed and fused with rigid cervical plates and interbody spacers and again after a three-level fusion from C4 to C7. Range of motion was modestly increased (35%) in the intermediate and adjacent levels in the skip fusion construct. A significant or nearly significant difference was reached in seven of nine moments. With the three-level fusion construct, motion at the infra- and supra-adjacent levels was significantly or nearly significantly increased in all applied moments over the intact and the two-level noncontiguous construct. The magnitude of this change was substantial (72%). Infra- and supra-adjacent levels experienced a marked increase in strain in all moments with a three-level fusion, whereas the intermediate, supra-, and infra-adjacent segments of a two-level fusion experienced modest strain moments relative to intact. It would be appropriate to consider noncontiguous fusions instead of a three-level fusion when confronted with nonadjacent disease.

Impact of longer-term modest climate shifts on architecture of high-frequency sequences (Cyclothems), Pennsylvanian of midcontinent U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feldman, H.R.; Franseen, E.K.; Joeckel, R.M.; Heckel, P.H.

2005-01-01

Pennsylvanian glacioeustatic cyclothems exposed in Kansas and adjacent areas provide a unique opportunity to test models of the impact of relative sea level and climate on stratal architecture. A succession of eight of these high-frequency sequences, traced along dip for 500 km, reveal that modest climate shifts from relatively dry-seasonal to relatively wet-seasonal with a duration of several sequences (???600,000 to 1 million years) had a dominant impact on facies, sediment dispersal patterns, and sequence architecture. The climate shifts documented herein are intermediate, both in magnitude and duration, between previously documented longer-term climate shifts throughout much of the Pennsylvanian and shorter-term shifts described within individual sequences. Climate indicators are best preserved at sequence boundaries and in incised-valley fills of the lowstand systems tracts (LST). Relatively drier climate indicators include high-chroma paleosols, typically with pedogenic carbonates, and plant assemblages that are dominated by gymnosperms, mostly xerophytic walchian conifers. The associated valleys are small (4 km wide and >20 m deep), and dominated by quartz sandstones derived from distant source areas, reflecting large drainage networks. Transgressive systems tracts (TST) in all eight sequences gen erally are characterized by thin, extensive limestones and thin marine shales, suggesting that the dominant control on TST facies distribution was the sequestration of siliciclastic sediment in updip positions. Highstand systems tracts (HST) were significantly impacted by the intermediate-scale climate cycle in that HSTs from relatively drier climates consist of thin marine shales overlain by extensive, thick regressive limestones, whereas HSTs from relatively wetter climates are dominated by thick marine shales. Previously documented relative sea-level changes do not track the climate cycles, indicating that climate played a role distinct from that of relative sea-level change. These intermediate-scale modest climate shifts had a dominant impact on sequence architecture. This independent measure of climate and relative sea level may allow the testing of models of climate and sediment supply based on modern systems. Copyright ?? 2005, SEPM.

Contribution of mitral valve leaflet length and septal wall thickness to outflow tract obstruction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Morant, Kareem; Mikami, Yoko; Nevis, Immaculate; McCarty, David; Stirrat, John; Scholl, David; Rajchl, Martin; Giannoccaro, Peter; Kolman, Louis; Heydari, Bobby; Lydell, Carmen; Howarth, Andrew; Grant, Andrew; White, James A

2017-08-01

We sought to examine whether elongation of the mitral valve leaflets in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is synergistic to septal wall thickness (SWT) in the development of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO). HCM is a common genetic cardiac disease characterized by asymmetric septal hypertrophy and predisposition towards LVOTO. It has been reported that elongation of the mitral valve leaflets may be a primary phenotypic feature and contribute to LVOTO. However, the relative contribution of this finding versus SWT has not been studied. 152 patients (76 with HCM and 76 non-diseased age, race and BSA-matched controls) and 18 young, healthy volunteers were studied. SWT and the anterior mitral valve leaflet length (AMVLL) were measured using cine MRI. The combined contribution of these variables (SWT × AMVLL) was described as the Septal Anterior Leaflet Product (SALP). Peak LVOT pressure gradient was determined by Doppler interrogation and defined as "obstructive" if ≥ 30 mmHg. Patients with HCM were confirmed to have increased AMVLL compared with controls and volunteers (p < 0.01). Among HCM patients, both SWT and SALP were significantly higher in patients with LVOTO (N = 17) versus without. SALP showed modest improvement in predictive accuracy for LVOTO (AUC = 0.81) among the HCM population versus SWT alone (AUC = 0.77). However, in isolated patients this variable identified patients with LVOTO despite modest SWT. Elongation of the AMVLL is a primary phenotypic feature of HCM. While incremental contributions to LVOTO appear modest at a population level, specific patients may have dominant contribution to LVOTO. The combined marker of SALP allows for maintained identification of such patients despite modest increases in SWT.

Power Beaming Leakage Radiation as A SETI Observable

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, James N.; Benford, Dominic J.

2016-01-01

The most observable leakage radiation from an advanced civilization may well be from the use of power beam-ing to transfer energy and accelerate spacecraft. Applications suggested for power beaming involve launching spacecraft to orbit, raising satellites to a higher orbit, and interplanetary concepts involving space-to-space transfers of cargo or passengers. We also quantify beam-driven launch to the outer solar system, interstellar precursors and ultimately starships. We estimate the principal observable parameters of power beaming leak-age. Extraterrestrial civilizations would know their power beams could be observed, and so could put a message on the power beam and broadcast it for our receipt at little additional energy or cost. By observing leakage from power beams we may find a message embedded on the beam. Recent observations of the anomalous star KIC8462852 by the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) set some limits on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system.We show that most power beaming applications commensurate with those suggested for our solar system would be detectable if using the frequency range monitored by the ATA, and so the lack of detection is a meaningful,if modest, constraint on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. Until more extensive observations are made, the limited observation time and frequency coverage are not sufficiently broad in frequency and duration to produce firm conclusions. Such beams would be visible over large interstellar distances. This implies a new approach to the SETI search: Instead of focusing on narrowband beacon transmissions generated by another civilization, look for more powerful beams with much wider bandwidth. This requires a new approach for their discovery by telescopes on Earth. Further studies of power beaming applications should be done, which could broaden the parameter space of observable features we have discussed here.

Power Beaming Leakage Radiation as a SETI Observable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benford, James N.; Benford, Dominic J.

2016-07-01

The most observable leakage radiation from an advanced civilization may well be from the use of power beaming to transfer energy and accelerate spacecraft. Applications suggested for power beaming involve launching spacecraft to orbit, raising satellites to a higher orbit, and interplanetary concepts involving space-to-space transfers of cargo or passengers. We also quantify beam-driven launch to the outer solar system, interstellar precursors, and ultimately starships. We estimate the principal observable parameters of power beaming leakage. Extraterrestrial civilizations would know their power beams could be observed, and so could put a message on the power beam and broadcast it for our receipt at little additional energy or cost. By observing leakage from power beams we may find a message embedded on the beam. Recent observations of the anomalous star KIC 8462852 by the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) set some limits on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. We show that most power beaming applications commensurate with those suggested for our solar system would be detectable if using the frequency range monitored by the ATA, and so the lack of detection is a meaningful, if modest, constraint on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. Until more extensive observations are made, the limited observation time and frequency coverage are not sufficiently broad in frequency and duration to produce firm conclusions. Such beams would be visible over large interstellar distances. This implies a new approach to the SETI search: instead of focusing on narrowband beacon transmissions generated by another civilization, look for more powerful beams with much wider bandwidth. This requires a new approach for their discovery by telescopes on Earth. Further studies of power beaming applications should be performed, potentially broadening the parameter space of the observable features that we have discussed here.

The cross-cultural generalizability of Axis-II constructs: an evaluation of two personality disorder assessment instruments in the People's Republic of China.

PubMed

Yang, J; McCrae, R R; Costa, P T; Yao, S; Dai, X; Cai, T; Gao, B

2000-01-01

We examined the reliability, cross-instrument validity, and factor structure of Chinese adaptations of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4+; N = 1,926) and Personality Disorders Interview (PDI-IV; N = 525) in psychiatric patients. Comparisons with data from Western countries suggest that the psychometric properties of these two instruments are comparable across cultures. Low to modest agreement between the PDQ-4+ and PDI-IV was observed for both dimensional and categorical personality disorder evaluations. When the PDI-IV was used as the diagnostic standard, the PDQ-4+ showed higher sensitivity than specificity, and higher negative predictive power than positive predictive power. Factor analyses of both instruments replicated the four-factor structure O'Connor and Dyce (1998) found in Western samples. Results suggested that conceptions and measures of DSM-IV personality disorders are cross-culturally generalizable to Chinese psychiatric populations.

Structured interview versus self-report test vantages for the assessment of personality pathology in cocaine dependence.

PubMed

Marlowe, D B; Husband, S D; Bonieskie, L M; Kirby, K C; Platt, J J

1997-01-01

The study compared structured interview (SCID-II) and self-report test (MCMI-II) vantages for the detection and characterization of personality pathology among 144 urban, poor, cocaine-addicted individuals seeking outpatient treatment. Diagnostic agreement was inadequate for most disorders, and the instruments at best shared only modest common variance. Positive predictive power was poor for all MCMI-II scales, though negative predictive power was good to excellent. This lends support for the use of the MCMI-II as a screening measure to rule out Axis II disorders; however, confirmation of positive diagnoses will require follow-up interview assessment. Future development of self-report personality inventories for substance abusers should focus on controlling for the acute dysphoric effects of drug use and related dysfunction, expanding attention to Cluster B content domains, and incorporating more objective criteria for assessing paranoia and "odd/eccentric" traits.

Cloud Computing with iPlant Atmosphere.

PubMed

McKay, Sheldon J; Skidmore, Edwin J; LaRose, Christopher J; Mercer, Andre W; Noutsos, Christos

2013-10-15

Cloud Computing refers to distributed computing platforms that use virtualization software to provide easy access to physical computing infrastructure and data storage, typically administered through a Web interface. Cloud-based computing provides access to powerful servers, with specific software and virtual hardware configurations, while eliminating the initial capital cost of expensive computers and reducing the ongoing operating costs of system administration, maintenance contracts, power consumption, and cooling. This eliminates a significant barrier to entry into bioinformatics and high-performance computing for many researchers. This is especially true of free or modestly priced cloud computing services. The iPlant Collaborative offers a free cloud computing service, Atmosphere, which allows users to easily create and use instances on virtual servers preconfigured for their analytical needs. Atmosphere is a self-service, on-demand platform for scientific computing. This unit demonstrates how to set up, access and use cloud computing in Atmosphere. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Liquid metal enabled pump

PubMed Central

Tang, Shi-Yang; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar; Sivan, Vijay; Petersen, Phred; O’Mullane, Anthony P.; Abbott, Derek; Mitchell, Arnan; Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh

2014-01-01

Small-scale pumps will be the heartbeat of many future micro/nanoscale platforms. However, the integration of small-scale pumps is presently hampered by limited flow rate with respect to the input power, and their rather complicated fabrication processes. These issues arise as many conventional pumping effects require intricate moving elements. Here, we demonstrate a system that we call the liquid metal enabled pump, for driving a range of liquids without mechanical moving parts, upon the application of modest electric field. This pump incorporates a droplet of liquid metal, which induces liquid flow at high flow rates, yet with exceptionally low power consumption by electrowetting/deelectrowetting at the metal surface. We present theory explaining this pumping mechanism and show that the operation is fundamentally different from other existing pumps. The presented liquid metal enabled pump is both efficient and simple, and thus has the potential to fundamentally advance the field of microfluidics. PMID:24550485

Computational analysis of current-loss mechanisms in a post-hole convolute driven by magnetically insulated transmission lines

DOE PAGES

Rose, D.  V.; Madrid, E.  A.; Welch, D.  R.; ...

2015-03-04

Numerical simulations of a vacuum post-hole convolute driven by magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs) are used to study current losses due to charged particle emission from the MITL-convolute-system electrodes. This work builds on the results of a previous study [E.A. Madrid et al. Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 16, 120401 (2013)] and adds realistic power pulses, Ohmic heating of anode surfaces, and a model for the formation and evolution of cathode plasmas. The simulations suggest that modestly larger anode-cathode gaps in the MITLs upstream of the convolute result in significantly less current loss. In addition, longer pulse durations leadmore » to somewhat greater current loss due to cathode-plasma expansion. These results can be applied to the design of future MITL-convolute systems for high-current pulsed-power systems.« less

Hard X-ray and low-energy gamma-ray spectrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gehrels, N.; Crannell, C. J.; Orwig, L. E.; Forrest, D. J.; Lin, R. P.; Starr, R.

1988-01-01

Basic principles of operation and characteristics of scintillation and semi-conductor detectors used for solar hard X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers are presented. Scintillation materials such as NaI offer high stopping power for incident gamma rays, modest energy resolution, and relatively simple operation. They are, to date, the most often used detector in solar gamma-ray spectroscopy. The scintillator BGO has higher stopping power than NaI, but poorer energy resolution. The primary advantage of semi-conductor materials such as Ge is their high-energy resolution. Monte-Carlo simulations of the response of NaI and Ge detectors to model solar flare inputs show the benefit of high resoluton for studying spectral lines. No semi-conductor material besides Ge is currently available with adequate combined size and purity to make general-use hard X-ray and gamma-ray detectors for solar studies.

Overview of the present progress and activities on the CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Yuanxi; Li, Jiangang; Liu, Yong; Wang, Xiaolin; Chan, Vincent; Chen, Changan; Duan, Xuru; Fu, Peng; Gao, Xiang; Feng, Kaiming; Liu, Songlin; Song, Yuntao; Weng, Peide; Wan, Baonian; Wan, Farong; Wang, Heyi; Wu, Songtao; Ye, Minyou; Yang, Qingwei; Zheng, Guoyao; Zhuang, Ge; Li, Qiang; CFETR Team

2017-10-01

The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is the next device in the roadmap for the realization of fusion energy in China, which aims to bridge the gaps between the fusion experimental reactor ITER and the demonstration reactor (DEMO). CFETR will be operated in two phases. Steady-state operation and self-sufficiency will be the two key issues for Phase I with a modest fusion power of up to 200 MW. Phase II aims for DEMO validation with a fusion power over 1 GW. Advanced H-mode physics, high magnetic fields up to 7 T, high frequency electron cyclotron resonance heating and lower hybrid current drive together with off-axis negative-ion neutral beam injection will be developed for achieving steady-state advanced operation. The recent detailed design, research and development (R&D) activities including integrated modeling of operation scenarios, high field magnet, material, tritium plant, remote handling and future plans are introduced in this paper.

Very-Long-Distance Remote Hearing and Vibrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maleki, Lute; Yu, Nan; Matsko, Andrey; Savchenkov, Anatoliy

2009-01-01

A proposed development of laser-based instrumentation systems would extend the art of laser Doppler vibrometry beyond the prior limits of laser-assisted remote hearing and industrial vibrometry for detecting defects in operating mechanisms. A system according to the proposal could covertly measure vibrations of objects at distances as large as thousands of kilometers and could process the measurement data to enable recognition of vibrations characteristic of specific objects of interest, thereby enabling recognition of the objects themselves. A typical system as envisioned would be placed in orbit around the Earth for use as a means of determining whether certain objects on or under the ground are of interest as potential military targets. Terrestrial versions of these instruments designed for airborne or land- or sea-based operation could be similarly useful for military or law-enforcement purposes. Prior laser-based remote-hearing systems are not capable of either covert operation or detecting signals beyond modest distances when operated at realistic laser power levels. The performances of prior systems for recognition of objects by remote vibrometry are limited by low signal-to-noise ratios and lack of filtering of optical signals returned from targets. The proposed development would overcome these limitations. A system as proposed would include a narrow-band laser as its target illuminator, a lock-in-detection receiver subsystem, and a laser-power-control subsystem that would utilize feedback of the intensity of background illumination of the target to adjust the laser power. The laser power would be set at a level high enough to enable the desired measurements but below the threshold of detectability by an imaginary typical modern photodetector located at the target and there exposed to the background illumination. The laser beam would be focused tightly on the distant target, such that the receiving optics would be exposed to only one speckle. The return signal would be extremely-narrow-band filtered (to sub-kilohertz bandwidth) in the optical domain by a whispering-gallery- mode filter so as to remove most of the background illumination. The filtered optical signal would be optically amplified. This combination of optical filtering and optical amplification would provide an optical signal that would be strong enough to be detectable but not so strong as to saturate the detector in the lock-in detection subsystem.

An Ultra-fast X-Ray Disk Wind in the Neutron Star Binary GX 340+0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, J. M.; Raymond, J.; Cackett, E.; Grinberg, V.; Nowak, M.

2016-05-01

We present a spectral analysis of a brief Chandra/HETG observation of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary GX 340+0. The high-resolution spectrum reveals evidence of ionized absorption in the Fe K band. The strongest feature, an absorption line at approximately 6.9 keV, is required at the 5σ level of confidence via an F-test. Photoionization modeling with XSTAR grids suggests that the line is the most prominent part of a disk wind with an apparent outflow speed of v = 0.04c. This interpretation is preferred at the 4σ level over a scenario in which the line is H-like Fe xxvi at a modest redshift. The wind may achieve this speed owing to its relatively low ionization, enabling driving by radiation pressure on lines; in this sense, the wind in GX 340+0 may be the stellar-mass equivalent of the flows in broad absorption line quasars. If the gas has a unity volume filling factor, the mass ouflow rate in the wind is over 10-5 M ⊙ yr-1, and the kinetic power is nearly 1039 erg s-1 (or, 5-6 times the radiative Eddington limit for a neutron star). However, geometrical considerations—including a small volume filling factor and low covering factor—likely greatly reduce these values.

A miniature bidirectional telemetry system for in vivo gastric slow wave recordings.

PubMed

Farajidavar, Aydin; O'Grady, Gregory; Rao, Smitha M N; Cheng, Leo K; Abell, Thomas; Chiao, J-C

2012-06-01

Stomach contractions are initiated and coordinated by an underlying electrical activity (slow waves), and electrical dysrhythmias accompany motility diseases. Electrical recordings taken directly from the stomach provide the most valuable data, but face technical constraints. Serosal or mucosal electrodes have cables that traverse the abdominal wall, or a natural orifice, causing discomfort and possible infection, and restricting mobility. These problems motivated the development of a wireless system. The bidirectional telemetric system constitutes a front-end transponder, a back-end receiver and a graphical userinter face. The front-end module conditions the analogue signals, then digitizes and loads the data into a radio for transmission. Data receipt at the backend is acknowledged via a transceiver function. The system was validated in a bench-top study, then validated in vivo using serosal electrodes connected simultaneously to a commercial wired system. The front-end module was 35 × 35 × 27 mm3 and weighed 20 g. Bench-top tests demonstrated reliable communication within a distance range of 30 m, power consumption of 13.5 mW, and 124 h operation when utilizing a 560 mAh, 3 V battery. In vivo,slow wave frequencies were recorded identically with the wireless and wired reference systems (2.4 cycles min−1), automated activation time detection was modestly better for the wireless system (5% versus 14% FP rate), and signal amplitudes were modestly higher via the wireless system (462 versus 3 86μV; p<0.001). This telemetric system for slow wave acquisition is reliable,power efficient, readily portable and potentially implantable. The device will enable chronic monitoring and evaluation of slow wave patterns in animals and patients.0967-3334/

A miniature bidirectional telemetry system for in-vivo gastric slow wave recordings

PubMed Central

Farajidavar, Aydin; O’Grady, Gregory; Rao, Smitha M.N.; Cheng, Leo K; Abell, Thomas; Chiao, J.-C.

2012-01-01

Stomach contractions are initiated and coordinated by an underlying electrical activity (slow waves), and electrical dysrhythmias accompany motility diseases. Electrical recordings taken directly from the stomach provide the most valuable data, but face technical constraints. Serosal or mucosal electrodes have cables that traverse the abdominal wall, or a natural orifice, causing discomfort and possible infection, and restricting mobility. These problems motivated the development of a wireless system. The bidirectional telemetric system constitutes a front-end transponder, a back-end receiver and a graphical user interface. The front-end module conditions the analog signals, then digitizes and loads the data into a radio for transmission. Data receipt at the back-end is acknowledged via a transceiver function. The system was validated in a bench-top study, then validated in-vivo using serosal electrodes connected simultaneously to a commercial wired system. The front-end module was 35×35×27 mm3 and weighed 20 g. Bench-top tests demonstrated reliable communication within a distance range of 30 m, power consumption of 13.5 mW, and 124-hour operation when utilizing a 560-mAh, 3-V battery. In-vivo, slow wave frequencies were recorded identically with the wireless and wired reference systems (2.4 cycles/min), automated activation time detection was modestly better for the wireless system (5% vs 14% false positive rate), and signal amplitudes were modestly higher via the wireless system (462 vs 386 μV; p<0.001). This telemetric system for slow wave acquisition is reliable, power efficient, readily portable and potentially implantable. The device will enable chronic monitoring and evaluation of slow wave patterns in animals and patients. PMID:22635054

Acute detachment of hexokinase II from mitochondria modestly increases oxygen consumption of the intact mouse heart.

PubMed

Nederlof, Rianne; Denis, Simone; Lauzier, Benjamin; Rosiers, Christine Des; Laakso, Markku; Hagen, Jacob; Argmann, Carmen; Wanders, Ronald; Houtkooper, Riekelt H; Hollmann, Markus W; Houten, Sander M; Zuurbier, Coert J

2017-07-01

Cardiac hexokinase II (HKII) can translocate between cytosol and mitochondria and change its cellular expression with pathologies such as ischemia-reperfusion, diabetes and heart failure. The cardiac metabolic consequences of these changes are unknown. Here we measured energy substrate utilization in cytosol and mitochondria using stabile isotopes and oxygen consumption of the intact perfused heart for 1) an acute decrease in mitochondrial HKII (mtHKII), and 2) a chronic decrease in total cellular HKII. We first examined effects of 200nM TAT (Trans-Activator of Transcription)-HKII peptide treatment, which was previously shown to acutely decrease mtHKII by ~30%. In Langendorff-perfused hearts TAT-HKII resulted in a modest, but significant, increased oxygen consumption, while cardiac performance was unchanged. At the metabolic level, there was a nonsignificant (p=0.076) ~40% decrease in glucose contribution to pyruvate and lactate formation through glycolysis and to mitochondrial citrate synthase flux (6.6±1.1 vs. 11.2±2.2%), and an 35% increase in tissue pyruvate (27±2 vs. 20±2pmol/mg; p=0.033). Secondly, we compared WT and HKII +/- hearts (50% chronic decrease in total HKII). RNA sequencing revealed no differential gene expression between WT and HKII +/- hearts indicating an absence of metabolic reprogramming at the transcriptional level. Langendorff-perfused hearts showed no significant differences in glycolysis (0.34±0.03μmol/min), glucose contribution to citrate synthase flux (35±2.3%), palmitate contribution to citrate synthase flux (20±1.1%), oxygen consumption or mechanical performance between WT and HKII +/- hearts. These results indicate that acute albeit not chronic changes in mitochondrial HKII modestly affect cardiac oxygen consumption and energy substrate metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating a Course in Global Business Ethics: A Modest Proposal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhooge, Lucien J.

2011-01-01

The College of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology has placed more emphasis on the topic of business ethics in the past few years. Business ethics has always been a required component of the legal environment of business course whether taught at the undergraduate or graduate levels. More recently, the college has introduced an…

Unvorgreifliche Gedanken, betreffend die Ausuebung und Verbesserung des Uebersetzungsunterrichts Englisch-Deutsch. (Modest Thoughts on the Use and Improvement of Training in Translation -- English to German).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haber, Bernd K.

1978-01-01

Surveys current practice in teaching translation and finds it faulty. An almost mathematical model of translation strategy is suggested for upper-level students of English who can use a monolingual dictionary. Two sample texts for testing the model are appended. (IFS/WGA)

Marijuana Use and New Concerns about Medical Marijuana. E-Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention, 2010

2010-01-01

While alcohol remains the drug of choice among college students, marijuana ranks number two with 32 percent reporting using marijuana in 2008. That's a modest decline from 2001, when 36 percent of college students reported marijuana use. While levels of marijuana use by students are determined through a number of national and local surveys, no…

In situ consolidation of offshore petroleum well structural casings by electrokinetic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrixon, Robert Christopher

Offshore drilling operations encounter cement wash-out problems while setting the initial structural casing (0--200 ft depth) due to the soft, unconsolidated nature of the sea-bed. Structural casings set by alternative methods have failed in up to 50% of cases due to insufficient frictional bearing capacity. This dissertation presents a method of increasing the bearing capacity of a jet-drilled or slick-drilled casing in-situ by applying a potential difference such that the casing is anodic compared to a remote cathode. It has been shown experimentally that clayey formations will swell and stick to a simulated anodic casing by the combined electrokinetic processes of electroosmosis and electrophoresis. Any cavities around the "casing" are eliminated and the formation is flush against the metal surface, increasing bearing capacity. The formation around the "casing" dries out due to electroosmotic migration of water away from the anode, increasing the shear strength of the surrounding soil. Corrosion products at the anode can further increase the soil shear strength by a process known as electrochemical hardening. This investigation has shown that the bearing capacity of anodic casings can potentially be increased by a factor of up to 1,000% in soft clays and silty clays. The existence of an optimal level of electrokinetic consolidation, beyond which the soil shear strength begins to degrade, has been demonstrated. The difficulties of applying electrokinetic methods to saline soil environments have been addressed and the process has been shown to be successful, as long as the requisite electric field strength is maintained. The efficiency of the electrokinetic consolidation technique has been shown to be affected by the soil water content, soil mineralogy, power supplied, time of treatment and the choice of anode material. Experiments in marine sediment show that increases in bearing capacities of about 300% can be achieved at optimal treatment conditions. With likely current and power restrictions, increases of 50% to 100% are realistic. This level of increase still makes offshore electrokinetic casing consolidation a viable process, given that it is attainable quickly and at a modest power requirement and given the enormous cost of a structural casing collapse.

Tests of Transport Theory and Reduced Impurity Influx with Highly Radiative Plasmas in TFTR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, K. W.

1997-11-01

The electron and ion temperature profiles in beam-heated plasmas were observed to be remarkably invariant when radiative losses were increased significantly through gas puffing of high-Z impurities (argon, krypton, xenon) in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor. Without impurity puffing, radiative losses accounted for typically only ~ 25\\char'45 of the input power and the radiation profile was strongly peaked at the plasma edge, where the dominant carbon impurity was not fully stripped. At central electron temperatures, T_eo, of ~ 6 keV, trace concentrations of krypton and xenon (n_z/ne ~ 10-3) generated flat and centrally peaked radiation profiles respectively, and a significant fraction of the input power (45-100\\char'45 ) was lost through radiation. This loss provided a nearly ideal technique for studying local heat transport in tokamaks because it perturbed the net heating profile strongly and in a measureable way, with little effect on the density and the beam deposition profiles. In supershot plasmas, Ti >> T_e, the ion temperature profile remained constant, or even increased modestly, as the radiated power fraction was increased to 75-90\\char'45 with krypton and xenon. This observation is surprising because ion-electron coupling is the dominant power loss term for the ions in the core of supershot plasmas, and the central Ti would have decreased a factor of two if the local ion thermal diffusivity had remained constant at its value without impurity puffing. In L-mode plasmas where ion-electron power coupling is a smaller term in the power balance, the electron temperature during impurity puffing also changed only ~ 10-15\\char'45 even as the net power flow through the electrons was decreased by a factor of ~ 3. The ``stiffness" of the temperature profiles to net input power is supportive of transport mechanisms which have a marginal-stability character. Preliminary comparisons of the temperature changes with predictions of the IFS/PPPL transport model,(M. Kotschenreuther, W. Dorland, M. A. Beer, and G. W. Hammett, Phys. Plasmas 2, 2381 (1995)) which has strong marginal-stability behavior, are reasonable; more detailed comparisons are in progress. Use of high-Z radiators did not impair fusion performance, confirming they can be used to reduce the heat flux to the plasma facing components with minimal ion dilution. At input power level s of 30-33 MW, enhanced radiation through krypton and xenon puffing eliminated serious carbon influx (carbon ``blooms") which occurred in comparable plasmas without impurity puffing.

A Pd/C-CeO2 Anode Catalyst for High-Performance Platinum-Free Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Miller, Hamish A; Lavacchi, Alessandro; Vizza, Francesco; Marelli, Marcello; Di Benedetto, Francesco; D'Acapito, Francesco; Paska, Yair; Page, Miles; Dekel, Dario R

2016-05-10

One of the biggest obstacles to the dissemination of fuel cells is their cost, a large part of which is due to platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts. Complete removal of Pt is a difficult if not impossible task for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEM-FCs). The anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEM-FC) has long been proposed as a solution as non-Pt metals may be employed. Despite this, few examples of Pt-free AEM-FCs have been demonstrated with modest power output. The main obstacle preventing the realization of a high power density Pt-free AEM-FC is sluggish hydrogen oxidation (HOR) kinetics of the anode catalyst. Here we describe a Pt-free AEM-FC that employs a mixed carbon-CeO2 supported palladium (Pd) anode catalyst that exhibits enhanced kinetics for the HOR. AEM-FC tests run on dry H2 and pure air show peak power densities of more than 500 mW cm(-2) . © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Do Radio Jets Contribute to Driving Ionized Gas Outflows in Moderate Luminosity Type 2 AGN?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, Julia; Sajina, Anna; Lacy, Mark

2016-01-01

This poster examines the role of AGN-driven feedback in low to intermediate power radio galaxies. We begin with [OIII] measurements of ionized gas outflows in 29 moderate AGN-luminosity z~0.3-0.7 dust-obscured Type 2 AGN. We aim to examine the relative role of the AGN itself, of star-formation and of nascent radio jets in driving these outflows. The strength of the AGN and star formation are based on the [OIII] luminosities, and the far-IR luminosities respectively. For the radio jets, we present multi-frequency radio (X, S, and L-bands) JVLA imaging of our sample, which allows us both to constrain the overall radio power, but also look for signatures of young radio sources, including Giga-hertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) sources, as well as small-scale jets. While radio jet-driven outflows are well known for powerful radio-loud galaxies, this study allows us to constrain the degree to which this mechanism is significant at more modest radio luminosities of L5GHz~10^22-25 W/Hz.

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

Benford, James N.; Benford, Dominic J., E-mail: jimbenford@gmail.com

The most observable leakage radiation from an advanced civilization may well be from the use of power beaming to transfer energy and accelerate spacecraft. Applications suggested for power beaming involve launching spacecraft to orbit, raising satellites to a higher orbit, and interplanetary concepts involving space-to-space transfers of cargo or passengers. We also quantify beam-driven launch to the outer solar system, interstellar precursors, and ultimately starships. We estimate the principal observable parameters of power beaming leakage. Extraterrestrial civilizations would know their power beams could be observed, and so could put a message on the power beam and broadcast it for ourmore » receipt at little additional energy or cost. By observing leakage from power beams we may find a message embedded on the beam. Recent observations of the anomalous star KIC 8462852 by the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) set some limits on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. We show that most power beaming applications commensurate with those suggested for our solar system would be detectable if using the frequency range monitored by the ATA, and so the lack of detection is a meaningful, if modest, constraint on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. Until more extensive observations are made, the limited observation time and frequency coverage are not sufficiently broad in frequency and duration to produce firm conclusions. Such beams would be visible over large interstellar distances. This implies a new approach to the SETI search: instead of focusing on narrowband beacon transmissions generated by another civilization, look for more powerful beams with much wider bandwidth. This requires a new approach for their discovery by telescopes on Earth. Further studies of power beaming applications should be performed, potentially broadening the parameter space of the observable features that we have discussed here.« less

Rolling rhythms in front crawl swimming with six-beat kick.

PubMed

Sanders, Ross H; Psycharakis, Stelios G

2009-02-09

The purpose of this study was to establish the rhythm characteristics of skilled front crawl swimmers using a six-beat kick. These included the amplitudes of the first three Fourier harmonics (H1, H2, H3) and their percent contributions to power contained in the angular displacement signals of the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles with respect to the longitudinal axis in line with the swimming direction. Three-dimensional video data of seven national/international level swimmers were collected during simulated 200m front crawl races in which swimmers maintained six-beat kicking patterns. Swimmers differed in all variables but had small variability across the four 50m laps. Modest changes occurred during the 200m, with the exception of shoulder roll, which remained constant and was represented almost entirely by a single sinusoid (H1). Changes across laps reached significance for swimming speed, stroke rate, hip roll, and H3 wave velocity between the knee and ankle. A H3 body wave of moderate and increasing velocity travelled caudally from hip to ankle. In the light of existing knowledge of aquatic locomotion this was compatible with the goal of generating propulsion in an efficient manner.

Sub-problem Optimization With Regression and Neural Network Approximators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guptill, James D.; Hopkins, Dale A.; Patnaik, Surya N.

2003-01-01

Design optimization of large systems can be attempted through a sub-problem strategy. In this strategy, the original problem is divided into a number of smaller problems that are clustered together to obtain a sequence of sub-problems. Solution to the large problem is attempted iteratively through repeated solutions to the modest sub-problems. This strategy is applicable to structures and to multidisciplinary systems. For structures, clustering the substructures generates the sequence of sub-problems. For a multidisciplinary system, individual disciplines, accounting for coupling, can be considered as sub-problems. A sub-problem, if required, can be further broken down to accommodate sub-disciplines. The sub-problem strategy is being implemented into the NASA design optimization test bed, referred to as "CometBoards." Neural network and regression approximators are employed for reanalysis and sensitivity analysis calculations at the sub-problem level. The strategy has been implemented in sequential as well as parallel computational environments. This strategy, which attempts to alleviate algorithmic and reanalysis deficiencies, has the potential to become a powerful design tool. However, several issues have to be addressed before its full potential can be harnessed. This paper illustrates the strategy and addresses some issues.

Leveraging the power of music to improve science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowther, Gregory J.; McFadden, Tom; Fleming, Jean S.; Davis, Katie

2016-01-01

We assessed the impact of music videos with science-based lyrics on content knowledge and attitudes in a three-part experimental research study of over 1000 participants (mostly K-12 students). In Study A, 13 of 15 music videos were followed by statistically significant improvements on questions about material covered in the videos, while performance on 'bonus questions' not covered by the videos did not improve. Video-specific improvement was observed in both basic knowledge and genuine comprehension (levels 1 and 2 of Bloom's taxonomy, respectively) and after both lyrics-only and visually rich versions of some videos. In Study B, musical versions of additional science videos were not superior to non-musical ones in their immediate impact on content knowledge, though musical versions were significantly more enjoyable. In Study C, a non-musical video on fossils elicited greater immediate test improvement than the musical version ('Fossil Rock Anthem'); however, viewers of the music video enjoyed a modest advantage on a delayed post-test administered 28 days later. Music video viewers more frequently rated their video as 'fun', and seemed more likely to revisit and/or share the video. Our findings contribute to a broader dialogue on promising new pedagogical strategies in science education.

Test anxiety and academic performance in chiropractic students.

PubMed

Zhang, Niu; Henderson, Charles N R

2014-01-01

Objective : We assessed the level of students' test anxiety, and the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. Methods : We recruited 166 third-quarter students. The Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) was administered to all participants. Total scores from written examinations and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) were used as response variables. Results : Multiple regression analysis shows that there was a modest, but statistically significant negative correlation between TAI scores and written exam scores, but not OSCE scores. Worry and emotionality were the best predictive models for written exam scores. Mean total anxiety and emotionality scores for females were significantly higher than those for males, but not worry scores. Conclusion : Moderate-to-high test anxiety was observed in 85% of the chiropractic students examined. However, total test anxiety, as measured by the TAI score, was a very weak predictive model for written exam performance. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that replacing total anxiety (TAI) with worry and emotionality (TAI subscales) produces a much more effective predictive model of written exam performance. Sex, age, highest current academic degree, and ethnicity contributed little additional predictive power in either regression model. Moreover, TAI scores were not found to be statistically significant predictors of physical exam skill performance, as measured by OSCEs.

Differential impacts of public health insurance expansions at the local level.

PubMed

Baughman, Reagan

2007-03-01

Dramatic expansions in public health insurance eligibility for U.S. children have only modestly reduced the aggregate number of uninsured at the national level. This paper shows that Medicaid and SCHIP expansions had different impacts on child health insurance coverage patterns based upon local labor market characteristics. Metropolitan areas with high levels of unemployment were most likely to have seen improvements in overall insurance coverage for children between 1990 and 2001. Areas with greater fractions of employment in services, retail or wholesale trade were more likely to have experienced increases in public coverage but not overall coverage rates.

United States direct broadcast satellite system development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dement, D. K.

1984-03-01

As the technology appears increasingly likely to meet the needs and as DBS regulatory activity becomes fixed, investment decisions will be made. With only modest technical risk for even the high-powered satellites, with little doubt that mass-produced earth terminals' gain-over-temperature of 10 dB or more can be attained for an acceptable price, and with the advent of acceptably priced individual descramblers for pay television, interest in DBS continues to grow. Present concerns center on market acceptance, competition, and programming availability. The variety of operational approaches revealed in FCC permit applications is seen as showing a willingness to risk, innovate, and move forward as quickly as possible.

Metallic Hydrogen: A Game Changing Rocket Propellant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silvera, Isaac F.

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to produce metallic hydrogen in the laboratory using an innovative approach, and to study its metastability properties. Current theoretical and experimental considerations expect that extremely high pressures of order 4-6 megabar are required to transform molecular hydrogen to the metallic phase. When metallic hydrogen is produced in the laboratory it will be extremely important to determine if it is metastable at modest temperatures, i.e. remains metallic when the pressure is released. Then it could be used as the most powerful chemical rocket fuel that exists and revolutionize rocketry, allowing single-stage rockets to enter orbit and chemically fueled rockets to explore our solar system.

Defect States in Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Solar Cells from Two-Wavelength Excitation Photoluminescence Spectroscopy

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

Jensen, Soren A.; Dippo, Patricia; Mansfield, Lorelle M.

2016-11-21

We use two-wavelength excitation photoluminescence spectroscopy to probe defect states in CIGS thin films. Above-Eg excitation is combined with a tunable IR bias light that modulates the population of the defect states. We find that IR illumination in the range of 1400-2000 nm (0.62-0.89 eV) causes a reduction of the PL intensity, the magnitude of which scales linearly with IR power. Further, KF post deposition treatment has only a modest influence on the effect of the IR excitation. Initial data suggest that we have developed an optical characterization tool for band-gap defect states.

NOAA's Van-Based Mobile Atmospheric Emissions Measurement Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dube, W. P.; Peischl, J.; Neuman, J. A.; Eilerman, S. J.; Holloway, M.; Roberts, O.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.

2015-12-01

The Chemical Science Division (CSD) mobile atmospheric emissions measurement laboratory is the second and latest of two mobile measurement vans outfitted for atmospheric sampling by the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. In this presentation we will describe the modifications made to this vehicle to provide a versatile and relatively inexpensive instrument platform including: the 2 kW 120 volt instrument power system; battery back-up system; data acquisition system; real-time display; meteorological, directional, and position sensor package; and the typical atmospheric emissions instrument package. The van conversion uses commercially available, off-the-shelf components from the marine and RV industries, thus keeping the costs quite modest.

Free as a bird - A point of view. [technical advance and humanistic aspects of aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, J. D.

1978-01-01

A number of ways are discussed in which ingenious people can further increase their enjoyment of experimenting in air (balloons, man-powered flight, etc.). For the lowest cost forms of flight, private sponsorship has been modestly successful. Much more could be done if people would not take themselves so seriously and always demand that advanced technology should serve some nationalistic or economic goals. For the society, the next step forward will perhaps originate if it is demonstrated to the government, manufacturers, and customers that private flying has become too costly due to those factors which limit the acquisition and introduction of new knowledge.

A Modest Critical Pedagogy for English as a Foreign Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mi Kyong; Pollard, Vikki Ann

2017-01-01

This paper uses the introduction of critical pedagogy to an English as a Foreign Language class in the Republic of Korea as a case study for a "modest critical pedagogy" (Tinning 2002). Focusing on the stress and resistances experienced during the introduction, we suggest a modest critical pedagogy that 1) makes the paradigm itself an…

Morphological and sedimentological responses of streams to human impact in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, USA

Treesearch

Katie Price; David S. Leigh

2006-01-01

Morphological and sedimentological responses of streams to basin-scale impact have been well documented for intensively agricultural or urban areas. Sensitivity thresholds of streams to modest levels of disturbance, however, are not well understood. This study addresses the influence of forest conversion on streams of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, a region that...

An Acceptance-Based Psychoeducation Intervention to Reduce Expressed Emotion in Relatives of Bipolar Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisner, Lori R.; Johnson, Sheri L.

2008-01-01

Expressed emotion (EE) is a robust predictor of outcome in bipolar disorder. Despite decades of research, interventions to reduce EE levels have had only modest effects. This study used an expanded model of EE to develop an intervention. Research has demonstrated a strong link between attributions and EE in families of patients with psychiatric…

Maintenance of Vinyl Asbestos and Asphalt Tile Floors in Institutional, Industrial and Commercial Buildings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asphalt and Vinyl Asbestos Tile Inst., New York, NY.

The claim is made that proper planning and modest outlays of time, labor, and material costs can provide and maintain a high appearance level for floors in institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings. Instructions for four basic steps in maintaining the good looks of vinyl asbestos and asphalt tile floors are treated in the booklet--(1)…

Cold tolerance and photosystem function in a montane red spruce population: physiological relationships with foliar carbohydrates

Treesearch

P.G. Schaberg; G.R. Strimbeck; G.J. Hawley; D.H. DeHayes; J.B. Shane; P.F. Murakami; T.D. Perkins; J.R. Donnelly; B.L. Wong

2000-01-01

Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) growing in northern montane forests of eastern North America appears to be distinctive with respect to at least two aspects of winter physiology. First, red spruce attains only a modest level of midwinter cold tolerance compared to other north temperate conifers and appears barely capable of avoiding freezing injury at...

The Ed.D. Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago: Using Continuous Improvement to Promote School Leadership Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosner, Shelby; Tozer, Steve; Smylie, Mark

2012-01-01

This article describes the process of replacing a modest Master's level school leader preparation program with an innovative Ed.D. program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The new doctoral program is intensive, highly selective, intellectually rigorous, and field-based. The authors provide side-by-side comparisons of the difference…

Cross Coursing in Mathematics: Physical Modelling in Differential Equations Crossing to Discrete Dynamical Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkel, Brian

2012-01-01

We give an example of cross coursing in which a subject or approach in one course in undergraduate mathematics is used in a completely different course. This situation crosses falling body modelling in an upper level differential equations course into a modest discrete dynamical systems unit of a first-year mathematics course. (Contains 1 figure.)

World Sounds through Universal Fellowship: Linking African Sounds through Collaborative Networking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopper, Christopher

2005-01-01

The Pan African Society of Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) initiated the concept of Music Action Research Teams (MAT cells) at the grass-roots level for the collaborative sharing and learning of educators throughout Africa. The current number of 27 cells in Africa is a modest realization of the society's aims. However, it is strongly felt that if…

Future Pacific Rim flows and prices of softwood logs, differentiated by grade.

Treesearch

Donald F. Flora; Andrea L. Anderson; Wendy J. McGInnls

1990-01-01

By 2000, prices are expected to rise significantly for medium-grade logs and modestly for low-grade logs. World economic cycles may obscure, however, the upward price trends. Exports from the United States of medium grades are expected to remain stable, while volumes of lower grades are projected to remain level through 1995 and then decline because of competition....

A preliminary study of the population-adjusted effectiveness of substance abuse prevention programming: towards making IOM program types comparable.

PubMed

Shamblen, Stephen R; Derzon, James H

2009-03-01

The Institute of Medicine distinguishes between programs based on who is targeted: the entire population (universal), those at risk (selective), or persons exhibiting the early stages of use or related problem behavior (indicated). Evaluations suggest that although universal programs can be effective in reducing and preventing substance use, selective and indicated programs are both more effective and have greater cost-benefit ratios. This paper tests these assumptions by comparing the impact of these program types in reducing and preventing substance use at the individual level (i.e., those exposed to intervention services) and in the population (i.e., those exposed and not exposed to intervention services). A meta-analysis was performed on 43 studies of 25 programs to examine program comparability across IOM categories. When examining unadjusted effect sizes at the individual level, universal programs were modestly more successful in reducing tobacco use, but selective and indicated programs were modestly more successful in reducing alcohol and marijuana use. When adjusted to the population level, the average effect sizes for selective and indicated programs were reduced by approximately half. At the population level, universal programs were more successful in reducing tobacco and marijuana use and selective and indicated programs were more successful in reducing alcohol use. Editors' Strategic Implications: the authors' focus on the public health value of a prevention strategy is compelling and provides a model for analyses of other strategies and content areas.

Tobacco Smoking and Brain Endogenous Opioid Release: More than Nicotine Alone.

PubMed

Domino, Edward F; Hirasawa-Fujita, Mika

2018-03-05

The effects of smoking denicotinized (denic) and average nicotine (avnic) tobacco cigarettes were studied on brain mu opioid receptor binding by positron emission tomography with 11C carfentanil. The results indicated the importance of physiological and psychological effects induced by denic smoking. Regional mu opioid binding potential (non-displaceable binding potential, BPND) was measured in 20 adult male overnight abstinent chronic tobacco smokers. The denic sessions were conducted about 8:00 AM followed by avnic sessions about 2 hours later. Venous plasma nicotine levels and scores of craving to smoke were assessed before and after each smoking session. Fagerstrom scores of nicotine dependence were determined. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation tests were used to examine associations between BPND and other smoking parameters. Surprisingly the very low plasma nicotine peak levels after denic smoking (mean±SD: 3.3±1.8 ng/ml) were significantly correlated with BPND after denic and avnic smoking. Equally surprising no association was found between nicotine levels after avnic smoking and BPND. Delta craving scores and Fagerstrom scores were correlated with both BPND after denic and avnic in several brain regions. Very small amounts of nicotine, psychological and behavioral effects of denic smoking appear to have important actions on the endogenous mu opioid system. Associations between very low venous plasma nicotine levels after denic smoking and regional brain mu opioid receptor availability are a surprising "placebo" effect. Delta craving and Fagerstrom scores were correlated with BPND in several brain regions including amygdala, hippocampus, insula, nucleus accumbens, putamen and ventral striatum. This study is limited by modest Power (mean 1-β=0.6) for all correlation analyses.

Genetic diminution of circulating prothrombin ameliorates multiorgan pathologies in sickle cell disease mice.

PubMed

Arumugam, Paritha I; Mullins, Eric S; Shanmukhappa, Shiva Kumar; Monia, Brett P; Loberg, Anastacia; Shaw, Maureen A; Rizvi, Tilat; Wansapura, Janaka; Degen, Jay L; Malik, Punam

2015-10-08

Sickle cell disease (SCD) results in vascular occlusions, chronic hemolytic anemia, and cumulative organ damage. A conspicuous feature of SCD is chronic inflammation and coagulation system activation. Thrombin (factor IIa [FIIa]) is both a central protease in hemostasis and a key modifier of inflammatory processes. To explore the hypothesis that reduced prothrombin (factor II [FII]) levels in SCD will limit vaso-occlusion, vasculopathy, and inflammation, we used 2 strategies to suppress FII in SCD mice. Weekly administration of FII antisense oligonucleotide "gapmer" to Berkeley SCD mice to selectively reduce circulating FII levels to ∼10% of normal for 15 weeks significantly diminished early mortality. More comprehensive, long-term comparative studies were done using mice with genetic diminution of circulating FII. Here, cohorts of FII(lox/-) mice (constitutively carrying ∼10% normal FII) and FII(WT) mice were tracked in parallel for a year following the imposition of SCD via hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This genetically imposed suppression of FII levels resulted in an impressive reduction in inflammation (reduction in leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, and circulating interleukin-6 levels), reduced endothelial cell dysfunction (reduced endothelial activation and circulating soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule), and a significant improvement in SCD-associated end-organ damage (nephropathy, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary inflammation, liver function, inflammatory infiltration, and microinfarctions). Notably, all of these benefits were achieved with a relatively modest 1.25-fold increase in prothrombin times, and in the absence of hemorrhagic complications. Taken together, these data establish that prothrombin is a powerful modifier of SCD-induced end-organ damage, and present a novel therapeutic target to ameliorate SCD pathologies. © 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.

Effects of Exercise on Progranulin Levels and Gliosis in Progranulin-Insufficient Mice.

PubMed

Arrant, Andrew E; Patel, Aashka R; Roberson, Erik D

2015-01-01

Loss-of-function mutations in progranulin ( GRN ) are one of the most common genetic causes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no available disease-modifying treatments. Through haploinsufficiency, these mutations reduce levels of progranulin, a protein that has neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory effects. Increasing progranulin expression from the intact allele is therefore a potential approach for treating individuals with GRN mutations. Based on the well-known effects of physical exercise on other neurotrophic factors, we hypothesized that exercise might increase brain progranulin levels. We tested this hypothesis in progranulin heterozygous ( Grn + / - ) mice, which model progranulin haploinsufficiency. We housed wild-type and progranulin-insufficient mice in standard cages or cages with exercise wheels for 4 or 7.5 weeks, and then measured brain and plasma progranulin levels. Although exercise modestly increased progranulin in very young (2-month-old) wild-type mice, this effect was limited to the hippocampus. Exercise did not increase brain progranulin mRNA or protein in multiple regions, nor did it increase plasma progranulin, in 4- to 8-month-old wild-type or Grn + / - mice, across multiple experiments and under conditions that increased hippocampal BDNF and neurogenesis. Grn - / - mice were included in the study to test for progranulin-independent benefits of exercise on gliosis. Exercise attenuated cortical microgliosis in 8-month-old Grn - / - mice, consistent with a progranulin-independent, anti-inflammatory effect of exercise. These results suggest that exercise may have some modest, nonspecific benefits for FTD patients with progranulin mutations, but do not support exercise as a strategy to raise progranulin levels.

CD1 Mouse Retina Is Shielded From Iron Overload Caused by a High Iron Diet

PubMed Central

Bhoiwala, Devang L.; Song, Ying; Cwanger, Alyssa; Clark, Esther; Zhao, Liang-liang; Wang, Chenguang; Li, Yafeng; Song, Delu; Dunaief, Joshua L.

2015-01-01

Purpose High RPE iron levels have been associated with age-related macular degeneration. Mutation of the ferroxidase ceruloplasmin leads to RPE iron accumulation and degeneration in patients with aceruloplasminemia; mice lacking ceruloplasmin and its homolog hephaestin have a similar RPE degeneration. To determine whether a high iron diet (HID) could cause RPE iron accumulation, possibly contributing to RPE oxidative stress in AMD, we tested the effect of dietary iron on mouse RPE iron. Methods Male CD1 strain mice were fed either a standard iron diet (SID) or the same diet with extra iron added (HID) for either 3 months or 10 months. Mice were analyzed with immunofluorescence and Perls' histochemical iron stain to assess iron levels. Levels of ferritin, transferrin receptor, and oxidative stress gene mRNAs were measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in neural retina (NR) and isolated RPE. Morphology was assessed in plastic sections. Results Ferritin immunoreactivity demonstrated a modest increase in the RPE in 10-month HID mice. Analysis by qPCR showed changes in mRNA levels of iron-responsive genes, indicating moderately increased iron in the RPE of 10-month HID mice. However, even by age 18 months, there was no Perls' signal in the retina or RPE and no retinal degeneration. Conclusions These findings indicate that iron absorbed from the diet can modestly increase the level of iron deposition in the wild-type mouse RPE without causing RPE or retinal degeneration. This suggests regulation of retinal iron uptake at the blood-retinal barriers. PMID:26275132

A genome-wide association study implicates diacylglycerol kinase eta (DGKH) and several other genes in the etiology of bipolar disorder

PubMed Central

Baum, AE; Akula, N; Cabanero, M; Cardona, I; Corona, W; Klemens, B; Schulze, TG; Cichon, S; Rietschel, M; Nöthen, MM; Georgi, A; Schumacher, J; Schwarz, M; Jamra, R Abou; Höfels, S; Propping, P; Satagopan, J; Detera-Wadleigh, SD; Hardy, J; McMahon, FJ

2008-01-01

The genetic basis of bipolar disorder has long been thought to be complex, with the potential involvement of multiple genes, but methods to analyze populations with respect to this complexity have only recently become available. We have carried out a genome-wide association study of bipolar disorder by genotyping over 550,000 SNPs in two independent case-control samples of European origin. The initial association screen was performed using pooled DNA; selected SNPs were confirmed by individual genotyping. While DNA pooling reduces power to detect genetic associations, there is a substantial cost savings and gain in efficiency. A total of 88 SNPs representing 80 different genes met the prior criteria for replication in both samples. Effect sizes were modest: no single SNP of large effect was detected. Of 37 SNPs selected for individual genotyping, the strongest association signal was detected at a marker within the first intron of DGKH (p = 1.5 × 10−8, experiment-wide p<0.01, OR= 1.59). This gene encodes diacylglycerol kinase eta, a key protein in the lithium-sensitive phosphatidyl inositol pathway. This first genome-wide association study of bipolar disorder shows that several genes, each of modest effect, reproducibly influence disease risk. Bipolar disorder may be a polygenic disease. PMID:17486107

Nova Upgrade: A proposed ICF facility to demonstrate ignition and gain, revision 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-07-01

The present objective of the national Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program is to determine the scientific feasibility of compressing and heating a small mass of mixed deuterium and tritium (DT) to conditions at which fusion occurs and significant energy is released. The potential applications of ICF will be determined by the resulting fusion energy yield (amount of energy produced) and gain (ratio of energy released to energy required to heat and compress the DT fuel). Important defense and civilian applications, including weapons physics, weapons effects simulation, and ultimately the generation of electric power will become possible if yields of 100 to 1,000 MJ and gains exceeding approximately 50 can be achieved. Once ignition and propagating bum producing modest gain (2 to 10) at moderate drive energy (1 to 2 MJ) has been achieved, the extension to high gain (greater than 50) is straightforward. Therefore, the demonstration of ignition and modest gain is the final step in establishing the scientific feasibility of ICF. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) proposes the Nova Upgrade Facility to achieve this demonstration by the end of the decade. This facility would be constructed within the existing Nova building at LLNL for a total cost of approximately $400 M over the proposed FY 1995-1999 construction period. This report discusses this facility.

The genetic basis of speciation in the Giliopsis lineage of Ipomopsis (Polemoniaceae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakazato, Takuya; Rieseberg, Loren H.; Wood, Troy E.

2013-01-01

One of the most powerful drivers of speciation in plants is pollinator-mediated disruptive selection, which leads to the divergence of floral traits adapted to the morphology and behavior of different pollinators. Despite the widespread importance of this speciation mechanism, its genetic basis has been explored in only a few groups. Here, we characterize the genetic basis of pollinator-mediated divergence of two species in genus Ipomopsis, I. guttata and I. tenuifolia, using quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses of floral traits and other variable phenotypes. We detected one to six QTLs per trait, with each QTL generally explaining small to modest amounts of the phenotypic variance of a backcross hybrid population. In contrast, flowering time and anthocyanin abundance (a metric of color variation) were controlled by a few QTLs of relatively large effect. QTLs were strongly clustered within linkage groups, with 26 of 37 QTLs localized to six marker-interval ‘hotspots,’ all of which harbored pleiotropic QTLs. In contrast to other studies that have examined the genetic basis of pollinator shifts, our results indicate that, in general, mutations of small to modest effect on phenotype were involved. Thus, the evolutionary transition between the distinct pollination modes of I. guttata and I. tenuifolia likely proceeded incrementally, rather than saltationally.

New Markers of Dietary Added Sugar Intake

PubMed Central

Davy, Brenda; Jahren, Hope

2016-01-01

Purpose of review Added sugar (AS) consumption is associated with adverse health outcomes including weight gain and cardio-metabolic disease, yet the reliance on self-reported methods to determine AS intake continues to be a significant research limitation. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in the development of two potential predictive biomarkers of added sugar intake: δ13C and urinary sugar excretion. Recent findings The results of numerous cross-sectional investigations have indicated modest associations of the δ13C sugar biomarker measured in a variety of sample types (e.g., fingerstick blood, serum, red blood cells, hair) with self-reported AS and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake, and δ13C values have been reported to change over time with changes in reported SSB intake. Results from large-scale trials have suggested modest associations of urinary sugar excretion with reported sugar intake, and a dose-response relation has been demonstrated between urinary sugar excretion and actual sugar intake. Summary Valid markers of sugar intake are urgently needed to more definitively determine the health consequences of AS intake. Adequately-powered controlled feeding studies are needed to validate and compare these two biomarkers of sugar intake, and to determine what individual characteristics and conditions impact biomarker results. PMID:27137898

Hormone therapy in menopausal women with cognitive complaints: a randomized, double-blind trial.

PubMed

Maki, P M; Gast, M J; Vieweg, A J; Burriss, S W; Yaffe, K

2007-09-25

To evaluate the effects of hormone therapy (HT) on cognition and subjective quality of life (QoL) in recently postmenopausal women with cognitive complaints. Cognitive Complaints in Early Menopause Trial (COGENT) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, pilot study of 180 healthy postmenopausal women aged 45 to 55 years, randomly assigned to receive either placebo or conjugated equine estrogen 0.625 mg/medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg for 4 months. Outcome measures included memory, subjective cognition, QoL, sexuality, and sleep, which were assessed at baseline and month 4. The study was terminated before the expected final sample size of 275 due to a decrease in enrollment coinciding with the publication of findings from the Women's Health Initiative. There were no differences between groups on any cognitive or QoL measures, except for an increase in sexual interest and thoughts with HT. Modest negative effects on short- and long-term verbal memory approached significance (p < 0.10). Women with baseline vasomotor symptoms (VMS) showed a decrease in VMS and an improvement in general QoL, but no cognitive benefit vs placebo. With the power to detect an effect size of >or=0.45, this study suggests potential modest negative effects on verbal memory that are consistent with previous hormone therapy trials in older women.

Case-mix adjustment of consumer reports about managed behavioral health care and health plans.

PubMed

Eselius, Laura L; Cleary, Paul D; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Huskamp, Haiden A; Busch, Susan H

2008-12-01

To develop a model for adjusting patients' reports of behavioral health care experiences on the Experience of Care and Health Outcomes (ECHO) survey to allow for fair comparisons across health plans. Survey responses from 4,068 individuals enrolled in 21 managed behavioral health plans who received behavioral health care within the previous year (response rate = 48 percent). Potential case-mix adjustors were evaluated by combining information about their predictive power and the amount of within- and between-plan variability. Changes in plan scores and rankings due to case-mix adjustment were quantified. The final case-mix adjustment model included self-reported mental health status, self-reported general health status, alcohol/drug treatment, age, education, and race/ethnicity. The impact of adjustment on plan report scores was modest, but large enough to change some plan rankings. Adjusting plan report scores on the ECHO survey for differences in patient characteristics had modest effects, but still may be important to maintain the credibility of patient reports as a quality metric. Differences between those with self-reported fair/poor health compared with those in excellent/very good health varied by plan, suggesting quality differences associated with health status and underscoring the importance of collecting quality information.

Predicting Successful Treatment Outcome of Web-Based Self-help for Problem Drinkers: Secondary Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Kramer, Jeannet; Keuken, Max; Smit, Filip; Schippers, Gerard; Cuijpers, Pim

2008-01-01

Background Web-based self-help interventions for problem drinking are coming of age. They have shown promising results in terms of cost-effectiveness, and they offer opportunities to reach out on a broad scale to problem drinkers. The question now is whether certain groups of problem drinkers benefit more from such Web-based interventions than others. Objective We sought to identify baseline, client-related predictors of the effectiveness of Drinking Less, a 24/7, free-access, interactive, Web-based self-help intervention without therapist guidance for problem drinkers who want to reduce their alcohol consumption. The intervention is based on cognitive-behavioral and self-control principles. Methods We conducted secondary analysis of data from a pragmatic randomized trial with follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Participants (N = 261) were adult problem drinkers in the Dutch general population with a weekly alcohol consumption above 210 g of ethanol for men or 140 g for women, or consumption of at least 60 g (men) or 40 g (women) one or more days a week over the past 3 months. Six baseline participant characteristics were designated as putative predictors of treatment response: (1) gender, (2) education, (3) Internet use competence (sociodemographics), (4) mean weekly alcohol consumption, (5) prior professional help for alcohol problems (level of problem drinking), and (6) participants’ expectancies of Web-based interventions for problem drinking. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, using last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) data, and regression imputation (RI) were performed to deal with loss to follow-up. Statistical tests for interaction terms were conducted and linear regression analysis was performed to investigate whether the participants’ characteristics as measured at baseline predicted positive treatment responses at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Results At 6 months, prior help for alcohol problems predicted a small, marginally significant positive treatment outcome in the RI model only (beta = .18, P = .05, R2 = .11). At 12 months, females displayed modest predictive power in both imputation models (LOCF: beta = .22, P = .045, R2 = .02; regression: beta = .27, P = .01, R2 = .03). Those with higher levels of education exhibited modest predictive power in the LOCF model only (beta = .33, P = .01, R2 = .03). Conclusions Although female and more highly educated users appeared slightly more likely to derive benefit from the Drinking Less intervention, none of the baseline characteristics we studied persuasively predicted a favorable treatment outcome. The Web-based intervention therefore seems well suited for a heterogeneous group of problem drinkers and could hence be offered as a first-step treatment in a stepped-care approach directed at problem drinkers in the general population. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 47285230; http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn47285230 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5cSR2sMkp). PMID:19033150

Predicting successful treatment outcome of web-based self-help for problem drinkers: secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Riper, Heleen; Kramer, Jeannet; Keuken, Max; Smit, Filip; Schippers, Gerard; Cuijpers, Pim

2008-11-22

Web-based self-help interventions for problem drinking are coming of age. They have shown promising results in terms of cost-effectiveness, and they offer opportunities to reach out on a broad scale to problem drinkers. The question now is whether certain groups of problem drinkers benefit more from such Web-based interventions than others. We sought to identify baseline, client-related predictors of the effectiveness of Drinking Less, a 24/7, free-access, interactive, Web-based self-help intervention without therapist guidance for problem drinkers who want to reduce their alcohol consumption. The intervention is based on cognitive-behavioral and self-control principles. We conducted secondary analysis of data from a pragmatic randomized trial with follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Participants (N = 261) were adult problem drinkers in the Dutch general population with a weekly alcohol consumption above 210 g of ethanol for men or 140 g for women, or consumption of at least 60 g (men) or 40 g (women) one or more days a week over the past 3 months. Six baseline participant characteristics were designated as putative predictors of treatment response: (1) gender, (2) education, (3) Internet use competence (sociodemographics), (4) mean weekly alcohol consumption, (5) prior professional help for alcohol problems (level of problem drinking), and (6) participants' expectancies of Web-based interventions for problem drinking. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, using last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) data, and regression imputation (RI) were performed to deal with loss to follow-up. Statistical tests for interaction terms were conducted and linear regression analysis was performed to investigate whether the participants' characteristics as measured at baseline predicted positive treatment responses at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. At 6 months, prior help for alcohol problems predicted a small, marginally significant positive treatment outcome in the RI model only (beta = .18, P = .05, R(2) = .11). At 12 months, females displayed modest predictive power in both imputation models (LOCF: beta = .22, P = .045, R(2) = .02; regression: beta = .27, P = .01, R(2) = .03). Those with higher levels of education exhibited modest predictive power in the LOCF model only (beta = .33, P = .01, R(2) = .03). Although female and more highly educated users appeared slightly more likely to derive benefit from the Drinking Less intervention, none of the baseline characteristics we studied persuasively predicted a favorable treatment outcome. The Web-based intervention therefore seems well suited for a heterogeneous group of problem drinkers and could hence be offered as a first-step treatment in a stepped-care approach directed at problem drinkers in the general population. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 47285230; http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn47285230 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5cSR2sMkp).

Hummingbird wing efficacy depends on aspect ratio and compares with helicopter rotors

PubMed Central

Kruyt, Jan W.; Quicazán-Rubio, Elsa M.; van Heijst, GertJan F.; Altshuler, Douglas L.; Lentink, David

2014-01-01

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can sustain hovering. This unique flight behaviour comes, however, at high energetic cost. Based on helicopter and aeroplane design theory, we expect that hummingbird wing aspect ratio (AR), which ranges from about 3.0 to 4.5, determines aerodynamic efficacy. Previous quasi-steady experiments with a wing spinner set-up provide no support for this prediction. To test this more carefully, we compare the quasi-steady hover performance of 26 wings, from 12 hummingbird taxa. We spun the wings at angular velocities and angles of attack that are representative for every species and measured lift and torque more precisely. The power (aerodynamic torque × angular velocity) required to lift weight depends on aerodynamic efficacy, which is measured by the power factor. Our comparative analysis shows that AR has a modest influence on lift and drag forces, as reported earlier, but interspecific differences in power factor are large. During the downstroke, the power required to hover decreases for larger AR wings at the angles of attack at which hummingbirds flap their wings (p < 0.05). Quantitative flow visualization demonstrates that variation in hover power among hummingbird wings is driven by similar stable leading edge vortices that delay stall during the down- and upstroke. A side-by-side aerodynamic performance comparison of hummingbird wings and an advanced micro helicopter rotor shows that they are remarkably similar. PMID:25079868

Applications of the Magnetocaloric Effect in Single-Stage, Multi-Stage and Continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter J.

2014-01-01

Adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators (ADR), based on the magnetocaloric effect, are solid-state coolers that were the first to achieve cooling well into the sub-kelvin regime. Although supplanted by more powerful dilution refrigerators in the 1960s, ADRs have experienced a revival due to the needs of the space community for cooling astronomical instruments and detectors to temperatures below 100 mK. The earliest of these were single-stage refrigerators using superfluid helium as a heat sink. Their modest cooling power (<1 µW at 60 mK[1]) was sufficient for the small (6x6) detector arrays[2], but recent advances in arraying and multiplexing technologies[3] are generating a need for higher cooling power (5-10 µW), and lower temperature (<30 mK). Single-stage ADRs have both practical and fundamental limits to their operating range, as mass grows very rapidly as the operating range is expanded. This has led to the development of new architectures that introduce multi-staging as a way to improve operating range, efficiency and cooling power. Multi-staging also enables ADRs to be configured for continuous operation, which greatly improves cooling power per unit mass. This paper reviews the current field of adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration, beginning with a description of the magnetocaloric effect and its application in single-stage systems, and then describing the challenges and capabilities of multi-stage and continuous ADRs.

Statistics and vertical directionality of low-frequency ambient noise at the North Pacific Acoustics Laboratory site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggeroer, Arthur B.; NPAL Group; Colosi, J. A.; Cornuelle, B. D.; Dushaw, B. D.; Dzieciuch, M. A.; Howe, B. M.; Mercer, J. A.; Munk, W. H.; Spindel, R. C.; Worcester, P. F.

2005-03-01

We examine statistical and directional properties of the ambient noise in the 10-100 Hz frequency band from the NPAL array. Marginal probability densities are estimated as well as mean square levels, skewness and kurtoses in third octave bands. The kurotoses are markedly different from Gaussian except when only distant shipping is present. Extremal levels reached ~150 dB re 1 μ Pa, suggesting levels 60dB greater than the mean ambient were common in the NPAL data sets. Generally, these were passing ships. We select four examples: i) quiescent noise, ii) nearby shipping, iii) whale vocalizations and iv) a micro earthquake for the vertical directional properties of the NPAL noise since they are representative of the phenomena encountered. We find there is modest broadband coherence for most of these cases in their occupancy band across the NPAL aperture. Narrowband coherence analysis from VLA to VLA was not successful due to ambiguities. Examples of localizing sources based upon this coherence are included. kw diagrams allow us to use data above the vertical aliasing frequency. Ducted propagation for both the quiescent and micro earthquake (T phase) are identified and the arrival angles of nearby shipping and whale vocalizations. MFP localizations were modestly successful for nearby sources, but long range ones could not be identified, most likely because of signal mismatch in the MFP replica. .

Acute Zika Virus Infection in an Endemic Area Shows Modest Proinflammatory Systemic Immunoactivation and Cytokine-Symptom Associations.

PubMed

Barros, Jéssica Barletto de Sousa; da Silva, Paulo Alex Neves; Koga, Rosemary de Carvalho Rocha; Gonzalez-Dias, Patrícia; Carmo Filho, José Rodrigues; Nagib, Patrícia Resende Alo; Coelho, Verônica; Nakaya, Helder I; Fonseca, Simone Gonçalves; Pfrimer, Irmtraut Araci Hoffmann

2018-01-01

An early immune response to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection may determine its clinical manifestation and outcome, including neurological effects. However, low-grade and transient viremia limits the prompt diagnosis of acute ZIKV infection. We have investigated the plasma cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor profiles of 36 individuals from an endemic area displaying different symptoms such as exanthema, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, fever, hyperemia, swelling, itching, and nausea during early-phase infection. These profiles were then associated with symptoms, revealing important aspects of the immunopathophysiology of ZIKV infection. The levels of some cytokines/chemokines were significantly higher in acute ZIKV-infected individuals compared to healthy donors, including interferon (IFN) gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-9, IL-7, IL-5, and IL-1ra, including some with predominantly immunoregulatory activity. Of note, we found that higher levels of IP-10 and IL-5 in ZIKV-infected individuals were strongly associated with exanthema and headache, respectively. Also, higher levels of IL-1ra were associated with subjects with arthralgia, whereas those with fever showed lower levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). No correlation was observed between the number of symptoms and ZIKV viral load. Interestingly, only IP-10 showed significantly decreased levels in the recovery phase. In conclusion, our results indicate that acute ZIKV infection in a larger cohort resident to an endemic area displays a modest systemic immune activation profile, involving both proinflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines and chemokines that could participate of virus control. In addition, we showed that differential cytokine/chemokine levels are related to specific clinical symptoms, suggesting their participation in underlying mechanisms.

A pilot, short-term dietary manipulation of branched chain amino acids has modest influence on fasting levels of branched chain amino acids.

PubMed

Cavallaro, Nicole Landa; Garry, Jamie; Shi, Xu; Gerszten, Robert E; Anderson, Ellen J; Walford, Geoffrey A

2016-01-01

Elevated fasting levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs: valine, isoleucine, leucine) in venous blood are associated with a variety of metabolic impairments, including increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Fasting BCAA levels are influenced by non-dietary factors. However, it is unknown whether fasting BCAAs can be altered through manipulation of dietary intake alone. To test whether a specific dietary intervention, using differences in BCAA intake, alters fasting BCAA levels independent of other factors. Five healthy male volunteers underwent 4 days of a low and 4 days of a high BCAA content dietary intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02110602]). All food and supplements were provided. Fasting BCAAs were measured from venous blood samples by mass spectrometry at baseline and after each intervention. Diets were isocaloric; contained equal percentages of calories from carbohydrate, fats, and protein; and differed from each other in BCAA content (1.5±0.1 vs. 14.0±0.6 g for valine; 4.5±0.9 g vs. 13.8±0.5 g for isoleucine; 2.1±0.2 g vs. 27.1±1.0 g for leucine; p<0.0001 for all). Fasting valine was significantly lower (p=0.02) and fasting isoleucine and leucine were numerically lower following the low BCAA content vs. the high BCAA content diet levels. The inter-individual response to the dietary interventions was variable and not explained by adherence. Short-term dietary manipulation of BCAA intake led to modest changes in fasting levels of BCAAs. The approach from our pilot study can be expanded to test the metabolic implications of dietary BCAA manipulation.

A pilot, short-term dietary manipulation of branched chain amino acids has modest influence on fasting levels of branched chain amino acids

PubMed Central

Cavallaro, Nicole Landa; Garry, Jamie; Shi, Xu; Gerszten, Robert E.; Anderson, Ellen J.; Walford, Geoffrey A.

2016-01-01

Background Elevated fasting levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs: valine, isoleucine, leucine) in venous blood are associated with a variety of metabolic impairments, including increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Fasting BCAA levels are influenced by non-dietary factors. However, it is unknown whether fasting BCAAs can be altered through manipulation of dietary intake alone. Objective To test whether a specific dietary intervention, using differences in BCAA intake, alters fasting BCAA levels independent of other factors. Design Five healthy male volunteers underwent 4 days of a low and 4 days of a high BCAA content dietary intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02110602]). All food and supplements were provided. Fasting BCAAs were measured from venous blood samples by mass spectrometry at baseline and after each intervention. Results Diets were isocaloric; contained equal percentages of calories from carbohydrate, fats, and protein; and differed from each other in BCAA content (1.5±0.1 vs. 14.0±0.6 g for valine; 4.5±0.9 g vs. 13.8±0.5 g for isoleucine; 2.1±0.2 g vs. 27.1±1.0 g for leucine; p<0.0001 for all). Fasting valine was significantly lower (p=0.02) and fasting isoleucine and leucine were numerically lower following the low BCAA content vs. the high BCAA content diet levels. The inter-individual response to the dietary interventions was variable and not explained by adherence. Conclusion Short-term dietary manipulation of BCAA intake led to modest changes in fasting levels of BCAAs. The approach from our pilot study can be expanded to test the metabolic implications of dietary BCAA manipulation. PMID:26781817

Exoskeleton Training May Improve Level of Physical Activity After Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series.

PubMed

Gorgey, Ashraf S; Wade, Rodney; Sumrell, Ryan; Villadelgado, Lynette; Khalil, Refka E; Lavis, Timothy

2017-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether the use of a powered exoskeleton can improve parameters of physical activity as determined by walking time, stand up time, and number of steps in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Three men with complete (1 C5 AIS A and 2 T4 AIS A) and one man with incomplete (C5 AIS D) SCI participated in a clinical rehabilitation program. In the training program, the participants walked once weekly using a powered exoskeleton (Ekso) for approximately 1 hour over the course of 10 to 15 weeks. Walking time, stand up time, ratio of walking to stand up time, and number of steps were determined. Oxygen uptake (L/min), energy expenditure, and body composition were measured in one participant after training. Results: Over the course of 10 to 15 weeks, the maximum walking time increased from 12 to 57 minutes and the number of steps increased from 59 to 2,284 steps. At the end of the training, the 4 participants were able to exercise for 26 to 59 minutes. For one participant, oxygen uptake increased from 0.27 L/min during rest to 0.55 L/min during walking. Maximum walking speed was 0.24 m/s, and delta energy expenditure increased by 1.4 kcal/min during walking. Body composition showed a modest decrease in absolute fat mass in one participant. Conclusion: Exoskeleton training may improve parameters of physical activity after SCI by increasing the number of steps and walking time. Other benefits may include increasing energy expenditure and improving the profile of body composition.

Design of the ITER Electron Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive Waveguide Transmission Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigelow, T. S.; Rasmussen, D. A.; Shapiro, M. A.; Sirigiri, J. R.; Temkin, R. J.; Grunloh, H.; Koliner, J.

2007-11-01

The ITER ECH transmission line system is designed to deliver the power, from twenty-four 1 MW 170 GHz gyrotrons and three 1 MW 127.5 GHz gyrotrons, to the equatorial and upper launchers. The performance requirements, initial design of components and layout between the gyrotrons and the launchers is underway. Similar 63.5 mm ID corrugated waveguide systems have been built and installed on several fusion experiments; however, none have operated at the high frequency and long-pulse required for ITER. Prototype components are being tested at low power to estimate ohmic and mode conversion losses. In order to develop and qualify the ITER components prior to procurement of the full set of 24 transmission lines, a 170 GHz high power test of a complete prototype transmission line is planned. Testing of the transmission line at 1-2 MW can be performed with a modest power (˜0.5 MW) tube with a low loss (10-20%) resonant ring configuration. A 140 GHz long pulse, 400 kW gyrotron will be used in the initial tests and a 170 GHz gyrotron will be used when it becomes available. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Dept. of Energy under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Two-tank working gas storage system for heat engine

DOEpatents

Hindes, Clyde J.

1987-01-01

A two-tank working gas supply and pump-down system is coupled to a hot gas engine, such as a Stirling engine. The system has a power control valve for admitting the working gas to the engine when increased power is needed, and for releasing the working gas from the engine when engine power is to be decreased. A compressor pumps the working gas that is released from the engine. Two storage vessels or tanks are provided, one for storing the working gas at a modest pressure (i.e., half maximum pressure), and another for storing the working gas at a higher pressure (i.e., about full engine pressure). Solenoid valves are associated with the gas line to each of the storage vessels, and are selectively actuated to couple the vessels one at a time to the compressor during pumpdown to fill the high-pressure vessel with working gas at high pressure and then to fill the low-pressure vessel with the gas at low pressure. When more power is needed, the solenoid valves first supply the low-pressure gas from the low-pressure vessel to the engine and then supply the high-pressure gas from the high-pressure vessel. The solenoid valves each act as a check-valve when unactuated, and as an open valve when actuated.

Kernel Machine SNP-set Testing under Multiple Candidate Kernels

PubMed Central

Wu, Michael C.; Maity, Arnab; Lee, Seunggeun; Simmons, Elizabeth M.; Harmon, Quaker E.; Lin, Xinyi; Engel, Stephanie M.; Molldrem, Jeffrey J.; Armistead, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Joint testing for the cumulative effect of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms grouped on the basis of prior biological knowledge has become a popular and powerful strategy for the analysis of large scale genetic association studies. The kernel machine (KM) testing framework is a useful approach that has been proposed for testing associations between multiple genetic variants and many different types of complex traits by comparing pairwise similarity in phenotype between subjects to pairwise similarity in genotype, with similarity in genotype defined via a kernel function. An advantage of the KM framework is its flexibility: choosing different kernel functions allows for different assumptions concerning the underlying model and can allow for improved power. In practice, it is difficult to know which kernel to use a priori since this depends on the unknown underlying trait architecture and selecting the kernel which gives the lowest p-value can lead to inflated type I error. Therefore, we propose practical strategies for KM testing when multiple candidate kernels are present based on constructing composite kernels and based on efficient perturbation procedures. We demonstrate through simulations and real data applications that the procedures protect the type I error rate and can lead to substantially improved power over poor choices of kernels and only modest differences in power versus using the best candidate kernel. PMID:23471868

Using public control genotype data to increase power and decrease cost of case-control genetic association studies.

PubMed

Ho, Lindsey A; Lange, Ethan M

2010-12-01

Genome-wide association (GWA) studies are a powerful approach for identifying novel genetic risk factors associated with human disease. A GWA study typically requires the inclusion of thousands of samples to have sufficient statistical power to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms that are associated with only modest increases in risk of disease given the heavy burden of a multiple test correction that is necessary to maintain valid statistical tests. Low statistical power and the high financial cost of performing a GWA study remains prohibitive for many scientific investigators anxious to perform such a study using their own samples. A number of remedies have been suggested to increase statistical power and decrease cost, including the utilization of free publicly available genotype data and multi-stage genotyping designs. Herein, we compare the statistical power and relative costs of alternative association study designs that use cases and screened controls to study designs that are based only on, or additionally include, free public control genotype data. We describe a novel replication-based two-stage study design, which uses free public control genotype data in the first stage and follow-up genotype data on case-matched controls in the second stage that preserves many of the advantages inherent when using only an epidemiologically matched set of controls. Specifically, we show that our proposed two-stage design can substantially increase statistical power and decrease cost of performing a GWA study while controlling the type-I error rate that can be inflated when using public controls due to differences in ancestry and batch genotype effects.

Cognitive styles in creative leadership practices: exploring the relationship between level and style.

PubMed

Isaksen, Scott G; Babij, Barbara J; Lauer, Kenneth J

2003-12-01

This study investigated the relationship between two measures used to assist change and transformation efforts, the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory which assesses style or manner of cognition and problem-solving, not level or capability, and the Leadership Practices Inventory which measures the extent to which leaders exhibit certain leadership behaviors associated with accomplishing extraordinary results. These two measures of level and style should be conceptually distinct and show no or only modest correlation. Analysis yielded statistically significant and meaningful relationships between scores on the Kirton inventory and two scales of the Leadership Practices Inventory. Implications and challenges for research and practice were outlined.

Thermal pollution impacts on rivers and power supply in the Mississippi River watershed

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

Miara, Ariel; Vorosmarty, Charles J.; Macknick, Jordan E.

Thermal pollution from power plants degrades riverine ecosystems with ramifications beyond the natural environment as it affects power supply. The transport of thermal effluents along river reaches may lead to plant-to-plant interferences by elevating condenser inlet temperatures at downstream locations, which lower thermal efficiencies and trigger regulatory-forced power curtailments. We evaluate thermal pollution impacts on rivers and power supply across 128 plants with once-through cooling technologies in the Mississippi River watershed. By leveraging river network topologies with higher resolutions (0.05 degrees) than previous studies, we reveal the need to address the issue in a more spatially resolved manner, capable ofmore » uncovering diverse impacts across individual plants, river reaches and sub-basins. Results show that the use of coarse river network resolutions may lead to substantial overestimations in magnitude and length of impaired river reaches. Overall, there is a modest limitation on power production due to thermal pollution, given existing infrastructure, regulatory and climate conditions. However, tradeoffs between thermal pollution and electricity generation show important implications for the role of alternative cooling technologies and environmental regulation under current and future climates. Recirculating cooling technologies may nearly eliminate thermal pollution and improve power system reliability under stressed climate-water conditions. Regulatory limits also reduce thermal pollution, but at the expense of significant reductions in electricity generation capacity. However, results show several instances when power production capacity rises at individual plants when regulatory limits reduce upstream thermal pollution. Furthermore, these dynamics across energy-water systems highlight the need for high-resolution simulations and the value of coherent planning and optimization across infrastructure with mutual dependencies on natural resources to overcome climate-water constraints on productivity and bring to fruition energy and environmental win-win opportunities.« less

Is a data set distributed as a power law? A test, with application to gamma-ray burst brightnesses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wijers, Ralph A. M. J.; Lubin, Lori M.

1994-01-01

We present a method to determine whether an observed sample of data is drawn from a parent distribution that is pure power law. The method starts from a class of statistics which have zero expectation value under the null hypothesis, H(sub 0), that the distribution is a pure power law: F(x) varies as x(exp -alpha). We study one simple member of the class, named the `bending statistic' B, in detail. It is most effective for detection a type of deviation from a power law where the power-law slope varies slowly and monotonically as a function of x. Our estimator of B has a distribution under H(sub 0) that depends only on the size of the sample, not on the parameters of the parent population, and is approximated well by a normal distribution even for modest sample sizes. The bending statistic can therefore be used to test a set of numbers is drawn from any power-law parent population. Since many measurable quantities in astrophysics have distriibutions that are approximately power laws, and since deviations from the ideal power law often provide interesting information about the object of study (e.g., a `bend' or `break' in a luminosity function, a line in an X- or gamma-ray spectrum), we believe that a test of this type will be useful in many different contexts. In the present paper, we apply our test to various subsamples of gamma-ray burst brightness from the first-year Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) catalog and show that we can only marginally detect the expected steepening of the log (N (greater than C(sub max))) - log (C(sub max)) distribution.

Thermal pollution impacts on rivers and power supply in the Mississippi River watershed

DOE PAGES

Miara, Ariel; Vorosmarty, Charles J.; Macknick, Jordan E.; ...

2018-03-08

Thermal pollution from power plants degrades riverine ecosystems with ramifications beyond the natural environment as it affects power supply. The transport of thermal effluents along river reaches may lead to plant-to-plant interferences by elevating condenser inlet temperatures at downstream locations, which lower thermal efficiencies and trigger regulatory-forced power curtailments. We evaluate thermal pollution impacts on rivers and power supply across 128 plants with once-through cooling technologies in the Mississippi River watershed. By leveraging river network topologies with higher resolutions (0.05 degrees) than previous studies, we reveal the need to address the issue in a more spatially resolved manner, capable ofmore » uncovering diverse impacts across individual plants, river reaches and sub-basins. Results show that the use of coarse river network resolutions may lead to substantial overestimations in magnitude and length of impaired river reaches. Overall, there is a modest limitation on power production due to thermal pollution, given existing infrastructure, regulatory and climate conditions. However, tradeoffs between thermal pollution and electricity generation show important implications for the role of alternative cooling technologies and environmental regulation under current and future climates. Recirculating cooling technologies may nearly eliminate thermal pollution and improve power system reliability under stressed climate-water conditions. Regulatory limits also reduce thermal pollution, but at the expense of significant reductions in electricity generation capacity. However, results show several instances when power production capacity rises at individual plants when regulatory limits reduce upstream thermal pollution. Furthermore, these dynamics across energy-water systems highlight the need for high-resolution simulations and the value of coherent planning and optimization across infrastructure with mutual dependencies on natural resources to overcome climate-water constraints on productivity and bring to fruition energy and environmental win-win opportunities.« less

Thermal pollution impacts on rivers and power supply in the Mississippi River watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miara, Ariel; Vörösmarty, Charles J.; Macknick, Jordan E.; Tidwell, Vincent C.; Fekete, Balazs; Corsi, Fabio; Newmark, Robin

2018-03-01

Thermal pollution from power plants degrades riverine ecosystems with ramifications beyond the natural environment as it affects power supply. The transport of thermal effluents along river reaches may lead to plant-to-plant interferences by elevating condenser inlet temperatures at downstream locations, which lower thermal efficiencies and trigger regulatory-forced power curtailments. We evaluate thermal pollution impacts on rivers and power supply across 128 plants with once-through cooling technologies in the Mississippi River watershed. By leveraging river network topologies with higher resolutions (0.05°) than previous studies, we reveal the need to address the issue in a more spatially resolved manner, capable of uncovering diverse impacts across individual plants, river reaches and sub-basins. Results show that the use of coarse river network resolutions may lead to substantial overestimations in magnitude and length of impaired river reaches. Overall, there is a modest limitation on power production due to thermal pollution, given existing infrastructure, regulatory and climate conditions. However, tradeoffs between thermal pollution and electricity generation show important implications for the role of alternative cooling technologies and environmental regulation under current and future climates. Recirculating cooling technologies may nearly eliminate thermal pollution and improve power system reliability under stressed climate-water conditions. Regulatory limits also reduce thermal pollution, but at the expense of significant reductions in electricity generation capacity. However, results show several instances when power production capacity rises at individual plants when regulatory limits reduce upstream thermal pollution. These dynamics across energy-water systems highlight the need for high-resolution simulations and the value of coherent planning and optimization across infrastructure with mutual dependencies on natural resources to overcome climate-water constraints on productivity and bring to fruition energy and environmental win-win opportunities.

A Robust Method of Measuring Other-Race and Other-Ethnicity Effects: The Cambridge Face Memory Test Format

PubMed Central

McKone, Elinor; Stokes, Sacha; Liu, Jia; Cohan, Sarah; Fiorentini, Chiara; Pidcock, Madeleine; Yovel, Galit; Broughton, Mary; Pelleg, Michel

2012-01-01

Other-race and other-ethnicity effects on face memory have remained a topic of consistent research interest over several decades, across fields including face perception, social psychology, and forensic psychology (eyewitness testimony). Here we demonstrate that the Cambridge Face Memory Test format provides a robust method for measuring these effects. Testing the Cambridge Face Memory Test original version (CFMT-original; European-ancestry faces from Boston USA) and a new Cambridge Face Memory Test Chinese (CFMT-Chinese), with European and Asian observers, we report a race-of-face by race-of-observer interaction that was highly significant despite modest sample size and despite observers who had quite high exposure to the other race. We attribute this to high statistical power arising from the very high internal reliability of the tasks. This power also allows us to demonstrate a much smaller within-race other ethnicity effect, based on differences in European physiognomy between Boston faces/observers and Australian faces/observers (using the CFMT-Australian). PMID:23118912

The changing source of X-ray reflection in the radio-intermediate Seyfert 1 galaxy III Zw 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, A. G.; Waddell, S. G. H.; Gallo, L. C.

2018-03-01

We report on X-ray observations of the radio-intermediate, X-ray bright Seyfert 1 galaxy, III Zw 2, obtained with XMM-Newton, Suzaku, and Swift over the past 17 yr. The source brightness varies significantly over yearly time-scales, but more modestly over periods of days. Pointed observations with XMM-Newton in 2000 and Suzaku in 2011 show spectral differences despite comparable X-ray fluxes. The Suzaku spectra are consistent with a power-law continuum and a narrow Gaussian emission feature at ˜6.4 keV, whereas the earlier XMM-Newton spectrum requires a broader Gaussian profile and soft-excess below ˜2 keV. A potential interpretation is that the primary power-law emission, perhaps from a jet base, preferentially illuminates the inner accretion disc in 2000, but the distant torus in 2011. The interpretation could be consistent with the hypothesized precessing radio jet in III Zw 2 that may have originated from disc instabilities due to an ongoing merging event.

The void spectrum in two-dimensional numerical simulations of gravitational clustering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kauffmann, Guinevere; Melott, Adrian L.

1992-01-01

An algorithm for deriving a spectrum of void sizes from two-dimensional high-resolution numerical simulations of gravitational clustering is tested, and it is verified that it produces the correct results where those results can be anticipated. The method is used to study the growth of voids as clustering proceeds. It is found that the most stable indicator of the characteristic void 'size' in the simulations is the mean fractional area covered by voids of diameter d, in a density field smoothed at its correlation length. Very accurate scaling behavior is found in power-law numerical models as they evolve. Eventually, this scaling breaks down as the nonlinearity reaches larger scales. It is shown that this breakdown is a manifestation of the undesirable effect of boundary conditions on simulations, even with the very large dynamic range possible here. A simple criterion is suggested for deciding when simulations with modest large-scale power may systematically underestimate the frequency of larger voids.

Modeling of a solar-pumped iodine laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Lee, J. H.

1980-01-01

The direct conversion in space of solar radiation into laser radiation for power transmission to earth, satellites, or deep space probes shows promise as a reasonably simple technology and may have cost advantage in deployment and greater reliability compared to other methods of space power generation and transmission. The main candidates for solar pumping are the gas dynamic, photochemical, and direct photoexcited lasers. Here consideration is given to the photochemical reaction of alkyliodides which predominantly excite the I(2P1/2) state which then lases at 1.315 microns. The iodine ground state is eventually lost to reconstituting the gas or in the formation of molecular iodine. The rates at which the gas is required to be recycled through the laser system are modest. The side exposure at 100-fold solar concentration of a 100-m long tube with a 1 sq m cross section is estimated to provide 20 kW of continuous laser output. Scaling laws and optimum operating conditions of this system are discussed.

Exome sequencing of extreme phenotypes identifies DCTN4 as a modifier of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Emond, Mary J; Louie, Tin; Emerson, Julia; Zhao, Wei; Mathias, Rasika A; Knowles, Michael R; Wright, Fred A; Rieder, Mark J; Tabor, Holly K; Nickerson, Deborah A; Barnes, Kathleen C; Gibson, Ronald L; Bamshad, Michael J

2012-07-08

Exome sequencing has become a powerful and effective strategy for the discovery of genes underlying Mendelian disorders. However, use of exome sequencing to identify variants associated with complex traits has been more challenging, partly because the sample sizes needed for adequate power may be very large. One strategy to increase efficiency is to sequence individuals who are at both ends of a phenotype distribution (those with extreme phenotypes). Because the frequency of alleles that contribute to the trait are enriched in one or both phenotype extremes, a modest sample size can potentially be used to identify novel candidate genes and/or alleles. As part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Exome Sequencing Project (ESP), we used an extreme phenotype study design to discover that variants in DCTN4, encoding a dynactin protein, are associated with time to first P. aeruginosa airway infection, chronic P. aeruginosa infection and mucoid P. aeruginosa in individuals with cystic fibrosis.

Cavity-enhanced optical bottle beam as a mechanical amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freegarde, Tim; Dholakia, Kishan

2002-07-01

We analyze the resonant cavity enhancement of a hollow ``optical bottle beam'' for the dipole-force trapping of dark-field-seeking species. We first improve upon the basic bottle beam by adding further Laguerre-Gaussian components to deepen the confining potential. Each of these components itself corresponds to a superposition of transverse cavity modes, which are then enhanced simultaneously in a confocal cavity to produce a deep optical trap needing only a modest incident power. The response of the trapping field to displacement of the cavity mirrors offers an unusual form of mechanical amplifier in which the Gouy phase shift produces an optical Vernier scale between the Laguerre-Gaussian beam components.

AmeriFlux US-WCr Willow Creek

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

Desai, Ankur

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-WCr Willow Creek. Site Description - Upland decduous broadleaf forest. Mainly sugar maple, also basswood. Uniform stand atop a very modest hill. Clearcut approximately 80 years ago. Chosen to be representative of the upland deciduous broadleaf forests within the WLEF tall tower flux footprint. It appears to be more heavily forested and more productive than most of the upland deciduous broadleaf forests in the WLEF flux footprint (see publications for more details). It is also important that SE winds are screened from the flux data (see Cookmore » et al, 2004 for details). Propane generator power.« less

1980 scrubber highlights: dry-process startups, dual-alkali progress highlight scrubber advances

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

Not Available

1981-06-01

A survey of electric utilities reports scrubbers on 13% of existing capacity and estimates 29% by 1990, but compliance with the New Source Performance Standards may raise the total even higher. Dry scrubbers at two Northern States Power installations show test performances that indicate sound design and report modest manpower requirements. Other utilities are ordering demonstration dry-scrubber units, although orders for wet scrubbers continue to do well. A new dual-alkali scrubber is performing well at three installations in terms of availability and sulfur-dioxide-removal efficiency. A full-scale utility dump site test will identify any hazardous materials in pollution control ash andmore » sludge wastes. (DCK)« less

Laser radar range and detection performance for MEMS corner cube retroreflector arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grasso, Robert J.; Odhner, Jefferson E.; Stewart, Hamilton; McDaniel, Robert V.

2004-12-01

BAE SYSTEMS reports on a program to characterize the performance of MEMS corner cube retroreflector arrays under laser illumination. These arrays have significant military and commercial application in the areas of: 1) target identification; 2) target tracking; 3) target location; 4) identification friend-or-foe (IFF); 5) parcel tracking, and; 6) search and rescue assistance. BAE SYSTEMS has theoretically determined the feasibility of these devices to learn if sufficient signal-to-noise performance exists to permit a cooperative laser radar sensor to be considered for device location and interrogation. Results indicate that modest power-apertures are required to achieve SNR performance consistent with high probability of detection and low false alarm rates.

Laser radar range and detection performance for MEMS corner cube retroreflector arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grasso, Robert J.; Jost, Steven R.; Smith, M. J.; McDaniel, Robert V.

2004-01-01

BAE SYSTEMS reports on a program to characterize the performance of MEMS corner cube retroreflector arrays under laser illumination. These arrays have significant military and commercial application in the areas of: (1) target identification; (2) target tracking; (3) target location; (4) identification friend-or-foe (IFF); (5) parcel tracking, and; (6) search and rescue assistance. BAE SYSTEMS has theoretically determined the feasibility of these devices to learn if sufficient signal-to-noise performance exists to permit a cooperative laser radar sensor to be considered for device location and interrogation. Results indicate that modest power-apertures are required to achieve SNR performance consistent with high probability of detection and low false alarm rates.

The physics design of accelerator-driven transmutation systems

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

Venneri, F.

1995-10-01

Nuclear systems under study in the Los Alamos Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology program (ADTT) will allow the destruction of nuclear spent fuel and weapons-return plutonium, as well as the production of nuclear energy from the thorium cycle, without a long-lived radioactive waste stream. The subcritical systems proposed represent a radical departure from traditional nuclear concepts (reactors), yet the actual implementation of ADTT systems is based on modest extrapolations of existing technology. These systems strive to keep the best that the nuclear technology has developed over the years, within a sensible conservative design envelope and eventually manage to offer a safe, lessmore » expensive and more environmentally sound approach to nuclear power.« less

An analysis of the sectorial influence of CSI300 stocks within the directed network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mai, Yong; Chen, Huan; Meng, Lei

2014-02-01

This paper uses the Partial Correlation Planar maximally filtered Graph (PCPG) method to construct a directed network for the constituent stocks underlying the China Securities Index 300 (CSI300). We also analyse the impact of individual stocks. We find that the CSI300 market is a scale-free network with a relatively small power law exponent. The volatility of the stock prices has significant impact on other stocks. In the sectorial network, the industrial sector is the most influential one over other sectors, the financial sector only has a modest influence, while the telecommunication services sector’s influence is marginal. In addition, such inter-sector influence displays quarterly stability.

Geolocation applications of the Gonets LEO messaging satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlasov, Vladimir N.; Ashjaee, Javad M.

Geostationary satellites carry a majority of the international telecommunications traffic not carried by transoceanic cable. However, because the radio path links to and from geostationary satellites total at least 70,000 km and because of inherent on-board spacecraft power limitations, earth stations used in conjunction with geostationary satellites are usually large and expensive. This limits their installation to areas with a well-developed industrial and economic infrastructure. This reality helps perpetuate a chicken egg dilemma for the developing countries and isolated regions. Economic integration with the developed world requires being 'networked'. But for many developing entities, even the initial price of entry exceeds their modest resources. Exclusion from the global information highways virtually assures retardation of economic growth for developing nations, remote and isolated areas. Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) earth stations are often thought of as a solution for networking developing regions. But economic considerations often forecloses this option. If VSAT size and cost is to be minimized, powerful spot beams from the satellite need to be focused on relatively small regions. This is not often feasible because of the high cost of the satellite itself. To dedicate a high power spot beam to a small region is usually not economically feasible.

Geolocation applications of the Gonets LEO messaging satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlasov, Vladimir N.; Ashjaee, Javad M.

1993-01-01

Geostationary satellites carry a majority of the international telecommunications traffic not carried by transoceanic cable. However, because the radio path links to and from geostationary satellites total at least 70,000 km and because of inherent on-board spacecraft power limitations, earth stations used in conjunction with geostationary satellites are usually large and expensive. This limits their installation to areas with a well-developed industrial and economic infrastructure. This reality helps perpetuate a chicken egg dilemma for the developing countries and isolated regions. Economic integration with the developed world requires being 'networked'. But for many developing entities, even the initial price of entry exceeds their modest resources. Exclusion from the global information highways virtually assures retardation of economic growth for developing nations, remote and isolated areas. Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) earth stations are often thought of as a solution for networking developing regions. But economic considerations often forecloses this option. If VSAT size and cost is to be minimized, powerful spot beams from the satellite need to be focused on relatively small regions. This is not often feasible because of the high cost of the satellite itself. To dedicate a high power spot beam to a small region is usually not economically feasible.

The effects of electronic cigarette emissions on systemic cotinine levels, weight and postnatal lung growth in neonatal mice.

PubMed

McGrath-Morrow, Sharon A; Hayashi, Madoka; Aherrera, Angela; Lopez, Armando; Malinina, Alla; Collaco, Joseph M; Neptune, Enid; Klein, Jonathan D; Winickoff, Jonathan P; Breysse, Patrick; Lazarus, Philip; Chen, Gang

2015-01-01

Electronic cigarette (E-cigarettes) emissions present a potentially new hazard to neonates through inhalation, dermal and oral contact. Exposure to nicotine containing E-cigarettes may cause significant systemic absorption in neonates due to the potential for multi-route exposure. Systemic absorption of nicotine and constituents of E-cigarette emissions may adversely impact weight and lung development in the neonate. To address these questions we exposed neonatal mice to E-cigarette emissions and measured systemic cotinine levels and alveolar lung growth. Neonatal mice were exposed to E-cigarettes for the first 10 days of life. E-cigarette cartridges contained either 1.8% nicotine in propylene glycol (PG) or PG vehicle alone. Daily weights, plasma and urine cotinine levels and lung growth using the alveolar mean linear intercept (MLI) method were measured at 10 days of life and compared to room air controls. Mice exposed to 1.8% nicotine/PG had a 13.3% decrease in total body weight compared to room air controls. Plasma cotinine levels were found to be elevated in neonatal mice exposed to 1.8% nicotine/PG E-cigarettes (mean 62.34± 3.3 ng/ml). After adjusting for sex and weight, the nicotine exposed mice were found to have modestly impaired lung growth by MLI compared to room air control mice (p<.054 trial 1; p<.006 trial 2). These studies indicate that exposure to E-cigarette emissions during the neonatal period can adversely impact weight gain. In addition exposure to nicotine containing E-cigarettes can cause detectable levels of systemic cotinine, diminished alveolar cell proliferation and a modest impairment in postnatal lung growth.

Effects of Exercise on Progranulin Levels and Gliosis in Progranulin-Insufficient Mice1,2,3

PubMed Central

Arrant, Andrew E.; Patel, Aashka R.

2015-01-01

Abstract Loss-of-function mutations in progranulin (GRN) are one of the most common genetic causes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no available disease-modifying treatments. Through haploinsufficiency, these mutations reduce levels of progranulin, a protein that has neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory effects. Increasing progranulin expression from the intact allele is therefore a potential approach for treating individuals with GRN mutations. Based on the well-known effects of physical exercise on other neurotrophic factors, we hypothesized that exercise might increase brain progranulin levels. We tested this hypothesis in progranulin heterozygous (Grn+/−) mice, which model progranulin haploinsufficiency. We housed wild-type and progranulin-insufficient mice in standard cages or cages with exercise wheels for 4 or 7.5 weeks, and then measured brain and plasma progranulin levels. Although exercise modestly increased progranulin in very young (2-month-old) wild-type mice, this effect was limited to the hippocampus. Exercise did not increase brain progranulin mRNA or protein in multiple regions, nor did it increase plasma progranulin, in 4- to 8-month-old wild-type or Grn+/− mice, across multiple experiments and under conditions that increased hippocampal BDNF and neurogenesis. Grn−/−mice were included in the study to test for progranulin-independent benefits of exercise on gliosis. Exercise attenuated cortical microgliosis in 8-month-old Grn−/−mice, consistent with a progranulin-independent, anti-inflammatory effect of exercise. These results suggest that exercise may have some modest, nonspecific benefits for FTD patients with progranulin mutations, but do not support exercise as a strategy to raise progranulin levels. PMID:26361634

Serum levels of cytokines in water buffaloes experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica.

PubMed

Zhang, Fu-Kai; Guo, Ai-Jiang; Hou, Jun-Ling; Sun, Miao-Miao; Sheng, Zhao-An; Zhang, Xiao-Xuan; Huang, Wei-Yi; Elsheikha, Hany M; Zhu, Xing-Quan

2017-09-15

Fasciola gigantica infection in water buffaloes causes significant economic losses especially in developing countries. Although modulation of the host immune response by cytokine neutralization or vaccination is a promising approach to control infection with this parasite, our understanding of cytokine's dynamic during F. gigantica infection is limited. To address this, we quantified the levels of serum cytokines produced in water buffaloes following experimental infection with F. gigantica. Five buffaloes were infected via oral gavage with 500 viable F. gigantica metacercariae and blood samples were collected from buffaloes one week before infection and for 13 consecutive weeks thereafter. The levels of 10 cytokines in serum samples were simultaneously determined using ELISA. F. gigantica failed to elicit the production of various pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, and IFN-γ. On the other hand, evidence of a Th2 type response was detected, but only early in the course of parasite colonization and included modest increase in the levels of IL-10 and IL-13. The results also revealed suppression of the immune responses as a feature of chronic F. gigantica infection in buffaloes. Taken together, F. gigantica seems to elicit a modest Th2 response at early stage of infection in order to downregulate harmful Th1- and Th17-type inflammatory responses in experimentally infected buffaloes. The full extent of anti-F. gigantica immune response and its relation to pathogenesis requires further study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Making the Grid "Smart" Through "Smart" Microgrids: Real-Time Power Management of Microgrids with Multiple Distributed Generation Sources Using Intelligent Control

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

Nehrir, M. Hashem

In this Project we collaborated with two DOE National Laboratories, Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBL). Dr. Hammerstrom of PNNL initially supported our project and was on the graduate committee of one of the Ph.D. students (graduated in 2014) who was supported by this project. He is also a committee member of a current graduate student of the PI who was supported by this project in the last two years (August 2014-July 2016). The graduate student is now supported be the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Montana State University (MSU). Dr. Chris Marneymore » of LBL provided actual load data, and the software WEBOPT developed at LBL for microgrid (MG) design for our project. NEC-Labs America, a private industry, also supported our project, providing expert support and modest financial support. We also used the software “HOMER,” originally developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the most recent version made available to us by HOMER Energy, Inc., for MG (hybrid energy system) unit sizing. We compared the findings from WebOpt and HOMER and designed appropriately sized hybrid systems for our case studies. The objective of the project was to investigate real-time power management strategies for MGs using intelligent control, considering maximum feasible energy sustainability, reliability and efficiency while, minimizing cost and undesired environmental impact (emissions). Through analytic and simulation studies, we evaluated the suitability of several heuristic and artificial-intelligence (AI)-based optimization techniques that had potential for real-time MG power management, including genetic algorithms (GA), ant colony optimization (ACO), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and multi-agent systems (MAS), which is based on the negotiation of smart software-based agents. We found that PSO and MAS, in particular, distributed MAS, were more efficient and better suited for our work. We investigated the following: • Intelligent load control - demand response (DR) - for frequency stabilization in islanded MGs (partially supported by PNNL). • The impact of high penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV)-generated power at the distribution level (partially supported by PNNL). • The application of AI approaches to renewable (wind, PV) power forecasting (proposed by the reviewers of our proposal). • Application of AI approaches and DR for real-time MG power management (partially supported by NEC Labs-America) • Application of DR in dealing with the variability of wind power • Real-time MG power management using DR and storage (partially supported by NEC Labs-America) • Application of DR in enhancing the performance of load-frequency controller • MAS-based whole-sale and retail power market design for smart grid A« less

Effects of short-term modest weight loss on fasting and post-prandial lipoprotein sub-fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

PubMed

Ybarra, J; James, R W; Makoundou, V; Bioletto, S; Golay, A

2001-12-01

We assessed the efficacy of a modest weight loss (1.5 +/- 0.3 kg) and simultaneous rapid improvement in glycemic control on fasting an post-prandial lipoprotein sub-fractions in nine overweight (BMI=28 +/- 1.7 kg/m(2)) well controlled Type 2 diabetic patients (HbA(1c)=7.3 +/- 0.1%). They followed a non-drastical hypocaloric balanced diet (1 561 +/- 39 kcal/day) over ten days in hospital. The fat content of the diet was significantly lowered from 96 +/- 12 g/day to 62 +/- 4 g/day (p<0.03). Plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels were measured in fasting and four hours after standard breakfast and four hours after standard lunch twice before and after ten days of hospitalization. The sub-fractions of very low density and low density lipoprotein were obtained by cumulative flotation ultracentrifugation. This weight loss reduced two well known independent cardiovascular risk factors such as the post-prandial glycemic excursions (p<0.05) and the post-prandial lipemia (p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses identified weight loss as an independent variable accounting for the ability to predict post-prandial capillary triglyceride clearance (p<0.05). Improvements in post-prandial glycemic excursions which was also entered as a parameter did not appear as a variable being able to predict these changes (p=0.4). In addition to the 23% improvement in post-prandial capillary triglyceride clearance (p<0.02), a decrement in post-prandial VLDL-2 triglyceride enrichment was found (p<0.05). Finally, fasting and post-prandial LDL-3 cholesterol levels were diminished (p<0.05) and the LDL-2/LDL-3 mass ratio post-prandial kinetics were improved (p<0.05). Even a modest weight loss in overweight, average controlled type 2 diabetic patients can achieve a significant improvement in two cardiovascular risk factors, namely post-prandial triglyceride excursions and the LDL-2/LDL-3 mass ratio kinetics independently from glycemic control improvements.

Mild KCC2 Hypofunction Causes Inconspicuous Chloride Dysregulation that Degrades Neural Coding

PubMed Central

Doyon, Nicolas; Prescott, Steven A.; De Koninck, Yves

2016-01-01

Disinhibition caused by Cl− dysregulation is implicated in several neurological disorders. This form of disinhibition, which stems primarily from impaired Cl− extrusion through the co-transporter KCC2, is typically identified by a depolarizing shift in GABA reversal potential (EGABA). Here we show, using computer simulations, that intracellular [Cl−] exhibits exaggerated fluctuations during transient Cl− loads and recovers more slowly to baseline when KCC2 level is even modestly reduced. Using information theory and signal detection theory, we show that increased Cl− lability and settling time degrade neural coding. Importantly, these deleterious effects manifest after less KCC2 reduction than needed to produce the gross changes in EGABA required for detection by most experiments, which assess KCC2 function under weak Cl− load conditions. By demonstrating the existence and functional consequences of “occult” Cl− dysregulation, these results suggest that modest KCC2 hypofunction plays a greater role in neurological disorders than previously believed. PMID:26858607

Structure of health-enhancing behavior in adolescence: a latent-variable approach.

PubMed

Donovan, J E; Jessor, R; Costa, F M

1993-12-01

The structure of the interrelations among a variety of health-enhancing behaviors was examined using structural equation modeling analyses of questionnaire data from 1,280 middle school students and 2,219 high school students. The health-enhancing behaviors included seat belt use, adequate hours of sleep, attention to healthy diet, adequate exercise, low sedentary behavior, and regular toothbrushing. In the middle school sample, all of the health-enhancing behaviors correlated significantly but modestly with each other, except for sleep with toothbrushing. In the high school sample, all but three of the 15 correlations among the behaviors were significant. The results further show that a single underlying factor can account for the modest correlations among these health-enhancing behaviors in both samples. The generality of the single-factor model was also established for male, female, White, Hispanic, and Black students at each school level. These findings provide some support for the existence of health-related lifestyles in adolescence.

Effect of ethanol on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolism (CMRO2) in conscious sheep

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

Krasney, J.A.; Zubkov, B.; Iwamoto, J.

1991-03-11

A moderate dose of ethanol severely depresses CBF and CMRO2 in the awake sheep fetus. However, the effects of ethanol on CBF and CMRO2 in the adult are unclear. The same dose of ethanol was infused for 2 hr in 5 ewes instrumented with aortic, left ventricular and sagittal sinus catheters. Ethanol caused ataxia accompanied by early modest and variable increases of total and regional CBF and CMRO2, followed by later modest and variable decreases of total and regional CBF (cerebellum) and CMRO2. Ethanol caused a cerebral transcapillary fluid shift as indicated by significant increases of the arterial-cerebral venous differencesmore » for hematocrit and hemoglobin. Brain wet-dry ratios increased by 10% above control levels. However, cerebral venous pressures were unchanged. The authors conclude that the adult cerebral response to ethanol differs quantitatively from that of the fetus. The functional significance of the cerebral fluid shift is unclear.« less

Omega-3 fatty acid monotherapy for pediatric bipolar disorder: a prospective open-label trial.

PubMed

Wozniak, Janet; Biederman, Joseph; Mick, Eric; Waxmonsky, James; Hantsoo, Liisa; Best, Catherine; Cluette-Brown, Joanne E; Laposata, Michael

2007-01-01

To test the effectiveness and safety of omega-3 fatty acids (Omegabrite(R) brand) in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder (BPD). Subjects (N=20) were outpatients of both sexes, 6 to 17 years of age, with a DSM-IV diagnosis of BPD and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score of >15 treated over an 8-week period in open-label trial with omega-3 fatty acids 1290 mg-4300 mg combined EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Subjects experienced a statistically significant but modest 8.9+/-2.9 point reduction in the YMRS scores (baseline YMRS=28.9+/-10.1; endpoint YMRS=19.1+/-2.6, p<0.001). Adverse events were few and mild. Red blood cell membrane levels of EPA and DHA increased in treated subjects. As only 35% of these subjects had a response by the usual accepted criteria of >50% decrease on the YMRS, omega-3 fatty acids treatment was associated with a very modest improvement in manic symptoms in children with BPD.

Sleep and Hypertension

PubMed Central

Harding, Susan M.

2010-01-01

Ambulatory BP studies indicate that even small increases in BP, particularly nighttime BP levels, are associated with significant increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, sleep-related diseases that induce increases in BP would be anticipated to substantially affect cardiovascular risk. Both sleep deprivation and insomnia have been linked to increases in incidence and prevalence of hypertension. Likewise, sleep disruption attributable to restless legs syndrome increases the likelihood of having hypertension. Observational studies demonstrate a strong correlation between the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the risk and severity of hypertension, whereas prospective studies of patients with OSA demonstrate a positive relationship between OSA and risk of incident hypertension. Intervention trials with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) indicate a modest, but inconsistent effect on BP in patients with severe OSA and a greater likelihood of benefit in patients with most CPAP adherence. Additional prospective studies are needed to reconcile observational studies suggesting that OSA is a strong risk factor for hypertension with the modest antihypertensive effects of CPAP observed in intervention studies. PMID:20682533

Protease Profiling in Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-01

the study reaffirms the significance of FAS in tumor ability to inhibit fatty-acid synthase, Orlistat halts tumor cell proliferation, Induces tumor...The study also indicates that compounds with reac- tive 13-lactones, such as Orlistat , should be evaluated as potential INTRODUCTION antitumor agents...any effects of Orlistat (240 mg/kg/day) on hematocrit point , however, only a modest effect was observed on death of the or WBC levels (data not shown

Sensitivity of Pliocene Arctic climate to orbital forcing, atmospheric CO2 and sea ice albedo parameterisation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howell, Fergus W.; Haywood, Alan M.; Dowsett, Harry J.; Pickering, Steven J.

2016-01-01

With varying CO2, orbit and sea ice albedo values we are able to reproduce proxy temperature records that lean towards modest levels of high latitude warming, but other proxy data showing greater warming remain beyond the reach of our model. This highlights the importance of additional proxy records at high latitudes and ongoing efforts to compare proxy signals between sites.

The 64 meter antenna operation at K sub A band

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, P. D.

1980-01-01

The future potential of the 32 GHz K sub A band frequency region to planetary exploration, and the expected performance of the 64 m antenna network at 32 GHz is addressed. A modest level of noninterference upgrade work is assumed to achieve reasonable antenna aperture efficiency and alleviate antenna pointing difficulties. Electronic compensation of antenna aperture phasing errors is briefly considered as an alternative to the physical upgrade.

Testosterone in human studies: Modest associations between plasma and salivary measurements.

PubMed

de Wit, A E; Bosker, F J; Giltay, E J; de Kloet, C S; Roelofs, K; van Pelt, J; Penninx, B W J H; Schoevers, R A

2018-02-01

Testosterone is involved in many processes like aggression and mood disorders. As it may easily diffuse from blood into saliva, salivary testosterone is thought to reflect plasma free testosterone level. If so, it would provide a welcome noninvasive and less stressful alternative to blood sampling. Past research did not reveal consensus regarding the strength of the association, but sample sizes were small. This study aimed to analyse the association in a large cohort. In total, 2,048 participants (age range 18-65 years; 696 males and 1,352 females) were included and saliva (using cotton Salivettes) and plasma were collected for testosterone measurements. Levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and radioimmunoassay respectively. Free testosterone was calculated by the Vermeulen algorithm. Associations were determined using linear regression analyses. Plasma total and free testosterone showed a significant association with salivary testosterone in men (adjusted β = .09, p = .01; and β = .15, p < .001, respectively) and in women (adjusted β = .08, p = .004; and crude β = .09, p = .002 respectively). The modest associations indicate that there are many influencing factors of both technical and biological origin. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Whose "Storm and Stress" Is It? Parent and Child Reports of Personality Development in the Transition to Early Adolescence.

PubMed

Göllner, Richard; Roberts, Brent W; Damian, Rodica I; Lüdtke, Oliver; Jonkmann, Kathrin; Trautwein, Ulrich

2017-06-01

The present study investigated Big Five personality trait development in the transition to early adolescence (from the fifth to eighth grade). Personality traits were assessed in 2,761 (47% female) students over a 3-year period of time. Youths' self-reports and parent ratings were used to test for cross-informant agreement. Acquiescent responding and measurement invariance were established with latent variable modeling. Growth curve models revealed three main findings: (a) Normative mean-level changes occurred for youths' self-report data and parent ratings with modest effects in both cases. (b) Agreeableness and Openness decreased for self-reports and parent ratings, whereas data source differences were found for Conscientiousness (decreased for self-reports and remained stable for parent ratings), Extraversion (increased for self-reports and decreased for parent ratings), and Neuroticism (remained stable for self-reports and decreased for parent ratings). (c) Girls showed a more mature personality overall (self-reports and parent ratings revealed higher levels of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness) and became more extraverted in the middle of adolescence (self-reports). Personality changes modestly during early adolescence whereby change does not occur in the direction of maturation, and substantial differences exist between parent ratings and self-reports. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heat and extension at mid- and lower crustal levels of the Rio Grande rift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, K. H.; Baldridge, W. S.; Callender, J. F.

1985-01-01

The process by which large amounts (50 to 200 percent) of crustal extension are produced was concisely described by W. Hamilton in 1982 and 1983. More recently, England, Sawyer, P. Morgan and others have moved toward quantifying models of lithospheric thinning by incorporating laboratory and theoretical data on rock rheology as a function of composition, temperature, and strain rate. Hamilton's description identifies three main crustal layers, each with a distinctive mechanical behavior; brittle fracturing and rotation in the upper crust, discontinuous ductile flow in the middle crust and laminar ductile flow in the lower crust. The temperature and composition dependent brittle-ductile transition essentially defines the diffuse boundary between upper and middle crust. It was concluded that the heat responsible for the highly ductile nature of the lower crust and the lensoidal and magma body structures at mid-crustal depths in the rift was infused into the crust by relatively modest ( 10 percent by mass) magmatic upwelling (feeder dikes) from Moho levels. Seismic velocity-versus-depth data, supported by gravity modeling and the fact that volumes of rift related volcanics are relatively modest ( 6000 cubic km) for the Rio Grande system, all imply velocities and densities too small to be consistent with a massive, composite, mafic intrusion in the lower crust.

Some ways in which neighborhoods, nuclear families, friendship groups, and schools jointly affect changes in early adolescent development.

PubMed

Cook, Thomas D; Herman, Melissa R; Phillips, Meredith; Settersten, Richard A

2002-01-01

This study assessed some ways in which schools, neighborhoods, nuclear families, and friendship groups jointly contribute to positive change during early adolescence. For each context, existing theory was used to develop a multiattribute index that should promote successful development. Descriptive analyses showed that the four resulting context indices were only modestly intercorrelated at the individual student level (N = 12,398), but clustered more tightly at the school and neighborhood levels (N = 23 and 151 respectively). Only for aggregated units did knowing the developmental capacity of any one context strongly predict the corresponding capacity of the other contexts. Analyses also revealed that each context facilitated individual change in a success index that tapped into student academic performance, mental health, and social behavior. However, individual context effects were only modest in size over the 19 months studied and did not vary much by context. The joint influence of all four contexts was cumulatively large, however, and because it was generally additive in form, no constellation of contexts was identified whose total effect reliably surpassed the sum of its individual context main effects. These results suggest that achieving significant population changes in multidimensional student growth during early adolescence most likely requires both theory and interventions that are explicitly pan-contextual.

Performance of ITER as a burning plasma experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, M.; Mukhovatov, V.; Federici, G.; Gribov, Y.; Kukushkin, A.; Murakami, Y.; Polevoi, A.; Pustovitov, V.; Sengoku, S.; Sugihara, M.

2004-02-01

Recent performance analysis has improved confidence in achieving Q (= fusion power/auxiliary heating power)geq 10 in inductive operation in ITER. Performance analysis based on empirical scalings shows the feasibility of achieving Q geq 10 in inductive operation, particularly with improved modelling of helium exhaust. Analysis has also indicated the possibility that ITER can potentially demonstrate Q ~ 50, enabling studies of self-heated plasmas. Theory-based core modelling indicates the need for a high pedestal temperature (3.2-5.3 keV) to achieve Q geq 10, which is in the range of projections with presently available pedestal scalings. Pellet injection from the high-field side would be useful in enhancing Q and reducing edge localized mode (ELM) heat load in high plasma current operation. If the ELM heat load is not acceptable, it could be made tolerable by further tilting the target plate. Steady state operation scenarios at Q = 5 have been developed with modest requirements on confinement improvement and beta (HH98(y,2) geq 1.3 and bgrN geq 2.6). Stabilization of the resistive wall modes (RWMs), required in such regimes, is feasible with the present saddle coils and power supplies with double-wall structures taken into account. Recent analysis shows a potential of high power steady state operation with a fusion power of 0.7 GW at Q ~ 8. Achievement of the required bgrN ~ 3.6 by RWM stabilization is a possibility. Further analysis is also needed on reduction of the divertor target heat load.

Effect of a fish oil-containing beverage on changes in plasma lipid fatty acids in patients with malabsorption

PubMed Central

McCowen, Karen C.; Ling, Pei-Ra; Ollero, Mario; Tawa, Nicholas; Bistrian, Bruce R.

2015-01-01

Background The aim of this pilot study was to assess tolerance of a beverage containing ω-3 fatty acids (fish oil) in patients with malabsorption receiving chronic parenteral nutrition (PN). We wanted to determine whether fish oil could be absorbed and incorporated into plasma fatty acids, and reduce markers of inflammation. Methods This was a small intervention study in home-dwelling PN-dependent patients with chronic malabsorption. Ten patients were provided a drink containing 1.5g of fish oil per day for 12 weeks. Baseline and post-supplement serum fatty acid profiles were compared. Results Five of 10 patients withdrew from the study due to gastrointestinal side effects, principally worsened diarrhea, associated with the supplement. Modest increases were found in 20:5ω-3, 22:5ω-3, and 22:6ω-3 levels in both phospholipids and triglycerides in plasma (all p<0.05). In phospholipids, a reduced arachidonic acid level was seen (p=0.02). These changes were not sufficient to effect improvements in serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), soluble TNF receptor, c-reactive protein or Interleukin-6. Conclusions Some patients with severe malabsorption can absorb oral ω-3 fatty acid supplements and can incorporate these fatty acids into serum phospholipids and triglycerides. However, side effects are very common, and no anti-inflammatory effect was found, presumably related to the modest level of fatty acid change. PMID:20962312

Is there a financial incentive to immigrate? Examining of the health worker salary gap between India and popular destination countries.

PubMed

George, Gavin; Rhodes, Bruce

2017-10-19

International migration is one of the factors resulting in the shortage of Human Resources for Health (HRH) in India. Literature suggests that migration is fuelled by the prospect of higher salaries available abroad. The extent of these salary differentials are unknown, and this study seeks to examine the salaries of selected HRH in India and four popular destination countries (United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and the United Arab Emirates), whilst accounting for the in-country cost of living. This study will therefore determine truer financial incentives for Indian HRH to migrate abroad. A purchasing power parity (PPP) ratio is employed to equalise the international price of buying a representative basket of commonly bought goods (including food, entertainment, fuel and utilities). Using the PPP index, real differences in salaries are directly compared for selected work categories and different levels of work experience in the four respective countries. Nurses in the USA can earn up to 82.7% more than their Indian counterparts. Nurses in Canada and the UAE reveal more modest salary differentials, yet still significant better off by up to 28 and 20% respectively. Only nurses in the UK are potentially materially worse off than nurses working in India. We observe significant potential PPP gains of up to 57.4, 99.1 and 94.4% for medical doctors in the USA, Canada and the UAE respectively. Medical specialists potentially experience the greatest income disparities with anaesthetists potentially earning up to 600% more than their counterparts in India. Radiologists operating in the UK and general surgeons working in the USA can potentially earn more than double that of their counterparts working in India. We observe more modest positive or negligible PPP gains in other selected countries for health specialists. Even when considering the differences in the cost of living, the financial incentive for selected cadres of Indian HRH to seek work abroad remains strong. The migration of Indian HRH to countries offering superior salaries makes it difficult for India to retain experienced health personal and compromises government efforts to render health care more accessible across the country.

Metabolic phenotype-microRNA data fusion analysis of the systemic consequences of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

PubMed

Wu, Q; Li, J V; Seyfried, F; le Roux, C W; Ashrafian, H; Athanasiou, T; Fenske, W; Darzi, A; Nicholson, J K; Holmes, E; Gooderham, N J

2015-07-01

Bariatric surgery offers sustained marked weight loss and often remission of type 2 diabetes, yet the mechanisms of establishment of these health benefits are not clear. We mapped the coordinated systemic responses of gut hormones, the circulating miRNAome and the metabolome in a rat model of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. The response of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) to RYGB was striking and selective. Analysis of 14 significantly altered circulating miRNAs within a pathway context was suggestive of modulation of signaling pathways including G protein signaling, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and growth and apoptosis responses. Concomitant alterations in the metabolome indicated increased glucose transport, accelerated glycolysis and inhibited gluconeogenesis in the liver. Of particular significance, we show significantly decreased circulating miRNA-122 levels and a more modest decline in hepatic levels, following surgery. In mechanistic studies, manipulation of miRNA-122 levels in a cell model induced changes in the activity of key enzymes involved in hepatic energy metabolism, glucose transport, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, pentose phosphate shunt, fatty-acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis, consistent with the findings of the in vivo surgery-mediated responses, indicating the powerful homeostatic activity of the miRNAs. The close association between energy metabolism, neuronal signaling and gut microbial metabolites derived from the circulating miRNA, plasma, urine and liver metabolite and gut hormone correlations further supports an enhanced gut-brain signaling, which we suggest is hormonally mediated by both traditional gut hormones and miRNAs. This transomic approach to map the crosstalk between the circulating miRNAome and metabolome offers opportunities to understand complex systems biology within a disease and interventional treatment setting.

Metabolic phenotype-microRNA data fusion analysis of the systemic consequences of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

PubMed Central

Wu, Q; Li, J V; Seyfried, F; le Roux, C W; Ashrafian, H; Athanasiou, T; Fenske, W; Darzi, A; Nicholson, J K; Holmes, E; Gooderham, N J

2015-01-01

Background/Objectives: Bariatric surgery offers sustained marked weight loss and often remission of type 2 diabetes, yet the mechanisms of establishment of these health benefits are not clear. Subjects/Methods: We mapped the coordinated systemic responses of gut hormones, the circulating miRNAome and the metabolome in a rat model of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Results: The response of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) to RYGB was striking and selective. Analysis of 14 significantly altered circulating miRNAs within a pathway context was suggestive of modulation of signaling pathways including G protein signaling, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and growth and apoptosis responses. Concomitant alterations in the metabolome indicated increased glucose transport, accelerated glycolysis and inhibited gluconeogenesis in the liver. Of particular significance, we show significantly decreased circulating miRNA-122 levels and a more modest decline in hepatic levels, following surgery. In mechanistic studies, manipulation of miRNA-122 levels in a cell model induced changes in the activity of key enzymes involved in hepatic energy metabolism, glucose transport, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, pentose phosphate shunt, fatty-acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis, consistent with the findings of the in vivo surgery-mediated responses, indicating the powerful homeostatic activity of the miRNAs. Conclusions: The close association between energy metabolism, neuronal signaling and gut microbial metabolites derived from the circulating miRNA, plasma, urine and liver metabolite and gut hormone correlations further supports an enhanced gut-brain signaling, which we suggest is hormonally mediated by both traditional gut hormones and miRNAs. This transomic approach to map the crosstalk between the circulating miRNAome and metabolome offers opportunities to understand complex systems biology within a disease and interventional treatment setting. PMID:25783038

Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again.

PubMed

Carroll, Kathleen M; Kiluk, Brian D

2017-12-01

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches have among the highest level of empirical support for the treatment of drug and alcohol use disorders. As Psychology of Addictive Behaviors marks its 30th anniversary, we review the evolution of CBT for the addictions through the lens of the Stage Model of Behavioral Therapies Development. The large evidence base from Stage II randomized clinical trials indicates a modest effect size with evidence of relatively durable effects, but limited diffusion in clinical practice, as is the case for most empirically validated approaches for mental health and addictive disorders. Technology may provide a means for CBT interventions to circumvent the "implementation cliff" in Stages III-V by offering a flexible, low-cost, standardized means of disseminating CBT in a range of novel settings and populations. Moreover, returning to Stage I to reconnect clinical applications of CBT to recent developments in cognitive science and neuroscience holds great promise for accelerating understanding of mechanisms of action. It is critical that CBT not be considered as a static intervention, but rather 1 that constantly evolves and is refined through the stage model until the field achieves a maximally powerful intervention that addresses core features of the addictions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Does blood pressure lowering treatment prevents dementia or cognitive decline in patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease?

PubMed

Feigin, Valery; Ratnasabapathy, Yogini; Anderson, Craig

2005-03-15

There is increasing evidence that both hypertension and stroke play important roles in the development of cognitive decline and dementia. Despite five high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in this area to date, there remains uncertainty about the role of blood pressure lowering therapy in the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. It appears that lack of definitive results from these trials can be explained on the basis of (a) insufficient power to detect modest treatment effects; (b) measurement error in the diagnosis of dementia; (c) variations in the treatment effects between different types of antihypertensive agents; and (d) bias due to missing data, variation in baseline factors such as levels of blood pressure, and the inclusion of patients with cognitive impairment at entry. Preliminary meta-analysis of RCTs supports the hypothesis that blood pressure lowering may prevent dementia in high-risk patients, that is those with vascular disease. However, a meta-analysis of individual patient data (IPD) from these, and other relevant trials in patients with vascular disease, would provide much more reliable data. If the hypothesis were confirmed, it would certainly be of considerable importance not only in terms of our understanding of the aetiology of dementia, but also in promoting blood pressure lowering strategies for broader public health good.

The Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study: Insights on System Stress: Preprint

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

Bloom, Aaron; Novacheck, Josh

The Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study (ERGIS) explores the operational impacts of the wide spread adoption of wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) resources in North America's Eastern and Quebec Interconnections. We explore the impact of large scale adoption of wind and solar generation on the unit commitment and economic dispatch of the largest coordinated power system in the world by simulating hourly and five-minute operations. Using NREL's high-performance computing capabilities and new methodologies to model operations, we found that the modeled system, as simulated with evolutionary change in 2026, could balance the variability and uncertainty of wind and solar PVmore » at a five-minute level under a variety of conditions. Our simulations achieve instantaneous penetrations that exceed 50% of load while meeting an annual penetration of 30% on an energy basis. The system meets balanced load and supply in all intervals, with modest curtailment, using technologies and practices that are widely available today. However, a variety of the conditions present in these simulations deviate substantially from historical practice. In this work, we analyze potentially stressful system conditions that occur in the simulations and identify opportunities for innovation, regulatory reform, and changes in operating practices that require further analysis to enable the transition to a system with more wind and solar PV.« less

Physical controls on total and methylmercury concentrations in streams and lakes of the northeastern USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shanley, J.B.; Kamman, N.C.; Clair, T.A.; Chalmers, A.

2005-01-01

The physical factors controlling total mercury (HgT) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in lakes and streams of northeastern USA were assessed in a regional data set containing 693 HgT and 385 corresponding MeHg concentrations in surface waters. Multiple regression models using watershed characteristics and climatic variables explained 38% or less of the variance in HgT and MeHg. Land cover percentages and soil permeability generally provided modest predictive power. Percent wetlands alone explained 19% of the variance in MeHg in streams at low-flow, and it was the only significant (p < 0.02) predictor for MeHg in lakes, albeit explaining only 7% of the variance. When stream discharge was added as a variable it became the dominant predictor for HgT in streams, improving the model r 2 from 0.19 to 0.38. Stream discharge improved the MeHg model more modestly, from r 2 of 0.25 to 0.33. Methylation efficiency (MeHg/HgT) was modeled well (r 2 of 0.78) when a seasonal term was incorporated (sine wave with annual period). Physical models explained 18% of the variance in fish Hg concentrations in 134 lakes and 55% in 20 reservoirs. Our results highlight the important role of seasonality and short-term hydrologic changes to the delivery of Hg to water bodies. ?? 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Upper body contributions to power generation during rapid, overhand throwing in humans.

PubMed

Roach, Neil T; Lieberman, Daniel E

2014-06-15

High-speed and accurate throwing is a distinctive human behavior. Achieving fast projectile speeds during throwing requires a combination of elastic energy storage at the shoulder, as well as the transfer of kinetic energy from proximal body segments to distal segments. However, the biomechanical bases of these mechanisms are not completely understood. We used inverse dynamics analyses of kinematic data from 20 baseball players fitted with four different braces that inhibit specific motions to test a model of power generation at key joints during the throwing motion. We found that most of the work produced during throwing is generated at the hips, and much of this work (combined with smaller contributions from the pectoralis major) is used to load elastic elements in the shoulder and power the rapid acceleration of the projectile. Despite rapid angular velocities at the elbow and wrist, the restrictions confirm that much of the power generated to produce these distal movements comes from larger proximal segments, such as the shoulder and torso. Wrist hyperextension enhances performance only modestly. Together, our data also suggest that heavy reliance on elastic energy storage may help explain some common throwing injuries and can provide further insight into the evolution of the upper body and when our ancestors first developed the ability to produce high-speed throws. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Joint Discussion 14 Modeling dense stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sills, Alison I.; Subr, Ladislav; Portegies Zwart, Simon F.

2007-08-01

Joint Discussion 14 was held at the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union from August 17 until 23 in the beautiful Bohemian capital, Prague. The blueprints for this meeting were laid out during the MODEST-5 workshop, held in the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario in August 2004. We were sitting in a nice cafe with local brew and food, discussing the future of the MODEST community when we posed the idea for this Joint Discussion at the General Assembly. The meeting was then coined MODEST-7.

Adversarial risk analysis with incomplete information: a level-k approach.

PubMed

Rothschild, Casey; McLay, Laura; Guikema, Seth

2012-07-01

This article proposes, develops, and illustrates the application of level-k game theory to adversarial risk analysis. Level-k reasoning, which assumes that players play strategically but have bounded rationality, is useful for operationalizing a Bayesian approach to adversarial risk analysis. It can be applied in a broad class of settings, including settings with asynchronous play and partial but incomplete revelation of early moves. Its computational and elicitation requirements are modest. We illustrate the approach with an application to a simple defend-attack model in which the defender's countermeasures are revealed with a probability less than one to the attacker before he decides on how or whether to attack. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

High-resolution simulations of the thermophysiological effects of human exposure to 100 MHz RF energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, David A.; Curran, Allen R.; Nyberg, Hans A.; Marttila, Eric A.; Mason, Patrick A.; Ziriax, John M.

2013-03-01

Human exposure to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy is known to result in tissue heating and can raise temperatures substantially in some situations. Standards for safe exposure to RF do not reflect bio-heat transfer considerations however. Thermoregulatory function (vasodilation, sweating) may mitigate RF heating effects in some environments and exposure scenarios. Conversely, a combination of an extreme environment (high temperature, high humidity), high activity levels and thermally insulating garments may exacerbate RF exposure and pose a risk of unsafe temperature elevation, even for power densities which might be acceptable in a normothermic environment. A high-resolution thermophysiological model, incorporating a heterogeneous tissue model of a seated adult has been developed and used to replicate a series of whole-body exposures at a frequency (100 MHz) which approximates that of human whole-body resonance. Exposures were simulated at three power densities (4, 6 and 8 mW cm-2) plus a sham exposure and at three different ambient temperatures (24, 28 and 31 °C). The maximum hypothalamic temperature increase over the course of a 45 min exposure was 0.28 °C and occurred in the most extreme conditions (Tamb = 31 °C, PD = 8 mW cm-2). Skin temperature increases attributable to RF exposure were modest, with the exception of a ‘hot spot’ in the vicinity of the ankle where skin temperatures exceeded 39 °C. Temperature increases in internal organs and tissues were small, except for connective tissue and bone in the lower leg and foot. Temperature elevation also was noted in the spinal cord, consistent with a hot spot previously identified in the literature.

A Big Data Approach to Analyzing Market Volatility

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

Wu, Kesheng; Bethel, E. Wes; Gu, Ming

2013-06-05

Understanding the microstructure of the financial market requires the processing of a vast amount of data related to individual trades, and sometimes even multiple levels of quotes. Analyzing such a large volume of data requires tremendous computing power that is not easily available to financial academics and regulators. Fortunately, public funded High Performance Computing (HPC) power is widely available at the National Laboratories in the US. In this paper we demonstrate that the HPC resource and the techniques for data-intensive sciences can be used to greatly accelerate the computation of an early warning indicator called Volume-synchronized Probability of Informed tradingmore » (VPIN). The test data used in this study contains five and a half year's worth of trading data for about 100 most liquid futures contracts, includes about 3 billion trades, and takes 140GB as text files. By using (1) a more efficient file format for storing the trading records, (2) more effective data structures and algorithms, and (3) parallelizing the computations, we are able to explore 16,000 different ways of computing VPIN in less than 20 hours on a 32-core IBM DataPlex machine. Our test demonstrates that a modest computer is sufficient to monitor a vast number of trading activities in real-time – an ability that could be valuable to regulators. Our test results also confirm that VPIN is a strong predictor of liquidity-induced volatility. With appropriate parameter choices, the false positive rates are about 7% averaged over all the futures contracts in the test data set. More specifically, when VPIN values rise above a threshold (CDF > 0.99), the volatility in the subsequent time windows is higher than the average in 93% of the cases.« less

Exoskeleton Training May Improve Level of Physical Activity After Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series

PubMed Central

Wade, Rodney; Sumrell, Ryan; Villadelgado, Lynette; Khalil, Refka E.; Lavis, Timothy

2017-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether the use of a powered exoskeleton can improve parameters of physical activity as determined by walking time, stand up time, and number of steps in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Three men with complete (1 C5 AIS A and 2 T4 AIS A) and one man with incomplete (C5 AIS D) SCI participated in a clinical rehabilitation program. In the training program, the participants walked once weekly using a powered exoskeleton (Ekso) for approximately 1 hour over the course of 10 to 15 weeks. Walking time, stand up time, ratio of walking to stand up time, and number of steps were determined. Oxygen uptake (L/min), energy expenditure, and body composition were measured in one participant after training. Results: Over the course of 10 to 15 weeks, the maximum walking time increased from 12 to 57 minutes and the number of steps increased from 59 to 2,284 steps. At the end of the training, the 4 participants were able to exercise for 26 to 59 minutes. For one participant, oxygen uptake increased from 0.27 L/min during rest to 0.55 L/min during walking. Maximum walking speed was 0.24 m/s, and delta energy expenditure increased by 1.4 kcal/min during walking. Body composition showed a modest decrease in absolute fat mass in one participant. Conclusion: Exoskeleton training may improve parameters of physical activity after SCI by increasing the number of steps and walking time. Other benefits may include increasing energy expenditure and improving the profile of body composition. PMID:29339900

High-resolution simulations of the thermophysiological effects of human exposure to 100 MHz RF energy.

PubMed

Nelson, David A; Curran, Allen R; Nyberg, Hans A; Marttila, Eric A; Mason, Patrick A; Ziriax, John M

2013-03-21

Human exposure to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy is known to result in tissue heating and can raise temperatures substantially in some situations. Standards for safe exposure to RF do not reflect bio-heat transfer considerations however. Thermoregulatory function (vasodilation, sweating) may mitigate RF heating effects in some environments and exposure scenarios. Conversely, a combination of an extreme environment (high temperature, high humidity), high activity levels and thermally insulating garments may exacerbate RF exposure and pose a risk of unsafe temperature elevation, even for power densities which might be acceptable in a normothermic environment. A high-resolution thermophysiological model, incorporating a heterogeneous tissue model of a seated adult has been developed and used to replicate a series of whole-body exposures at a frequency (100 MHz) which approximates that of human whole-body resonance. Exposures were simulated at three power densities (4, 6 and 8 mW cm(-2)) plus a sham exposure and at three different ambient temperatures (24, 28 and 31 °C). The maximum hypothalamic temperature increase over the course of a 45 min exposure was 0.28 °C and occurred in the most extreme conditions (T(AMB) = 31 °C, PD = 8 mW cm(-2)). Skin temperature increases attributable to RF exposure were modest, with the exception of a 'hot spot' in the vicinity of the ankle where skin temperatures exceeded 39 °C. Temperature increases in internal organs and tissues were small, except for connective tissue and bone in the lower leg and foot. Temperature elevation also was noted in the spinal cord, consistent with a hot spot previously identified in the literature.

Puberty, Differentiation and Breast Cancer Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-01

tetracycline or doxocycline to culture medium. We designed hammerhead ribozymes which recognize four different regions of mBrca2, 6 Proprietary Data DAMD17...containing a ribozyme directed against the 5’ end of mBrca2 appear to show dox-dependent regulation of Brca2 levels (as measured by Western blot...for possible modest regulation), we have designed ribozymes which recognize human and mouse BRCA2 sequence, and we intend to create tet-inducible

Implications of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 on Performance Evaluation in Navy Field Level Activity Comptroller Departments.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

application. This was accomplished by the collection and survey of informa- tion regarding the three positions to be studied in this thesis. The...modestly, expand the scope of collective bargaining, including covering many statutory appeals by the negotiated grievance procedure. Employees will have...current inventory of budget plans and program schedules; c. Budget formulation, review and execution; d. Collection of obligation, expenditure, cost, and

New Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) markers for tetraploid oat (Avena magna Murphy et Terrell) provide the first complete oat linkage map and markers linked to domestication genes from hexaploid A. sativa L.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutritional benefits of cultivated oat (Avena sativa L., 2n = 6x = 42, AACCDD genomes) are well recognized; however, seed protein levels are modest and genetic resources for protein improvement are scarce. The wild tetraploid A. magna Ladiz. contains approximately 31% seed protein and has been hybr...

Aquarius Reflector Surface Temperature Monitoring Test and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Jamie; Lee, Siu-Chun; Becker, Ray

2008-01-01

The presentation addresses how to infer the front side temperatures for the Aquarius L-band reflector based upon backside measurement sites. Slides discussing the mission objectives and design details are at the same level found on typical project outreach websites and in conference papers respectively. The test discussion provides modest detail of an ordinary thermal balance test using mockup hardware. The photographs show an off-Lab vacuum chamber facility with no compromising details.

Aptamer-Targeted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents and Their Applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Yajie; Zhang, Tingting; Liu, Min; Kuang, Ye; Zu, Guangyue; Zhang, Kunchi; Cao, Yi; Pei, Renjun

2018-06-01

Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful diagnostic technology with high spatial resolution and non-invasion. The contrast agents have significant effect on the resolution of the MR imaging. However, the commercial contrast agents (CAs) usually consist of individual Gd3+ chelated with a low molecular weight acyclic or cyclic ligand, and these small-molecule CAs are usually subjected to nonspecificity, thus leading to rapid renal clearance and modest contrast enhancement for tumor imaging. In recent years, the nanostructured materials conjugated with aptamers were widely used and opened a new door in biomedical imaging due to excellent specificity, non-immunogenicity, easily synthesis and chemical modification of aptamers. This review summarizes all kinds of aptamertargeted MRI CAs and their applications.

Mobile satellite communications - Vehicle antenna technology update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, D.; Naderi, F. M.

1986-01-01

This paper discusses options for vehicle antennas to be used in mobile satellite communications systems. Two types of antennas are identified. A non-steerable, azimuthally omnidirectional antenna with a modest gain of 3 to 5 dBi is suggested when a low cost is desired. Alternatively, mechanically or electronically steerable antennas with a higher gain of 10 to 12 dBi are suggested to alleviate power and spectrum scarcity associated with mobile satellite communications. For steerable antennas, both open-loop and closed-loop pointing schemes are discussed. Monopulse and sequential lobing are proposed for the mechanically steered and electronically steered antennas, respectively. This paper suggests a hybrid open-loop/closed-loop pointing technique as the best performer in the mobile satellite environment.

One-step volumetric additive manufacturing of complex polymer structures

DOE PAGES

Shusteff, Maxim; Browar, Allison E. M.; Kelly, Brett E.; ...

2017-12-01

Two limitations of additive manufacturing methods that arise from layer-based fabrication are slow speed and geometric constraints (which include poor surface quality). Both limitations are overcome in the work reported here, introducing a new volumetric additive fabrication paradigm that produces photopolymer structures with complex non-periodic 3D geometries on a timescale of seconds. We implement this approach using holographic patterning of light fields, demonstrate the fabrication of a variety of structures, and study the properties of the light patterns and photosensitive resins required for this fabrication approach. The results indicate that lowabsorbing resins containing ~0.1% photoinitiator, illuminated at modest powers (~10-100more » mW) may be successfully used to build full structures in ~1-10 s.« less

Flight test report of the NASA icing research airplane: Performance, stability, and control after flight through natural icing conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, J. L.; Platz, S. J.; Schinstock, W. C.

1986-01-01

Flight test results are presented documenting the effect of airframe icing on performance and stability and control of a NASA DHC-6 icing research aircraft. Kohlman System Research, Inc., provided the data acquisition system and data analysis under contract to NASA. Performance modeling methods and MMLE techniques were used to determine the effects of natural ice on the aircraft. Results showed that ice had a significant effect on the drag coefficient of the aircraft and a modest effect on the MMLE derived longitudinal stability coefficients (code version MMLE). Data is also presented on asymmetric power sign slip maneuvers showing rudder floating characteristics with and without ice on the vertical stabilizer.

Simon van der Meer (1925-2011):. A Modest Genius of Accelerator Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chohan, Vinod C.

2011-02-01

Simon van der Meer was a brilliant scientist and a true giant of accelerator science. His seminal contributions to accelerator science have been essential to this day in our quest for satisfying the demands of modern particle physics. Whether we talk of long base-line neutrino physics or antiproton-proton physics at Fermilab or proton-proton physics at LHC, his techniques and inventions have been a vital part of the modern day successes. Simon van der Meer and Carlo Rubbia were the first CERN scientists to become Nobel laureates in Physics, in 1984. Van der Meer's lesserknown contributions spanned a whole range of subjects in accelerator science, from magnet design to power supply design, beam measurements, slow beam extraction, sophisticated programs and controls.

One-step volumetric additive manufacturing of complex polymer structures

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

Shusteff, Maxim; Browar, Allison E. M.; Kelly, Brett E.

Two limitations of additive manufacturing methods that arise from layer-based fabrication are slow speed and geometric constraints (which include poor surface quality). Both limitations are overcome in the work reported here, introducing a new volumetric additive fabrication paradigm that produces photopolymer structures with complex non-periodic 3D geometries on a timescale of seconds. We implement this approach using holographic patterning of light fields, demonstrate the fabrication of a variety of structures, and study the properties of the light patterns and photosensitive resins required for this fabrication approach. The results indicate that lowabsorbing resins containing ~0.1% photoinitiator, illuminated at modest powers (~10-100more » mW) may be successfully used to build full structures in ~1-10 s.« less

Demonstrating hydrogen production from ammonia using lithium imide - Powering a small proton exchange membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, Hazel M. A.; Makepeace, Joshua W.; Wood, Thomas J.; Mylius, O. Simon; Kibble, Mark G.; Nutter, Jamie B.; Jones, Martin O.; David, William I. F.

2016-10-01

Accessing the intrinsic hydrogen content within ammonia, NH3, has the potential to play a very significant role in the future of a CO2-free sustainable energy supply. Inexpensive light metal imides and amides are effective at decomposing ammonia to hydrogen and nitrogen (2NH3 → 3H2 + N2), at modest temperatures, and thus represent a low-cost approach to on-demand hydrogen production. Building upon this discovery, this paper describes the integration of an ammonia cracking unit with a post-reactor gas purification system and a small-scale PEM fuel cell to create a first bench-top demonstrator for the production of hydrogen using light metal imides.

X-ray verification of an optically aligned off-plane grating module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, Benjamin D.; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Tutt, James H.; DeRoo, Casey T.; Allured, Ryan; Gaskin, Jessica A.; Kolodziejczak, Jeffery J.

2018-01-01

Off-plane x-ray reflection gratings are theoretically capable of achieving high resolution and high diffraction efficiencies over the soft x-ray bandpass, making them an ideal technology to implement on upcoming x-ray spectroscopy missions. To achieve high effective area, these gratings must be aligned into grating modules. X-ray testing was performed on an aligned grating module to assess the current optical alignment methods. Results indicate that the grating module achieved the desired alignment for an upcoming x-ray spectroscopy suborbital rocket payload with modest effective area and resolving power. These tests have also outlined a pathway towards achieving the stricter alignment tolerances of future x-ray spectrometer payloads, which require improvements in alignment metrology, grating fabrication, and testing techniques.

System and method for generating current by selective electron heating

DOEpatents

Fisch, Nathaniel J.; Boozer, Allen H.

1984-01-01

A system for the generation of toroidal current in a plasma which is prepared in a toroidal magnetic field. The system utilizes the injection of high-frequency waves into the plasma by means of waveguides. The wave frequency and polarization are chosen such that when the waveguides are tilted in a predetermined fashion, the wave energy is absorbed preferentially by electrons traveling in one toroidal direction. The absorption of energy in this manner produces a toroidal electric current even when the injected waves themselves do not have substantial toroidal momentum. This current can be continuously maintained at modest cost in power and may be used to confine the plasma. The system can operate efficiently on fusion grade tokamak plasmas.

One-step volumetric additive manufacturing of complex polymer structures

PubMed Central

Shusteff, Maxim; Browar, Allison E. M.; Kelly, Brett E.; Henriksson, Johannes; Weisgraber, Todd H.; Panas, Robert M.; Fang, Nicholas X.; Spadaccini, Christopher M.

2017-01-01

Two limitations of additive manufacturing methods that arise from layer-based fabrication are slow speed and geometric constraints (which include poor surface quality). Both limitations are overcome in the work reported here, introducing a new volumetric additive fabrication paradigm that produces photopolymer structures with complex nonperiodic three-dimensional geometries on a time scale of seconds. We implement this approach using holographic patterning of light fields, demonstrate the fabrication of a variety of structures, and study the properties of the light patterns and photosensitive resins required for this fabrication approach. The results indicate that low-absorbing resins containing ~0.1% photoinitiator, illuminated at modest powers (~10 to 100 mW), may be successfully used to build full structures in ~1 to 10 s. PMID:29230437

One-step volumetric additive manufacturing of complex polymer structures.

PubMed

Shusteff, Maxim; Browar, Allison E M; Kelly, Brett E; Henriksson, Johannes; Weisgraber, Todd H; Panas, Robert M; Fang, Nicholas X; Spadaccini, Christopher M

2017-12-01

Two limitations of additive manufacturing methods that arise from layer-based fabrication are slow speed and geometric constraints (which include poor surface quality). Both limitations are overcome in the work reported here, introducing a new volumetric additive fabrication paradigm that produces photopolymer structures with complex nonperiodic three-dimensional geometries on a time scale of seconds. We implement this approach using holographic patterning of light fields, demonstrate the fabrication of a variety of structures, and study the properties of the light patterns and photosensitive resins required for this fabrication approach. The results indicate that low-absorbing resins containing ~0.1% photoinitiator, illuminated at modest powers (~10 to 100 mW), may be successfully used to build full structures in ~1 to 10 s.

An Attempt to Observe Debris from the Breakup of a Titan 3C-4 Transtage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barker, E. S.; Matney, M. J.; Yanagisawa, T.; Liou, J.-C.; Abercromby, K. J.; Rodriquez, H. M.; Horstman, M. F.; Seitzer, P.

2007-01-01

In February 2007 dedicated observations were made of the orbital space predicted to contain debris from the breakup of the Titan 3C-4 transtage back on February 21, 1992. These observations were carried out on the Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope (MODEST) in Chile with its 1.3deg field of view. The search region or orbital space (inclination and right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) was predicted using NASA#s LEGEND (LEO-to-GEO Environment Debris) code to generate a Titan debris cloud. Breakup fragments are created based on the NASA Standard Breakup Model (including fragment size, area-to-mass (A/M), and delta-V distributions). Once fragments are created, they are propagated forward in time with a subroutine GEOPROP. Perturbations included in GEOPROP are those due to solar/lunar gravity, radiation pressure, and major geopotential terms. Barker, et. al, (AMOS Conference Proceedings, 2006, pp. 596-604) used similar LEGEND predictions to correlate survey observations made by MODEST (February 2002) and found several possible night-to-night correlations in the limited survey dataset. One conc lusion of the survey search was to dedicate a MODEST run to observing a GEO region predicted to contain debris fragments and actual Titan debris objects (SSN 25000, 25001 and 30000). Such a dedicated run was undertaken with MODEST between February 17 and 23, 2007 (UT dates). MODEST#s limiting magnitude of 18.0 (S\\N approx.10) corresponds to a size of 22cm assuming a diffuse Lambertian albedo of 0.2. However, based on observed break-up data, we expect most debris fragments to be smaller than 22cm which implies a need to increase the effective sensitivity of MODEST for smaller objects. MODEST#s limiting size can be lowered by increasing the exposure time (20 instead of 5 seconds) and applying special image processing. The special processing combines individual CCD images to detect faint objects that are invisible on a single CCD image. Sub-images are cropped from six consecutive CCD images with pixel shifts between images being consistent with the predicted movement of a Titan object. A median image of all the sub-images is then created leaving only those objects with the proper Titan motion. Limiting the median image in this manner brings the needed computer time to process all images taken on one night down to about 50 hours of CPU time.

Novel C617Y mutation in the 7th transmembrane segment of luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor in a Japanese boy with peripheral precocious puberty.

PubMed

Nagasaki, Keisuke; Katsumata, Noriyuki; Ogawa, Yohei; Kikuchi, Toru; Uchiyama, Makoto

2010-01-01

Testotoxicosis, also known as familial male-limited precocious puberty, is an autosomal dominant form of gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty caused by heterozygous constitutively activating mutations of the LHCGR gene encoding the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LH/CGR). The patient is an 8-year-old boy who started to develop pubic hair and penile enlargement at 6 years of age. The patient had elevated serum testosterone levels, but initially exhibited a prepubertal response of gonadotropins to GnRH, which was followed by central activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. The father reported having experienced precocious puberty, and is 158 cm tall. There is no history of short stature and precocious puberty in the family except for the father. The LHCGR gene was analyzed by direct DNA sequencing of amplified PCR products from the patient and his parents. The wild-type and mutant LH/CGRs were transiently expressed in COS-1 cells and cAMP levels in the cells were determined with or without hCG stimulation. Genetic analysis revealed a novel C617Y mutation of the LHCGR gene in the patient and his mother, while his father had no mutations. Functional expression study demonstrated around 15% increase in the basal intracellular cAMP level in cells expressing the mutant LH/CGR compared with that in cells expressing the wild-type receptor. We have reported the first missense C617Y mutation located in the 7th transmembrane segment of LH/CGR causing testotoxicosis. The modest phenotype of our patient may be explained, at least in part, by the modest increase in the intracellular cAMP level caused by the C617Y mutation.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration, Vitamin D Intake and Joint Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women

PubMed Central

Chlebowski, Rowan T.; Johnson, Karen C.; Lane, Dorothy; Pettinger, Mary; Kooperberg, Charles L.; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Rohan, Tom; Jo O'Sullivan, Mary; Yasmeen, Shagufta; Hiatt, Robert A.; Shikany, James M.; Vitolins, Mara; Khandekar, Janu; Hubbell, F. Allan

2010-01-01

Introduction Low 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) concentrations have been associated with radiologic worsening of osteoarthritis in some reports. However, the results are mixed and few studies have evaluated associations between 25(OH) D concentrations and both total vitamin D intake and clinical joint symptoms. Study Design Cross-sectional analyses of information from a subset of 1993 postmenopausal women obtained at baseline entry in the Women's Health Initiative Calcium plus Vitamin D clinical trial. Main Outcome Measures 25(OH) D concentration, total vitamin D intake (diet plus supplements), presence and severity of joint pain and joint swelling. Results The 25(OH) D levels were commonly low with 53% having deficient (< 50 nmol/L) and only 17% having sufficient (> 72 nmol/L) levels. Joint pain (reported by 74%) and joint swelling (reported by 34%) were also commonly reported. 25(OH) D concentrations were modestly correlated with total vitamin D intake (R =0.29, P<0.0001); however, considerable variability in 25(OH) D concentrations for a given vitamin D intake was seen. In adjusted linear regression models, lower serum 25(OH) D concentrations were associated with higher average joint pain score (P=0.01 for trend) with differences most apparent in the lowest 25(OH) D levels sextile. Conclusions Relatively low 25(OH) D levels and a high frequency of joint symptoms were common in this population of postmenopausal women. Total vitamin D intake was only modestly associated with 25(OH) D. Low serum 25(OH) D concentrations were associated with higher joint pain scores. These findings can inform the design of future intervention trials. PMID:21093181

Mipomersen, an antisense oligonucleotide to apolipoprotein B-100, reduces lipoprotein(a) in various populations with hypercholesterolemia: results of 4 phase III trials.

PubMed

Santos, Raul D; Raal, Frederick J; Catapano, Alberico L; Witztum, Joseph L; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Tsimikas, Sotirios

2015-03-01

Lp(a) is an independent, causal, genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease and aortic stenosis. Current pharmacological lipid-lowering therapies do not optimally lower Lp(a), particularly in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In 4 phase III trials, 382 patients on maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy were randomized 2:1 to weekly subcutaneous mipomersen 200 mg (n=256) or placebo (n=126) for 26 weeks. Populations included homozygous FH, heterozygous FH with concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD), severe hypercholesterolemia, and hypercholesterolemia at high risk for CAD. Lp(a) was measured 8× between baseline and week 28 inclusive. Of the 382 patients, 57% and 44% had baseline Lp(a) levels >30 and >50 mg/dL, respectively. In the pooled analysis, the mean percent decrease (median, interquartile range in Lp(a) at 28 weeks was significantly greater in the mipomersen group compared with placebo (-26.4 [-42.8, -5.4] versus -0.0 [-10.7, 15.3]; P<0.001). In the mipomersen group in patients with Lp(a) levels >30 or >50 mg/dL, attainment of Lp(a) values ≤30 or ≤50 mg/dL was most frequent in homozygous FH and severe hypercholesterolemia patients. In the combined groups, modest correlations were present between percent change in apolipoprotein B-100 and Lp(a) (r=0.43; P<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and Lp(a) (r=0.36; P<0.001) plasma levels. Mipomersen consistently and effectively reduced Lp(a) levels in patients with a variety of lipid abnormalities and cardiovascular risk. Modest correlations were present between apolipoprotein B-100 and Lp(a) lowering but the mechanistic relevance mediating Lp(a) reduction is currently unknown. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Optical Observations of GEO Debris with Two Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seitzer, P.; Abercromby, K.; Rodriguez, H.; Barker, E.

2007-01-01

For several years, the Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope (MODEST), the University of Michigan s 0.6/0.9-m Schmidt telescope on Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile has been used to survey the debris population at GEO in the visible regime. Magnitudes, positions, and angular rates are determined for GEO objects as they move across the telescope s field-of-view (FOV) during a 5-minute window. This short window of time is not long enough to determine a full six parameter orbit so usually a circular orbit is assumed. A longer arc of time is necessary to determine eccentricity and to look for changes in the orbit with time. MODEST can follow objects in real-time, but only at the price of stopping survey operations. A second telescope would allow for longer arcs of orbit to obtain the full six orbital parameters, as well as assess the changes over time. An additional benefit of having a second telescope is the capability of obtaining BVRI colors of the faint targets, aiding efforts to determine the material type of faint debris. For 14 nights in March 2007, two telescopes were used simultaneously to observe the GEO debris field. MODEST was used exclusively in survey mode. As objects were detected, they were handed off in near real-time to the Cerro Tololo 0.9-m telescope for follow-up observations. The goal was to determine orbits and colors for all objects fainter than R = 15th magnitude (corresponds to 1 meter in size assuming a 0.2 albedo) detected by MODEST. The hand-off process was completely functional during the final eight nights and follow-ups for objects from night-to-night were possible. The cutoff magnitude level of 15th was selected on the basis of an abrupt change in the observed angular rate distribution in the MODEST surveys. Objects brighter than 15th magnitude tend to lie on a well defined locus in the angular rate plane (and have orbits in the catalog), while fainter objects fill the plane almost uniformly. We need to determine full six-parameter orbits to investigate what causes this change in observed angular rates. Are these faint objects either the same population of high area-to-mass (A/M) objects on eccentric orbits as discovered by the ESA Space Debris Telescope (Schildknecht, et al. 2004), or are they just normal debris from breakups in GEO?

Thermophotovoltaic Energy Conversion for Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teofilo, V. L.; Choong, P.; Chen, W.; Chang, J.; Tseng, Y.-L.

2006-01-01

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion cells have made steady and over the years considerable progress since first evaluated by Lockheed Martin for direct conversion using nuclear power sources in the mid 1980s. The design trades and evaluations for application to the early defensive missile satellites of the Strategic Defense Initiative found the cell technology to be immature with unacceptably low cell efficiencies comparable to thermoelectric of <10%. Rapid advances in the epitaxial growth technology for ternary compound semiconductors, novel double hetero-structure junctions, innovative monolithic integrated cell architecture, and bandpass tandem filter have, in concert, significantly improved cell efficiencies to 25% with the promise of 35% using solar cell like multi-junction approach in the near future. Recent NASA sponsored design and feasibility testing programs have demonstrated the potential for 19% system efficiency for 100 We radioisotopic power sources at an integrated specific power of ~14 We/kg. Current state of TPV cell technology however limits the operating temperature of the converter cells to < 400K due to radiator mass consideration. This limitation imposes no system mass penalty for the low power application for use with radioisotopes power sources because of the high specific power of the TPV cell converters. However, the application of TPV energy conversion for high power sources has been perceived as having a major impediment above 1 kWe due to the relative low waste heat rejection temperature. We explore this limitation and compare the integrated specific power of TPV converters with current and projected TPV cells with other advanced space power conversion technologies. We find that when the redundancy needed required for extended space exploration missions is considered, the TPV converters have a much higher range of applicability then previously understood. Furthermore, we believe that with a relatively modest modifications of the current epitaxial growth in MOCVD, an optimal cell architecture for elevated TPV operation can be found to out-perform the state-of-the-art TPV at an elevated temperature.

High-Power Prismatic Devices for Oblique Peripheral Prisms

PubMed Central

Peli, Eli; Bowers, Alex R.; Keeney, Karen; Jung, Jae-Hyun

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose Horizontal peripheral prisms for hemianopia provide field expansion above and below the horizontal meridian; however, there is a vertical gap leaving the central area (important for driving) without expansion. In the oblique design, tilting the bases of both prism segments toward the horizontal meridian moves the field expansion area vertically and centrally (closing the central gap) while the prisms remain in the peripheral location. However, tilting the prisms results also in a reduction of the lateral field expansion. Higher prism powers are needed to counter this effect. Methods We developed, implemented, and tested a series of designs aimed at increasing the prism power to reduce the central gap while maintaining wide lateral expansion. The designs included inserting the peripheral prisms into carrier lenses that included yoked prism in the opposite direction, combination of two Fresnel segments attached at the base and angled to each other (bi-part prisms), and creating Fresnel prism–like segments from nonparallel periscopic mirror pairs (reflective prisms). Results A modest increase in lateral power was achieved with yoked-prism carriers. Bi-part combination of 36Δ Fresnel segments provided high power with some reduction in image quality. Fresnel reflective prism segments have potential for high power with superior optical quality but may be limited in field extent or by interruptions of the expanded field. Extended apical scotomas, even with unilateral fitting, may limit the utility of very high power prisms. The high-power bi-part and reflective prisms enable a wider effective eye scanning range (more than 15 degrees) into the blind hemifield. Conclusions Conventional prisms of powers higher than the available 57Δ are limited by the binocular impact of a wider apical scotoma and a reduced effective eye scanning range to the blind side. The various designs that we developed may overcome these limitations and find use in various other field expansion applications. PMID:26866438

Identifying the location of the OMP separatrix in DIII-D using power accounting

DOE PAGES

Stangeby, Peter C.; Canik, John M.; Elder, J. D.; ...

2015-08-07

In order to identify reliable scalings for the scrape-off layer (SOL) power width it is necessary to know the location of the separatrix in divertor tokamaks as accurately as possible, specifically its location at the outside midplane (OMP) the standard reference location. Two methods are described which use power accounting to improve the accuracy of identifying the location of the OMP separatrix. The first uses the infrared-measured deposited power profile at the outer target as the primary input, the 'more » $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm exhaust}}$$ method'. The second uses the measured power input to the SOL, obtained by subtracting the power radiated from inside the separatrix from the total heating power, the ' $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm input}}$$ method'. Furthermore, these two power accounting methods are illustrated with the examples of 21 H-mode DIII-D discharges. High spatial resolution Thomson scattering measured profiles of ne and Te for the main SOL near the OMP are also used as primary input to the analysis; only between-edge localized mode data are used here. The Thomson profiles are used to calculate the electron parallel conducted heat flux profiles which are then matched to the measured $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm exhaust}}$$ and $$P_{{\\rm SOL}}^{{\\rm input}}$$ by adjusting the location of the OMP separatrix relative to that of the Thomson data. For these attached discharges, it is found that the values of $$R_{{\\rm sep}}^{{\\rm omp}}$$ given by the two power accounting methods agree to within ~1 mm of each other and also to within ~1 mm of the values given by the 'standard DIII-D method' described by Porter et al (1998 Phys. Plasmas 5 1410). Lastly, the shifted $$R_{{\\rm sep}}^{{\\rm omp}}$$ results in only modest changes to the values of ne and Te at the OMP separatrix relative to the 'standard' values, increasing $$n_{{\\rm e}}^{{\\rm sep}}$$ by 8% and $$T_{{\\rm e}}^{{\\rm sep}}$$ by 20%.« less

Can Family Planning Service Statistics Be Used to Track Population-Level Outcomes?

PubMed

Magnani, Robert J; Ross, John; Williamson, Jessica; Weinberger, Michelle

2018-03-21

The need for annual family planning program tracking data under the Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) initiative has contributed to renewed interest in family planning service statistics as a potential data source for annual estimates of the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR). We sought to assess (1) how well a set of commonly recorded data elements in routine service statistics systems could, with some fairly simple adjustments, track key population-level outcome indicators, and (2) whether some data elements performed better than others. We used data from 22 countries in Africa and Asia to analyze 3 data elements collected from service statistics: (1) number of contraceptive commodities distributed to clients, (2) number of family planning service visits, and (3) number of current contraceptive users. Data quality was assessed via analysis of mean square errors, using the United Nations Population Division World Contraceptive Use annual mCPR estimates as the "gold standard." We also examined the magnitude of several components of measurement error: (1) variance, (2) level bias, and (3) slope (or trend) bias. Our results indicate modest levels of tracking error for data on commodities to clients (7%) and service visits (10%), and somewhat higher error rates for data on current users (19%). Variance and slope bias were relatively small for all data elements. Level bias was by far the largest contributor to tracking error. Paired comparisons of data elements in countries that collected at least 2 of the 3 data elements indicated a modest advantage of data on commodities to clients. None of the data elements considered was sufficiently accurate to be used to produce reliable stand-alone annual estimates of mCPR. However, the relatively low levels of variance and slope bias indicate that trends calculated from these 3 data elements can be productively used in conjunction with the Family Planning Estimation Tool (FPET) currently used to produce annual mCPR tracking estimates for FP2020. © Magnani et al.

Post-approval safety issues with innovative drugs: a European cohort study.

PubMed

Mol, Peter G M; Arnardottir, Arna H; Motola, Domenico; Vrijlandt, Patrick J; Duijnhoven, Ruben G; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; de Graeff, Pieter A; Denig, Petra; Straus, Sabine M J M

2013-11-01

At time of approval, knowledge of the full benefit risk of any drug is limited, in particular with regards to safety. Post-approval surveillance of potential drug safety concerns is recognized as an important task of regulatory agencies. For innovative, often first-in-class drugs, safety knowledge at time of approval is often even less extensive and these may require tighter scrutiny post approval. We evaluated whether more post-approval serious safety issues were identified for drugs with a higher level of innovation. A cohort study was performed that included all new active substances approved under the European Centralized Procedure and for which serious safety issues were identified post-approval from 1 January 1999 to 1 January 2012. Serious safety issues were defined as issues requiring a Direct Healthcare Professional Communication to alert individual healthcare professionals of a new serious safety issue, or a safety-related drug withdrawal. Data were retrieved from publicly available websites of the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board and the European Medicines Agency. The level of innovation was scored using a validated algorithm, grading drugs as important (A), moderate (B) or modest (C) innovations or as pharmacological or technological (pharm/tech) innovations. The data were analyzed using appropriate descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier analysis, with a Mantel-Cox log-rank test, and Cox-regression models correcting for follow-up duration, to identify a possible trend in serious safety issues with an increasing level of innovation. In Europe, 279 new drugs were approved between 1999 and 2011. Fifty-nine (21 %) were graded as important, 63 (23 %) moderate, or 34 (12 %) modest innovations and 123 (44 %) as non-innovative (pharm/tech), while 15 (25 %), 13 (21 %), 8 (24 %) and 17 (14 %) had post-approval safety issues, respectively (p = 0.06, linear-by-linear test). Five drugs were withdrawn from the market. The Kaplan-Meier-derived probability for having a first serious safety issue was statistically significant, log-rank (Mantel-Cox) p = 0.036. In the final adjusted Cox proportional hazard model there was no statistically significant difference in occurrence of a first serious safety issue for important, moderate and modest innovations versus non-innovative drugs; hazard ratios 1.76 (95 % CI 0.82-3.77), 1.61 (95 % CI 0.76-3.41)], and 1.25 (95 % CI 0.51-3.06), respectively. A higher level of innovation was not clearly related to an increased risk of serious safety issues identified after approval.

Mathematical evaluation of community level impact of combining bed nets and indoor residual spraying upon malaria transmission in areas where the main vectors are Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes.

PubMed

Okumu, Fredros O; Kiware, Samson S; Moore, Sarah J; Killeen, Gerry F

2013-01-16

Indoor residual insecticide spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) are commonly used together even though evidence that such combinations confer greater protection against malaria than either method alone is inconsistent. A deterministic model of mosquito life cycle processes was adapted to allow parameterization with results from experimental hut trials of various combinations of untreated nets or LLINs (Olyset, PermaNet 2.0, Icon Life nets) with IRS (pirimiphos methyl, lambda cyhalothrin, DDT), in a setting where vector populations are dominated by Anopheles arabiensis, so that community level impact upon malaria transmission at high coverage could be predicted. Intact untreated nets alone provide equivalent personal protection to all three LLINs. Relative to IRS plus untreated nets, community level protection is slightly higher when Olyset or PermaNet 2.0 nets are added onto IRS with pirimiphos methyl or lambda cyhalothrin but not DDT, and when Icon Life nets supplement any of the IRS insecticides. Adding IRS onto any net modestly enhances communal protection when pirimiphos methyl is sprayed, while spraying lambda cyhalothrin enhances protection for untreated nets but not LLINs. Addition of DDT reduces communal protection when added to LLINs. Where transmission is mediated primarily by An. arabiensis, adding IRS to high LLIN coverage provides only modest incremental benefit (e.g. when an organophosphate like pirimiphos methyl is used), but can be redundant (e.g. when a pyrethroid like lambda cyhalothin is used) or even regressive (e.g. when DDT is used for the IRS). Relative to IRS plus untreated nets, supplementing IRS with LLINs will only modestly improve community protection. Beyond the physical protection that intact nets provide, additional protection against transmission by An. arabiensis conferred by insecticides will be remarkably small, regardless of whether they are delivered as LLINs or IRS. The insecticidal action of LLINs and IRS probably already approaches their absolute limit of potential impact upon this persistent vector so personal protection of nets should be enhanced by improving the physical integrity and durability. Combining LLINs and non-pyrethroid IRS in residual transmission systems may nevertheless be justified as a means to manage insecticide resistance and prevent potential rebound of not only An. arabiensis, but also more potent, vulnerable and historically important species such as Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus.

A Modular Orbital Demonstration of an Evolvable Space Telescope (MODEST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conti, Alberto; Arenberg, Jonathan; Baldauf, Brian

2017-01-01

The “Search for Life” (direct imaging of earth-like planets) will require extremely stable telescopes with apertures in the 10 m to 20 m range. Such apertures are larger than what can be delivered to space using current or planned future launch vehicles. Building and assembling large telescopes in space is therefore likely to require not only multiple launches but importantly assembly in spce. As a result, space-based telescopes with large apertures will require major changes to our conventional telescope design and architecture.Here we report on the concept for the Modular Orbital Demonstration of an Evolvable Space Telescope (MODEST) to demonstrates the on-orbit robotic and/or astronaut assembly of an optical telescope in space. MODEST is a proposed International Space Station (ISS demonstration that will make use of the standard Express Logistics Carriers (ELCs) and can mounted to one of a variety of ISS pallets.MODEST will provides significant risk reduction for the next generation of space observatories, and demonstrates the technology needed to assemble a six-mirror phased telescope. Key modest features include the use of an active primary optical surface with wavefront feedback control to allow on-orbit optimization, and the precise surface control to meet optical system wavefront and stability requirements.MODEST will also be used to evaluate advances in lightweight mirror and metering structure materials such as SiC or Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) that have excellent mechanical and thermal properties, e.g. high stiffness, high modulus, high thermal conductivity, and low thermal expansion. Mirrors built from these materials can be rapidly replicated in a highly cost effective manner, making them an excellent candidate for a low cost, high performance Optical Telescope Assembly paving the way for enabling affordable solutions for the next generation of large aperture space-based telescope.MODEST post-assembly value includes space, ground, and environmental studies, a testbed for new instruments, and a tool for student’s exploration of space.

Drinking water turbidity and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness in Atlanta, 1993-2004.

PubMed

Tinker, Sarah C; Moe, Christine L; Klein, Mitchel; Flanders, W Dana; Uber, Jim; Amirtharajah, Appiah; Singer, Philip; Tolbert, Paige E

2010-01-01

The extent to which drinking water turbidity measurements indicate the risk of gastrointestinal illness is not well understood. Despite major advances in drinking water treatment and delivery, infectious disease can still be transmitted through drinking water in the United States, and it is important to have reliable indicators of microbial water quality to inform public health decisions. The objective of our study was to assess the relationship between gastrointestinal illness, quantified through emergency department visits, and drinking water quality, quantified as raw water and filtered water turbidity measured at the treatment plant. We examined the relationship between turbidity levels of raw and filtered surface water measured at eight major drinking water treatment plants in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, and over 240,000 emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness during 1993-2004 among the population served by these plants. We fit Poisson time-series statistical regression models that included turbidity in a 21-day distributed lag and that controlled for meteorological factors and long-term time trends. For filtered water turbidity, the results were consistent with no association with emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness. We observed a modest association between raw water turbidity and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness. Our results suggest that source water quality may contribute modestly to endemic gastrointestinal illness in the study area. The association between turbidity and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness was only observed when raw water turbidity was considered; filtered water turbidity may not serve as a reliable indicator of modest pathogen risk at all treatment plants.

Orally administered indomethacin acutely reduces cellular prion protein in the small intestine and modestly increases survival of mice exposed to infectious prions.

PubMed

Martin, Gary R; Sharkey, Keith A; Jirik, Frank R

2015-05-01

The oral uptake of infectious prions represents a common way to acquire a prion disease; thus, host factors, such as gut inflammation and intestinal "leakiness", have the potential to influence infectivity. For example, the ingestion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is known to induce intestinal inflammation and increase intestinal permeability. Previously, we reported that normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) expression was increased in experimental colitis, and since the level of PrP(C) expressed is a determinant of prion disease propagation, we hypothesized that NSAID administration prior to the oral inoculation of mice with infectious prions would increase intestinal PrP(C) expression and accelerate the onset of neurological disease. In the long-term experiments, one group of mice was gavaged with indomethacin, followed by a second gavage with brain homogenate containing mouse-adapted scrapie (ME7). Control mice received ME7 brain homogenate alone. Brain and splenic tissues were harvested at several time points for immunoblotting, including at the onset of clinical signs of disease. In a second series of experiments, mice were gavaged with indomethacin to assess the acute effects of this treatment on intestinal PrP(C) expression. Acutely, NSAID treatment reduced intestinal PrP(C) expression, and chronically, there was a modest delay in the onset of neurological disease. In contrast to our hypothesis, brief exposure to an NSAID decreased intestinal PrP(C) expression and led to a modest survival advantage following oral ingestion of infectious prions.

Modest net autotrophy in the oligotrophic ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Letscher, Robert T.; Moore, J. Keith

2017-04-01

The metabolic state of the oligotrophic subtropical ocean has long been debated. Net community production (NCP) represents the balance of autotrophic carbon fixation with heterotrophic respiration. Many in vitro NCP estimates based on oxygen incubation methods and the corresponding scaling relationships used to predict the ecosystem metabolic balance have suggested the ocean gyres to be net heterotrophic; however, all in situ NCP methods find net autotrophy. Reconciling net heterotrophy requires significant allochthonous inputs of organic carbon to the oligotrophic gyres to sustain a preponderance of respiration over in situ production. Here we use the first global ecosystem-ocean circulation model that contains representation of the three allochthonous carbon sources to the open ocean, to show that the five oligotrophic gyres exhibit modest net autotrophy throughout the seasonal cycle. Annually integrated rates of NCP vary in the range 1.5-2.2 mol O2 m-2 yr-1 across the five gyre systems; however, seasonal NCP rates are as low as 1 ± 0.5 mmol O2 m-2 d-1 for the North Atlantic. Volumetric NCP rates are heterotrophic below the 10% light level; however, they become net autotrophic when integrated over the euphotic zone. Observational uncertainties when measuring these modest autotrophic NCP rates as well as the metabolic diversity encountered across space and time complicate the scaling up of in vitro measurements to the ecosystem scale and may partially explain the previous reports of net heterotrophy. The oligotrophic ocean is autotrophic at present; however, it could shift toward seasonal heterotrophy in the future as rising temperatures stimulate respiration.

Climate impacts on hydropower and consequences for global electricity supply investment needs

DOE PAGES

Turner, Sean W. D.; Hejazi, Mohamad; Kim, Son H.; ...

2017-11-15

Climate change is projected to increase hydropower generation in some parts of the world and decrease it in others. Here we explore the possible consequences of these impacts for the electricity supply sector at the global scale. Regional hydropower projections are developed by forcing a coupled global hydrological and dam model with downscaled, bias-corrected climate realizations. Consequent impacts on power sector composition and associated emissions and investment costs are explored using the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). We find that climate-driven changes in hydropower generation may shift power demands onto and away from carbon intensive technologies. This then causes significantlymore » altered power sector CO 2 emissions in several hydro-dependent regions, although the net global impact is modest. For drying regions, we estimate a global, cumulative investment need of approximately one trillion dollars (±$500 billion) this century to make up for deteriorated hydropower generation caused by climate change. Total investments avoided are of a similar magnitude across regions projected to experience increased precipitation. Investment risks and opportunities are concentrated in hydro-dependent countries for which significant climate change is expected. Various countries throughout the Balkans, Latin America and Southern Africa are most vulnerable, whilst Norway, Canada, and Bhutan emerge as clear beneficiaries.« less

Engine-integrated solid oxide fuel cells for efficient electrical power generation on aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waters, Daniel F.; Cadou, Christopher P.

2015-06-01

This work investigates the use of engine-integrated catalytic partial oxidation (CPOx) reactors and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to reduce fuel burn in vehicles with large electrical loads like sensor-laden unmanned air vehicles. Thermodynamic models of SOFCs, CPOx reactors, and three gas turbine (GT) engine types (turbojet, combined exhaust turbofan, separate exhaust turbofan) are developed and checked against relevant data and source material. Fuel efficiency is increased by 4% and 8% in the 50 kW and 90 kW separate exhaust turbofan systems respectively at only modest cost in specific power (8% and 13% reductions respectively). Similar results are achieved in other engine types. An additional benefit of hybridization is the ability to provide more electric power (factors of 3 or more in some cases) than generator-based systems before encountering turbine inlet temperature limits. A sensitivity analysis shows that the most important parameters affecting the system's performance are operating voltage, percent fuel oxidation, and SOFC assembly air flows. Taken together, this study shows that it is possible to create a GT-SOFC hybrid where the GT mitigates balance of plant losses and the SOFC raises overall system efficiency. The result is a synergistic system with better overall performance than stand-alone components.

The impact of modelling errors on interferometer calibration for 21 cm power spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewall-Wice, Aaron; Dillon, Joshua S.; Liu, Adrian; Hewitt, Jacqueline

2017-09-01

We study the impact of sky-based calibration errors from source mismodelling on 21 cm power spectrum measurements with an interferometer and propose a method for suppressing their effects. While emission from faint sources that are not accounted for in calibration catalogues is believed to be spectrally smooth, deviations of true visibilities from model visibilities are not, due to the inherent chromaticity of the interferometer's sky response (the 'wedge'). Thus, unmodelled foregrounds, below the confusion limit of many instruments, introduce frequency structure into gain solutions on the same line-of-sight scales on which we hope to observe the cosmological signal. We derive analytic expressions describing these errors using linearized approximations of the calibration equations and estimate the impact of this bias on measurements of the 21 cm power spectrum during the epoch of reionization. Given our current precision in primary beam and foreground modelling, this noise will significantly impact the sensitivity of existing experiments that rely on sky-based calibration. Our formalism describes the scaling of calibration with array and sky-model parameters and can be used to guide future instrument design and calibration strategy. We find that sky-based calibration that downweights long baselines can eliminate contamination in most of the region outside of the wedge with only a modest increase in instrumental noise.

Metabolic consequences of resistive-type exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dudley, G. A.

1988-01-01

This brief review concerns acute and chronic metabolic responses to resistive-type exercise (RTE) (i.e., Olympic/power weight lifting and bodybuilding). Performance of RTE presents power output substantially greater (10-15-fold) than that evident with endurance-type exercise. Accordingly, RTE relies heavily on the anaerobic enzyme machinery of skeletal muscle for energy supply, with alterations in the rate of aerobic metabolism being modest. Hydrolysis of high energy phosphate compounds (PC, ATP), glycogenolysis, and glycolysis are evident during an acute bout of RTE as indicated by metabolic markers in mixed fiber type skeletal muscle samples. The type of RTE probably influences the magnitude of these responses since the increase in blood lactate is much greater during a typical "bodybuilding" than "power lifting" session. The influence of RTE training on acute metabolic responses to RTE has received little attention. An individual's inherent metabolic characteristics are apparently sufficient to meet the energy demands of RTE as training of this type does not increase VO2max or substantially alter the content of marker enzymes in mixed fiber type skeletal muscle. Analyses of pools of fast- vs slow-twitch fibers, however, indicate that RTE-induced changes may be fiber type specific. Future studies should better delineate the metabolic responses to RTE and determine whether these are related to the enhanced performance associated with such training.

Design process of the nanofluid injection mechanism in nuclear power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Myoung-Suk; Jee, Changhyun; Park, Sangjun; Bang, In Choel; Heo, Gyunyoung

2011-04-01

Nanofluids, which are engineered suspensions of nanoparticles in a solvent such as water, have been found to show enhanced coolant properties such as higher critical heat flux and surface wettability at modest concentrations, which is a useful characteristic in nuclear power plants (NPPs). This study attempted to provide an example of engineering applications in NPPs using nanofluid technology. From these motivations, the conceptual designs of the emergency core cooling systems (ECCSs) assisted by nanofluid injection mechanism were proposed after following a design framework to develop complex engineering systems. We focused on the analysis of functional requirements for integrating the conventional ECCSs and nanofluid injection mechanism without loss of performance and reliability. Three candidates of nanofluid-engineered ECCS proposed in previous researches were investigated by applying axiomatic design (AD) in the manner of reverse engineering and it enabled to identify the compatibility of functional requirements and potential design vulnerabilities. The methods to enhance such vulnerabilities were referred from TRIZ and concretized for the ECCS of the Korean nuclear power plant. The results show a method to decouple the ECCS designs with the installation of a separate nanofluids injection tank adjacent to the safety injection tanks such that a low pH environment for nanofluids can be maintained at atmospheric pressure which is favorable for their injection in passive manner.

Design process of the nanofluid injection mechanism in nuclear power plants

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Nanofluids, which are engineered suspensions of nanoparticles in a solvent such as water, have been found to show enhanced coolant properties such as higher critical heat flux and surface wettability at modest concentrations, which is a useful characteristic in nuclear power plants (NPPs). This study attempted to provide an example of engineering applications in NPPs using nanofluid technology. From these motivations, the conceptual designs of the emergency core cooling systems (ECCSs) assisted by nanofluid injection mechanism were proposed after following a design framework to develop complex engineering systems. We focused on the analysis of functional requirements for integrating the conventional ECCSs and nanofluid injection mechanism without loss of performance and reliability. Three candidates of nanofluid-engineered ECCS proposed in previous researches were investigated by applying axiomatic design (AD) in the manner of reverse engineering and it enabled to identify the compatibility of functional requirements and potential design vulnerabilities. The methods to enhance such vulnerabilities were referred from TRIZ and concretized for the ECCS of the Korean nuclear power plant. The results show a method to decouple the ECCS designs with the installation of a separate nanofluids injection tank adjacent to the safety injection tanks such that a low pH environment for nanofluids can be maintained at atmospheric pressure which is favorable for their injection in passive manner. PMID:21711896

Design process of the nanofluid injection mechanism in nuclear power plants.

PubMed

Kang, Myoung-Suk; Jee, Changhyun; Park, Sangjun; Bang, In Choel; Heo, Gyunyoung

2011-04-27

Nanofluids, which are engineered suspensions of nanoparticles in a solvent such as water, have been found to show enhanced coolant properties such as higher critical heat flux and surface wettability at modest concentrations, which is a useful characteristic in nuclear power plants (NPPs). This study attempted to provide an example of engineering applications in NPPs using nanofluid technology. From these motivations, the conceptual designs of the emergency core cooling systems (ECCSs) assisted by nanofluid injection mechanism were proposed after following a design framework to develop complex engineering systems. We focused on the analysis of functional requirements for integrating the conventional ECCSs and nanofluid injection mechanism without loss of performance and reliability. Three candidates of nanofluid-engineered ECCS proposed in previous researches were investigated by applying axiomatic design (AD) in the manner of reverse engineering and it enabled to identify the compatibility of functional requirements and potential design vulnerabilities. The methods to enhance such vulnerabilities were referred from TRIZ and concretized for the ECCS of the Korean nuclear power plant. The results show a method to decouple the ECCS designs with the installation of a separate nanofluids injection tank adjacent to the safety injection tanks such that a low pH environment for nanofluids can be maintained at atmospheric pressure which is favorable for their injection in passive manner.

Regional air quality management aspects of climate change: impact of climate mitigation options on regional air emissions.

PubMed

Rudokas, Jason; Miller, Paul J; Trail, Marcus A; Russell, Armistead G

2015-04-21

We investigate the projected impact of six climate mitigation scenarios on U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOX) associated with energy use in major sectors of the U.S. economy (commercial, residential, industrial, electricity generation, and transportation). We use the EPA U.S. 9-region national database with the MARKet Allocation energy system model to project emissions changes over the 2005 to 2050 time frame. The modeled scenarios are two carbon tax, two low carbon transportation, and two biomass fuel choice scenarios. In the lower carbon tax and both biomass fuel choice scenarios, SO2 and NOX achieve reductions largely through pre-existing rules and policies, with only relatively modest additional changes occurring from the climate mitigation measures. The higher carbon tax scenario projects greater declines in CO2 and SO2 relative to the 2050 reference case, but electricity sector NOX increases. This is a result of reduced investments in power plant NOX controls in earlier years in anticipation of accelerated coal power plant retirements, energy penalties associated with carbon capture systems, and shifting of NOX emissions in later years from power plants subject to a regional NOX cap to those in regions not subject to the cap.

Information Sources as Explanatory Variables for the Belgian Health-Related Risk Perception of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident.

PubMed

Vyncke, Bart; Perko, Tanja; Van Gorp, Baldwin

2017-03-01

The media play an important role in risk communication, providing information about accidents, both nearby and far away. Each media source has its own presentation style, which could influence how the audience perceives the presented risk. This study investigates the explanatory power of 12 information sources (traditional media, new media, social media, and interpersonal communication) for the perceived risk posed by radiation released from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant on respondents' own health and that of the population in general. The analysis controlled for attitude toward nuclear energy, gender, education, satisfaction with the media coverage, and duration of attention paid to the coverage. The study uses a large empirical data set from a public opinion survey, which is representative for the Belgian population with respect to six sociodemographic variables. Results show that three information sources are significant regressors of perceived health-related risk of the nuclear accident: television, interpersonal communication, and the category of miscellaneous online sources. More favorable attitudes toward nuclear power, longer attention to the coverage, and higher satisfaction with the provided information lead to lower risk perception. Taken together, the results suggest that the media can indeed have a modest influence on how the audience perceives a risk. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Climate impacts on hydropower and consequences for global electricity supply investment needs

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

Turner, Sean W. D.; Hejazi, Mohamad; Kim, Son H.

Climate change is projected to increase hydropower generation in some parts of the world and decrease it in others. Here we explore the possible consequences of these impacts for the electricity supply sector at the global scale. Regional hydropower projections are developed by forcing a coupled global hydrological and dam model with downscaled, bias-corrected climate realizations. Consequent impacts on power sector composition and associated emissions and investment costs are explored using the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). We find that climate-driven changes in hydropower generation may shift power demands onto and away from carbon intensive technologies. This then causes significantlymore » altered power sector CO 2 emissions in several hydro-dependent regions, although the net global impact is modest. For drying regions, we estimate a global, cumulative investment need of approximately one trillion dollars (±$500 billion) this century to make up for deteriorated hydropower generation caused by climate change. Total investments avoided are of a similar magnitude across regions projected to experience increased precipitation. Investment risks and opportunities are concentrated in hydro-dependent countries for which significant climate change is expected. Various countries throughout the Balkans, Latin America and Southern Africa are most vulnerable, whilst Norway, Canada, and Bhutan emerge as clear beneficiaries.« less

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

Canavan, G.H.

At low force levels stability indices depend primarily on the number of vulnerable missiles and the number of weapons on them. The index reduces to a product of the number of vulnerable missiles and the differences between normalized second and first strikes by vulnerable weapons. As the number of weapons per vulnerable missile decreases, the index rapidly approaches stability. Further reductions in vulnerable and survivable missiles and weapons do not affect stability, although they do reduce first and second strikes. Modest weapon reconstitution degrades stability significantly.

From carpet bombing to cruise missiles: the 'second-order' mechanisms used by transcription factors to ensure specific DNA binding in vivo.

PubMed

Kodadek, T

1995-05-01

Transcription factors generally have only modest specificity for their target sites, yet must find them in a sea of non-specific DNA. Some transcription factors are expressed at very high levels, to ensure that, despite losses to non-specific binding, the promoter is still occupied (the carpet-bombing strategy). Others increase their binding specificity by collaborating with other factors in a variety of ways.

Highly efficient Cas9-mediated transcriptional programming

DOE PAGES

Chavez, Alejandro; Scheiman, Jonathan; Vora, Suhani; ...

2015-03-02

The RNA-guided nuclease Cas9 can be reengineered as a programmable transcription factor. However, modest levels of gene activation have limited potential applications. Here we describe an improved transcriptional regulator through the rational design of a tripartite activator, VP64-p65-Rta (VPR), fused to nuclease-null Cas9. Here, we demonstrate its utility in activating endogenous coding and non-coding genes, targeting several genes simultaneously and stimulating neuronal differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Is topical haloperidol a useful glaucoma treatment?

PubMed Central

Lavin, M. J.; Andrews, V.

1986-01-01

A randomised, double blind, single dose study of topical haloperidol, a dopamine receptor blocking drug, was performed on 20 healthy volunteers. After its administration a modest reduction in intraocular pressure was recorded over the six-hour study period, but the difference was not significant at the p less than 0.05 level. Although dopamine blocking agents are effective in reducing intraocular pressure in experimental animals, topical haloperidol appears unlikely to be clinically useful in the treatment of glaucoma. PMID:3718908

Relationships between episodic memory performance prediction and sociodemographic variables among healthy older adults.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Glaucia Martins; Cachioni, Meire; Falcão, Deusivania; Batistoni, Samila; Lopes, Andrea; Guimarães, Vanessa; Lima-Silva, Thais Bento; Neri, Anita Liberalesso; Yassuda, Mônica Sanches

2015-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that performance prediction, an aspect of metamemory, may be associated with objective performance on memory tasks. The objective of the study was to describe memory prediction before performing an episodic memory task, in community-dwelling older adults, stratified by sex, age group and educational level. Additionally, the association between predicted and objective performance on a memory task was investigated. The study was based on data from 359 participants in the FIBRA study carried out at Ermelino Matarazzo, São Paulo. Memory prediction was assessed by posing the question: "If someone showed you a sheet with drawings of 10 pictures to observe for 30 seconds, how many pictures do you think you could remember without seeing the sheet?". Memory performance was assessed by the memorization of 10 black and white pictures from the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB). No differences were found between men and women, nor for age group and educational level, in memory performance prediction before carrying out the memory task. There was a modest association (rho=0.11, p=0.041) between memory prediction and performance in immediate memory. On multivariate linear regression analyses, memory performance prediction was moderately significantly associated with immediate memory (p=0.061). In this study, sociodemographic variables did not influence memory prediction, which was only modestly associated with immediate memory on the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB).

Masturbation Frequency and Sexual Function Domains Are Associated With Serum Reproductive Hormone Levels Across the Menopausal Transition

PubMed Central

Zheng, Huiyong; Avis, Nancy E.; Greendale, Gail A.; Harlow, Siobán D.

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine whether reproductive hormones are related to sexual function during the menopausal transition. Design: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is a multiethnic cohort study of the menopausal transition located at seven US sites. At baseline, the 3302 community-based participants, aged 42–52, had an intact uterus and at least one ovary and were not using exogenous hormones. Participants self-identified as White, Black, Hispanic, Chinese, or Japanese. At baseline and at each of the 10 follow-up visits, sexual function was assessed by self-administered questionnaires, and blood was drawn to assay serum levels of T, estradiol, FSH, SHBG, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported frequency of masturbation, sexual desire, sexual arousal, orgasm, and pain during intercourse. Results: Masturbation, sexual desire, and arousal were positively associated with T. Masturbation, arousal, and orgasm were negatively associated with FSH. Associations were modest. Estradiol was not related to any measured sexual function domain. Pain with intercourse was not associated with any hormone. Conclusions: Reproductive hormones were associated with sexual function in midlife women. T was positively associated, supporting the role of androgens in female sexual function. FSH was negatively associated, supporting the role of menopausal status in female sexual function. The modest associations in this large study suggest that the relationships are subtle and may be of limited clinical significance. PMID:25412335

Role of nitric oxide and adenosine in control of coronary blood flow in exercising dogs.

PubMed

Tune, J D; Richmond, K N; Gorman, M W; Feigl, E O

2000-06-27

Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis results in very little change in coronary blood flow, but this is thought to be because cardiac adenosine concentration increases to compensate for the loss of NO vasodilation. Accordingly, in the present study, adenosine measurements were made before and during NO synthesis inhibition during exercise. Experiments were performed in chronically instrumented dogs at rest and during graded treadmill exercise before and during inhibition of NO synthesis with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 35 mg/kg IV). Before inhibition of NO synthesis, myocardial oxygen consumption increased approximately 3.7-fold, and coronary blood flow increased approximately 3.2-fold from rest to the highest level of exercise, and this was not changed by NO synthesis inhibition. Coronary venous oxygen tension was modestly reduced by L-NNA at all levels of myocardial oxygen consumption. However, the slope of the relationship between myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary venous oxygen tension was not altered by L-NNA. Inhibition of NO synthesis did not increase coronary venous plasma or estimated interstitial adenosine concentration. During exercise, estimated interstitial adenosine remained well below the threshold concentration necessary for coronary vasodilation before or after L-NNA. NO causes a modest coronary vasodilation at rest and during exercise but does not act as a local metabolic vasodilator. Adenosine does not mediate a compensatory local metabolic coronary vasodilation when NO synthesis is inhibited.

Masturbation frequency and sexual function domains are associated with serum reproductive hormone levels across the menopausal transition.

PubMed

Randolph, John F; Zheng, Huiyong; Avis, Nancy E; Greendale, Gail A; Harlow, Siobán D

2015-01-01

To determine whether reproductive hormones are related to sexual function during the menopausal transition. The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is a multiethnic cohort study of the menopausal transition located at seven US sites. At baseline, the 3302 community-based participants, aged 42-52, had an intact uterus and at least one ovary and were not using exogenous hormones. Participants self-identified as White, Black, Hispanic, Chinese, or Japanese. At baseline and at each of the 10 follow-up visits, sexual function was assessed by self-administered questionnaires, and blood was drawn to assay serum levels of T, estradiol, FSH, SHBG, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Self-reported frequency of masturbation, sexual desire, sexual arousal, orgasm, and pain during intercourse. Masturbation, sexual desire, and arousal were positively associated with T. Masturbation, arousal, and orgasm were negatively associated with FSH. Associations were modest. Estradiol was not related to any measured sexual function domain. Pain with intercourse was not associated with any hormone. Reproductive hormones were associated with sexual function in midlife women. T was positively associated, supporting the role of androgens in female sexual function. FSH was negatively associated, supporting the role of menopausal status in female sexual function. The modest associations in this large study suggest that the relationships are subtle and may be of limited clinical significance.

Can Physicians Identify Inappropriate Nuclear Stress Tests? An Examination of Inter-rater Reliability for the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria for Radionuclide Imaging

PubMed Central

Ye, Siqin; Rabbani, LeRoy E.; Kelly, Christopher R.; Kelly, Maureen R.; Lewis, Matthew; Paz, Yehuda; Peck, Clara L.; Rao, Shaline; Bokhari, Sabahat; Weiner, Shepard D.; Einstein, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

Background We sought to determine inter-rater reliability of the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for radionuclide imaging (RNI) and whether physicians at various levels of training can effectively identify nuclear stress tests with inappropriate indications. Methods and Results Four hundred patients were randomly selected from a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing nuclear stress testing at an academic medical center. Raters with different levels of training (including cardiology attending physicians, cardiology fellows, internal medicine hospitalists, and internal medicine interns) classified individual nuclear stress tests using the 2009 AUC. Consensus classification by two cardiologists was considered the operational gold standard, and sensitivity and specificity of individual raters for identifying inappropriate tests was calculated. Inter-rater reliability of the AUC was assessed using Cohen’s kappa statistics for pairs of different raters. The mean age of patients was 61.5 years; 214 (54%) were female. The cardiologists rated 256 (64%) of 400 NSTs as appropriate, 68 (18%) as uncertain, 55 (14%) as inappropriate; 21 (5%) tests were unable to be classified. Inter-rater reliability for non-cardiologist raters was modest (unweighted Cohen’s kappa, 0.51, 95% confidence interval, 0.45 to 0.55). Sensitivity of individual raters for identifying inappropriate tests ranged from 47% to 82%, while specificity ranged from 85% to 97%. Conclusions Inter-rater reliability for the 2009 AUC for RNI is modest, and there is considerable variation in the ability of raters at different levels of training to identify inappropriate tests. PMID:25563660

Analysis of blood flow in the long posterior ciliary artery of the cat.

PubMed

Koss, M C

1999-03-01

Experiments were undertaken to use a new technique for direct on-line measurement of blood flow in the long posterior ciliary artery (LPCA) in cats and to evaluate possible physiological mechanisms controlling blood flow in the vascular beds perfused by this artery. Blood flow in the temporal LPCA was measured on a continuous basis using ultrasonic flowmetry in anesthetized cats. Effects of acute sectioning of the sympathetic nerve and changes in LPCA and cerebral blood flows in response to altered levels of inspired CO2 and O2 were tested in some animals. In others, the presence of vascular autoregulatory mechanisms in response to stepwise elevations of intraocular pressure was studied. Blood flow in the temporal LPCA averaged 0.58+/-0.03 ml/min in 45 cats anesthetized with pentobarbital. Basal LPCA blood flow was not altered by acute sectioning of the sympathetic nerve or by changes in low levels of inspired CO2 and O2, although 10% CO2 caused a modest increase. Stepwise elevations of intraocular pressure resulted in comparable stepwise decreases of LPCA blood flow, with perfusion pressure declining in a linear manner throughout the perfusion-pressure range. Ultrasonic flowmetry seems to be a useful tool for continuous on-line measurement of LPCA blood flow in the cat eye. Blood flow to vascular beds perfused by this artery does not seem to be under sympathetic neural control and is refractory to modest alterations of blood gas levels of CO2 and O2. Blood vessels perfused by the LPCA show no clear autoregulatory mechanisms.

Cinnamon supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Pham, Antony Q; Kourlas, Helen; Pham, David Q

2007-04-01

Diabetes mellitus is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and most patients with the disease have type 2 diabetes. The effectiveness of cinnamon supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes has received a great deal of media attention after a study was published in 2003. Although the efficacy of cinnamon in patients with diabetes has not been established, many patients seek other therapies and supplement their prescribed pharmacologic therapy with cinnamon. We conducted a literature search, limited to English-language human studies, using MEDLINE (1966-August 2006), EMBASE (1980-August 2006), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-August 2006), and Iowa Drug Information Service (1966-August 2006). References from articles and clinical trials were reviewed for additional sources; no abstracts were reviewed. We found two prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed clinical trials and one prospective, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed clinical trial that evaluated the efficacy of cinnamon supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes; a total of 164 patients were involved in these trials. Two of the studies reported modest improvements in lowering blood glucose levels with cinnamon supplementation in small patient samples. One trial showed no significant difference between cinnamon and placebo in lowering blood glucose levels. Overall, cinnamon was well tolerated. These data suggest that cinnamon has a possible modest effect in lowering plasma glucose levels in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. However, clinicians are strongly urged to refrain from recommending cinnamon supplementation in place of the proven standard of care, which includes lifestyle modifications, oral antidiabetic agents, and insulin therapy.

Roadmaps for powering the world, U.S., and individual states for all purposes with wind, water, and sunlight (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, M. Z.

2013-12-01

Global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity are three of the most significant problems facing the world today. This talk discusses these problems and technical and economic plans to solve them by powering 100% of the world, individual countries, and states for all purposes, including electricity, transportation, industry, and heating/cooling, with wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) together with efficiency measures, within 20-40 years. Specific plans for New York State and California are discussed. For California, the plan contemplates all new energy powered with WWS by 2020, 80-85% of existing energy replaced by 2030, and 100% replaced by 2050. Electrification plus modest efficiency measures would reduce California's end-use power demand ~44% and stabilize energy prices since WWS fuel costs are zero. Even without additional efficiency improvements, remaining all-purpose 2030 end-use demand could be met with 25% onshore and 10% offshore wind, 15% concentrated solar, 15% utility-scale PV, 10% residential PV, 15% commercial/government PV, 5% geothermal, 0.5% wave, 0.5% tidal, and 4% hydroelectric. These percentages will shift upon implementation. Converting would create ~137,000 net permanent jobs, decrease ~16,000 (4,800-29,600) state air pollution deaths/yr, and avoid 131 (39-296) billion/yr in health costs (6.9% of California's 2010 gross domestic product), repaying the 1 trillion capital cost for 573 GW installed power within ~7.3 yr. California's emission decreases would reduce 2050 U.S. and global climate costs by ~6 and 60 billion/yr, respectively.

Effect of Olympic and traditional resistance training on vertical jump improvement in high school boys.

PubMed

Channell, Brian T; Barfield, J P

2008-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a ballistic resistance training program of Olympic lifts with those of a traditional resistance training program of power lifts on vertical jump improvement in male high school athletes. Twenty-seven male student athletes were recruited from a high school football program at a small, rural school in the Southeast. The subjects were divided into an Olympic training group (OT, n = 11), a power training group (PT, n = 10), and a control group (n = 6). Analysis of variance was used to determine whether a significant mean difference existed among groups on vertical jump improvement after 8 weeks of group-specific training. Effect size of vertical jump improvement between groups, and correlations between strength and vertical jump performance, were also examined. There was no significant mean difference (p >or= 0.05) among OT, PT, and control groups, but large effect sizes between OT and control (d = 1.06) and PT and control (d = 0.94) demonstrate that both OT and PT are effective in improving vertical jump performance in male high school athletes. Moderate to high correlations were noted between squat score and vertical jump after adjusting for body weight (r = 0.42) and between power clean and vertical jump after adjusting for body weight (r = 0.75). Findings from the current study indicate that Olympic lifts as well as power lifts provide improvement in vertical jump performance and that Olympic lifts may provide a modest advantage over power lifts for vertical jump improvement in high school athletes.

Power and instrument strength requirements for Mendelian randomization studies using multiple genetic variants.

PubMed

Pierce, Brandon L; Ahsan, Habibul; Vanderweele, Tyler J

2011-06-01

Mendelian Randomization (MR) studies assess the causality of an exposure-disease association using genetic determinants [i.e. instrumental variables (IVs)] of the exposure. Power and IV strength requirements for MR studies using multiple genetic variants have not been explored. We simulated cohort data sets consisting of a normally distributed disease trait, a normally distributed exposure, which affects this trait and a biallelic genetic variant that affects the exposure. We estimated power to detect an effect of exposure on disease for varying allele frequencies, effect sizes and samples sizes (using two-stage least squares regression on 10,000 data sets-Stage 1 is a regression of exposure on the variant. Stage 2 is a regression of disease on the fitted exposure). Similar analyses were conducted using multiple genetic variants (5, 10, 20) as independent or combined IVs. We assessed IV strength using the first-stage F statistic. Simulations of realistic scenarios indicate that MR studies will require large (n > 1000), often very large (n > 10,000), sample sizes. In many cases, so-called 'weak IV' problems arise when using multiple variants as independent IVs (even with as few as five), resulting in biased effect estimates. Combining genetic factors into fewer IVs results in modest power decreases, but alleviates weak IV problems. Ideal methods for combining genetic factors depend upon knowledge of the genetic architecture underlying the exposure. The feasibility of well-powered, unbiased MR studies will depend upon the amount of variance in the exposure that can be explained by known genetic factors and the 'strength' of the IV set derived from these genetic factors.

[Hypercholesterolemia: a therapeutic approach].

PubMed

Moráis López, A; Lama More, R A; Dalmau Serra, J

2009-05-01

High blood cholesterol levels represent an important cardiovascular risk factor. Hypercholesterolemia is defined as levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol above 95th percentile for age and gender. For the paediatric population, selective screening is recommended in children older than 2 years who are overweight, with a family history of early cardiovascular disease or whose parents have high cholesterol levels. Initial therapeutic approach includes diet therapy, appropriate physical activity and healthy lifestyle changes. Drug treatment should be considered in children from the age of 10 who, after having followed appropriate diet recommendations, still have very high LDL-cholesterol levels or moderately high levels with concomitant risk factors. In case of extremely high LDL-cholesterol levels, drug treatment should be taken into consideration at earlier ages (8 years old). Modest response is usually observed with bile acid-binding resins. Statins can be considered first-choice drugs, once evidence on their efficacy and safety has been shown.

Beyond LDL: What Role for PCSK9 in Triglyceride-Rich Lipoprotein Metabolism?

PubMed

Dijk, Wieneke; Le May, Cédric; Cariou, Bertrand

2018-06-01

Elevated plasma triglyceride (TG) levels are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin 9 (PCSK9) - a protein therapeutically targeted to lower plasma cholesterol levels - might regulate plasma TG-rich lipoprotein (TRL) levels. We provide a timely and critical review of the current evidence for a role of PCSK9 in TRL metabolism by assessing the impact of PCSK9 gene variants, by reviewing recent clinical data with PCSK9 inhibitors, and by describing the potential mechanisms by which PCSK9 might regulate TRL metabolism. We conclude that the impact of PCSK9 on TRL metabolism is relatively modest, especially compared to its impact on cholesterol metabolism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parameter estimation for the 4-parameter Asymmetric Exponential Power distribution by the method of L-moments using R

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, William H.

2014-01-01

The implementation characteristics of two method of L-moments (MLM) algorithms for parameter estimation of the 4-parameter Asymmetric Exponential Power (AEP4) distribution are studied using the R environment for statistical computing. The objective is to validate the algorithms for general application of the AEP4 using R. An algorithm was introduced in the original study of the L-moments for the AEP4. A second or alternative algorithm is shown to have a larger L-moment-parameter domain than the original. The alternative algorithm is shown to provide reliable parameter production and recovery of L-moments from fitted parameters. A proposal is made for AEP4 implementation in conjunction with the 4-parameter Kappa distribution to create a mixed-distribution framework encompassing the joint L-skew and L-kurtosis domains. The example application provides a demonstration of pertinent algorithms with L-moment statistics and two 4-parameter distributions (AEP4 and the Generalized Lambda) for MLM fitting to a modestly asymmetric and heavy-tailed dataset using R.

Highlights of NASA/DOE photovoltaic market assessment visit to Morocco

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

A broad range of agricultural, rural development, and other power applications in various regions of Morocco were examined to determine the potential market for photovoltaic products in Moroccan development. The primary focus of the study was the agriculture sector which accounts for approximately 17% of the country's GNP. The country has a clear need for reliable remote power systems, but does not have the financial resources to invest in the relatively high capital cost PV equipment. A modest potential for PV use was identified in nonagricultural rural services, such as refrigerators for rural clinics and rural radio-telephones. The main potential for PV in Morocco in the next five years lies mainly in the telecommunications sector. Applications include rural TV sets, TV repeater stations, microwave relay stations, and railroad, marine, and airline signalling. Market size estimates were derived from development and expansion plans. At an average customer cost for complete installed systems from $18/Wp to $30/Wp the total potential market value is estimated in the range of $6.6 to $11 million over the 1981-1986 period.

Annual Report: DOE Advanced Combustion Systems & Fuels R&D; Light-Duty Diesel Combustion

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

Busch, Stephen

Despite compliance issues in previous years, automakers have demonstrated that the newest generation of diesel power trains are capable of meeting all federal and state regulations (EPA, 2016). Diesels continue to be a cost-effective, efficient, powerful propulsion source for many light- and medium-duty vehicle applications (Martec, 2016). Even modest reductions in the fuel consumption of light- and medium duty diesel vehicles in the U.S. will eliminate millions of tons of CO2 emissions per year. Continued improvement of diesel combustion systems will play an important role in reducing fleet fuel consumption, but these improvements will require an unprecedented scientific understanding ofmore » how changes in engine design and calibration affect the mixture preparation, combustion, and pollutant formation processes that take place inside the cylinder. The focus of this year’s research is to provide insight into the physical mechanisms responsible for improved thermal efficiency observed with a stepped-lip piston. Understanding how piston design can influence efficiency will help engineers develop and optimize new diesel combustion systems.« less

Tandem Mass Spectrometry on a Miniaturized Laser Desorption Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Xiang; Cornish, Timothy; Getty, Stephanie A.; Brinckerhoff, William B.

2016-01-01

Tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS) is a powerful and widely-used technique for identifying the molecular structure of organic constituents of a complex sample. Application of MSMS to the study of unknown planetary samples on a remote space mission would contribute to our understanding of the origin, evolution, and distribution of extraterrestrial organics in our solar system. Here we report on the realization of MSMS on a miniaturized laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LD-TOF-MS), which is one of the most promising instrument types for future planetary missions. This achievement relies on two critical components: a curved-field reflectron and a pulsed-pin ion gate. These enable use of the complementary post-source decay (PSD) and laser-assisted collision induced dissociation (L-CID) MSMS methods on diverse measurement targets with only modest investment in instrument resources such as volume and weight. MSMS spectra of selected molecular targets in various organic standards exhibit excellent agreement when compared with results from a commercial, laboratory-scale TOF instrument, demonstrating the potential of this powerful technique in space and planetary environments.

Learning about the scale of the solar system using digital planetarium visualizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Ka Chun; Sahami, Kamran; Dove, James

2017-07-01

We studied the use of a digital planetarium for teaching relative distances and sizes in introductory undergraduate astronomy classes. Inspired in part by the classic short film The Powers of Ten and large physical scale models of the Solar System that can be explored on foot, we created lectures using virtual versions of these two pedagogical approaches for classes that saw either an immersive treatment in the planetarium or a non-immersive version in the regular classroom (with N = 973 students participating in total). Students who visited the planetarium had not only the greatest learning gains, but their performance increased with time, whereas students who saw the same visuals projected onto a flat display in their classroom showed less retention over time. The gains seen in the students who visited the planetarium reveal that this medium is a powerful tool for visualizing scale over multiple orders of magnitude. However the modest gains for the students in the regular classroom also show the utility of these visualization approaches for the broader category of classroom physics simulations.

Interception of LPI radar signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jim P.

1991-11-01

Most current radars are designed to transmit short duration pulses with relatively high peak power. These radars can be detected easily by the use of relatively modest EW intercept receivers. Three radar functions (search, anti-ship missile (ASM) seeker, and navigation) are examined to evaluate the effectiveness of potential low probability of intercept (LPI) techniques, such as waveform coding, antenna profile control, and power management that a radar may employ against current Electronic Warfare (EW) receivers. The general conclusion is that it is possible to design a LPI radar which is effective against current intercept EW receivers. LPI operation is most easily achieved at close ranges and against a target with a large radar cross section. The general system sensitivity requirement for the detection of current and projected LPI radars is found to be on the order of -100 dBmi which cannot be met by current EW receivers. Finally, three potential LPI receiver architectures, using channelized, superhet, and acousto-optic receivers with narrow RF and video bandwidths are discussed. They have shown some potential in terms of providing the sensitivity and capability in an environment where both conventional and LPI signals are present.

Metal-Organic Heat Carrier Nanofluids

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

McGrail, B. Peter; Thallapally, Praveen K.; Blanchard, Jeremy

2013-09-01

Nanofluids, dispersions of metal or oxide nanoparticles in a base working fluid, are being intensively studied due to improvements they offer in thermal properties of the working fluid. However, these benefits have been erratically demonstrated and proven impacts on thermal conductivity are modest and well described from long-established effective medium theory. In this paper, we describe a new class of metal-organic heat carrier (MOHC) nanofluid that offers potential for a larger performance boost in thermal vapor-liquid compression cycles. MOHCs are nanophase porous coordination solids designed to reversibly uptake the working fluid molecules in which the MOHCs are suspended. Additional heatmore » can be extracted in a heat exchanger or solar collector from the endothermic enthalpy of desorption, which is then released as the nanofluid transits through a power generating device such as a turboexpander. Calculations for an R123 MOHC nanofluid indicated potential for up to 15% increase in power output. Capillary tube experiments show that liquid-vapor transitions occur without nanoparticle deposition on the tube walls provided entrance Reynolds number exceeds approximately 100.« less

Polarization-Induced Interfacial Reactions between Nickel and Selenium in Ni/Zirconia SOFC Anodes and Comparison with Sulfur Poisoning

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

Marina, Olga A.; Pederson, Larry R.; Coyle, Christopher A.

2011-01-10

Three distinctly different characteristic responses of a nickel/yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni/YSZ) cermet anode to the presence of hydrogen selenide in synthetic coal gas were observed, depending on temperature (650-800oC), H2Se concentration (0-40 ppm), and especially on the extent of anodic polarization (0 to ~0.5 V). The first level of response was characterized by a rapid but modest decrease in power density to a new steady state, with no further degradation observed in tests up to 700 hours in duration. Mostly observed at high temperatures, low H2Se concentrations, and low anodic polarizations, this response level was similar to effects caused by themore » presence of H2S, but with slower onset and lower reversibility. Higher anodic polarization at a constant current could trigger a second level of response characterized by oscillatory behavior involving cycles of rapid performance loss followed by rapid recovery. Oscillations at the constant current density were accompanied by the appearance and disappearance of a new feature in the electrochemical impedance spectrum with a summit frequency of ~100 Hz. Oscillatory behavior ceased when the current density was lowered. Such behavior was not observed for cells operated at a constant potential of similar magnitude, though. A third level of response, irreversible cell failure, could be induced by further increases in anodic polarization, additionally favored by low temperature and high H2Se concentration. Post-test analyses of failed cells by electron microscopy revealed the extensive microstructural changes including the appearance of nickel oxide and nickel selenide alteration phases, only at the anode/electrolyte interface. From bulk thermochemical considerations the formation of nickel selenides could not be expected. Local chemical conditions created at the anode/electrolyte interface appear to be of overriding importance with respect to the extent of Ni/YSZ anode interactions with H2Se in coal gas.« less

Beyond the average marital communication: Latent profiles of the observed interactions among Chinese newlywed couples.

PubMed

Cao, Hongjian; Fang, Xiaoyi; Fine, Mark A; Ju, Xiaoyan; Lan, Jing; Liu, Xuanwen

2015-12-01

Employing a multicontext observational design, using a person-centered approach, and treating the marital dyad as the unit of analysis, this study examined the within-couple communication patterning of 144 Chinese newlywed couples and its association with relationship satisfaction. Latent profile analysis consistently revealed 3 profiles of spouses' interactive behaviors across contexts differing in both topic nature (i.e., problem-solving vs. social support) and initiator (i.e., husbands vs. wives): (a) traditionally undemonstrative profile, (b) emotionally quarrelling profile, and (c) warmly supportive profile. The prevalence of communication profiles changed markedly with the nature of the discussion topic and the topic initiator. Further, using latent class analysis, we classified couples into subgroups based on their identified profile memberships across contexts (i.e., consistency of interaction mode across contexts). Three classes were identified: (a) consistently quarrelling class, (b) consistently supportive class, and (c) modestly traditional class. Both the consistently supportive class and the modestly traditional class reported significantly higher levels of marital satisfaction than did the consistently quarrelling class. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Novel antipsychotics and severe hyperlipidemia.

PubMed

Meyer, J M

2001-08-01

Newer atypical antipsychotics demonstrate superior effectiveness, with a diminished incidence of extrapyramidal side effects compared with older typical antipsychotics, but they have been associated with the development of obesity and new-onset diabetes. A small number of reports documenting modest hypertriglyceridemia related to newer antipsychotics have implicated fluperlapine, clozapine, and, most recently, olanzapine. This study summarizes the results of 14 cases of severe hypertriglyceridemia (>600 mg/dL) associated with olanzapine and quetiapine therapy occurring among inpatients at Oregon State Hospital, including 7 patients whose serum triglyceride levels exceeded 1,000 mg/ dL. Four of these patients also developed new-onset diabetes. Nine cases occurred during the first 8 months of treatment, with three cases identified within 3 months of commencing olanzapine or quetiapine therapy. Weight gain in olanzapine and quetiapine groups was modest (12.3 lb and 8.5 lb, respectively) and did not correlate with the severity of hypertriglyceridemia. Biochemical causes for severe hypertriglyceridemia associated with novel antipsychotics are unclear, but clinical monitoring of serum lipids must be added to the concerns about the metabolic consequences of therapy with certain newer antipsychotic agents.

Nucleosome core particles containing a poly(dA.dT) sequence element exhibit a locally distorted DNA structure.

PubMed

Bao, Yunhe; White, Cindy L; Luger, Karolin

2006-08-25

Poly(dA.dT) DNA sequence elements are thought to promote transcription by either excluding nucleosomes or by altering their structural or dynamic properties. Here, the stability and structure of a defined nucleosome core particle containing a 16 base-pair poly(dA.dT) element (A16 NCP) was investigated. The A16 NCP requires a significantly higher temperature for histone octamer sliding in vitro compared to comparable nucleosomes that do not contain a poly(dA.dT) element. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer showed that the interactions between the nucleosomal DNA ends and the histone octamer were destabilized in A16 NCP. The crystal structure of A16 NCP was determined to a resolution of 3.2 A. The overall structure was maintained except for local deviations in DNA conformation. These results are consistent with previous in vivo and in vitro observations that poly(dA.dT) elements cause only modest changes in DNA accessibility and modest increases in steady-state transcription levels.

In vivo growth rates are poorly correlated with phage therapy success in a mouse infection model.

PubMed

Bull, J J; Otto, G; Molineux, I J

2012-02-01

Two classes of phages yield profoundly different levels of recovery in mice experimentally infected with an Escherichia coli O18:K1:H7 strain. Phages requiring the K1 capsule for infection (K1-dep) rescue virtually all infected mice, whereas phages not requiring the capsule (K1-ind) rescue modest numbers (∼30%). To rescue infected mice, K1-ind phages require at least a 10(6)-fold-higher inoculum than K1-dep phages. Yet their in vivo growth dynamics are only modestly inferior to those of K1-dep phages, and competition between the two phage types in the same mouse reveals only a slight growth advantage for the K1-dep phage. The in vivo growth rate seems unlikely to be the primary determinant of phage therapy success. An alternative explanation is that the success of K1-dep phages is due substantially to their proteomic composition. They encode an enzyme that degrades the K1 capsule, which has been shown in other work to be sufficient to cure infection in the complete absence of phages.

The Topology of Large-Scale Structure in the 1.2 Jy IRAS Redshift Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Protogeros, Zacharias A. M.; Weinberg, David H.

1997-11-01

We measure the topology (genus) of isodensity contour surfaces in volume-limited subsets of the 1.2 Jy IRAS redshift survey, for smoothing scales λ = 4, 7, and 12 h-1 Mpc. At 12 h-1 Mpc, the observed genus curve has a symmetric form similar to that predicted for a Gaussian random field. At the shorter smoothing lengths, the observed genus curve shows a modest shift in the direction of an isolated cluster or ``meatball'' topology. We use mock catalogs drawn from cosmological N-body simulations to investigate the systematic biases that affect topology measurements in samples of this size and to determine the full covariance matrix of the expected random errors. We incorporate the error correlations into our evaluations of theoretical models, obtaining both frequentist assessments of absolute goodness of fit and Bayesian assessments of models' relative likelihoods. We compare the observed topology of the 1.2 Jy survey to the predictions of dynamically evolved, unbiased, gravitational instability models that have Gaussian initial conditions. The model with an n = -1 power-law initial power spectrum achieves the best overall agreement with the data, though models with a low-density cold dark matter power spectrum and an n = 0 power-law spectrum are also consistent. The observed topology is inconsistent with an initially Gaussian model that has n = -2, and it is strongly inconsistent with a Voronoi foam model, which has a non-Gaussian, bubble topology.

Kidney function endpoints in kidney transplant trials: a struggle for power.

PubMed

Ibrahim, A; Garg, A X; Knoll, G A; Akbari, A; White, C A

2013-03-01

Kidney function endpoints are commonly used in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in kidney transplantation (KTx). We conducted this study to estimate the proportion of ongoing RCTs with kidney function endpoints in KTx where the proposed sample size is large enough to detect meaningful differences in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with adequate statistical power. RCTs were retrieved using the key word "kidney transplantation" from the National Institute of Health online clinical trial registry. Included trials had at least one measure of kidney function tracked for at least 1 month after transplant. We determined the proportion of two-arm parallel trials that had sufficient sample sizes to detect a minimum 5, 7.5 and 10 mL/min difference in GFR between arms. Fifty RCTs met inclusion criteria. Only 7% of the trials were above a sample size of 562, the number needed to detect a minimum 5 mL/min difference between the groups should one exist (assumptions: α = 0.05; power = 80%, 10% loss to follow-up, common standard deviation of 20 mL/min). The result increased modestly to 36% of trials when a minimum 10 mL/min difference was considered. Only a minority of ongoing trials have adequate statistical power to detect between-group differences in kidney function using conventional sample size estimating parameters. For this reason, some potentially effective interventions which ultimately could benefit patients may be abandoned from future assessment. © Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Results of the first interim analysis of the RAPPER II trial in patients with spinal cord injury: ambulation and functional exercise programs in the REX powered walking aid.

PubMed

Birch, Nick; Graham, Jon; Priestley, Tom; Heywood, Chris; Sakel, Mohamed; Gall, Angela; Nunn, Andrew; Signal, Nada

2017-06-19

The RAPPER II study investigates the feasibility, safety and acceptability of using the REX self-stabilising robotic exoskeleton in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) who are obligatory wheelchair users. Feasibility is assessed by the completion of transfer into the REX device, competency in achieving autonomous control and completion of upper body exercise in an upright position in the REX device. Safety is measured by the occurrence of serious adverse events. Device acceptability is assessed with a user questionnaire. RAPPER II is a prospective, multi-centre, open label, non-randomised, non-comparative cohort study in people with SCI recruited from neurological rehabilitation centres in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. This is the planned interim report of the first 20 participants. Each completed a transfer into the REX, were trained to achieve machine control and completed Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests as well as upper body exercises in standing in a single first time session. The time to achieve each task as well as the amount of assistance required was recorded. After finishing the trial tasks a User Experience questionnaire, exploring device acceptability, was completed. All participants could transfer into the REX. The mean transfer time was 439 s. Nineteen completed the exercise regime. Eighteen could achieve autonomous control of the REX, 17 of whom needed either no assistance or the help of just one therapist. Eighteen participants completed at least one TUG test in a mean time of 313 s, 15 with the assistance of just one therapist. The questionnaire demonstrated high levels of acceptability amongst users. There were no Serious Adverse Events. This first interim analysis of RAPPER II shows that it is feasible and safe for people with SCI to use the REX powered assisted walking device to ambulate and exercise in. Participants with tetraplegia and paraplegia could walk and perform a functional exercise program when standing needing only modest levels of assistance in most cases. User acceptability was high. ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02417532 . Registered 11 April 2015.

Adenosine A1 receptor activation increases myocardial protein S-nitrosothiols and elicits protection from ischemia-reperfusion injury in male and female hearts

PubMed Central

Shao, Qin; Casin, Kevin M.; Mackowski, Nathan; Murphy, Elizabeth; Steenbergen, Charles

2017-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in cardioprotection, and recent work from our group and others has implicated protein S-nitrosylation (SNO) as a critical component of NO-mediated protection in different models, including ischemic pre- and post-conditioning and sex-dependent cardioprotection. However, studies have yet to examine whether protein SNO levels are similarly increased with pharmacologic preconditioning in male and female hearts, and whether an increase in protein SNO levels, which is protective in male hearts, is sufficient to increase baseline protection in female hearts. Therefore, we pharmacologically preconditioned male and female hearts with the adenosine A1 receptor agonist N6-cyclohexyl adenosine (CHA). CHA administration prior to ischemia significantly improved functional recovery in both male and female hearts compared to baseline in a Langendorff-perfused heart model of ischemia-reperfusion injury (% of preischemic function ± SE: male baseline: 37.5±3.4% vs. male CHA: 55.3±3.2%; female baseline: 61.4±5.7% vs. female CHA: 76.0±6.2%). In a separate set of hearts, we found that CHA increased p-Akt and p-eNOS levels. We also used SNO-resin-assisted capture with LC-MS/MS to identify SNO proteins in male and female hearts, and determined that CHA perfusion induced a modest increase in protein SNO levels in both male (11.4%) and female (12.3%) hearts compared to baseline. These findings support a potential role for protein SNO in a model of pharmacologic preconditioning, and provide evidence to suggest that a modest increase in protein SNO levels is sufficient to protect both male and female hearts from ischemic injury. In addition, a number of the SNO proteins identified with CHA treatment were also observed with other forms of cardioprotective stimuli in prior studies, further supporting a role for protein SNO in cardioprotection. PMID:28493997

Plasma Irisin Modestly Increases during Moderate and High-Intensity Afternoon Exercise in Obese Females

PubMed Central

Winn, Nathan C.; Grunewald, Zachary I.; Liu, Ying; Heden, Timothy D.; Nyhoff, Lauren M.; Kanaley, Jill A.

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose Irisin is an exercise-responsive myokine that has been proposed to exert anti-obesity benefits; yet its response during exercise in obese women is not described. This study characterized plasma irisin levels during a single bout of afternoon isocaloric-exercise of different intensities (moderate- vs high-intensity) in obese females. Methods Eleven obese females participated in 3 randomized study days beginning at 1600h: 1) no exercise (NoEx), 2) moderate exercise (ModEx; 55%VO2max) and 3) high intensity interval exercise (IntEx; 4 min (80%VO2max)/3 min (50% VO2max). Frequent blood samples were analyzed for glucose and lactate (whole-blood), and insulin, c-peptide, glucagon, and irisin (plasma) throughout 190 min of testing. Results Plasma irisin increased above baseline during ModEx and IntEx (P<0.05), but not NoEx (P>0.05). Peak irisin levels during ModEx and IntEx exercise were 11.9± 3.4% and 12.3 ± 4.1% relative to baseline (P<0.05), respectively, with no differences between exercise intensities (P>0.05). Irisin levels remained elevated above resting for 125 minutes post-exercise during ModEx, whereas levels returned to baseline within 15 minutes post-exercise during IntEx. Similarly, no associations were found between plasma irisin levels and circulating lactate, glucose, insulin, c-peptide, or glucagon among study days (P>0.05). However, there was an inverse association between basal irisin and lean mass (r = -0.70, P = 0.01). Conclusion A single bout of moderate and high intensity afternoon exercise induces modest increases in circulating irisin concentrations during exercise; however the regulation post-exercise appears to be dimorphic between exercise intensity in obese females. Future studies are needed to compare morning and afternoon exercise on irisin secretion. PMID:28125733

Face-name association learning and brain structural substrates in alcoholism.

PubMed

Pitel, Anne-Lise; Chanraud, Sandra; Rohlfing, Torsten; Pfefferbaum, Adolf; Sullivan, Edith V

2012-07-01

Associative learning is required for face-name association and is impaired in alcoholism, but the cognitive processes and brain structural components underlying this deficit remain unclear. It is also unknown whether prompting alcoholics to implement a deep level of processing during face-name encoding would enhance performance. Abstinent alcoholics and controls performed a levels-of-processing face-name learning task. Participants indicated whether the face was that of an honest person (deep encoding) or that of a man (shallow encoding). Retrieval was examined using an associative (face-name) recognition task and a single-item (face or name only) recognition task. Participants also underwent 3T structural MRI. Compared with controls, alcoholics had poorer associative and single-item learning and performed at similar levels. Level of processing at encoding had little effect on recognition performance but affected reaction time (RT). Correlations with brain volumes were generally modest and based primarily on RT in alcoholics, where the deeper the processing at encoding, the more restricted the correlations with brain volumes. In alcoholics, longer control task RTs correlated modestly with smaller tissue volumes across several anterior to posterior brain regions; shallow encoding correlated with calcarine and striatal volumes; deep encoding correlated with precuneus and parietal volumes; and associative recognition RT correlated with cerebellar volumes. In controls, poorer associative recognition with deep encoding correlated significantly with smaller volumes of frontal and striatal structures. Despite prompting, alcoholics did not take advantage of encoding memoranda at a deep level to enhance face-name recognition accuracy. Nonetheless, conditions of deeper encoding resulted in faster RTs and more specific relations with regional brain volumes than did shallow encoding. The normal relation between associative recognition and corticostriatal volumes was not present in alcoholics. Rather, their speeded RTs occurred at the expense of accuracy and were related most robustly to cerebellar volumes. Copyright © 2012 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

The effects of age on inflammatory and coagulation-fibrinolysis response in patients hospitalized for pneumonia.

PubMed

Kale, Sachin; Yende, Sachin; Kong, Lan; Perkins, Amy; Kellum, John A; Newman, Anne B; Vallejo, Abbe N; Angus, Derek C

2010-11-04

To determine whether inflammatory and hemostasis response in patients hospitalized for pneumonia varies by age and whether these differences explain higher mortality in the elderly. In an observational cohort of subjects with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) recruited from emergency departments (ED) in 28 hospitals, we divided subjects into 5 age groups (<50, 51-64, 65-74, 75-84, and ≥85). We measured circulating levels of inflammatory (TNF, IL-6, and IL-10), hemostasis (D-dimer, Factor IX, thrombin-antithrombin complex, antithrombin and plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1), and cell-surface markers (TLR-2, TLR-4, and HLA-DR) during the first week of hospitalization and at discharge and compared 90-day mortality. We used logistic regression to compare odds ratios (OR) for 90-day mortality between age groups, adjusting for differences in pre-infection factors alone and then additionally adjusting for immune markers. Of 2,183 subjects, 495, 444, 403, 583, and 258 subjects were <50, 51-64, 65-74, 75-84, and ≥85 years of age, respectively. Large age-related differences were observed in 90-day mortality (0.82% vs. 3.2% vs. 6.4% vs. 12.8% vs. 13.6%, p<0.01). No age-related differences in inflammatory and cell surface markers occurred during the first week. Older subjects had higher pro-coagulant markers on ED presentation and over first week (p ≤ 0.03), but these differences were modest (1.0-1.7-fold differences). Odds of death for older adults changed minimally in models incorporating differences in hemostasis and inflammatory markers (for subjects ≥ 85 compared to those <50, OR = 4.36, when adjusted for pre-infection factors and OR = 3.49 when additionally adjusted for hemostasis markers). At discharge, despite clinical recovery as evidenced by normal vital signs in >85% subjects, older subjects had modestly increased hemostasis markers and IL-6 levels (p<0.01). Modest age-related increases in coagulation response occur during hospitalization for CAP; however these differences do not explain the large differences in mortality. Despite clinical recovery, immune resolution may be delayed in older adults at discharge.

Trends in bidi and cigarette smoking in India from 1998 to 2015, by age, gender and education

PubMed Central

Mishra, Sujata; Joseph, Renu Ann; Gupta, Prakash C; Pezzack, Brendon; Ram, Faujdar; Sinha, Dhirendra N; Dikshit, Rajesh; Patra, Jayadeep; Jha, Prabhat

2016-01-01

Objectives Smoking of cigarettes or bidis (small, locally manufactured smoked tobacco) in India has likely changed over the last decade. We sought to document trends in smoking prevalence among Indians aged 15–69 years between 1998 and 2015. Design Comparison of 3 nationally representative surveys representing 99% of India's population; the Special Fertility and Mortality Survey (1998), the Sample Registration System Baseline Survey (2004) and the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2010). Setting India. Participants About 14 million residents from 2.5 million homes, representative of India. Main outcome measures Age-standardised smoking prevalence and projected absolute numbers of smokers in 2015. Trends were stratified by type of tobacco smoked, age, gender and education level. Findings The age-standardised prevalence of any smoking in men at ages 15–69 years fell from about 27% in 1998 to 24% in 2010, but rose at ages 15–29 years. During this period, cigarette smoking in men became about twofold more prevalent at ages 15–69 years and fourfold more prevalent at ages 15–29 years. By contrast, bidi smoking among men at ages 15–69 years fell modestly. The age-standardised prevalence of any smoking in women at these ages was 2.7% in 2010. The smoking prevalence in women born after 1960 was about half of the prevalence in women born before 1950. By contrast, the intergenerational changes in smoking prevalence in men were much smaller. The absolute numbers of men smoking any type of tobacco at ages 15–69 years rose by about 29 million or 36% in relative terms from 79 million in 1998 to 108 million in 2015. This represents an average increase of about 1.7 million male smokers every year. By 2015, there were roughly equal numbers of men smoking cigarettes or bidis. About 11 million women aged 15–69 smoked in 2015. Among illiterate men, the prevalence of smoking rose (most sharply for cigarettes) but fell modestly among men with grade 10 or more education. The ex-smoking prevalence in men at ages 45–59 years rose modestly but was low: only 5% nationally with about 4 current smokers for every former smoker. Conclusions Despite modest decreases in smoking prevalence, the absolute numbers of male smokers aged 15–69 years has increased substantially over the last 15 years. Cigarettes are displacing bidi smoking, most notably among young adult men and illiterate men. Tobacco control policies need to adapt to these changes, most notably with higher taxation on tobacco products, so as to raise the currently low levels of adult smoking cessation. PMID:28588906

Trends in New U.S. Marine Corps Accessions During the Recent Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

modest changes over the study period. Favorable trends included recent (2009-2010) improvernents in body mass index and physical activity levels...height, body mass index (BMI) in kg/m^ was calculated. Frequency of physical activity before service entry was assessed from self-report. Initial run...Test; BMI, body mass index; mph, miles per hour; SD, standard deviation. "Numbers (n) may not add up to 131,961 because of missing self-reported data for

Role of Copper in the Performance of CdS/CdTe Solar Cells (Poster)

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

Demtsu, S.; Albin, D.; Sites, J.

2006-05-01

The performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells made with evaporated Cu as a primary back contact was studied through current-voltage (JV) at different intensities, quantum efficiency (QE) under light and voltage bias, capacitance-voltage (CV), and drive-level capacitance profiling (DLCP) measurements. The results show that while modest amounts of Cu enhance cell performance, excessive amounts degrade device quality and reduce performance. The analysis is supported with numerical simulations to reproduce and explain some of the experimental results.

Hebbian self-organizing integrate-and-fire networks for data clustering.

PubMed

Landis, Florian; Ott, Thomas; Stoop, Ruedi

2010-01-01

We propose a Hebbian learning-based data clustering algorithm using spiking neurons. The algorithm is capable of distinguishing between clusters and noisy background data and finds an arbitrary number of clusters of arbitrary shape. These properties render the approach particularly useful for visual scene segmentation into arbitrarily shaped homogeneous regions. We present several application examples, and in order to highlight the advantages and the weaknesses of our method, we systematically compare the results with those from standard methods such as the k-means and Ward's linkage clustering. The analysis demonstrates that not only the clustering ability of the proposed algorithm is more powerful than those of the two concurrent methods, the time complexity of the method is also more modest than that of its generally used strongest competitor.

Tensile cracking of a brittle conformal coating on a rough substrate

DOE PAGES

Reedy, Jr., E. D.

2016-04-07

This note examines the effect of interfacial roughness on the initiation and growth of channel cracks in a brittle film. A conformal film with cusp-like surface flaws that replicate the substrate roughness is investigated. This type of surface flaw is relatively severe in the sense that stress diverges as the cusp-tip is approached (i.e., there is a power-law stress singularity). For the geometry and range of film properties considered, the analysis suggests that smoothing the substrate could substantially increase the film’s resistance to the formation of the through-the-thickness cracks that precede channel cracking. Furthermore, smoothing the substrate’s surface has amore » relatively modest effect on the film stress needed to propagate a channel crack.« less

Observational evidence of dust evolution in galactic extinction curves

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

Cecchi-Pestellini, Cesare; Casu, Silvia; Mulas, Giacomo

Although structural and optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous carbons are known to respond to varying physical conditions, most conventional extinction models are basically curve fits with modest predictive power. We compare an evolutionary model of the physical properties of carbonaceous grain mantles with their determination by homogeneously fitting observationally derived Galactic extinction curves with the same physically well-defined dust model. We find that a large sample of observed Galactic extinction curves are compatible with the evolutionary scenario underlying such a model, requiring physical conditions fully consistent with standard density, temperature, radiation field intensity, and average age of diffuse interstellar clouds.more » Hence, through the study of interstellar extinction we may, in principle, understand the evolutionary history of the diffuse interstellar clouds.« less

Analysis of the Nucleophilic Solvation Effects in Isopropyl Chlorothioformate Solvolysis

PubMed Central

D’Souza, Malcolm J.; Mahon, Brian P.; Kevill, Dennis N.

2010-01-01

Correlation of the solvent effects through application of the extended Grunwald-Winstein equation to the solvolysis of isopropyl chlorothioformate results in a sensitivity value of 0.38 towards changes in solvent nucleophilicity (l) and a sensitivity value of 0.72 towards changes in solvent ionizing power (m). This tangible l value coupled with the negative entropies of activation observed indicates a favorable predisposition towards a modest rear-side nucleophilic solvation of a developing carbocation. Only in 100% ethanol was the bimolecular pathway dominant. These observations are very different from those obtained for the solvolysis of isopropyl chloroformate, where dual reaction channels were proposed, with the addition-elimination reaction favored in the more nucleophilic solvents and a unimolecular fragmentation-ionization mechanism favored in the highly ionizing solvents. PMID:20717524

Insecticide-Treated Nets Can Reduce Malaria Transmission by Mosquitoes Which Feed Outdoors

PubMed Central

Govella, Nicodem J.; Okumu, Fredros O.; Killeen, Gerry F.

2010-01-01

Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) represent a powerful means for controlling malaria in Africa because the mosquito vectors feed primarily indoors at night. The proportion of human exposure that occurs indoors, when people are asleep and can conveniently use ITNs, is therefore very high. Recent evidence suggests behavioral changes by malaria mosquito populations to avoid contact with ITNs by feeding outdoors in the early evening. We adapt an established mathematical model of mosquito behavior and malaria transmission to illustrate how ITNs can achieve communal suppression of malaria transmission exposure, even where mosquito evade them and personal protection is modest. We also review recent reports from Tanzania to show that conventional mosquito behavior measures can underestimate the potential of ITNs because they ignore the importance of human movements. PMID:20207866

Maximizing the Scientific Return of Low Cost Planetary Missions Using Solar Electric Propulsion(abstract)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.; Metzger, A.; Pieters, C.; Elphic, R. C.; McCord, T.; Head, J.; Abshire, J.; Philips, R.; Sykes, M.; A'Hearn, M.;

The image of the psychiatrist in motion pictures.

PubMed

Clara, A

1995-01-01

The psychiatrists who appear in commercial films can roughly be divided into 3 stereotyped categories: 1. The funny and foolish character who lacks all common sense. He often is more deranged than his patients, but in a harmless way. 2. The intelligent, attractive, modest, warm, etc. psychiatrist who devotes his time and life to the well-being of his patients. He is too perfect to be true and is usually a rather boring character. 3. The thoroughly evil psychiatrist, who abuses his power for his personal ambition or enrichment. He endangers the health and life of his patients with his outrageous treatments and experiments. He is a classical horror movie character. Some of the implications that these prejudiced representations in popular culture have on the doctor-patient relationship will be discussed.

Hadronic Form Factors in Asymptotically Free Field Theories

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Gross, D. J.; Treiman, S. B.

1974-01-01

The breakdown of Bjorken scaling in asymptotically free gauge theories of the strong interactions is explored for its implications on the large q{sup 2} behavior of nucleon form factors. Duality arguments of Bloom and Gilman suggest a connection between the form factors and the threshold properties of the deep inelastic structure functions. The latter are addressed directly in an analysis of asymptotically free theories; and through the duality connection we are then led to statements about the form factors. For very large q{sup 2} the form factors are predicted to fall faster than any inverse power of q{sup 2}. For the more modest range of q{sup 2} reached in existing experiments the agreement with data is fairly good, though this may well be fortuitous. Extrapolations beyond this range are presented.

Digital stethoscope: technology update.

PubMed

Swarup, Supreeya; Makaryus, Amgad N

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is recognized as the leading cause of mortality throughout the world. About one-third of global mortality is attributable to CVD. In addition to clinical presentation, specific clinical exam findings can assist in treating and preventing CVD. CVD may initially manifest as pulmonary pathology, and thus, accurate cardiopulmonary auscultation is paramount to establishing accurate diagnosis. One of the most powerful tools available to physicians is the stethoscope. The stethoscope first emerged in the year 1818, invented by a French physician, René Laennec. Since then, the initial modest monaural wooden tube has evolved into a sophisticated digital device. This paper provides an analysis of the evolution of the stethoscope as well as highlights the advancement made by the modern digital stethoscope including the application of this tool in advancing care for patients suffering from CVD.

Magnified Effects of Changes in NIH Research Funding Levels.

PubMed

Larson, Richard C; Ghaffarzadegan, Navid; Diaz, Mauricio Gomez

2012-12-01

What happens within the university-based research enterprise when a federal funding agency abruptly changes research grant funding levels, up or down? We use simple difference equation models to show that an apparently modest increase or decrease in funding levels can have dramatic effects on researchers, graduate students, postdocs, and the overall research enterprise. The amplified effect is due to grants lasting for an extended period, thereby requiring the majority of funds available in one year to pay for grants awarded in previous years. We demonstrate the effect in various ways, using National Institutes of Health data for two situations: the historical doubling of research funding from 1998 to 2003 and the possible effects of "sequestration" in January 2013. We posit human responses to such sharp movements in funding levels and offer suggestions for amelioration.

The Allegheny initiative for mental health integration for the homeless: integrating heterogeneous health services for homeless persons.

PubMed

Gordon, Adam J; Montlack, Melissa L; Freyder, Paul; Johnson, Diane; Bui, Thuy; Williams, Jennifer

2007-03-01

The Allegheny Initiative for Mental Health Integration for the Homeless (AIM-HIGH) was a 3-year urban initiative in Pennsylvania that sought to enhance integration and coordination of medical and behavioral services for homeless persons through system-, provider-, and client-level interventions. On a system level, AIM-HIGH established partnerships between several key medical and behavioral health agencies. On a provider level, AIM-HIGH conducted 5 county-wide conferences regarding homeless integration, attended by 637 attendees from 72 agencies. On a client level, 5 colocated medical and behavioral health care clinics provided care to 1986 homeless patients in 4084 encounters, generating 1917 referrals for care. For a modest investment, AIM-HIGH demonstrated that integration of medical and behavioral health services for homeless persons can occur in a large urban environment.

The Allegheny Initiative for Mental Health Integration for the Homeless: Integrating Heterogeneous Health Services for Homeless Persons

PubMed Central

Gordon, Adam J.; Montlack, Melissa L.; Freyder, Paul; Johnson, Diane; Bui, Thuy; Williams, Jennifer

2007-01-01

The Allegheny Initiative for Mental Health Integration for the Homeless (AIM-HIGH) was a 3-year urban initiative in Pennsylvania that sought to enhance integration and coordination of medical and behavioral services for homeless persons through system-, provider-, and client-level interventions. On a system level, AIM-HIGH established partnerships between several key medical and behavioral health agencies. On a provider level, AIM-HIGH conducted 5 county-wide conferences regarding homeless integration, attended by 637 attendees from 72 agencies. On a client level, 5 colocated medical and behavioral health care clinics provided care to 1986 homeless patients in 4084 encounters, generating 1917 referrals for care. For a modest investment, AIM-HIGH demonstrated that integration of medical and behavioral health services for homeless persons can occur in a large urban environment. PMID:17267708

Magnified Effects of Changes in NIH Research Funding Levels

PubMed Central

Larson, Richard C.; Ghaffarzadegan, Navid; Diaz, Mauricio Gomez

2013-01-01

What happens within the university-based research enterprise when a federal funding agency abruptly changes research grant funding levels, up or down? We use simple difference equation models to show that an apparently modest increase or decrease in funding levels can have dramatic effects on researchers, graduate students, postdocs, and the overall research enterprise. The amplified effect is due to grants lasting for an extended period, thereby requiring the majority of funds available in one year to pay for grants awarded in previous years. We demonstrate the effect in various ways, using National Institutes of Health data for two situations: the historical doubling of research funding from 1998 to 2003 and the possible effects of “sequestration” in January 2013. We posit human responses to such sharp movements in funding levels and offer suggestions for amelioration. PMID:24489978

Modest Labor-Management Bargains Continue in 1984 Despite the Recovery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruben, George

1985-01-01

Major collective bargaining agreements in 1984 resulted in modest settlements, due to concern about foreign competition, domestic deregulation, and inflation. Agreements occurred in the following industries: auto, soft coal, airlines, aircraft and aerospace, construction, petroleum refining, longshore industry, railroads, trucking, steel, West…

Effects of end-stage renal disease and dialysis modalities on blood ammonia level

PubMed Central

VAZIRI, Nosratola D.; KHAZAELI, Mahyar; NUNES, Ane C. F.; HARLEY, Kevin T.; SAID, Hyder; ALIPOUR, Omeed; LAU, Wei Ling; PAHL, Madeleine V.

2018-01-01

Introduction Uremia results in a characteristic breath odor (uremic fetor) which is largely due to its high ammonia content. Earlier studies have shown a strong correlation between breath ammonia and blood urea levels and a 1 0-fold reduction in breath ammonia after hemodialysis in patients with chronic kidney disease. Potential sources of breath ammonia include: (i) local ammonia production from hydrolysis of urea in the oropharyngeal and respiratory tracts by bacterial flora, and (ii) release of circulating blood ammonia by the lungs. While the effects of uremia and hemodialysis on breath ammonia are well known their effects on blood ammonia are unknown and were explored here. Methods Blood samples were obtained from 23 hemodialysis patients (immediately before and after dialysis), 14 peritoneal dialysis patients, and 10 healthy controls. Blood levels of ammonia, creatinine, urea, and electrolytes were measured. Findings No significant difference was found in baseline blood ammonia between hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and control groups. Hemodialysis procedure led to a significant reduction in urea concentration (P<0.001) which was paradoxically accompanied by a modest but significant (P<0.05) rise in blood ammonia level in 10 of the 23 patients studied. Change in blood ammonia pre- and post-hemodialysis correlated with change in serum bicarbonate levels (r=0.61, P<0.01). On subgroup analysis of patients who had a rise in blood ammonia levels after dialysis, there was a strong correlation with drop in mean arterial pressure (r=0.88, P<0.01). The nadir intradialytic systolic blood pressure trended lower in the hemodialysis patients who had a rise in blood ammonia compared to the patients who manifested a fall in blood ammonia (124±8vs.136±6mmHg respectively, P=0.27). Discussion Fall in blood urea following hemodialysis in ESRD patients was paradoxically accompanied by a modest rise in blood ammonia levels in 43% of the patients studied, contrasting prior reported effects of hemodialysis on breath ammonia. In this subgroup of patients, changes in blood ammonia during hemodialysis correlated with rise in blood bicarbonate and fall in mean arterial blood pressure. PMID:27804262

Effects of end-stage renal disease and dialysis modalities on blood ammonia level.

PubMed

Vaziri, Nosratola D; Khazaeli, Mahyar; Nunes, Ane C F; Harley, Kevin T; Said, Hyder; Alipour, Omeed; Lau, Wei Ling; Pahl, Madeleine V

2017-07-01

Uremia results in a characteristic breath odor (uremic fetor) which is largely due to its high ammonia content. Earlier studies have shown a strong correlation between breath ammonia and blood urea levels and a 10-fold reduction in breath ammonia after hemodialysis in patients with chronic kidney disease. Potential sources of breath ammonia include: (i) local ammonia production from hydrolysis of urea in the oropharyngeal and respiratory tracts by bacterial flora, and (ii) release of circulating blood ammonia by the lungs. While the effects of uremia and hemodialysis on breath ammonia are well known their effects on blood ammonia are unknown and were explored here. Blood samples were obtained from 23 hemodialysis patients (immediately before and after dialysis), 14 peritoneal dialysis patients, and 10 healthy controls. Blood levels of ammonia, creatinine, urea, and electrolytes were measured. No significant difference was found in baseline blood ammonia between hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and control groups. Hemodialysis procedure led to a significant reduction in urea concentration (P < 0.001) which was paradoxically accompanied by a modest but significant (P < 0.05) rise in blood ammonia level in 10 of the 23 patients studied. Change in blood ammonia pre- and post-hemodialysis correlated with change in serum bicarbonate levels (r = 0.61, P < 0.01). On subgroup analysis of patients who had a rise in blood ammonia levels after dialysis, there was a strong correlation with drop in mean arterial pressure (r = 0.88, P < 0.01). The nadir intradialytic systolic blood pressure trended lower in the hemodialysis patients who had a rise in blood ammonia compared to the patients who manifested a fall in blood ammonia (124 ± 8 vs. 136 ± 6 mmHg respectively, P = 0.27). Fall in blood urea following hemodialysis in ESRD patients was paradoxically accompanied by a modest rise in blood ammonia levels in 43% of the patients studied, contrasting prior reported effects of hemodialysis on breath ammonia. In this subgroup of patients, changes in blood ammonia during hemodialysis correlated with rise in blood bicarbonate and fall in mean arterial blood pressure. © 2016 International Society for Hemodialysis.

InSAR Remote Sensing of Localized Surface Layer Subsidence in New Orleans, LA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, K.; Jones, C. E.; Blom, R. G.; Kent, J. D.; Ivins, E. R.

2015-12-01

More than half of Louisiana's drinking water is dependent on groundwater, and extraction of these resources along with high oil and gas production has contributed to localized subsidence in many parts of New Orleans. This increases the vulnerability of levee failure during intense storms such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, before which rapid subsidence had already been identified and contributed to the failing levees and catastrophic flooding. An interferogram containing airborne radar data from NASA's UAVSAR was combined with local geographic information systems (GIS) data for 2009-12 to help identify the sources of subsidence and mask out unrelated features such as surface water. We have observed the highest vertical velocity rates at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility (high water use) and Norco (high oil/gas production). Many other notable features such as the: Bonnet-Carre Spillway, MRGO canal, levee lines along the Lower 9th Ward and power plants, are also showing concerning rates of subsidence. Even new housing loads, soil type differences, and buried beach sands seem to have modest correlations with patterns seen in UAVSAR. Current hurricane protection and coastal restoration efforts still have not incorporated late 20th century water level and geodetic data into their projections. Using SAR interferometry and local GIS datasets, areas of subsidence can be identified in a more efficient and economical manner, especially for emergency response.

The study of the transition regime between slab and mixed slab-toroidal electron temperature gradient modes in a basic experiment

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

Balbaky, Abed; Sokolov, Vladimir; Sen, Amiya K.

2015-05-15

Electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes are suspected sources of anomalous electron thermal transport in magnetically confined plasmas as in tokamaks. Prior work in the Columbia Linear Machine (CLM) has been able to produce and identify slab ETG modes in a slab geometry [Wei et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 042108 (2010)]. Now by modifying CLM to introduce curvature to the confining axial magnetic field, we have excited mixed slab-toroidal modes. Linear theory predicts a transition between slab and toroidal ETG modes when (k{sub ∥}R{sub c})/(k{sub y}ρ) ∼1 [J. Kim and W. Horton, Phys. Fluids B 3, 1167 (1991)]. We observe changesmore » in the mode amplitude for levels of curvature R{sub c}{sup −1}≪(k{sub ∥,slab})/(k{sub ⊥}ρ) , which may be explained by reductions in k{sub ∥} in the transition from slab to mixed slab-toroidal modes, as also predicted by theory. We present mode amplitude scaling as a function of magnetic field curvature. Over the range of curvature available in CLM experimentally we find a modest increase in saturated ETG potential fluctuations (∼1.5×), and a substantial increase in the power density of individual mode peaks (∼4–5×)« less

Overview of NATO Background on Scramjet Technology. Chapter 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drummond, J. Philip; Bouchez, Marc; McClinton, Charles R.

2006-01-01

The purpose of the present overview is to summarize the current knowledge of the NATO contributors. All the topics will be addressed in this chapter, with references and some examples. This background enhances the level of knowledge of the NATO scramjet community, which will be used for writing the specific chapters of the Report. Some previous overviews have been published on scramjet technology worldwide. NASA, DOD, the U.S. industry and global community have studied scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicles for over 40 years. Within the U.S. alone, NASA, DOD (DARPA, U.S. Navy and USAF), and industry have participated in hypersonic technology development. Over this time NASA Langley Research Center continuously studied hypersonic system design, aerothermodynamics, scramjet propulsion, propulsion-airframe integration, high temperature materials and structural architectures, and associated facilities, instrumentation and test methods. These modestly funded programs were substantially augmented during the National Aero-Space Plane (X-30) Program, which spent more than $3B between 1984 and 1995, and brought the DOD and other NASA Centers, universities and industry back into hypersonics. In addition, significant progress was achieved in all technologies required for hypersonic flight, and much of that technology was transferred into other programs, such as X-33, DC-X, X-37, X-43, etc. In addition, technology transfer impacted numerous other industries, including automotive, medical, sports and aerospace.

Genomic data reveal a loss of diversity in two species of tuco-tucos (genus Ctenomys) following a volcanic eruption.

PubMed

Hsu, Jeremy L; Crawford, Jeremy Chase; Tammone, Mauro N; Ramakrishnan, Uma; Lacey, Eileen A; Hadly, Elizabeth A

2017-11-24

Marked reductions in population size can trigger corresponding declines in genetic variation. Understanding the precise genetic consequences of such reductions, however, is often challenging due to the absence of robust pre- and post-reduction datasets. Here, we use heterochronous genomic data from samples obtained before and immediately after the 2011 eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex in Patagonia to explore the genetic impacts of this event on two parapatric species of rodents, the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis) and the Patagonian tuco-tuco (C. haigi). Previous analyses using microsatellites revealed no post-eruption changes in genetic variation in C. haigi, but an unexpected increase in variation in C. sociabilis. To explore this outcome further, we used targeted gene capture to sequence over 2,000 putatively neutral regions for both species. Our data revealed that, contrary to the microsatellite analyses, the eruption was associated with a small but significant decrease in genetic variation in both species. We suggest that genome-level analyses provide greater power than traditional molecular markers to detect the genetic consequences of population size changes, particularly changes that are recent, short-term, or modest in size. Consequently, genomic analyses promise to generate important new insights into the effects of specific environmental events on demography and genetic variation.

Sensitivity to sequencing depth in single-cell cancer genomics.

PubMed

Alves, João M; Posada, David

2018-04-16

Querying cancer genomes at single-cell resolution is expected to provide a powerful framework to understand in detail the dynamics of cancer evolution. However, given the high costs currently associated with single-cell sequencing, together with the inevitable technical noise arising from single-cell genome amplification, cost-effective strategies that maximize the quality of single-cell data are critically needed. Taking advantage of previously published single-cell whole-genome and whole-exome cancer datasets, we studied the impact of sequencing depth and sampling effort towards single-cell variant detection. Five single-cell whole-genome and whole-exome cancer datasets were independently downscaled to 25, 10, 5, and 1× sequencing depth. For each depth level, ten technical replicates were generated, resulting in a total of 6280 single-cell BAM files. The sensitivity of variant detection, including structural and driver mutations, genotyping, clonal inference, and phylogenetic reconstruction to sequencing depth was evaluated using recent tools specifically designed for single-cell data. Altogether, our results suggest that for relatively large sample sizes (25 or more cells) sequencing single tumor cells at depths > 5× does not drastically improve somatic variant discovery, characterization of clonal genotypes, or estimation of single-cell phylogenies. We suggest that sequencing multiple individual tumor cells at a modest depth represents an effective alternative to explore the mutational landscape and clonal evolutionary patterns of cancer genomes.

Computer model for characterizing, screening, and optimizing electrolyte systems

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

Gering, Kevin L.

2015-06-15

Electrolyte systems in contemporary batteries are tasked with operating under increasing performance requirements. All battery operation is in some way tied to the electrolyte and how it interacts with various regions within the cell environment. Seeing the electrolyte plays a crucial role in battery performance and longevity, it is imperative that accurate, physics-based models be developed that will characterize key electrolyte properties while keeping pace with the increasing complexity of these liquid systems. Advanced models are needed since laboratory measurements require significant resources to carry out for even a modest experimental matrix. The Advanced Electrolyte Model (AEM) developed at themore » INL is a proven capability designed to explore molecular-to-macroscale level aspects of electrolyte behavior, and can be used to drastically reduce the time required to characterize and optimize electrolytes. Although it is applied most frequently to lithium-ion battery systems, it is general in its theory and can be used toward numerous other targets and intended applications. This capability is unique, powerful, relevant to present and future electrolyte development, and without peer. It redefines electrolyte modeling for highly-complex contemporary systems, wherein significant steps have been taken to capture the reality of electrolyte behavior in the electrochemical cell environment. This capability can have a very positive impact on accelerating domestic battery development to support aggressive vehicle and energy goals in the 21st century.« less

Use of near-IR to monitor the influence of external heating on dental composite photopolymerization.

PubMed

Trujillo, Marianela; Newman, Sheldon M; Stansbury, Jeffrey W

2004-10-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of modest external heating on the photopolymerization kinetics and conversion of commercial dental composite restorative materials. A transmission-mode, real-time near-infrared spectroscopic technique was used to monitor the photopolymerization process in the composite materials at various temperatures between 23 and 70 degrees C. Several light curing units, differing in spectral output and power densities were compared at the different cure temperatures. Several significantly different commercial composites were compared for their response. Regardless of the curing light or composite material used, photopolymerization at a moderate curing temperature of 54.5 degrees C resulted in significantly higher immediate and final conversion values compared with room temperature photocuring. Contrary to the room temperature cured materials, at the elevated cure temperature the extent of post-cure was minor and different curing lights produced very uniform conversion values within a given material. The time required to reach a given level of conversion, established as full conversion with the room temperature cure, was reduced typically by 80-90% using the elevated curing conditions. Complementary kinetic studies confirmed the effect of cure temperature on increasing the polymerization rate in dental composites as significant. Increasing the temperature of composite resin within potentially biologically compatible limits can significantly influences resin polymerization. These increased rates and conversion could lead to improved properties of composite restorative materials.

Low peak jump power is associated with elevated odds of dysmobility syndrome in community-dwelling elderly individuals: the Korean Urban Rural Elderly (KURE) study.

PubMed

Hong, Namki; Kim, Chang Oh; Youm, Yoosik; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Rhee, Yumie

2018-06-01

In a community-dwelling elderly cohort (Korean Urban Rural Elderly), low peak jump power was associated with elevated odds of dysmobility syndrome and its components, independent of age and comorbidities. Jump power measurement improved discrimination of individuals with dysmobility syndrome when added to conventional risk factors. Dysmobility syndrome was proposed to encompass the risks affecting musculoskeletal outcomes. Jump power measurement is a safe, reproducible high-intensity test for physical function in elderly. However, the relationship between jump power and dysmobility syndrome remains unknown. A total of 1369 subjects (mean 71.6 years; women, 66%) were analyzed from a community-based cohort. Dysmobility syndrome was defined as the presence of ≥ 3 factors among falls in the preceding year, low lean mass, high fat mass, osteoporosis, low grip strength, and low timed get-up-and-go (TUG) performance. Subjects were grouped into tertiles of jump power relative to weight based on sex-stratified cutoffs (32.4 and 27.6 W/kg in men; 23.9 and 19.9 W/kg in women) or into the failed-to-jump group. The prevalence of dysmobility syndrome was 20% overall, increasing from the highest (T1) to lowest (T3) jump power tertile (1, 11, 15% in men; 11, 16, 39% in women) and the failed-to-jump group (39% in men; 48% in women). Low jump power or failed-to-jump was associated with elevated odds of dysmobility syndrome (T3 vs. T1, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.35, p < 0.001; failed-to-jump vs. T1, aOR 7.60, p < 0.001) and its components including falls, low lean mass, high fat mass, and poor TUG performance but not osteoporosis after adjustment for covariates. Jump power modestly discriminated dysmobility syndrome (area under the curve [AUC], 0.71, p < 0.001), which improved discriminatory performance when added to conventional risk factors (AUC, from 0.75 to 0.79, p < 0.001). Low peak jump power was associated with elevated odds of dysmobility syndrome and its components, independent of age and comorbidities.

Performance of three glomerular filtration rate estimation equations in a population of sub-Saharan Africans with Type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Agoons, D D; Balti, E V; Kaze, F F; Azabji-Kenfack, M; Ashuntantang, G; Kengne, A P; Sobngwi, E; Mbanya, J C

2016-09-01

We evaluated the performance of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equations against creatinine clearance (CrCl) to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in 51 patients with Type 2 diabetes. The CrCl value was obtained from the average of two consecutive 24-h urine samples. Results were adjusted for body surface area using the Dubois formula. Serum creatinine was measured using the kinetic Jaffe method and was calibrated to standardized levels. Bland-Altman analysis and kappa statistic were used to examine agreement between measured and estimated GFR. Estimates of GFR from the CrCl, MDRD, CKD-EPI and CG equations were similar (overall P = 0.298), and MDRD (r = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.36-0.74), CKD-EPI (r = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33-0.72) and CG (r = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.39-0.75) showed modest correlation with CrCl (all P < 0.001). Bias was -0.3 for MDRD, 1.7 for CKD-EPI and -5.4 for CG. All three equations showed fair-to-moderate agreement with CrCl (kappa: 0.38-0.51). The c-statistic for all three equations ranged between 0.75 and 0.77 with no significant difference (P = 0.639 for c-statistic comparison). The MDRD equation seems to have a modest advantage over CKD-EPI and CG in estimating GFR and detecting impaired renal function in sub-Saharan African patients with Type 2 diabetes. The overall relatively modest correlation with CrCl, however, suggests the need for context-specific estimators of GFR or context adaptation of existing estimators. © 2015 Diabetes UK.

DRINKING WATER TURBIDITY AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FOR GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS IN ATLANTA, 1993 – 2004

PubMed Central

Tinker, Sarah C.; Moe, Christine L.; Klein, Mitchel; Flanders, W. Dana; Uber, Jim; Amirtharajah, Appiah; Singer, Philip; Tolbert, Paige E.

2013-01-01

Background The extent to which drinking water turbidity measurements indicate the risk of gastrointestinal illness is not well-understood. Despite major advances in drinking water treatment and delivery, infectious disease can still be transmitted through drinking water in the U.S., and it is important to have reliable indicators of microbial water quality to inform public health decisions. The objective of our study was to assess the relationship between gastrointestinal illness, quantified through emergency department visits, and drinking water quality, quantified as raw water and filtered water turbidity measured at the treatment plant. Methods We examined the relationship between turbidity levels of raw and filtered surface water measured at eight major drinking water treatment plants in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, and over 240 000 emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness during 1993–2004 among the population served by these plants. We fit Poisson time-series statistical regression models that included turbidity in a 21-day distributed lag and that controlled for meteorological factors and long-term time trends. Results For filtered water turbidity, the results were consistent with no association with emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness. We observed a modest association between raw water turbidity and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness. This association was not observed for all treatment plants in plant-specific analyses. Conclusions Our results suggest that source water quality may contribute modestly to endemic gastrointestinal illness in the study area. The association between turbidity and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness was only observed when raw water turbidity was considered; filtered water turbidity may not serve as a reliable indicator of modest pathogen risk at all treatment plants. PMID:18941478

GPS for low-cost attitude determination. A review of concepts, in-flight experiences, and current developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Q. P.; Van Woerkom, P. Th. L. M.

The Global Positioning System or GPS has been developed for the purpose of enabling accurate positioning and navigation anywhere on or near the surface of the Earth. In addition to the US system GPS-NAVSTAR, the Russian GLONASS system is also in place and operational. Other such systems are under study. The key measurement involved is the time of travel of signals from a particular GPS spacecraft to the navigating receiver. Navigation accuracies of the order of tenths of meters are achievable, and accuracies at the centimeter level can also be obtained with special enhancement techniques. In recent years spacecraft have already been exploring the use of GPS for in-orbit navigation. As the receiver is solid state, rugged, power-lean, and cheap, GPS for autonomous navigation will be an objective even for low-cost spacecraft of only modest sophistication. When the GPS receiver is equipped with multiple antennas with baselines even as low as about one meter, it can also give attitude information. In this case, the position of the spacecraft needs to be known with only very moderate accuracy. However, the phase differences between signals received by the different antennas now constitute the key measurements. In this case a centimeter level accuracy of range difference can be obtained. Receivers carrying out the processing of such measurements are already on the market, even in space-qualified versions. For spacecraft maneuvering at low rates, accuracies of the order of tenths of a degree are achievable. There are reasons for maintaining classical attitude sensor suites on a spacecraft even when a GPS receiver is added. In this case the classical sensors may be allowed to be of modest quality only, as subsequent fusion of their data with those from the GPS receiver may restore the accuracy of the final estimate again to an acceptable level. Hence, low-cost attitude sensors combined with a low-cost GPS receiver can still satisfy non-trivial attitude reconstitution accuracy requirements. As carrier phase difference measurements are ambiguous because of the unknown number of GPS signal cycles received, the estimated attitude is in principle ambiguous as well. Therefore, resolution of the GPS signal cycle ambiguity becomes a necessary task before determining the attitude for a stand-alone GPS attitude sensing system. This problem may be solved by introducing additional low-cost reference attitude sensors like three-axis magnetometers. This is also one of the advantages of integrated sensor systems. The paper is organized as follows. Global Positioning System and GPS observables are described in the first two sections. The main attitude determination concepts are presented in the next section. For small spacecraft, GPS integrated with other low-cost attitude sensors results in a data fusion concept, to be discussed next. The last section highlights experiences and on-going projects related to the spacecraft attitude determination using GPS.

Daytime Secretion of Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-Amylase in Preschool-Aged Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children

PubMed Central

Corbett, Blythe A.; Granger, Douglas A.; Boyce, W. Thomas; Anders, Thomas F.; Tager, Ira B.

2013-01-01

We examined daytime salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) secretion levels and variability in preschool-aged children with autism (AUT) and typically developing children (TYP). Fifty-two subjects (26 AUT and 26 TYP) were enrolled. Salivary samples were obtained at waking, midday, and bedtime on two consecutive days at three phases (baseline, 3 months later, 6 months later). There were modest increases in waking cortisol and sAA levels in AUT relative to TYP, but the increases were not statistically significant. Important differences were observed in cortisol and sAA variability between AUT and TYP. There was also a graded response among AUT by functional status—cortisol and sAA secretion levels were higher when IQ was lower. PMID:22477468

Measurements of the Temperature and E-mode Polarization of the CMB from 500 Square Degrees of SPTpol Data

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

Henning, J. W.; Sayre, J. T.; Reichardt, C. L.

2018-01-10

We present measurements of themore » $E$-mode polarization angular auto-power spectrum ($EE$) and temperature-$E$-mode cross-power spectrum ($TE$) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using 150 GHz data from three seasons of SPTpol observations. We now report the $EE$ and $TE$ power spectra over the spherical harmonic multipole range $$50 < \\ell \\leq 8000$$, and detect the first nine acoustic peaks in the $EE$ spectrum with high signal-to-noise. These measurements are the most sensitive to date of the $EE$ and $TE$ angular polarization power spectra at $$\\ell > 1050$$ and $$\\ell > 1475$$, respectively. The observations cover $$500\\, \\rm{deg}^2$$ of sky, a fivefold increase in area compared to previous SPTpol power spectrum releases, leading to more than a factor of two reduction in bandpower uncertainties. The additional sky coverage increases our sensitivity to the photon-diffusion damping tail of the CMB angular power spectra, which enables tighter constraints on $$\\Lambda CDM$$ model extensions such as primordial helium content $$Y_\\rm{p}$$ and effective number of relativistic species $$N_\\rm{eff}$$. Furthermore, after masking all sources with unpolarized flux $>50$ mJy we place a 95% confidence upper limit on residual polarized point-source power of $$D_\\ell < 0.10 \\mu{\\rm K}^2$$ at $$\\ell=3000$$. This limit is a factor of four lower than the previous best upper limit, and suggests that the $EE$ damping tail is brighter than foregrounds to at least $$\\ell = 4100$$ with modest source masking. Finally, we find cosmological parameter constraints consistent with those for $Planck$ temperature when fitting SPTpol data at $$\\ell < 1000$$. However, including SPTpol data at $$\\ell > 1000$$ results in a preference for a higher value of the expansion rate ($$H_0 = 71.2 \\pm 2.1\\,\\mbox{km}\\,s^{-1}\\mbox{Mpc}^{-1}$$) and a lower value for present-day density fluctuations ($$\\sigma_8 = 0.77 \\pm 0.02$$). (Abridged).« less