Why people download the freeware AIDA v4.3a diabetes software program: a proof-of-concept semi-automated analysis.

PubMed

Lehmann, Eldon D

2003-01-01

AIDA is a diabetes-computing program freely available at www.2aida.org on the Web. The software is intended to serve as an educational support tool and can be used by anyone who has an interest in diabetes, whether they be patients, relatives, health-care professionals, or students. In previous "Diabetes Information Technology & WebWatch" columns various indicators of usage of the AIDA program have been reviewed, and various comments from users of the software have been documented. The purpose of this column is to overview a proof-of-concept semi-automated analysis about why people are downloading the latest version of the AIDA educational diabetes program. AIDA permits the interactive simulation of plasma insulin and blood glucose profiles for teaching, demonstration, self-learning, and research purposes. It has been made freely available, without charge, on the Internet as a noncommercial contribution to continuing diabetes education. Since its launch in 1996 over 300,000 visits have been logged at the main AIDA Website-www.2aida.org-and over 60,000 copies of the AIDA program have been downloaded free-of-charge. This column documents the results of a semi-automated analysis of comments left by Website visitors while they were downloading the AIDA software, before they had a chance to use the program. The Internet-based survey methodology and semi-automated analysis were both found to be robust and reliable. Over a 5-month period (from October 3, 2001 to February 28, 2002) 400 responses were received. During the corresponding period 1,770 actual visits were made to the Website survey page-giving a response rate to this proof-of-concept study of 22.6%. Responses were received from participants in over 54 countries-with nearly half of these (n = 194; 48.5%) originating from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada; 208 responses (52.0%) were received from patients with diabetes, 50 (12.5%) from doctors, 49 (12.3%) from relatives of patients, with fewer responses from students, diabetes educators, nurses, pharmacists, and other end users. The semi-automated analysis adopted for this study has re-affirmed the feasibility of using the Internet to obtain free-text comments, at no real cost, from a substantial number of medical software downloaders/users. The survey has also offered some insight into why members of the public continue to turn to the Internet for medical information. Furthermore it has provided useful information about why people are actually downloading the AIDA v4.3a interactive educational "virtual diabetes patient" simulator.

β-Decay Studies of r-Process Nuclei Using the Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffin, C. J.; Davinson, T.; Estrade, A.; Braga, D.; Burrows, I.; Coleman-Smith, P. J.; Grahn, T.; Grant, A.; Harkness-Brennan, L. J.; Kiss, G.; Kogimtzis, M.; Lazarus, I. H.; Letts, S. C.; Liu, Z.; Lorusso, G.; Matsui, K.; Nishimura, S.; Page, R. D.; Prydderch, M.; Phong, V. H.; Pucknell, V. F. E.; Rinta-Antila, S.; Roberts, O. J.; Seddon, D. A.; Simpson, J.; Thomas, S. L.; Woods, P. J.

Thought to produce around half of all isotopes heavier than iron, the r-process is a key mechanism for nucleosynthesis. However, a complete description of the r-process is still lacking and many unknowns remain. Experimental determination of β-decay half-lives and β-delayed neutron emission probabilities along the r-process path would help to facilitate a greater understanding of this process. The Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) represents the latest generation of silicon implantation detectors for β-decay studies with fast radioactive ion beams. Preliminary results from commissioning experiments demonstrate successful operation of AIDA and analysis of the data obtained during the first official AIDA experiments is now under-way.

Astronomical Infrastructure for Data Access (AIDA): service activities for higher education and outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iafrate, G.; Ramella, M.; Boch, T.; Bonnarel, F.; Chèreau, F.; Fernique, P.; Osuna, P.

2009-04-01

We present preliminary simple interfaces developed to enable students, teachers, amateur astronomers and general public to access and use the wealth of astronomical data available in ground-based and space archives through the European Virtual Observatory (EuroVO). The development of these outreach interfaces are the aim of a workpackage of EuroVO-AIDA (Astronomical Infrastructure for Data Access), a project supported by EU in the framework of the FP7 Infrastructure Scientific Research Repositories initiative (project RI2121104). The aim of AIDA is to create an operating infrastructure enabling and stimulating new scientific usage of astronomy digital repositories. Euro VO AIDA is a collaboration between six European countries (PI Francoise Genova, CDS). The professional tools we adapt to the requirements of outreach activities are Aladin (CDS), Stellarium/VirGO (ESO) and VOSpec (ESA VO). Some initial requirements have been set a priori in order to produce a first version of the simplified interfaces, but the plan is to test the initial simplified versions with a sample of target users in order to take their feed-back into account for the development of the final outreach interface. The core of the test program consists of use cases we designed and complemented with proper multilingual documentation covering both the astrophysical context and the use of the software. In the special case of students in the age group 14-18 and their teachers, we take our use cases to schools. We work out the tests in classrooms supporting students working on PCs connected to the internet. At the current stage of the project, we are collecting the users feedback. Relevant links: Euro-VO AIDA Overview http://www.euro-vo.org/pub/aida/overview.html Euro-VO AIDA WP5 http://cds.u-strasbg.fr/twikiAIDA/bin/view/EuroVOAIDA/WP5WorkProgramme

Incorporating a Generic Model of Subcutaneous Insulin Absorption into the AIDA v4 Diabetes Simulator 3. Early Plasma Insulin Determinations

PubMed Central

Lehmann, Eldon D.; Tarín, Cristina; Bondia, Jorge; Teufel, Edgar; Deutsch, Tibor

2009-01-01

Introduction AIDA is an interactive educational diabetes simulator that has been available without charge via the Internet for over 12 years. Recent articles have described the incorporation of a novel generic model of insulin absorption into AIDA as a way of enhancing its capabilities. The basic model components to be integrated have been overviewed, with the aim being to provide simulations of regimens utilizing insulin analogues, as well as insulin doses greater than 40 IU (the current upper limit within the latest release of AIDA [v4.3a]). Some preliminary calculated insulin absorption results have also recently been described. Methods This article presents the first simulated plasma insulin profiles from the integration of the generic subcutaneous insulin absorption model, and the currently implemented model in AIDA for insulin disposition. Insulin absorption has been described by the physiologically based model of Tarín and colleagues. A single compartment modeling approach has been used to specify how absorbed insulin is distributed in, and eliminated from, the human body. To enable a numerical solution of the absorption model, a spherical subcutaneous depot for the injected insulin dose has been assumed and spatially discretized into shell compartments with homogeneous concentrations, having as its center the injection site. The number of these compartments will depend on the dose and type of insulin. Insulin inflow arises as the sum of contributions to the different shells. For this report the first bench testing of plasma insulin determinations has been done. Results Simulated plasma insulin profiles are provided for currently available insulin preparations, including a rapidly acting insulin analogue (e.g., lispro/Humalog or aspart/Novolog), a short-acting (regular) insulin preparation (e.g., Actrapid), intermediate-acting insulins (both Semilente and neutral protamine Hagedorn types), and a very long-acting insulin analogue (e.g., glargine/Lantus), as well as for insulin doses up to 50 IU. Discussion The methodology to be adopted for implementing the generic absorption model within AIDA has been overviewed, and the first plasma insulin profiles based on this approach have been demonstrated. Ideas for future work and development are discussed. It is expected that an updated release of AIDA (v4.5), based on this collaborative approach, will become available for free—in due course—via the www.2aida.org Web site. Readers who wish to be informed when the new software is launched can join the very low volume AIDA announcement list by sending a blank email note to subscribe@2aida.org. PMID:20046665

Performance Monitoring of Diabetic Patient Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

a process delay that is due to the dynamics of the glucose sensor. A. Bergman Model The Bergman and AIDA models both utilize a \\minimal model...approxima- tion of the process must be made to achieve reasonable performance. A rst order approximation, ~g(s), of both the Bergman and AIDA models is...Within the IMC framework, both the Bergman and AIDA models can be controlled within acceptable toler- ances. The simulated faults are stochastic

Using the AIDA--www.2aida.org--diabetes simulator. Part 2: recommended training requirements for health-carers planning to teach with the software.

PubMed

Lehmann, Eldon D; Tatti, Patrizio

2002-01-01

The purpose of this article is to document some recommended training requirements for health-carers planning to teach using the AIDA interactive educational diabetes simulator. AIDA is a diabetes computer program that permits the interactive simulation of plasma insulin and blood glucose profiles for teaching, demonstration, and self-learning purposes. It has been made freely available, without charge, on the Internet as a noncommercial contribution to continuing diabetes education. Since its launch in 1996 over 200,000 visits have been logged at the AIDA Website--www.2aida.org--and over 40,000 copies of the AIDA program have been downloaded free-of-charge. This report describes various training requirements that are recommended for health-care professionals who are interested in teaching with the software. Intended goals of this article are to answer possible questions from teachers using the program, highlight some minimum recommended training requirements for the software, suggest some "hints and tips" for teaching ideas, explain the importance of performing more studies/trials with the program, overview randomised controlled trial usage of the software, and highlight the importance of obtaining feedback from lesson participants. The recommendations seem to be straightforward and should help in formalising training with the program, as well as in the development of a network of teachers "accredited" to give lessons using the software. This report, together with the previous article (Part 1, Diabetes Technol Ther 2002;4:401-414), highlights the utility of providing guidelines and suggesting recommended training requirements for health-carers planning to make use of educational medical/diabetes software.

TSARINA: A Computer Model for Assessing Conventional and Chemical Attacks on Airbases

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

IV, and has been updated to FORTRAN 77; it has been adapted to various computer systems, as was the widely used AIDA model and the previous versions of...conventional and chemical attacks on sortie generation. In the first version of TSARINA [1 2], several key additions were made to the AIDA model so that (1...various on-base resources, in addition to the estimates of hits and facility damage that are generated by the original AIDA model . The second version

Small-body deflection techniques using spacecraft: Techniques in simulating the fate of ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Stephen R.; Yu, Yang; Michel, Patrick; Jutzi, Martin

2016-04-01

We define a set of procedures to numerically study the fate of ejecta produced by the impact of an artificial projectile with the aim of deflecting an asteroid. Here we develop a simplified, idealized model of impact conditions that can be adapted to fit the details of specific deflection-test scenarios, such as what is being proposed for the AIDA project. Ongoing studies based upon the methodology described here can be used to inform observational strategies and safety conditions for an observing spacecraft. To account for ejecta evolution, the numerical strategies we are employing are varied and include a large N-Body component, a smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) component, and an application of impactor scaling laws. Simulations that use SPH-derived initial conditions show high-speed ejecta escaping at low angles of inclination, and very slowly moving ejecta lofting off the surface at higher inclination angles, some of which reimpacts the small-body surface. We are currently investigating the realism of this and other models' behaviors. Next steps will include the addition of solar perturbations to the model and applying the protocol developed here directly to specific potential mission concepts such as the proposed AIDA scenario.

Psychometric properties of a culture-adapted Spanish version of AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) in Mexico.

PubMed

Kassin, Moises; De Castro, Filipa; Arango, Ivan; Goth, Kirstin

2013-01-01

The construct "identity" was discussed to be integrated as an important criterion for diagnosing personality disorders in DSM-5. According to Kernberg, identity diffusion is one of the relevant underlying structures in terms of personality organization for developing psychopathology, especially borderline personality disorder. Therefore, it would be important to differentiate healthy from pathological development already in adolescence. With the questionnaire termed AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence), a reliable and valid self-rating inventory was introduced by Goth, Foelsch, Schlueter-Mueller, & Schmeck (2012) to assess pathology-related identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents. To test the usefulness of the questionnaire in Mexico, we contributed to the development of a culture-specific Spanish translation of AIDA and tested the reliability and aspects of validity of the questionnaire in a juvenile Mexican sample. An adapted Spanish translation of AIDA was developed by an expert panel from Chile, Mexico, and Spain in cooperation with the original authors, focusing on content equivalence and comprehensibility by considering specific idioms, life circumstances, and culture-specific aspects. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version were first tested in Mexico. Participants were 265 students from a state school (N = 110) and private school (N = 155), aged between 12 and 19 years (mean 14.15 years). Of these, 44.9% were boys and 55.1% were girls. Item characteristics were analyzed by several parameters, scale reliability by Cronbach's Alpha, and systematic effects of gender, age, and socioeconomics by an analysis of variance (ANOVA). We evaluated aspects of criterion validity in a juvenile justice system sample (N = 41) of adolescent boys in conflict with the law who displayed various types of behavioral problems by comparing the AIDA scores of a subgroup with signs for borderline pathology (N = 14) with the scores obtained in the student sample using T-tests. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of AIDA proved satisfactory in the Mexican sample for items as well as scales. The reliability coefficients were α = .94 for the total scale "Identity Diffusion", α = .85 and .92 for the two primary scales "Discontinuity" and "Incoherence", and between α = .70 and .83 for the subscales. However, some items of the item pool in the Spanish version of AIDA did not meet all criteria for test equivalence and should thus be reformulated, taking the Mexican culture into account. Significant effects for gender and age were found. In line with our theory, the AIDA scores in the domains "Discontinuity" (high effect size) and "Incoherence" (medium effect size) were markedly higher in the delinquent boys than in the student group. The Spanish version of AIDA can be used in Mexico with satisfying psychometric properties, with only minor adaptions required. Our study contributes to the intercultural applicability of the AIDA instrument using the construct "identity integration vs. diffusion" as it was defined in the AIDA model for diagnostic purposes. Cultural differences, even those present in the various Spanish-speaking countries, should be modeled carefully.

Psychometric properties of a culture-adapted Spanish version of AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) in Mexico

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The construct “identity” was discussed to be integrated as an important criterion for diagnosing personality disorders in DSM-5. According to Kernberg, identity diffusion is one of the relevant underlying structures in terms of personality organization for developing psychopathology, especially borderline personality disorder. Therefore, it would be important to differentiate healthy from pathological development already in adolescence. With the questionnaire termed AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence), a reliable and valid self-rating inventory was introduced by Goth, Foelsch, Schlueter-Mueller, & Schmeck (2012) to assess pathology-related identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents. To test the usefulness of the questionnaire in Mexico, we contributed to the development of a culture-specific Spanish translation of AIDA and tested the reliability and aspects of validity of the questionnaire in a juvenile Mexican sample. Methods An adapted Spanish translation of AIDA was developed by an expert panel from Chile, Mexico, and Spain in cooperation with the original authors, focusing on content equivalence and comprehensibility by considering specific idioms, life circumstances, and culture-specific aspects. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version were first tested in Mexico. Participants were 265 students from a state school (N = 110) and private school (N = 155), aged between 12 and 19 years (mean 14.15 years). Of these, 44.9% were boys and 55.1% were girls. Item characteristics were analyzed by several parameters, scale reliability by Cronbach’s Alpha, and systematic effects of gender, age, and socioeconomics by an analysis of variance (ANOVA). We evaluated aspects of criterion validity in a juvenile justice system sample (N = 41) of adolescent boys in conflict with the law who displayed various types of behavioral problems by comparing the AIDA scores of a subgroup with signs for borderline pathology (N = 14) with the scores obtained in the student sample using T-tests. Results The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of AIDA proved satisfactory in the Mexican sample for items as well as scales. The reliability coefficients were α = .94 for the total scale “Identity Diffusion”, α = .85 and .92 for the two primary scales “Discontinuity” and “Incoherence”, and between α = .70 and .83 for the subscales. However, some items of the item pool in the Spanish version of AIDA did not meet all criteria for test equivalence and should thus be reformulated, taking the Mexican culture into account. Significant effects for gender and age were found. In line with our theory, the AIDA scores in the domains “Discontinuity” (high effect size) and “Incoherence” (medium effect size) were markedly higher in the delinquent boys than in the student group. Conclusion The Spanish version of AIDA can be used in Mexico with satisfying psychometric properties, with only minor adaptions required. Our study contributes to the intercultural applicability of the AIDA instrument using the construct “identity integration vs. diffusion” as it was defined in the AIDA model for diagnostic purposes. Cultural differences, even those present in the various Spanish-speaking countries, should be modeled carefully. PMID:23899385

Expression of β-glucuronidase on the surface of bacteria enhances activation of glucuronide prodrugs.

PubMed

Cheng, C-M; Chen, F M; Lu, Y-L; Tzou, S-C; Wang, J-Y; Kao, C-H; Liao, K-W; Cheng, T-C; Chuang, C-H; Chen, B-M; Roffler, S; Cheng, T-L

2013-05-01

Extracellular activation of hydrophilic glucuronide prodrugs by β-glucuronidase (βG) was examined to increase the therapeutic efficacy of bacteria-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (BDEPT). βG was expressed on the surface of Escherichia coli by fusion to either the bacterial autotransporter protein Adhesin (membrane βG (mβG)/AIDA) or the lipoprotein (lpp) outermembrane protein A (mβG/lpp). Both mβG/AIDA and mβG/lpp were expressed on the bacterial surface, but only mβG/AIDA displayed enzymatic activity. The rate of substrate hydrolysis by mβG/AIDA-BL21cells was 2.6-fold greater than by pβG-BL21 cells, which express periplasmic βG. Human colon cancer HCT116 cells that were incubated with mβG/AIDA-BL21 bacteria were sensitive to a glucuronide prodrug (p-hydroxy aniline mustard β-D-glucuronide, HAMG) with an half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 226.53±45.4 μM, similar to the IC50 value of the active drug (p-hydroxy aniline mustard, pHAM; 70.6±6.75 μM), indicating that mβG/AIDA on BL21 bacteria could rapidly and efficiently convert HAMG to an active anticancer agent. These results suggest that surface display of functional βG on bacteria can enhance the hydrolysis of glucuronide prodrugs and may increase the effectiveness of BDEPT.

Why are people downloading the freeware AIDA diabetes computing software program: a pilot study.

PubMed

Lehmann, Eldon D

2002-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot survey about why people are downloading the AIDA interactive educational diabetes simulator. AIDA is a diabetes computer program that permits the interactive simulation of plasma insulin and blood glucose profiles for teaching, demonstration, and self-learning purposes. It has been made freely available, without charge, on the Internet as a noncommercial contribution to continuing diabetes education. Since its launch in 1996 well over 200,000 visits have been logged at the main AIDA Website--www.2aida.org--and over 40,000 copies of the AIDA program have been downloaded free-of-charge. This article documents a pilot survey of comments left by Website visitors while they were downloading the AIDA software, before they had a chance to actually use the program. The overall paradigm adopted for this study has endeavored to establish why people are resorting to the Internet to obtain diabetes information. Specific intended goals of the study were: (1) to demonstrate ongoing use of the World Wide Web for surveying diabetes software users by obtaining their free-text comments; (2) to identify what sort of things people were planning to do with the AIDA software simulator; and (3) to more generally gain some insight into why people are turning to the Web for healthcare-related information. The Internet-based survey methodology was found to be robust and reliable. Over an 8-month period (from February 2, 2001 to October 1, 2001) 642 responses were received. During the corresponding period 2,248 actual visits were made to the Website survey page--giving a response rate to this pilot study of 28.6%. Responses were received from participants in over 56 countries--although over half of these (n = 343; 53.4%) originated from the United States and United Kingdom. Two hundred forty-four responses (38.0%) were received from patients with diabetes, and 73 (11.4%) from relatives of patients, with fewer responses from doctors, students, diabetes educators, nurses, pharmacists, and other end users. This pilot survey has confirmed the feasibility of using the Internet to obtain free-text comments, at no real cost, from a large number of medical software downloaders/users. The survey has also offered a valuable insight into why members of the public are turning to the Internet for medical information. Furthermore it has provided useful information about why people are actually downloading the AIDA interactive educational "virtual diabetes patient" simulator.

Incorporating a Generic Model of Subcutaneous Insulin Absorption into the AIDA v4 Diabetes Simulator: 1. A Prospective Collaborative Development Plan

PubMed Central

Lehmann, Eldon D.; Tarín, Cristina; Bondia, Jorge; Teufel, Edgar; Deutsch, Tibor

2007-01-01

Introduction AIDA v4 is an interactive educational diabetes simulator that has been made available, for over a decade, without charge via the Internet. The software is currently freely accessible at http://www.2aida.org. This report sets out a collaborative development plan to enhance the program with a new model of subcutaneous insulin absorption, which permits the simulation of rapidly acting and very long-acting insulin analogues, as well as insulin injection doses larger than 40 units. Methods A novel, generic, physiological subcutaneous insulin absorption model is overviewed and a methodology is proposed by which this can be substituted in place of the previously adopted insulin absorption model utilized within AIDA v4.3a. Apart from this substitution it is proposed to retain the existing model of the glucoregulatory system currently used in AIDA v4.3a. Results Initial simulation results based on bench testing of this approach using MATLAB are presented for the exogenous insulin flow profile (Iex) following subcutaneous injections of a rapidly acting insulin analogue, a short-acting (regular) insulin preparation, intermediate-acting insulins (both Semilente and neutral protamine Hagedorn types), and a very long-acting insulin analogue. Discussion It is proposed to implement this collaborative development plan—first by bench testing the approach in MATLAB and then by integrating the generic subcutaneous insulin absorption Iex model into the AIDA simulator in Pascal. The aim is to provide enhanced functionality and educational simulations of regimens utilizing novel insulin analogues, as well as injections larger than 40 units of insulin. PMID:19885100

Who is downloading the free AIDA v4.3a interactive educational diabetes computer software? A 1-year survey of 3864 downloads.

PubMed

Lehmann, Eldon D

2003-01-01

AIDA is a free diabetes computer program that permits the interactive simulation of plasma insulin and blood glucose profiles for educational, demonstration, self-learning, and research purposes. To date over 70000 copies of the software have been downloaded from the AIDA Website, www.2aida.org. This column documents a survey of downloaders of the latest release of the program (AIDA v4.3a). The Internet-based survey methodology was confirmed to be robust and reliable. Over a 1-year period (from March 2001 to February 2002) in total 3864 responses were received. During the corresponding period some 8578 actual downloads of the software were independently logged via the same route at the AIDA Website, giving a response rate for this survey of 45%. Responses were received from participants in 66 countries - over half of these (n = 2,137; 55.3%) were from the United States and the United Kingdom. There were 2318 responses (60.0%) received from patients with diabetes and 443 (11.5%) from relatives of patients, with fewer responses from doctors, students, diabetes educators, nurses, pharmacists, and other end users. This study highlights considerable interest amongst patients and their relatives to learn more about balancing insulin and diet in diabetes, as well as possibly to get more involved in self-management of insulin dosages. More computer applications that can cater for this interest in diabetes patient self-care need to be developed and made available. The Internet provides an ideal medium for the distribution of such educational tools.

AIDA: ab initio domain assembly for automated multi-domain protein structure prediction and domain–domain interaction prediction

PubMed Central

Xu, Dong; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Li, Zhanwen; Godzik, Adam

2015-01-01

Motivation: Most proteins consist of multiple domains, independent structural and evolutionary units that are often reshuffled in genomic rearrangements to form new protein architectures. Template-based modeling methods can often detect homologous templates for individual domains, but templates that could be used to model the entire query protein are often not available. Results: We have developed a fast docking algorithm ab initio domain assembly (AIDA) for assembling multi-domain protein structures, guided by the ab initio folding potential. This approach can be extended to discontinuous domains (i.e. domains with ‘inserted’ domains). When tested on experimentally solved structures of multi-domain proteins, the relative domain positions were accurately found among top 5000 models in 86% of cases. AIDA server can use domain assignments provided by the user or predict them from the provided sequence. The latter approach is particularly useful for automated protein structure prediction servers. The blind test consisting of 95 CASP10 targets shows that domain boundaries could be successfully determined for 97% of targets. Availability and implementation: The AIDA package as well as the benchmark sets used here are available for download at http://ffas.burnham.org/AIDA/. Contact: adam@sanfordburnham.org Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:25701568

AIDA: An Integrated Authoring Environment for Educational Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendes, Antonio Jose; Mendes, Teresa

1996-01-01

Describes an integrated authoring environment, AIDA ("Ambiente Integrado de Desenvolvimento de Aplicacoes educacionais"), that was developed at the University of Coimbra (Portugal) for educational software. Highlights include the design module, a prototyping tool that allows for multimedia, simulations, and modularity; execution module;…

Ice Nucleation Activity of Various Agricultural Soil Dust Aerosol Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiebel, Thea; Höhler, Kristina; Funk, Roger; Hill, Thomas C. J.; Levin, Ezra J. T.; Nadolny, Jens; Steinke, Isabelle; Suski, Kaitlyn J.; Ullrich, Romy; Wagner, Robert; Weber, Ines; DeMott, Paul J.; Möhler, Ottmar

2016-04-01

Recent investigations at the cloud simulation chamber AIDA (Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) suggest that agricultural soil dust has an ice nucleation ability that is enhanced up to a factor of 10 compared to desert dust, especially at temperatures above -26 °C (Steinke et al., in preparation for submission). This enhancement might be caused by the contribution of very ice-active biological particles. In addition, soil dust aerosol particles often contain a considerably higher amount of organic matter compared to desert dust particles. To test agricultural soil dust as a source of ice nucleating particles, especially for ice formation in warm clouds, we conducted a series of laboratory measurements with different soil dust samples to extend the existing AIDA dataset. The AIDA has a volume of 84 m3 and operates under atmospherically relevant conditions over wide ranges of temperature, pressure and humidity. By controlled adiabatic expansions, the ascent of an air parcel in the troposphere can be simulated. As a supplement to the AIDA facility, we use the INKA (Ice Nucleation Instrument of the KArlsruhe Institute of Technology) continuous flow diffusion chamber based on the design by Rogers (1988) to expose the sampled aerosol particles to a continuously increasing saturation ratio by keeping the aerosol temperature constant. For our experiments, soil dust was dry dispersed into the AIDA vessel. First, fast saturation ratio scans at different temperatures were performed with INKA, sampling soil dust aerosol particles directly from the AIDA vessel. Then, we conducted the AIDA expansion experiment starting at a preset temperature. The combination of these two different methods provides a robust data set on the temperature-dependent ice activity of various agriculture soil dust aerosol particles with a special focus on relatively high temperatures. In addition, to extend the data set, we investigated the role of biological and organic matter in more detail to gain additional information on the trigger of the enhanced ice nucleation activity of soil dust. References Rogers (1988): Development of a continuous flow thermal gradient diffusion chamber for ice nucleation studies Steinke et al. (In preparation for submission): Ice nucleation activity of agricultural soil dust aerosols from Mongolia, Argentina and Germany

Dynamical and Physical Properties of 65803 Didymos, the AIDA Mission Target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campo Bagatin, A.; Richardson, D. C.; Tsiganis, K.; Cheng, A. F.; Michel, P.

2017-09-01

The near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 65803 Didymos is a binary system and is the target of the proposed Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission, which combines an orbiter (Asteroid Impact Mission, AIM, or the reduced-scope AIM Deflection Demonstration, AIM-D2) [1, 2] and a kinetic impactor experiment (Double Asteroid Redirection Test, DART) planned to impact the secondary of the Didymos binary system in October, 2022 [3]. The Dynamical and Physical Properties of Didymos Working Group supports the AIDA mission by addressing questions related to understanding the dynamical state of the system and inferring the physical properties of the components

Prototyping with AIDA for a hospital pharmacy system.

PubMed

Molenaar, G C; Boon, W M

1987-01-01

The CENTRASYS system for the Hospital Pharmacy, developed as part of a research project of the Department of Medical Informatics is described. The role of AIDA, a fourth-generation software package, as a prototyping tool is discussed. It is concluded that AIDA facilitates prototyping and is also very suitable as a vehicle for systems in operation. It is further concluded that prototyping is of great help in the developmental phase of a project, but that great care has to be taken during evaluation of the prototypes: minimize the number of test sites and try to avoid that users become dependent on the system, because every prototype needs further tuning before it really becomes an operational system.

The A.I.D.A. Plan and the Writing of Sales Letters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jong, Rowena

A study based on textual analysis of sales letters is reported that evaluates the Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action (AIDA) approach to teaching the writing of sales letters. Thirty business letters written by undergraduate business students and executives were analyzed. The forms of cohesion, voice pattern, and information focus of the…

Allelic inhibition of displacement activity: a simplified one tube allele-specific PCR for evaluation of ITPA polymorphisms.

PubMed

Galmozzi, E; Facchetti, F; Degasperi, E; Aghemo, A; Lampertico, P

2013-02-01

Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have identified two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) gene, that are associated strongly and independently with hemolytic anemia in patients exposed to pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) combined therapy. Here has been developed a simplified allele discrimination polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay named allelic inhibition of displacement activity (AIDA) for evaluation of ITPA polymorphisms. AIDA system relies on three unlabeled primers only, two outer common primers and one inner primer with allele-specific 3' terminus mismatch. DNA samples from 192 patients with chronic HCV infection were used to validate the AIDA system and results were compared with the gold standard TaqMan(®) SNP genotyping assay. Concordant data were obtained for all samples, granting for high specificity of the method. In conclusion, AIDA is a practical one-tube method to reproducibly and to assess accurately rs7270101 and rs1127354 ITPA SNPs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AIDA and medical courseware.

PubMed

Sollet, P C; de Mol, E J; van Bemmel, J H

1987-01-01

For more than a decade the Department of Medical Informatics has offered one-week training courses on the subject of computer applications in medicine and health care. Since 1983 two courses are given at a rate of one course every two weeks. One course is on programming and problem solving and consists of three modules of increasing complexity in techniques and methods in programming and structured system development. This course focusses on only some aspects of medical informatics: the development of a medical information system, and the problems occurring in the process of automation. These aspects, however, are dealt with in detail. To this end the students are trained in using the programming system MUMPS and the fourth-generation software package AIDA. The second, introductory course is an intensive training on several distinct areas of man-machine interactions. It contains lessons in the fields of communication and recording; storage and retrieval and databases; computation and automation; recognition and diagnosis; and therapy and control. This paper describes the use of AIDA in developing and maintaining lessons for the latter course, and the assistance of AIDA for teaching purposes in the former course.

Anticonvulsant actions of LY 367385 ((+)-2-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine) and AIDA ((RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid).

PubMed

Chapman, A G; Yip, P K; Yap, J S; Quinn, L P; Tang, E; Harris, J R; Meldrum, B S

1999-02-26

We have studied the effects in three rodent models of generalised convulsive or absence epilepsy of two antagonists of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors that are selective for the mGlu1 receptor. LY 367385 ((+)-2-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine) and AIDA ((RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid) have been administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to DBA/2 mice and lethargic mice (lh/lh), and focally into the inferior colliculus of genetically epilepsy prone rats (GEPR). In DBA/2 mice both compounds produce a rapid, transient suppression of sound-induced clonic seizures (LY 367385: ED50 = 12 nmol, i.c.v., 5 min; AIDA: ED50 = 79 nmol, i.c.v., 15 min). In lethargic mice both compounds significantly reduce the incidence of spontaneous spike and wave discharges on the electroencephalogram, from <30 to >150 min after the administration of AIDA, 500 nmol, i.c.v., and from 30 to >150 min after the administration of LY 367385, 250 nmol, i.c.v. LY 367385, 50 nmol, suppresses spontaneous spike and wave discharges from 30 to 60 min. In genetically epilepsy prone rats both compounds reduce sound-induced clonic seizures. LY 367385, 160 nmol bilaterally, fully suppresses clonic seizures after 2-4 h. AIDA is fully effective 30 min after 100 nmol bilaterally. It is concluded that antagonists of mGlu1 receptors are potential anticonvulsant agents and that activation of mGlu1 receptors probably contributes to a variety of epileptic syndromes.

Identity development in adolescents with mental problems.

PubMed

Jung, Emanuel; Pick, Oliver; Schlüter-Müller, Susanne; Schmeck, Klaus; Goth, Kirstin

2013-07-31

In the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), "Identity" is an essential diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning) in the alternative approach to the diagnosis of personality disorders in Section III of DSM-5. Integrating a broad range of established identity concepts, AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) is a new questionnaire to assess pathology-related identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Aim of the present study is to investigate differences in identity development between adolescents with different psychiatric diagnoses. Participants were 86 adolescent psychiatric in- and outpatients aged 12 to 18 years. The test set includes the questionnaire AIDA and two semi-structured psychiatric interviews (SCID-II, K-DIPS). The patients were assigned to three diagnostic groups (personality disorders, internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders). Differences were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA. In line with our hypotheses, patients with personality disorders showed the highest scores in all AIDA scales with T>70. Patients with externalizing disorders showed scores in an average range compared to population norms, while patients with internalizing disorders lay in between with scores around T=60. The AIDA total score was highly significant between the groups with a remarkable effect size of f= 0.44. Impairment of identity development differs between adolescent patients with different forms of mental disorders. The AIDA questionnaire is able to discriminate between these groups. This may help to improve assessment and treatment of adolescents with severe psychiatric problems.

Assessment of identity development and identity diffusion in adolescence - Theoretical basis and psychometric properties of the self-report questionnaire AIDA

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In the continuing revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) “identity” is integrated as a central diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning). According to Kernberg, identity diffusion is one of the core elements of borderline personality organization. As there is no elaborated self-rating inventory to assess identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents, we developed the AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) questionnaire to assess this complex dimension, varying from “Identity Integration” to “Identity Diffusion”, in a broad and substructured way and evaluated its psychometric properties in a mixed school and clinical sample. Methods Test construction was deductive, referring to psychodynamic as well as social-cognitive theories, and led to a special item pool, with consideration for clarity and ease of comprehension. Participants were 305 students aged 12–18 attending a public school and 52 adolescent psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with diagnoses of personality disorders (N = 20) or other mental disorders (N = 32). Convergent validity was evaluated by covariations with personality development (JTCI 12–18 R scales), criterion validity by differences in identity development (AIDA scales) between patients and controls. Results AIDA showed excellent total score (Diffusion: α = .94), scale (Discontinuity: α = .86; Incoherence: α = .92) and subscale (α = .73-.86) reliabilities. High levels of Discontinuity and Incoherence were associated with low levels in Self Directedness, an indicator of maladaptive personality functioning. Both AIDA scales were significantly different between PD-patients and controls with remarkable effect sizes (d) of 2.17 and 1.94 standard deviations. Conclusion AIDA is a reliable and valid instrument to assess normal and disturbed identity in adolescents. Studies for further validation and for obtaining population norms are in progress and may provide insight in the relevant aspects of identity development in differentiating specific psychopathology and therapeutic focus and outcome. PMID:22812911

Assessment of identity development and identity diffusion in adolescence - Theoretical basis and psychometric properties of the self-report questionnaire AIDA.

PubMed

Goth, Kirstin; Foelsch, Pamela; Schlüter-Müller, Susanne; Birkhölzer, Marc; Jung, Emanuel; Pick, Oliver; Schmeck, Klaus

2012-07-19

In the continuing revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) "identity" is integrated as a central diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning). According to Kernberg, identity diffusion is one of the core elements of borderline personality organization. As there is no elaborated self-rating inventory to assess identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents, we developed the AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) questionnaire to assess this complex dimension, varying from "Identity Integration" to "Identity Diffusion", in a broad and substructured way and evaluated its psychometric properties in a mixed school and clinical sample. Test construction was deductive, referring to psychodynamic as well as social-cognitive theories, and led to a special item pool, with consideration for clarity and ease of comprehension. Participants were 305 students aged 12-18 attending a public school and 52 adolescent psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with diagnoses of personality disorders (N = 20) or other mental disorders (N = 32). Convergent validity was evaluated by covariations with personality development (JTCI 12-18 R scales), criterion validity by differences in identity development (AIDA scales) between patients and controls. AIDA showed excellent total score (Diffusion: α = .94), scale (Discontinuity: α = .86; Incoherence: α = .92) and subscale (α = .73-.86) reliabilities. High levels of Discontinuity and Incoherence were associated with low levels in Self Directedness, an indicator of maladaptive personality functioning. Both AIDA scales were significantly different between PD-patients and controls with remarkable effect sizes (d) of 2.17 and 1.94 standard deviations. AIDA is a reliable and valid instrument to assess normal and disturbed identity in adolescents. Studies for further validation and for obtaining population norms are in progress and may provide insight in the relevant aspects of identity development in differentiating specific psychopathology and therapeutic focus and outcome.

The Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment Mission and its Potential Contributions to Human Exploration of Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, Paul A.; Rivkin, Andy S.

2014-01-01

The joint ESA and NASA Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission will directly address aspects of NASA's Asteroid Initiative and will contribute to future human exploration. The NASA Asteroid Initiative is comprised of two major components: the Grand Challenge and the Asteroid Mission. The first component, the Grand Challenge, focuses on protecting Earth's population from asteroid impacts by detecting potentially hazardous objects with enough warning time to either prevent them from impacting the planet, or to implement civil defense procedures. The Asteroid Mission, involves sending astronauts to study and sample a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) prior to conducting exploration missions of the Martian system, which includes Phobos and Deimos. AIDA's primary objective is to demonstrate a kinetic impact deflection and characterize the binary NEA Didymos. The science and technical data obtained from AIDA will aid in the planning of future human exploration missions to NEAs and other small bodies. The dual robotic missions of AIDA, ESA's Asteroid Impact Monitor (AIM) and NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), will provide a great deal of technical and engineering data on spacecraft operations for future human space exploration while conducting in-depth scientific examinations of the binary target Didymos both prior to and after the kinetic impact demonstration. The knowledge gained from this mission will help identify asteroidal physical properties in order to maximize operational efficiency and reduce mission risk for future small body missions. The AIDA data will help fill crucial strategic knowledge gaps concerning asteroid physical characteristics that are relevant for human exploration considerations at similar small body destinations.

Identity development in adolescents with mental problems

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), “Identity” is an essential diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning) in the alternative approach to the diagnosis of personality disorders in Section III of DSM-5. Integrating a broad range of established identity concepts, AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) is a new questionnaire to assess pathology-related identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Aim of the present study is to investigate differences in identity development between adolescents with different psychiatric diagnoses. Methods Participants were 86 adolescent psychiatric in- and outpatients aged 12 to 18 years. The test set includes the questionnaire AIDA and two semi-structured psychiatric interviews (SCID-II, K-DIPS). The patients were assigned to three diagnostic groups (personality disorders, internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders). Differences were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA. Results In line with our hypotheses, patients with personality disorders showed the highest scores in all AIDA scales with T>70. Patients with externalizing disorders showed scores in an average range compared to population norms, while patients with internalizing disorders lay in between with scores around T=60. The AIDA total score was highly significant between the groups with a remarkable effect size of f= 0.44. Conclusion Impairment of identity development differs between adolescent patients with different forms of mental disorders. The AIDA questionnaire is able to discriminate between these groups. This may help to improve assessment and treatment of adolescents with severe psychiatric problems. PMID:23899433

Specifications for an Advanced Instructional Design Advisor (AIDA) for Computer-Based Training

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

student time under instruction o increased student comprehension and learning transfer o establishment of instruction standards o...strategies. 6. The nature of the cognitive task determines the learning objective. 7. Learning is internal; instruction is external. 12 Major...AIDAs and to its instructional products. Halff argued that cognitive structures have a role to play in instructional design. He maintained that learning

AIDA: An Airbase Damage Assessment Model

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-09-01

Command and Control System (WWMCCS); subsequently, it has been run on the IBM 360/370 series. AIDA is easily transferable to other computers because...9NAPNDtNTM ,K T EST 10’CR , ýCW,MCL 9 MODEoNPR INTPNAM, NST,𔃾TT 1138. COMMZ0N/STATS/N’TRI AL,# ITP IALP NSTAT, STAT (2509 8) tST AT2( 20#5) , STAT( 8) 41139

The disposition of impact ejecta resulting from the AIDA-DART mission to binary asteroid 65803 Didymos: an independent investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, James E.; O'Brien, David P.

2016-10-01

If all goes as planned, in the year 2020 a joint ESA and NASA mission will be launched that will rendezvous with the near-Earth binary asteroid system 65803 Didymos in the fall of 2022. The European component, the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) spacecraft will arrive first and characterize the system, which consists of a ~800 m diameter primary and a ~160 m diameter secondary, orbiting a common center of mass at a semi-major axis distance of ~1200 m with a orbital period of 11.9 hr. Following system characterization, the AIDA spacecraft will remove to a safe distance while the NASA component, the 300 kg Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collides with the trailing edge of the secondary body (with respect to the binary's retrograde mutual orbit). Meanwhile, the AIDA spacecraft will conduct observations of this impact and its aftermath, specifically looking for changes made to the primary, the secondary, and their mutual orbit as a result of the DART collision. Of particular interest is the ballistic flight and final disposition of the ejecta produced by the impact cratering process, not just from the standpoint of scientific study, but also from the standpoint of AIDA spacecraft safety.In this study, we investigate a series of hypothetical DART impacts utilizing a semi-empirical, numerical impact ejecta plume model originally developed for the Deep Impact mission and designed specifically with impacts on small bodies in mind. The resulting excavated mass is discretized into 7200 individual tracer particles, each representing a unique combination of speed, mass, and ejected direction. The trajectory of each tracer is computed numerically under the gravitational influence of both primary and secondary, along with the effects of solar radiation pressure. Each tracer is followed until it either impacts a body or escapes the system, whereupon tracking is continued in the heliocentric frame using an N-body integrator. Various impact scenarios will be explored, along with a number of ejecta particle sizes, with the aim of characterizing the most likely final ejecta dispositions resulting from the DART impact, and the safest vantages from which the AIDA spacecraft can observe this event.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test in the AIDA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Andrew; Reed, Cheryl; Rivkin, Andrew

2016-07-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission will be the first space experiment to demonstrate asteroid impact hazard mitigation by using a kinetic impactor. AIDA is a joint ESA-NASA cooperative project, consisting of the ESA Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) rendezvous mission and the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The AIDA target is the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos, which will make an unusually close approach to Earth in October, 2022. The DART spacecraft is designed to impact the Didymos secondary at 7 km/s and demonstrate the ability to modify its trajectory through momentum transfer. DART and AIM are currently Phase A studies supported by NASA and ESA respectively. The primary goals of AIDA are (1) perform a full-scale demonstration of the spacecraft kinetic impact technique for deflection of an asteroid; (2) measure the resulting asteroid deflection, by targeting the secondary member of a binary NEO and measuring the resulting changes of the binary orbit; and (3) study hyper-velocity collision effects on an asteroid, validating models for momentum transfer in asteroid impacts based on measured physical properties of the asteroid surface and sub-surface, and including long-term dynamics of impact ejecta. The primary DART objectives are to demonstrate a hyper-velocity impact on the Didymos moon and to determine the resulting deflection from ground-based observations. The DART impact on the Didymos secondary will change the orbital period of the binary which can be measured by supporting Earth-based optical and radar observations. The baseline DART mission launches in December, 2020 to impact the Didymos secondary in September,2022. There are multiple launch opportunities for DART leading to impact around the 2022 Didymos close approach to Earth. The AIM spacecraft will be launched in Dec. 2020 and arrive at Didymos in spring, 2022, several months before the DART impact. AIM will characterize the Didymos binary system by means of remote sensing and in-situ instruments both before and after the DART impact. The asteroid deflection will be measured to higher accuracy, and additional results of the DART impact, like the impact crater, will be studied in detail by the AIM mission. The combined DART and AIM missions will provide the first measurements of momentum transfer efficiency from hyper-velocity kinetic impact at full scale on an asteroid, where the impact conditions of the projectile are known, and physical properties and internal structures of the target asteroid are also characterized. The DART impact on the Didymos secondary is predicted to cause a 4.4 minute change in the binary orbit period, assuming unit momentum transfer efficiency. The predicted transfer efficiency would be in the range 1.1 to 1.3 for a porous target material based on a variety of numerical and analytical methods, but may be much larger if the target is non-porous. The DART kinetic impact is predicted to make a crater of 6 to 17 meters diameter, depending on target physical properties, but will also release a large volume of particulate ejecta that may be directly observable from Earth or even resolvable as a coma or an ejecta tail by ground-based telescopes.

Asteroid Impact Mission: relevance to asteroid mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, P.; Kueppers, M.; Carnelli, I.

2017-09-01

The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is the European (ESA) component of the AIDA mission in collaboration with NASA. The objectives of AIDA are: (1) to perform a test of asteroid deflection using a kinetic impactor with the USA (NASA) component DART, and (2) with AIM, to investigate the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos, in particular its secondary and target of DART, with data of high value for mining purposes.

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

Braga, D.; Coleman-Smith, P. J.; Davinson, T.

We have designed a read-out ASIC for nuclear decay spectroscopy as part of the AIDA project - the Advanced Implantation Detector Array. AIDA will be installed in experiments at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in GSI, Darmstadt. The AIDA ASIC will measure the signals when unstable nuclei are implanted into the detector, followed by the much smaller signals when the nuclei subsequently decay. Implant energies can be as high as 20 GeV; decay products need to be measured down to 25 keV within just a few microseconds of the initial implants. The ASIC uses two amplifiers per detectormore » channel, one covering the 20 GeV dynamic range, the other selectable over a 20 MeV or 1 GeV range. The amplifiers are linked together by bypass transistors which are normally switched off. The arrival of a large signal causes saturation of the low-energy amplifier and a fluctuation of the input voltage, which activates the link to the high-energy amplifier. The bypass transistors switch on and the input charge is integrated by the high-energy amplifier. The signal is shaped and stored by a peak-hold, then read out on a multiplexed output. Control logic resets the amplifiers and bypass circuit, allowing the low-energy amplifier to measure the subsequent decay signal. We present simulations and test results, demonstrating the AIDA ASIC operation over a wide range of input signals. (authors)« less

AIDA DART asteroid deflection test: Planetary defense and science objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Andrew F.; Rivkin, Andrew S.; Michel, Patrick; Atchison, Justin; Barnouin, Olivier; Benner, Lance; Chabot, Nancy L.; Ernst, Carolyn; Fahnestock, Eugene G.; Kueppers, Michael; Pravec, Petr; Rainey, Emma; Richardson, Derek C.; Stickle, Angela M.; Thomas, Cristina

2018-08-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission is an international cooperation between NASA and ESA. NASA plans to provide the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission which will perform a kinetic impactor experiment to demonstrate asteroid impact hazard mitigation. ESA proposes to provide the Hera mission which will rendezvous with the target to monitor the deflection, perform detailed characterizations, and measure the DART impact outcomes and momentum transfer efficiency. The primary goals of AIDA are (i) to demonstrate the kinetic impact technique on a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid and (ii) to measure and characterize the deflection caused by the impact. The AIDA target will be the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos, which is of spectral type Sq, with the deflection experiment to occur in October, 2022. The DART impact on the secondary member of the binary at ∼6 km/s changes the orbital speed and the binary orbit period, which can be measured by Earth-based observatories with telescope apertures as small as 1 m. The DART impact will in addition alter the orbital and rotational states of the Didymos binary, leading to excitation of eccentricity and libration that, if measured by Hera, can constrain internal structure of the target asteroid. Measurements of the DART crater diameter and morphology can constrain target properties like cohesion and porosity based on numerical simulations of the DART impact.

Autodisplay: Development of an Efficacious System for Surface Display of Antigenic Determinants in Salmonella Vaccine Strains

PubMed Central

Kramer, Uwe; Rizos, Konstantin; Apfel, Heiko; Autenrieth, Ingo B.; Lattemann, Claus T.

2003-01-01

To optimize antigen delivery by Salmonella vaccine strains, a system for surface display of antigenic determinants was established by using the autotransporter secretion pathway of gram-negative bacteria. A modular system for surface display allowed effective targeting of heterologous antigens or fragments thereof to the bacterial surface by the autotransporter domain of AIDA-I, the Escherichia coli adhesin involved in diffuse adherence. A major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted epitope, comprising amino acids 74 to 86 of the Yersinia enterocolitica heat shock protein Hsp60 (Hsp6074-86), was fused to the AIDA-I autotransporter domain, and the resulting fusion protein was expressed at high levels on the cell surface of E. coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Colonization studies in mice vaccinated with Salmonella strains expressing AIDA-I fusion proteins demonstrated high genetic stability of the generated vaccine strain in vivo. Furthermore, a pronounced T-cell response against Yersinia Hsp6074-86 was induced in mice vaccinated with a Salmonella vaccine strain expressing the Hsp6074-86-AIDA-I fusion protein. This was shown by monitoring Yersinia Hsp60-stimulated IFN-γ secretion and proliferation of splenic T cells isolated from vaccinated mice. These results demonstrate that the surface display of antigenic determinants by the autotransporter pathway deserves special attention regarding the application in live attenuated Salmonella vaccine strains. PMID:12654812

Autodisplay: development of an efficacious system for surface display of antigenic determinants in Salmonella vaccine strains.

PubMed

Kramer, Uwe; Rizos, Konstantin; Apfel, Heiko; Autenrieth, Ingo B; Lattemann, Claus T

2003-04-01

To optimize antigen delivery by Salmonella vaccine strains, a system for surface display of antigenic determinants was established by using the autotransporter secretion pathway of gram-negative bacteria. A modular system for surface display allowed effective targeting of heterologous antigens or fragments thereof to the bacterial surface by the autotransporter domain of AIDA-I, the Escherichia coli adhesin involved in diffuse adherence. A major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted epitope, comprising amino acids 74 to 86 of the Yersinia enterocolitica heat shock protein Hsp60 (Hsp60(74-86)), was fused to the AIDA-I autotransporter domain, and the resulting fusion protein was expressed at high levels on the cell surface of E. coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Colonization studies in mice vaccinated with Salmonella strains expressing AIDA-I fusion proteins demonstrated high genetic stability of the generated vaccine strain in vivo. Furthermore, a pronounced T-cell response against Yersinia Hsp60(74-86) was induced in mice vaccinated with a Salmonella vaccine strain expressing the Hsp60(74-86)-AIDA-I fusion protein. This was shown by monitoring Yersinia Hsp60-stimulated IFN-gamma secretion and proliferation of splenic T cells isolated from vaccinated mice. These results demonstrate that the surface display of antigenic determinants by the autotransporter pathway deserves special attention regarding the application in live attenuated Salmonella vaccine strains.

Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment mission: Kinetic impactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, A. F.; Michel, P.; Jutzi, M.; Rivkin, A. S.; Stickle, A.; Barnouin, O.; Ernst, C.; Atchison, J.; Pravec, P.; Richardson, D. C.; AIDA Team

2016-02-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission will be the first space experiment to demonstrate asteroid impact hazard mitigation by using a kinetic impactor to deflect an asteroid. AIDA is an international cooperation, consisting of two mission elements: the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and the ESA Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) rendezvous mission. The primary goals of AIDA are (i) to test our ability to perform a spacecraft impact on a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid and (ii) to measure and characterize the deflection caused by the impact. The AIDA target will be the binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos, with the deflection experiment to occur in late September, 2022. The DART impact on the secondary member of the binary at 7 km/s is expected to alter the binary orbit period by about 4 minutes, assuming a simple transfer of momentum to the target, and this period change will be measured by Earth-based observatories. The AIM spacecraft will characterize the asteroid target and monitor results of the impact in situ at Didymos. The DART mission is a full-scale kinetic impact to deflect a 150 m diameter asteroid, with known impactor conditions and with target physical properties characterized by the AIM mission. Predictions for the momentum transfer efficiency of kinetic impacts are given for several possible target types of different porosities, using Housen and Holsapple (2011) crater scaling model for impact ejecta mass and velocity distributions. Results are compared to numerical simulation results using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code of Jutzi and Michel (2014) with good agreement. The model also predicts that the ejecta from the DART impact may make Didymos into an active asteroid, forming an ejecta coma that may be observable from Earth-based telescopes. The measurements from AIDA of the momentum transfer from the DART impact, the crater size and morphology, and the evolution of an ejecta coma will substantially advance understanding of impact processes on asteroids.

Regional Model Studies Nested in HYCOM. Application to the West Florida Shelf and the Cariaco Basin using ROMS

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

marine.usf.edu Aida Alvera -Azcárate Phone: (727) 553-3508 Fax: (727) 553 1189 email: aalvera@marine.usf.edu Alexander Barth, Phone: (727...WFS and the data assimilation are being performed by Alexander Barth. The Cariaco nesting is performed by Aida Alvera -Azcárate. WORK COMPLETED...363–380. Barth, A., Beckers, J.-M., Alvera -Azcárate, A. and Weisberg, R.H. (2007), Filtering inertia-gravity waves from the initial conditions of

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test in the AIDA Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Andrew; Rivkin, Andrew; Michel, Patrick

2016-04-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission will be the first space experiment to demonstrate asteroid impact hazard mitigation by using a kinetic impactor. AIDA is a joint ESA-NASA cooperative project, that includes the ESA Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) rendezvous mission and the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The AIDA target is the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos, which will make an unusually close approach to Earth in October, 2022. The ~300-kg DART spacecraft is designed to impact the Didymos secondary at 7 km/s and demonstrate the ability to modify its trajectory through momentum transfer. DART and AIM are currently Phase A studies supported by NASA and ESA respectively. The primary goals of AIDA are (1) perform a full-scale demonstration of the spacecraft kinetic impact technique for deflection of an asteroid, by targeting an object larger than ~100 m and large enough to qualify as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid; (2) measure the resulting asteroid deflection, by targeting the secondary member of a binary NEO and measuring the period change of the binary orbit; (3) understand the hyper-velocity collision effects on an asteroid, including the long-term dynamics of impact ejecta; and validate models for momentum transfer in asteroid impacts, based on measured physical properties of the asteroid surface and sub-surface. The primary DART objectives are to demonstrate a hyper-velocity impact on the Didymos moon and to determine the resulting deflection from ground-based observatories. The DART impact on the Didymos secondary will cause a measurable change in the orbital period of the binary. Supporting Earth-based optical and radar observations and numerical simulation studies are an integral part of the DART mission. The baseline DART mission launches in December, 2020 to impact the Didymos secondary in September, 2022. There are multiple launch opportunities for DART leading to impact around the 2022 Didymos close approach to Earth. The AIM spacecraft will be launched in Dec. 2020 and arrive at Didymos in spring, 2022, several months before the DART impact. AIM will characterize the Didymos binary system by means of remote sensing and in-situ instruments both before and after the DART impact. The asteroid deflection will be measured to higher accuracy, and additional results of the DART impact, like the impact crater, will be studied in great detail by the AIM mission. The combined DART and AIM missions will provide the first measurements of momentum transfer efficiency β from hyper-velocity kinetic impact at full scale on an asteroid, where the impact conditions of the projectile are known, and physical properties and internal structures of the target asteroid are also characterized. The DART impact on the Didymos secondary is predicted to cause a ~4.4 minute change in the binary orbit period, assuming β=1, and is expected to be observable within a few days. The predicted β would be in the range 1.1 to 1.3 for a porous target material based on a variety of numerical and analytical methods, but may be much larger if the target is non-porous. The DART kinetic impact is predicted to make a crater of ~6 to ~17 meters diameter, depending on target physical properties, but will also release a large volume of particulate ejecta that may be directly observable from Earth or even resolvable as a coma or an ejecta tail by ground-based telescopes.

AIDA: The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvez, A.; Carnelli, I.; Michel, P.; Cheng, A. F.; Reed, C.; Ulamec, S.; Biele, J.; Abell, P.; Landis, R.

2013-09-01

The Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission, a joint effort of ESA, JHU/APL, NASA, OCA, and DLR, is the first demonstration of asteroid deflection and assessment via kinetic impact. AIDA consists of two independent but mutually supporting mission elements, one of which is the asteroid kinetic impactor and the other is the characterization spacecraft. These two missions are, respectively, JHU/APL's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and the European Space Agency's Asteroid Investigation Mission (AIM) missions. As in the separate DART and AIM studies, the target of this mission is the binary asteroid [65803] Didymos in October, 2022. For a successful joint mission, one spacecraft, DART, would impact the secondary of the Didymos system while AIM would observe and measure any change in the relative orbit. AIM will be the first probe to characterise a binary asteroid, especially from the dynamical point of view, but also considering its interior and subsurface composition. The mission concept focuses on the monitoring aspects i.e., the capability to determine in-situ the key physical properties of a binary asteroid playing a role in the system's dynamic behavior. DART will be the first ever space mission to deflect the trajectory of an asteroid in a measurable way.- It is expected that the deflection can be measured as a change in the relative orbit period with a precision better than 10%. The joint AIDA mission will return vital data to determine the momentum transfer efficiency of the kinetic impact [1,2].

A molecular tool for detection and tracking of a potential indigenous Beauveria bassiana strain for managing emerald ash borer populations in Canada.

PubMed

Johny, Shajahan; Kyei-Poku, George

2014-10-01

Emerald ash borer is an invasive species from Asia. Beauveria bassiana strain L49-1AA is being tested for the control of emerald ash borer in Canada, using an autocontamination trapping system. We have developed a simplified allele discrimination polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to screen B. bassiana strain, L49-1AA from other Beauveria species by targeting the inter-strain genetic differences in 5' end of EF1-α gene of the genus Beauveria. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, T→C was identified only in L49-1AA and was used to develop a simplified allele discrimination polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on a modified allelic inhibition of displacement activity (AIDA) approach for distinguishing B. bassiana L49-1AA from all background Beauveria isolates. The SNP site was employed to design inner primers but with a deliberate mismatch introduced at the 3' antepenultimate from the mutation site in order to maximize specificity and detection efficiency. Amplification was specific to L49-1AA without cross-reaction with DNA from other Beauveria strains. In addition, the designed primers were also tested against environmental samples in L49-1AA released plots and observed to be highly efficient in detecting and discriminating the target strain, L49-1AA from both pure and crude DNA samples. This new method can potentially allow for more discriminatory tracking and monitoring of released L49-1AA in our autocontamination and dissemination projects for managing EAB populations. Additionally, the modified-AIDA format has potential as a tool for simultaneously identifying and differentiating closely related Beauveria species, strains/isolates as well as general classification of other pathogens or organisms. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) for the AIDA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stickle, Angela; Cheng, Andy F.; Michel, Patrick; Barnouin, Olivier S.; Campo Bagatin, Adriano; Miller, Paul L.; Pravec, Petr; Richardson, Derek C.; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Tsiganis, Kleomenis; Ulamec, Stephan; AIDA Impact Modeling and Simulation Working Group

2016-10-01

The Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission will be the first space experiment to demonstrate asteroid impact hazard mitigation using a kinetic impactor. AIDA is a joint ESA-NASA cooperative project, consisting of the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which provides the kinetic impactor, and the ESA Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) rendezvous spacecraft. DART is a Phase A study supported by NASA, and AIM is a Phase B1 study supported by ESA. The AIDA target is the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos, which will make a close approach to Earth in October, 2022. The DART spacecraft is designed to impact the Didymos secondary at ~6 km/s and deflect its trajectory, changing the orbital period of the binary. This change can be measured by Earth-based optical and radar observations. The primary goals of AIDA are to (1) perform a full-scale demonstration of asteroid deflection by kinetic impact; (2) measure the resulting deflection; and (3) validate and improve models for momentum transfer in high-speed impacts on an asteroid. The combined DART and AIM missions will provide the first measurements of momentum transfer efficiency from a kinetic impact at full scale on an asteroid, where the impact conditions of the projectile are known, and physical properties and internal structures of the target asteroid are also characterized. In addition to a predicted 4.4 minute change in the binary orbit period, assuming unit momentum transfer efficiency, the DART kinetic impact is predicted to induce forced librations of the Didymos secondary of possibly several degrees amplitude. Models predict the impact will create a 6-17 meter diameter crater, depending on target physical properties, and it will release a volume of particulate ejecta that may be directly observable from Earth or even resolvable as a coma or an ejecta tail by ground-based telescopes. Current simulations of the DART impact provide predictions for momentum transfer, crater size, and ejecta mass following impact. Additional work benchmarking impact hydrocodes with one another provides a way to bound the uncertainty in these critical simulations, allowing better predictions for the momentum transfer to the moon of Didymos.

Design of a diagnostic encyclopaedia using AIDA.

PubMed

van Ginneken, A M; Smeulders, A W; Jansen, W

1987-01-01

Diagnostic Encyclopaedia Workstation (DEW) is the name of a digital encyclopaedia constructed to contain reference knowledge with respect to the pathology of the ovary. Comparing DEW with the common sources of reference knowledge (i.e. books) leads to the following advantages of DEW: it contains more verbal knowledge, pictures and case histories, and it offers information adjusted to the needs of the user. Based on an analysis of the structure of this reference knowledge we have chosen AIDA to develop a relational database and we use a video-disc player to contain the pictorial part of the database. The system consists of a database input version and a read-only run version. The design of the database input version is discussed. Reference knowledge for ovary pathology requires 1-3 Mbytes of memory. At present 15% of this amount is available. The design of the run version is based on an analysis of which information must necessarily be specified to the system by the user to access a desired item of information. Finally, the use of AIDA in constructing DEW is evaluated.

Ejecta evolutions and fates from the AIDA impact on the secondary of the binary asteroid Didymos: a NEOShield-2 project contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, P.; Yu, Y.

2017-09-01

We simulated the evolutions and fates of ejecta produced by the impact of a projectile of the secondary of the binary asteroid Didymos, in the framework of the AIDA space mission project. Our results show how these evolutions and fates depend on the impact location on the secondary and ejection speeds of the ejecta. This information can be used to defined safe positions for an observing spacecraft and to better understand the outcome of an impact in the environment of a binary asteroid.

A Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout for the AIDA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Tra Mi; Lange, Caroline; Grimm, Christian; Thimo Grundmann, Jan; Rößler, Johannes; Schröder, Silvio; Skoczylas, Thomas; Ziach, Christian; Biele, Jens; Cozzoni, Barbara; Krause, Christian; Küchemann, Oliver; Maibaum, Michael; Ulamec, Stephan; Lange, Michael; Mierheim, Olaf; Maier, Maximilian; Herique, Alain; Mascot Study Team

2016-04-01

The Asteroid Impact Deflection, AIDA, mission is composed of a kinetic impactor, DART and an observer, the Asteroid Impact Monitor, AIM, carrying among other payload a surface package, MASCOT2 (MSC2). Its proposed concept is based on the MASCOT lander onboard the HAYABUSA2 Mission (JAXA) to near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu. MASCOT is a compact platform ('shoe box size') carrying a suite of 4 scientific instruments and has a landed mass of ~10kg. Equipped with a mobility mechanism, the MASCOT lander is able to upright and relocate on the targeted asteroid; thus providing in-situ data at more than one site. In the context of the AIDA Mission, the MASCOT2 lander would be carried by the AIM spacecraft and delivered onto Didymoon, the secondary object in the (65803) Didymos binary near-Earth asteroid system. Since the mission objectives of the AIM mission within the joint AIDA mission concept differ from JAXA's sample return mission HAYABUSA2, several design changes need to be studied and implemented. To support one of the prime objectives of the AIM mission, the characterization of the bulk physical properties of Didymoon, the main scientific payload of MSC2 is a low-frequency radar (LFR) to investigate the internal structure of the asteroid moon. Since the total science payload on MASCOT2 is limited to approximately 2.3 kg, the mass remaining for a suite of other experiments is in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 kg per instrument. Further requirements have a significant impact on the MSC2 design which will be presented. Among these are the much longer required operational lifetime than for MASCOT on HAYABUSA2, and different conditions on the target body such as an extremely low gravity due to its small size of Ø_[Didymoon] ~ 150m.

Ejecta cloud from the AIDA space project kinetic impact on the secondary of a binary asteroid: I. mechanical environment and dynamical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yang; Michel, Patrick; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Naidu, Shantanu P.; Benner, Lance A. M.

2017-01-01

An understanding of the post-impact dynamics of ejecta clouds are crucial to the planning of a kinetic impact mission to an asteroid, and also has great implications for the history of planetary formation. The purpose of this article is to track the evolution of ejecta produced by AIDA mission, which targets for kinetic impact the secondary of near-Earth binary asteroid (65803) Didymos on 2022, and to feedback essential informations to AIDA's ongoing phase-A study. We present a detailed dynamic model for the simulation of an ejecta cloud from a binary asteroid that synthesizes all relevant forces based on a previous analysis of the mechanical environment. We apply our method to gain insight into the expected response of Didymos to the AIDA impact, including the subsequent evolution of debris and dust. The crater scaling relations from laboratory experiments are employed to approximate the distributions of ejecta mass and launching speed. The size distribution of fragments is modeled with a power law fitted from observations of real asteroid surface. A full-scale demonstration is simulated using parameters specified by the mission. We report the results of the simulation, which include the computed spread of the ejecta cloud and the recorded history of ejecta accretion and escape. The violent period of the ejecta evolution is found to be short, and is followed by a stage where the remaining ejecta is gradually cleared. Solar radiation pressure proves to be efficient in cleaning dust-size ejecta, and the simulation results after two weeks shows that large debris on polar orbits (perpendicular to the binary orbital plane) has a survival advantage over smaller ejecta and ejecta that keeps to low latitudes.

ADC interface for data server with data preselection for luminosity detector in AIDA-2020 project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniluk, W.; Dziedzic, B.; Korcyl, G.; Wojtoń, T.; Zawiejski, L.

2017-08-01

Main aim of the AIDA-2020 project is development of detectors for future accelerators. In FCAL Colaboration we are working on forward subdetectors for ILC and CLIC accelerators. My team is developing prototype module which receives data from ADC, provides the data preselection, and transmits them as packages to the data server for further their analysis. Common prototype is based on AC701 evaluation board which contains Artix-7 FPGA and is equipped with SMA connectors for gigabit transceivers and ethernet connector. In my talk I will describe architecture of the device and current state of module development.

Airspace Dimension Assessment with nanoparticles reflects lung density as quantified by MRI

PubMed Central

Jakobsson, Jonas K; Löndahl, Jakob; Olsson, Lars E; Diaz, Sandra; Zackrisson, Sophia; Wollmer, Per

2018-01-01

Background Airspace Dimension Assessment with inhaled nanoparticles is a novel method to determine distal airway morphology. This is the first empirical study using Airspace Dimension Assessment with nanoparticles (AiDA) to estimate distal airspace radius. The technology is relatively simple and potentially accessible in clinical outpatient settings. Method Nineteen never-smoking volunteers performed nanoparticle inhalation tests at multiple breath-hold times, and the difference in nanoparticle concentration of inhaled and exhaled gas was measured. An exponential decay curve was fitted to the concentration of recovered nanoparticles, and airspace dimensions were assessed from the half-life of the decay. Pulmonary tissue density was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results The distal airspace radius measured by AiDA correlated with lung tissue density as measured by MRI (ρ = −0.584; p = 0.0086). The linear intercept of the logarithm of the exponential decay curve correlated with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (ρ = 0.549; p = 0.0149). Conclusion The AiDA method shows potential to be developed into a tool to assess conditions involving changes in distal airways, eg, emphysema. The intercept may reflect airway properties; this finding should be further investigated.

Dynamics of ejecta from the binary asteroid Didymos, the target of the AIDA mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, Patrick; Yu, Yang; Schwartz, Stephen; Naidu, Shantanu; Benner, Lance

2016-04-01

The AIDA space mission, a collaborative effort between ESA and NASA, aims to characterize the near-Earth asteroid binary (65803) Didymos and to perform a kinetic impactor demonstration on the small moon of the binary system. Our study presents a multi-scale dynamical model of the ejecta cloud produced by a hypervelocity impact, which enables us to compute the ejecta properties at different spatial and time scales. This model is applied to the impact into the small moon of Didymos on October 2022 as considered by the AIDA mission. We model the process by including as much practical information as possible, e.g., the gravitational environment influenced by the non-spherical shapes of the bodies (based on the observed shape of the primary), the solar tides, and the solar radiation pressure. Our simulations show where and for how long the ejecta cloud evolves with time for the considered ejecta initial conditions. This information is used to assess the potential hazard to the ESA Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) observing spacecraft and to determine the safest positions. This study is performed with support of the European Space Agency and in the framework of the NEOShield-2 project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 640351.

Homogeneous Freezing of Water Droplets and its Dependence on Droplet Size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Thea; Möhler, Ottmar; Höhler, Kristina; Leisner, Thomas

2014-05-01

The formulation and parameterisation of microphysical processes in tropospheric clouds, such as phase transitions, is still a challenge for weather and climate models. This includes the homogeneous freezing of supercooled water droplets, since this is an important process in deep convective systems, where almost pure water droplets may stay liquid until homogeneous freezing occurs at temperatures around 238 K. Though the homogeneous ice nucleation in supercooled water is considered to be well understood, recent laboratory experiments with typical cloud droplet sizes showed one to two orders of magnitude smaller nucleation rate coefficients than previous literature results, including earlier results from experiments with single levitated water droplets and from cloud simulation experiments at the AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) facility. This motivated us to re-analyse homogeneous droplet freezing experiments conducted during the previous years at the AIDA cloud chamber. This cloud chamber has a volume of 84m3 and operates under atmospherically relevant conditions within wide ranges of temperature, pressure and humidity, whereby investigations of both tropospheric mixed-phase clouds and cirrus clouds can be realised. By controlled adiabatic expansions, the ascent of an air parcel in the troposphere can be simulated. According to our new results and their comparison to the results from single levitated droplet experiments, the homogeneous freezing of water droplets seems to be a volume-dependent process, at least for droplets as small as a few micrometers in diameter. A contribution of surface induced freezing can be ruled out, in agreement to previous conclusions from the single droplet experiments. The obtained volume nucleation rate coefficients are in good agreement, within error bars, with some previous literature data, including our own results from earlier AIDA experiments, but they do not agree with recently published lower volume nucleation rate coefficients. This contribution will show the results from the re-analysis of AIDA homogeneous freezing experiments with pure water droplets and will discuss the comparison to the literature data.

Prevalence of adhesin and toxin genes in E. coli strains isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic pigs from smallholder herds in northern and eastern Uganda.

PubMed

Ikwap, Kokas; Larsson, Jenny; Jacobson, Magdalena; Owiny, David Okello; Nasinyama, George William; Nabukenya, Immaculate; Mattsson, Sigbrit; Aspan, Anna; Erume, Joseph

2016-08-05

Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) significantly contribute to diarrhea in piglets and weaners. The smallholder pig producers in Uganda identified diarrhea as one of the major problems especially in piglets. The aim of this study was to; i) characterize the virulence factors of E. coli strains isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic suckling piglets and weaners from smallholder herds in northern and eastern Uganda and ii) identify and describe the post-mortem picture of ETEC infection in severely diarrheic piglets. Rectal swab samples were collected from 83 piglets and weaners in 20 herds and isolated E. coli were characterized by PCR, serotyping and hemolysis. The E. coli strains carried genes for the heat stable toxins STa, STb and EAST1 and adhesins F4 and AIDA-I. The genes for the heat labile toxin LT and adhesins F5, F6, F18 and F41 were not detected in any of the E. coli isolates. Where the serogroup could be identified, E. coli isolates from the same diarrheic pig belonged to the same serogroup. The prevalence of EAST1, STb, Stx2e, STa, AIDA-I, and F4 in the E. coli isolates from suckling piglets and weaners (diarrheic and non-diarrheic combined) was 29, 26.5, 2.4, 1.2, 16, and 8.4 %, respectively. However the prevalence of F4 and AIDA-I in E. coli from diarrheic suckling piglets alone was 22.2 and 20 %, respectively. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the individual virulence factors in E. coli from the diarrheic and non-diarrheic pigs (p > 0.05). The main ETEC strains isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic pigs included F4/STb/EAST1 (7.2 %), F4/STb (1.2 %), AIDA/STb/EAST1 (8 %) and AIDA/STb (8 %). At post-mortem, two diarrheic suckling piglets carrying ETEC showed intact intestinal villi, enterocytes and brush border but with a layer of cells attached to the brush border, suggestive of ETEC infections. This study has shown that the F4 fimbriae is the most predominant in E. coli from diarrheic piglets in the study area and therefore an F4-based vaccine should be considered one of the preventive measures for controlling ETEC infections in the piglets in northern and eastern Uganda.

Results on 3D interconnection from AIDA WP3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, Hans-Günther; AIDA-WP3

2016-09-01

From 2010 to 2014 the EU funded AIDA project established in one of its work packages (WP3) a network of groups working collaboratively on advanced 3D integration of electronic circuits and semiconductor sensors for applications in particle physics. The main motivation came from the severe requirements on pixel detectors for tracking and vertexing at future Particle Physics experiments at LHC, super-B factories and linear colliders. To go beyond the state-of-the-art, the main issues were studying low mass, high bandwidth applications, with radiation hardness capabilities, with low power consumption, offering complex functionality, with small pixel size and without dead regions. The interfaces and interconnects of sensors to electronic readout integrated circuits are a key challenge for new detector applications.

R-process experiments with the Advanced Implantation Detector Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estrade, Alfredo; Griffin, Chris; Davinson, Tom; Bruno, Carlo; Hall, Oscar; Liu, Zhong; Woods, Phil; Coleman-Smith, Patrick; Labiche, Marc; Lazarus, Ian; Pucknell, Victor; Simpson, John; Harkness-Brennan, Laura; Page, Robert; Kiss, Gabor; Liu, Jiajiang; Matsui, Keishi; Nishimura, Shunji; Phong, Vi; Lorusso, Giuseppe; Montes, Fernando; Nepal, Neerajan; Briken Collaboration; Ribf106 Experiment Team

2017-09-01

Decay properties of neutron rich isotopes, such as half-lives and β-delayed neutron emission probabilities, are an important input for astrophysical models of the r-process. A new generation of fragmentation beam facilities has made it possible to access large regions of the nuclear chart that are close to the path of the r-process for some astrophysical models. The Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) is a segmented active-stopper detector designed for decay experiments with fast ion beams, which was recently commissioned at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory in RIKEN, Japan. In this presentation we describe the main characteristics of AIDA, and present preliminary results of the first experiments in the region of neutron-rich selenium isotopes and along the N=82 shell closure.

Evaluation of a Modified Pamidronate Protocol for the Treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

PubMed

Palomo, Telma; Andrade, Maria C; Peters, Barbara S E; Reis, Fernanda A; Carvalhaes, João Tomás A; Glorieux, Francis H; Rauch, Frank; Lazaretti-Castro, Marise

2016-01-01

Intravenous pamidronate is widely used to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). In a well-studied protocol ('standard protocol'), pamidronate is given at a daily dose of 1 mg per kg body weight over 4 h on 3 successive days; infusion cycles are repeated every 4 months. Here, we evaluated renal safety of a simpler protocol for intravenous pamidronate infusions (2 mg per kg body weight given in a single infusion over 2 h, repeated every 4 months; 'modified protocol'). Results of 18 patients with OI types I, III, or IV treated with the modified protocol for 12 months were compared to 18 historic controls, treated with standard protocol. In the modified protocol, mild transient post-infusion increases in serum creatinine were found during each infusion but after 12 months serum creatinine remained similar from baseline [0.40 mg/dl (SD: 0.13)] to the end of the study [0.41 mg/dl (SD: 0.11)] (P = 0.79). The two protocols led to similar changes in serum creatinine during the first pamidronate infusion [modified protocol: +2% (SD: 21%); standard protocol: -3% (SD: 8%); P = 0.32]. Areal lumbar spine bone mineral density Z-scores increased from -2.7 (SD: 1.5) to -1.8 (SD: 1.4) with the modified protocol, and from -4.1 (SD: 1.4) to -3.1 (SD: 1.1) with standard protocol (P = 0.68 for group differences in bone density Z-score changes). The modified pamidronate protocol is safe and may have similar effects on bone density as the standard pamidronate protocol. More studies are needed with longer follow-up to prove anti-fracture efficacy.

Dynamics of ejecta from a binary asteroid impact in the framework of the AIDA mission: a NEOShield-2 contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Y.; Schwartz, S. R.; Michel, P.; Benner, L. A. M.

2015-10-01

The dynamics of the ejecta cloud that results from a binary asteroid impact is one of the tasks of the NEOShield-2 project, funded by the European Commission in its program Horizon 2020. Results from such an investigation will have great relevance to the Phase-A study of the AIDA space mission, a collaborative effort between ESA and NASA, which aims to perform a kinetic impactor demonstration. Our study presents a multi-scale dynamical model of the ejecta cloud produced by a hypervelocity impact, which enables us to check the behaviors of the ejecta at different spatial and time scales. This model is applied to the impact into the small moon of the binary Near- Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos on October 2022 as considered by the AIDA mission. We attempt to model the process by including as much practical information as possible, e.g., the gravitational environment influenced by the non-spherical shapes of the bodies based on observed shape of the primary), the solar tides, and the solar radiation pressure. Our simulations show the general patterns of motion of the ejecta cloud, which we use to assess the potential hazard to an observing spacecraft. We also look into the grain-scale dynamics of the ejecta during this process, which has influence on the re-accumulation of particles orbiting in the vicinity.

Design concepts and options for the Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI) as part of ESA's Asteroid Impact Mission.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowles, Neil; Calcutt, Simon; Licandro, Javier; Reyes, Marcos; Delbo, Marco; Donaldson Hanna, Kerri; Arnold, Jessica; Howe, Chris

2016-04-01

ESA's Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is being studied as part of the joint ESA/NASA AIDA mission for launch in 2020. AIDA's primary mission is to investigate the effect of a kinetic impactor on the secondary component of the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos in late 2022. AIM will characterise the Didymos system and monitor the response of the binary system to the impact. A multi-spectral, thermal-infrared imaging instrument (TIRI) will be an essential component of AIM's remote sensing payload, as it will provide key information on the nature of the surfaces (e.g. presence or absence of materials, degree of compaction, and rock abundance of the regolith) of both components in the Didymos system. The temperature maps provided by TIRI will be important for navigation and spacecraft health and safety for proximity/lander operations. By measuring the asteroids' diurnal thermal responses (thermal inertia) and their surface compositions via spectral signatures, TIRI will provide information on the origin and evolution of the binary system. In this presentation we will discuss possible instrument design for TIRI, exploring options that include imaging spectroscopy to broadband imaging. By using thermal models and compositional analogues of the Didymos system we will show how the performance of each design option compares to the wider scientific goals of the AIDA/AIM mission.

Glycosylation of the Escherichia coli TibA self-associating autotransporter influences the conformation and the functionality of the protein.

PubMed

Côté, Jean-Philippe; Charbonneau, Marie-Ève; Mourez, Michael

2013-01-01

The self-associating autotransporters (SAATs) are multifunctional secreted proteins of Escherichia coli, comprising the AIDA-I, TibA and Ag43 proteins. One of their characteristics is that they can be glycosylated. Glycosylation of AIDA-I and Ag43 have been investigated, but not that of TibA. It is still not clear whether glycosylation of the SAATs affect their structure or their functionality. Therefore, we have looked at the effects of glycosylation on the TibA adhesin/invasin. TibA is glycosylated by TibC, a specific glycosyltransferase, and the two genes are encoded in an operon. In this study, we have found that the glycosylation of TibA is not limited to the extracellular functional domain, as previously observed with AIDA-I and Ag43. We have determined that unglycosylated TibA is not able to promote the adhesion of bacteria on cultured epithelial cell, even though it is still able to promote invasion, biofilm formation and autoaggregation of bacteria. We have purified the glycosylated and unglycosylated forms of TibA, and determined that TibA is less stable when not glycosylated. We finally observed that glycosylation affects the oligomerisation of TibA and that unglycosylated TibA is locked in a conformation that is not suited for adhesion. Our results suggest that the effect of glycosylation on the functionality of TibA is indirect.

The Fifth International Ice Nucleation Workshop Activities FIN-1 and FIN-2: Overview and Selected Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moehler, O.; Cziczo, D. J.; DeMott, P. J.; Hiranuma, N.; Petters, M. D.

2015-12-01

The role of aerosol particles for ice formation in clouds is one of the largest uncertainties in understanding the Earth's weather and climate systems, which is related to the poor knowledge of ice nucleation microphysics or of the nature and atmospheric abundance of ice nucleating particles (INPs). During the recent years, new mobile instruments were developed for measuring the concentration, size and chemical composition of INPs, which were tested during the three-part Fifth International Ice Nucleation (FIN) workshop. The FIN activities addressed not only instrument issues, but also important science topics like the nature of atmospheric INP and cloud ice residuals, the ice nucleation activity of relevant atmospheric aerosols, or the parameterization of ice formation in atmospheric weather and climate models. The first activity FIN-1 was conducted during November 2014 at the AIDA cloud chamber. It involved co-locating nine single particle mass spectrometers to evaluate how well they resolve the INP and ice residual composition and how spectra from different instruments compare for relevant atmospheric aerosols. We conducted about 90 experiments with mineral, carbonaceous and biological aerosol types, some also coated with organic and inorganic compounds. The second activity FIN-2 was conducted during March 2015 at the AIDA facility. A total of nine mobile INP instruments directly sampled from the AIDA aerosol chambers. Wet suspension and filter samples were also taken for offline INP processing. A refereed blind intercomparison was conducted during two days of the FIN-2 activity. The third activity FIN-3 will take place at the Desert Research Institute's Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in order to test the instruments' performance in the field. This contribution will introduce the FIN activities, summarize first results from the formal part of FIN-2, and discuss selected results, mainly from FIN-1 for the effect of coating on the ice nucleation (IN) by mineral aerosols. The coating with both secondary organic compounds and sulphuric acid was conducted in the AIDA chamber at relevant temperatures and precursor concentrations and was monitored with the particle mass spectrometers. Already very thin, atmospherically relevant coatings reduced deposition IN, but had little effect on immersion freezing.

The Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission: Science Proximity Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnouin, Olivier; Bellerose, Julie; Carnelli, Ian; Carrol, Kieran; Ciarletti, Valérie; Cheng, Andrew F.; Galvez, Andres; Green, Simon F.; Grieger, Bjorn; Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Herique, Alain; Kueppers, Michael; Minton, David A.; Mellab, Karim; Michel, Patrick; Rivkin, Andrew S.; Rosenblatt, Pascal; Tortora, Paolo; Ulamec, Stephan; Vincent, Jean-Baptiste; Zannoni, Marco

2016-10-01

The moon of the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos is the target of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. This mission is a joint effort between NASA and ESA to investigate the effectiveness of a kinetic impactor in deflecting an asteroid. The mission is composed of two components: the NASA-led Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) that will impact Didymos' moon (henceforth Didymos B), and the ESA-led Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) that will survey the Didymos system. Both will undertake proximity operations to characterize the physical and dynamical properties of the Didymos system that are of maximum importance in the joint AIDA mission to understand the factors at play when assessing the mometum transfer that follows DART's impact into Didymos B. Using much of ESA's Rosetta experience, the AIM mission will undertake proximity operations both before and after DART's impact. AIM's chracterization includes measuring the precise orbital configuration, masses, internal properties, surface geology and regolith properties of the primary and secondary, using visible and thermal imaging, radar measurements and radio science data. AIM will also release the small MASCOT-2 lander, as well as a suite of a CubeSats to help achieve these objectives. DART proximity observations include two phases of imaging. The first makes use of a suite of long range images that will add light curve data to what will be collected from Earth. These data will refine the orbit period of Didymos B, and provide constraints for modeling the shape of both Didymos A and B. The second phase begins just under an hour before impact when resolved imaging of the Didymos system provides further shape model constraints for the visble parts of both Didymos A and B, some possible constraints on the mass of Didymos B and key geological information of both objects and the impact site. In this presentation, we will summarize the proximity operations undertaken by both DART and AIM needed to achieve the scientific objectives of the AIDA mission using a broad suite of scientific experiments.

An EUDET/AIDA Pixel Beam Telescope for Detector Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinskiy, I.; EUDET Consortium; AIDA Consortium

Ahigh resolution(σ< 2 μm) beam telescope based on monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) was developed within the EUDET collaboration. EUDET was a coordinated detector R&D programme for the future International Linear Collider providing test beam infrastructure to detector R&D groups. The telescope consists of six sensor planes with a pixel pitch of either 18.4 μm or 10 μmand canbe operated insidea solenoidal magnetic fieldofupto1.2T.Ageneral purpose cooling, positioning, data acquisition (DAQ) and offine data analysis tools are available for the users. The excellent resolution, readout rate andDAQintegration capabilities made the telescopea primary beam tests tool also for several CERN based experiments. In this report the performance of the final telescope is presented. The plans for an even more flexible telescope with three differentpixel technologies(ATLASPixel, Mimosa,Timepix) withinthenew European detector infrastructure project AIDA are presented.

[Background and practical use of the assessment of identity development in adolescence (AIDA)].

PubMed

Birkhölzer, Marc; Goth, Kirstin; Schrobildgen, Christian; Schmeck, Klaus; Schlüter-Müller, Susanne

2015-01-01

A paradigm shift towards early detection and intervention of personality disorders in adolescence to prevent persistent and chronic suffering is currently taking place. Aside further distinct areas of impaired psychosocial integrity, disturbed identity development is seen as one core component of personality disorders. Thus, the detection of early antecedents of impaired identity development is an important step to allow for early intervention. The self-report questionnaire Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA) is a reliable and valid diagnostic instrument to detect disturbed identity development. This questionnaire allows for global assessment of identity and a differentiation in fundamental subdomains as well and distinguishes between identity diffusion on one side and consolidated and stable identity on the other. In clinical practice, it supports the differentiation between severely disturbed identity as the core component of personality disorders and identity crisis or stable identity development that can be found in other mental disorders.

Intercorporeality and aida: Developing an interaction theory of social cognition

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Shogo

2017-01-01

The aim of this article is to develop an interaction theory (IT) of social cognition. The central issue in the field of social cognition has been theory of mind (ToM), and there has been debate regarding its nature as either theory-theory or as simulation theory. Insights from phenomenology have brought a second-person perspective based on embodied interactions into the debate, thereby forming a third position known as IT. In this article, I examine how IT can be further elaborated by drawing on two phenomenological notions—Merleau-Ponty’s intercorporeality and Kimura’s aida. Both of these notions emphasize the sensory-motor, perceptual, and non-conceptual aspects of social understanding and describe a process of interpersonal coordination in which embodied interaction gains autonomy as an emergent system. From this perspective, detailed and nuanced social understanding is made possible through the embodied skill of synchronizing with others. PMID:28626341

Intercorporeality and aida: Developing an interaction theory of social cognition.

PubMed

Tanaka, Shogo

2017-06-01

The aim of this article is to develop an interaction theory (IT) of social cognition. The central issue in the field of social cognition has been theory of mind (ToM), and there has been debate regarding its nature as either theory-theory or as simulation theory. Insights from phenomenology have brought a second-person perspective based on embodied interactions into the debate, thereby forming a third position known as IT. In this article, I examine how IT can be further elaborated by drawing on two phenomenological notions-Merleau-Ponty's intercorporeality and Kimura's aida . Both of these notions emphasize the sensory-motor, perceptual, and non-conceptual aspects of social understanding and describe a process of interpersonal coordination in which embodied interaction gains autonomy as an emergent system. From this perspective, detailed and nuanced social understanding is made possible through the embodied skill of synchronizing with others.

Optimal Outcomes in Young Class 3 Patients With Thalassemia Undergoing HLA-Identical Sibling Bone Marrow Transplantation.

PubMed

Gaziev, Javid; Isgrò, Antonella; Sodani, Pietro; Marziali, Marco; Paciaroni, Katia; Gallucci, Cristiano; De Angelis, Gioia; Andreani, Marco; Testi, Manuela; Alfieri, Cecilia; Ribersani, Michela; Galluccio, Tiziana; Battarra, Maria Rosa; Morrone, Aldo; Lucarelli, Guido

2016-04-01

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for class 3 patients with thalassemia is challenging due to high rates of graft rejection and transplant-related mortality. Since the first studies of BMT in the late 1980s, a number of conditioning regimens have been designed to improve outcomes, but with suboptimal results. Here we report the outcome of transplantation in class 3 patients using a modified protocol. Sixty-three patients between 5 and 16.7 years of age with class 3 thalassemia received HLA-matched sibling BMT following either the original protocol (26 patients) or the modified protocol (37 patients). Both regimens comprised preconditioning cytoreduction with hydroxyurea and azathioprine starting at -45 days pretransplant, and fludarabine from days -16 to -12. Conditioning was performed with busulfan and cyclophosphamide (original protocol) or with busulfan, thiotepa, and cyclophosphamide (modified protocol). The 2 groups showed similar patient demographics. At day 0, the degree of cytoreduction (lymphopenia, neuthropenia, and thrombocytopenia) achieved by the modified protocol was greater than the original protocol. The incidence of graft failure/rejection was significantly higher in the original group (15%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 5-32%) compared with the modified group (0%) (P = 0.014). The respective 5-year thalassemia-free survival rates were 73% (95% CI, 51-86%) and 92% (95% CI, 77-97%) (P = 0.047). Both groups showed similar incidences of grades II to IV acute graft-versus host disease. Modified protocol did not increase nonhematological toxicity or infectious complications. The modified treatment protocol effectively and safely prevented graft failure/rejection and significantly increased thalassemia-free survival of class 3 patients with thalassemia.

Science case for the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM): A component of the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, Patrick; Cheng, A.; Küppers, M.; Pravec, P.; Blum, J.; Delbo, M.; Green, S. F.; Rosenblatt, P.; Tsiganis, K.; Vincent, J. B.; Biele, J.; Ciarletti, V.; Hérique, A.; Ulamec, S.; Carnelli, I.; Galvez, A.; Benner, L.; Naidu, S. P.; Barnouin, O. S.; Richardson, D. C.; Rivkin, A.; Scheirich, P.; Moskovitz, N.; Thirouin, A.; Schwartz, S. R.; Campo Bagatin, A.; Yu, Y.

2016-06-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission is a joint cooperation between European and US space agencies that consists of two separate and independent spacecraft that will be launched to a binary asteroid system, the near-Earth asteroid Didymos, to test the kinetic impactor technique to deflect an asteroid. The European Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is set to rendezvous with the asteroid system to fully characterize the smaller of the two binary components a few months prior to the impact by the US Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft. AIM is a unique mission as it will be the first time that a spacecraft will investigate the surface, subsurface, and internal properties of a small binary near-Earth asteroid. In addition it will perform various important technology demonstrations that can serve other space missions. The knowledge obtained by this mission will have great implications for our understanding of the history of the Solar System. Having direct information on the surface and internal properties of small asteroids will allow us to understand how the various processes they undergo work and transform these small bodies as well as, for this particular case, how a binary system forms. Making these measurements from up close and comparing them with ground-based data from telescopes will also allow us to calibrate remote observations and improve our data interpretation of other systems. With DART, thanks to the characterization of the target by AIM, the mission will be the first fully documented impact experiment at asteroid scale, which will include the characterization of the target's properties and the outcome of the impact. AIDA will thus offer a great opportunity to test and refine our understanding and models at the actual scale of an asteroid, and to check whether the current extrapolations of material strength from laboratory-scale targets to the scale of AIDA's target are valid. Moreover, it will offer a first check of the validity of the kinetic impactor concept to deflect a small body and lead to improved efficiency for future kinetic impactor designs. This paper focuses on the science return of AIM, the current knowledge of its target from ground-based observations, and the instrumentation planned to get the necessary data.

Factors influencing the prescription of allergen immunotherapy: the allergen immunotherapy decision analysis (AIDA) study.

PubMed

Frati, F; Incorvaia, C; Cadario, G; Fiocchi, A; Senna, G E; Rossi, O; Romano, A; Scala, E; Romano, C; Ingrassia, A; Zambito, M; Dell'albani, I; Scurati, S; Passalacqua, G; Canonica, G W

2013-10-01

The evidence of efficacy of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for respiratory allergy has been demonstrated by a number of meta-analyses. However, the daily practice of AIT is quite different from controlled trials, facing challenges in terms of selection of patients, practical performance, and, of particular importance, use of allergen extracts of inadequate quality. We here performed a survey, named the Allergen Immunotherapy Decision Analysis (AIDA), to evaluate which criteria are used by specialists to choose a product for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in patients with respiratory allergy. A questionnaire composed of 14 items to be ranked by each participant according to the importance attributed when choosing SLIT products was submitted to 444 Italian specialists. The responses of the 169 (38.1%) physicians, who answered all questions, were analysed. Most of the respondents were allergists (79%), followed by pulmonologists (10.8%), both allergists and pulmonologists (4.8%), and otorhinolaryngologists (3%); 59.8% of the respondents were males and 40.2% were females. The age distribution showed that 89.9% of the respondents were aged between 35 and 64 years. All respondents usually prescribed AIT products in their clinical practice: 31.4% used only SLIT, whereas 69.2% used both subcutaneous and sublingual administration. The rankings, expressed as means, attributed by physicians for each of the 14 items were as follows: level of evidence-based medicine (EBM ) validation of efficacy (3.44), level of EBM validation of safety (4.30), standardization of the product (5.37), efficacy based on personal experience (5.82), defined content(s) of the major allergen(s) in micrograms (5.96), scientific evidence for each single allergen (6.17), safety based on personal experience (6.32), ease of administration protocol (8.08), cost and terms of payment (e.g. instalments) (9.17), dose personalization (9.24), patient preference (9.25), ease of product storage (9.93), reimbursement (10.12), and availability of a helpline or on-line assistance from the manufacturer (11.89). These attitudes need to be taken into consideration by regulatory agencies as well as by producers.

Design of the optical communication system for the asteroid impact mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heese, C.; Sodnik, Z.; Carnelli, I.

2017-09-01

The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is part of the joint Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) project of ESA, DLR, Observatoire de la Côte d'Ázur, NASA, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL).

Isolation of high-quality total RNA from leaves of Myrciaria dubia "CAMU CAMU".

PubMed

Gómez, Juan Carlos Castro; Reátegui, Alina Del Carmen Egoavil; Flores, Julián Torres; Saavedra, Roberson Ramírez; Ruiz, Marianela Cobos; Correa, Sixto Alfredo Imán

2013-01-01

Myrciaria dubia is a main source of vitamin C for people in the Amazon region. Molecular studies of M. dubia require high-quality total RNA from different tissues. So far, no protocols have been reported for total RNA isolation from leaves of this species. The objective of this research was to develop protocols for extracting high-quality total RNA from leaves of M. dubia. Total RNA was purified following two modified protocols developed for leaves of other species (by Zeng and Yang, and by Reid et al.) and one modified protocol developed for fruits of the studied species (by Silva). Quantity and quality of purified total RNA were assessed by spectrophotometric and electrophoretic analysis. Additionally, quality of total RNA was evaluated with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). With these three modified protocols we were able to isolate high-quality RNA (A260nm/A280nm >1.9 and A260nm/A230nm >2.0). Highest yield was produced with the Zeng and Yang modified protocol (384±46µg ARN/g fresh weight). Furthermore, electrophoretic analysis showed the integrity of isolated RNA and the absence of DNA. Another proof of the high quality of our purified RNA was the successful cDNA synthesis and amplification of a segment of the M. dubia actin 1 gene. We report three modified protocols for isolation total RNA from leaves of M. dubia. The modified protocols are easy, rapid, low in cost, and effective for high-quality and quantity total RNA isolation suitable for cDNA synthesis and polymerase chain reaction.

Economics of United States tuberculosis airline contact investigation policies: a return on investment analysis.

PubMed

Coleman, Margaret S; Marienau, Karen J; Marano, Nina; Marks, Suzanne M; Cetron, Martin S

2014-01-01

In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modified its 2008 protocol for flight-related tuberculosis contact investigation initiation. The 2011 Modified protocol was implemented and replaced the 2008 CDC protocol based on comparative epidemiologic and economic analyses; this publication reports the economic analysis results. A return on investment model compared relative changes in tuberculosis disease treatment costs resulting from expenditures on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis infection treatment for the 2008 CDC and Modified protocols. At moderate/high rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease, positive returns on investment indicated each $1.00 spent on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis treatment resulted in more than $1.00 of savings from reduced tuberculosis disease treatment costs. Low rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease resulted in negative returns on investment, indicating economic losses from tuberculosis disease treatment costs. There were smaller economic losses at low latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease rates with the Modified protocol in comparison to the 2008 CDC protocol, while both identified comparable numbers of persons at risk for tuberculosis. The Modified protocol for conducting flight-related tuberculosis contact investigations represents a better use of resources and protects public health. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Economics of United States tuberculosis airline contact investigation policies: A return on investment analysis

PubMed Central

Coleman, Margaret S.; Marienau, Karen J.; Marano, Nina; Marks, Suzanne M.; Cetron, Martin S.

2017-01-01

Summary Background In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modified its 2008 protocol for flight-related tuberculosis contact investigation initiation. The 2011 Modified protocol was implemented and replaced the 2008 CDC protocol based on comparative epidemiologic and economic analyses; this publication reports the economic analysis results. Methods A return on investment model compared relative changes in tuberculosis disease treatment costs resulting from expenditures on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis infection treatment for the 2008 CDC and Modified protocols. Results At moderate/high rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease, positive returns on investment indicated each $1.00 spent on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis treatment resulted in more than $1.00 of savings from reduced tuberculosis disease treatment costs. Low rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease resulted in negative returns on investment, indicating economic losses from tuberculosis disease treatment costs. There were smaller economic losses at low latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease rates with the Modified protocol in comparison to the 2008 CDC protocol, while both identified comparable numbers of persons at risk for tuberculosis. Conclusion The Modified protocol for conducting flight-related tuberculosis contact investigations represents a better use of resources and protects public health. PMID:24262643

Creep stability of the proposed AIDA mission target 65803 Didymos: I. Discrete cohesionless granular physics model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yun; Richardson, Derek C.; Barnouin, Olivier S.; Maurel, Clara; Michel, Patrick; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Ballouz, Ronald-Louis; Benner, Lance A. M.; Naidu, Shantanu P.; Li, Junfeng

2017-09-01

As the target of the proposed Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission, the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos represents a special class of binary asteroids, those whose primaries are at risk of rotational disruption. To gain a better understanding of these binary systems and to support the AIDA mission, this paper investigates the creep stability of the Didymos primary by representing it as a cohesionless self-gravitating granular aggregate subject to rotational acceleration. To achieve this goal, a soft-sphere discrete element model (SSDEM) capable of simulating granular systems in quasi-static states is implemented and a quasi-static spin-up procedure is carried out. We devise three critical spin limits for the simulated aggregates to indicate their critical states triggered by reshaping and surface shedding, internal structural deformation, and shear failure, respectively. The failure condition and mode, and shear strength of an aggregate can all be inferred from the three critical spin limits. The effects of arrangement and size distribution of constituent particles, bulk density, spin-up path, and interparticle friction are numerically explored. The results show that the shear strength of a spinning self-gravitating aggregate depends strongly on both its internal configuration and material parameters, while its failure mode and mechanism are mainly affected by its internal configuration. Additionally, this study provides some constraints on the possible physical properties of the Didymos primary based on observational data and proposes a plausible formation mechanism for this binary system. With a bulk density consistent with observational uncertainty and close to the maximum density allowed for the asteroid, the Didymos primary in certain configurations can remain geo-statically stable without requiring cohesion.

Sea spray as a source of ice nucleating particles - results from the AIDA Ocean03 campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salter, M. E.; Ickes, L.; Adams, M.; Bierbauer, S.; Bilde, M.; Christiansen, S.; Ekman, A.; Gorokhova, E.; Höhler, K.; Kiselev, A. A.; Leck, C.; Mohr, C.; Mohler, O.; Murray, B. J.; Porter, G.; Ullrich, R.; Wagner, R.

2017-12-01

Clouds and their radiative effects are one of the major influences on the radiative fluxes in the atmosphere, but at the same time they remain the largest uncertainty in climate models. This lack of understanding is especially pronounced in the high Arctic. Summertime clouds can persist over long periods in this region, which is difficult to replicate in models based on our current understanding. The clouds most often encountered in the summertime high Arctic consist of a mixture of ice crystals and super-cooled water droplets, so-called mixed-phase clouds. This cloud type is sensitive to the availability of aerosol particles, which can act as cloud condensation nuclei and ice nuclei. However, since the high Arctic is a pristine region, aerosol particles are not very abundant, and the hypothesis of open leads in the Arctic as a potentially important source of cloud and ice nucleating particles via bubble bursting has emerged. In this context, we have conducted a series of experiments at the AIDA chamber at KIT, designed to investigate the mechanisms linking marine biology, seawater chemistry and aerosol physics/potential cloud impacts. During this campaign, two marine diatom species (Melosira arctica and Skeletonema marinoi) as well as sea surface microlayer samples collected during several Arctic Ocean research cruises were investigated. To aerosolize the samples, a variety of methods were used including a sea spray simulation chamber to mimic the process of bubble-bursting. The ice nucleating efficiency (mixed-phase cloud regime) of the samples was determined either directly in the AIDA chamber during adiabatic expansions, or using the INKA continuous flow diffusion chamber, or a cold stage. Results from the campaign along with the potential implications are presented.

Simulations of hypervelocity impacts for asteroid deflection studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heberling, T.; Ferguson, J. M.; Gisler, G. R.; Plesko, C. S.; Weaver, R.

2016-12-01

The possibility of kinetic-impact deflection of threatening near-earth asteroids will be tested for the first time in the proposed AIDA (Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment) mission, involving two independent spacecraft, NASAs DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and ESAs AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission). The impact of the DART spacecraft onto the secondary of the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos, at a speed of 5 to 7 km/s, is expected to alter the mutual orbit by an observable amount. The velocity imparted to the secondary depends on the geometry and dynamics of the impact, and especially on the momentum enhancement factor, conventionally called beta. We use the Los Alamos hydrocodes Rage and Pagosa to estimate beta in laboratory-scale benchmark experiments and in the large-scale asteroid deflection test. Simulations are performed in two- and three-dimensions, using a variety of equations of state and strength models for both the lab-scale and large-scale cases. This work is being performed as part of a systematic benchmarking study for the AIDA mission that includes other hydrocodes.

The Next Generation of Interoperability Agents in Healthcare

PubMed Central

Cardoso, Luciana; Marins, Fernando; Portela, Filipe; Santos, Manuel ; Abelha, António; Machado, José

2014-01-01

Interoperability in health information systems is increasingly a requirement rather than an option. Standards and technologies, such as multi-agent systems, have proven to be powerful tools in interoperability issues. In the last few years, the authors have worked on developing the Agency for Integration, Diffusion and Archive of Medical Information (AIDA), which is an intelligent, agent-based platform to ensure interoperability in healthcare units. It is increasingly important to ensure the high availability and reliability of systems. The functions provided by the systems that treat interoperability cannot fail. This paper shows the importance of monitoring and controlling intelligent agents as a tool to anticipate problems in health information systems. The interaction between humans and agents through an interface that allows the user to create new agents easily and to monitor their activities in real time is also an important feature, as health systems evolve by adopting more features and solving new problems. A module was installed in Centro Hospitalar do Porto, increasing the functionality and the overall usability of AIDA. PMID:24840351

Protein design on computers. Five new proteins: Shpilka, Grendel, Fingerclasp, Leather, and Aida.

PubMed

Sander, C; Vriend, G; Bazan, F; Horovitz, A; Nakamura, H; Ribas, L; Finkelstein, A V; Lockhart, A; Merkl, R; Perry, L J

1992-02-01

What is the current state of the art in protein design? This question was approached in a recent two-week protein design workshop sponsored by EMBO and held at the EMBL in Heidelberg. The goals were to test available design tools and to explore new design strategies. Five novel proteins were designed: Shpilka, a sandwich of two four-stranded beta-sheets, a scaffold on which to explore variations in loop topology; Grendel, a four-helical membrane anchor, ready for fusion to water-soluble functional domains; Finger-clasp, a dimer of interdigitating beta-beta-alpha units, the simplest variant of the "handshake" structural class; Aida, an antibody binding surface intended to be specific for flavodoxin; Leather--a minimal NAD binding domain, extracted from a larger protein. Each design is available as a set of three-dimensional coordinates, the corresponding amino acid sequence and a set of analytical results. The designs are placed in the public domain for scrutiny, improvement, and possible experimental verification.

Optimizing the high-resolution manometry (HRM) study protocol.

PubMed

Patel, A; Ding, A; Mirza, F; Gyawali, C P

2015-02-01

Intolerance of the esophageal manometry catheter may prolong high-resolution manometry (HRM) studies and increase patient distress. We assessed the impact of obtaining the landmark phase at the end of the study when the patient has acclimatized to the HRM catheter. 366 patients (mean age 55.4 ± 0.8 years, 62.0% female) undergoing esophageal HRM over a 1-year period were studied. The standard protocol consisted of the landmark phase, 10 5 mL water swallows 20-30 s apart, and multiple rapid swallows where 4-6 2 mL swallows were administered in rapid succession. The modified protocol consisted of the landmark phase at the end of the study after test swallows. Study duration, technical characteristics, indications, and motor findings were compared between standard and modified protocols. Of the 366 patients, 89.6% underwent the standard protocol (study duration 12.9 ± 0.3 min). In 10.4% with poor catheter tolerance undergoing the modified protocol, study duration was significantly longer (15.6 ± 1.0 min, p = 0.004) despite similar duration of study maneuvers. Only elevated upper esophageal sphincter basal pressures at the beginning of the study segregated modified protocol patients. The 95th percentile time to landmark phase in the standard protocol patients was 6.1 min; as many as 31.4% of modified protocol patients could not obtain their first study maneuver within this period (p = 0.0003). Interpretation was not impacted by shifting the landmark phase to the end of the study. Modification of the HRM study protocol with the landmark phase obtained at the end of the study optimizes study duration without compromising quality. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improvement of Cell Survival During Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Definitive Endoderm Differentiation

PubMed Central

Wang, Han; Luo, Xie; Yao, Li; Lehman, Donna M.

2015-01-01

Definitive endoderm (DE) is a vital precursor for internal organs such as liver and pancreas. Efficient protocol to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to DE is essential for regenerative medicine and for modeling diseases; yet, poor cell survival during DE differentiation remains unsolved. In this study, our use of B27 supplement in modified differentiation protocols has led to a substantial improvement. We used an SOX17-enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter hESC line to compare and modify established DE differentiation protocols. Both total live cell numbers and the percentages of eGFP-positive cells were used to assess differentiation efficiency. Among tested protocols, three modified protocols with serum-free B27 supplement were developed to generate a high number of DE cells. Massive cell death was avoided during DE differentiation and the percentage of DE cells remained high. When the resulting DE cells were further differentiated toward the pancreatic lineage, the expression of pancreatic-specific markers was significantly increased. Similar high DE differentiation efficiency was observed in H1 hESCs and iPSCs through the modified protocols. In B27 components, bovine serum albumin was found to facilitate DE differentiation and cell survival. Using our modified DE differentiation protocols, satisfactory quantities of quality DE can be produced as primary material for further endoderm lineage differentiation. PMID:26132288

The Asteroid Impact Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carnelli, Ian; Galvez, Andres; Mellab, Karim

2016-04-01

The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is a small and innovative mission of opportunity, currently under study at ESA, intending to demonstrate new technologies for future deep-space missions while addressing planetary defense objectives and performing for the first time detailed investigations of a binary asteroid system. It leverages on a unique opportunity provided by asteroid 65803 Didymos, set for an Earth close-encounter in October 2022, to achieve a fast mission return in only two years after launch in October/November 2020. AIM is also ESA's contribution to an international cooperation between ESA and NASA called Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA), consisting of two mission elements: the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and the AIM rendezvous spacecraft. The primary goals of AIDA are to test our ability to perform a spacecraft impact on a near-Earth asteroid and to measure and characterize the deflection caused by the impact. The two mission components of AIDA, DART and AIM, are each independently valuable but when combined they provide a greatly increased scientific return. The DART hypervelocity impact on the secondary asteroid will alter the binary orbit period, which will also be measured by means of lightcurves observations from Earth-based telescopes. AIM instead will perform before and after detailed characterization shedding light on the dependence of the momentum transfer on the asteroid's bulk density, porosity, surface and internal properties. AIM will gather data describing the fragmentation and restructuring processes as well as the ejection of material, and relate them to parameters that can only be available from ground-based observations. Collisional events are of great importance in the formation and evolution of planetary systems, own Solar System and planetary rings. The AIDA scenario will provide a unique opportunity to observe a collision event directly in space, and simultaneously from ground-based optical and radar facilities. For the first time, an impact experiment at asteroid scale will be performed with accurate knowledge of the precise impact conditions and also the impact outcome, together with information on the physical properties of the target, ultimately validating at appropriate scales our knowledge of the process and impact simulations. AIM's important technology demonstration component includes a deep-space optical communication terminal and inter-satellite network with two CubeSats deployed in the vicinity of the Didymos system and a lander on the surface of the secondary. To achieve a low-cost objective AIM's technology and scientific payload are being combined to support both close-proximity navigation and scientific investigations. AIM will demonstrate the capability to achieve a small spacecraft design with a very large technological and scientific mission return.

Security of modified Ping-Pong protocol in noisy and lossy channel

PubMed Central

Han, Yun-Guang; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Li, Hong-Wei; Chen, Wei; Wang, Shuang; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu

2014-01-01

The “Ping-Pong” (PP) protocol is a two-way quantum key protocol based on entanglement. In this protocol, Bob prepares one maximally entangled pair of qubits, and sends one qubit to Alice. Then, Alice performs some necessary operations on this qubit and sends it back to Bob. Although this protocol was proposed in 2002, its security in the noisy and lossy channel has not been proven. In this report, we add a simple and experimentally feasible modification to the original PP protocol, and prove the security of this modified PP protocol against collective attacks when the noisy and lossy channel is taken into account. Simulation results show that our protocol is practical. PMID:24816899

Security of modified Ping-Pong protocol in noisy and lossy channel.

PubMed

Han, Yun-Guang; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Li, Hong-Wei; Chen, Wei; Wang, Shuang; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu

2014-05-12

The "Ping-Pong" (PP) protocol is a two-way quantum key protocol based on entanglement. In this protocol, Bob prepares one maximally entangled pair of qubits, and sends one qubit to Alice. Then, Alice performs some necessary operations on this qubit and sends it back to Bob. Although this protocol was proposed in 2002, its security in the noisy and lossy channel has not been proven. In this report, we add a simple and experimentally feasible modification to the original PP protocol, and prove the security of this modified PP protocol against collective attacks when the noisy and lossy channel is taken into account. Simulation results show that our protocol is practical.

Student Financial Aid--A Phase-In Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, William S.

1984-01-01

An alternative system is proposed for college students: provide grants in the freshman year, reduce grants and small loans in the second, introduce work-study in the third along with reduced grants and loans, and further increase loan and reduce the grant with work-study in the fourth year. (MSE)

Supplementation with IL-6 and Muscle Cell Culture Conditioned Media Enhances Myogenic Differentiation of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells through STAT3 Activation.

PubMed

Seo, Eunhui; Kang, Hwansu; Lim, Oh-Kyung; Jun, Hee-Sook

2018-05-24

Mature skeletal muscle cells cannot be expanded in culture systems. Therefore, it is difficult to construct an in vitro model for muscle diseases. To establish an efficient protocol for myogenic differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hADSCs), we investigated whether addition of IL-6 and/or myocyte-conditioned media (CM) to conventional differentiation media can shorten the differentiation period. hADSCs were differentiated to myocytes using the conventional protocol or modified with the addition of 25 pg/mL IL-6 and/or C2C12 CM (25% v / v ). The expression of MyoD and myogenine mRNA was significantly higher at 5⁻6 days after differentiation using the modified protocol than with the conventional protocol. mRNA and protein expression of myosin heavy chain, a marker of myotubes, was significantly upregulated at 28 and 42 days of differentiation using the modified protocol, and the level achieved after a 4-week differentiation period was similar to that achieved at 6 weeks using the conventional protocol. The expression of p-STAT3 was significantly increased when the modified protocol was used. Similarly, addition of colivelin, a STAT3 activator, instead of IL-6 and C2C12 CM, promoted the myogenic differentiation of ADSCs. The modified protocol improved differentiation efficiency and reduced the time required for differentiation of myocytes. It might be helpful to save cost and time when preparing myocytes for cell therapies and drug discovery.

Study of binary asteroids with three space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalenko, Irina; Doressoundiram, Alain; Hestroffer, Daniel

Binary and multiple asteroids are common in the Solar system and encountered in various places going from Near-Earth region, to the main-belt, Trojans and Centaurs, and beyond Neptune. Their study can provide insight on the Solar System formation and its subsequent dynamical evolution. Binaries are also objects of high interest because they provide fundamental physical parameters such as mass and density, and hence clues on the early Solar System, or other processes that are affecting asteroid over time. We will present our current project on analysis of such systems based on three space missions. The first one is the Herschel space observatory (ESA), the largest infrared telescope ever launched. Thirty Centaurs and trans-Neptunian binaries were observed by Herschel and the measurement allowed to define size, albedo and thermal properties [1]. The second one is the satellite Gaia (ESA). This mission is designed to chart a three-dimensional map of the Galaxy. Gaia will provide positional measurements of Solar System Objects - including asteroid binaries - with unprecedented accuracy [2]. And the third one is the proposed mission AIDA, which would study the effects of crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid [3]. The objectives are to demonstrate the ability to modify the trajectory of an asteroid, to precisely measure its trajectory change, and to characterize its physical properties. The target of this mission is a binary system: (65803) Didymos. This encompasses orbital characterisations for both astrometric and resolved binaries, as well as unbound orbit, study of astrometric binaries, derivation of densities, and general statistical analysis of physical and orbital properties of trans-Neptunian and other asteroid binaries. Acknowledgements : work supported by Labex ESEP (ANR N° 2011-LABX-030) [1] Müller T., Lellouch E., Stansberry J. et al. 2009. TNOs are Cool: A Survey of the Transneptunian Region. EM&P 105, 209-219. [2] Mignard F., Cellino A., Muinonen K. et al. 2007. The Gaia Mission: Expected Applications to Asteroid Science. EM&P 1001, 97-125. [3] Galvez A., Carnelli I. et al. 2013. AIDA: The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment Mission. EPSC 2013 - 1043.

Two cubesat mission to study the Didymos asteroid system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahlund, J.-E.; Vinterhav, E.; Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M.; Hallmann, M.; Barabash, S.; Ivchenko, N.

2015-10-01

Among the growing interest about asteroid impact hazard mitigation in our community the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission will be the first space experiment to use a kinetic impactor to demonstrate its capability as reliable deflection system [1]. As a part of the AIDA mission, we have proposed a set of two three-axis stabilized 3U CubeSats (with up to 5 science sensors) to simultaneously rendezvous at close range (<500m) with both the primary and the secondary component of the Didymos asteroid system. The CubeSats will be hosted on the ESA component of the AIDA mission, the monitoring satellite AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission). The CubeSats will characterise the magnetization, the main bulk chemical composition and presence of volatiles as well as do superresolution surface imaging of the Didymos components. The CubeSats will also support the plume characterisation resulting from the DART impact (Double Asteroid Redirection Test, a NASA component of the AIDA mission) at much closer range than the AIM main spacecraft, and provide imaging, composition, and temperature of the plume material. At end of the mission, the two CubeSats can optionally land on one of the asteroids for continued science operation. The science sensors consist of a dual fluxgate magnetometer (MAG), one miniaturized volatile composition analyser (VCA), a narrow angle camera (NAC) and a Video Emission Spectrometer (VES) with a diffraction grating for allowing a sequential chemical study of the emission spectra associated with the impact flare and the expanding plume. Consequently, the different envisioned instruments onboard the CubeSats can provide significant insight into the complex response of asteroid materials during impacts that has been theoretically studied using different techniques [2]. The two CubeSats will remain stowed in CubeSat dispensers aboard the main AIM spacecraft. They will be deployed and commissioned before the AIM impactor reaches the secondary and record the impact event from a closer vantage point than the main spacecraft. The two CubeSats are equipped with relative navigation systems capable of estimating the spacecraft position relative to the asteroids and propulsion system that allow them to operate close to the asteroid bodies. The two CubeSats will rely on mapping data relayed via the AIM main spacecraft but operate autonomously and individually based on schedules and navigation maps uploaded from ground. AIDA's target is the binary Apollo asteroid 65803 Didymos that is also catalogued as Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) because it experiences close approaches to Earth. Didymos' primary has a diameter of ˜800 meters and the secondary is ˜150 m across. Both bodies are separated about 1.1 km [3]. The rotation period and asymmetry of the secondary object is unknown, and it might be tidally locked to the larger primary body. At least the primary body is expected to be associated with ordinary chondrite material, consisting mostly of silicates, and metal, but the earlier made Xk classification suggested a rubble-pile type with large amount of volatile content. The secondary companion spectral class is unknown, but the total mass of the system suggests that the secondary companion could be of similar class. Detailed empirical information on the physical properties of the Didymos asteroid system, in particular the magnetic field, the (mineralogical) surface composition, the internal composition via the bulk density, the ages of surface units through crater counts and other morphological surface features is valuable in order to make progress in the asteroid field of science. Furthermore, the periodic effect of such a close dynamic system in the presence and temporal displacement of the surface regolith is EPSC Abstracts Vol. 10, EPSC2015-698, 2015 European Planetary Science Congress 2015 c Author(s) 2015 EPSC European Planetary Science Congress unknown, and could be followed using close-up video systems provided by the CubeSats. In conclusion, the proposed two CubeSats as part of the AIDA mission can therefore contribute significantly, since they can monitor the Didymos asteroid components at a very close range around hundred meters, and at the same time monitor in-situ an impact plume when it is created.

Momentum Enhancement from Hypervelocity Crater Ejecta: Implications for the AIDA Target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flynn, G. J.; Durda, D. D.; Patmore, E. B.; Jack, S. J.; Molesky, M. J.; Strait, M. M.; Macke, R. M.

2017-09-01

We performed hypervelocity impact cratering of porous meteorites and terrestrial pumice and found higher values of the momentum enhancement factor due to ejecta than found in hydrocode modeling. This has important implications for kinetic impact deflection of small, hazardous asteroids and on the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mossion.

The European Virtual Observatory EURO-VO | Euro-VO

Science.gov Websites

: VOTECH EuroVO-DCA EuroVO-AIDA EuroVO-ICE The European Virtual Observatory EURO-VO The Virtual Observatory news Workshop on Virtual Observatory Tools and their Applications, Krakow, Poland June 16-18, organized present the Astronomical Virtual Observatory at the Copernicus (European Earth Observation Programme) Big

Death Obsession in Palestinians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdel-Khalek, Ahmed M.; Al-Arja, Nahida S.; Abdalla, Taysir

2006-01-01

The authors explored death obsession level and correlates among a sample (N=601) of Palestinians living in the city of Beit Jala, the village of Al-Khader, and the Aida refugee camp in the Bethlehem area. They live in war conditions; the houses of half of them have been demolished. The Death Obsession Scale (DOS) was administered. Its alpha…

Verdi in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faust, Carl

2010-01-01

Introducing opera to sixth-graders may sound like a recipe for disaster, but a New Jersey music teacher has discovered how to get his students excited about "Aida": by making it the basis of a class video. This article presents a no-nonsense, seven-contact-period approach that's incredibly effective, fun, and as free as a couple of mouse…

MASCOT2, a Lander to Characterize the Target of an Asteroid Kinetic Impactor Deflection Test (AIM) Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biele, J.; Ulamec, S.; Krause, C.; Cozzoni, B.; Lange, C.; Grundmann, J. T.; Grimm, C.; Ho, T.-M.; Herique, A.; Plettemeier, D.; Grott, M.; Auster, H.-U.; Hercik, D.; Carnelli, I.; Galvez, A.; Philippe, C.; Küppers, M.; Grieger, B.; Gil Fernandez, J.; Grygorczuk, J.

2017-09-01

In the course of the AIDA/AIM mission studies [1,2] a lander, MASCOT2, has been studied to be deployed on the moon of the binary Near-Earth Asteroid system, (65803) Didymos. The AIDA technology demonstration mission, composed of a kinetic impactor, DART, and an observing spacecraft, AIM, has been designed to deliver vital data to determine the momentum transfer efficiency of the kinetic impact and key physical properties of the target asteroid. This will enable derivation of the impact response of the object as a function of its physical properties, a crucial quantitative point besides the qualitative proof that the asteroid has been deflected at all. A landed asset on the target asteroid greatly supports analyzing its dynamical state, mass, geophysical properties, surface and subsurface structure. The lander's main instrument is a bistatic, low frequency radar (LFR) [3a,b] to sound the interior structure of the asteroid. It is supported by a camera (MasCAM) [4], a radiometer (MARA)[5], an accelerometer (DACC [9]), and, optionally regarding the science case, also a magnetometer (MasMAG)[6].

Results from the FIN-2 formal comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Paul; Hoose, Corinna; Liu, Xiaohong; Moehler, Ottmar; Cziczo, Daniel; DeMott, Paul

2017-04-01

During the Fifth International Ice Nucleation Workshop (FIN-2) at the AIDA Ice Nucleation facility in Karlsruhe, Germany in March 2015, a formal comparison of ice nucleation measurement methods was conducted. During the experiments the samples of ice nucleating particles were not revealed to the instrument scientists, hence this was referred to as a "blind comparison". The two samples used were later revealed to be Arizona Test Dust and an Argentina soil sample. For these two samples seven mobile ice nucleating particle counters sampled directly from the AIDA chamber or from the aerosol preparation chamber at specified temperatures, whereas filter samples were taken for two offline deposition nucleation instruments. Wet suspension methods for determining IN concentrations were also used with 10 different methods employed. For the wet suspension methods experiments were conducted using INPs collected from the air inside the chambers (impinger sampling) and INPs taken from the bulk samples (vial sampling). Direct comparisons of the ice nucleating particle concentrations are reported as well as derived ice nucleation active site densities. The study highlights the difficulties in performing such analyses, but generally indicates that there is reasonable agreement between the wet suspension techniques. It is noted that ice nucleation efficiency derived from the AIDA chamber (quantified using the ice active surface site density approach) is higher than that for the cold stage techniques. This is both true for the Argentina soil sample and, to a lesser extent, for the Arizona Test Dust sample too. Other interesting effects were noted: for the ATD the impinger sampling demonstrated higher INP efficiency at higher temperatures (>255 K) than the vial sampling, but agreed at the lower temperatures (<255K), whereas the opposite was true for the Argentina soil sample. The results are analysed to better understand the performance of the various techniques and to address any size-sorting effects and / or sampling line loses.

A comprehensive parameterization of heterogeneous ice nucleation of dust surrogate: laboratory study with hematite particles and its application to atmospheric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiranuma, N.; Paukert, M.; Steinke, I.; Zhang, K.; Kulkarni, G.; Hoose, C.; Schnaiter, M.; Saathoff, H.; Möhler, O.

2014-12-01

A new heterogeneous ice nucleation parameterization that covers a wide temperature range (-36 to -78 °C) is presented. Developing and testing such an ice nucleation parameterization, which is constrained through identical experimental conditions, is important to accurately simulate the ice nucleation processes in cirrus clouds. The ice nucleation active surface-site density (ns) of hematite particles, used as a proxy for atmospheric dust particles, were derived from AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud chamber measurements under water subsaturated conditions. These conditions were achieved by continuously changing the temperature (T) and relative humidity with respect to ice (RHice) in the chamber. Our measurements showed several different pathways to nucleate ice depending on T and RHice conditions. For instance, almost T-independent freezing was observed at -60 °C < T < -50 °C, where RHice explicitly controlled ice nucleation efficiency, while both T and RHice played roles in other two T regimes: -78 °C < T < -60 °C and -50 °C < T < -36 °C. More specifically, observations at T lower than -60 °C revealed that higher RHice was necessary to maintain a constant ns, whereas T may have played a significant role in ice nucleation at T higher than -50 °C. We implemented the new hematite-derived ns parameterization, which agrees well with previous AIDA measurements of desert dust, into two conceptual cloud models to investigate their sensitivity to the new parameterization in comparison to existing ice nucleation schemes for simulating cirrus cloud properties. Our results show that the new AIDA-based parameterization leads to an order of magnitude higher ice crystal concentrations and to an inhibition of homogeneous nucleation in lower-temperature regions. Our cloud simulation results suggest that atmospheric dust particles that form ice nuclei at lower temperatures, below -36 °C, can potentially have a stronger influence on cloud properties, such as cloud longevity and initiation, compared to previous parameterizations.

The Effect of Therapeutic Exercise on Long-Standing Adductor-Related Groin Pain in Athletes: Modified Hölmich Protocol

PubMed Central

Yousefzadeh, Abbas; Olyaei, Gholam Reza; Naseri, Nasrin; Khazaeipour, Zahra

2018-01-01

Objective The Hölmich protocol in therapeutic exercise is the most appropriate method for the treatment of long-standing adductor-related groin pain (LSAGP). Herein, we evaluated a modified Hölmich protocol to resolve the possible limitations intrinsic to the Hölmich protocol in terms of the rate of return to sport and the recovery period for athletes with LSAGP. Design The study followed a single-blind, before/after study design, where 15 athletes with LSAGP (mean age = 26.13 years; SD = 4.48) performed a 10-week modified Hölmich therapeutic exercise protocol. Results Outcome scores related to pain, hip adductor and abductor muscle strengths, and the ratio of maximum isometric and eccentric hip adduction to abduction strength increased significantly. Likewise, hip abduction and internal rotation ROM improved significantly compared to that at baseline. Furthermore, functional records (t-test, Edgren Side Step Test, and Triple Hop Test) showed significant improvement after treatment. Finally, 13 athletes (86.6% of the participants) successfully returned to sports activity in a mean time of 12.06 weeks (SD = 3.41). Conclusion The findings of this study objectively show that the modified Hölmich protocol may be safer and more effective than the Hölmich protocol in athletes with LSAGP in promoting their return to sports activity. This trial is registered with  IRCT2016080829269N1. PMID:29721339

Enhancing the Detection of Dysmorphic Red Blood Cells and Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells with a Modified Urinalysis Protocol.

PubMed

Chu-Su, Yu; Shukuya, Kenichi; Yokoyama, Takashi; Lin, Wei-Chou; Chiang, Chih-Kang; Lin, Chii-Wann

2017-01-11

Urinary sediment is used to evaluate patients with possible urinary tract diseases. Currently, numerous protocols are applied to detect dysmorphic red blood cells (RBCs) and renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) in urinary sediment. However, distinct protocols are used by nephrologists and medical technologists for specimen concentration and observation, which leads to major discrepancies in the differential counts of formed elements such as dysmorphic RBCs and RTECs and might interfere with an accurate clinical diagnosis. To resolve these problems, we first tested a modified urinalysis protocol with an increased relative centrifuge force and concentration factor in 20 biopsy-confirmed glomerulonephritis patients with haematuria. We successfully improved the recovery ratio of dysmorphic RBCs in clinical specimens from 34.7% to 42.0% (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we confirmed the correlation between counts by the modified urinary protocol and Sysmex UF-1000i urinary flow cytometer (r ≥ 0.898, P < 0.001). A total of 28 types of isomorphic and dysmorphic RBCs were detected using a bright field microscope, with results comparable to those using a standard phase contrast microscope. Finally, we applied Sternheimer stain to enhance the contrast of RTECs in the urinary sediments. We concluded that this modified urinalysis protocol significantly enhanced the quality of urinalysis.

Enhancing the Detection of Dysmorphic Red Blood Cells and Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells with a Modified Urinalysis Protocol

PubMed Central

Chu-Su, Yu; Shukuya, Kenichi; Yokoyama, Takashi; Lin, Wei-Chou; Chiang, Chih-Kang; Lin, Chii-Wann

2017-01-01

Urinary sediment is used to evaluate patients with possible urinary tract diseases. Currently, numerous protocols are applied to detect dysmorphic red blood cells (RBCs) and renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) in urinary sediment. However, distinct protocols are used by nephrologists and medical technologists for specimen concentration and observation, which leads to major discrepancies in the differential counts of formed elements such as dysmorphic RBCs and RTECs and might interfere with an accurate clinical diagnosis. To resolve these problems, we first tested a modified urinalysis protocol with an increased relative centrifuge force and concentration factor in 20 biopsy-confirmed glomerulonephritis patients with haematuria. We successfully improved the recovery ratio of dysmorphic RBCs in clinical specimens from 34.7% to 42.0% (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we confirmed the correlation between counts by the modified urinary protocol and Sysmex UF-1000i urinary flow cytometer (r ≥ 0.898, P < 0.001). A total of 28 types of isomorphic and dysmorphic RBCs were detected using a bright field microscope, with results comparable to those using a standard phase contrast microscope. Finally, we applied Sternheimer stain to enhance the contrast of RTECs in the urinary sediments. We concluded that this modified urinalysis protocol significantly enhanced the quality of urinalysis. PMID:28074941

Using passive seismology to study the sub-surface and internal structure of Didymoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdoch, N.; Hempel, S.; Pou, L.; Cadu, A.; Garcia, R. F.; Mimoun, D.; Margerin, L.; Karatekin, O.

2017-09-01

As there is evidence to suggest that asteroids are seismically active, passive rather than active seismology could be performed thus simplifying the mission design. Here we discuss the possibility of performing a passive seismic experiment on Didymoon; the secondary component of asteroid (65803) Didymos and the target of the joint ESA-NASA mission AIDA

Canine Conjectures: Using Data for Proportional Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westenskow, Arla; Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.

2011-01-01

No person, place, or thing can capture the attention of a class of sixth graders like "man's best friend." To prompt students' interest in a series of lessons on proportional relationships, the authors brought in a unique teaching aid--a dog. A family dog was used to supply the measurements for scatter plots and variables so that students could…

Language-Rich Approach Boosts English Learner Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 2011

2011-01-01

Four years ago, teachers at International High School in Austin, TX, thought they were doing a great job. Visitors to the school for new immigrants often praised the faculty for working with such a diverse population of students, some of whom had no prior formal education. Aida Walqui's observation was different. The director of WestEd's Quality…

Spacelab system analysis: The modified free access protocol: An access protocol for communication systems with periodic and Poisson traffic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingels, Frank; Owens, John; Daniel, Steven

1989-01-01

The protocol definition and terminal hardware for the modified free access protocol, a communications protocol similar to Ethernet, are developed. A MFA protocol simulator and a CSMA/CD math model are also developed. The protocol is tailored to communication systems where the total traffic may be divided into scheduled traffic and Poisson traffic. The scheduled traffic should occur on a periodic basis but may occur after a given event such as a request for data from a large number of stations. The Poisson traffic will include alarms and other random traffic. The purpose of the protocol is to guarantee that scheduled packets will be delivered without collision. This is required in many control and data collection systems. The protocol uses standard Ethernet hardware and software requiring minimum modifications to an existing system. The modification to the protocol only affects the Ethernet transmission privileges and does not effect the Ethernet receiver.

Modified Test Protocol Improves Sensitivity of the Stereo Fly Test.

PubMed

De La Cruz, Angie; Morale, Sarah E; Jost, Reed M; Kelly, Krista R; Birch, Eileen E

2016-01-01

Stereoacuity measurement is a common element of pediatric ophthalmic examinations. Although the Stereo Fly Test is routinely used to establish the presence of coarse stereopsis (3000 arcsecs), it often yields a false negative "pass" due to learned responses and non-stereoscopic cues. We developed and evaluated a modified Stereo Fly Test protocol aimed at increasing sensitivity, thus reducing false negatives. The Stereo Fly Test was administered according to manufacturer instructions to 321 children aged 3-12 years. Children with a "pass" outcome (n = 147) were re-tested wearing glasses fitted with polarizers of matching orientation for both eyes to verify that they were responding to stereoscopic cues (modified protocol). The response to the standard Stereo Fly Test was considered a false negative (pass) if the child still pinched above the plate after disparity cues were eliminated. Randot ® Preschool Stereoacuity and Butterfly Tests were used as gold standards. Sensitivity was 81% (95% CI: 0.75 - 0.86) for standard administration of the Stereo Fly Test (19% false negative "pass"). The modified protocol increased sensitivity to 90% (95% CI: 0.85 - 0.94). The modified two-step protocol is a simple and convenient way to administer the Stereo Fly Test with increased sensitivity in a clinical setting. © 2016 Board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System, American Orthoptic Journal, Volume 66, 2016, ISSN 0065-955X, E-ISSN 1553-4448.

A comparative study of two protocols for treadmill walking exercise testing in ambulating subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Lundgaard, E; Wouda, M F; Strøm, V

2017-10-01

This is a comparative study of two exercise testing protocols. The objective of this study was to compare maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) and achieved criteria for maximal exercise testing between the Sunnaas Protocol-a newly designed treadmill exercise test protocol-and the Modified Bruce Protocol in persons with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). This study was conducted in Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Norway. Twenty persons (19 men) with incomplete SCI (AIS D) capable of ambulating without assistive devices performed two treadmill walking exercise tests (Sunnaas Protocol and Modified Bruce Protocol) until exhaustion 1-3 days apart. The key differences between the protocols are the smaller increments in speed and shorter duration on each workload in the Sunnaas Protocol. Cardiovascular responses were measured continuously throughout both tests. The subjects exhibited statistically significantly higher VO 2 max when using the Sunnaas Protocol (37.1±9.9 vs 35.4±9.8 ml kg -1  min -1 , P=0.01), with a mean between-test difference of 1.8 ml kg -1  min -1 (95% confidence interval: 0.49-3.16). There was no significant difference in mean maximal heart rate (HR max). Nineteen (95%) subjects achieved at least three of the four criteria for maximal oxygen uptake using the Sunnaas Protocol. Thirteen (65%) subjects achieved at least three of the criteria using a Modified Bruce protocol. The small differences in both VO 2 max and achieved criteria in favor of the Sunnaas Protocol suggest that it could be a useful alternative treadmill exercise test protocol for ambulating persons with incomplete SCI.

A structural mechanism for bacterial autotransporter glycosylation by a dodecameric heptosyltransferase family

PubMed Central

Yao, Qing; Lu, Qiuhe; Wan, Xiaobo; Song, Feng; Xu, Yue; Hu, Mo; Zamyatina, Alla; Liu, Xiaoyun; Huang, Niu; Zhu, Ping; Shao, Feng

2014-01-01

A large group of bacterial virulence autotransporters including AIDA-I from diffusely adhering E. coli (DAEC) and TibA from enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) require hyperglycosylation for functioning. Here we demonstrate that TibC from ETEC harbors a heptosyltransferase activity on TibA and AIDA-I, defining a large family of bacterial autotransporter heptosyltransferases (BAHTs). The crystal structure of TibC reveals a characteristic ring-shape dodecamer. The protomer features an N-terminal β-barrel, a catalytic domain, a β-hairpin thumb, and a unique iron-finger motif. The iron-finger motif contributes to back-to-back dimerization; six dimers form the ring through β-hairpin thumb-mediated hand-in-hand contact. The structure of ADP-D-glycero-β-D-manno-heptose (ADP-D,D-heptose)-bound TibC reveals a sugar transfer mechanism and also the ligand stereoselectivity determinant. Electron-cryomicroscopy analyses uncover a TibC–TibA dodecamer/hexamer assembly with two enzyme molecules binding to one TibA substrate. The complex structure also highlights a high efficient hyperglycosylation of six autotransporter substrates simultaneously by the dodecamer enzyme complex. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03714.001 PMID:25310236

Flight related tuberculosis contact investigations in the United States: comparative risk and economic analysis of alternate protocols.

PubMed

Marienau, Karen J; Cramer, Elaine H; Coleman, Margaret S; Marano, Nina; Cetron, Martin S

2014-01-01

In-flight transmission risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not well defined, although studies suggest it is low. The impact of flight-related tuberculosis (TB) contact investigations (TBCIs) on TB prevention and control is not well established, and they compete for resources with activities with established benefits. We sought to determine the risks and cost-benefits of using more restrictive criteria in comparison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2008 protocol for TBCIs. The risk-benefits of a modified CDC protocol were analyzed in comparison to the 2008 CDC protocol using data from flight-related TBCIs conducted in the United States from 2007 through 2009. We predicted the numbers and characteristics of case-travelers that would be identified using each protocol's criteria, and results of the associated passenger-contacts' TB screening tests. The economic analysis compared the costs of TBCIs to avoided costs of TB treatment and mortality using a Return on Investment model. The estimated in-flight transmission risk using a modified CDC protocol was 1.4%-19% versus 1.1%-24% for the 2008 protocol. Numbers of TBCIs and immediate costs to health departments were reduced by half. Long-term cost-benefits were comparable. CDC's modified protocol appears to be a feasible alternative that will conserve public health resources without jeopardizing the public's health. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Improved Detection of Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus in Surface Water by Applying Pre-PCR Processing.

PubMed

Borgmästars, Emmy; Jazi, Mehrdad Mousavi; Persson, Sofia; Jansson, Linda; Rådström, Peter; Simonsson, Magnus; Hedman, Johannes; Eriksson, Ronnie

2017-12-01

Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection of waterborne RNA viruses generally requires concentration of large water volumes due to low virus levels. A common approach is to use dead-end ultrafiltration followed by precipitation with polyethylene glycol. However, this procedure often leads to the co-concentration of PCR inhibitors that impairs the limit of detection and causes false-negative results. Here, we applied the concept of pre-PCR processing to optimize RT-qPCR detection of norovirus genogroup I (GI), genogroup II (GII), and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in challenging water matrices. The RT-qPCR assay was improved by screening for an inhibitor-tolerant master mix and modifying the primers with twisted intercalating nucleic acid molecules. Additionally, a modified protocol based on chaotropic lysis buffer and magnetic silica bead nucleic acid extraction was developed for complex water matrices. A validation of the modified extraction protocol on surface and drinking waters was performed. At least a 26-fold improvement was seen in the most complex surface water studied. The modified protocol resulted in average recoveries of 33, 13, 8, and 4% for mengovirus, norovirus GI, GII, and HAV, respectively. The modified protocol also improved the limit of detection for norovirus GI and HAV. RT-qPCR inhibition with C q shifts of 1.6, 2.8, and 3.5 for norovirus GI, GII, and HAV, respectively, obtained for the standard nucleic acid extraction were completely eliminated by the modified protocol. The standard nucleic acid extraction method worked well on drinking water with no RT-qPCR inhibition observed and average recoveries of 80, 124, 89, and 32% for mengovirus, norovirus GI, GII, and HAV, respectively.

Laboratory and Cloud Chamber Studies of Formation Processes and Properties of Atmospheric Ice Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leisner, T.; Abdelmonem, A.; Benz, S.; Brinkmann, M.; Möhler, O.; Rzesanke, D.; Saathoff, H.; Schnaiter, M.; Wagner, R.

2009-04-01

The formation of ice in tropospheric clouds controls the evolution of precipitation and thereby influences climate and weather via a complex network of dynamical and microphysical processes. At higher altitudes, ice particles in cirrus clouds or contrails modify the radiative energy budget by direct interaction with the shortwave and longwave radiation. In order to improve the parameterisation of the complex microphysical and dynamical processes leading to and controlling the evolution of tropospheric ice, laboratory experiments are performed at the IMK Karlsruhe both on a single particle level and in the aerosol and cloud chamber AIDA. Single particle experiments in electrodynamic levitation lend themselves to the study of the interaction between cloud droplets and aerosol particles under extremely well characterized and static conditions in order to obtain microphysical parameters as freezing nucleation rates for homogeneous and heterogeneous ice formation. They also allow the observation of the freezing dynamics and of secondary ice formation and multiplication processes under controlled conditions and with very high spatial and temporal resolution. The inherent droplet charge in these experiments can be varied over a wide range in order to assess the influence of the electrical state of the cloud on its microphysics. In the AIDA chamber on the other hand, these processes are observable under the realistic dynamic conditions of an expanding and cooling cloud- parcel with interacting particles and are probed simultaneously by a comprehensive set of analytical instruments. By this means, microphysical processes can be studied in their complex interplay with dynamical processes as for example coagulation or particle evaporation and growth via the Bergeron - Findeisen process. Shortwave scattering and longwave absorption properties of the nucleating and growing ice crystals are probed by in situ polarised laser light scattering measurements and infrared extinction spectroscopy. In conjunction with ex situ single particle imaging and light scattering measurements the relation between the overall extinction and depolarization properties of the ice clouds and the morphological details of the constituent ice crystals are investigated. In our contribution we will concentrate on the parameterization of homogeneous and heterogeneous ice formation processes under various atmospheric conditions and on the optical properties of the ice crystals produced under these conditions. First attempts to parameterize the observations will be presented.

Training Organizations in Use of a Modified Stream Visual Assessment Protocol

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obropta, Christopher C.; Yergeau, Steven E.

2011-01-01

The Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP) was evaluated as a means to increase watershed surveys in New Jersey. Groups were trained in an SVAP modified for New Jersey streams. Participants in three training workshops were surveyed to determine the usefulness of SVAP as a cost-effective method to evaluate watershed health. Many respondents found…

Ovarian dynamics in response to two modified intravaginal progesterone releasing device and oestradiol benzoate based ovulation synchronisation protocols designed for use in Brahman heifers.

PubMed

Edwards, S A A; Atkinson, P C; Satake, N; Boe-Hansen, G; McGowan, M R

2014-07-01

The objective was to investigate the ovarian response of Brahman heifers to two modified ovulation synchronisation protocols developed to increase the proportion of normal synchronous ovulations. Experiment 1 characterised the growth of the ovulatory follicle in heifers (n=19) treated with an intravaginal progesterone releasing device (IPRD) and oestradiol benzoate (ODB), to determine the optimal time to induce ovulation. Using the findings from Experiment 1, Experiment 2 investigated the effect of reducing the duration of IPRD insertion and increasing the interval from IPRD removal to ODB treatment (modified protocol 1 - OPO-6; n=20), and omitting ODB treatment at the time of IPRD insertion (modified protocol 2 - PO-6; n=20). An IPRD (0.78 g progesterone) was inserted at Day 0 (OPO-8) or Day 2 (OPO-6 and PO-6) and all heifers also received 1 mg ODB i.m. Day 8: IPRD removed + 500 μg cloprostenol i.m. At 24 h (OPO-8) and 36 h (OPO-6 and PO-6) post IPRD removal: 1 mg ODB i.m. Fixed-time AI (FTAI) occurred at 54 h for OPO-8 and 72 h for OPO-6 and PO-6, post IPRD removal. After IPRD treatment all OPO-6 and OPO-8 heifers initiated a new follicular wave whereas 25% of PO-6 heifers failed. Diameter of the dominant follicle was larger at FTAI in the PO-6 (11.34 ± 0.50 mm) compared to the OPO-8 protocol (9.74 ± 0.51 mm; P<0.05), but similar to the OPO-6 protocol (10.52 ± 0.51 mm). Proportion of ovulations occurring 12 h prior and 24 h post FTAI was similar for the PO-6 (80%) and OPO-6 (75%) protocols but numerically lower in the OPO-8 heifers (60%). The apparent improvement in ovarian response in heifers treated with the modified protocols needs to be confirmed in larger field studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Command and Functional Analysis of the Intelligence Systems Architecture Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

muwiemuc syaw m a sy be umddvSAEu£4C EdwiqpndmqiW orelw The *idn 7obptqmalajwemu Wiybe mWI ,s~ft du SARC Tar Rd ?)mu SM imV) .6 h, Sewndwy Ang Dkmu Sputeu...for bawatiug 0 To nuabsizi. qqmiar e fmr*g kwvguqe tawuatiwu and bateup’eatio aida and nabe rujwhwl topwl CDEC thdka 7. ESTABLISHMENT. A. IMiTIAMiN

Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission - Properties of Impact Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Douglas P.; Fahnestock, Eugene G.; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Murdoch, Naomi; Asphaug, Erik; Cheng, Andrew F.; Housen, Kevin R.; Michel, Patrick; Miller, Paul L.; Stickle, Angela; Tancredi, Gonzalo; Vincent, Jean-Baptiste; Wuennemann, Kai; Yu, Yang; AIDA Impact Simulation Working Group

2016-10-01

The Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission is composed of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and ESA's Asteroid Impact Monitor (AIM) rendezvous mission. The DART spacecraft is designed to impact the small satellite of near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos in October 2022, while the in-situ AIM spacecraft observes. AIDA's Modeling and Simulation of Impact Outcomes Working Group is tasked with investigating properties of the debris ejected from the impact. The orbital evolution of this ejecta has important implications for observations that the AIM spacecraft will take as well as for the safety of the spacecraft itself. Ejecta properties including particle sizes, bulk densities, and velocities all depend on the poorly-known physical properties of Didymos' moon. The moon's density, internal strength, and especially its porosity have a strong effect on all ejecta properties. Making a range of assumptions, we perform a suite of numerical simulations to determine the fate of the ejected material; we will use simulation predictions to optimize AIM observations and safety. Ultimately, combining AIM's observations of the ejecta with detailed numerical simulations will help constrain key satellite parameters.We use distinct types of numerical tools to explore ejecta properties based on additional target parameters (different forms of friction, cohesion), e.g., the shock physics code iSALE, smoothed particle hydrodynamics codes, and the granular code PKDGRAV. Given the large discrepancy between the 6 km/s impact speed of DART and the moon's 6 cm/s escape speed, a great challenge will be to determine properties of the low-speed ejecta. Very low-speed material relevant to the safety of the AIM spacecraft and its ability to conduct its observations may loft from the crater at late stages of the impact process, or from other locations far from the impact site due to seismic energy propagation. The manner in which seismic waves manifests in asteroid regolith is extremely speculative at present. Through experiment, simulation, and observational strategies, we are working to gain insight into this and related phenomenon and will present the ongoing progress of our working group.

Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission - Full-Scale Modeling and Simulation of Ejecta Evolution and Fates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahnestock, Eugene G.; Yu, Yang; Hamilton, Douglas P.; Schwartz, Stephen; Stickle, Angela; Miller, Paul L.; Cheng, Andy F.; Michel, Patrick; AIDA Impact Simulation Working Group

2016-10-01

The proposed Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission includes NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), whose impact with the secondary of near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos is expected to liberate large amounts of ejecta. We present efforts within the AIDA Impact Simulation Working Group to comprehensively simulate the behavior of this impact ejecta as it moves through and exits the system. Group members at JPL, OCA, and UMD have been working largely independently, developing their own strategies and methodologies. Ejecta initial conditions may be imported from output of hydrocode impact simulations or generated from crater scaling laws derived from point-source explosion models. We started with the latter approach, using reasonable assumptions for the secondary's density, porosity, surface cohesive strength, and vanishingly small net gravitational/rotational surface acceleration. We adopted DART's planned size, mass, closing velocity, and impact geometry for the cratering event. Using independent N-Body codes, we performed Monte Carlo integration of ejecta particles sampled over reasonable particle size ranges, and over launch locations within the crater footprint. In some cases we scaled the number of integrated particles in various size bins to the estimated number of particles consistent with a realistic size-frequency distribution. Dynamical models used for the particle integration varied, but all included full gravity potential of both primary and secondary, the solar tide, and solar radiation pressure (accounting for shadowing). We present results for the proportions of ejecta reaching ultimate fates of escape, return impact on the secondary, and transfer impact onto the primary. We also present the time history of reaching those outcomes, i.e., ejecta clearing timescales, and the size-frequency distribution of remaining ejecta at given post-impact durations. We find large numbers of particles remain in the system for several weeks after impact. Clearing timescales are nonlinearly dependent on particle size as expected, such that only the largest ejecta persist longest. We find results are strongly dependent on the local surface geometry at the modeled impact locations.

Geostability of Didymos, the target of the AIDA mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yun; Richardson, Derek C.; Barnouin, Olivier; Maurel, Clara; Michel, Patrick; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Ballouz, Ronald; Benner, Lance A. M.; Naidu, Shantanu P.

2016-10-01

As the target of the proposed Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission [1, 2], the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos represents a special class of binary asteroid, those whose primaries are at risk of rotational disruption [3]. To support the AIDA mission and gain a better understanding of these binary systems, we investigate the structural stability and dynamic behavior of the Didymos primary and the orbital stability of the secondary using a Soft-Sphere Discrete Element Method (SSDEM) [4]. The primary and the secondary are modeled as granular assemblies. In the first step of this study, the primary is artificially spun up to the current spin period of 2.26 h using a quasi-static spin-up procedure without considering the secondary [5]. The effects of arrangement and size distribution of constituent particles, bulk density, spin-up path, interparticle friction, and cohesion strength on the dynamic behavior of self-gravitating aggregates are numerically explored. The results show that the strength and stability of a spinning self-gravitating aggregate depend strongly on its internal configuration and material parameters, while its failure mode and mechanism are affected by its internal configuration and the cohesion strength. When cohesion is not included, the Didymos primary rubble-pile model can maintain its shape at the current observed spin rate within the uncertainty of the observed bulk density (< 2.7 g/cc) using material parameters with friction angle of ~30°, which most cohesionless sands can sustain. In the second step, the effect of the secondary on the stability of the primary is studied. The secondary can stably orbit the primary without including cohesion. The results show that the presence of the secondary will slightly reduce the stability of the primary. Our study provides some constraints on the possible physical properties of the Didymos primary.References: [1] Michel et al. 2016, ASR 57, 2529; [2] Cheng et al. 2016, P&SS 127, 27; [3] Olivier et al. 2015, DPS 47; [4] Schwartz et al. 2012, Granul. Matter 14, 363; [5] Zhang et al. 2016, in preparation.

Externally mixed aerosol : simulation of ice nucleation in a parcel model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anquetil-Deck, Candy; Hoose, Corinna; Conolly, Paul

2014-05-01

The effect of different aerosol (mineral dust, bacteria and soot) acting as immersion ice nuclei is investigated using ACPIM (AerosolCloud Precipitation Interaction Model) [1]. ACPIM is a powerful tool which can be used in two different ways. This box model can be, either, driven by experimental data (experiments carried out at the AIDA cloud chamber facility) or used as an air parcel in order to examine different ice nucleation parameterizations under specific conditions. This adiabatic air parcel model was employed for the simulation of a convective cloud. The study consists here in the investigation of how two externally mixed aerosols interact with one another. The initial study concentrates on mineral dust aerosol and biological aerosol without any background in order to fully understand the interaction between the different types of aerosol. Immersion freezing is described for the mineral dust aerosol by Niemand et al. 's parameterization [2], which was derived from laboratory studies in AIDA and is an extension of surface site density approach suggested by Connolly et al. [1]. Regarding bioaerosol, we introduce Hummel et al. 's parameterization [3] : f(in) = f(max)(1 - exp(- Ap *n(s)(T))) With an empirically fitted ice nucleation active site density n s based on AIDA measurements of Pseudomonas syringae bacteria [4]. This initial study is conducted for different proportion of each aerosol (the total number of aerosol being constant throughout all the simulation runs) at different vertical velocities. We then extented this study with different backgrounds (urban, marine, rural) in order to get a full picture. We found that there is not only a CCN competition but an IN competition as well. References : [1] Connolly, P. J., Möhler O., Field P. R., Saathoff H., Burgess, R., Choularton, T. and Gallagher, M., Atmos. Chem. Phys 9, 2805-2824 (2009). [2] Niemand, M., Möhler, O., Vogel B., Vogel, H., Hoose, C., Connolly, P., Klein, H., Bingemer, H., DeMott,P., Skrotzki, J. and Leisner T., J. Atmos. Sci. 69, 3077-3092 (2012). [3] Hummel, M. et al., In preparation, (2014). [4] Oehm, C. et al., In preparation, (2014).

The Observing Working Group for the Asteroid Impact & Delfection Assessment (AIDA) Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osip, David J.; Rivkin, Andrew S.; Pravec, Petr; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Thirouin, Audrey; Scheirich, Peter; Oszkiewicz, Dagmara Anna; Richardson, Derek C.; Polishook, David; Ryan, William; Thomas, Cristina; Busch, Michael W.; Cheng, Andrew F.; Michel, Patrick; AIDA Observing Working Group

2016-10-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission is a joint ESA-NASA mission concept currently under study. AIDA has two components: the Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) is the US component designed to demonstrate a kinetic impactor, while the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) spacecraft is on station to do a thorough pre- and post-impact survey of the Didymos system.Members of the DART and AIM Investigation teams have been organized into several joint and independent working groups. While there is overlap in subject matter and membership between the groups, we focus here on the activities of the Observing Working Group.The first work by the group was undertaken during the spring of 2015, before DART entered Phase A. During this period Didymos made an apparition reaching roughly V ~ 20.5 in brightness, and our top priority was constraining which of two very different pole positions for the Didymos system was correct. Several telescopes in the 2-4-m aperture range around the world attempted observations. An observed mutual event allowed the one pole position to be ruled out. Didymos is now thought to be a low-obliquity, retrograde rotator, similar to many other asteroid binary systems and consistent with expectations from a YORP-driven origin for the satellite.We have begun planning for the 2017 apparition, occurring in the first half of the year. Didymos will be ~20% brighter at opposition than the 2015 apparition. Scaling from the successful observations with the 4.3-m Lowell Discovery Channel Telescope indicates that we will need telescopes at least 4 m (or larger, for some of the tasks, or at times longer before or after the opposition) in primary diameter for the advanced characterization in 2017.Currently, we have four goals for this apparition: 1) confirming the preferred retrograde pole position; 2) gathering data to allow BYORP-driven changes in the mutual orbit to potentially be determined by later observations; 3) establishing whether or not the secondary is in synchronous rotation with the primary; and 4) constraining the inclination of the satellite orbit.

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

Lee, Juhui; School of Computatioal Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul 130-722; Lee, Soojoon

Extending the eavesdropping strategy devised by Zhang, Li, and Guo [Zhang, Li, and Guo, Phys. Rev. A 63, 036301 (2001)], we show that the multiparty quantum communication protocol based on entanglement swapping, which was proposed by Cabello (e-print quant-ph/0009025), is not secure. We modify the protocol so that entanglement swapping can secure multiparty quantum communication, such as multiparty quantum key distribution and quantum secret sharing of classical information, and show that the modified protocol is secure against the Zhang-Li-Guo strategy for eavesdropping as well as the basic intercept-resend attack.0.

Comparison of results of cycles treated with modified mild protocol and short protocol for ovarian stimulation.

PubMed

Coelho, F; Aguiar, L F; Cunha, G S P; Cardinot, N; Lucena, E

2014-01-01

The ovarian stimulation has been applied in order to increase the number of oocytes to compensate for the poor results of in vitro fertilization, allowing the selection of one or more embryos to be transferred. Our aim is to compare the results obtained in IVF/ICSI cycles using the short protocol for controlled ovarian stimulation to the results from the modified mild protocol used in our department. A total of 240 cycles were conducted from January 2010 to December 2011. When comparing both protocols, it could be observed that there was a significant difference in the quantity of gonadotropins doses in the mild protocol and in the short protocol. No significant difference was observed regarding pregnancy rates per cycle, 22% and 26.2%, in short and mild protocols, respectively. The protocols of controlled ovarian stimulation are often associated with high risk of complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, excessive emotional stress, high rates of treatment dropouts, and abdominal discomfort. With the data obtained in this study, one can conclude that there are less risks and complications for the patient when using the mild stimulation protocol. It was also observed that in this group there was a slightly higher rate.

Modified protocol including topical minocycline in orabase to manage medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw cases.

PubMed

Karasneh, Jumana A; Al-Eryani, Kamal; Clark, Glenn T; Sedghizadeh, Parish P

2016-10-01

Management of medication-related osteone-crosis of the jaw (MRONJ) with active infection can be a serious challenge for clinicians. Based on Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) recommendations, we have tested a modified treatment protocol using topical minocycline. Five patients diagnosed with stage II or III MRONJ lesions were willing to consent to our protocol. In addition to conventional treatment as suggested by the AAOMS, such as, surgical debridement, chlorhexidine irrigation, and systemic antibiotics, we applied 10% minocycline to the lesions once a week for sustained local antibiotic delivery. All five patients reported pain relief after the first minocycline application. Complete healing occurred in three patients; case three healed completely after the third application, one case continues to improve toward resolution and one withdraws due to other non-relevant medical problem. In this study, we are reporting favorable results using a modified protocol with topical minocycline to treat MRONJ lesions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modified enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Shida, Dai; Tagawa, Kyoko; Inada, Kentaro; Nasu, Keiichi; Seyama, Yasuji; Maeshiro, Tsuyoshi; Miyamoto, Sachio; Inoue, Satoru; Umekita, Nobutaka

2017-02-16

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are now well-known to be useful for elective colorectal surgery, as they result in shorter hospital stays without adversely affecting morbidity. However, the efficacy and safety of ERAS protocols for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer have yet to be clarified. We evaluated 122 consecutive resections for obstructive colorectal cancer performed between July 2008 and November 2012 at Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital. Patients with rupture or impending rupture and those who received simple colostomy were excluded. The first set of 42 patients was treated based on traditional protocols, and the latter 80 according to modified ERAS protocols. The main endpoints were length of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative short-term morbidity, rate of readmission within 30 days, and mortality. Differences in modified ERAS protocols relative to traditional care include intensive preoperative counseling (by both surgeons and anesthesiologists), perioperative fluid management (avoidance of sodium/fluid overload), shortening of postoperative fasting period and early provision of oral nutrition, intraoperative warm air body heating, enforced postoperative mobilization, stimulation of gut motility, early removal of urinary catheter, and a multidisciplinary team approach to care. Median (interquartile range) postoperative hospital stay was 10 (10-14.25) days in the traditional group, and seven (7-8.75) days in the ERAS group, showing a 3-day reduction in hospital stay (p < 0.01). According to the Clavien-Dindo classification, overall incidences of grade 2 or higher postoperative complications for the traditional and ERAS groups were 15 and 10% (p = 0.48), and 30-day readmission rates were 0 and 1.3% (p = 1.00), respectively. As for mortality, one patient in the traditional group died and none in the ERAS group (p = 0.34). Modified ERAS protocols for obstructive colorectal cancer reduced hospital stay without adversely affecting morbidity, indicating that ERAS protocols are feasible for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

A Pilot Study of the Naming Transaction Shell

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

effective computer-based instructional design. AIDA will take established theories of knowledge, learning , and instruction and incorporate the theories...felt that anyone could learn to use the system both in design and delivery modes. Traditional course development (non- computer instruction) for the...students were studying and learning the material in the text. This often resulted in wasted effort in the simulator. By ensuring that the students knew the

Computer-Assisted Classification Patterns in Autoimmune Diagnostics: The AIDA Project

PubMed Central

Benammar Elgaaied, Amel; Cascio, Donato; Bruno, Salvatore; Ciaccio, Maria Cristina; Cipolla, Marco; Fauci, Alessandro; Morgante, Rossella; Taormina, Vincenzo; Gorgi, Yousr; Marrakchi Triki, Raja; Ben Ahmed, Melika; Louzir, Hechmi; Yalaoui, Sadok; Imene, Sfar; Issaoui, Yassine; Abidi, Ahmed; Ammar, Myriam; Bedhiafi, Walid; Ben Fraj, Oussama; Bouhaha, Rym; Hamdi, Khouloud; Soumaya, Koudhi; Neili, Bilel; Asma, Gati; Lucchese, Mariano; Catanzaro, Maria; Barbara, Vincenza; Brusca, Ignazio; Fregapane, Maria; Amato, Gaetano; Friscia, Giuseppe; Neila, Trai; Turkia, Souayeh; Youssra, Haouami; Rekik, Raja; Bouokez, Hayet; Vasile Simone, Maria; Fauci, Francesco; Raso, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are significant biomarkers in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases in humans, done by mean of Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF) method, and performed by analyzing patterns and fluorescence intensity. This paper introduces the AIDA Project (autoimmunity: diagnosis assisted by computer) developed in the framework of an Italy-Tunisia cross-border cooperation and its preliminary results. A database of interpreted IIF images is being collected through the exchange of images and double reporting and a Gold Standard database, containing around 1000 double reported images, has been settled. The Gold Standard database is used for optimization of a CAD (Computer Aided Detection) solution and for the assessment of its added value, in order to be applied along with an Immunologist as a second Reader in detection of autoantibodies. This CAD system is able to identify on IIF images the fluorescence intensity and the fluorescence pattern. Preliminary results show that CAD, used as second Reader, appeared to perform better than Junior Immunologists and hence may significantly improve their efficacy; compared with two Junior Immunologists, the CAD system showed higher Intensity Accuracy (85,5% versus 66,0% and 66,0%), higher Patterns Accuracy (79,3% versus 48,0% and 66,2%), and higher Mean Class Accuracy (79,4% versus 56,7% and 64.2%). PMID:27042658

An optimized immunohistochemistry protocol for detecting the guidance cue Netrin-1 in neural tissue.

PubMed

Salameh, Samer; Nouel, Dominique; Flores, Cecilia; Hoops, Daniel

2018-01-01

Netrin-1, an axon guidance protein, is difficult to detect using immunohistochemistry. We performed a multi-step, blinded, and controlled protocol optimization procedure to establish an efficient and effective fluorescent immunohistochemistry protocol for characterizing Netrin-1 expression. Coronal mouse brain sections were used to test numerous antigen retrieval methods and combinations thereof in order to optimize the stain quality of a commercially available Netrin-1 antibody. Stain quality was evaluated by experienced neuroanatomists for two criteria: signal intensity and signal-to-noise ratio. After five rounds of testing protocol variants, we established a modified immunohistochemistry protocol that produced a Netrin-1 signal with good signal intensity and a high signal-to-noise ratio. The key protocol modifications are as follows: •Use phosphate buffer (PB) as the blocking solution solvent.•Use 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treatment for antigen retrieval. The original protocol was optimized for use with the Netrin-1 antibody produced by Novus Biologicals. However, we subsequently further modified the protocol to work with the antibody produced by Abcam. The Abcam protocol uses PBS as the blocking solution solvent and adds a citrate buffer antigen retrieval step.

The implementation and adherence to evidence-based protocols for psychotherapy for depression: the perspective of therapists in Dutch specialized mental healthcare.

PubMed

Bruijniks, Sanne J E; Franx, Gerdien; Huibers, Marcus J H

2018-06-14

Although psychotherapy is an effective treatment for depression, a large number of patients still do not receive care according to the protocols that are used in clinical trials. Instead, patients often receive a modified version of the original intervention. It is not clear how and when treatment protocols are used or modified in the Dutch specialized mental health care and whether these changes lead to suboptimal adherence to treatment protocols. In the context of an ongoing multicenter trial that investigates whether twice-weekly sessions of protocolized interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression lead to better treatment outcomes compared to once-weekly sessions, two focus groups using semi-structured interviews were organized. Aims were to increase insight in the adherence to and modifications of CBT and IPT protocols in the Dutch specialized mental health care for depression. Participants were fifteen therapists from seven mental health locations part of five mental health organizations. Verbatim transcripts were coded and analyzed using qualitative software. Three themes emerged: modification as the common practice, professional and patient factors influencing the adherence to protocols and organizational boundaries and flexibility. Treatment modification appeared to happen on a frequent basis, even in the context of a trial. Definitions of treatment modifications were multiple and varied from using intuition to flexible use of the same protocol. Therapist training and supervision, the years of work experience and individual characteristics of the therapist and the patient were mentioned to influence the adherence to protocols. Modifications of the therapists depended very much on the culture within the mental health locations, who differed in terms of the flexibility offered to therapists to choose and modify treatment protocols. Not all treatment modifications were in line with existing evidence or guidelines. Regular supervision, team meetings and a shared vision were identified as crucial factors to increase adherence to treatment protocols, whereas additional organizational factors, among which a change of mindset, may facilitate adequate implementation.

SU-F-J-16: Planar KV Imaging Dose Reduction Study

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

Gershkevitsh, E; Zolotuhhin, D

Purpose: IGRT has become an indispensable tool in modern radiotherapy with kV imaging used in many departments due to superior image quality and lower dose when compared to MV imaging. Many departments use manufacturer supplied protocols for imaging which are not always optimised between image quality and radiation dose (ALARA). Methods: Whole body phantom PBU-50 (Kyoto Kagaku ltd., Japan) for imaging in radiology has been imaged on Varian iX accelerator (Varian Medical Systems, USA) with OBI 1.5 system. Manufacturer’s default protocols were adapted by modifying kV and mAs values when imaging different anatomical regions of the phantom (head, thorax, abdomen,more » pelvis, extremities). Images with different settings were independently reviewed by two persons and their suitability for IGRT set-up correction protocols were evaluated. The suitable images with the lowest mAs were then selected. The entrance surface dose (ESD) for manufacturer’s default protocols and modified protocols were measured with RTI Black Piranha (RTI Group, Sweden) and compared. Image quality was also measured with kVQC phantom (Standard Imaging, USA) for different protocols. The modified protocols have been applied for clinical work. Results: For most cases optimized protocols reduced the ESD on average by a factor of 3(range 0.9–8.5). Further reduction in ESD has been observed by applying bow-tie filter designed for CBCT. The largest reduction in dose (12.2 times) was observed for Thorax lateral protocol. The dose was slightly increased (by 10%) for large pelvis AP protocol. Conclusion: Manufacturer’s default IGRT protocols could be optimised to reduce the ESD to the patient without losing the necessary image quality for patient set-up correction. For patient set-up with planar kV imaging the bony anatomy is mostly used and optimization should focus on this aspect. Therefore, the current approach with anthropomorphic phantom is more advantageous in optimization over standard kV quality control phantoms and SNR metrics.« less

Comparison of Results of Cycles Treated with Modified Mild Protocol and Short Protocol for Ovarian Stimulation

PubMed Central

Aguiar, L. F.; Cunha, G. S. P.; Cardinot, N.; Lucena, E.

2014-01-01

The ovarian stimulation has been applied in order to increase the number of oocytes to compensate for the poor results of in vitro fertilization, allowing the selection of one or more embryos to be transferred. Our aim is to compare the results obtained in IVF/ICSI cycles using the short protocol for controlled ovarian stimulation to the results from the modified mild protocol used in our department. A total of 240 cycles were conducted from January 2010 to December 2011. When comparing both protocols, it could be observed that there was a significant difference in the quantity of gonadotropins doses in the mild protocol and in the short protocol. No significant difference was observed regarding pregnancy rates per cycle, 22% and 26.2%, in short and mild protocols, respectively. The protocols of controlled ovarian stimulation are often associated with high risk of complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, excessive emotional stress, high rates of treatment dropouts, and abdominal discomfort. With the data obtained in this study, one can conclude that there are less risks and complications for the patient when using the mild stimulation protocol. It was also observed that in this group there was a slightly higher rate. PMID:25763398

Designing an Advanced Instructional Design Advisor: Principles of Instructional Design. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

ones contained in this paper would comprise a substantial part of the knowledge base for the AIDA . 14. SUBJECT TERMS IS.NUMBER OF PAGES ucigoirlive...the classroom (e.g., computer simulations models can be used to enhance CBI). The Advanced Instructional Design Advisor is a project aimed at providing... model shares with its variations. Tennyson then identifies research- based prescriptions from the cognitive sciences which should become part of ISD in

Proton irradiation of [18O]O2: production of [18F]F2 and [18F]F2 + [18F] OF2.

PubMed

Bishop, A; Satyamurthy, N; Bida, G; Hendry, G; Phelps, M; Barrio, J R

1996-04-01

The production of 18F electrophilic reagents via the 18O(p,n)18F reaction has been investigated in small-volume target bodies made of aluminum, copper, gold-plated copper and nickel, having straight or conical bore shapes. Three irradiation protocols-single-step, two-step and modified two-step-were used for the recovery of the 18F activity. The single-step irradiation protocol was tested in all the target bodies. Based on the single-step performance, aluminum targets were utilized extensively in the investigation of the two-step and modified two-step irradiation protocols. With an 11-MeV cyclotron and using the two-step irradiation protocol, > 1Ci [18F]F2 was recovered reproducibly from an aluminum target body. Probable radical mechanisms for the formation of OF2 and FONO2 (fluorine nitrate) in the single-step and modified two-step targets are proposed based on the amount of ozone generated and the nitrogen impurity present in the target gases, respectively.

Studying a population undergoing nutrition transition: a practical case study of dietary assessment in urban South African adolescents

PubMed Central

Zingoni, Chiedza; Norris, Shane A.; Griffiths, Paula L.; Cameron, Noël

2010-01-01

The South African Medical Research Council food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and protocol was used to determine food intake in 83 adolescents from the Birth To Twenty study. The FFQ was piloted on a small group (n=8). Specific problems which resulted in overestimation of energy intake were identified. The protocol was modified and administered to the remainder of the adolescents and their caregivers. Reasonable energy intakes were obtained, and time spent completing the FFQ was reduced. The modified protocol was more successful in determining habitual food intake although it would benefit from validation against other dietary intake techniques. PMID:20852725

MPH-M, AODV-M and DSR-M Performance Evaluation under Jamming Attacks.

PubMed

Del-Valle-Soto, Carolina; Mex-Perera, Carlos; Monroy, Raul; Nolazco-Flores, Juan A

2017-07-05

In this work, we present the design of a mitigation scheme for jamming attacks integrated to the routing protocols MPH, AODV, and DSR. The resulting protocols are named MPH-M (Multi-Parent Hierarchical - Modified), AODV-M (Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector - Modified), and DSR-M (Dynamic Source Routing - Modified). For the mitigation algorithm, if the detection algorithm running locally in each node produces a positive result then the node is isolated; second, the routing protocol adapts their paths avoiding the isolated nodes. We evaluated how jamming attacks affect different metrics for all these modified protocols. The metrics we employ to detect jamming attack are number of packet retransmissions, number of CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) retries while waiting for an idle channel and the energy wasted by the node. The metrics to evaluate the performance of the modified routing protocols are the throughput and resilience of the system and the energy used by the nodes. We evaluated all the modified protocols when the attacker position was set near, middle and far of the collector node. The results of our evaluation show that performance for MPH-M is much better than AODV-M and DSR-M. For example, the node energy for MPH-M is 138.13% better than AODV-M and 126.07% better than DSR-M. Moreover, we also find that MPH-M benefits much more of the mitigation scheme than AODV-M and DSR-M. For example, the node energy consumption is 34.61% lower for MPH-M and only 3.92% and 3.42% for AODV-M and DSR-M, respectively. On throughput, the MPH protocol presents a packet reception efficiency at the collector node of 16.4% on to AODV and DSR when there is no mitigation mechanism. Moreover, MPH-M has an efficiency greater than 7.7% with respect to AODV-M and DSR-M when there is a mitigation scheme. In addition, we have that with the mitigation mechanism AODV-M and DSR-M do not present noticeable modification. However, MPH-M improves its efficiency by 8.4%. We also measure the resilience of these algorithms from the average packet re-transmissions perspective, and we find that MPH-M has around a 15% lower change rate than AODV-M and DSR-M. The MPH-M recovery time is 5 s faster than AODV-M and 2 s faster than DSR-M.

MPH-M, AODV-M and DSR-M Performance Evaluation under Jamming Attacks

PubMed Central

Del-Valle-Soto, Carolina

2017-01-01

In this work, we present the design of a mitigation scheme for jamming attacks integrated to the routing protocols MPH, AODV, and DSR. The resulting protocols are named MPH-M (Multi-Parent Hierarchical - Modified), AODV-M (Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector - Modified), and DSR-M (Dynamic Source Routing - Modified). For the mitigation algorithm, if the detection algorithm running locally in each node produces a positive result then the node is isolated; second, the routing protocol adapts their paths avoiding the isolated nodes. We evaluated how jamming attacks affect different metrics for all these modified protocols. The metrics we employ to detect jamming attack are number of packet retransmissions, number of CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) retries while waiting for an idle channel and the energy wasted by the node. The metrics to evaluate the performance of the modified routing protocols are the throughput and resilience of the system and the energy used by the nodes. We evaluated all the modified protocols when the attacker position was set near, middle and far of the collector node. The results of our evaluation show that performance for MPH-M is much better than AODV-M and DSR-M. For example, the node energy for MPH-M is 138.13% better than AODV-M and 126.07% better than DSR-M. Moreover, we also find that MPH-M benefits much more of the mitigation scheme than AODV-M and DSR-M. For example, the node energy consumption is 34.61% lower for MPH-M and only 3.92% and 3.42% for AODV-M and DSR-M, respectively. On throughput, the MPH protocol presents a packet reception efficiency at the collector node of 16.4% on to AODV and DSR when there is no mitigation mechanism. Moreover, MPH-M has an efficiency greater than 7.7% with respect to AODV-M and DSR-M when there is a mitigation scheme. In addition, we have that with the mitigation mechanism AODV-M and DSR-M do not present noticeable modification. However, MPH-M improves its efficiency by 8.4%. We also measure the resilience of these algorithms from the average packet re-transmissions perspective, and we find that MPH-M has around a 15% lower change rate than AODV-M and DSR-M. The MPH-M recovery time is 5 s faster than AODV-M and 2 s faster than DSR-M. PMID:28678180

A dual tag system for facilitated detection of surface expressed proteins in Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The discovery of the autotransporter family has provided a mechanism for surface expression of proteins in laboratory strains of Escherichia coli. We have previously reported the use of the AIDA-I autotransport system to express the Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis proteins SefA and H:gm. The SefA protein was successfully exposed to the medium, but the orientation of H:gm in the outer membrane could not be determined due to proteolytic cleavage of the N-terminal detection-tag. The goal of the present work was therefore to construct a vector containing elements that facilitates analysis of surface expression, especially for proteins that are sensitive to proteolysis or otherwise difficult to express. Results The surface expression system pAIDA1 was created with two detection tags flanking the passenger protein. Successful expression of SefA and H:gm on the surface of E. coli was confirmed with fluorescently labeled antibodies specific for the N-terminal His6-tag and the C-terminal Myc-tag. While both tags were detected during SefA expression, only the Myc-tag could be detected for H:gm. The negative signal indicates a proteolytic cleavage of this protein that removes the His6-tag facing the medium. Conclusions Expression levels from pAIDA1 were comparable to or higher than those achieved with the formerly used vector. The presence of the Myc- but not of the His6-tag on the cell surface during H:gm expression allowed us to confirm the hypothesis that this fusion protein was present on the surface and oriented towards the cell exterior. Western blot analysis revealed degradation products of the same molecular weight for SefA and H:gm. The size of these fragments suggests that both fusion proteins have been cleaved at a specific site close to the C-terminal end of the passenger. This proteolysis was concluded to take place either in the outer membrane or in the periplasm. Since H:gm was cleaved to a much greater extent then the three times smaller SefA, it is proposed that the longer translocation time for the larger H:gm makes it more susceptible to proteolysis. PMID:22943700

Insecurity of position-based quantum-cryptography protocols against entanglement attacks

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

Lau, Hoi-Kwan; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2011-01-15

Recently, position-based quantum cryptography has been claimed to be unconditionally secure. On the contrary, here we show that the existing proposals for position-based quantum cryptography are, in fact, insecure if entanglement is shared among two adversaries. Specifically, we demonstrate how the adversaries can incorporate ideas of quantum teleportation and quantum secret sharing to compromise the security with certainty. The common flaw to all current protocols is that the Pauli operators always map a codeword to a codeword (up to an irrelevant overall phase). We propose a modified scheme lacking this property in which the same cheating strategy used to underminemore » the previous protocols can succeed with a rate of at most 85%. We prove the modified protocol is secure when the shared quantum resource between the adversaries is a two- or three-level system.« less

Delivery of Fuel and Construction Materials to South Pole Station

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-01

AID-A270 431 Delivery of Fuel and Construction Materials to South Pole Station Stephen L. DenHartog and George L. Blaisdell July 993 DTIC ELECT S OCT...South Pole Station, ideally with minimal impact on the current science and operational program. The new station will require the delivery of massive...amounts of construction materials to this remote site. The existing means of delivering material and fuel to the South Pole include the use of specialized

Turkish version of the modified Constant-Murley score and standardized test protocol: reliability and validity.

PubMed

Çelik, Derya

2016-01-01

The Constant-Murley score (CMS) is widely used to evaluate disabilities associated with shoulder injuries, but it has been criticized for relying on imprecise terminology and a lack of standardized methodology. A modified guideline, therefore, was published in 2008 with several recommendations. This new version has not yet been translated or culturally adapted for Turkish-speaking populations. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the modified CMS and its test protocol, as well as define and measure its reliability and validity. The modified CMS was translated into Turkish, consistent with published methodological guidelines. The measurement properties of the Turkish version of the modified CMS were tested in 30 patients (12 males, 18 females; mean age: 59.5±13.5 years) with a variety of shoulder pathologies. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to estimate test-retest reliability. Construct validity was analyzed with the Turkish version of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). No difficulties were found in the translation process. The Turkish version of the modified CMS showed excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=0.86). The correlation coefficients between the Turkish version of the modified CMS and the ASES, SF-12-physical component score, and SF-12 mental component scores were found to be 0.48, 0.35, and 0.05, respectively. No floor or ceiling effects were found. The translation and cultural adaptation of the modified CMS and its standardized test protocol into Turkish were successful. The Turkish version of the modified CMS has sufficient reliability and validity to measure a variety of shoulder disorders for Turkish-speaking individuals.

Treatment of feline intermediate- to high-grade lymphoma with a modified university of Wisconsin-Madison protocol: 119 cases (2004-2012).

PubMed

Collette, S A; Allstadt, S D; Chon, E M; Vernau, W; Smith, A N; Garrett, L D; Choy, K; Rebhun, R B; Rodriguez, C O; Skorupski, K A

2016-08-01

CHOP-based (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vinca alkaloid, prednisolone) chemotherapy protocols are often recommended for treatment of feline lymphoma. While maintenance-free CHOP-based protocols have been published and readily used in dogs, there is limited literature regarding similar maintenance-free protocols in cats. The purpose of this study was to describe the outcome of cats with intermediate- to high-grade lymphoma that were prescribed a modified 25-week University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-25) chemotherapy protocol. A secondary objective was examination of potential prognostic factors. One hundred and nineteen cats from five institutions treated with a UW-25-based protocol were included. The Kaplan-Meier median progression-free interval (PFI) and survival time (MST) were 56 and 97 (range 2-2019) days, respectively. Cats assessed as having a complete response (CR) to therapy had significantly longer PFI and MST than those with partial or no response (PFI 205 versus 54 versus 21 days, respectively, P < 0.0001 and MST 318 versus 85 versus 27 days, respectively, P < 0.0001). © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Efficient multiuser quantum cryptography network based on entanglement.

PubMed

Xue, Peng; Wang, Kunkun; Wang, Xiaoping

2017-04-04

We present an efficient quantum key distribution protocol with a certain entangled state to solve a special cryptographic task. Also, we provide a proof of security of this protocol by generalizing the proof of modified of Lo-Chau scheme. Based on this two-user scheme, a quantum cryptography network protocol is proposed without any quantum memory.

Efficient multiuser quantum cryptography network based on entanglement

PubMed Central

Xue, Peng; Wang, Kunkun; Wang, Xiaoping

2017-01-01

We present an efficient quantum key distribution protocol with a certain entangled state to solve a special cryptographic task. Also, we provide a proof of security of this protocol by generalizing the proof of modified of Lo-Chau scheme. Based on this two-user scheme, a quantum cryptography network protocol is proposed without any quantum memory. PMID:28374854

Experimental eavesdropping attack against Ekert's protocol based on Wigner's inequality

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

Bovino, F. A.; Colla, A. M.; Castagnoli, G.

2003-09-01

We experimentally implemented an eavesdropping attack against the Ekert protocol for quantum key distribution based on the Wigner inequality. We demonstrate a serious lack of security of this protocol when the eavesdropper gains total control of the source. In addition we tested a modified Wigner inequality which should guarantee a secure quantum key distribution.

Efficient multiuser quantum cryptography network based on entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Peng; Wang, Kunkun; Wang, Xiaoping

2017-04-01

We present an efficient quantum key distribution protocol with a certain entangled state to solve a special cryptographic task. Also, we provide a proof of security of this protocol by generalizing the proof of modified of Lo-Chau scheme. Based on this two-user scheme, a quantum cryptography network protocol is proposed without any quantum memory.

Dry Starch Powders Modified Teabag Method

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The following is a test protocol for a “tea bag analysis” that was conducted on PMN starches by the Corn Refiners Association. This protocol is one approach to providing information on swellability of high molecular weight polymers.

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-71 - Protection of human subjects-exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to...; (2) Documentation of approval for the human subjects research protocol, questionnaires, surveys... contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey, advertisement, or informed...

48 CFR 1352.235-70 - Protection of human subjects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to... subjects research protocol, all questionnaires, surveys, advertisements, and informed consent forms... addition, if the contractor modifies a human subjects research protocol, questionnaire, survey...

Pain management for joint arthroplasty: preemptive analgesia.

PubMed

Mallory, Thomas H; Lombardi, Adolph V; Fada, Robert A; Dodds, Kathleen L; Adams, Joanne B

2002-06-01

Scheduled preoperative and postoperative analgesia should be offered in a multimodal management model. By a combined drug synergy effect, the central nervous system, afferent pathways, and peripheral wound site are modified collectively. In an ongoing effort to improve perioperative pain management, we retrospectively compared the results of a previously reported pain management protocol with 2 more recent groups of patients managed with modified pain protocols. In the earlier control protocol, epidural anesthesia was discontinued on arrival to the postanesthesia care unit, and regularly scheduled oral opioids and intravenous hydromorphone for breakthrough pain were initiated. The first more recent group used epidural anesthesia, and the second group used spinal anesthesia. Both protocols featured the use of cyclooxygenase-2-inhibiting anti-inflammatory medication administered for 2 weeks preoperatively and continued for 10 days postoperatively and patient-controlled analgesia for 24 hours followed by scheduled oral opioids. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA).

Harnessing Protocolized Adaptation in Dissemination: Successful Implementation and Sustainment of the Veterans Affairs Coordinated-Transitional Care Program in a Non-Veterans Affairs Hospital.

PubMed

Kind, Amy J H; Brenny-Fitzpatrick, Maria; Leahy-Gross, Kris; Mirr, Jacquelyn; Chapman, Elizabeth; Frey, Brooke; Houlahan, Beth

2016-02-01

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Coordinated-Transitional Care (C-TraC) program is a low-cost transitional care program that uses hospital-based nurse case managers, inpatient team integration, and in-depth posthospital telephone contacts to support high-risk patients and their caregivers as they transition from hospital to community. The low-cost, primarily telephone-based C-TraC program reduced 30-day rehospitalizations by one-third, leading to significant cost savings at one VA hospital. Non-VA hospitals have expressed interest in launching C-TraC, but non-VA hospitals differ in important ways from VA hospitals, particularly in terms of context, culture, and resources. The objective of this project was to adapt C-TraC to the specific context of one non-VA setting using a modified Replicating Effective Programs (REP) implementation theory model and to test the feasibility of this protocolized implementation approach. The modified REP model uses a mentored phased-based implementation with intensive preimplementation activities and harnesses key local stakeholders to adapt processes and goals to local context. Using this protocolized implementation approach, an adapted C-TraC protocol was created and launched at the non-VA hospital in July 2013. In its first 16 months, C-TraC successfully enrolled 1,247 individuals with 3.2 full-time nurse case managers, achieving good fidelity for core protocol steps. C-TraC participants experienced a 30-day rehospitalization rate of 10.8%, compared with 16.6% for a contemporary comparison group of similar individuals for whom C-TraC was not available (n = 1,307) (P < .001). The new C-TraC program continues in operation. Use of a modified REP model to guide protocolized adaptation to local context resulted in a C-TraC program that was feasible and sustained in a real-world non-VA setting. A modified REP implementation framework may be an appropriate foundational step for other clinical programs seeking to harness protocolized adaptation in mentored dissemination activities. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Modified Scoring, Traditional Item Analysis, and Sato's Caution Index Used To Investigate the Reading Recall Protocol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deville, Craig W.; Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline

A study demonstrated the utility of item analyses to investigate which items function well or poorly in a second language reading recall protocol instrument. Data were drawn from a larger study of 56 learners of German as a second language at various proficiency levels. Pausal units of scored recall protocols were analyzed using both classical…

Adsorptive removal of sulfate from acid mine drainage by polypyrrole modified activated carbons: Effects of polypyrrole deposition protocols and activated carbon source.

PubMed

Hong, Siqi; Cannon, Fred S; Hou, Pin; Byrne, Tim; Nieto-Delgado, Cesar

2017-10-01

Polypyrrole modified activated carbon was used to remove sulfate from acid mine drainage water. The polypyrrole modified activated carbon created positively charged functionality that offered elevated sorption capacity for sulfate. The effects of the activated carbon type, approach of polymerization, preparation temperature, solvent, and concentration of oxidant solution over the sulfate adsorption capacity were studied at an array of initial sulfate concentrations. A hardwood based activated carbon was the more favorable activated carbon template, and this offered better sulfate removal than when using bituminous based activated carbon or oak wood activated carbon as the template. The hardwood-based activated carbon modified with polypyrrole removed 44.7 mg/g sulfate, and this was five times higher than for the pristine hardwood-based activated carbon. Various protocols for depositing the polypyrrole onto the activated carbon were investigated. When ferric chloride was used as an oxidant, the deposition protocol that achieved the most N + atomic percent (3.35%) while also maintaining the least oxygen atomic percent (6.22%) offered the most favorable sulfate removal. For the rapid small scale column tests, when processing the AMD water, hardwood-based activated carbon modified with poly pyrrole exhibited 33 bed volume compared to the 5 bed volume of pristine activated carbons. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation safety protocol using real-time dose reporting reduces patient exposure in pediatric electrophysiology procedures.

PubMed

Patel, Akash R; Ganley, Jamie; Zhu, Xiaowei; Rome, Jonathan J; Shah, Maully; Glatz, Andrew C

2014-10-01

Radiation exposure during pediatric catheterization is significant. We sought to describe radiation exposure and the effectiveness of radiation safety protocols in reducing exposure during catheter ablations with electrophysiology studies in children and patients with congenital heart disease. We additionally sought to identify at-risk patients. We retrospectively reviewed all interventional electrophysiology procedures performed from April 2009 to September 2011 (6 months preceding intervention, 12 months following implementation of initial radiation safety protocol, and 8 months following implementation of modified protocol). The protocols consisted of low pulse rate fluoroscopy settings, operator notification of skin entrance dose every 1,000 mGy, adjusting cameras by >5 at every 1,000 mGy, and appropriate collimation. The cohort consisted of 291 patients (70 pre-intervention, 137 after initial protocol implementation, 84 after modified protocol implementation) at a median age of 14.9 years with congenital heart disease present in 11 %. Diagnoses included atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (25 %), atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (61 %), atrial tachycardias (12 %), and ventricular tachycardia (2 %). There were no differences between groups based on patient, arrhythmia, and procedural characteristics. Following implementation of the protocols, there were significant reductions in all measures of radiation exposure: fluoroscopy time (17.8 %), dose area product (80.2 %), skin entry dose (81.0 %), and effective dose (76.9 %), p = 0.0001. Independent predictors of increased radiation exposure included larger patient weight, longer fluoroscopy time, and lack of radiation safety protocol. Implementation of a radiation safety protocol for pediatric and congenital catheter ablations can drastically reduce radiation exposure to patients without affecting procedural success.

A pilot study of modified cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood traumatic grief (CBT-CTG).

PubMed

Cohen, Judith A; Mannarino, Anthony P; Staron, Virginia R

2006-12-01

This pilot study evaluated outcomes for a modified 12-session protocol of cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood traumatic grief (CBT-CTG) conducted between March 2004 and October 2005. CTG is an emerging condition characterized by a combination of posttraumatic stress and unresolved grief symptoms. This two-module treatment model consisting of sequential trauma- and grief-focused components was shortened from a previously presented 16-session protocol. Thirty-nine children ages 6 to 17 years old with CTG and their parents received the modified 12-session protocol of CBT-CTG. CTG and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed at pretreatment, after the trauma-focused module, and after the grief-focused module (at posttreatment). Child depression, anxiety, and behavioral symptoms, as well as parental depression and PTSD symptoms, were assessed at pre- and posttreatment. Children reported significant improvement in CTG, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and parents reported significant improvement in children's PTSD, internalizing and total behavior problems, and their personal PTSD symptoms. Although PTSD significantly improved only during the trauma-focused module of treatment, CTG improved significantly during both trauma- and grief-focused modules of treatment. Child satisfaction and parent satisfaction for this treatment protocol were also high. These findings suggest that the shortened CBT-CTG protocol, which is similar in the number of sessions to what many community child bereavement programs offer, may be acceptable and efficacious for this population. The CBT-CTG model requires further evaluation in randomized, controlled treatment trials.

PHIPS-HALO: the airborne Particle Habit Imaging and Polar Scattering probe - Part 1: Design and operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelmonem, Ahmed; Järvinen, Emma; Duft, Denis; Hirst, Edwin; Vogt, Steffen; Leisner, Thomas; Schnaiter, Martin

2016-07-01

The number and shape of ice crystals present in mixed-phase and ice clouds influence the radiation properties, precipitation occurrence and lifetime of these clouds. Since clouds play a major role in the climate system, influencing the energy budget by scattering sunlight and absorbing heat radiation from the earth, it is necessary to investigate the optical and microphysical properties of cloud particles particularly in situ. The relationship between the microphysics and the single scattering properties of cloud particles is usually obtained by modelling the optical scattering properties from in situ measurements of ice crystal size distributions. The measured size distribution and the assumed particle shape might be erroneous in case of non-spherical ice particles. There is a demand to obtain both information correspondently and simultaneously for individual cloud particles in their natural environment. For evaluating the average scattering phase function as a function of ice particle habit and crystal complexity, in situ measurements are required. To this end we have developed a novel airborne optical sensor (PHIPS-HALO) to measure the optical properties and the corresponding microphysical parameters of individual cloud particles simultaneously. PHIPS-HALO has been tested in the AIDA cloud simulation chamber and deployed in mountain stations as well as research aircraft (HALO and Polar 6). It is a successive version of the laboratory prototype instrument PHIPS-AIDA. In this paper we present the detailed design of PHIPS-HALO, including the detection mechanism, optical design, mechanical construction and aerodynamic characterization.

Interleukin-1 antagonism moderates the inflammatory state associated with Type 1 diabetes during clinical trials conducted at disease onset

PubMed Central

Cabrera, Susanne M.; Wang, Xujing; Chen, Yi-Guang; Jia, Shuang; Kaldunski, Mary L.; Greenbaum, Carla J.; Mandrup-Poulsen, Thomas; Hessner, Martin J.

2016-01-01

IL-1 antagonism has been hypothesized to preserve β-cell function in new onset Type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the Anti-Interleukin-1 in Diabetes Action (AIDA) and TrialNet Canakinumab (TN-14) trials failed to show efficacy of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) or canakinumab, as measured by stimulated C-peptide response. Additional measures are needed to define immune state changes associated with therapeutic responses. Here, we studied these trial participants with transcriptional analysis of plasma-induced PBMCs. In blinded analyses, 70.2% of AIDA and 68.9% of TN-14 participants were correctly called to their treatment arm. While the PBMC transcriptional signatures from the two groups were distinct, both therapies achieved varying immunomodulation consistent with IL-1 inhibition. On average, IL-1 antagonism resulted in modest normalization relative to healthy controls. At endpoint, signatures were quantified using a gene ontology-based inflammatory index, and an inverse relationship was observed between measured inflammation and stimulated C-peptide response in IL-1Ra- and canakinumab-treated patients. Cytokine neutralization studies showed that IL-1α and IL-1β additively contribute to the T1D inflammatory state. Finally, analyses of baseline signatures were indicative of later therapeutic response. Despite the absence of clinical efficacy by IL-1 antagonist therapy, transcriptional analysis detected immunomodulation and may yield new insight when applied to other clinical trials. PMID:26692253

Interleukin-1 antagonism moderates the inflammatory state associated with Type 1 diabetes during clinical trials conducted at disease onset.

PubMed

Cabrera, Susanne M; Wang, Xujing; Chen, Yi-Guang; Jia, Shuang; Kaldunski, Mary L; Greenbaum, Carla J; Mandrup-Poulsen, Thomas; Hessner, Martin J

2016-04-01

It was hypothesized that IL-1 antagonism would preserve β-cell function in new onset Type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the Anti-Interleukin-1 in Diabetes Action (AIDA) and TrialNet Canakinumab (TN-14) trials failed to show efficacy of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) or canakinumab, as measured by stimulated C-peptide response. Additional measures are needed to define immune state changes associated with therapeutic responses. Here, we studied these trial participants with plasma-induced transcriptional analysis. In blinded analyses, 70.2% of AIDA and 68.9% of TN-14 participants were correctly called to their treatment arm. While the transcriptional signatures from the two trials were distinct, both therapies achieved varying immunomodulation consistent with IL-1 inhibition. On average, IL-1 antagonism resulted in modest normalization relative to healthy controls. At endpoint, signatures were quantified using a gene ontology-based inflammatory index, and an inverse relationship was observed between measured inflammation and stimulated C-peptide response in IL-1Ra- and canakinumab-treated patients. Cytokine neutralization studies showed that IL-1α and IL-1β additively contribute to the T1D inflammatory state. Finally, analyses of baseline signatures were indicative of later therapeutic response. Despite the absence of clinical efficacy by IL-1 antagonist therapy, transcriptional analysis detected immunomodulation and may yield new insight when applied to other clinical trials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment and Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

companies or organizations. The connectivity and communications within and among networks are "glued" together by a set of protocols defined by the Internet ... research communities, which are modified and improved over decades of time. Those protocols are usually designed in the principle to achieve

Improving Leishmania Species Identification in Different Types of Samples from Cutaneous Lesions

PubMed Central

Cruz-Barrera, Mónica L.; Ovalle-Bracho, Clemencia; Ortegon-Vergara, Viviana; Pérez-Franco, Jairo E.

2015-01-01

The discrimination of Leishmania species from patient samples has epidemiological and clinical relevance. In this study, different gene target PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) protocols were evaluated for their robustness as Leishmania species discriminators in 61 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. We modified the hsp70-PCR-RFLP protocol and found it to be the most reliable protocol for species identification. PMID:25609727

A modified error correction protocol for CCITT signalling system no. 7 on satellite links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreuer, Dieter; Quernheim, Ulrich

1991-10-01

Comite Consultatif International des Telegraphe et Telephone (CCITT) Signalling System No. 7 (SS7) provides a level 2 error correction protocol particularly suited for links with propagation delays higher than 15 ms. Not being originally designed for satellite links, however, the so called Preventive Cyclic Retransmission (PCR) Method only performs well on satellite channels when traffic is low. A modified level 2 error control protocol, termed Fix Delay Retransmission (FDR) method is suggested which performs better at high loads, thus providing a more efficient use of the limited carrier capacity. Both the PCR and the FDR methods are investigated by means of simulation and results concerning throughput, queueing delay, and system delay, respectively. The FDR method exhibits higher capacity and shorter delay than the PCR method.

Modification of Fox protocol for prediction of maximum oxygen uptake in male university students.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Amit; Pal, Sangita

2015-01-01

Direct estimation of VO₂max involves labourious, exhaustive, hazardous, time consuming and expensive experimental protocols. Hence, application of various indirect protocols for prediction of VO₂max has become popular, subject to proper population-specific standardisation of the indirect protocol. Application of Fox (1973) protocol in male sedentary university students of Kolkata, India led to premature fatigue in their leg muscles that hindered the muscular activity leading to inability in completing the exercise. The present study was aimed at modifying and validating the Fox (1973) protocol with a convenient workload of 110 W (i.e., modified Fox test or MFT) in the said population. Ninety (90) sedentary male students were recruited by simple random sampling from the University of Calcutta, India and they were randomly assigned into study group (n=60) and confirmatory group (n=30). VO₂max was directly estimated by Scholander micro-gas analysis after incremental bicycle exercise. Predicted VO₂max (PVO₂max) was computed from MFT by using the submaximal heart rate (HR(sub). In the Study Group VO₂max (2216.63 ± 316.77 mL.min⁻¹ was significantly different (P< 0.001) from PVO₂max (3131.73 ± 234.32 mL.min⁻¹ measured by using the equation of Fox (1973). Simple and multiple regression equations have been computed for prediction of VO₂max from HR(sub) and physical parameters. Application of these norms in the confirmatory group depicted insignificant difference between VO₂max and PVO₂max with substantially small limits of agreement and lower values of SEE. The modified regression norms are therefore recommended for use in MFT for accurate assessment of VO₂max in the studied population.

Safety and effectiveness of collagenase clostridium histolyticum in the treatment of Peyronie's disease using a new modified shortened protocol.

PubMed

Abdel Raheem, Amr; Capece, Marco; Kalejaiye, Odunayo; Abdel-Raheem, Tarek; Falcone, Marco; Johnson, Mark; Ralph, Oliver G; Garaffa, Giulio; Christopher, Andrew N; Ralph, David J

2017-11-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH; Xiapex ® , Xiaflex ® ) in the treatment of Peyronie's disease (PD) using a new modified treatment protocol that aims at reducing the number of injections needed and reducing patient visits, thus reducing the duration and cost of treatment. A prospective study of 53 patients with PD who had treatment with CCH at a single centre using a new modified protocol. The angle of curvature assessment after an intracavernosal injection of prostaglandin E1, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and Peyronie's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ) were completed at baseline and at week 12 (4 weeks after the last injection). The Global Assessment of Peyronie's disease (GAPD) questionnaire was completed at week 12. Under a penile block of 10 mL plain lignocaine 1%, a total of three intralesional injections of CCH (0.9 mg) were given at 4-weekly intervals using a new modified injection technique. In between injections patients used a combination of home modelling, stretching and a vacuum device on a daily basis to mechanically stretch the plaque. Investigator modelling was not performed. The mean (range) penile curvature at baseline was 54 (30-90)°. Of the 53 patients in the study, 51 patients (96.2%) had an improvement in the angel of curvature by a mean (range) of 17.36 (0-40)° or 31.4 (0-57)% from baseline after three CCH injections. The final mean (range) curvature was 36.9 (12-75)° (P < 0.001). There was an improvement in each of the IIEF questionnaire domains, all three PDQ domains and the GAPD. CCH was well tolerated by all patients with only mild and transient local adverse events. The new shortened protocol using CCH treatment is safe, effective, and cost efficient. The results of using only three CCH injections according to this modified protocol are comparable to those of the clinical trials that used eight CCH injections. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

MASTER ANALYTICAL SCHEME FOR ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN WATER: PART 1. PROTOCOLS

EPA Science Inventory

A Master Analytical Scheme (MAS) has been developed for the analysis of volatile (gas chromatographable) organic compounds in water. In developing the MAS, it was necessary to evaluate and modify existing analysis procedures and develop new techniques to produce protocols that pr...

Influence of warm-up duration on physical performance and psychological perceptions in handball players.

PubMed

Romaratezabala, Estibaliz; Nakamura, Fábio Yuzo; Castillo, Daniel; Gorostegi-Anduaga, Ilargi; Yanci, Javier

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to analyse the effect of two warm-up protocols of different duration on physical performance, perceived load and perception of being ready for a match in handball players. Eighteen handball players were randomly divided into two groups (Wup 34min , warm-up protocol of 34 min, Wup 17min , warm-up protocol of 17 min). Before and after the warm-up protocols, they performed a battery of physical tests and recorded their perception of feeling ready for a match. At the end of the warm-up protocols, all the players evaluated their differentiated perceived effort (dRPE). The results showed that neither of the protocols significantly modified (p > 0.05) the players' physical performance. However, the Wup 34min group showed higher values in the differentiated warm-up perceived load (dRPE-WL) (p < 0.01, TE = 0.97-1.27, high) than the Wup 17min group. The players with a greater perceived muscular load (RPE MUSC ) experienced a greater decrease in their acceleration capacity (r = 0.48-0.49, p < 0.05). In spite of the fact that neither of the warm-up protocols significantly modified the players' physical performance, a greater perceived muscular load may cause a greater decrease in acceleration capacity.

MASTER ANALYTICAL SCHEME FOR ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN WATER. PART 2. APPENDICES TO PROTOCOLS

EPA Science Inventory

A Master Analytical Scheme (MAS) has been developed for the analysis of volatile (gas chromatographable) organic compounds in water. In developing the MAS, it was necessary to evaluate and modify existing analysis procedures and develop new techniques to produce protocols that pr...

Comparative evaluation of canal isthmus debridement efficacy of modified EndoVac technique with different irrigation systems.

PubMed

Thomas, Anchu Rachel; Velmurugan, Natanasabapathy; Smita, Surendran; Jothilatha, Sundaramurthy

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the canal isthmus debridement efficacy of a new modified EndoVac (Discus Dental, Culver City, CA) irrigation protocol in comparison with EndoVac, passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), and conventional needle irrigation in mesial roots of mandibular molars. The mesial roots of 64 extracted mandibular molars mounted in resin using Kuttler's endodontic cube, sectioned at 2 and 4 mm from the working length, were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 16): group 1: Max-I-Probe (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, York, PA), group 2: EndoVac (EVI), group 3: modified EndoVac, and group 4: PUI. The specimens were reassembled and instrumented. A standard irrigation protocol was used during cleaning and shaping and final irrigation with the 4 irrigation/agitation techniques. Images of the isthmus region were taken before and after cleaning and shaping and after final irrigation. The percentage reduction of debris in the isthmus region was calculated by using the software program Image J (v1.43; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). Intergroup analysis was performed using the Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Intragroup analysis was performed using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. The level of significance was set at P < .05. Intragroup analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the percentage reduction of debris after cleaning and shaping and after final irrigation protocol in all the groups (P < .001). The final irrigation protocol produced significantly cleaner canal isthmuses in all the groups (P < .001). On intergroup analysis, the modified EVI group performed significantly better than the other groups. The EVI and PUI groups performed better than the Max-I-Probe group. There was no statistical significance between the EVI and PUI groups. Canal isthmuses were significantly cleaner with the modified EndoVac irrigation technique when compared with the cleanliness seen with the other irrigation systems. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensitising potential of four textile dyes and some of their metabolites in a modified local lymph node assay.

PubMed

Stahlmann, Ralf; Wegner, Matthias; Riecke, Kai; Kruse, Matthias; Platzek, Thomas

2006-02-15

We studied the sensitising and allergenic potentials of the textile dyes disperse yellow 3, disperse orange 30, disperse red 82, disperse yellow 211 and two metabolites of disperse yellow 3, 4-aminoacetanilide and 2-amino-p-cresol, using modified protocols of the murine "local lymph node assay" (LLNA). Test substances were applied either to the dorsum of the mice ears (sensitisation protocol) or they were first applied to the skin of their backs and 2 weeks later to their ears (sensitisation-challenge protocol). In addition to the endpoints weight and cell number of the draining ear lymph nodes we analysed lymphocyte subpopulations by flow cytometry. In the sensitisation protocol, disperse yellow 3 and its metabolite 4-aminoacetanilide did not induce significant effects, whereas in the sensitisation-challenge protocol cell number and lymph node weight increased significantly indicating a sensitising potential in NMRI mice. Hence, two-phase treatment (skin of the back, ear) increased the sensitivity of this assay. The second metabolite of disperse yellow 3, 2-amino-p-cresol, showed distinct effects in both treatment protocols; this applied mainly to the parameters cell number and lymph node weight. The dye disperse red 82 caused ambiguous increases in lymph node weight and cell number in the sensitisation protocol which were not reproduced in the sensitisation-challenge protocol, ruling out a relevant sensitising potential for this dye in NMRI mice. Disperse yellow 211 and disperse orange 30 did not induce relevant changes under our experimental conditions. Phenotyping of lymphocytes did not influence the assessment of these dyes.

Joint distraction results in clinical and structural improvement of haemophilic ankle arthropathy: a series of three cases.

PubMed

Van Meegeren, M E R; Van Veghel, K; De Kleijn, P; Van Roermund, P M; Biesma, D H; Lafeber, F P J G; Roosendaal, G

2012-09-01

The incidence of haemophilic arthropathy in multiple joints decreased due to treatment with clotting factor. Nowadays patients are enabled to live a rather normal life, resulting in more (sports) trauma-induced arthropathy in isolated joints like the ankle. As surgical treatment options, fusion of the tibiotalar joint and total ankle replacement are available. Both standard treatments have complications and therefore an alternative treatment is desired. In this study, treatment of haemophilic ankle arthropathy with joint distraction was explored. Three patients with haemophilic ankle arthropathy were treated with joint distraction using an Ilizarov external fixator. Clinical outcomes like function, participation and pain were evaluated in retrospect with three different questionnaires: haemophilia activities list, impact on participation and autonomy and the Van Valburg questionnaire. Structural changes were assessed blinded on X-ray by the Pettersson score and ankle images digital analysis (AIDA) and by an MRI score. All three patients were very satisfied with the clinical outcome of the procedure. They reported a clear improvement for self-perceived functional health, participation in society and autonomy and pain. Partial ankle joint mobility was preserved in the three patients. The Pettersson score remained the same in one patient and slightly improved in the two other patients, while joint space width measured by AIDA and the MRI score demonstrated improvement for all three patients after ankle distraction. This study suggests that joint distraction is a promising treatment for individual cases of haemophilic ankle arthropathy, without additional risk of bleedings during treatment. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Modified natural cycle for embryo transfer using frozen-thawed blastocysts: A satisfactory option.

PubMed

Le, Quoc V; Abhari, Sina; Abuzeid, Omar M; DeAnna, Jennifer; Satti, Mohamed A; Abozaid, Tarek; Khan, Iqbal; Abuzeid, Mostafa I

2017-06-01

To describe pregnancy outcomes of frozen-thawed blastocysts cycles using modified natural cycle frozen embryo transfers (NC-FET) and down-regulated hormonally controlled frozen embryo transfers (HC-FET) protocols. This retrospective cohort study included all patients undergoing either modified NC-FET or down-regulated HC-FET using frozen-thawed day 5 embryos. Cycles with donor blastocysts were excluded. Four hundred twenty eight patients underwent a total of 493 FET cycles. Patients with regular menses and evidence of ovulation underwent modified NC-FET. These patients were given hCG 10,000 IU IM on the day of LH-surge. Vaginal progesterone (P4) was started two days later and blastocyst transfer was planned seven days after detecting the LH surge. Anovulatory patients and some ovulatory patients underwent down-regulated HC-FET. These patients were placed on medroxy-progesterone acetate (10mg) for 10days to bring on menses and were also given a half-dose of GnRH-agonist (GnRH-a) on the third day of medroxy-progesterone acetate. Exogenous estradiol was initiated on the third day of menses. Once serum E2 levels reached >500pg/mL and endometrial lining reached >8mm, intramuscular (IM) P4 in oil was administered. Blastocyst FET was planned 6days after initiating P4. The primary outcomes included clinical pregnancy and delivery rates. There were 197 patients in the modified NC-FET protocol and 181 in the down-regulated HC-FET protocol. Mean age (years), day-3 FSH levels (mIU/mL) and percentage of patients with male factor infertility were significantly higher and mean BMI (kg/m 2 ) was significantly lower in modified NC-FET compared to HC-FET, respectively. Analysis of the first cycle pregnancy outcomes revealed no significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate (54.3% vs. 52.5%) and delivery rate (47.2% vs. 43.6%) between modified NC-FET and HC-FET. Logistic regression analysis showed age (OR=0.939, 95% CI 0.894-0.989, p=0.011), number of blastocysts transferred (OR=1.414, 95% CI 1.046-1.909, p=0.024), and the year of FET (OR=1.127, 95% CI 1.029-1.234, p=0.010) were significant factors impacting clinical pregnancy. An age analysis within three age groups (≤35, 36-39, ≥40) was performed, but no significant difference in clinical pregnancy was observed. Our data suggests that modified NC-FET protocol has comparable pregnancy outcomes to down-regulated HC-FET when utilizing frozen-thawed day 5 embryos. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ploidy Manipulation of Zebrafish Embryos with Heat Shock 2 Treatment

PubMed Central

Baars, Destiny L.; Pelegri, Francisco

2016-01-01

Manipulation of ploidy allows for useful transformations, such as diploids to tetraploids, or haploids to diploids. In the zebrafish Danio rerio, specifically the generation of homozygous gynogenetic diploids is useful in genetic analysis because it allows the direct production of homozygotes from a single heterozygous mother. This article describes a modified protocol for ploidy duplication based on a heat pulse during the first cell cycle, Heat Shock 2 (HS2). Through inhibition of centriole duplication, this method results in a precise cell division stall during the second cell cycle. The precise one-cycle division stall, coupled to unaffected DNA duplication, results in whole genome duplication. Protocols associated with this method include egg and sperm collection, UV treatment of sperm, in vitro fertilization and heat pulse to cause a one-cell cycle division delay and ploidy duplication. A modified version of this protocol could be applied to induce ploidy changes in other animal species. PMID:28060351

Multiplex Droplet Digital PCR Protocols for Quantification of GM Maize Events.

PubMed

Dobnik, David; Spilsberg, Bjørn; Bogožalec Košir, Alexandra; Štebih, Dejan; Morisset, Dany; Holst-Jensen, Arne; Žel, Jana

2018-01-01

The standard-curve based simplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has been the gold standard for DNA target quantification for more than a decade. The large and growing number of individual analyses needed to test for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is reducing the cost-effectiveness of qPCR. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) enables absolute quantification without standard curves, avoids the amplification efficiency bias observed with qPCR, allows more accurate estimations at low target copy numbers and, in combination with multiplexing, significantly improves cost efficiency. Here we describe two protocols for multiplex quantification of GM maize events: (1) nondiscriminating, with multiplex quantification of targets as a group (12 GM maize lines) and (2) discriminating, with multiplex quantification of individual targets (events). The first enables the quantification of twelve European Union authorized GM maize events as a group with only two assays, but does not permit determination of the individual events present. The second protocol enables the quantification of four individual targets (three GM events and one endogene) in a single reaction. Both protocols can be modified for quantification of any other DNA target.

The Resin-Embedded Cornea Prepared Via Rapid Processing Protocol : A Good Histomorphometric Target for Clinical Investigation in Ophthalmology and Optometry

PubMed Central

Cheah, Pike See; Mohidin, Norhani; Mohd Ali, Bariah; Maung, Myint; Latif, Azian Abdul

2008-01-01

This study illustrates and quantifies the changes on corneal tissue between the paraffin-embedded and resin-embedded blocks and thus, selects a better target in investigational ophthalmology and optometry via light microscopy. Corneas of two cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were used in this study. The formalin-fixed cornea was prepared in paraffin block via the conventional tissue processing protocol (4-day protocol) and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The glutaraldehyde-fixed cornea was prepared in resin block via the rapid and modified tissue processing procedure (1.2-day protocol) and stained with toluidine blue. The paraffin-embedded sample exhibits various undesired tissue damage and artifact such as thinner epithelium (due to the substantial volumic extraction from the tissue), thicker stroma layer (due to the separation of lamellae and the presence of voids) and the distorted endothelium. In contrast, the resin-embedded corneal tissue has demonstrated satisfactory corneal ultrastructural preservation. The rapid and modified tissue processing method for preparing the resin-embedded is particularly beneficial to accelerate the microscopic evaluation in ophthalmology and optometry. PMID:22570589

Analysis of practical backoff protocols for contention resolution with multiple servers

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

Goldberg, L.A.; MacKenzie, P.D.

Backoff protocols are probably the most widely used protocols for contention resolution in multiple access channels. In this paper, we analyze the stochastic behavior of backoff protocols for contention resolution among a set of clients and servers, each server being a multiple access channel that deals with contention like an Ethernet channel. We use the standard model in which each client generates requests for a given server according to a Bemoulli distribution with a specified mean. The client-server request rate of a system is the maximum over all client-server pairs (i, j) of the sum of all request rates associatedmore » with either client i or server j. Our main result is that any superlinear polynomial backoff protocol is stable for any multiple-server system with a sub-unit client-server request rate. We confirm the practical relevance of our result by demonstrating experimentally that the average waiting time of requests is very small when such a system is run with reasonably few clients and reasonably small request rates such as those that occur in actual ethernets. Our result is the first proof of stability for any backoff protocol for contention resolution with multiple servers. Our result is also the first proof that any weakly acknowledgment based protocol is stable for contention resolution with multiple servers and such high request rates. Two special cases of our result are of interest. Hastad, Leighton and Rogoff have shown that for a single-server system with a sub-unit client-server request rate any modified superlinear polynomial backoff protocol is stable. These modified backoff protocols are similar to standard backoff protocols but require more random bits to implement. The special case of our result in which there is only one server extends the result of Hastad, Leighton and Rogoff to standard (practical) backoff protocols. Finally, our result applies to dynamic routing in optical networks.« less

A Protocol for Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Atherosclerosis in Cardiac Surgery Patients

PubMed Central

Brandon Bravo Bruinsma, George J.; Van 't Hof, Arnoud W. J.; Grandjean, Jan G.; Nierich, Arno P.

2017-01-01

In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, use of perioperative screening for aortic atherosclerosis with modified TEE (A-View method) was associated with lower postoperative mortality, but not stroke, as compared to patients operated on without such screening. At the time of clinical implementation and validation, we did not yet standardize the indications for modified TEE and the changes in patient management in the presence of aortic atherosclerosis. Therefore, we designed a protocol, which combined the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of thoracic aorta and the subsequent considerations with respect to the intraoperative management and provides a systematic approach to reduce the risk of cerebral complications. PMID:28852575

Validity of the modified back-saver sit-and-reach test: a comparison with other protocols.

PubMed

Hui, S S; Yuen, P Y

2000-09-01

Studies have shown that the classical sit-and-reach (CSR) test, the modified sit-and-reach (MSR), and the newly developed back-saver sit-and-reach (BS) test have poor criterion-related validity in estimating low-back flexibility but yielded moderate criterion-related validity in hamstring flexibility. The V sit-and-reach (VSR) test was found to be practical but the validity has not been established. The purpose of this study was to propose a modified back-saver sit-and-reach (MBS) test, which incorporated all advantages of the various protocols, and to compare the criterion-related validity and reliability of all these tests. 158 college students (F = 96, and M = 62; age = 20.77 +/- 2.51) performed CSR, VSR, BS (left and right leg), and MBS (left and right leg) tests in a randomized order. Scores from each test were then correlated with the criterion measures. For all sit-reach tests, intraclass reliability (single trial) was very high (r = 0.89-0.98). MBS yielded significant and highest r with low-back and hamstring criterion for men (r = 0.47-0.67) and women (r = 0.23-0.54). The low-back and right hamstring validity of MBS for men were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than those from BS and CSR, whereas no differences in criterion-related validity were found between the MBS and other protocols in women. The ratings of perceived comfort among the sit-and-reach protocols were significantly different (P < 0.001) from each other. The rating for MBS was observed the most comfortable test as compared with other protocols. The MBS test is not only a reliable test for hamstring and low-back flexibility, it is also a more practical with improved validity for hamstring and low-back flexibility in men than previous protocols.

A field investigation of a modified intravaginal progesterone releasing device and oestradiol benzoate based ovulation synchronisation protocol designed for fixed-time artificial insemination of Brahman heifers.

PubMed

Edwards, S A A; Boe-Hansen, G B; Satake, N; Chandra, K; McGowan, M R

2015-09-01

Pregnancy rates (PR) to fixed-time AI (FTAI) in Brahman heifers were compared after treatment with a traditional oestradiol-based protocol (OPO-8) or a modified protocol (OPO-6) where the duration of intravaginal progesterone releasing device (IPRD) was reduced from 8 to 6 days, and the interval from IPRD removal to oestradiol benzoate (ODB) was increased from 24 to 36 h. Rising 2 yo heifers on Farm A: (n = 238 and n = 215; two consecutive days AI); B (n = 271); and C (n = 393) were allocated to OPO-8 or OPO-6. An IPRD was inserted and 1mg ODB i.m. on Day 0 for OPO-8 heifers and Day 2 for OPO-6 heifers. On Day 8, the IPRD was removed and 500 μg cloprostenol i.m. At 24h, for OPO-8 heifers, and 36 h, for OPO-6 heifers, post IPRD removal all heifers received 1mg ODB i.m. FTAI was conducted at 54 and 72 h post IPRD removal for OPO-8 and OPO-6 heifers. At Farm A, OPO-6 heifers, AI on the second day, the PR was 52.4% to FTAI (P = 0.024) compared to 36.8% for OPO-8 heifers. However, no differences were found between OPO-8 and OPO-6 protocols at Farm A (first day of AI) (39.9 vs. 35.7%), or Farms B (26.2 vs. 35.4%) and C (43.2% vs. 40.3%). Presence of a corpus luteum at IPRD insertion affected PR to FTAI (43.9% vs. 28.8%; P < 0.001). This study has shown that the modified ovulation synchronisation protocol OPO-6 may be a viable alternative to the OPO-8 protocol for FTAI in B. indicus heifers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The research and application of the NDP protocol vulnerability attack and the defense technology based on SEND

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xi, Huixing

2017-05-01

Neighbor discovery protocol (NDP) is the underlying protocol in the IPv6 protocol, which is mainly used to solve the problem of interconnection between nodes on the same link. But with wide use of IPV6, NDP becomes the main objects of a variety of attacks due to a lack of security mechanism. The paper introduces the working principle of the NDP and methods of how the SEND protocol to enhance NDP security defense. It also analyzes and summarizes the security threats caused by the defects of the protocol itself. On the basis of the SEND protocol, the NDP data packet structure is modified to enhance the security of the SEND. An improved NDP cheating defense technology is put forward to make up the defects of the SEND protocol which can't verify the correctness of the public key and cannot bind the MAC address.

Recovery of Renibacterium salmoninarum from naturally infected salmonine stocks in Michigan using a modified culture protocol

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faisal, M.; Eissa, A.E.; Starliper, C.E.

2010-01-01

Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD), is a fastidious and slow-growing bacterium that is extremely difficult to grow in vitro. Herein, we describe a modified primary culture protocol that encompasses a modified bacteriological culture medium and a tissue processing procedure. In order to facilitate the release of R. salmoninarum from granulomatous tissues, kidneys of infected fish were homogenized in a high speed stomacher. The kidney disease medium (KDM2), routinely used for primary culture of R. salmoninarum was modified by the addition of antibiotics and metabolites. When a relatively large inoculum of diluted kidney homogenate was streak-plate inoculated onto the modified KDM2, colonial growth of R. salmoninarum was achieved within 5-7. days, compared to the standard of two weeks or more. The modified procedure was then used to determine the prevalence of R. salmoninarum among representative captive and feral salmonid stocks in Michigan. Prevalence and clinical manifestations varied among species, strains of fish, and locations; however, R. salmoninarum isolates were biochemically homogenous. The improved primary culture procedure described in this study enabled selective and quick isolation of R. salmoninarum. Also, the isolates retrieved in this study constitute a unique biological resource for future studies of R. salmoninarum in the Laurentian Great Lakes. ?? 2009 University of Cairo.

Promoting Wired Links in Wireless Mesh Networks: An Efficient Engineering Solution

PubMed Central

Barekatain, Behrang; Raahemifar, Kaamran; Ariza Quintana, Alfonso; Triviño Cabrera, Alicia

2015-01-01

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) cannot completely guarantee good performance of traffic sources such as video streaming. To improve the network performance, this study proposes an efficient engineering solution named Wireless-to-Ethernet-Mesh-Portal-Passageway (WEMPP) that allows effective use of wired communication in WMNs. WEMPP permits transmitting data through wired and stable paths even when the destination is in the same network as the source (Intra-traffic). Tested with four popular routing protocols (Optimized Link State Routing or OLSR as a proactive protocol, Dynamic MANET On-demand or DYMO as a reactive protocol, DYMO with spanning tree ability and HWMP), WEMPP considerably decreases the end-to-end delay, jitter, contentions and interferences on nodes, even when the network size or density varies. WEMPP is also cost-effective and increases the network throughput. Moreover, in contrast to solutions proposed by previous studies, WEMPP is easily implemented by modifying the firmware of the actual Ethernet hardware without altering the routing protocols and/or the functionality of the IP/MAC/Upper layers. In fact, there is no need for modifying the functionalities of other mesh components in order to work with WEMPPs. The results of this study show that WEMPP significantly increases the performance of all routing protocols, thus leading to better video quality on nodes. PMID:25793516

The Development of a Design and Construction Process Protocol to Support the Home Modification Process Delivered by Occupational Therapists

PubMed Central

Ormerod, Marcus; Newton, Rita

2018-01-01

Modifying the home environments of older people as they age in place is a well-established health and social care intervention. Using design and construction methods to redress any imbalance caused by the ageing process or disability within the home environment, occupational therapists are seen as the experts in this field of practice. However, the process used by occupational therapists when modifying home environments has been criticised for being disorganised and not founded on theoretical principles and concepts underpinning the profession. To address this issue, research was conducted to develop a design and construction process protocol specifically for home modifications. A three-stage approach was taken for the analysis of qualitative data generated from an online survey, completed by 135 occupational therapists in the UK. Using both the existing occupational therapy intervention process model and the design and construction process protocol as the theoretical frameworks, a 4-phase, 9-subphase design and construction process protocol for home modifications was developed. Overall, the study is innovative in developing the first process protocol for home modifications, potentially providing occupational therapists with a systematic and effective approach to the design and delivery of home modification services for older and disabled people. PMID:29682348

The Development of a Design and Construction Process Protocol to Support the Home Modification Process Delivered by Occupational Therapists.

PubMed

Russell, Rachel; Ormerod, Marcus; Newton, Rita

2018-01-01

Modifying the home environments of older people as they age in place is a well-established health and social care intervention. Using design and construction methods to redress any imbalance caused by the ageing process or disability within the home environment, occupational therapists are seen as the experts in this field of practice. However, the process used by occupational therapists when modifying home environments has been criticised for being disorganised and not founded on theoretical principles and concepts underpinning the profession. To address this issue, research was conducted to develop a design and construction process protocol specifically for home modifications. A three-stage approach was taken for the analysis of qualitative data generated from an online survey, completed by 135 occupational therapists in the UK. Using both the existing occupational therapy intervention process model and the design and construction process protocol as the theoretical frameworks, a 4-phase, 9-subphase design and construction process protocol for home modifications was developed. Overall, the study is innovative in developing the first process protocol for home modifications, potentially providing occupational therapists with a systematic and effective approach to the design and delivery of home modification services for older and disabled people.

Miniaturization of the Clonogenic Assay Using Confluence Measurement

PubMed Central

Mayr, Christian; Beyreis, Marlena; Dobias, Heidemarie; Gaisberger, Martin; Pichler, Martin; Ritter, Markus; Jakab, Martin; Neureiter, Daniel; Kiesslich, Tobias

2018-01-01

The clonogenic assay is a widely used method to study the ability of cells to ‘infinitely’ produce progeny and is, therefore, used as a tool in tumor biology to measure tumor-initiating capacity and stem cell status. However, the standard protocol of using 6-well plates has several disadvantages. By miniaturizing the assay to a 96-well microplate format, as well as by utilizing the confluence detection function of a multimode reader, we here describe a new and modified protocol that allows comprehensive experimental setups and a non-endpoint, label-free semi-automatic analysis. Comparison of bright field images with confluence images demonstrated robust and reproducible detection of clones by the confluence detection function. Moreover, time-resolved non-endpoint confluence measurement of the same well showed that semi-automatic analysis was suitable for determining the mean size and colony number. By treating cells with an inhibitor of clonogenic growth (PTC-209), we show that our modified protocol is suitable for comprehensive (broad concentration range, addition of technical replicates) concentration- and time-resolved analysis of the effect of substances or treatments on clonogenic growth. In summary, this protocol represents a time- and cost-effective alternative to the commonly used 6-well protocol (with endpoint staining) and also provides additional information about the kinetics of clonogenic growth. PMID:29510509

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) Protocol for Low-abundance Embryonic Samples.

PubMed

Rehimi, Rizwan; Bartusel, Michaela; Solinas, Francesca; Altmüller, Janine; Rada-Iglesias, Alvaro

2017-08-29

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a widely-used technique for mapping the localization of post-translationally modified histones, histone variants, transcription factors, or chromatin-modifying enzymes at a given locus or on a genome-wide scale. The combination of ChIP assays with next-generation sequencing (i.e., ChIP-Seq) is a powerful approach to globally uncover gene regulatory networks and to improve the functional annotation of genomes, especially of non-coding regulatory sequences. ChIP protocols normally require large amounts of cellular material, thus precluding the applicability of this method to investigating rare cell types or small tissue biopsies. In order to make the ChIP assay compatible with the amount of biological material that can typically be obtained in vivo during early vertebrate embryogenesis, we describe here a simplified ChIP protocol in which the number of steps required to complete the assay were reduced to minimize sample loss. This ChIP protocol has been successfully used to investigate different histone modifications in various embryonic chicken and adult mouse tissues using low to medium cell numbers (5 x 10 4 - 5 x 10 5 cells). Importantly, this protocol is compatible with ChIP-seq technology using standard library preparation methods, thus providing global epigenomic maps in highly relevant embryonic tissues.

Experimentally feasible quantum-key-distribution scheme using qubit-like qudits and its comparison with existing qubit- and qudit-based protocols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chau, H. F.; Wang, Qinan; Wong, Cardythy

2017-02-01

Recently, Chau [Phys. Rev. A 92, 062324 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevA.92.062324] introduced an experimentally feasible qudit-based quantum-key-distribution (QKD) scheme. In that scheme, one bit of information is phase encoded in the prepared state in a 2n-dimensional Hilbert space in the form (|i > ±|j >) /√{2 } with n ≥2 . For each qudit prepared and measured in the same two-dimensional Hilbert subspace, one bit of raw secret key is obtained in the absence of transmission error. Here we show that by modifying the basis announcement procedure, the same experimental setup can generate n bits of raw key for each qudit prepared and measured in the same basis in the noiseless situation. The reason is that in addition to the phase information, each qudit also carries information on the Hilbert subspace used. The additional (n -1 ) bits of raw key comes from a clever utilization of this extra piece of information. We prove the unconditional security of this modified protocol and compare its performance with other existing provably secure qubit- and qudit-based protocols on market in the one-way classical communication setting. Interestingly, we find that for the case of n =2 , the secret key rate of this modified protocol using nondegenerate random quantum code to perform one-way entanglement distillation is equal to that of the six-state scheme.

Influenza A virus H5-specific antibodies in mute swans (Cygnus olor) in the USA.

PubMed

Kistler, Whitney M; Stallknecht, David E; Lebarbenchon, Camille; Pedersen, Kerri; Marks, David R; Mickley, Randy; DeLiberto, Thomas J; Yabsley, Michael J

2015-04-01

The use of serologic assays for influenza A virus (IAV) surveillance in wild birds has increased because of the availability of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Recently, an H5-specific blocking ELISA (bELISA) was shown to reliably detect H5-specific antibodies to low- and high-pathogenic H5 viruses in experimentally infected waterfowl. Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) were frequently associated with highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreaks in Europe and may have a similar role if highly pathogenic H5N1 is introduced into North America. We measured the prevalence of antibodies to the nucleoprotein and H5 protein in Mute Swans using three serologic assays. We collected 340 serum samples from Mute Swans in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, US. We detected antibodies to the IAV nucleoprotein in 66.2% (225/340) of the samples. We detected H5-specific antibodies in 62.9% (214/340) and 18.8% (64/340) using a modified H5 bELISA protocol and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, respectively. The modified H5 bELISA protocol detected significantly more positive samples than did the manufacturer's protocol. We also tested 46 samples using virus neutralization. Neutralization results had high agreement with the modified H5 bELISA protocol and detected a higher prevalence than did the HI assay. These results indicate that North American Mute Swans have high nucleoprotein and H5 antibody prevalences.

AIDA: the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincent, Jean-Baptiste

2016-07-01

The Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission is a joint cooperation between European and US space agencies that consists of two separate and independent spacecraft that will be launched to a binary asteroid system, the near-Earth asteroid Didymos, to assess the possibility of deflecting an asteroid trajectory by using a kinetic impactor. The European Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is under Phase A/B1 study at ESA from March 2015 until summer 2016. AIM is set to rendez-vous with the asteroid system a few months prior to the impact by the US Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft to fully characterize the smaller of the two binary components. AIM is a unique mission as it will be the first time that a spacecraft will investigate the surface, subsurface, and internal properties of a small binary near Earth asteroid. In addition it will perform various important technology demonstrations that can serve other space missions: AIM will release a set of CubeSats in deep space and a lander on the surface of the smaller asteroid and for the first time, deep-space inter-satellite linking will be demonstrated between the main spacecraft, the CubeSats, and the lander, and data will also be transmitted from interplanetary space to Earth by a laser communication system. The knowledge obtained by this mission will have great implications for our understanding of the history of the Solar System. Small asteroids are believed to result from collisions and other processes (e.g., spinup, shaking) that made them what they are now. Having direct information on their surface and internal properties will allow us to understand how these processes work and transform these small bodies as well as, for this particular case, how a binary system forms. So far, our understanding of the collisional process and the validation of numerical simulations of the impact process rely on impact experiments at laboratory scales. With DART, thanks to the characterization of the target by AIM, the mission will be the first fully documented impact experiment at asteroid scale, which will include the characterization of the target's properties and the outcome of the impact. By comparing our in situ measurements with ground-based data from telescopes, we can calibrate better the remote observations and improve our data interpretation of other systems. Therefore, AIDA offers a unique opportunity to test and refine our understanding and models at the actual scale of an asteroid. This will allow feeding small-body collisional evolution models with more realistic parameters to draw a more reliable story of the Solar System formation and evolution. Moreover, it will offer a first check of the validity of the kinetic impactor concept to deflect a small body trajectory and lead to improved efficiency for future kinetic impactor designs.

MASCOT2 - A small body lander to investigate the interior of 65803 Didymos‧ moon in the frame of the AIDA/AIM mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lange, Caroline; Biele, Jens; Ulamec, Stephan; Krause, Christian; Cozzoni, Barbara; Küchemann, Oliver; Tardivel, Simon; Ho, Tra-Mi; Grimm, Christian; Grundmann, Jan Thimo; Wejmo, Elisabet; Schröder, Silvio; Lange, Michael; Reill, Josef; Hérique, Alain; Rogez, Yves; Plettemeier, Dirk; Carnelli, Ian; Galvez, Andrés; Philippe, Christian; Küppers, Michael; Grieger, Björn; Fernandez, Jesus Gil; Grygorczuk, Jerzy; Tokarz, Marta; Ziach, Christian

2018-08-01

In the frame of Near-Earth-Object exploration and planetary defence, the two-part AIDA mission is currently studied by NASA and ESA. Being composed of a kinetic impactor, DART (NASA), and by an observing spacecraft, AIM (ESA), AIDA has been designed to deliver vital data to determine the momentum transfer efficiency of a kinetic impact onto a small body and the key physical properties of the target asteroid. This will enable derivation of the impact response of the object as a function of its physical properties, a crucial quantitative point besides the qualitative proof of the deflection. In the course of the AIM mission definition, a lander has been studied as an essential element of the overall mission architecture. It was meant to be deployed on Didymoon, the secondary body of the binary NEA system 65803 Didymos and it was supposed to significantly enhance the analysis of the body's dynamical state, mass, geophysical properties, surface and subsurface structure. The mission profile and the design of the 13 kg (current best estimate) nano-lander have been derived from the MASCOT lander flying aboard Hayabusa2. Differing from its predecessor by having an increased lifetime of more than three months, a surface mobility capability including directed movement, a sensor system for localization and attitude determination on the surface and a redesigned mechanical interface to the mother spacecraft. The MASCOT2 instrument suite consists of a bi-static, low frequency radar as main instrument, supported by an accelerometer, a camera, a radiometer and a magnetometer; the latter three already flying on MASCOT. Besides the radar measurements, the camera is meant to provide high-resolution images of the landing area, and accelerometers to record the bouncing dynamics by which the top surface mechanical properties can be determined. During the DART impact, MASCOT2 was expected to be able to detect the seismic shock, providing valuable information on the internal structure of the body. MASCOT2 was supposed also to serve as a technology demonstrator for very small asteroid landing and extended operations powered by a solar generator. In this paper, we describe the science concept, mission analysis of the separation, descent and landing phase, the operational timeline, and the latest status of the lander's design. Despite the fact that AIM funding has not been fully confirmed during the ESA Ministerial conference in 2016, MASCOT2 is an instrument package of high maturity and major interest for planetary defence and NEO science. With appropriate tailoring and optimization, it can be considered and studied for future missions.

ASPECT spectral imaging satellite proposal to AIDA/AIM CubeSat payload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohout, Tomas; Näsilä, Antti; Tikka, Tuomas; Penttilä, Antti; Muinonen, Karri; Kestilä, Antti; Granvik, Mikael; Kallio, Esa

2016-04-01

ASPECT (Asteroid Spectral Imaging Mission) is a part of AIDA/AIM project and aims to study the composition of the Didymos binary asteroid and the effects of space weathering and shock metamorphism in order to gain understanding of the formation and evolution of the Solar System. The joint ESA/NASA AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment) mission to binary asteroid Didymos consists of AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission, ESA) and DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test, NASA). DART is targeted to impact Didymos secondary component (Didymoon) and serve as a kinetic impactor to demonstrate deflection of potentially hazardous asteroids. AIM will serve as an observational spacecraft to evaluate the effects of the impact and resulting changes in the Didymos dynamic parameters. The AIM mission will also carry two CubeSat miniaturized satellites, released in Didymoon proximity. This arrangement opens up a possibility for secondary scientific experiments. ASPECT is one of the proposed CubeSat payloads. Whereas Didymos is a space-weathered binary asteroid, the DART impactor is expected to produce a crater and excavate fresh material from the secondary component (Didymoon). Spectral comparison of the mature surface to the freshly exposed material will allow to directly deter-mine space weathering effects. It will be also possible to study spectral shock effects within the impact crater. ASPECT will also demonstrate for the first time the joint spacecraft - CubeSat operations in asteroid proximity and miniature spectral imager operation in deep-space environment. Science objectives: 1. Study of the surface composition of the Didymos system. 2. Photometric observations (and modeling) under varying phase angle and distance. 3. Study of space weathering effects on asteroids (comparison of mature / freshly exposed material). 4. Study of shock effects (spectral properties of crater interior). 5. Observations during the DART impact. Engineering objectives: 1. Demonstration of CubeSat semi-autonomous operations in deep space environment. 2. Navigation in the vicinity of a binary asteroid. 3. Demonstration of a satellite survival during impact. 4. Demonstration of joint spacecraft - CubeSat operations. ASPECT is a 3U CubeSat (size of 3 units, Fig. 1) equipped with a spectral imager from 500 nm to 1600 nm (spatial resolution < 2 m, spectral resolution 10 - 30 nm; VIS channel 512 x 512 pixels, NIR channel 256 x 256 pixels), and a non-imaging spectrometer from 1600 - 2500 nm. The design is based on the Aalto-1 CubeSat Spectral Imager heritage. ASPECT will also demonstrate the capabilities of a CubeSat and a miniature spectral imager for the first time in deep-space environment. Acknowledgements: This work is done under Sys-Nova: R&D Studies Competition for Innovation contract with ESA.

Proof-of-principle experiment of measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with vector vortex beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Chen; Zhao, Shang-Hong; Li, Wei; Yang, Jian

2018-03-01

In this paper, by combining measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) scheme with entangled photon sources, we present a modified MDI-QKD scheme with pairs of vector vortex(VV) beams, which shows a structure of hybrid entangled entanglement corresponding to intrasystem entanglement and intersystem entanglement. The former entanglement, which is entangled between polarization and orbit angular momentum within each VV beam, is adopted to overcome the polarization misalignment associated with random rotations in quantum key distribution. The latter entanglement, which is entangled between the two VV beams, is used to perform entangled-based MDI-QKD protocol with pair of VV beams to inherit the merit of long distance. The numerical simulations show that our modified scheme can tolerate 97dB with practical detectors. Furthermore, our modified protocol only needs to insert q-plates in practical experiment.

The Benefit of Modified Rehabilitation and Minimally Invasive Techniques in Total Hip Replacement

PubMed Central

Lilikakis, Anastasios K; Gillespie, Beryl; Villar, Richard N

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION We wished to assess if an intensive rehabilitation regimen alone, or one combined with modified anaesthetic and surgical techniques, can change the speed of rehabilitation or the length of hospital stay after total hip replacement. PATIENTS AND METHODS We compared 44 patients who had followed a traditional care pathway, with 38 patients who had rehabilitated under a new rehabilitation protocol, with 40 patients who had also received modified, minimally invasive techniques. The speed of rehabilitation was measured in terms of three specific milestones accomplished on the day after surgery. RESULTS We found a statistically significant improvement in the day after surgery each activity was possible. The length of hospital stay was reduced from 6.5 days to 5.4 days to 4.1 days, a difference which was also statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The data support the view that a new rehabilitation protocol alone can reduce the length of hospital stay and hasten rehabilitation. The combination of modified anaesthetic and minimally invasive surgical techniques with the new rehabilitation regimen can further improve short-term outcome after total hip replacement. PMID:18634739

Effect of test exercises and mask donning on measured respirator fit.

PubMed

Crutchfield, C D; Fairbank, E O; Greenstein, S L

1999-12-01

Quantitative respirator fit test protocols are typically defined by a series of fit test exercises. A rationale for the protocols that have been developed is generally not available. There also is little information available that describes the effect or effectiveness of the fit test exercises currently specified in respiratory protection standards. This study was designed to assess the relative impact of fit test exercises and mask donning on respirator fit as measured by a controlled negative pressure and an ambient aerosol fit test system. Multiple donnings of two different sizes of identical respirator models by each of 14 test subjects showed that donning affects respirator fit to a greater degree than fit test exercises. Currently specified fit test protocols emphasize test exercises, and the determination of fit is based on a single mask donning. A rationale for a modified fit test protocol based on fewer, more targeted test exercises and multiple mask donnings is presented. The modified protocol identified inadequately fitting respirators as effectively as the currently specified Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) quantitative fit test protocol. The controlled negative pressure system measured significantly (p < 0.0001) more respirator leakage than the ambient aerosol fit test system. The bend over fit test exercise was found to be predictive of poor respirator fit by both fit test systems. For the better fitting respirators, only the talking exercise generated aerosol fit factors that were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) than corresponding donning fit factors.

Effect of different analyte diffusion/adsorption protocols on SERS signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ruoping; Petschek, Rolfe G.; Han, Junhe; Huang, Mingju

2018-07-01

The effect of different analyte diffusion/adsorption protocols was studied which is often overlooked in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique. Three protocols: highly concentrated dilution (HCD) protocol, half-half dilution (HHD) protocol and layered adsorption (LA) protocol were studied and the SERS substrates were monolayer films of 80 nm Ag nanoparticles (NPs) which were modified by polyvinylpyrrolidone. The diffusion/adsorption mechanisms were modelled using the diffusion equation and the electromagnetic field distribution of two adjacent Ag NPs was simulated by the finite-different time-domain method. All experimental data and theoretical analysis suggest that different diffusion/adsorption behaviour of analytes will cause different SERS signal enhancements. HHD protocol could produce the most uniform and reproducible samples, and the corresponding signal intensity of the analyte is the strongest. This study will help to understand and promote the use of SERS technique in quantitative analysis.

Achilles Tendinosis Stopping the Progression to Disability.

PubMed

Chessin, Meta

2012-09-01

The purpose of this article is to differentiate between acute Achilles tendinitis and chronic Achilles tendinosis and to highlight a specific treatment protocol for mid-portion Achilles tendinosis. Tendinosis (degeneration of the tendon) results from chronic tissue injury and has long-term implications for a dancer's career. An eccentric heavy-load exercise protocol has been used successfully to treat tendinosis in athletes. A modified eccentric exercise protocol is proposed as one component of an effective rehabilitation program for dancers. This protocol facilitates tissue remodeling to build strength, flexibility, and adaptability of the Achilles tendon tissue, so that dancers can continue to dance without further complications of the injury.

Pharmacological stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: use of a modified adenosine protocol in patients with asthma.

PubMed

Sundram, Francis; Notghi, Alp; Smith, Neil B

2009-03-01

Stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) using adenosine pharmacological vasodilatation is the preferred method in many centres because of its convenience, safety and speed. It can, however, cause bronchospasm and hence its use is avoided in patients with known or suspected bronchospasm. Owing to service pressures, we use technologist-led adenosine stressing for patients referred for MPS studies. We use a modified adenosine infusion protocol under medical supervision for patients with asthma to prevent and minimize adenosine-induced bronchospasm. In this study, we audited our use of this modified protocol in asthmatic patients and compared the side-effect profile with the standard adenosine protocol used in nonasthmatic patients. We audited 50 consecutive patients with asthma attending our department for stress MPS. All patients were taking regular inhalers+/-oral steroids. Patients who had exacerbation of asthma requiring hospital admission during the preceding 6 months were excluded. Before commencing the infusion, two inhaled puffs of salbutamol were administered. A modified adenosine infusion protocol was used, starting initially at a rate of 70 microg/kg/min and increasing to the standard 140 microg/kg/min within 1 min and then maintained for a further 5 min. Technetium-99m tetrofosmin was injected at 3 min. Blood pressure (BP), pulse rate (PR), oxygen saturation and ECG were monitored before, during and at the end of the infusion. All side effects were recorded. Fifty-eight consecutive patients without asthma were included as controls and received the standard 140 microg/kg/min infusion over 6 min. One hundred and eight patients, 50 with asthma and 58 without asthma, were entered into the study. The test was stopped early in two patients (4%) with asthma and 11 patients (19%) without asthma (chi=5.679; P=0.017). Proportionally, more nonasthmatics developed shortness of breath (SOB) (47 of 58, 81% without asthma vs. 35 of 50, 70% with asthma); however, this did not reach statistical significance (chi=1.788, P=NS). Three out of 50 (6%) patients in the asthma group experienced severe SOB but only one of those 50 patients (2%) developed bronchospasm, manifesting as wheeze. In the nonasthma group, five of 58 patients (8.6%) experienced severe SOB but none developed a wheeze. Less flushing (16 of 50, 32% vs. 36 of 58, 62%; P=0.002), dizziness (12 of 50, 24% vs. 26 of 58, 45%; P=0.023) and neck/throat pain (5 of 50, 10% vs. 16 of 58, 28%; P=0.021) was observed in the modified infusion group with asthma compared with the standard infusion group without asthma. Statistical significance was observed in these three side effects. No significant difference in other side effects was noted. A similar decrease in mean diastolic BP, and an increase in mean PR were observed during the infusion in both asthmatic and nonasthmatic groups. The mean systolic BP decreased significantly in nonasthmatic patients (P<0.001) but not in the asthmatic group. No significant change in oxygen saturation was seen during infusion in the asthmatic group. The modified adenosine infusion protocol with salbutamol premedication can be used in patients with asthma. This protocol resulted in fewer side effects and changes in BP and PR in asthmatic patients compared with nonasthmatic patients who received the standard adenosine infusion.

Effects of inhaled anesthetic isoflurane on long-term potentiation of CA3 pyramidal cell afferents in vivo

PubMed Central

Ballesteros, Kristen A; Sikorski, Angela; Orfila, James E; Martinez, Joe L

2012-01-01

Isoflurane is a preferred anesthetic, due to its properties that allow a precise concentration to be delivered continually during in vivo experimentation. The major mechanism of action of isoflurane is modulation of the γ-amino butyric acid (GABAA) receptor-chloride channel, mediating inhibitory synaptic transmission. Animal studies have shown that isoflurane does not cause cell death, but it does inhibit cell growth and causes long-term hippocampal learning deficits. As there are no studies characterizing the effects of isoflurane on electrophysiological aspects of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus, it is important to determine whether isoflurane alters the characteristic responses of hippocampal afferents to cornu ammonis region 3 (CA3). We investigated the effects of isoflurane on adult male rats during in vivo induction of LTP, using the mossy fiber pathway, the lateral perforant pathway, the medial perforant pathway, and the commissural CA3 (cCA3) to CA3, with intracranial administration of Ringer’s solution, naloxone, RS-aminoindan-1, 5-dicarboxylic acid (AIDA), or 3-[(R)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl]-propo-2-enyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP). Then, we compared these responses to published electrophysiological data, using sodium pentobarbital as an anesthetic, under similar experimental conditions. Our results showed that LTP was exhibited in animals anesthetized with isoflurane under vehicle conditions. With the exception of AIDA in the lateral perforant pathway, the defining characteristics of the four pathways appeared to remain intact, except for the observation that LTP was markedly reduced in animals anesthetized with isoflurane compared to those anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. The results suggest that isoflurane may affect amplitude through activation of GABAA receptors or mechanisms important to LTP in CA3 afferent fibers. PMID:23204857

Elementary Teachers' Ideas about, Planning for and Implementation of Learner-Directed and Teacher-Directed Inquiry: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggers, Mandy Sue

2013-01-01

Using a framework for variations of classroom inquiry (National Research Council [NRC], 2000, p. 29), this study explored 40 inservice elementary teachers' planning, modification, and enactment of kit-based science curriculum materials. As part of the study, a new observation protocol was modified from an existing protocol (Practices of…

Screening for plant viruses by next generation sequencing using a modified double strand RNA extraction protocol with an internal amplification control.

PubMed

Kesanakurti, Prasad; Belton, Mark; Saeed, Hanaa; Rast, Heidi; Boyes, Ian; Rott, Michael

2016-10-01

The majority of plant viruses contain RNA genomes. Detection of viral RNA genomes in infected plant material by next generation sequencing (NGS) is possible through the extraction and sequencing of total RNA, total RNA devoid of ribosomal RNA, small RNA interference (RNAi) molecules, or double stranded RNA (dsRNA). Plants do not typically produce high molecular weight dsRNA, therefore the presence of dsRNA makes it an attractive target for plant virus diagnostics. The sensitivity of NGS as a diagnostic method demands an effective dsRNA protocol that is both representative of the sample and minimizes sample cross contamination. We have developed a modified dsRNA extraction protocol that is more efficient compared to traditional protocols, requiring reduced amounts of starting material, that is less prone to sample cross contamination. This was accomplished by using bead based homogenization of plant material in closed, disposable 50ml tubes. To assess the quality of extraction, we also developed an internal control by designing a real-time (quantitative) PCR (qPCR) assay that targets endornaviruses present in Phaseolus vulgaris cultivar Black Turtle Soup (BTS). Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Protocolized fluid therapy in brain-dead donors: The multi-center randomized MOnIToR trial

PubMed Central

Al-Khafaji, Ali; Elder, Michele; Lebovitz, Daniel J; Murugan, Raghavan; Souter, Michael; Stuart, Susan; Wahed, Abdus S.; Keebler, Ben; Dils, Dorrie; Mitchell, Stephanie; Shutterly, Kurt; Wilkerson, Dawn; Pearse, Rupert; Kellum, John A

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Critical shortages of organs for transplantation jeopardize many lives. Observational data suggest that better fluid management for deceased organ donors could increase organ recovery. We conducted the first large multi-center randomized trial in brain-dead donors to determine whether protocolized fluid therapy increases organs transplanted. METHODS We randomly assigned donors to either protocolized or usual care in eight organ procurement organizations. A “protocol-guided fluid therapy” algorithm targeting cardiac index, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure variation was used. Our primary outcome was the number of organs transplanted per donor and our primary analysis was intention-to-treat. Secondary analyses included: 1) modified intention-to-treat where only subjects able to receive the intervention were included, and 2) twelve-month survival in transplant recipients. The study was stopped early. RESULTS We enrolled 556 donors; 279 protocolized care, 277 usual care. Groups had similar characteristics at baseline. The study protocol could be implemented in 76% of subjects randomized to the intervention. There was no significant difference in mean number of organs transplanted per donor: 3.39 organs per donor, (95%CI: 3.14-3.63) with protocolized care, compared to usual care 3.29 (95%CI: 3.04-3.54) (mean difference, 0.1, 95%CI: -0.25 to 0.45; p=0.56). In modified intention-to-treat analysis the mean number of organs increased (3.52 organs per donor, 95%CI: 3.23-3.8) but was not statistically significant (mean difference, 0.23, 95%CI: -0.15-0.61; p=0.23). Among the 1430 recipients of organs from study subjects, with data available, 56 deaths (7.8%) occurred in the protocolized care arm and 56 (7.9%) in the usual care arm in the first year (Hazard Ratio: 0.97, p=0.86). CONCLUSIONS In brain-dead organ donors, protocol-guided fluid therapy compared to usual care may not increase the number of organs transplanted per donor. PMID:25583616

A network monitor for HTTPS protocol based on proxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yangxin; Zhang, Lingcui; Zhou, Shuguang; Li, Fenghua

2016-10-01

With the explosive growth of harmful Internet information such as pornography, violence, and hate messages, network monitoring is essential. Traditional network monitors is based mainly on bypass monitoring. However, we can't filter network traffic using bypass monitoring. Meanwhile, only few studies focus on the network monitoring for HTTPS protocol. That is because HTTPS data is in the encrypted traffic, which makes it difficult to monitor. This paper proposes a network monitor for HTTPS protocol based on proxy. We adopt OpenSSL to establish TLS secure tunes between clients and servers. Epoll is used to handle a large number of concurrent client connections. We also adopt Knuth- Morris-Pratt string searching algorithm (or KMP algorithm) to speed up the search process. Besides, we modify request packets to reduce the risk of errors and modify response packets to improve security. Experiments show that our proxy can monitor the content of all tested HTTPS websites efficiently with little loss of network performance.

A Modified Protocol for Color Vision Screening Using Ishihara.

PubMed

Chorley, Adrian C

2015-08-01

The Ishihara plates are commonly used as an initial occupational screening test for color vision. While effective at detecting red-green deficiencies, the color deficient subject can learn the test using different techniques. Some medical standards such as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) require plate randomization and apply a stricter pass/fail requirement than suggested by Ishihara. This has been reported to increase the false positive rate up to ∼50%. Two modifications to the Ishihara protocol are investigated. These involved allowing subjects a second attempt where one or two reading errors were made and the presentation of rotated Ishihara plates. A reduction of false positive rate to 5.9% was found. Correct identification of certain rotated Ishihara plates was not affected. By using a modified Ishihara protocol, fewer color normal subjects would require unnecessary advanced color vision examination. Further, additional safeguards would be in place to ensure that no subject with a color vision deficiency could pass the Ishihara test.

Development of hypertrophic osteodystrophy and antibody response in a litter of vaccinated Weimaraner puppies.

PubMed

Harrus, S; Waner, T; Aizenberg; Safra, N; Mosenco, A; Radoshitsky, M; Bark, H

2002-01-01

Two different vaccination protocols were compared with regard to the development of hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) (also termed metaphyseal osteopathy) and effectiveness of immunisation in a litter of 10 Weimaraner puppies. Five puppies (group 1) were vaccinated with a modified live canine parvovirus vaccine (CPV) and then two weeks later with a trivalent vaccine containing modified live canine distemper virus and adenovirus type 2 combined with a Leptospira bacterin (DHL). The CPV and DHL vaccine protocols were administered a further two times, at two-week intervals. Group 2 was vaccinated with three consecutive multivalent vaccines containing modified live canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, parainfluenza and adenovirus type 2 combined with a Leptospira bacterin, at four-week intervals. All puppies were first vaccinated at the age of eight weeks. Three dogs in group 1 developed HOD, while all five dogs in group 2 developed HOD during the study period. Dogs in group 2 had more episodes of HOD than those in group 1. Dogs in group 1 developed higher antibody titres to canine distemper virus and parvovirus compared with those in group 2. Only two out of the 10 dogs developed protective antibody titres to parvovirus. The results of this study suggest that the two different vaccination protocols affected the pattern of appearance of HOD and immunisation in this litter of Weimaraner puppies. The results obtained and the previously reported data suggest that a larger controlled study is needed to further elucidate the effect of different vaccination protocols on HOD and immunisation in Weimaraner puppies.

Improving the readability and processability of a pediatric informed consent document: effects on parents' understanding.

PubMed

Tait, Alan R; Voepel-Lewis, Terri; Malviya, Shobha; Philipson, Sandra J

2005-04-01

To examine whether a consent document modified to conform with the federal guidelines for readability and processability would result in greater parental understanding compared with a standard form. Randomized clinical study. The preoperative waiting area of a larger tertiary care children's hospital. A total of 305 parents of children scheduled for minor elective surgical procedures. Parents were randomized to receive information about a clinical study in 1 of 4 ways: (1) standard consent form alone, (2) standard consent form with verbal disclosure, (3) modified form alone (standard form modified to meet the federal guidelines for readability and processability), and (4) modified form with verbal disclosure. Parents were interviewed to determine their understanding of 11 elements of consent, including study purpose, protocol, risks, benefits to child (direct), benefit to others (indirect), freedom to withdraw, alternatives, duration of study, voluntariness, confidentiality, and whom to contact. Their responses were scored by 2 independent assessors. Understanding of the protocol, study duration, risks, and direct benefits, together with overall understanding, was greater among parents who received the modified form (P<.001). Additionally, parents reported that the modified form had greater clarity (P = .009) and improved layout compared with the standard form (P<.001). When parents were shown both forms, 81.2% preferred the modified version. Results suggest that a consent form written according to federal guidelines for readability and processability can improve parent understanding and thus will be important in enhancing the informed consent process.

Evaluation of Modified 2-Tiered Serodiagnostic Testing Algorithms for Early Lyme Disease

PubMed Central

Strle, Klemen; Nigrovic, Lise E.; Lantos, Paul M.; Lepore, Timothy J.; Damle, Nitin S.; Ferraro, Mary Jane; Steere, Allen C.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background. The conventional 2-tiered serologic testing protocol for Lyme disease (LD), an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) followed by immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G Western blots, performs well in late-stage LD but is insensitive in patients with erythema migrans (EM), the most common manifestation of the illness. Western blots are also complex, difficult to interpret, and relatively expensive. In an effort to improve test performance and simplify testing in early LD, we evaluated several modified 2-tiered testing (MTTT) protocols, which use 2 assays designed as first-tier tests sequentially, without the need of Western blots. Methods. The MTTT protocols included (1) a whole-cell sonicate (WCS) EIA followed by a C6 EIA; (2) a WCS EIA followed by a VlsE chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA); and (3) a variable major protein-like sequence, expressed (VlsE) CLIA followed by a C6 EIA. Sensitivity was determined using serum from 55 patients with erythema migrans; specificity was determined using serum from 50 patients with other illnesses and 1227 healthy subjects. Results. Sensitivity of the various MTTT protocols in patients with acute erythema migrans ranged from 36% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25%–50%) to 54% (95% CI, 42%–67%), compared with 25% (95% CI, 16%–38%) using the conventional protocol (P = .003–0.3). Among control subjects, the 3 MTTT protocols were similarly specific (99.3%–99.5%) compared with conventional 2-tiered testing (99.5% specificity; P = .6–1.0). Conclusions. Although there were minor differences in sensitivity and specificity among MTTT protocols, each provides comparable or greater sensitivity in acute EM, and similar specificity compared with conventional 2-tiered testing, obviating the need for Western blots. PMID:28329259

Modified Wideband Three-Dimensional Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI for Patients with Implantable Cardiac Devices

PubMed Central

Rashid, Shams; Rapacchi, Stanislas; Shivkumar, Kalyanam; Plotnik, Adam; Finn, J. Paul; Hu, Peng

2015-01-01

Purpose To study the effects of cardiac devices on three-dimensional (3D) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) MRI and to develop a 3D LGE protocol for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients with reduced image artifacts. Theory and Methods The 3D LGE sequence was modified by implementing a wideband inversion pulse, which reduces hyperintensity artifacts, and by increasing bandwidth of the excitation pulse. The modified wideband 3D LGE sequence was tested in phantoms and evaluated in six volunteers and five patients with ICDs. Results Phantom and in vivo studies results demonstrated extended signal void and ripple artifacts in 3D LGE that were associated with ICDs. The reason for these artifacts was slab profile distortion and the subsequent aliasing in the slice-encoding direction. The modified wideband 3D LGE provided significantly reduced ripple artifacts than 3D LGE with wideband inversion only. Comparison of 3D and 2D LGE images demonstrated improved spatial resolution of the heart using 3D LGE. Conclusion Increased bandwidth of the inversion and excitation pulses can significantly reduce image artifacts associated with ICDs. Our modified wideband 3D LGE protocol can be readily used for imaging patients with ICDs given appropriate safety guidelines are followed. PMID:25772155

Three steps to writing adaptive study protocols in the early phase clinical development of new medicines

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

This article attempts to define terminology and to describe a process for writing adaptive, early phase study protocols which are transparent, self-intuitive and uniform. It provides a step by step guide, giving templates from projects which received regulatory authorisation and were successfully performed in the UK. During adaptive studies evolving data is used to modify the trial design and conduct within the protocol-defined remit. Adaptations within that remit are documented using non-substantial protocol amendments which do not require regulatory or ethical review. This concept is efficient in gathering relevant data in exploratory early phase studies, ethical and time- and cost-effective. PMID:24980283

Editing wild points in isolation - Fast agreement for reliable systems (Preliminary version)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kearns, Phil; Evans, Carol

1989-01-01

Consideration is given to the intuitively appealing notion of discarding sensor values which are strongly suspected of being erroneous in a modified approximate agreement protocol. Approximate agreement with editing imposes a time bound upon the convergence of the protocol - no such bound was possible for the original approximate agreement protocol. This new approach is potentially useful in the construction of asynchronous fault tolerant systems. The main result is that a wild-point replacement technique called t-worst editing can be shown to guarantee convergence of the approximate agreement protocol to a valid agreement value. Results are presented for a four-processor synchronous system in which a single processor may be faulty.

Modification of Rat Lung Decellularization Protocol Based on Dynamic Conductometry of Working Solution.

PubMed

Kuevda, E V; Gubareva, E A; Gumenyuk, I S; Sotnichenko, A S; Gilevich, I V; Nakokhov, R Z; Rusinova, T V; Yudina, T G; Red'ko, A N; Alekseenko, S N

2017-03-01

We modified the protocol of obtaining of biological scaffolds of rat lungs based on dynamic recording of specific resistivity of working detergent solution (conductometry) during perfusion decellularization. Termination of sodium deoxycholate exposure after attaining ionic equilibrium plateau did not impair the quality of decellularization and preserved structural matrix components, which was confirmed by morphological analysis and quantitative assay of residual DNA.

Ultrarush schedule of subcutaneous immunotherapy with modified allergen extracts is safe in paediatric age.

PubMed

Morais-Almeida, Mário; Arêde, Cristina; Sampaio, Graça; Borrego, Luis Miguel

2016-01-01

Traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy up dosing with allergenic extracts has been shown to be associated with frequent adverse reactions. In recent studies it has been demonstrated that using modified extracts, namely allergoids, it is a safe and effective procedure particularly on accelerated schedules. However data assessing its safety in paediatric age is scarce. To evaluate the safety profile in paediatric population of using modified allergen extracts, in an ultrarush schedule, to reach the maintenance dose in the first day. We included children undergoing treatment with subcutaneous immunotherapy during a five-year period, using modified aeroallergen extracts, depigmented, polymerized with glutaraldehyde and adsorbed on aluminium hydroxide using an ultrarush induction phase. The type of adverse reactions during the ultrarush protocol was recorded. We studied 100 paediatric patients (57 males) with a mean age of 11.6 years (5 to 18 years; standard deviation, 3.3), all with moderate to severe persistent rhinitis, with or without allergic conjunctivitis, asthma and atopic eczema, sensitized to mites and/or pollens. All reached the maintenance dose of 0.5 mL in the first day, except 1 child. During the ultrarush protocol the total number of injections was 199. There were 21 local adverse reactions in 11 patients, 11 immediate and 10 delayed; from those, had clinical relevance 1 immediate and 4 delayed. Systemic reactions were recorded in 2 cases, both immediate and mild. The ultrarush protocol, without premedication, was a safe alternative to be used in paediatric age during the induction phase of subcutaneous immunotherapy using allergoid depigmented extracts.

Ultrarush schedule of subcutaneous immunotherapy with modified allergen extracts is safe in paediatric age

PubMed Central

Arêde, Cristina; Sampaio, Graça; Borrego, Luis Miguel

2016-01-01

Background Traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy up dosing with allergenic extracts has been shown to be associated with frequent adverse reactions. In recent studies it has been demonstrated that using modified extracts, namely allergoids, it is a safe and effective procedure particularly on accelerated schedules. However data assessing its safety in paediatric age is scarce. Objective To evaluate the safety profile in paediatric population of using modified allergen extracts, in an ultrarush schedule, to reach the maintenance dose in the first day. Methods We included children undergoing treatment with subcutaneous immunotherapy during a five-year period, using modified aeroallergen extracts, depigmented, polymerized with glutaraldehyde and adsorbed on aluminium hydroxide using an ultrarush induction phase. The type of adverse reactions during the ultrarush protocol was recorded. Results We studied 100 paediatric patients (57 males) with a mean age of 11.6 years (5 to 18 years; standard deviation, 3.3), all with moderate to severe persistent rhinitis, with or without allergic conjunctivitis, asthma and atopic eczema, sensitized to mites and/or pollens. All reached the maintenance dose of 0.5 mL in the first day, except 1 child. During the ultrarush protocol the total number of injections was 199. There were 21 local adverse reactions in 11 patients, 11 immediate and 10 delayed; from those, had clinical relevance 1 immediate and 4 delayed. Systemic reactions were recorded in 2 cases, both immediate and mild. Conclusion The ultrarush protocol, without premedication, was a safe alternative to be used in paediatric age during the induction phase of subcutaneous immunotherapy using allergoid depigmented extracts. PMID:26844218

Management of complicated shunt infections: a clinical report.

PubMed

James, Hector E; Bradley, John S

2008-03-01

The authors present their experience with a protocol for the treatment of patients with complicated shunt infections. Complicated shunt infections are defined for the purpose of this protocol as multiple compartment hydrocephalus, multiple organism shunt infection, severe peritonitis, or infections in other sites of the body. The initial treatment protocol for these patients was 3 weeks of intravenous antibiotic therapy and 2 weeks of twice daily intraventricular/intrashunt antibiotic therapy. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures were monitored during therapy and obtained again 48 hours after completion. The shunt was completely replaced. Additionally, follow-up cultures were obtained in all patients 3-6 months after therapy was completed. A cure of the infection was achieved in all patients as defined by negative cultures obtained at completion of antibiotic therapy and in follow-up studies. The follow-up period was 2-11 years (mean 4.4 +/- 2.5 years). The treatment protocol was modified in the patients treated after 1991, and 18 patients were treated with this modified treatment regime. In these patients, intraventricular antibiotics were administered only once daily for 14 days, and the CSF was cultured 24 hours after antibiotic therapy had been stopped instead of after 48 hours. The results were similar to those obtained with the initial protocol. Based on their prospective nonrandomized series, the authors believe that patients with complicated shunt infections can be successfully treated with 2 weeks of intraventricular antibiotic therapy administered once daily, concurrent with 3 weeks of intravenous antibiotic therapy. This protocol reduces length of treatment and hospital stay, and avoids recurrence of infection.

Online attention modification for social anxiety disorder: replication of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Carleton, R Nicholas; Teale Sapach, Michelle J N; Oriet, Chris; LeBouthillier, Daniel M

2017-01-01

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) models posit vigilance for external social threat cues and exacerbated self-focused attention as key in disorder development and maintenance. Evidence indicates a modified dot-probe protocol may reduce symptoms of SAD; however, the efficacy when compared to a standard protocol and long-term maintenance of treatment gains remains unclear. Furthermore, the efficacy of such protocols on SAD-related constructs remains relatively unknown. The current investigation clarified these associations using a randomized control trial replicating and extending previous research. Participants with SAD (n = 113; 71% women) were randomized to complete a standard (i.e. control) or modified (i.e. active) dot-probe protocol consisting of 15-min sessions twice weekly for four weeks. Self-reported symptoms were measured at baseline, post-treatment, and 4-month and 8-month follow-ups. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated significant self-reported reductions in symptoms of social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, trait anxiety, and depression, but no such reductions in fear of positive evaluation. Symptom changes did not differ based on condition and were maintained at 8-month follow-up. Attentional biases during the dot-probe task were not related to symptom change. Overall, our results replicate support for the efficacy of both protocols in reducing symptoms of SAD and specific related constructs, and suggest a role of exposure, expectancy, or practice effects, rather than attention modification, in effecting such reductions. The current results also support distinct relationships between fears of negative and positive evaluation and social anxiety. Further research focused on identifying the mechanisms of change in attention modification protocols appears warranted.

Dedicated dental volumetric and total body multislice computed tomography: a comparison of image quality and radiation dose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strocchi, Sabina; Colli, Vittoria; Novario, Raffaele; Carrafiello, Gianpaolo; Giorgianni, Andrea; Macchi, Aldo; Fugazzola, Carlo; Conte, Leopoldo

2007-03-01

Aim of this work is to compare the performances of a Xoran Technologies i-CAT Cone Beam CT for dental applications with those of a standard total body multislice CT (Toshiba Aquilion 64 multislice) used for dental examinations. Image quality and doses to patients have been compared for the three main i-CAT protocols, the Toshiba standard protocol and a Toshiba modified protocol. Images of two phantoms have been acquired: a standard CT quality control phantom and an Alderson Rando ® anthropomorphic phantom. Image noise, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) and geometric accuracy have been considered. Clinical image quality was assessed. Effective dose and doses to main head and neck organs were evaluated by means of thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLD-100) placed in the anthropomorphic phantom. A Quality Index (QI), defined as the ratio of squared CNR to effective dose, has been evaluated. The evaluated effective doses range from 0.06 mSv (i-CAT 10 s protocol) to 2.37 mSv (Toshiba standard protocol). The Toshiba modified protocol (halved tube current, higher pitch value) imparts lower effective dose (0.99 mSv). The conventional CT device provides lower image noise and better SNR, but clinical effectiveness similar to that of dedicated dental CT (comparable CNR and clinical judgment). Consequently, QI values are much higher for this second CT scanner. No geometric distortion has been observed with both devices. As a conclusion, dental volumetric CT supplies adequate image quality to clinical purposes, at doses that are really lower than those imparted by a conventional CT device.

Developing and validating trace fear conditioning protocols in C57BL/6 mice.

PubMed

Burman, Michael A; Simmons, Cassandra A; Hughes, Miles; Lei, Lei

2014-01-30

Classical fear conditioning is commonly used to study the biology of fear, anxiety and memory. Previous research demonstrated that delay conditioning requires a neural circuit involving the amygdala, but not usually the hippocampus. Trace and contextual fear conditioning require the amygdala and hippocampus. While these paradigms were developed primarily using rat models, they are increasingly being used in mice. The current studies develop trace fear conditioning and control paradigms to allow for the assessment of trace and delay fear conditioning in C57BL/6N mice. Our initial protocol yielded clear delay and contextual conditioning. However, trace conditioning failed to differentiate from an unpaired group and was not hippocampus-dependent. These results suggested that the protocol needed to be modified to specifically accommodate trace conditioning the mice. In order to reduce unconditioned freezing and increase learning, the final protocol was developed by decreasing the intensity of the tone and by increasing the inter-trial interval. Our final protocol produced trace conditioned freezing that was significantly greater than that followed unpaired stimulus exposure and was disrupted by hippocampus lesions. A review of the literature produced 90 articles using trace conditioning in mice. Few of those articles used any kind of behavioral control group, which is required to rule out non-associative factors causing fearful behavior. Fewer used unpaired groups involving tones and shocks within a session, which is the optimal control group. Our final trace conditioning protocol can be used in future studies examining genetically modified C57BL/6N mice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing and Validating Trace Fear Conditioning Protocols in C57BL/6 Mice

PubMed Central

Burman, Michael A; Simmons, Cassandra A; Hughes, Miles; Lei, Lei

2013-01-01

Background Classical fear conditioning is commonly used to study the biology of fear, anxiety and memory. Previous research demonstrated that delay conditioning requires a neural circuit involving the amygdala, but not usually the hippocampus. Trace and contextual fear conditioning require the amygdala and hippocampus. While these paradigms were developed primarily using rat models, they are increasingly being used in mice. New Method The current studies develop trace fear conditioning and control paradigms to allow for the assessment of trace and delay fear conditioning in C57BL/6N mice. Our initial protocol yielded clear delay and contextual conditioning. However, trace conditioning failed to differentiate from an unpaired group and was not hippocampus-dependent. These results suggested that the protocol needed to be modified to specifically accommodate trace conditioning the mice. In order to reduce unconditioned freezing and increase learning, the final protocol was developed by decreasing the intensity of the tone and by increasing the inter-trial interval. Results Our final protocol produced trace conditioned freezing that was significantly greater than that followed unpaired stimulus exposure and was disrupted by hippocampus lesions. Comparison with Existing Methods A review of the literature produced 90 articles using trace conditioning in mice. Few of those articles used any kind of behavioral control group, which is required to rule out non-associative factors causing fearful behavior. Fewer used unpaired groups involving tones and shocks within a session, which is the optimal control group. Conclusions Our final trace conditioning protocol can be used in future studies examining genetically modified C57BL/6N mice. PMID:24269252

Reduced pleural drainage, length of stay, and readmissions using a modified Fontan management protocol.

PubMed

Pike, Nancy A; Okuhara, Carol A; Toyama, Joy; Gross, Barbara P; Wells, Winfield J; Starnes, Vaughn A

2015-09-01

Persistent pleural effusions after the Fontan procedure contribute to prolonged hospitalization and increased costs. We report our experience using a modified Wisconsin Fontan protocol to reduce chest tube drainage and hospital length of stay (LOS). Single institutional retrospective chart review of 120 consecutive patients (60 before and 60 after initiation of our protocol) undergoing an extracardiac Fontan procedure from January 2004 to February 2007. Protocol influence was assessed by comparing group differences on duration of pleural drainage, requirement for nothing by mouth/total parenteral nutrition, hospital LOS, readmission for pleural effusion, and total hospital costs. Groups were similar in demographic characteristics, single ventricle morphology, preoperative hemodynamic parameters, and operative and immediate postoperative management. Median duration of pleural drainage and hospital LOS was reduced in the post- versus preprotocol groups: 4 days (interquartile range [IQR], 4-5 days) pre versus 6 days (IQR, 5-10 days) (P < .0001) and 6 days (IQR, 5-9 days) versus 8 days (IQR, 6-13 days) (P = .005), respectively. Pleural drainage lasting >1 week was also less common postprotocol: 23 (38%) before versus 7 (12%) after (P = .001). Fewer postprotocol patients required nothing by mouth/total parenteral nutrition to control effusions: 5 pre versus 0 post (P = .06), and fewer readmissions for effusions (14 before vs 7 after [P = .1]). An average total cost savings of 22% and readmissions savings of 29% resulted in nearly $500,000 in institutional savings over the study period. A modified Fontan protocol resulted in reduced time to chest tube removal, hospital LOS, and chest tube drainage lasting >1 week. There was a strong trend toward avoiding nothing by mouth/total parenteral nutrition to control pleural effusion and lower hospital costs. Copyright © 2015 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ENU mutagenesis to generate genetically modified rat models.

PubMed

van Boxtel, Ruben; Gould, Michael N; Cuppen, Edwin; Smits, Bart M G

2010-01-01

The rat is one of the most preferred model organisms in biomedical research and has been extremely useful for linking physiology and pathology to the genome. However, approaches to genetically modify specific genes in the rat germ line remain relatively scarce. To date, the most efficient approach for generating genetically modified rats has been the target-selected N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis-based technology. Here, we describe the detailed protocols for ENU mutagenesis and mutant retrieval in the rat model organism.

Bond Strength of Composite to Dentin using Resin-Modified Glass Ionomers as Bonding Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-02

59 MDW/SGVU SUBJECT: Professional Presentation Approval 2 MAR 20 16 l. Your paper, entitl ed Bond Strength of Composite to Dentin using Resin...Modified G lass Ionomers as Bonding Agents presented at Journal of Dental Research with MDWI 41- 108, and has been assigned local fi le #16086. 2...Vandewalle /Civ/SGDTG (59th CSPG/SGVU) DECS I 5-009 PROTOCOL TITLE Bond Strength of Composite to Dentin using Resin-modified Glass lonomers as

The identification and characterization of non-coding and coding RNAs and their modified nucleosides by mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Gaston, Kirk W; Limbach, Patrick A

2014-01-01

The analysis of ribonucleic acids (RNA) by mass spectrometry has been a valuable analytical approach for more than 25 years. In fact, mass spectrometry has become a method of choice for the analysis of modified nucleosides from RNA isolated out of biological samples. This review summarizes recent progress that has been made in both nucleoside and oligonucleotide mass spectral analysis. Applications of mass spectrometry in the identification, characterization and quantification of modified nucleosides are discussed. At the oligonucleotide level, advances in modern mass spectrometry approaches combined with the standard RNA modification mapping protocol enable the characterization of RNAs of varying lengths ranging from low molecular weight short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to the extremely large 23 S rRNAs. New variations and improvements to this protocol are reviewed, including top-down strategies, as these developments now enable qualitative and quantitative measurements of RNA modification patterns in a variety of biological systems. PMID:25616408

The identification and characterization of non-coding and coding RNAs and their modified nucleosides by mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Gaston, Kirk W; Limbach, Patrick A

2014-01-01

The analysis of ribonucleic acids (RNA) by mass spectrometry has been a valuable analytical approach for more than 25 years. In fact, mass spectrometry has become a method of choice for the analysis of modified nucleosides from RNA isolated out of biological samples. This review summarizes recent progress that has been made in both nucleoside and oligonucleotide mass spectral analysis. Applications of mass spectrometry in the identification, characterization and quantification of modified nucleosides are discussed. At the oligonucleotide level, advances in modern mass spectrometry approaches combined with the standard RNA modification mapping protocol enable the characterization of RNAs of varying lengths ranging from low molecular weight short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to the extremely large 23 S rRNAs. New variations and improvements to this protocol are reviewed, including top-down strategies, as these developments now enable qualitative and quantitative measurements of RNA modification patterns in a variety of biological systems.

Health surveillance under adverse ergonomics conditions--validity of a screening method adapted for the occupational health service.

PubMed

Jonker, Dirk; Gustafsson, Ewa; Rolander, Bo; Arvidsson, Inger; Nordander, Catarina

2015-01-01

A new health surveillance protocol for work-related upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders has been validated by comparing the results with a reference protocol. The studied protocol, Health Surveillance in Adverse Ergonomics Conditions (HECO), is a new version of the reference protocol modified for application in the Occupational Health Service (OHS). The HECO protocol contains both a screening part and a diagnosing part. Sixty-three employees were examined. The screening in HECO did not miss any diagnosis found when using the reference protocol, but in comparison to the reference protocol considerable time savings could be achieved. Fair to good agreement between the protocols was obtained for one or more diagnoses in neck/shoulders (86%, k = 0.62) and elbow/hands (84%, k = 0.49). Therefore, the results obtained using the HECO protocol can be compared with a reference material collected with the reference protocol, and thus provide information of the magnitude of disorders in an examined work group. Practitioner Summary: The HECO protocol is a relatively simple physical examination protocol for identification of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and upper extremities. The protocol is a reliable and cost-effective tool for the OHS to use for occupational health surveillance in order to detect workplaces at high risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders.

Comparability of the effect of storage time and temperature on serum anti-Müllerian hormone measurement between original and modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

PubMed

Yue, Chao-Yan; Ying, Chun-Mei

2017-01-01

To explore the effect of modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on the AMH results is increased or decreased, and to investigate the effect of storage time and temperature on AMH measurements with and without sample premixing assay buffer using the Kangrun ELISA method. Serum AMH concentration were measured by ELISA, consistency between two kits, and comparability between original and the modified assay under different stored conditions were analyzed by Passing-Bablok regression analysis and Bland-Altman bias evaluation. There was a strong consistency between AMH concentrations measured in Kangrun ELISA and Ansh Labs ultra-sensitive AMH ELISA. Pre-mixing serum specimens with assay buffer gave consistent results compared with original assay. Modified protocol can reduce the amplitude of increase affected by sample aged and give the most consistent results regardless of storage conditions. Pre-mixing protocol did not influence the results of fresh serum or frozen serum incubation <3days at 4°C and -80°C, but when specimens detected after collection and stored in other storage conditions, should be pre-mixed with assay buffer to insure its accuracy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of a Noninvasive Ventilation Protocol in Hospitalized Children With Acute Respiratory Failure.

PubMed

Jalil, Yorschua; Damiani, Felipe; Astudillo, Claudia; Villarroel, Gregory; Barañao, Patricio; Bustos, Edson; Silva, Alejandra; Mendez, Mireya

2017-12-01

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has proven to be useful in the management of children with acute respiratory failure as a result of acute lower respiratory infection. Despite this, evidence addressing the initiation and/or discontinuation criteria of NIV in children remains limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and clinical impact of an NIV protocol in hospitalized children with acute respiratory failure because of acute lower respiratory infection. A randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out among subjects admitted during the winter season at Hospital Josefina Martinez between May and October of 2013. Inclusion criteria were age 3 months to 2 y, diagnosis of acute lower respiratory infection and requiring NIV according to a Modified Wood Scale score of ≥ 4 points. Subjects were randomized to NIV management according to medical criteria (control group) or to protocolized management of NIV (protocol group). Hours of NIV, hospital stay, and supplemental oxygen use after discontinuation of NIV, severity changes after NIV initiation, respiratory symptoms, and proportion of intubations were considered as events of interest. A total of 23 subjects were analyzed in the control group and 24 were analyzed in the protocol group. Hours of hospital stay, NIV, and supplemental oxygen post-NIV were not significantly different between groups ( P = .70, .69, and .68, respectively). There were also no differences in intubation rate (3 of 29 for the control group and 2 of 31 for the protocol group). For the total sample there was a statistically significant decrease in the Modified Wood Scale score after 1 h of NIV ( P < .001). A similar result was observed when performing a stratified intragroup analysis. We observed that the implementation of an NIV management protocol that integrates initiation and discontinuation criteria for NIV is feasible. However, its use showed no advantages over a non-protocolized strategy. Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Scalability enhancement of AODV using local link repairing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Jyoti; Gupta, Roopam; Bandhopadhyay, T. K.

2014-09-01

Dynamic change in the topology of an ad hoc network makes it difficult to design an efficient routing protocol. Scalability of an ad hoc network is also one of the important criteria of research in this field. Most of the research works in ad hoc network focus on routing and medium access protocols and produce simulation results for limited-size networks. Ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) is one of the best reactive routing protocols. In this article, modified routing protocols based on local link repairing of AODV are proposed. Method of finding alternate routes for next-to-next node is proposed in case of link failure. These protocols are beacon-less, means periodic hello message is removed from the basic AODV to improve scalability. Few control packet formats have been changed to accommodate suggested modification. Proposed protocols are simulated to investigate scalability performance and compared with basic AODV protocol. This also proves that local link repairing of proposed protocol improves scalability of the network. From simulation results, it is clear that scalability performance of routing protocol is improved because of link repairing method. We have tested protocols for different terrain area with approximate constant node densities and different traffic load.

Detection of hepatitis C virus subtypes 6a, 6n, 6w and mixed infections using a modified multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction protocol.

PubMed

Lee, Yuan-Ming; Chen, Yen-Ju; Lee, Cheng-Ming; Kuo, Lou-Hui; Wong, Wing-Wai; Chen, Yi-Ming Arthur

2011-12-01

In the past few years, many new subtypes in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6 have been identified. The aim of this study was to modify the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocol and use it to determine the HCV subtypes of a group of Taiwanese injection drug users (IDUs). We used 76 serum specimens collected in northern Taiwan in 2008. Multiplex RT-PCR was used for HCV subtyping among those serum samples having anti-HCV antibodies. Twenty cases were randomly selected for comparison with subtyping results from Inno-LiPa II tests and phylogenetic tree analysis using NS5B sequences. Multiplex RT-PCR assays showed that 60.5% (46/76) of IDUs had single HCV infection. Three out of 76 (3.9%) had double HCV infection (1b/6a, 2a/2b and 2b/6a). Besides this, 27.6% (21/76) had no HCV signal. One IDU had subtype 6n and two had subtype 6w infection. Inno-LiPa II tests misclassified all 6n and 6w cases as 1b subtype. Our modified multiplex RT-PCR protocol can be used to support molecular epidemiological studies and laboratory diagnoses of different HCV subtypes including genotype 6. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rapid Generation of Marker-Free P. falciparum Fluorescent Reporter Lines Using Modified CRISPR/Cas9 Constructs and Selection Protocol.

PubMed

Mogollon, Catherin Marin; van Pul, Fiona J A; Imai, Takashi; Ramesar, Jai; Chevalley-Maurel, Séverine; de Roo, Guido M; Veld, Sabrina A J; Kroeze, Hans; Franke-Fayard, Blandine M D; Janse, Chris J; Khan, Shahid M

2016-01-01

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genome editing technique employed in a wide variety of organisms including recently the human malaria parasite, P. falciparum. Here we report on further improvements to the CRISPR/Cas9 transfection constructs and selection protocol to more rapidly modify the P. falciparum genome and to introduce transgenes into the parasite genome without the inclusion of drug-selectable marker genes. This method was used to stably integrate the gene encoding GFP into the P. falciparum genome under the control of promoters of three different Plasmodium genes (calmodulin, gapdh and hsp70). These genes were selected as they are highly transcribed in blood stages. We show that the three reporter parasite lines generated in this study (GFP@cam, GFP@gapdh and GFP@hsp70) have in vitro blood stage growth kinetics and drug-sensitivity profiles comparable to the parental P. falciparum (NF54) wild-type line. Both asexual and sexual blood stages of the three reporter lines expressed GFP-fluorescence with GFP@hsp70 having the highest fluorescent intensity in schizont stages as shown by flow cytometry analysis of GFP-fluorescence intensity. The improved CRISPR/Cas9 constructs/protocol will aid in the rapid generation of transgenic and modified P. falciparum parasites, including those expressing different reporters proteins under different (stage specific) promoters.

Rapid Generation of Marker-Free P. falciparum Fluorescent Reporter Lines Using Modified CRISPR/Cas9 Constructs and Selection Protocol

PubMed Central

Mogollon, Catherin Marin; van Pul, Fiona J. A.; Imai, Takashi; Ramesar, Jai; Chevalley-Maurel, Séverine; de Roo, Guido M.; Veld, Sabrina A. J.; Kroeze, Hans; Franke-Fayard, Blandine M. D.; Janse, Chris J.

2016-01-01

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genome editing technique employed in a wide variety of organisms including recently the human malaria parasite, P. falciparum. Here we report on further improvements to the CRISPR/Cas9 transfection constructs and selection protocol to more rapidly modify the P. falciparum genome and to introduce transgenes into the parasite genome without the inclusion of drug-selectable marker genes. This method was used to stably integrate the gene encoding GFP into the P. falciparum genome under the control of promoters of three different Plasmodium genes (calmodulin, gapdh and hsp70). These genes were selected as they are highly transcribed in blood stages. We show that the three reporter parasite lines generated in this study (GFP@cam, GFP@gapdh and GFP@hsp70) have in vitro blood stage growth kinetics and drug-sensitivity profiles comparable to the parental P. falciparum (NF54) wild-type line. Both asexual and sexual blood stages of the three reporter lines expressed GFP-fluorescence with GFP@hsp70 having the highest fluorescent intensity in schizont stages as shown by flow cytometry analysis of GFP-fluorescence intensity. The improved CRISPR/Cas9 constructs/protocol will aid in the rapid generation of transgenic and modified P. falciparum parasites, including those expressing different reporters proteins under different (stage specific) promoters. PMID:27997583

Restoring Bladder Function by Spinal Cord Neuromodulation in SCI

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

conduct interviews/ surveys , recruit participants, obtain consent, review records, etc. View For existing protocols: Item 2.0 has been modified and...apply: A mechanism such as Survey Monkey, Zoomerang, or an e-mail anonymizing service will be used to strip off the IP addresses for data submitted via...attach the following: Protocol, Dissertation Proposal or Study Plan Preliminary Data Surveys , Questionnaires or other instruments to be used with

Intensive Behavioral Treatment of Urinary Incontinence of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Archival Analysis of Procedures and Outcomes from an Outpatient Clinic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanney, Nicole M.; Jostad, Candice M.; LeBlanc, Linda A.; Carr, James E.; Castile, Allison J.

2013-01-01

LeBlanc, Crossett, Bennett, Detweiler, and Carr (2005) described an outpatient model for conducting intensive toilet training with young children with autism using a modified Azrin and Foxx, protocol. In this article, we summarize the use of the protocol in an outpatient setting and the outcomes achieved with a large sample of children with autism…

Strategies to improve fertility in post partum Bos indicus cows submitted to a fixed-time insemination protocol with GnRH and PGF2a

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In Experiment 1, we evaluated the effects of two lengths of progesterone exposure (CIDR; 7 vs. 14 d) prior to a modified CO-Synch protocol, with or without temporary weaning (TW) before GnRH treatments, on fertility of suckled Bos indicus Nelore cows (n = 283) and on calf performance. Timed AI (TAI)...

Determining Functional Aptamer-Protein Interaction by Biolayer Interferometry.

PubMed

Lou, Xinhui; Egli, Martin; Yang, Xianbin

2016-12-01

Short single-stranded nucleic acids called aptamers are widely being explored as recognition molecules of high affinity and specificity for binding a wide range of target molecules, particularly protein targets. In biolayer interferometry (BLI), a simple Dip-and-Read approach in which the aptamer-coated biosensors are dipped into microplate wells is used to study the interactions between an aptamer and its target protein. Here we describe the protocol for the analysis of the interaction between a well-characterized anti-thrombin RNA aptamer with thrombin (Basic Protocol). We also report on the protocol for the affinity screening of a panel of anti-thrombin RNA aptamers with a single phosphorodithioate (PS2) modification, whereby the position of the modification along the RNA backbone is varied systematically (Support Protocol). The PS2 modification uses two sulfur atoms to replace two non-bridging oxygen atoms at an internucleotide phosphodiester backbone linkage. The PS2-modified RNAs are nuclease resistant and several in vitro and in vivo assays have demonstrated their biological activity. For example, combining the PS2 with the 2'-OMe modification affords increased loading of modified small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) as well as enhanced gene-silencing antitumor activity. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fabrication of monodispersive nanoscale alginate-chitosan core-shell particulate systems for controlled release studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Körpe, Didem Aksoy; Malekghasemi, Soheil; Aydın, Uğur; Duman, Memed

2014-12-01

Biopolymers such as chitosan and alginate are widely used for controlled drug delivery systems. The present work aimed to develop a new protocol for preparation of monodisperse alginate-coated chitosan nanoparticles at nanoscale. Modifications of preparation protocol contain changing the pH of polymer solutions and adding extra centrifugation steps into the procedure. While chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized by ionic gelation method, they were coated with alginate by electrostatic interaction. The size, morphology, charge, and structural characterization of prepared core-shell nanoparticulated system were performed by AFM, Zeta sizer, and FTIR. BSA and DOX were loaded as test biomolecules to core and shell part of the nanoparticle, respectively. Release profiles of BSA and DOX were determined by spectrophotometry. The sizes of both chitosan and alginate-coated chitosan nanoparticles which were prepared by modified protocol were measured to be 50 ± 10 and 60 ± 3 nm, respectively. After loading BSA and DOX, the average size of the particles increased to 80 ± 7 nm. Moreover, while the zeta potential of chitosan nanoparticles was positive value, the value was inverted to negative after alginate coating. Release profile measurements of BSA and DOX were determined during 57 and 2 days, respectively. Our results demonstrated that monodisperse alginate-coated nanoparticles were synthesized and loaded successfully using our modified protocol.

[Application of DNA extraction kit, 'GM quicker' for detection of genetically modified soybeans].

PubMed

Sato, Noriko; Sugiura, Yoshitsugu; Tanaka, Toshitsugu

2012-01-01

Several DNA extraction methods have been officially introduced to detect genetically modified soybeans, but the choice of DNA extraction kits depend on the nature of the samples, such as grains or processed foods. To overcome this disadvantage, we examined whether the GM quicker kit is available for both grains and processed foods. We compared GM quicker with four approved DNA extraction kits in respect of DNA purity, copy numbers of lectin gene, and working time. We found that the DNA quality of GM quicker was superior to that of the other kits for grains, and the procedure was faster. However, in the case of processed foods, GM quicker was not superior to the other kits. We therefore investigated an unapproved GM quicker 3 kit, which is available for DNA extraction from processed foods, such as tofu and boiled soybeans. The GM quicker 3 kit provided good DNA quality from both grains and processed foods, so we made a minor modification of the GM quicker-based protocol that was suitable for processed foods, using GM quicker and its reagents. The modified method enhanced the performance of GM quicker with processed foods. We believe that GM quicker with the modified protocol is an excellent tool to obtain high-quality DNA from grains and processed foods for detection of genetically modified soybeans.

Extremity Regeneration of Soft Tissue Injury Using Growth Factor-Impregnated Gels

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

required repeated refinements. Four swine surgeries were performed, modifying the procedure after the first two and now with a successful and...post-operative pain management. Under the modified protocol, two swine surgeries have been successfully performed. Ongoing studies to determine the...Significant changes in use or care of human subjects, vertebrate animals, biohazards, and/or select agents Following the initial surgeries on two

The effects of whole body vibration on EMG activity of the upper extremity muscles in static modified push up position.

PubMed

Ashnagar, Zinat; Shadmehr, Azadeh; Hadian, Mohammadreza; Talebian, Saeed; Jalaei, Shohreh

2016-08-10

Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has been reported to change neuromuscular activity which indirectly assessed by electromyography (EMG). Although researches regarding the influence of WBV on EMG activity of the upper extremity muscles are in their infancy, contradictory findings have been reported as a result of dissimilar protocols. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of WBV on electromyography (EMG) activity of upper extremity muscles in static modified push up position. Forty recreationally active females were randomly assigned in WBV and control groups. Participants in WBV group received 5 sets of 30 seconds vibration at 5 mm (peak to peak) and 30 Hz by using vibratory platform. No vibration stimulus was used in the control group. Surface EMG was recorded from Upper Trapezius (UT), Serratus Anterior (SA), Biceps Brachii (BB) and Triceps Brachii (TB) muscles before, during and after the vibration protocol while the subjects maintained the static modified push up position. EMG signals were expressed as root mean square (EMGrms) and normalized by maximum voluntary exertion (MVE). EMGrms activity of the studied muscles increased significantly during the vibration protocol in the WBV group comparing to the control group (P ≤ 0.05). The results indicated that vibration stimulus transmitting via hands increased muscle activity of UT, SA, BB and TB muscles by an average of 206%, 60%, 106% and 120%, respectively, comparing to pre vibration values. These findings suggest that short exposure to the WBV could increase the EMGrms activity of the upper extremity muscles in the static modified push-up position. However, more sessions of WBV application require for a proper judgment.

Details of a prospective protocol for a collaborative meta-analysis of individual participant data from all randomized trials of intravenous rt-PA vs. control: statistical analysis plan for the Stroke Thrombolysis Trialists' Collaborative meta-analysis.

PubMed

2013-06-01

Thrombolysis with intravenous alteplase is both effective and safe when administered to particular types of patient within 4·5 hours of having an ischemic stroke. However, the extent to which effects might vary in different types of patient is uncertain. We describe the protocol for an updated individual patient data meta-analysis of trials of intravenous alteplase, including results from the recently reported third International Stroke Trial, in which a wide range of patients enrolled up to six-hours after stroke onset were randomized to alteplase vs. control. This protocol will specify the primary outcome for efficacy, specified prior to knowledge of the results from the third International Stroke Trial, as the proportion of patients having a 'favorable' stroke outcome, defined by modified Rankin Score 0-1 at final follow-up at three- to six-months. The primary analysis will be to estimate the extent to which the known benefit of alteplase on modified Rankin Score 0-1 diminishes with treatment delay, and the extent to which it is independently modified by age and stroke severity. Key secondary outcomes include effect of alteplase on death within 90 days; analyses of modified Rankin Score using ordinal, rather than dichotomous, methods; and effects of alteplase on symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, fatal intracranial hemorrhage, symptomatic ischemic brain edema and early edema, effacement and/or midline shift. This collaborative meta-analysis of individual participant data from all randomized trials of intravenous alteplase vs. control will demonstrate how the known benefits of alteplase on ischemic stroke outcome vary across different types of patient. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2013 World Stroke Organization.

Protocolized fluid therapy in brain-dead donors: the multicenter randomized MOnIToR trial.

PubMed

Al-Khafaji, Ali; Elder, Michele; Lebovitz, Daniel J; Murugan, Raghavan; Souter, Michael; Stuart, Susan; Wahed, Abdus S; Keebler, Ben; Dils, Dorrie; Mitchell, Stephanie; Shutterly, Kurt; Wilkerson, Dawn; Pearse, Rupert; Kellum, John A

2015-03-01

Critical shortages of organs for transplantation jeopardize many lives. Observational data suggest that better fluid management for deceased organ donors could increase organ recovery. We conducted the first large multicenter randomized trial in brain-dead donors to determine whether protocolized fluid therapy increases the number of organs transplanted. We randomly assigned donors to either protocolized or usual care in eight organ procurement organizations. A "protocol-guided fluid therapy" algorithm targeting the cardiac index, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure variation was used. Our primary outcome was the number of organs transplanted per donor, and our primary analysis was intention to treat. Secondary analyses included: (1) modified intention to treat where only subjects able to receive the intervention were included and (2) 12-month survival in transplant recipients. The study was stopped early. We enrolled 556 donors: 279 protocolized care and 277 usual care. Groups had similar characteristics at baseline. The study protocol could be implemented in 76 % of subjects randomized to the intervention. There was no significant difference in mean number of organs transplanted per donor: 3.39 organs per donor (95 % CI 3.14-3.63) with protocolized care compared to 3.29 usual care (95 % CI 3.04-3.54; mean difference, 0.1, 95 % CI -0.25 to 0.45; p = 0.56). In modified intention-to-treat analysis the mean number of organs increased (3.52 organs per donor, 95 % CI 3.23-3.8), but not statistically significantly (mean difference, 0.23, 95 % CI -0.15 to 0.61; p = 0.23). Among the 1,430 recipients of organs from study subjects with data available, 56 deaths (7.8 %) occurred in the protocolized care arm and 56 (7.9 %) in the usual care arm in the first year (hazard ratio: 0.97, p = 0.86). In brain-dead organ donors, protocol-guided fluid therapy compared to usual care may not increase the number of organs transplanted per donor.

Health surveillance under adverse ergonomics conditions – validity of a screening method adapted for the occupational health service

PubMed Central

Jonker, Dirk; Gustafsson, Ewa; Rolander, Bo; Arvidsson, Inger; Nordander, Catarina

2015-01-01

A new health surveillance protocol for work-related upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders has been validated by comparing the results with a reference protocol. The studied protocol, Health Surveillance in Adverse Ergonomics Conditions (HECO), is a new version of the reference protocol modified for application in the Occupational Health Service (OHS). The HECO protocol contains both a screening part and a diagnosing part. Sixty-three employees were examined. The screening in HECO did not miss any diagnosis found when using the reference protocol, but in comparison to the reference protocol considerable time savings could be achieved. Fair to good agreement between the protocols was obtained for one or more diagnoses in neck/shoulders (86%, k = 0.62) and elbow/hands (84%, k = 0.49). Therefore, the results obtained using the HECO protocol can be compared with a reference material collected with the reference protocol, and thus provide information of the magnitude of disorders in an examined work group. Practitioner Summary: The HECO protocol is a relatively simple physical examination protocol for identification of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and upper extremities. The protocol is a reliable and cost-effective tool for the OHS to use for occupational health surveillance in order to detect workplaces at high risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders. PMID:25761380

Robust Multi-unit Auction Protocol against False-name Bids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoo, Makoto; Sakurai, Yuko; Matsubara, Shigeo

This paper presents a new multi-unit auction protocol (IR protocol) that is robust against false-name bids. Internet auctions have become an integral part of Electronic Commerce and a promising field for applying agent and Artificial Intelligence technologies. Although the Internet provides an excellent infrastructure for executing auctions, the possibility of a new type of cheating called false-name bids has been pointed out. A false-name bid is a bid submitted under a fictitious name. A protocol called LDS has been developed for combinatorial auctions of multiple different items and has proven to be robust against false-name bids. Although we can modify the LDS protocol to handle multi-unit auctions, in which multiple units of an identical item are auctioned, the protocol is complicated and requires the auctioneer to carefully pre-determine the combination of bundles to obtain a high social surplus or revenue. For the auctioneer, our newly developed IR protocol is easier to use than the LDS, since the combination of bundles is automatically determined in a flexible manner according to the declared evaluation values of agents. The evaluation results show that the IR protocol can obtain a better social surplus than that obtained by the LDS protocol.

Copper-free route to triazole-modified peptidomimetic by the combination of two multicomponent reactions in one pot.

PubMed

Niu, Teng-fei; Gu, Lin; Yi, Wen-bin; Cai, Chun

2012-05-14

An efficient copper-free protocol for the synthesis of 5-methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-modified peptidomimetics through the combination of Ugi four-component reaction with a three-component cycloaddition, has been developed. The copper-free straightforward process is suitable for drug discovery. The chemoselective preparation of 1,4-disubstituted, triazole-modified peptidomimetics by using alkynyl substituted amines may have potential biological and synthetic application. At last, a "Lapinski type" analysis of the physical properties was performed, which is expected to help drug discovery.

Protocol for Tier 2 Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion at Corrective Action Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

622.92 600.12 437.08 433.44 411.1 Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) by NIOSH 6602 Modified Sulfur Hexafluoride 600 130 380 290 120 370 Notes: 1. VOC and SF6...6602 Modified Sulfur Hexafluoride 2400 2600 24 1500 260 14 18 1000 Notes: 1. VOC and SF6 samples were analyzed by Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. in...NIOSH 6602 Modified Sulfur Hexafluoride 3900 15 1800 1700 24 1600 Notes: 1. VOC and SF6 samples were analyzed by Columbia Analytical Services, Inc. in

An improved protocol for the preparation of total genomic DNA from isolates of yeast and mould using Whatman FTA filter papers.

PubMed

Borman, Andrew M; Fraser, Mark; Linton, Christopher J; Palmer, Michael D; Johnson, Elizabeth M

2010-06-01

Here, we present a significantly improved version of our previously published method for the extraction of fungal genomic DNA from pure cultures using Whatman FTA filter paper matrix technology. This modified protocol is extremely rapid, significantly more cost effective than our original method, and importantly, substantially reduces the problem of potential cross-contamination between sequential filters when employing FTA technology.

Is it economical to manage jointly for wood and carbon under the Climate Action Reserve Protocol? In: Standiford, Richard B.; Weller, Theodore J.; Piirto, Douglas D.; Stuart, John D., tech

Treesearch

Richard P. Thompson; Steve R. Auten

2012-01-01

To quantify the benefits and costs of modifying forest management for additional climate benefits, Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific demonstration forest was used to test the Climate Action Reserve's protocol and identify management strategies for both wood and carbon markets. Residing in the Southern Sub-district with its clearcutting restrictions, Swanton offers...

Modifying the ECC-based grouping-proof RFID system to increase inpatient medication safety.

PubMed

Ko, Wen-Tsai; Chiou, Shin-Yan; Lu, Erl-Huei; Chang, Henry Ker-Chang

2014-09-01

RFID technology is increasingly used in applications that require tracking, identification, and authentication. It attaches RFID-readable tags to objects for identification and execution of specific RFID-enabled applications. Recently, research has focused on the use of grouping-proofs for preserving privacy in RFID applications, wherein a proof of two or more tags must be simultaneously scanned. In 2010, a privacy-preserving grouping proof protocol for RFID based on ECC in public-key cryptosystem was proposed but was shown to be vulnerable to tracking attacks. A proposed enhancement protocol was also shown to have defects which prevented proper execution. In 2012, Lin et al. proposed a more efficient RFID ECC-based grouping proof protocol to promote inpatient medication safety. However, we found this protocol is also vulnerable to tracking and impersonation attacks. We then propose a secure privacy-preserving RFID grouping proof protocol for inpatient medication safety and demonstrate its resistance to such attacks.

Security of quantum key distribution with multiphoton components

PubMed Central

Yin, Hua-Lei; Fu, Yao; Mao, Yingqiu; Chen, Zeng-Bing

2016-01-01

Most qubit-based quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols extract the secure key merely from single-photon component of the attenuated lasers. However, with the Scarani-Acin-Ribordy-Gisin 2004 (SARG04) QKD protocol, the unconditionally secure key can be extracted from the two-photon component by modifying the classical post-processing procedure in the BB84 protocol. Employing the merits of SARG04 QKD protocol and six-state preparation, one can extract secure key from the components of single photon up to four photons. In this paper, we provide the exact relations between the secure key rate and the bit error rate in a six-state SARG04 protocol with single-photon, two-photon, three-photon, and four-photon sources. By restricting the mutual information between the phase error and bit error, we obtain a higher secure bit error rate threshold of the multiphoton components than previous works. Besides, we compare the performances of the six-state SARG04 with other prepare-and-measure QKD protocols using decoy states. PMID:27383014

Performance analysis of the ALOHA protocol with replication in a fading channel for the Mobile Satellite Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clare, L. P.; Yan, T.-Y.

1985-01-01

The analysis of the ALOHA random access protocol for communications channels with fading is presented. The protocol is modified to send multiple contiguous copies of a message at each transmission attempt. Both pure and slotted ALOHA channels are considered. A general two state model is used for the channel error process to account for the channel fading memory. It is shown that greater throughput and smaller delay may be achieved using repetitions. The model is applied to the analysis of the delay-throughput performance in a fading mobile communications environment. Numerical results are given for NASA's Mobile Satellite Experiment.

Exploring the Implementation of Steganography Protocols on Quantum Audio Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kehan; Yan, Fei; Iliyasu, Abdullah M.; Zhao, Jianping

2018-02-01

Two quantum audio steganography (QAS) protocols are proposed, each of which manipulates or modifies the least significant qubit (LSQb) of the host quantum audio signal that is encoded as an FRQA (flexible representation of quantum audio) audio content. The first protocol (i.e. the conventional LSQb QAS protocol or simply the cLSQ stego protocol) is built on the exchanges between qubits encoding the quantum audio message and the LSQb of the amplitude information in the host quantum audio samples. In the second protocol, the embedding procedure to realize it implants information from a quantum audio message deep into the constraint-imposed most significant qubit (MSQb) of the host quantum audio samples, we refer to it as the pseudo MSQb QAS protocol or simply the pMSQ stego protocol. The cLSQ stego protocol is designed to guarantee high imperceptibility between the host quantum audio and its stego version, whereas the pMSQ stego protocol ensures that the resulting stego quantum audio signal is better immune to illicit tampering and copyright violations (a.k.a. robustness). Built on the circuit model of quantum computation, the circuit networks to execute the embedding and extraction algorithms of both QAS protocols are determined and simulation-based experiments are conducted to demonstrate their implementation. Outcomes attest that both protocols offer promising trade-offs in terms of imperceptibility and robustness.

Performance Analysis of TCP Enhancements in Satellite Data Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broyles, Ren H.

1999-01-01

This research examines two proposed enhancements to the well-known Transport Control Protocol (TCP) in the presence of noisy communication links. The Multiple Pipes protocol is an application-level adaptation of the standard TCP protocol, where several TCP links cooperate to transfer data. The Space Communication Protocol Standard - Transport Protocol (SCPS-TP) modifies TCP to optimize performance in a satellite environment. While SCPS-TP has inherent advantages that allow it to deliver data more rapidly than Multiple Pipes, the protocol, when optimized for operation in a high-error environment, is not compatible with legacy TCP systems, and requires changes to the TCP specification. This investigation determines the level of improvement offered by SCPS-TP's Corruption Mode, which will help determine if migration to the protocol is appropriate in different environments. As the percentage of corrupted packets approaches 5 %, Multiple Pipes can take over five times longer than SCPS-TP to deliver data. At high error rates, SCPS-TP's advantage is primarily caused by Multiple Pipes' use of congestion control algorithms. The lack of congestion control, however, limits the systems in which SCPS-TP can be effectively used.

The Robinson Protocol: a treadmill anaerobic performance test.

PubMed

Robinson, Ellyn M; Graham, Louise B; Headley, Samuel A

2004-08-01

The current investigation was designed to further examine the reliability of the Robinson protocol, which is a run-to-exhaustion treadmill test. Robinson (10) originally examined this protocol with 5 subjects. The significance of the initial exploratory study was the impetus for expanding the study to examine the reliability of the protocol with a larger sample. Fifteen male subjects participated in 3 trial runs on the treadmill. The first trial was a modified McConnell (7) test to determine the aerobic capacity of each subject. The second and third trials were identical Robinson protocols (10). The first trial run mean, in seconds (262.04 +/- 74.50), was not significantly different from the second trial run mean (257.30 +/- 72.65), p = 0.526 (2 tailed). As expected, trial 1 and trial 2 were highly correlated (intraclass) (r = 0.927, p < 0.001). These results provide additional support for the hypothesis that the Robinson protocol with a greater subject pool is a reliable protocol that can be used in research studies interested in examining various physiological interventions or anaerobic training.

Modification of the restoration protocol for resin-based composite (RBC) restoratives (conventional and bulk fill) on cuspal movement and microleakage score in molar teeth.

PubMed

Politi, I; McHugh, L E J; Al-Fodeh, R S; Fleming, G J P

2018-05-29

To modify the resin-based composite (RBC) restoration protocol for standardised Class II cavities in third molar teeth restored using conventional RBCs or their bulk fill restorative counterparts. Employing cuspal deflection using a twin channel deflection measuring gauge (during) and microleakage to determine marginal integrity (following) RBC restoration, the modified restoration protocol results were compared with traditional (oblique) restoration of Class II cavities. Thirty-two sound third molar teeth, standardised by size and morphology, were subjected to standardised Class II cavity preparations and randomly allocated to four groups. Restorations were placed in conjunction with a universal bonding system and resin restorative materials were irradiated with a light-emitting-diode light-curing-unit. The cumulative buccal and palatal cuspal movements from a twin channel deflection measuring gauge were summed, the restored teeth fatigued thermally prior to immersion in 0.2% basic fuchsin dye for 24h, before sectioning and examination for microleakage. Teeth restored using conventional RBC materials had significantly higher mean total cuspal movement values compared with bulk fill resin restorative restoration (all p<0.0001). Teeth restored with Admira Fusion and Admira Fusion x-tra had significantly the lowest microleakage scores (all p<0.001) compared with Tetric EvoCeram and Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill restored teeth. The microleakage scores for the range of RBC materials tested were significantly reduced (all p<0.001) when the modified RBC restoration protocol was employed compared with the traditional Class II restoration technique. Modification of the RBC restoration protocol of some conventional RBCs and bulk fill resin restoratives significantly improve bond integrity and could be translated as a validation of the limited clinical studies available on bulk fill materials in the dental literature where Class II cavities perform less well than Class I cavities following extended follow-up. The results of the current study add further weight to experimental protocols employing cuspal movement (during) and cervical microleakage (following) RBC restoration of standardised cavities in natural dentition to provide an indication of polymerization shrinkage stress at the tooth/RBC restoration interface in a 'clinically meaningful context'. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A modified protocol for RNA extraction from different peach tissues suitable for gene isolation and real-time PCR analysis.

PubMed

Tong, Zhaoguo; Qu, Shenchun; Zhang, Jiyu; Wang, Fei; Tao, Jianmin; Gao, Zhihong; Zhang, Zhen

2012-03-01

RNA extraction is the first step in the study of gene isolation and expression. However, it is difficult to extract high quantity and quality RNA from tissues containing large quantities of polysaccharides and polyphenols. Peach (Prunus persica), in addition to containing high levels of polysaccharides and polyphenols, is a challenging starting material for RNA isolation using a single method because of different amounts of those substances in diverse tissues. Based on three reported methods, we developed a modified RNA isolation protocol to solve this problem, leading to high quality and quantity of total RNA from peach mesocarp tissues of fruits which were sampled from all developmental stages and different storage periods, as well as from other tissues including flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. With our modified method, 28-650 μg of total RNA was routinely obtained from per gram of fresh material, gave at least a 1.16-fold improvement by compared with those isolated by other seven methods. The RNA extracts were successfully used in downstream applications such as RT-PCR, RACE, and real-time PCR.

No information flow using statistical fluctuations and quantum cryptography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsson, Jan-Åke

2004-04-01

The communication protocol of Home and Whitaker [

Finite-data-size study on practical universal blind quantum computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qiang; Li, Qiong

2018-07-01

The universal blind quantum computation with weak coherent pulses protocol is a practical scheme to allow a client to delegate a computation to a remote server while the computation hidden. However, in the practical protocol, a finite data size will influence the preparation efficiency in the remote blind qubit state preparation (RBSP). In this paper, a modified RBSP protocol with two decoy states is studied in the finite data size. The issue of its statistical fluctuations is analyzed thoroughly. The theoretical analysis and simulation results show that two-decoy-state case with statistical fluctuation is closer to the asymptotic case than the one-decoy-state case with statistical fluctuation. Particularly, the two-decoy-state protocol can achieve a longer communication distance than the one-decoy-state case in this statistical fluctuation situation.

Coconut coir pith lignin: A physicochemical and thermal characterization.

PubMed

Asoka Panamgama, L; Peramune, P R U S K

2018-07-01

The structural and thermal features of coconut coir pith lignin, isolated by three different extraction protocols incorporating two different energy supply sources, were characterized by different analytical tools. The three different chemical extraction protocols were alkaline - 7.5% (w/v) NaOH, organosolv - 85% (v/v) formic and acetic acids at 7:3 (v/v) ratio and polyethylene glycol (PEG): water ratio at 80:20wt%. The two sources of energy were thermal or microwave. Raw lignins were modified by epichlorohydrin to enhance reactivity, and the characteristics of raw and modified lignins were comparatively analysed. Using the thermal energy source, the alkaline and organosolv processes obtained the highest and lowest lignin yields of 26.4±1.5wt% and 3.4±0.2wt%, respectively, as shown by wet chemical analysis. Specific functional group analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) revealed that significantly different amounts of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups exist in alkaline, organosolv and PEG lignins. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) illustrated that the lowest degradation onset temperature was recorded for organosolv lignin, and the overall order was organosolv

Chromoendoscopy in magnetically guided capsule endoscopy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia via conventional endoscopy is characterized by low interobserver agreement and poor correlation with histopathologic findings. Chromoendoscopy significantly enhances the visibility of mucosa irregularities, like metaplasia and dysplasia mucosa. Magnetically guided capsule endoscopy (MGCE) offers an alternative technology for upper GI examination. We expect the difficulties of diagnosis of neoplasm in conventional endoscopy to transfer to MGCE. Thus, we aim to chart a path for the application of chromoendoscopy on MGCE via an ex-vivo animal study. Methods We propose a modified preparation protocol which adds a staining step to the existing MGCE preparation protocol. An optimal staining concentration is quantitatively determined for different stain types and pathologies. To that end 190 pig stomach tissue samples with and without lesion imitations were stained with different dye concentrations. Quantitative visual criteria are introduced to measure the quality of the staining with respect to mucosa and lesion visibility. Thusly determined optimal concentrations are tested in an ex-vivo pig stomach experiment under magnetic guidance of an endoscopic capsule with the modified protocol. Results We found that the proposed protocol modification does not impact the visibility in the stomach or steerability of the endoscopy capsule. An average optimal staining concentration for the proposed protocol was found at 0.4% for Methylene blue and Indigo carmine. The lesion visibility is improved using the previously obtained optimal dye concentration. Conclusions We conclude that chromoendoscopy may be applied in MGCE and improves mucosa and lesion visibility. Systematic evaluation provides important information on appropriate staining concentration. However, further animal and human in-vivo studies are necessary. PMID:23758801

Instructions to "push as hard as you can" improve average chest compression depth in dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PubMed

Mirza, Muzna; Brown, Todd B; Saini, Devashish; Pepper, Tracy L; Nandigam, Hari Krishna; Kaza, Niroop; Cofield, Stacey S

2008-10-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with adequate chest compression depth appears to improve first shock success in cardiac arrest. We evaluate the effect of simplification of chest compression instructions on compression depth in dispatcher-assisted CPR protocol. Data from two randomized, double-blinded, controlled trials with identical methodology were combined to obtain 332 records for this analysis. Subjects were randomized to either modified Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) v11.2 protocol or a new simplified protocol. The main difference between the protocols was the instruction to "push as hard as you can" in the simplified protocol, compared to "push down firmly 2in. (5cm)" in MPDS. Data were recorded via a Laerdal ResusciAnne SkillReporter manikin. Primary outcome measures included: chest compression depth, proportion of compressions without error, with adequate depth and with total release. Instructions to "push as hard as you can", compared to "push down firmly 2in. (5cm)", resulted in improved chest compression depth (36.4 mm vs. 29.7 mm, p<0.0001), and improved median proportion of chest compressions done to the correct depth (32% vs. <1%, p<0.0001). No significant difference in median proportion of compressions with total release (100% for both) and average compression rate (99.7 min(-1) vs. 97.5 min(-1), p<0.56) was found. Modifying dispatcher-assisted CPR instructions by changing "push down firmly 2in. (5cm)" to "push as hard as you can" achieved improvement in chest compression depth at no cost to total release or average chest compression rate.

Retrospective analysis of 119 cases of pediatric acute promyelocytic leukemia: Comparisons of four treatment regimes

PubMed Central

LI, EN-QIN; XU, LING; ZHANG, ZHI-QUAN; XIAO, YAN; GUO, HAI-XIA; LUO, XUE-QUN; HU, QUN; LAI, DONG-BO; TU, LI-MING; JIN, RUN-MING

2012-01-01

Clinical trials have demonstrated that pediatric acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is highly curable. Small-scale studies have reported on the treatment of APL using one or two treatment regimes. Here, we report a multiple center-based study of 119 cases of pediatric APL treated with four regimes based on all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, laboratorial test results and treatment outcome of the pediatric APL patients. Regime 1 used an in-house developed protocol, regime 2 was modified from the PETHEMA LPA99 protocol, regime 3 was modified from the European-APL93 protocol, and regime 4 used a protocol suggested by the British Committee for Standards in Haematology. The overall complete remission rates for the four regimes were 88.9, 87.5, 97.1 and 87.5%, respectively, which exhibited no statistical difference. However, more favorable results were observed for regimes 2 and 3 than regimes 1 and 4, in terms of the estimated 3.5-year disease-free survivals, relapse rates, drug toxicity (including hepatotoxicity, cardiac arrhythmia, and differentiation syndrome) and sepsis. In conclusion, the overall outcomes were more favorable after treatment with regimes 2 and 3 than with regimes 1 and 4, and this may have been due to the specific compositions of regimes 2 and 3. PMID:23060929

DNA recovery from microhymenoptera using six non-destructive methodologies with considerations for subsequent preparation of museum slides.

PubMed

Guzmán-Larralde, Adriana J; Suaste-Dzul, Alba P; Gallou, Adrien; Peña-Carrillo, Kenzy I

2017-01-01

Because of the tiny size of microhymenoptera, successful morphological identification typically requires specific mounting protocols that require time, skills, and experience. Molecular taxonomic identification is an alternative, but many DNA extraction protocols call for maceration of the whole specimen, which is not compatible with preserving museum vouchers. Thus, non-destructive DNA isolation methods are attractive alternatives for obtaining DNA without damaging sample individuals. However, their performance needs to be assessed in microhymenopterans. We evaluated six non-destructive methods: (A) DNeasy® Blood & Tissue Kit; (B) DNeasy® Blood & Tissue Kit, modified; (C) Protocol with CaCl 2 buffer; (D) Protocol with CaCl 2 buffer, modified; (E) HotSHOT; and (F) Direct PCR. The performance of each DNA extraction method was tested across several microhymenopteran species by attempting to amplify the mitochondrial gene COI from insect specimens of varying ages: 1 day, 4 months, 3 years, 12 years, and 23 years. Methods B and D allowed COI amplification in all insects, while methods A, C, and E were successful in DNA amplification from insects up to 12 years old. Method F, the fastest, was useful in insects up to 4 months old. Finally, we adapted permanent slide preparation in Canada balsam for every technique. The results reported allow for combining morphological and molecular methodologies for taxonomic studies.

Protocols for treating patients with end-stage renal disease: a survey of undergraduate dental programs.

PubMed

Sturgill, Jeremiah; Howell, Scott; Perry, Maureen Munnelly; Kothari, Hemali

2016-11-01

Approximately 14% of Americans are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the result of progressing CKD continues to rise by 21,000 per year. There are no updated, evidence-based antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines for patients with renal disease undergoing dental treatment. The most recent was a scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2003. Presented in three parts, the goal of the first part of this study is to determine the current protocol being used to treat renal patients at U.S. dental schools. A 21 multiple-choice question survey was e-mailed to 58 clinic deans of accredited dental schools in the United States regarding renal treatment protocol details including antibiotic prophylaxis. Fifty-two percent of programs report having no established renal patient treatment protocol. For programs with a protocol, when using prophylactic antibiotics, 54% followed AHA protocol, whereas 62% used a modified protocol. There is a lack of consistent, established protocols among undergraduate dental programs. It is suggested that evidence-based guidelines for the safe treatment of patients be developed. © 2016 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hydrogen peroxide bleaching induces changes in the physical properties of dental restorative materials: Effects of study protocols.

PubMed

Yu, Hao; Zhang, Chang-Yuan; Wang, Yi-Ning; Cheng, Hui

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of study protocols on the effects of bleaching on the surface roughness, substance loss, flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM), Weibull parameters, and color of 7 restorative materials. The test materials included 4 composite resins, 1 glass-ionomer cement, 1 dental ceramic, and 1 polyacid-modified composite. The specimens were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 20) according to different study protocols: a bleaching group at 25°C (group 25B), a bleaching group at 37°C (group 37B), a control group at 25°C (group 25C), and a control group at 37°C (group 37C). The specimens in the bleaching group were treated with 40% hydrogen peroxide for 80 min at the respective environmental temperatures. The surface roughness, substance loss, FS, FM, and color of the specimens were measured before and after treatment. FS data were also subjected to Weibull analysis, which was used to estimate of the Weibull modulus (m) and the characteristic strength (σ 0 ). Surface roughness increased and significant color changes were observed for all tested specimens after bleaching treatment, except for the ceramic. After bleaching at 37°C, the polyacid-modified composite showed significantly reduced FS, FM, m, and σ 0 values in comparison to the control specimens stored at 37°C in whole saliva. Significant differences were also found between the 37B and 25B polyacid-modified composite groups in terms of surface roughness, FS, m, σ 0 , and color changes. Varying effects of bleaching on the physical properties of dental restorative materials were observed, and the influences of the study protocols on bleaching effects were found to be material-dependent. The influence of study protocols on the effects of bleaching on the surface roughness, flexural properties, and color of dental restorative materials are material-dependent and should be considered when evaluating the effects of bleaching on dental restorative materials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Improved In-house MALDI-TOF MS Protocol for Direct Cost-Effective Identification of Pathogens from Blood Cultures.

PubMed

Zhou, Menglan; Yang, Qiwen; Kudinha, Timothy; Sun, Liying; Zhang, Rui; Liu, Chang; Yu, Shuying; Xiao, Meng; Kong, Fanrong; Zhao, Yupei; Xu, Ying-Chun

2017-01-01

Background: Bloodstream infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide. Delays in the identification of microorganisms often leads to a poor prognosis. The application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) directly to blood culture (BC) broth can potentially identify bloodstream infections earlier, and facilitate timely management. Methods: We developed an "in-house" (IH) protocol for direct MALDI-TOF MS based identification of organisms in positive BCs. The IH protocol was initially evaluated and improved with spiked BC samples, and its performance was compared with the commercial Sepsityper™ kit using both traditional and modified cut-off values. We then studied in parallel the performance of the IH protocol and the colony MS identifications in positive clinical BC samples using only modified cut-off values. All discrepancies were investigated by "gold standard" of gene sequencing. Results: In 54 spiked BC samples, the IH method showed comparable results with Sepsityper™ after applying modified cut-off values. Specifically, accurate species and genus level identification was achieved in 88.7 and 3.9% of all the clinical monomicrobial BCs (284/301, 94.4%), respectively. The IH protocol exhibited superior performance for Gram negative bacteria than for Gram positive bacteria (92.8 vs. 82.4%). For anaerobes and yeasts, accurate species identification was achieved in 80.0 and 90.0% of the cases, respectively. For polymicrobial cultures (17/301, 5.6%), MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified a single species present in all the polymicrobial BCs under the Standard mode, while using the MIXED method, two species were correctly identified in 52.9% of the samples. Comparisons based on BC bottle type, showed that the BACTEC™ Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F culture vials performed the best. Conclusion: Our study provides a novel and effective sample preparation method for MALDI-TOF MS direct identification of pathogens from positive BC vials, with a lower cost ($1.5 vs. $ 7) albeit a slightly more laborious extracting process (an extra 15 min) compared with Sepsityper™ kit.

Validation of the custo screen pediatric blood pressure monitor according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010.

PubMed

Beime, Beate; Deutsch, Cornelia; Krüger, Ralf; Wolf, Andreas; Müller, Peter; Hammel, Gertrud; Bramlage, Peter

2017-05-01

The purpose of the study was to validate the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) device custo screen pediatric in children aged 3 to 12 years according to the International Protocol of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH-IP revision 2010). Thirty-three children were included and systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were performed according to the ESH-IP. The protocol was modified for children considering data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KIGGS). The custo screen pediatric met all the requirements of the ESH-IP. The mean difference between the test device and the reference was -1.4 ± 3.0 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and -0.7 ± 3.2 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). For SBP and DBP, all 99 measurements were within the absolute difference of 10 mmHg between the test device and the reference. As to part 2 of the protocol, for DBP in all subjects, two out of three measurements were within 5 mmHg between the device and the standard, whereas for SBP in 32 of 33 subjects, two out of three measurements were within this range. The custo screen pediatric met all criteria of the ESH-IP review 2010, modified for children from 3 to about 12 years, and can be recommended for ABPM in children. What is Known: • Validation of blood pressure measuring devices is essential to provide patients with an accurate blood pressure measuring device. • The majority of devices has not been validated in children. What is New: • Prior to the present validation, study protocol adjustments of ESH-IP review 2010 for children were defined according to German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents 2013 (KIGGS). • The custo screen pediatric test device met all criteria of ESH-IP revision 2010, modified for children, and can be recommended for ABPM in children aged 3 to about 12 years.

Ice nucleation by soil dust compared to desert dust aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moehler, O.; Steinke, I.; Ullrich, R.; Höhler, K.; Schiebel, T.; Hoose, C.; Funk, R.

2015-12-01

A minor fraction of atmospheric aerosol particles, so-called ice-nucleating particles (INPs), initiates the formation of the ice phase in tropospheric clouds and thereby markedly influences the Earth's weather and climate systems. Whether an aerosol particle acts as an INP depends on its size, morphology and chemical compositions. The INP fraction of certain aerosol types also strongly depends on the temperature and the relative humidity. Because both desert dust and soil dust aerosols typically comprise a variety of different particles, it is difficult to assess and predict their contribution to the atmospheric INP abundance. This requires both accurate modelling of the sources and atmospheric distribution of atmospheric dust components and detailed investigations of their ice nucleation activities. The latter can be achieved in laboratory experiments and parameterized for use in weather and climate models as a function of temperature and particle surface area, a parameter called ice-nucleation active site (INAS) density. Concerning ice nucleation activity studies, the soil dust is of particular interest because it contains a significant fraction of organics and biological components, both with the potential for contributing to the atmospheric INP abundance at relatively high temperatures compared to mineral components. First laboratory ice nucleation experiments with a few soil dust samples indicated their INP fraction to be comparable or slightly enhanced to that of desert dust. We have used the AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud simulation chamber to study the immersion freezing ability of four different arable soil dusts, sampled in Germany, China and Argentina. For temperatures higher than about -20°C, we found the INP fraction of aerosols generated from these samples by a dry dispersion technique to be significantly higher compared to various desert dust aerosols also investigated in AIDA experiments. In this contribution, we will summarize the experimental results, introduce related INP parameterizations for use in weather and climate models, and briefly discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy between the INP fraction of desert and soil dust aerosols.

A~comprehensive parameterization of heterogeneous ice nucleation of dust surrogate: laboratory study with hematite particles and its application to atmospheric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiranuma, N.; Paukert, M.; Steinke, I.; Zhang, K.; Kulkarni, G.; Hoose, C.; Schnaiter, M.; Saathoff, H.; Möhler, O.

2014-06-01

A new heterogeneous ice nucleation parameterization that covers a~wide temperature range (-36 to -78 °C) is presented. Developing and testing such an ice nucleation parameterization, which is constrained through identical experimental conditions, is critical in order to accurately simulate the ice nucleation processes in cirrus clouds. The surface-scaled ice nucleation efficiencies of hematite particles, inferred by ns, were derived from AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud chamber measurements under water subsaturated conditions that were realized by continuously changing temperature (T) and relative humidity with respect to ice (RHice) in the chamber. Our measurements showed several different pathways to nucleate ice depending on T and RHice conditions. For instance, almost T-independent freezing was observed at -60 °C < T < -50 °C, where RHice explicitly controlled ice nucleation efficiency, while both T and RHice played roles in other two T regimes: -78 °C < T < -60 °C and -50 °C < T < -36 °C. More specifically, observations at T colder than -60 °C revealed that higher RHice was necessary to maintain constant ns, whereas T may have played a significant role in ice nucleation at T warmer than -50 °C. We implemented new ns parameterizations into two cloud models to investigate its sensitivity and compare with the existing ice nucleation schemes towards simulating cirrus cloud properties. Our results show that the new AIDA-based parameterizations lead to an order of magnitude higher ice crystal concentrations and inhibition of homogeneous nucleation in colder temperature regions. Our cloud simulation results suggest that atmospheric dust particles that form ice nuclei at lower temperatures, below -36 °C, can potentially have stronger influence on cloud properties such as cloud longevity and initiation when compared to previous parameterizations.

Analysis of antibody aggregate content at extremely high concentrations using sedimentation velocity with a novel interference optics.

PubMed

Schilling, Kristian; Krause, Frank

2015-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies represent the most important group of protein-based biopharmaceuticals. During formulation, manufacturing, or storage, antibodies may suffer post-translational modifications altering their physical and chemical properties. Such induced conformational changes may lead to the formation of aggregates, which can not only reduce their efficiency but also be immunogenic. Therefore, it is essential to monitor the amount of size variants to ensure consistency and quality of pharmaceutical antibodies. In many cases, antibodies are formulated at very high concentrations > 50 g/L, mostly along with high amounts of sugar-based excipients. As a consequence, all routine aggregation analysis methods, such as size-exclusion chromatography, cannot monitor the size distribution at those original conditions, but only after dilution and usually under completely different solvent conditions. In contrast, sedimentation velocity (SV) allows to analyze samples directly in the product formulation, both with limited sample-matrix interactions and minimal dilution. One prerequisite for the analysis of highly concentrated samples is the detection of steep concentration gradients with sufficient resolution: Commercially available ultracentrifuges are not able to resolve such steep interference profiles. With the development of our Advanced Interference Detection Array (AIDA), it has become possible to register interferograms of solutions as highly concentrated as 150 g/L. The other major difficulty encountered at high protein concentrations is the pronounced non-ideal sedimentation behavior resulting from repulsive intermolecular interactions, for which a comprehensive theoretical modelling has not yet been achieved. Here, we report the first SV analysis of highly concentrated antibodies up to 147 g/L employing the unique AIDA ultracentrifuge. By developing a consistent experimental design and data fit approach, we were able to provide a reliable estimation of the minimum content of soluble aggregates in the original formulations of two antibodies. Limitations of the procedure are discussed.

A Comprehensive Parameterization of Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation of Dust Surrogate: Laboratory Study with Hematite Particles and Its Application to Atmospheric Models

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

Hiranuma, Naruki; Paukert, Marco; Steinke, Isabelle

2014-12-10

A new heterogeneous ice nucleation parameterization that covers a wide temperature range (-36 °C to -78 °C) is presented. Developing and testing such an ice nucleation parameterization, which is constrained through identical experimental conditions, is critical in order to accurately simulate the ice nucleation processes in cirrus clouds. The surface-scaled ice nucleation efficiencies of hematite particles, inferred by n s, were derived from AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud chamber measurements under water subsaturated conditions that were realized by continuously changing temperature (T) and relative humidity with respect to ice (RH ice) in the chamber. Our measurementsmore » showed several different pathways to nucleate ice depending on T and RH ice conditions. For instance, almost independent freezing was observed at -60 °C < T < -50 °C, where RH ice explicitly controlled ice nucleation efficiency, while both T and RH ice played roles in other two T regimes: -78 °C < T < -60 °C and -50 °C < T < -36 °C. More specifically, observations at T colder than -60 °C revealed that higher RHice was necessary to maintain constant n s, whereas T may have played a significant role in ice nucleation at T warmer than -50 °C. We implemented new n s parameterizations into two cloud models to investigate its sensitivity and compare with the existing ice nucleation schemes towards simulating cirrus cloud properties. Our results show that the new AIDA-based parameterizations lead to an order of magnitude higher ice crystal concentrations and inhibition of homogeneous nucleation in colder temperature regions. Our cloud simulation results suggest that atmospheric dust particles that form ice nuclei at lower temperatures, below -36 °C, can potentially have stronger influence on cloud properties such as cloud longevity and initiation when compared to previous parameterizations.« less

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Cool Virulence Factors of Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2.

PubMed

Meng, Fanhong; Babujee, Lavanya; Jacobs, Jonathan M; Allen, Caitilyn

2015-01-01

While most strains of the plant pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum are tropical, the race 3 biovar 2 (R3bv2) subgroup attacks plants in cooler climates. To identify mechanisms underlying this trait, we compared the transcriptional profiles of R. solanacearum R3bv2 strain UW551 and tropical strain GMI1000 at 20°C and 28°C, both in culture and during tomato pathogenesis. 4.2% of the ORFs in the UW551 genome and 7.9% of the GMI1000 ORFs were differentially expressed by temperature in planta. The two strains had distinct transcriptional responses to temperature change. GMI1000 up-regulated several stress response genes at 20°C, apparently struggling to cope with plant defenses. At the cooler temperature, R3bv2 strain UW551 up-regulated a cluster encoding a mannose-fucose binding lectin, LecM; a quorum sensing-dependent protein, AidA; and a related hypothetical protein, AidC. The last two genes are absent from the GMI1000 genome. In UW551, all three genes were positively regulated by the adjacent SolI/R quorum sensing system. These temperature-responsive genes were required for full virulence in R3bv2. Mutants lacking lecM, aidA, or aidC were each significantly more reduced in virulence on tomato at 20°C than at 28°C in both a naturalistic soil soak inoculation assay and when they were inoculated directly into tomato stems. The lecM and aidC mutants also survived poorly in potato tubers at the seed tuber storage temperature of 4°C, and the lecM mutant was defective in biofilm formation in vitro. Together, these results suggest novel mechanisms, including a lectin, are involved in the unique temperate epidemiology of R3bv2.

Reply to 'Comment on 'Quantum dense key distribution''

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

Degiovanni, I.P.; Berchera, I. Ruo; Castelletto, S.

2005-01-01

In this Reply we propose a modified security proof of the quantum dense key distribution protocol, detecting also the eavesdropping attack proposed by Wojcik in his Comment [Wojcik, Phys. Rev. A 71, 016301 (2005)].

Differences in ice nucleation behavior of arable and desert soil dust in deposition nucleation regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullrich, Romy; Vogel, Franziska; Möhler, Ottmar; Höhler, Kristina; Schiebel, Thea

2017-04-01

Soil dust from arid and semi-arid regions is one of the most abundant aerosol types in the atmosphere with emission rates of about 1600 Tg per year (Andreae et al. (2009)). Therewith, soil dust plays an important role for the atmospheric radiative transfer and also for the formation of clouds. Soil dust refers to dust sampled from agricultural used areas, to dust from bare soil as well as to dust from desert regions. By mass-spectrometric measurements of the chemical composition of ice residuals, mineral dust as component of soil dust was found to be the major heterogeneous ice nucleating particle (INP) type (e.g. Cziczo et al. (2013)), in particular in the upper troposphere. Also in laboratory studies the ice nucleation efficiency of the different soil dusts was investigated. It was shown that desert dusts (Ullrich et al. (2017)) as well as soil dusts from arable regions (O'Sullivan et al. (2014), Tobo et al. (2014)) are efficient INP. However, there is still a lack of data for ice nucleation on soil dusts for temperatures below about 220 K. With the AIDA (Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud chamber, we are able to characterize the ice nucleation efficiency for different aerosol types to temperatures down to 180 K and high ice supersaturations. In order to extend the already existing AIDA data base for deposition nucleation on desert dusts and agricultural soil dusts, new experiments were done in the upper tropospheric temperature regime. This contribution will show the results of the new experiments with desert dust in comparison to existing data for higher temperatures. The first data analysis confirms the temperature dependent trend of the ice nucleation activity as discussed and parameterized in a recent paper by Ullrich et al. (2017). Furthermore, the update and extension of the recently published parameterization of deposition nucleation for desert dust to lower temperatures will be discussed. The experiments with agricultural soil dust will be compared to existing AIDA experiments at higher temperatures published by Steinke et al. (2016). Finally, the ice nucleation activity of both desert dust and agricultural soil dust will be compared for the upper tropospheric temperature regime. Andreae et al. (2009), Sources and Nature of Atmospheric Aerosols, in Aerosol Pollution Impact on Precipitation - A Scientific Review, Ch.3, Springer Netherlands, 45-89 Cziczo et al. (2013), Clarifying the Dominant Sources and Mechanisms of Cirrus Cloud Formation, Science, 340, 1320-1324 O'Sullivan et al. (2014), Ice nucleation by fertile soil dusts: relative importance of mineral and biogenic components, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 1853-1867 Steinke et al. (2016), Ice nucleation activity of agricultural soil dust aerosols from Mongolia, Argentina and Germany, J. Geophys. Res., 121 Tobo et al. (2014), Organic matter matters for ice nuclei of agricultural soil origin, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 8521-8531 Ullrich et al. (2017), A new ice nucleation active site parametrization for desert dust and soot, J. Atmos. Sci., in press

α-Pinene secondary organic aerosol at low temperature: chemical composition and implications for particle viscosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei; Saathoff, Harald; Pajunoja, Aki; Shen, Xiaoli; Naumann, Karl-Heinz; Wagner, Robert; Virtanen, Annele; Leisner, Thomas; Mohr, Claudia

2018-02-01

Chemical composition, size distributions, and degree of oligomerization of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from α-pinene (C10H16) ozonolysis were investigated for low-temperature conditions (223 K). Two types of experiments were performed using two simulation chambers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: the Aerosol Preparation and Characterization (APC) chamber, and the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) chamber. Experiment type 1 simulated SOA formation at upper tropospheric conditions: SOA was generated in the AIDA chamber directly at 223 K at 61 % relative humidity (RH; experiment termed cold humid, CH) and for comparison at 6 % RH (experiment termed cold dry, CD) conditions. Experiment type 2 simulated SOA uplifting: SOA was formed in the APC chamber at room temperature (296 K) and < 1 % RH (experiment termed warm dry, WD) or 21 % RH (experiment termed warm humid, WH) conditions, and then partially transferred to the AIDA chamber kept at 223 K, and 61 % RH (WDtoCH) or 30 % RH (WHtoCH), respectively. Precursor concentrations varied between 0.7 and 2.2 ppm α-pinene, and between 2.3 and 1.8 ppm ozone for type 1 and type 2 experiments, respectively. Among other instrumentation, a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) coupled to a filter inlet for gases and aerosols (FIGAERO), deploying I- as reagent ion, was used for SOA chemical composition analysis. For type 1 experiments with lower α-pinene concentrations and cold SOA formation temperature (223 K), smaller particles of 100-300 nm vacuum aerodynamic diameter (dva) and higher mass fractions (> 40 %) of adducts (molecules with more than 10 carbon atoms) of α-pinene oxidation products were observed. For type 2 experiments with higher α-pinene concentrations and warm SOA formation temperature (296 K), larger particles ( ˜ 500 nm dva) with smaller mass fractions of adducts (< 35 %) were produced. We also observed differences (up to 20 °C) in maximum desorption temperature (Tmax) of individual compounds desorbing from the particles deposited on the FIGAERO Teflon filter for different experiments, indicating that Tmax is not purely a function of a compound's vapor pressure or volatility, but is also influenced by diffusion limitations within the particles (particle viscosity), interactions between particles deposited on the filter (particle matrix), and/or particle mass on the filter. Highest Tmax were observed for SOA under dry conditions and with higher adduct mass fraction; lowest Tmax were observed for SOA under humid conditions and with lower adduct mass fraction. The observations indicate that particle viscosity may be influenced by intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding between oligomers, and particle water uptake, even under such low-temperature conditions. Our results suggest that particle physicochemical properties such as viscosity and oligomer content mutually influence each other, and that variation in Tmax of particle desorptions may have implications for particle viscosity and particle matrix effects. The differences in particle physicochemical properties observed between our different experiments demonstrate the importance of taking experimental conditions into consideration when interpreting data from laboratory studies or using them as input in climate models.

Airborne hygrometer calibration inter-comparison against a metrological water vapour standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smorgon, Denis; Boese, Norbert; Ebert, Volker

2014-05-01

Water vapour is the most important atmospheric greenhouse gas, which causes a major feedback to warming and other changes in the climate system. Knowledge of the distribution of water vapour and its climate induced changes is especially important in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) where vapour plays a critical role in atmospheric radiative balance, cirrus cloud formation, and photochemistry. But, our understanding of water in the UT/LS is limited by significant uncertainties in current UT/LS water measurements. One of the most comprehensive inter-comparison campaigns for airborne hygrometers, termed AQUAVIT (AV1) [1], took place in 2007 at the AIDA chamber at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. AV1 was a well-defined, referred, blind inter-comparison of 22 airborne field instruments from 17 international research groups. One major metrological deficit of AV1, however, was, that no traceable reference instrument participated in the inter-comparison experiments and that the calibration procedures of the participating instruments were not monitored or interrogated. Consequently a follow-up inter-comparison was organized in April 2013, which for the first time also provides a traceable link to the international humidity scale. This AQUAVIT2 (AV2) campaign (details see: http://www.imk-aaf.kit.edu/aquavit/index.php/Main_Page) was again located at KIT/AIDA and organised by an international organizing committee including KIT, PTB, FZJ and others. Generally AV2 is divided in two parallel comparisons: 1) AV2-A uses the AIDA chamber for a simultaneous comparison of all instruments (incl. sampling and in-situ instruments) over a broad range of conditions characteristic for the UT/LS; 2) AV2-B, about which this paper is reporting, is a sequential comparison of selected hygrometers and (when possible) their reference calibration infrastructures by means of a chilled mirror hygrometer traced back to the primary National humidity standard of PTB and a validated, two-pressure generator acting as a highly stable and reproducible source of water vapour. The aim of AV2-B was to perform an absolute, metrological comparison of the field instruments/calibration infrastructures to the metrological humidity scale, and to collect essential information about methods and procedures used by the atmospheric community for instrument calibration and validation, in order to investigate e.g. the necessity and possible comparability advantage by a standardized calibration procedure. The work will give an overview over the concept of the AV2-B inter-comparison, the various general measurement and calibration principles, and discuss the outcome and consequences of the comparison effort. The AQUAVIT effort is linked to the EMRP project METEOMET (ENV07) and partially supported by the EMRP and ENV07. The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union. [1] H. Saathoff, C. Schiller, V. Ebert, D. W. Fahey, R.-S. Gao, O. Möhler, and the aquavit team, The AQUAVIT formal intercomparison of atmospheric water measurement methods, 5th General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, 13-18 April 2008, Vienna, Austria Keywords: humidity, water vapour, inter-comparison, airborne instruments.

Optimizing the NASA Technical Report Server

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Michael L.; Maa, Ming-Hokng

1996-01-01

The NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS), a World Wide Web report distribution NASA technical publications service, is modified for performance enhancement, greater protocol support, and human interface optimization. Results include: Parallel database queries, significantly decreasing user access times by an average factor of 2.3; access from clients behind firewalls and/ or proxies which truncate excessively long Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); access to non-Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) databases and compatibility with the 239-50.3 protocol; and a streamlined user interface.

Enantioselective Syntheses of (−)-Alloyohimbane and (−)-Yohimbane by an Efficient Enzymatic Desymmetrization Process

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Arun K.; Sarkar, Anindya

2016-01-01

Enantioselective syntheses of (−)-alloyohimbane and (−)-yohimbane was accomplished in a convergent manner. The key step involved a modified mild protocol for the enantioselective enzymatic desymmetrization of meso-diacetate. The protocol provided convenient access to an optically active monoacetate in multi-gram scale in high enantiomeric purity. This monoacetate was converted to (−)-alloyohimbane. Reductive amination of the derived aldehyde causes the isomerization leading to the trans-product and allows the synthesis of (−)-yohimbane. PMID:28757804

Modifications in trypsin digestion protocol for increasing the efficiency and coverage.

PubMed

Syal, Kirtimaan; Tadala, Raghu

2015-01-01

Standard trypsin digestion protocol of proteins followed by MALDI-MS analysis has been realized as an important tool for the identification and characterization of proteins. In this article, we proposed the elimination of the step of 'staining/de-staining of gel pieces' in in-gel digestion protocol in order to improve the efficiency of trypsin digestion. Coomassie dye is known to interfere with digestion of proteins by trypsin and the procedure of staining-de-staining could result in loss of photoaffinity probe, post translational modifications and catalytic activities of enzymes. Further, we studied parameters like hydrophobicity and isoelectric point, and attempted to quantitatively relate it to the efficiency of trypsin digestion. We suggest that properties of proteins should be considered and trypsin digestion protocol should be appropriately modified as per sequence and other information.

No information flow using statistical fluctuations and quantum cryptography

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

Larsson, Jan-Aake

2004-04-01

The communication protocol of Home and Whitaker [Phys. Rev. A 67, 022306 (2003)] is examined in some detail, and found to work equally well using a separable state. The protocol is in fact completely classical, based on postselection of suitable experimental runs. The quantum-cryptography protocol proposed in the same publication is also examined, and this protocol uses entanglement, a strictly quantum property of the system. An individual eavesdropping attack on each qubit pair would be detected by the security test proposed in the mentioned paper. However, the key is provided by groups of qubits, and there exists a coherent attack,more » internal to these groups, that will go unnoticed in that security test. A modified test is proposed here that will ensure security, even against such a coherent attack.« less

Two-party secret key distribution via a modified quantum secret sharing protocol.

PubMed

Grice, W P; Evans, P G; Lawrie, B; Legré, M; Lougovski, P; Ray, W; Williams, B P; Qi, B; Smith, A M

2015-03-23

We present and demonstrate a novel protocol for distributing secret keys between two and only two parties based on N-party single-qubit Quantum Secret Sharing (QSS). We demonstrate our new protocol with N = 3 parties using phase-encoded photons. We show that any two out of N parties can build a secret key based on partial information from each other and with collaboration from the remaining N - 2 parties. Our implementation allows for an accessible transition between N-party QSS and arbitrary two party QKD without modification of hardware. In addition, our approach significantly reduces the number of resources such as single photon detectors, lasers and dark fiber connections needed to implement QKD.

New Radiocarbon Dates on Upper Mid-West Proboscideans: Determining Date Robustness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodgins, G.; Widga, C.; Lengyel, S. N.; Saunders, J.; Walker, J. D.

2013-12-01

With the objective of refining the picture of Megafaunal extinction patterns in the upper Midwest in the terminal Pleistocene, we have assembled for radiocarbon dating specimens from more than 80 distinct Mammut and Mammuthus remains from potentially late sites. So far, we have measurements for 65 bones, tusks and teeth, nearly double the extant number of published dates . These new specimens were all from museums rather than excavation sites, and 60% were known to be coated with a consolidant. The predominant consolidant was Butvar B-76, however shellac, Elmer's Glue, Glyptol were also noted in the conservation records, or deduced from knowledge of a particular museum's practices. Given the objective of the project is to identify extinction patterns, coupled with the wide prevalence of consolidants amongst the specimen set, it was imperative that testing be carried out to confirm that radiocarbon laboratory protocols removed the consolidants, so that ultimately the dates can be considered robust. To this end, key specimens were dated three times using different sample preparation protocols. These were 1) a solvent extraction followed by a modified Longin-plus -Base continuous flow collagen extraction method used in the NSF-Arizona AMS facility, 2) the solvent/modified Longin method plus ultrafiltration, and 3) solvent/modified Longin method plus hydroxyproline single amino acid dating. Among the specimens subjected to triplicate testing were some of the youngest late Wisconsin proboscidean specimens from the Upper Midwest Region. The data reveal general agreement between the different protocols, and suggested either limited penetration of consolidants into the specimens, or that the standard laboratory cleaning protocols were sufficient to remove traces from deep within bone, tooth or tusk tissue. The preservation of each specimen, recorded in terms of collagen content, C/N ratio and stable isotope values, indicated that most were actually well preserved, implying the application of consolidant in the first place might have been unnecessary. The implications of these measurements, in terms of elucidating megafaunal extinction patterns, will be presented in future publications.

Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues.

PubMed

Meints, Lisa M; Poston, Anne W; Piligian, Brent F; Olson, Claire D; Badger, Katherine S; Woodruff, Peter J; Swarts, Benjamin M

2017-02-17

Chemically modified versions of trehalose, or trehalose analogues, have applications in biology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical science, among other fields. For instance, trehalose analogues bearing detectable tags have been used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis and may have applications as tuberculosis diagnostic imaging agents. Hydrolytically stable versions of trehalose are also being pursued due to their potential for use as non-caloric sweeteners and bioprotective agents. Despite the appeal of this class of compounds for various applications, their potential remains unfulfilled due to the lack of a robust route for their production. Here, we report a detailed protocol for the rapid and efficient one-step biocatalytic synthesis of trehalose analogues that bypasses the problems associated with chemical synthesis. By utilizing the thermostable trehalose synthase (TreT) enzyme from Thermoproteus tenax, trehalose analogues can be generated in a single step from glucose analogues and uridine diphosphate glucose in high yield (up to quantitative conversion) in 15-60 min. A simple and rapid non-chromatographic purification protocol, which consists of spin dialysis and ion exchange, can deliver many trehalose analogues of known concentration in aqueous solution in as little as 45 min. In cases where unreacted glucose analogue still remains, chromatographic purification of the trehalose analogue product can be performed. Overall, this method provides a "green" biocatalytic platform for the expedited synthesis and purification of trehalose analogues that is efficient and accessible to non-chemists. To exemplify the applicability of this method, we describe a protocol for the synthesis, all-aqueous purification, and administration of a trehalose-based click chemistry probe to mycobacteria, all of which took less than 1 hour and enabled fluorescence detection of mycobacteria. In the future, we envision that, among other applications, this protocol may be applied to the rapid synthesis of trehalose-based probes for tuberculosis diagnostics. For instance, short-lived radionuclide-modified trehalose analogues (e.g., 18 F-modified trehalose) could be used for advanced clinical imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).

Faked state attacks on realistic round robin DPS quantum key distribution systems and countermeasure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwakoshi, T.

2015-05-01

In May 2014, a new quantum key distribution protocol named "Round Robin Differential-Phase-Shift Quantum Key Distribution (RR DPS QKD)" was proposed. It has a special feature that the key consumption via privacy amplification is a small constant because RR DPS QKD guarantees its security by information causality, not by information-disturbance trade-off. Therefore, the authors claimed that RR DPS QKD systems does not need to monitor the disturbance by an attacker in the quantum channel. However, this study shows that a modified Faked-State Attack (or so-called bright illumination attack) can hack a RR DPS QKD system almost perfectly if it is implemented with realistic detectors even information-causality guarantees the security of RR DPS QKD protocol. Therefore, this study also proposes a possible Measurement-Device-Independent RR DPS QKD system to avoid the modified Faked-State Attack.

Modified CTAB and TRIzol protocols improve RNA extraction from chemically complex Embryophyta1

PubMed Central

Jordon-Thaden, Ingrid E.; Chanderbali, Andre S.; Gitzendanner, Matthew A.; Soltis, Douglas E.

2015-01-01

Premise of the study: Here we present a series of protocols for RNA extraction across a diverse array of plants; we focus on woody, aromatic, aquatic, and other chemically complex taxa. Methods and Results: Ninety-one taxa were subjected to RNA extraction with three methods presented here: (1) TRIzol/TURBO DNA-free kits using the manufacturer’s protocol with the addition of sarkosyl; (2) a combination method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and TRIzol/sarkosyl/TURBO DNA-free; and (3) a combination of CTAB and QIAGEN RNeasy Plant Mini Kit. Bench-ready protocols are given. Conclusions: After an iterative process of working with chemically complex taxa, we conclude that the use of TRIzol supplemented with sarkosyl and the TURBO DNA-free kit is an effective, efficient, and robust method for obtaining RNA from 100 mg of leaf tissue of land plant species (Embryophyta) examined. Our protocols can be used to provide RNA of suitable stability, quantity, and quality for transcriptome sequencing. PMID:25995975

Shape-coded silica nanotubes for multiplexed bioassay: rapid and reliable magnetic decoding protocols

PubMed Central

He, Bo; Kim, Sung Kyoung; Son, Sang Jun; Lee, Sang Bok

2010-01-01

Aims The recent development of 1D barcode arrays has proved their capabilities to be applicable to highly multiplexed bioassays. This article introduces two magnetic decoding protocols for suspension arrays of shape-coded silica nanotubes to process multiplexed assays rapidly and easily, which will benefit the minimization and automation of the arrays. Methods In the first protocol, the magnetic nanocrystals are incorporated into the inner voids of barcoded silica nanotubes in order to give the nanotubes magnetic properties. The second protocol is performed by trapping the barcoded silica nanotubes onto streptavidin-modified magnetic beads. Results The rapid and easy decoding process was demonstrated by applying the above two protocols to multiplexed assays, resulting in high selectivity. Furthermore, the magnetic bead-trapped barcode nanotubes provided a great opportunity to exclude the use of dye molecules in multiplexed assays by using barcode nanotubes as signals. Conclusion The rapid and easy manipulation of encoded carriers using magnetic properties could be used to develop promising suspension arrays for portable bioassays. PMID:20025466

Instructions to “push as hard as you can” improve average chest compression depth in dispatcher-assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

PubMed Central

Mirza, Muzna; Brown, Todd B.; Saini, Devashish; Pepper, Tracy L; Nandigam, Hari Krishna; Kaza, Niroop; Cofield, Stacey S.

2008-01-01

Background and Objective Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) with adequate chest compression depth appears to improve first shock success in cardiac arrest. We evaluate the effect of simplification of chest compression instructions on compression depth in dispatcher-assisted CPR protocol. Methods Data from two randomized, double-blinded, controlled trials with identical methodology were combined to obtain 332 records for this analysis. Subjects were randomized to either modified Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) v11.2 protocol or a new simplified protocol. The main difference between the protocols was the instruction to “push as hard as you can” in the simplified protocol, compared to “push down firmly 2 inches (5cm)” in MPDS. Data were recorded via a Laerdal® ResusciAnne® SkillReporter™ manikin. Primary outcome measures included: chest compression depth, proportion of compressions without error, with adequate depth and with total release. Results Instructions to “push as hard as you can”, compared to “push down firmly 2 inches (5cm)”, resulted in improved chest compression depth (36.4 vs 29.7 mm, p<0.0001), and improved median proportion of chest compressions done to the correct depth (32% vs <1%, p<0.0001). No significant difference in median proportion of compressions with total release (100% for both) and average compression rate (99.7 vs 97.5 per min, p<0.56) was found. Conclusions Modifying dispatcher-assisted CPR instructions by changing “push down firmly 2 inches (5cm)” to “push as hard as you can” achieved improvement in chest compression depth at no cost to total release or average chest compression rate. PMID:18635306

The Asteroid Impact Mission - Deflection Demonstration (AIM - D2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Küppers, M.; Michel, P.; Carnelli, I.

2017-09-01

The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is ESA's contribution to the international Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) cooperation, targeting the demonstration of deflection of a hazardous near-earth asteroid. AIM will also be the first in-depth investigation of a binary asteroid and make measurements that are relevant for the preparation of asteroid resource utilisation. AIM is foreseen to rendezvous with the binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos and to observe the system before, during, and after the impact of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft. Here we describe the observations to be done by the simplified version Asteroid Impact Mission - Deflection Demonstration (AIM-D2) and show that most of the original AIM objectives can still be achieved.

Simulations of initial MHD experiments on the Madison Dynamo Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connell, R.; Forest, C. B.; Goldwin, J. M.; Kendrick, R. D.; Canary, H. W.; Nornberg, M. D.; Jaun, A.

1999-11-01

Initial experiments for a liquid metal MHD device have been modelled using measurements from geometrically similar water experiments. In the low B limit the water flows are the same as sodium flows. Two codes have been written to predict 1) linear stability of the system and 2) the response of the system to an externally applied vertical magnetic field, using measured velocity profiles. Predictions are made for a first set of MHD experiments, including: a) demonstration of the distortion and amplification of externally applied magnetic fields by sheared flows, b) demonstration of the β-effect by measurement of the turbulent conductivity, c) demonstration of a turbulent α effect and d) characterization of magnetic eigenmodes.

Direct measurement of beta-delayed neutron emission at and beyond doubly-magic 78Ni

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoyama, Rin; Briken Collaboration Collaboration

2017-09-01

An experiment aiming to measure the beta-neutron-gamma decay properties of nuclei around 78Ni produced by in-flight fission of a 238U beam at 345 MeV/u and selected by means of BigRIPS was recently performed using the BRIKEN setup. The BRIKEN detector is composed of the AIDA implantation-decay array as well as 140 3He tubes and 2 HPGe clovers. The counting efficiency of a single beta-delayed neutron (β1 n) is above 60. National Nuclear Security Administration under the Stewardship Sci- ence Academic Alliances program through DOE Award No. DE- NA0002132 and the Office of Nuclear Physics, U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. DE-FG02-96ER40983.

A Modified Protocol for the Isolation of Primary Human Hepatocytes with Improved Viability and Function from Normal and Diseased Human Liver.

PubMed

Bartlett, David C; Newsome, Philip N

2017-01-01

Successful hepatocyte isolation is critical for continued development of cellular transplantation. However, most tissue available for research is from diseased liver and the results of hepatocyte isolation from such tissue are inferior compared to normal tissue. Here we describe a modified method, combining the use of Liberase and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), for the isolation of primary human hepatocytes with high viability from normal and diseased liver.

Optimization of Time-Resolved Fluorescence Assay for Detection of Eu-DOTA-labeled Ligand-Receptor Interactions

PubMed Central

De Silva, Channa R.; Vagner, Josef; Lynch, Ronald; Gillies, Robert J.; Hruby, Victor J.

2010-01-01

Lanthanide-based luminescent ligand binding assays are superior to traditional radiolabel assays due to improved sensitivity and affordability in high throughput screening while eliminating the use of radioactivity. Despite significant progress using lanthanide(III)-coordinated chelators such as DTPA derivatives, dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassays (DELFIA) have not yet been successfully used with more stable chelators, e.g. DOTA derivatives, due to the incomplete release of lanthanide(III) ions from the complex. Here, a modified and an optimized DELFIA procedure incorporating an acid treatment protocol is introduced for use with Eu(III)-DOTA labeled peptides. Complete release of Eu(III) ions from DOTA labeled ligands was observed using hydrochloric acid (2.0 M) prior to the luminescent enhancement step. NDP-α-MSH labeled with Eu(III)-DOTA was synthesized and the binding affinity to cells overexpressing the human melanocortin-4 receptors (hMC4R) was evaluated using the modified protocol. Binding data indicate that the Eu(III)-DOTA linked peptide bound to these cells with an affinity similar to its DTPA analogue. The modified DELFIA procedure was further used to monitor the binding of an Eu(III)-DOTA labeled heterobivalent peptide to the cells expressing both hMC4R and CCK-2 (Cholecystokinin) receptors. The modified assay provides superior results and is appropriate for high-throughput screening of ligand libraries. PMID:19852924

An Improved System for Generation of Diploid Cloned Porcine Embryos Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Synchronized to Metaphase.

PubMed

Kim, Eunhye; Zheng, Zhong; Jeon, Yubyeol; Jin, Yong-Xun; Hwang, Seon-Ung; Cai, Lian; Lee, Chang-Kyu; Kim, Nam-Hyung; Hyun, Sang-Hwan

2016-01-01

Pigs provide outstanding models of human genetic diseases due to their striking similarities with human anatomy, physiology and genetics. Although transgenic pigs have been produced using genetically modified somatic cells and nuclear transfer (SCNT), the cloning efficiency was extremely low. Here, we report an improved method to produce diploid cloned embryos from porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs), which were synchronized to the G2/M stage using a double blocking method with aphidicolin and nocodazole. The efficiency of this synchronization method on our piPSC lines was first tested. Then, we modified our traditional SCNT protocol to find a workable protocol. In particular, the removal of a 6DMAP treatment post-activation enhanced the extrusion rate of pseudo-second-polar bodies (p2PB) (81.3% vs. 15.8%, based on peak time, 4hpa). Moreover, an immediate activation method yielded significantly more blastocysts than delayed activation (31.3% vs. 16.0%, based on fused embryos). The immunofluorescent results confirmed the effect of the 6DMAP treatment removal, showing remarkable p2PB extrusion during a series of nuclear transfer procedures. The reconstructed embryos from metaphase piPSCs with our modified protocol demonstrated normal morphology at 2-cell, 4-cell and blastocyst stages and a high rate of normal karyotype. This study demonstrated a new and efficient way to produce viable cloned embryos from piPSCs when synchronized to the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, which may lead to opportunities to produce cloned pigs from piPSCs more efficiently.

An electronic specimen collection protocol schema (eSCPS). Document architecture for specimen management and the exchange of specimen collection protocols between biobanking information systems.

PubMed

Eminaga, O; Semjonow, A; Oezguer, E; Herden, J; Akbarov, I; Tok, A; Engelmann, U; Wille, S

2014-01-01

The integrity of collection protocols in biobanking is essential for a high-quality sample preparation process. However, there is not currently a well-defined universal method for integrating collection protocols in the biobanking information system (BIMS). Therefore, an electronic schema of the collection protocol that is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) is required to maintain the integrity and enable the exchange of collection protocols. The development and implementation of an electronic specimen collection protocol schema (eSCPS) was performed at two institutions (Muenster and Cologne) in three stages. First, we analyzed the infrastructure that was already established at both the biorepository and the hospital information systems of these institutions and determined the requirements for the sufficient preparation of specimens and documentation. Second, we designed an eSCPS according to these requirements. Finally, a prospective study was conducted to implement and evaluate the novel schema in the current BIMS. We designed an eSCPS that provides all of the relevant information about collection protocols. Ten electronic collection protocols were generated using the supplementary Protocol Editor tool, and these protocols were successfully implemented in the existing BIMS. Moreover, an electronic list of collection protocols for the current studies being performed at each institution was included, new collection protocols were added, and the existing protocols were redesigned to be modifiable. The documentation time was significantly reduced after implementing the eSCPS (5 ± 2 min vs. 7 ± 3 min; p = 0.0002). The eSCPS improves the integrity and facilitates the exchange of specimen collection protocols in the existing open-source BIMS.

The use of high-fidelity human patient simulation as an evaluative tool in the development of clinical research protocols and procedures.

PubMed

Wright, Melanie C; Taekman, Jeffrey M; Barber, Linda; Hobbs, Gene; Newman, Mark F; Stafford-Smith, Mark

2005-12-01

Errors in clinical research can be costly, in terms of patient safety, data integrity, and data collection. Data inaccuracy in early subjects of a clinical study may be associated with problems in the design of the protocol, procedures, and data collection tools. High-fidelity patient simulation centers provide an ideal environment to apply human-centered design to clinical trial development. A draft of a complex clinical protocol was designed, evaluated and modified using a high-fidelity human patient simulator in the Duke University Human Simulation and Patient Safety Center. The process included walk-throughs, detailed modifications of the protocol and development of procedural aids. Training of monitors and coordinators provided an opportunity for observation of performance that was used to identify further improvements to the protocol. Evaluative steps were used to design the research protocol and procedures. Iterative modifications were made to the protocol and data collection tools. The success in use of human simulation in the preparation of a complex clinical drug trial suggests the benefits of human patient simulation extend beyond training and medical equipment evaluation. Human patient simulation can provide a context for informal expert evaluation of clinical protocol design and for formal "rehearsal" to evaluate the efficacy of procedures and support tools.

The use of WaveLight® Contoura to create a uniform cornea: the LYRA Protocol. Part 1: the effect of higher-order corneal aberrations on refractive astigmatism

PubMed Central

Motwani, Manoj

2017-01-01

Purpose To demonstrate how higher-order corneal aberrations can cancel out, modify, or induce lower-order corneal astigmatism. Patients and methods Six representative eyes are presented that show different scenarios in which higher-order aberrations interacting with corneal astigmatism can affect the manifest refraction. WaveLight® Contoura ablation maps showing the higher-order aberrations are shown, as are results of correction with full measured correction using the LYRA (Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism) Protocol. Results Higher-order corneal aberrations such as trefoil, quadrafoil, and coma can create ovalization of the central cornea, which can interact with the ovalization caused by lower-order astigmatism to either induce, cancel out, or modify the manifest refraction. Contoura processing successfully determines the linkage of these interactions resulting in full astigmatism removal. Purely lenticular astigmatism appears to be rare, but a case is also demonstrated. The author theorizes that all aberrations require cerebral compensatory processing and can be removed, supported by the facts that full removal of aberrations and its linkage with lower-order astigmatism with the LYRA Protocol has not resulted in worse or unacceptable vision for any patients. Conclusion Higher-order aberrations interacting with lower-order astigmatism is the main reason for the differences between manifest refraction and Contoura measured astigmatism, and the linkage between these interactions can be successfully treated using Contoura and the LYRA Protocol. Lenticular astigmatism is relatively rare. PMID:28553069

The use of WaveLight® Contoura to create a uniform cornea: the LYRA Protocol. Part 1: the effect of higher-order corneal aberrations on refractive astigmatism.

PubMed

Motwani, Manoj

2017-01-01

To demonstrate how higher-order corneal aberrations can cancel out, modify, or induce lower-order corneal astigmatism. Six representative eyes are presented that show different scenarios in which higher-order aberrations interacting with corneal astigmatism can affect the manifest refraction. WaveLight ® Contoura ablation maps showing the higher-order aberrations are shown, as are results of correction with full measured correction using the LYRA (Layer Yolked Reduction of Astigmatism) Protocol. Higher-order corneal aberrations such as trefoil, quadrafoil, and coma can create ovalization of the central cornea, which can interact with the ovalization caused by lower-order astigmatism to either induce, cancel out, or modify the manifest refraction. Contoura processing successfully determines the linkage of these interactions resulting in full astigmatism removal. Purely lenticular astigmatism appears to be rare, but a case is also demonstrated. The author theorizes that all aberrations require cerebral compensatory processing and can be removed, supported by the facts that full removal of aberrations and its linkage with lower-order astigmatism with the LYRA Protocol has not resulted in worse or unacceptable vision for any patients. Higher-order aberrations interacting with lower-order astigmatism is the main reason for the differences between manifest refraction and Contoura measured astigmatism, and the linkage between these interactions can be successfully treated using Contoura and the LYRA Protocol. Lenticular astigmatism is relatively rare.

Generalized energy measurements and modified transient quantum fluctuation theorems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Gentaro; Venkatesh, B. Prasanna; Talkner, Peter

2014-05-01

Determining the work which is supplied to a system by an external agent provides a crucial step in any experimental realization of transient fluctuation relations. This, however, poses a problem for quantum systems, where the standard procedure requires the projective measurement of energy at the beginning and the end of the protocol. Unfortunately, projective measurements, which are preferable from the point of view of theory, seem to be difficult to implement experimentally. We demonstrate that, when using a particular type of generalized energy measurements, the resulting work statistics is simply related to that of projective measurements. This relation between the two work statistics entails the existence of modified transient fluctuation relations. The modifications are exclusively determined by the errors incurred in the generalized energy measurements. They are universal in the sense that they do not depend on the force protocol. Particularly simple expressions for the modified Crooks relation and Jarzynski equality are found for Gaussian energy measurements. These can be obtained by a sequence of sufficiently many generalized measurements which need not be Gaussian. In accordance with the central limit theorem, this leads to an effective error reduction in the individual measurements and even yields a projective measurement in the limit of infinite repetitions.

Ambient and laboratory measurements of ice nuclei and their biological faction with the Fast Ice Nuclei CHamber FINCH-HALO using the new 405nm Version of the BIO-IN Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bundke, U.; Nillius, B.; Bingemer, H.; Curtius, J.

2012-04-01

We have designed the BIO-IN detector as part of the ice nucleus counter FINCH (Fast Ice Nuclei CHamber counter) to distinguish activated Ice Nuclei (IN) ice crystals from water droplets (CCN) (Bundke et al. 2008) and their fraction of biological origin (Bundke 2010). The modified BIO-IN sensor illuminates an aerosol stream with a 405 nm laser, replacing a 365nm LED of the original BIO IN design. Particles will scatter the light and those of biological origin will show intrinsic fluorescence emissions by excitation of mainly Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2. The incident laser light is circularly polarized by introducing a quarter-wave-plate. The circular depolarization ratio (p44/p11) of the scattering matrix is measured in the backward direction by two photomultipliers at 110° scattering angle using a combination of quarter-wave-plate and a beam splitting cube to analyze the two circular polarization components. The detection limit was lowered towards particle size of about 400nm diameter (non activated particles). It is now possible to calculate the activated fraction of IN of biological origin with respect to all biological particles measured with one detector. The performance of the sensor will be demonstrated showing the circular- depolarization properties of different test aerosol, dust samples, volcanic ashes as well as different biological particles. Measurements on the mountain Puy de Dôme of IN number concentration of ambient air, as well as measurements at the AIDA facility in Karlsruhe of the IN activation curves from different bacteria are shown. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the German Research Foundation, Grant: BU 1432/3-2 BU 1432/4-1

Generation and purification of highly-specific antibodies for detecting post-translationally modified proteins in vivo

PubMed Central

Arur, Swathi; Schedl, Tim

2014-01-01

Post-translational modifications alter protein structure, affecting activity, stability, localization and/or binding partners. Antibodies that specifically recognize post-translationally modified proteins have a number of uses including immuno-cytochemistry and immuno-precipitation of the modified protein to purify protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid complexes. However, antibodies directed at modified sites on individual proteins are often non-specific. Here we describe a protocol to purify polyclonal antibodies that specifically detect the modified protein of interest. The approach uses iterative rounds of subtraction and affinity purification, using stringent washes to remove antibodies that recognize the unmodified protein and low sequence complexity epitopes containing the modified amino acid. Dot and western blots assays are employed to assess antibody preparation specificity. The approach is designed to overcome the common occurrence that a single round of subtraction and affinity purification is not sufficient to obtain a modified protein specific antibody preparation. One full round of antibody purification and specificity testing takes 6 days of discontinuous time. PMID:24457330

Reduction of adverse effects from intravenous acetylcysteine treatment for paracetamol poisoning: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Bateman, D Nicholas; Dear, James W; Thanacoody, H K Ruben; Thomas, Simon H L; Eddleston, Michael; Sandilands, Euan A; Coyle, Judy; Cooper, Jamie G; Rodriguez, Aryelly; Butcher, Isabella; Lewis, Steff C; Vliegenthart, A D Bastiaan; Veiraiah, Aravindan; Webb, David J; Gray, Alasdair

2014-02-22

Paracetamol poisoning is common worldwide. It is treated with intravenous acetylcysteine, but the standard regimen is complex and associated with frequent adverse effects related to concentration, which can cause treatment interruption. We aimed to ascertain whether adverse effects could be reduced with either a shorter modified acetylcysteine schedule, antiemetic pretreatment, or both. We undertook a double-blind, randomised factorial study at three UK hospitals, between Sept 6, 2010, and Dec 31, 2012. We randomly allocated patients with acute paracetamol overdose to either the standard intravenous acetylcysteine regimen (duration 20·25 h) or a shorter (12 h) modified protocol, with or without intravenous ondansetron pretreatment (4 mg). Masking was achieved by infusion of 5% dextrose (during acetylcysteine delivery) or saline (for antiemetic pretreatment). Randomisation was done via the internet and included a minimisation procedure by prognostic factors. The primary outcome was absence of vomiting, retching, or need for rescue antiemetic treatment at 2 h. Prespecified secondary outcomes included a greater than 50% increase in alanine aminotransferase activity over the admission value. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT01050270). Of 222 patients who underwent randomisation, 217 were assessable 2 h after the start of acetylcysteine treatment. Vomiting, retching, or need for rescue antiemetic treatment at 2 h was reported in 39 of 108 patients assigned to the shorter modified protocol compared with 71 of 109 allocated to the standard acetylcysteine regimen (adjusted odds ratio 0·26, 97·5% CI 0·13-0·52; p<0·0001), and in 45 of 109 patients who received ondansetron compared with 65 of 108 allocated placebo (0·41, 0·20-0·80; p=0·003). Severe anaphylactoid reactions were recorded in five patients assigned to the shorter modified acetylcysteine regimen versus 31 who were allocated to the standard protocol (adjusted common odds ratio 0·23, 97·5% CI 0·12-0·43; p<0·0001). The proportion of patients with a 50% increase in alanine aminotransferase activity did not differ between the standard (9/110) and shorter modified (13/112) regimens (adjusted odds ratio 0·60, 97·5% CI 0·20-1·83); however, the proportion was higher with ondansetron (16/111) than with placebo (6/111; 3·30, 1·01-10·72; p=0·024). In patients with paracetamol poisoning, a 12 h modified acetylcysteine regimen resulted in less vomiting, fewer anaphylactoid reactions, and reduced need for treatment interruption. This study was not powered to detect non-inferiority of the shorter protocol versus the standard approach; therefore, further research is needed to confirm the efficacy of the 12 h modified acetylcysteine regimen. Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. Copyright © 2014 Bateman et al. Open Access article distributed under the terms of CC BY. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PR-PR: Cross-Platform Laboratory Automation System

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

Linshiz, G; Stawski, N; Goyal, G

To enable protocol standardization, sharing, and efficient implementation across laboratory automation platforms, we have further developed the PR-PR open-source high-level biology-friendly robot programming language as a cross-platform laboratory automation system. Beyond liquid-handling robotics, PR-PR now supports microfluidic and microscopy platforms, as well as protocol translation into human languages, such as English. While the same set of basic PR-PR commands and features are available for each supported platform, the underlying optimization and translation modules vary from platform to platform. Here, we describe these further developments to PR-PR, and demonstrate the experimental implementation and validation of PR-PR protocols for combinatorial modified Goldenmore » Gate DNA assembly across liquid-handling robotic, microfluidic, and manual platforms. To further test PR-PR cross-platform performance, we then implement and assess PR-PR protocols for Kunkel DNA mutagenesis and hierarchical Gibson DNA assembly for microfluidic and manual platforms.« less

Assessing Sociability, Social Memory, and Pup Retrieval in Mice.

PubMed

Zimprich, Annemarie; Niessing, Jörn; Cohen, Lior; Garrett, Lillian; Einicke, Jan; Sperling, Bettina; Schmidt, Mathias V; Hölter, Sabine M

2017-12-20

Adaptive social behavior is important in mammals, both for the well-being of the individual and for the thriving of the species. Dysfunctions in social behavior occur in many neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diseases, and research into the genetic components of disease-relevant social deficits can open up new avenues for understanding the underlying biological mechanisms and therapeutic interventions. Genetically modified mouse models are particularly useful in this respect, and robust experimental protocols are needed to reliably assess relevant social behavior phenotypes. Here we describe in detail three protocols to quantitatively measure sociability, one of the most frequently investigated social behavior phenotypes in mice, using a three-chamber sociability test. These protocols can be extended to also assess social memory. In addition, we provide a detailed protocol on pup retrieval, which is a particularly robust maternal behavior amenable to various scientific questions. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

BioBlocks: Programming Protocols in Biology Made Easier.

PubMed

Gupta, Vishal; Irimia, Jesús; Pau, Iván; Rodríguez-Patón, Alfonso

2017-07-21

The methods to execute biological experiments are evolving. Affordable fluid handling robots and on-demand biology enterprises are making automating entire experiments a reality. Automation offers the benefit of high-throughput experimentation, rapid prototyping, and improved reproducibility of results. However, learning to automate and codify experiments is a difficult task as it requires programming expertise. Here, we present a web-based visual development environment called BioBlocks for describing experimental protocols in biology. It is based on Google's Blockly and Scratch, and requires little or no experience in computer programming to automate the execution of experiments. The experiments can be specified, saved, modified, and shared between multiple users in an easy manner. BioBlocks is open-source and can be customized to execute protocols on local robotic platforms or remotely, that is, in the cloud. It aims to serve as a de facto open standard for programming protocols in Biology.

PR-PR: cross-platform laboratory automation system.

PubMed

Linshiz, Gregory; Stawski, Nina; Goyal, Garima; Bi, Changhao; Poust, Sean; Sharma, Monica; Mutalik, Vivek; Keasling, Jay D; Hillson, Nathan J

2014-08-15

To enable protocol standardization, sharing, and efficient implementation across laboratory automation platforms, we have further developed the PR-PR open-source high-level biology-friendly robot programming language as a cross-platform laboratory automation system. Beyond liquid-handling robotics, PR-PR now supports microfluidic and microscopy platforms, as well as protocol translation into human languages, such as English. While the same set of basic PR-PR commands and features are available for each supported platform, the underlying optimization and translation modules vary from platform to platform. Here, we describe these further developments to PR-PR, and demonstrate the experimental implementation and validation of PR-PR protocols for combinatorial modified Golden Gate DNA assembly across liquid-handling robotic, microfluidic, and manual platforms. To further test PR-PR cross-platform performance, we then implement and assess PR-PR protocols for Kunkel DNA mutagenesis and hierarchical Gibson DNA assembly for microfluidic and manual platforms.

DNA elution from buccal cells stored on Whatman FTA Classic Cards using a modified methanol fixation method.

PubMed

Johanson, Helene C; Hyland, Valentine; Wicking, Carol; Sturm, Richard A

2009-04-01

We describe here a method for DNA elution from buccal cells and whole blood both collected onto Whatman FTA technology, using methanol fixation followed by an elution PCR program. Extracted DNA is comparable in quality to published Whatman FTA protocols, as judged by PCR-based genotyping. Elution of DNA from the dried sample is a known rate-limiting step in the published Whatman FTA protocol; this method enables the use of each 3-mm punch of sample for several PCR reactions instead of the standard, one PCR reaction per sample punch. This optimized protocol therefore extends the usefulness and cost effectiveness of each buccal swab sample collected, when used for nucleic acid PCR and genotyping.

Peach (Prunus persica L.).

PubMed

Sabbadini, Silvia; Pandolfini, Tiziana; Girolomini, Luca; Molesini, Barbara; Navacchi, Oriano

2015-01-01

Until now, the application of genetic transformation techniques in peach has been limited by the difficulties in developing efficient regeneration and transformation protocols. Here we describe an efficient regeneration protocol for the commercial micropropagation of GF677 rootstock (Prunus persica × Prunus amygdalus). The method is based on the production, via organogenesis, of meristematic bulk tissues characterized by a high competence for shoot regeneration. This protocol has also been used to obtain GF677 plants genetically engineered with an empty hairpin cassette (hereafter indicated as hp-pBin19), through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. After 7-8 months of selection on media containing kanamycin, we obtained two genetically modified GF677 lines. PCR and Southern blot analyses were performed to confirm the genetic status.

Experimental demonstration on the deterministic quantum key distribution based on entangled photons.

PubMed

Chen, Hua; Zhou, Zhi-Yuan; Zangana, Alaa Jabbar Jumaah; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Wu, Juan; Han, Yun-Guang; Wang, Shuang; Li, Hong-Wei; He, De-Yong; Tawfeeq, Shelan Khasro; Shi, Bao-Sen; Guo, Guang-Can; Chen, Wei; Han, Zheng-Fu

2016-02-10

As an important resource, entanglement light source has been used in developing quantum information technologies, such as quantum key distribution(QKD). There are few experiments implementing entanglement-based deterministic QKD protocols since the security of existing protocols may be compromised in lossy channels. In this work, we report on a loss-tolerant deterministic QKD experiment which follows a modified "Ping-Pong"(PP) protocol. The experiment results demonstrate for the first time that a secure deterministic QKD session can be fulfilled in a channel with an optical loss of 9 dB, based on a telecom-band entangled photon source. This exhibits a conceivable prospect of ultilizing entanglement light source in real-life fiber-based quantum communications.

Experimental demonstration on the deterministic quantum key distribution based on entangled photons

PubMed Central

Chen, Hua; Zhou, Zhi-Yuan; Zangana, Alaa Jabbar Jumaah; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Wu, Juan; Han, Yun-Guang; Wang, Shuang; Li, Hong-Wei; He, De-Yong; Tawfeeq, Shelan Khasro; Shi, Bao-Sen; Guo, Guang-Can; Chen, Wei; Han, Zheng-Fu

2016-01-01

As an important resource, entanglement light source has been used in developing quantum information technologies, such as quantum key distribution(QKD). There are few experiments implementing entanglement-based deterministic QKD protocols since the security of existing protocols may be compromised in lossy channels. In this work, we report on a loss-tolerant deterministic QKD experiment which follows a modified “Ping-Pong”(PP) protocol. The experiment results demonstrate for the first time that a secure deterministic QKD session can be fulfilled in a channel with an optical loss of 9 dB, based on a telecom-band entangled photon source. This exhibits a conceivable prospect of ultilizing entanglement light source in real-life fiber-based quantum communications. PMID:26860582

One-sided measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Wen-Fei; Zhen, Yi-Zheng; Zheng, Yu-Lin; Li, Li; Chen, Zeng-Bing; Liu, Nai-Le; Chen, Kai

2018-01-01

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol was proposed to remove all the detector side channel attacks, while its security relies on the trusted encoding systems. Here we propose a one-sided MDI-QKD (1SMDI-QKD) protocol, which enjoys detection loophole-free advantage, and at the same time weakens the state preparation assumption in MDI-QKD. The 1SMDI-QKD can be regarded as a modified MDI-QKD, in which Bob's encoding system is trusted, while Alice's is uncharacterized. For the practical implementation, we also provide a scheme by utilizing coherent light source with an analytical two decoy state estimation method. Simulation with realistic experimental parameters shows that the protocol has a promising performance, and thus can be applied to practical QKD applications.

Repeated Transmissions In Mobile/Satellite Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yan, Tsun-Yee; Clare, Loren P.

1988-01-01

Repetition increases throughput and decreases delay. Paper discusses theoretical performance of communication system for land-mobile stations with satellite relay using ALOHA random-access protocol modified for repeated transimssions. Methods and conclusions contribute to general understanding of packet communications in fading channels.

The Use of Molecular Techniques at Hazardous Waste Sites

EPA Science Inventory

It is clear that typical protocols used for soil analysis would certainly fail to adequately interrogate ground-water treatment systems unless they were substantially modified. The modifications found necessary to compensate for the low biomass include molecular tools and techniq...

Implementation of Quantum Private Queries Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chuan; Hao, Liang; Zhao, Lian-Jie

2011-08-01

We present a modified protocol for the realization of a quantum private query process on a classical database. Using one-qubit query and CNOT operation, the query process can be realized in a two-mode database. In the query process, the data privacy is preserved as the sender would not reveal any information about the database besides her query information, and the database provider cannot retain any information about the query. We implement the quantum private query protocol in a nuclear magnetic resonance system. The density matrix of the memory registers are constructed.

Performance analysis of replication ALOHA for fading mobile communications channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yan, Tsun-Yee; Clare, Loren P.

1986-01-01

This paper describes an ALOHA random access protocol for fading communications channels. A two-state Markov model is used for the channel error process to account for the channel fading memory. The ALOHA protocol is modified to send multiple contiguous copies of a message at each transmission attempt. Both pure and slotted ALOHA channels are considered. The analysis is applicable to fading environments where the channel memory is short compared to the propagation delay. It is shown that smaller delay may be achieved using replications and, in noisy conditions, can also improve throughput.

Improving the recovery of qPCR-grade DNA from sludge and sediment.

PubMed

Bonot, Sébastien; Courtois, Sophie; Block, Jean-Claude; Merlin, Christophe

2010-08-01

DNA extraction is often considered as the limiting step of most molecular approaches in ecology and environmental microbiology. Ten existing DNA extraction protocols were compared for recovery of DNA from sludge and a modified version of the protocol described by Porteous et al. (Mol Ecol 6:787-791, 1997) was determined to be the best method for recovery of DNA suitable for PCR. In this respect, it appeared that the commonly used guanidine isothiocyanate could impair the quality of the extracted DNA unless its concentration is lowered. Second, conditioning the samples as liquors as opposed to pellets critically impacts the outcome of the extraction. The suitability of the modified Porteous protocol for quantitative PCR applications is demonstrated in a series of experiments showing the absence of interfering coextracted inhibitors and the linear correspondence between the concentrations of input target DNA and PCR product. Interestingly, it is also shown that the nature of the environmental matrices affects the recovery yield of both circular plasmids and chromosomal DNA, resulting in an apparent fluctuation of the plasmid copy number per cell. This means that quantitative data obtained by PCR remain comparable as long as they apply to an identical target sequence extracted from a similar environment and amplified under the same conditions.

Effects of virtual reality training with modified constraint-induced movement therapy on upper extremity function in acute stage stroke: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Ji, Eun-Kyu; Lee, Sang-Heon

2016-11-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of virtual reality training combined with modified constraint-induced movement therapy on upper extremity motor function recovery in acute stage stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Four acute stage stroke patients participated in the study. A multiple baseline single subject experimental design was utilized. Modified constraint-induced movement therapy was used according to the EXplaining PLastICITy after stroke protocol during baseline sessions. Virtual reality training with modified constraint-induced movement therapy was applied during treatment sessions. The Manual Function Test and the Box and Block Test were used to measure upper extremity function before every session. [Results] The subjects' upper extremity function improved during the intervention period. [Conclusion] Virtual reality training combined with modified constraint-induced movement is effective for upper extremity function recovery in acute stroke patients.

Quantifying the benefits of improved rolling of chip seals : final report, June 2008.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-06-01

This report presents an improvement in the rolling protocol for chip seals based on an evaluation of aggregate : retention performance and aggregate embedment depth. The flip-over test (FOT), Vialit test, modified sand circle : test, digital image pr...

Study of consensus-based time synchronization in wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

He, Jianping; Li, Hao; Chen, Jiming; Cheng, Peng

2014-03-01

Recently, various consensus-based protocols have been developed for time synchronization in wireless sensor networks. However, due to the uncertainties lying in both the hardware fabrication and network communication processes, it is not clear how most of the protocols will perform in real implementations. In order to reduce such gap, this paper investigates whether and how the typical consensus-based time synchronization protocols can tolerate the uncertainties in practical sensor networks through extensive testbed experiments. For two typical protocols, i.e., Average Time Synchronization (ATS) and Maximum Time Synchronization (MTS), we first analyze how the time synchronization accuracy will be affected by various uncertainties in the system. Then, we implement both protocols on our sensor network testbed consisted of Micaz nodes, and investigate the time synchronization performance and robustness under various network settings. Noticing that the synchronized clocks under MTS may be slightly faster than the desirable clock, by adopting both maximum consensus and minimum consensus, we propose a modified protocol, MMTS, which is able to drive the synchronized clocks closer to the desirable clock while maintaining the convergence rate and synchronization accuracy of MTS. © 2013 ISA. Published by ISA. All rights reserved.

A Lightweight Protocol for Secure Video Streaming

PubMed Central

Morkevicius, Nerijus; Bagdonas, Kazimieras

2018-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) introduces many new challenges which cannot be solved using traditional cloud and host computing models. A new architecture known as fog computing is emerging to address these technological and security gaps. Traditional security paradigms focused on providing perimeter-based protections and client/server point to point protocols (e.g., Transport Layer Security (TLS)) are no longer the best choices for addressing new security challenges in fog computing end devices, where energy and computational resources are limited. In this paper, we present a lightweight secure streaming protocol for the fog computing “Fog Node-End Device” layer. This protocol is lightweight, connectionless, supports broadcast and multicast operations, and is able to provide data source authentication, data integrity, and confidentiality. The protocol is based on simple and energy efficient cryptographic methods, such as Hash Message Authentication Codes (HMAC) and symmetrical ciphers, and uses modified User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to embed authentication data into streaming data. Data redundancy could be added to improve reliability in lossy networks. The experimental results summarized in this paper confirm that the proposed method efficiently uses energy and computational resources and at the same time provides security properties on par with the Datagram TLS (DTLS) standard. PMID:29757988

A Lightweight Protocol for Secure Video Streaming.

PubMed

Venčkauskas, Algimantas; Morkevicius, Nerijus; Bagdonas, Kazimieras; Damaševičius, Robertas; Maskeliūnas, Rytis

2018-05-14

The Internet of Things (IoT) introduces many new challenges which cannot be solved using traditional cloud and host computing models. A new architecture known as fog computing is emerging to address these technological and security gaps. Traditional security paradigms focused on providing perimeter-based protections and client/server point to point protocols (e.g., Transport Layer Security (TLS)) are no longer the best choices for addressing new security challenges in fog computing end devices, where energy and computational resources are limited. In this paper, we present a lightweight secure streaming protocol for the fog computing "Fog Node-End Device" layer. This protocol is lightweight, connectionless, supports broadcast and multicast operations, and is able to provide data source authentication, data integrity, and confidentiality. The protocol is based on simple and energy efficient cryptographic methods, such as Hash Message Authentication Codes (HMAC) and symmetrical ciphers, and uses modified User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to embed authentication data into streaming data. Data redundancy could be added to improve reliability in lossy networks. The experimental results summarized in this paper confirm that the proposed method efficiently uses energy and computational resources and at the same time provides security properties on par with the Datagram TLS (DTLS) standard.

Predicting skin sensitization potential and inter-laboratory reproducibility of a human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT) in the European Cosmetics Association (COLIPA) ring trials.

PubMed

Sakaguchi, Hitoshi; Ryan, Cindy; Ovigne, Jean-Marc; Schroeder, Klaus R; Ashikaga, Takao

2010-09-01

Regulatory policies in Europe prohibited the testing of cosmetic ingredients in animals for a number of toxicological endpoints. Currently no validated non-animal test methods exist for skin sensitization. Evaluation of changes in cell surface marker expression in dendritic cell (DC)-surrogate cell lines represents one non-animal approach. The human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT) examines the level of CD86 and CD54 expression on the surface of THP-1 cells, a human monocytic leukemia cell line, following 24h of chemical exposure. To examine protocol transferability, between-lab reproducibility, and predictive capacity, the h-CLAT has been evaluated by five independent laboratories in several ring trials (RTs) coordinated by the European Cosmetics Association (COLIPA). The results of the first and second RTs demonstrated that the protocol was transferable and basically had good between-lab reproducibility and predictivity, but there were some false negative data. To improve performance, protocol and prediction model were modified. Using the modified prediction model in the first and second RT, accuracy was improved. However, about 15% of the outcomes were not correctly identified, which exposes some of the limitations of the assay. For the chemicals evaluated, the limitation may due to chemical being a weak allergen or having low solubility (ex. alpha-hexylcinnamaldehyde). The third RT evaluated the modified prediction model and satisfactory results were obtained. From the RT data, the feasibility of utilizing cell lines as surrogate DC in development of in vitro skin sensitization methods shows promise. The data also support initiating formal pre-validation of the h-CLAT in order to fully understand the capabilities and limitations of the assay. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low dietary boron reduces parasite (nematoda) survival and alters cytokine profiles but the infection modifies liver minerals in mice.

PubMed

Bourgeois, Annie-Claude; Scott, Marilyn E; Sabally, Kebba; Koski, Kristine G

2007-09-01

Although boron (B) is an essential trace mineral, any interactions that it may have with gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections are unknown. This study explored whether low dietary B would: 1) alter survival or reproduction of Heligmosomoides bakeri (Nematoda); 2) modify the resulting cytokine response to this parasitic infection; or 3) influence liver mineral concentrations in the infected host. Balb/c mice were fed either a low-B (0.2 microg B/g), marginal (2.0 microg B/g), or control (12.0 microg B/g) diet. Diets commenced 3 wk before a primary infection and were fed for 4 wk (primary infection protocol) and 8-9 wk (challenge infection protocol). Mice were killed 6 d post-primary infection (d6ppi), or dewormed then reinfected (challenge infection protocol) and killed 14 or 21 d post-challenge infection (d14pci or d21pci, respectively). Low and marginal dietary B intakes impaired survival of the parasite, reduced intestinal inflammation, and modulated a broad range of cytokines and chemokines despite similar liver B concentrations in diet groups. Compared with control mice, cytokine production was lower following low and marginal B intakes at d6ppi but was elevated at d21pci. Serum alkaline phosphatase was higher at d6ppi than at d14pci and d21pci. Compared with d14pci, liver zinc, iron, and B concentrations were reduced at d21pci when worm numbers were also lower, whereas concentrations of sodium, potassium, molybdenum, chromium, and sulfur were higher. This study shows that parasite survival and cytokine and inflammatory responses are modified by dietary B intake but indicates that a GI nematode infection alters liver mineral concentrations.

Cftr gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells mediated by Small Fragment Homologous Replacement (SFHR).

PubMed

Sangiuolo, Federica; Scaldaferri, Maria Lucia; Filareto, Antonio; Spitalieri, Paola; Guerra, Lorenzo; Favia, Maria; Caroppo, Rosa; Mango, Ruggiero; Bruscia, Emanuela; Gruenert, Dieter C; Casavola, Valeria; De Felici, Massimo; Novelli, Giuseppe

2008-01-01

Different gene targeting approaches have been developed to modify endogenous genomic DNA in both human and mouse cells. Briefly, the process involves the targeting of a specific mutation in situ leading to the gene correction and the restoration of a normal gene function. Most of these protocols with therapeutic potential are oligonucleotide based, and rely on endogenous enzymatic pathways. One gene targeting approach, "Small Fragment Homologous Replacement (SFHR)", has been found to be effective in modifying genomic DNA. This approach uses small DNA fragments (SDF) to target specific genomic loci and induce sequence and subsequent phenotypic alterations. This study shows that SFHR can stably introduce a 3-bp deletion (deltaF508, the most frequent cystic fibrosis (CF) mutation) into the Cftr (CF Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) locus in the mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell genome. After transfection of deltaF508-SDF into murine ES cells, SFHR-mediated modification was evaluated at the molecular levels on DNA and mRNA obtained from transfected ES cells. About 12% of transcript corresponding to deleted allele was detected, while 60% of the electroporated cells completely lost any measurable CFTR-dependent chloride efflux. The data indicate that the SFHR technique can be used to effectively target and modify genomic sequences in ES cells. Once the SFHR-modified ES cells differentiate into different cell lineages they can be useful for elucidating tissue-specific gene function and for the development of transplantation-based cellular and therapeutic protocols.

Modified Lung Ultrasonographic Technique for Evaluation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Lateral Decubitus Position.

PubMed

Vassalou, Evangelia E; Raissaki, Maria; Magkanas, Eleftherios; Antoniou, Katerina M; Karantanas, Apostolos H

2017-12-01

To compare lung ultrasonography (US) in the sitting or supine positions and the lateral decubitus position, with regard to the feasibility, duration, patient convenience, and assessment of B-lines, in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Twenty consecutive patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were prospectively enrolled. Lung US included scanning of 56 intercostal spaces. Each patient was examined twice by 2 protocols. During protocol 1, patients were examined in the supine and sitting positions for the anterior and dorsal chest, respectively. During protocol 2, patients were examined in the left lateral decubitus position for the evaluation of the right hemithorax and the reverse. Total, anterior, and posterior US scores resulted from the sum of B-lines at the whole, anterior, and posterior chest, respectively. High-resolution computed tomography (CT) was considered the reference standard. The duration of each protocol was recorded. Patients were questioned about which protocol they preferred. There was no difference regarding feasibility between the protocols. A significant correlation was found between total US scores for both protocols and high-resolution CT findings (P < .0001), with protocol 2 showing a slightly higher correlation. A positive correlation was found between the protocols regarding total, anterior, and posterior US scores (P < .0001). The mean duration of protocol 2 was less than that of protocol 1 (P < .005). Nineteen patients (95%) reported a preference for protocol 2. Lung US in the lateral decubitus position seems to be faster and more convenient. There appears to be no difference regarding feasibility and the number of B-lines, whereas it shows slightly higher correlation with high-resolution CT, compared with the sitting or supine positions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Faster modified protocol for first order reversal curve measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Biasi, Emilio

2017-10-01

In this work we present a faster modified protocol for first order reversal curve (FORC) measurements. The main idea of this procedure is to use the information of the ascending and descending branches constructed through successive sweeps of magnetic field. The new method reduces the number of field sweeps to almost one half as compared to the traditional method. The length of each branch is reduced faster than in the usual FORC protocol. The new method implies not only a new measurement protocol but also a new recipe for the previous treatment of the data. After of these pre-processing, the FORC diagram can be obtained by the conventional methods. In the present work we show that the new FORC procedure leads to results identical to the conventional method if the system under study follows the Stoner-Wohlfarth model with interactions that do not depend of the magnetic state (up or down) of the entities, as in the Preisach model. More specifically, if the coercive and interactions fields are not correlated, and the hysteresis loops have a square shape. Some numerical examples show the comparison between the usual FORC procedure and the propose one. We also discuss that it is possible to find some differences in the case of real systems, due to the magnetic interactions. There is no reason to prefer one FORC method over the other from the point of view of the information to be obtained. On the contrary, the use of both methods could open doors for a more accurate and deep analysis.

Calculating the momentum enhancement factor for asteroid deflection studies

DOE PAGES

Heberling, Tamra; Gisler, Galen; Plesko, Catherine; ...

2017-10-17

The possibility of kinetic-impact deflection of threatening near-Earth asteroids will be tested for the first time in the proposed AIDA (Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment) mission, involving NASAs DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test). The impact of the DART spacecraft onto the secondary of the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos at a speed of 5 to 7 km/s is expected to alter the mutual orbit by an observable amount. Furthermore, the velocity transferred to the secondary depends largely on the momentum enhancement factor, typically referred to as beta. Here, we use two hydrocodes developed at Los Alamos, RAGE and PAGOSA, to calculate anmore » approximate value for beta in laboratory-scale benchmark experiments. Convergence studies comparing the two codes show the importance of mesh size in estimating this crucial parameter.« less

Calculating the momentum enhancement factor for asteroid deflection studies

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

Heberling, Tamra; Gisler, Galen; Plesko, Catherine

The possibility of kinetic-impact deflection of threatening near-Earth asteroids will be tested for the first time in the proposed AIDA (Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment) mission, involving NASAs DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test). The impact of the DART spacecraft onto the secondary of the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos at a speed of 5 to 7 km/s is expected to alter the mutual orbit by an observable amount. Furthermore, the velocity transferred to the secondary depends largely on the momentum enhancement factor, typically referred to as beta. Here, we use two hydrocodes developed at Los Alamos, RAGE and PAGOSA, to calculate anmore » approximate value for beta in laboratory-scale benchmark experiments. Convergence studies comparing the two codes show the importance of mesh size in estimating this crucial parameter.« less

A proposed group management scheme for XTP multicast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Bert J.; Weaver, Alfred C.

1990-01-01

The purpose of a group management scheme is to enable its associated transfer layer protocol to be responsive to user determined reliability requirements for multicasting. Group management (GM) must assist the client process in coordinating multicast group membership, allow the user to express the subset of the multicast group that a particular multicast distribution must reach in order to be successful (reliable), and provide the transfer layer protocol with the group membership information necessary to guarantee delivery to this subset. GM provides services and mechanisms that respond to the need of the client process or process level management protocols to coordinate, modify, and determine attributes of the multicast group, especially membership. XTP GM provides a link between process groups and their multicast groups by maintaining a group membership database that identifies members in a name space understood by the underlying transfer layer protocol. Other attributes of the multicast group useful to both the client process and the data transfer protocol may be stored in the database. Examples include the relative dispersion, most recent update, and default delivery parameters of a group.

Comparison of several von Willebrand factor (VWF) activity assays for monitoring patients undergoing treatment with VWF/FVIII concentrates: improved performance with a new modified automated method.

PubMed

Hillarp, A; Friedman, K D; Adcock-Funk, D; Tiefenbacher, S; Nichols, W L; Chen, D; Stadler, M; Schwartz, B A

2015-11-01

The ability of von Willebrand factor (VWF) to bind platelet GP Ib and promote platelet plug formation is measured in vitro using the ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo) assay. Automated assay systems make testing more accessible for diagnosis, but do not necessarily improve sensitivity and accuracy. We assessed the performance of a modified automated VWF:RCo assay protocol for the Behring Coagulation System (BCS(®) ) compared to other available assay methods. Results from different VWF:RCo assays in a number of specialized commercial and research testing laboratories were compared using plasma samples with varying VWF:RCo activities (0-1.2 IU mL(-1) ). Samples were prepared by mixing VWF concentrate or plasma standard into VWF-depleted plasma. Commercially available lyophilized standard human plasma was also studied. Emphasis was put on the low measuring range. VWF:RCo accuracy was calculated based on the expected values, whereas precision was obtained from repeated measurements. In the physiological concentration range, most of the automated tests resulted in acceptable accuracy, with varying reproducibility dependent on the method. However, several assays were inaccurate in the low measuring range. Only the modified BCS protocol showed acceptable accuracy over the entire measuring range with improved reproducibility. A modified BCS(®) VWF:RCo method can improve sensitivity and thus enhances the measuring range. Furthermore, the modified BCS(®) assay displayed good precision. This study indicates that the specific modifications - namely the combination of increased ristocetin concentration, reduced platelet content, VWF-depleted plasma as on-board diluent and a two-curve calculation mode - reduces the issues seen with current VWF:RCo activity assays. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reducing Operating Room Costs Through Real-Time Cost Information Feedback: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Tabib, Christian H; Bahler, Clinton D; Hardacker, Thomas J; Ball, Kevin M; Sundaram, Chandru P

2015-08-01

To create a protocol for providing real-time operating room (OR) cost feedback to surgeons. We hypothesize that this protocol will reduce costs in a responsible way without sacrificing quality of care. All OR costs were obtained and recorded for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Before the beginning of this project, costs pertaining to the 20 most recent cases were analyzed. Items were identified from previous cases as modifiable for replacement or omission. Timely feedback of total OR costs and cost of each item used was provided to the surgeon after each case, and costs were analyzed. A cost analysis of the robot-assisted partial nephrectomy before the washout period indicates expenditures of $5243.04 per case. Ten recommended modifiable items were found to have an average per case cost of $1229.33 representing 23.4% of the total cost. A postwashout period cost analysis found the total OR cost decreased by $899.67 (17.2%) because of changes directly related to the modifiable items. Therefore, 73.2% of the possible identified savings was realized. The same stepwise approach was applied to laparoscopic donor nephrectomies. The average total cost per case before the washout period was $3530.05 with $457.54 attributed to modifiable items. After the washout period, modifiable items costs were reduced by $289.73 (8.0%). No complications occurred in the donor nephrectomy cases while one postoperative complication occurred in the partial nephrectomy group. Providing surgeons with feedback related to OR costs may lead to a change in surgeon behavior and decreased overall costs. Further studies are needed to show equivalence in patient outcomes.

Standardization and performance evaluation of "modified" and "ultrasensitive" versions of the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay, adapted to quantify minimal residual viremia.

PubMed

Amendola, Alessandra; Bloisi, Maria; Marsella, Patrizia; Sabatini, Rosella; Bibbò, Angela; Angeletti, Claudio; Capobianchi, Maria Rosaria

2011-09-01

Numerous studies investigating clinical significance of HIV-1 minimal residual viremia (MRV) suggest potential utility of assays more sensitive than those routinely used to monitor viral suppression. However currently available methods, based on different technologies, show great variation in detection limit and input plasma volume, and generally suffer from lack of standardization. In order to establish new tools suitable for routine quantification of minimal residual viremia in patients under virological suppression, some modifications were introduced into standard procedure of the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay leading to a "modified" and an "ultrasensitive" protocols. The following modifications were introduced: calibration curve extended towards low HIV-1 RNA concentration; 4 fold increased sample volume by concentrating starting material; reduced volume of internal control; adoption of "open-mode" software for quantification. Analytical performances were evaluated using the HIV-1 RNA Working Reagent 1 for NAT assays (NIBSC). Both tests were applied to clinical samples from virologically suppressed patients. The "modified" and the "ultrasensitive" configurations of the assay reached a limit of detection of 18.8 (95% CI: 11.1-51.0 cp/mL) and 4.8 cp/mL (95% CI: 2.6-9.1 cp/mL), respectively, with high precision and accuracy. In clinical samples from virologically suppressed patients, "modified" and "ultrasensitive" protocols allowed to detect and quantify HIV RNA in 12.7% and 46.6%, respectively, of samples resulted "not-detectable", and in 70.0% and 69.5%, respectively, of samples "detected <40 cp/mL" in the standard assay. The "modified" and "ultrasensitive" assays are precise and accurate, and easily adoptable in routine diagnostic laboratories for measuring MRV. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-yield recombinant expression and purification of marginally soluble, short elastin-like polypeptides.

PubMed

Bahniuk, Markian S; Alshememry, Abdullah K; Unsworth, Larry D

2016-12-01

The protocol described here is designed as an extension of existing techniques for creating elastin-like polypeptides. It allows for the expression and purification of elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) constructs that are poorly expressed or have very low transition temperatures. DNA concatemerization has been modified to reduce issues caused by methylation sensitivity and inefficient cloning. Linearization of the modified expression vector has been altered to greatly increase cleavage efficiency. The purification regimen is based upon using denaturing metal affinity chromatography to fully solubilize and, if necessary, pre-concentrate the target peptide before purification by inverse temperature cycling (ITC). This protocol has been used to express multiple leucine-containing elastin-like polypeptides, with final yields of 250-660 mg per liter of cells, depending on the specific construct. This was considerably greater than previously reported yields for similar ELPs. Due to the relative hydrophobicity of the tested constructs, even compared with commonly employed ELPs, conventional methods would not have been able to be purify these peptides.

Modified Dynamic Decode-and-Forward Relaying Protocol for Type II Relay in LTE-Advanced and Beyond

PubMed Central

Nam, Sung Sik; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Choi, Seyeong

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a modified dynamic decode-and-forward (MoDDF) relaying protocol to meet the critical requirements for user equipment (UE) relays in next-generation cellular systems (e.g., LTE-Advanced and beyond). The proposed MoDDF realizes the fast jump-in relaying and the sequential decoding with an application of random codeset to encoding and re-encoding process at the source and the multiple UE relays, respectively. A subframe-by-subframe decoding based on the accumulated (or buffered) messages is employed to achieve energy, information, or mixed combining. Finally, possible early termination of decoding at the end user can lead to the higher spectral efficiency and more energy saving by reducing the frequency of redundant subframe transmission and decoding. These attractive features eliminate the need of directly exchanging control messages between multiple UE relays and the end user, which is an important prerequisite for the practical UE relay deployment. PMID:27898712

Modified Dynamic Decode-and-Forward Relaying Protocol for Type II Relay in LTE-Advanced and Beyond.

PubMed

Nam, Sung Sik; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Choi, Seyeong

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a modified dynamic decode-and-forward (MoDDF) relaying protocol to meet the critical requirements for user equipment (UE) relays in next-generation cellular systems (e.g., LTE-Advanced and beyond). The proposed MoDDF realizes the fast jump-in relaying and the sequential decoding with an application of random codeset to encoding and re-encoding process at the source and the multiple UE relays, respectively. A subframe-by-subframe decoding based on the accumulated (or buffered) messages is employed to achieve energy, information, or mixed combining. Finally, possible early termination of decoding at the end user can lead to the higher spectral efficiency and more energy saving by reducing the frequency of redundant subframe transmission and decoding. These attractive features eliminate the need of directly exchanging control messages between multiple UE relays and the end user, which is an important prerequisite for the practical UE relay deployment.

Composition of a Vision Screen for Servicemembers With Traumatic Brain Injury: Consensus Using a Modified Nominal Group Technique

PubMed Central

Finkelstein, Marsha; Llanos, Imelda; Scheiman, Mitchell; Wagener, Sharon Gowdy

2014-01-01

Vision impairment is common in the first year after traumatic brain injury (TBI), including among service members whose brain injuries occurred during deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Occupational therapy practitioners provide routine vision screening to inform treatment planning and referral to vision specialists, but existing methods are lacking because many tests were developed for children and do not screen for vision dysfunction typical of TBI. An expert panel was charged with specifying the composition of a vision screening protocol for servicemembers with TBI. A modified nominal group technique fostered discussion and objective determinations of consensus. After considering 29 vision tests, the panel recommended a nine-test vision screening that examines functional performance, self-reported problems, far–near acuity, reading, accommodation, convergence, eye alignment and binocular vision, saccades, pursuits, and visual fields. Research is needed to develop reliable, valid, and clinically feasible vision screening protocols to identify TBI-related vision disorders in adults. PMID:25005505

Route Flap Damping Made Usable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelsser, Cristel; Maennel, Olaf; Mohapatra, Pradosh; Bush, Randy; Patel, Keyur

The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the de facto inter-domain routing protocol of the Internet, is known to be noisy. The protocol has two main mechanisms to ameliorate this, MinRouteAdvertisementInterval (MRAI), and Route Flap Damping (RFD). MRAI deals with very short bursts on the order of a few to 30 seconds. RFD deals with longer bursts, minutes to hours. Unfortunately, RFD was found to severely penalize sites for being well-connected because topological richness amplifies the number of update messages exchanged. So most operators have disabled it. Through measurement, this paper explores the avenue of absolutely minimal change to code, and shows that a few RFD algorithmic constants and limits can be trivially modified, with the result being damping a non-trivial amount of long term churn without penalizing well-behaved prefixes' normal convergence process.

Air pollution effects on food quality. 2nd annual progress report

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

Pell, E.J.

1979-02-01

Progress is reported in studies to determine the effect of acute, toxic exposures of ozone to alfalfa, potato, and soybean plants. The objective has been to correlate the foliar response with alterations in quality of the edible portion of the plant viz. the leaf, tuber and seed of alfalfa, potato and soybean, respectively. In 1977 we (1) modified our fumigation facilities, (2) developed protocol for studies with alfalfa and potato, and (3) conducted studies on flavonoid status of alfalfa and a series of parameters of potato tubers. In 1978 we (1) conducted more indepth studies with alfalfa, (2) repeated themore » potato study, (3) began to develop protocol for measuring additional parameters of alfalfa and potato quality, and (4) developed protocol for cultivating and exposing soybean plants.« less

GMOMETHODS: the European Union database of reference methods for GMO analysis.

PubMed

Bonfini, Laura; Van den Bulcke, Marc H; Mazzara, Marco; Ben, Enrico; Patak, Alexandre

2012-01-01

In order to provide reliable and harmonized information on methods for GMO (genetically modified organism) analysis we have published a database called "GMOMETHODS" that supplies information on PCR assays validated according to the principles and requirements of ISO 5725 and/or the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry protocol. In addition, the database contains methods that have been verified by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed in the context of compliance with an European Union legislative act. The web application provides search capabilities to retrieve primers and probes sequence information on the available methods. It further supplies core data required by analytical labs to carry out GM tests and comprises information on the applied reference material and plasmid standards. The GMOMETHODS database currently contains 118 different PCR methods allowing identification of 51 single GM events and 18 taxon-specific genes in a sample. It also provides screening assays for detection of eight different genetic elements commonly used for the development of GMOs. The application is referred to by the Biosafety Clearing House, a global mechanism set up by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to facilitate the exchange of information on Living Modified Organisms. The publication of the GMOMETHODS database can be considered an important step toward worldwide standardization and harmonization in GMO analysis.

Comparative effectiveness of light-microscopic techniques and PCR in detecting Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia) infections in red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta).

PubMed

Milks, Maynard L; Sokolova, Yuliya Y; Isakova, Irina A; Fuxa, James R; Mitchell, Forrest; Snowden, Karen F; Vinson, S Bradleigh

2004-01-01

The main goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three staining techniques (calcofluor white M2R, Giemsa and modified trichrome), and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting the microsporidium Thelohania solenopsae in red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). The effect of the number of ants in a sample on the sensitivity of the staining techniques and the PCR, and the effect of three DNA extraction protocols on the sensitivity of PCR were also examined. In the first protocol, the ants were macerated and the crude homogenate was used immediately in the PCR. In the second protocol, the homogenate was placed on a special membrane (FTA card) that traps DNA, which is subsequently used in the PCR. In the third protocol, the DNA was purified from the homogenate by traditional phenol-chloroform extraction. Except for PCR using FTA cards, the sensitivity (number of samples positive for T. solenopsae) of all detection techniques increased with the number of ants in the sample. Overall, Giemsa was the least sensitive of all detection techniques. Calcofluor was more sensitive than modified trichrome with ants from one site and was equally as sensitive as PCR with crude DNA or a FTA card with ants from both sites. Trichrome staining was equally as sensitive as PCR with a FTA card at both sites, but it was less sensitive than PCR with crude DNA at one site. PCR on FTA cards was less sensitive than PCR with crude DNA for ants from one site but not the other. There was no difference whether crude or phenol-chloroform purified DNA was used as template. In summary, the results of this study show that PCR based on a crude DNA solution is equal to or more sensitive in detecting T. solenopsae than the other detection techniques investigated, and that it can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for screening field samples of S. invicta for T. solenopsae. Nevertheless, ant smear stained with calcofluor or modified trichrome should be used to buttress findings from PCR.

Efficacy of standard (SLA) and modified sandblasted and acid-etched (SLActive) dental implants in promoting immediate and/or early occlusal loading protocols: a systematic review of prospective studies.

PubMed

Chambrone, Leandro; Shibli, Jamil Awad; Mercúrio, Carlos Eduardo; Cardoso, Bruna; Preshaw, Philip M

2015-04-01

To assess the survival percentage, clinical and radiographic outcomes of sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) dental implants and its modified surface (SLActive) in protocols involving immediate and early occlusal loading. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register CENTRAL were searched in duplicate up to, and including, June 2013 to include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective observational studies of at least 6-month duration published in all languages. Studies limited to patients treated with SLA and/or SLActive implants involving a treatment protocol describing immediate and early loading of these implants were eligible for inclusion. Data on clinical and/or radiographic outcomes following implant placement were considered for inclusion. Of the 447 potentially eligible publications identified by the search strategy, seven RCTs comprising a total of 853 implants (8% titanium plasma-sprayed, 41.5% SLA and 50.5% SLActive) and 12 prospective observational studies including 1394 SLA and 145 SLActive implants were included in this review. According to the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias, one of the studies was considered to be at a low risk of bias, whereas the remaining studies were considered to be at an unclear risk. Regarding the observational studies, all of them presented a medium methodological quality based on the Modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale. There were no significant differences reported in the studies in relation to implant loss or clinical parameters between the immediate/early loading and delayed loading protocols. Overall, 95% of SLA and 97% of SLActive implants still survive at the end of follow-up. Despite of the positive findings achieved by the included studies, few RCTs were available for analysis for SLActive implants. Study heterogeneity, scarcity of data and the lack of pooled estimates represent a limitation between studies' comparisons and should be considered when interpreting the present findings. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Bleeding and Transfusion Protocol Significantly Decreases Perioperative Blood Product Utilization and Improves Some Bleeding Outcomes.

PubMed

Timpa, Joseph G; O'Meara, L Carlisle; Goldberg, Kellen G; Phillips, Jay P; Crawford, Jack H; Jackson, Kimberly W; Alten, Jeffrey A

2016-03-01

Perioperative transfusion of blood products is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after pediatric cardiac surgery. We report the results of a quality improvement project aimed at decreasing perioperative blood product administration and bleeding after pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery. A multidisciplinary team evaluated baseline data from 99 consecutive CPB patients, focusing on the variability in transfusion management and bleeding outcomes, to create a standardized bleeding and transfusion management protocol. A total of 62 subsequent patients were evaluated after implementation of the protocol: 17 with single pass hemoconcentrated (SPHC) blood transfusion and 45 with modified ultrafiltration (MUF). Implementation of the protocol with SPHC blood led to significant decrease in transfusion of every blood product in the cardiovascular operating room and first 6 hours in cardiovascular intensive care unit ([CVICU] p < .05). Addition of MUF to the protocol led to further decrease in transfusion of all blood products compared to preprotocol. Patients <2 months old had 49% decrease in total blood product administration: 155 mL/kg preprotocol, 117 mL/kg protocol plus SPHC, and 79 mL/kg protocol plus MUF (p < .01). There were significant decreases in postoperative bleeding in the first hour after CVICU admission: 6 mL/kg preprotocol, 3.8 mL/kg protocol plus SPHC, and 2 mL/kg protocol plusMUF (p = .02). There was also significantly decreased incidence of severe postoperative bleeding (>10 mL/kg) in the first CVICU hour for protocol plus MUF patients (p < .01). Implementation of a multidisciplinary bleeding and transfusion protocol significantly decreases perioperative blood product transfusion and improves some bleeding outcomes.

Comment on id-based remote data integrity checking with data privacy preserving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianhong; Meng, Hongxin

2017-09-01

Recently, an ID-based remote data integrity checking protocol with perfect data privacy preserving (IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, doi: 10.1109/TIFS.2016.2615853) was proposed to achieve data privacy protection and integrity checking. Unfortunately, in this letter, we demonstrate that their protocol is insecure. An active hacker can modify the stored data without being detected by the verifier in the auditing. And we also show malicious cloud server can convince the verifier that the stored data are kept intact after the outsourced data blocks are deleted. Finally, the reasons to produce such attacks are given.

A Modified Protocol for High-Quality RNA Extraction from Oleoresin-Producing Adult Pines.

PubMed

de Lima, Júlio César; Füller, Thanise Nogueira; de Costa, Fernanda; Rodrigues-Corrêa, Kelly C S; Fett-Neto, Arthur G

2016-01-01

RNA extraction resulting in good yields and quality is a fundamental step for the analyses of transcriptomes through high-throughput sequencing technologies, microarray, and also northern blots, RT-PCR, and RTqPCR. Even though many specific protocols designed for plants with high content of secondary metabolites have been developed, these are often expensive, time consuming, and not suitable for a wide range of tissues. Here we present a modification of the method previously described using the commercially available Concert™ Plant RNA Reagent (Invitrogen) buffer for field-grown adult pine trees with high oleoresin content.

802.11s Wireless Mesh Network Visualization Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mauldin, James Alexander

2014-01-01

Results of past experimentation at NASA Johnson Space Center showed that the IEEE 802.11s standard has better performance than the widely implemented alternative protocol B.A.T.M.A.N (Better Approach to Mobile Ad hoc Networking). 802.11s is now formally incorporated into the Wi- Fi 802.11-2012 standard, which specifies a hybrid wireless mesh networking protocol (HWMP). In order to quickly analyze changes to the routing algorithm and to support optimizing the mesh network behavior for our intended application a visualization tool was developed by modifying and integrating open source tools.

[Recommendations in neonatal resuscitation].

PubMed

2004-01-01

The recommendations for neonatal resuscitation are not always based on sufficient scientific evidence and thus expert consensus based on current research, knowledge, and experience are useful for formulating practical protocols that are easy to follow. The latest recommendations, in 2000, modified previously published recommendations and are included in the present text.

Viral Booster Vaccines Improve Mycobacterium bovis BCG-Induced Protection Against Bovine Tuberculosis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Previous work in small animal laboratory models of tuberculosis have shown that vaccination strategies based on heterologous prime-boost protocols using Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) to prime and Modified Vaccinia Ankara strain (MVA85A) or recombinant attenuated adenoviruses (Ad8...

Acute Delayed Neurotoxicity Evaluation of Two Jet Engine Oils using a Modified Navy and EPA Protocol

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

Clinical Observations..................................................... 9 Sacrifice and Histopathology ...Single Dose ............... 13 5 Neural Histop.-Ohologic Incidence Summary (Repeated Assay) ..................... 15 6 Neural Histopathologic Lesions...Average Severity Scores (Repeated Assay) ......... 16 7 Neural Histopathologic Incidence Summary (Single-Dose Assay) .................. 17 8 Neural

Spray drift reduction evaluations of spray nozzles using a standardized testing protocol

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The development and testing of drift reduction technologies has come to the forefront of application research in the past few years in the United States. Drift reduction technologies (DRTs) can be spray nozzles, sprayer modifications, spray delivery assistance, spray property modifiers (adjuvants),...

Ingestion of microplastic debris by green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Great Barrier Reef: Validation of a sequential extraction protocol.

PubMed

Caron, Alexandra G M; Thomas, Colette R; Berry, Kathryn L E; Motti, Cherie A; Ariel, Ellen; Brodie, Jon E

2018-02-01

Ocean contamination by plastics is a global issue. Although ingestion of plastic debris by sea turtles has been widely documented, contamination by microplastics (<5mm) is poorly known and likely to be under-reported. We developed a microplastic extraction protocol for examining green turtle (Chelonia mydas) chyme, which is multifarious in nature, by modifying and combining pre-established methods used to separate microplastics from organic matter and sediments. This protocol consists of visual inspection, nitric acid digestion, emulsification of residual fat, density separation, and chemical identification by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This protocol enables the extraction of polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, (aminoethyl) polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride microplastics >100μm. Two macroplastics and seven microplastics (two plastic paint chips and five synthetic fabric particles) were isolated from subsamples of two green turtles. Our results highlight the need for more research towards understanding the impact of microplastics on these threatened marine reptiles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Music therapy protocol development to enhance swallowing training for stroke patients with dysphagia.

PubMed

Kim, Soo Ji

2010-01-01

Considering the devastating condition of dysphagia, it is necessary to provide intensive therapeutic regimen based on interdisciplinary approach. In this aspect, music-enhanced swallowing protocol was developed through a pilot study. Then, the modified protocol from a pilot study was examined with 8 stroke patients in a local hospital. The protocol was designed to improve oral motor control, laryngeal elevation, breathing, and swallowing functions. The dependent variables measured included reflex, respiration, and laryngeal functions using the Frenchay Dysarthria assessment. Results from the initial to the midevaluation showed that pitch in the laryngeal category were statistically significant after 6th sessions. After the 12th session, when the final evaluation was compared with the initial assessment, additional categories revealed statistically significant changes. It is recommended that this study should be replicated with a control group and a larger sample using either FEES or video fluoroscopy for scientific data to further substantiate music therapy outcomes in stroke rehabilitation.

A framework for solving ill-structured community problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, William Cotesworth

A multifaceted protocol for solving ill-structured community problems has been developed. It embodies the lessons learned from the past by refining and extending features of previous models from the systems thinkers, and the fields of behavioral decision making and creative problem solving. The protocol also embraces additional features needed to address the unique aspects of community decision situations. The essential elements of the protocol are participants from the community, a problem-solving process, a systems picture, a facilitator, a modified Delphi method of communications, and technical expertise. This interdisciplinary framework has been tested by a quasi experiment with a real world community problem (the high cost of electrical power on Long Island, NY). Results indicate the protocol can enable members of the community to understand a complicated, ill-structured problem and guide them to action to solve the issue. However, the framework takes time (over one year in the test case) and will be inappropriate for crises where quick action is needed.

Masonry fireplace emissions test method: Repeatability and sensitivity to fueling protocol.

PubMed

Stern, C H; Jaasma, D R; Champion, M R

1993-03-01

A test method for masonry fireplaces has been evaluated during testing on six masonry fireplace configurations. The method determines carbon monoxide and particulate matter emission rates (g/h) and factors (g/kg) and does not require weighing of the appliance to determine the timing of fuel loading.The intralaboratory repeatability of the test method has been determined from multiple tests on the six fireplaces. For the tested fireplaces, the ratio of the highest to lowest measured PM rate averaged 1.17 and in no case was greater than 1.32. The data suggest that some of the variation is due to differences in fuel properties.The influence of fueling protocol on emissions has also been studied. A modified fueling protocol, tested in large and small fireplaces, reduced CO and PM emission factors by roughly 40% and reduced CO and PM rates from 0 to 30%. For both of these fireplaces, emission rates were less sensitive to fueling protocol than emission factors.

Technical modification of the Balb/c 3T3 cell transformation assay: the use of serum-reduced medium to optimise the practicability of the protocol.

PubMed

Hayashi, Kumiko; Sasaki, Kiyoshi; Asada, Shin; Tsuchiya, Toshiyuki; Hayashi, Makoto; Yoshimura, Isao; Tanaka, Noriho; Umeda, Makoto

2008-12-01

The two-stage Balb/c 3T3 model of cell transformation can mimic the two-stage carcinogenicity bioassay, and has been recognised as a screening method for detecting potential tumour initiators and promoters. A technical modification to the original protocol (which involved the use of M10F medium, consisting of MEM plus 10% fetal bovine serum [FBS]) has been previously proposed, in order to increase its efficacy, namely: the introduction of enriched, serum-reduced medium (DF2F medium, comprising DMEM/F12 plus 2% FBS and other supplements). The aim of this study was to further modify the protocol, so as to attain higher practicability for the assay. The protocol was further optimised by: a) reducing the number of plates required, through the use of larger plates; b) reducing the cost of the assay by retaining the reduced serum concentration and by using 2microg/ml insulin, rather than the more-complex insulin-transferrin-ethanolamine-sodium selenite (ITES) supplement (i.e. DF2F2I medium); and c) extending the culture period from 24-25 days to 31-32 days, resulting in clearer foci (the number of medium changes did not increase, as less-frequent medium changes were performed during the extended culture period). Growth curve construction revealed that variations in the saturation densities of the parental Balb/c 3T3 cell line and its three transformed clones were highest when M10F medium was replaced with DF2F2I medium just before cells reached confluence. We applied this newly-optimised protocol to the assessment of: a) the tumour initiating activity of 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA), N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, mitomycin C, methylmethane sulphonate, CdCl(2) and phenacetin, combining a post-treatment of 100ng/ml 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate at the promotion stage; and b) the tumour promoting activity of insulin, lithocholic acid, CdCl(2) and phenobarbital, with pre-treatment of 0.2microg/ml MCA at the initiation stage. In the present study, only phenobarbital was negative when tested by using the modified protocol. 2008 FRAME.

Structuring and extracting knowledge for the support of hypothesis generation in molecular biology

PubMed Central

Roos, Marco; Marshall, M Scott; Gibson, Andrew P; Schuemie, Martijn; Meij, Edgar; Katrenko, Sophia; van Hage, Willem Robert; Krommydas, Konstantinos; Adriaans, Pieter W

2009-01-01

Background Hypothesis generation in molecular and cellular biology is an empirical process in which knowledge derived from prior experiments is distilled into a comprehensible model. The requirement of automated support is exemplified by the difficulty of considering all relevant facts that are contained in the millions of documents available from PubMed. Semantic Web provides tools for sharing prior knowledge, while information retrieval and information extraction techniques enable its extraction from literature. Their combination makes prior knowledge available for computational analysis and inference. While some tools provide complete solutions that limit the control over the modeling and extraction processes, we seek a methodology that supports control by the experimenter over these critical processes. Results We describe progress towards automated support for the generation of biomolecular hypotheses. Semantic Web technologies are used to structure and store knowledge, while a workflow extracts knowledge from text. We designed minimal proto-ontologies in OWL for capturing different aspects of a text mining experiment: the biological hypothesis, text and documents, text mining, and workflow provenance. The models fit a methodology that allows focus on the requirements of a single experiment while supporting reuse and posterior analysis of extracted knowledge from multiple experiments. Our workflow is composed of services from the 'Adaptive Information Disclosure Application' (AIDA) toolkit as well as a few others. The output is a semantic model with putative biological relations, with each relation linked to the corresponding evidence. Conclusion We demonstrated a 'do-it-yourself' approach for structuring and extracting knowledge in the context of experimental research on biomolecular mechanisms. The methodology can be used to bootstrap the construction of semantically rich biological models using the results of knowledge extraction processes. Models specific to particular experiments can be constructed that, in turn, link with other semantic models, creating a web of knowledge that spans experiments. Mapping mechanisms can link to other knowledge resources such as OBO ontologies or SKOS vocabularies. AIDA Web Services can be used to design personalized knowledge extraction procedures. In our example experiment, we found three proteins (NF-Kappa B, p21, and Bax) potentially playing a role in the interplay between nutrients and epigenetic gene regulation. PMID:19796406

Constraints on the perturbed mutual motion in Didymos due to impact-induced deformation of its primary after the DART impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirabayashi, M.; Schwartz, S. R.; Yu, Y.; Davis, A. B.; Chesley, S. R.; Fahnestock, E.; Michel, P.; Richardson, D. C.; Naidu, S.; Scheeres, D. J.; Cheng, A. F.; Rivkin, A.; Benner, L.

2017-12-01

(65803) Didymos is a binary near-Earth asteroid that consists of a top-shaped primary body rotating at a spin period of 2.26 hr and a secondary body orbiting around it at an orbital period of 11.92 hr. This asteroid is the target of the proposed NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which is part of the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission concept. The goal of DART is to impact the secondary with the spacecraft and measure the momentum transfer by observing the perturbation of the orbital period of the system after the impact. Achieving this goal requires careful accounting for physical uncertainties that prevent accurate measurement of the momentum transfer. Here, we examine a scenario that might affect the momentum transfer measurement and a possible solution to avoiding issues due to this scenario. The primary's spin period is close to the spin barrier of rubble-pile asteroids, i.e., 2.3 hr. Also, some particles ejected from the secondary due to the DART impact may reach the primary and induce landslides or internal deformation of the primary, changing the gravity field. We have developed a numerical simulation technique for investigating how the mutual orbit of the system varies due to symmetric shape deformation of the primary along its spin axis after the DART impact. We find that if the deformation process occurs, the orbital period can change significantly, depending on the magnitude of the shape deformation. The mission currently plans a nearly head-on collision of the DART impactor with the secondary, making the orbital period of the system shorter. Our simulations show that since the deformation process always causes the primary to become more oblate, it shortens the orbital period as well. We also propose precise measurement of the primary's spin state to determine the deformation of the primary. This relies on the fact that any deformation process changes the spin state of the primary consistent with angular momentum conservation. Further investigations on this problem may improve the accuracy of the momentum transfer measurement for the AIDA mission.

Observations and Characterization of Binary Near-Earth Asteroid 65803 Didymos, the Target of the AIDA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naidu, S.; Benner, L.; Brozovic, M.; Ostro, S. J.; Nolan, M. C.; Margot, J. L.; Giorgini, J. D.; Magri, C.; Pravec, P.; Scheirich, P.; Scheeres, D. J.; Hirabayashi, M.

2016-12-01

Binary near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos is the target of the proposed Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) space mission. The mission consists of two spacecraft, the Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft that will impact the asteroid's satellite and the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) spacecraft that will observe the impact. We used radar observations obtained at Arecibo and Goldstone in 2003, and lightcurve data from Pravec et al. (2006) to model the shapes, sizes, and spin states of the components. The primary is top shaped and has an equatorial ridge similar to the one seen on 2000 DP107 (Naidu et al. 2015). A 300 m long flat region is also seen along the equator. The primary has an equivalent diameter of 780 m (+/- 10 %) and its extents along the principal axes are 826 m, 813 m, and 786 m (10% uncertainties). It has a spin period of 2.2600 +/- 0.0001 h. A grid search for the spin pole resulted in the best fit at ecliptic (longitude, latitude) = (296, +71) degrees (+/- 15 degrees). This estimate is consistent with the spin pole being aligned to the binary orbit normal at (310, -84) degrees. Dividing the primary mass of 5.24e11 kg (Fang & Margot 2012) by the model volume we estimate a bulk density of 2100 kg m-3 (+/- 30 %). We summed multiple radar runs to estimate the range and Doppler extents of the satellite. We estimated the motion in successive images and used a shift-and-sum technique to mitigate smearing due to translational motion. This boosted the SNRs and allowed us to obtain size and bandwidth estimates of the satellite. The visible range extent of the satellite is roughly 60-75 m at the 15 m resolution of the Arecibo images. Assuming that the true extent is twice the visible extent, we obtain a diameter estimate of 120-150 m. The bandwidth of the satellite suggests a spin period between 9-12 h that is consistent with the orbit period of 11.9 hours and with synchronous rotation.

Surface display of Salmonella epitopes in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus carnosus.

PubMed

Nhan, Nguyen Thanh; Gonzalez de Valdivia, Ernesto; Gustavsson, Martin; Hai, Truong Nam; Larsson, Gen

2011-04-11

Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (SE) is considered to be one of the most potent pathogenic Salmonella serotypes causing food-borne disease in humans. Since a live bacterial vaccine based on surface display of antigens has many advantages over traditional vaccines, we have studied the surface display of the SE antigenic proteins, H:gm and SefA in Escherichia coli by the β-autotransporter system, AIDA. This procedure was compared to protein translocation in Staphylococcus carnosus, using a staphylococci hybrid vector earlier developed for surface display of other vaccine epitopes. Both SefA and H:gm were translocated to the outer membrane in Escherichia coli. SefA was expressed to full length but H:gm was shorter than expected, probably due to a proteolytic cleavage of the N-terminal during passage either through the periplasm or over the membrane. FACS analysis confirmed that SefA was facing the extracellular environment, but this could not be conclusively established for H:gm since the N-terminal detection tag (His6) was cleaved off. Polyclonal salmonella antibodies confirmed the sustained antibody-antigen binding towards both proteins. The surface expression data from Staphylococcus carnosus suggested that the H:gm and SefA proteins were transported to the cell wall since the detection marker was displayed by FACS analysis. Apart from the accumulated knowledge and the existence of a wealth of equipment and techniques, the results indicate the selection of E. coli for further studies for surface expression of salmonella antigens. Surface expression of the full length protein facing the cell environment was positively proven by standard analysis, and the FACS signal comparison to expression in Staphylococcus carnosus shows that the distribution of the surface protein on each cell was comparatively very narrow in E. coli, the E. coli outer membrane molecules can serve as an adjuvant for the surface antigenic proteins and multimeric forms of the SefA protein were detected which would probably be positive for the realisation of a strong antigenic property. The detection of specific and similar proteolytic cleavage patterns for both the proteins provides a further starting point for the investigation and development of the Escherichia coli AIDA autotransporter efficiency.

Tongue pressure profile training for dysphagia post stroke (TPPT): study protocol for an exploratory randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Steele, Catriona M; Bayley, Mark A; Péladeau-Pigeon, Melanie; Stokely, Shauna L

2013-05-07

It is estimated that approximately 50% of stroke survivors will experience swallowing difficulty, or dysphagia. The associated sequelae of dysphagia include dehydration, malnutrition, and aspiration pneumonia, all of which have can have serious medical consequences. To improve swallowing safety and efficiency, alternative nutritional intake methods (for example, a feeding tube) or a modified diet texture (such as pureed foods or thickened liquids) may be recommended but these modifications may negatively affect quality of life. An alternative approach to treating dysphagia has emerged over the past few years, targeting stronger lingual muscles through maximal isometric pressure tasks. Although these studies have shown promising results, thin-liquid bolus control continues to be challenging for patients with dysphagia. Previous work investigating lingual pressures when healthy participants swallow has suggested that greater task specificity in lingual exercises may yield improved results with thin liquids. This is a small, exploratory randomized clinical trial being conducted with post-stroke patients 4 to 20 weeks after onset of dysphagia secondary to impaired lingual control. At enrollment, participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment protocols, either tongue pressure profile training (TPPT) or the control treatment, tongue pressure strength-and-accuracy training (TPSAT). Each treatment protocol consists of 24 sessions of treatment over 8 to 12 weeks with monitoring of tongue pressure as well as a baseline and outcome videofluoroscopic swallowing study. Tongue pressure measures, videofluoroscopic measures, and functional outcome measures will be obtained following training of 60 participants (30 in each condition), to determine whether TPPT yields better outcomes. This study will continue to explore options beyond tube feeding and modified diets for people with neurogenic dysphagia following stroke. Should the novel protocol, TPPT, prove to be more effective than the TPSAT protocol, this may influence standards of care and best practices for patients with dysphagia involving impaired thin-liquid control as a result of stroke. Clinicaltrials.gov http://NCT01370083.

A prospective observational study of a novel 2-phase infusion protocol for the administration of acetylcysteine in paracetamol poisoning.

PubMed

Isbister, Geoffrey K; Downes, Michael A; Mcnamara, Kylie; Berling, Ingrid; Whyte, Ian M; Page, Colin B

2016-01-01

The current 3-phase acetylcysteine infusion for paracetamol poisoning delivers half the dose over 15-60 min and frequently results in adverse reactions. We aimed to determine adverse reaction frequency with a modified 2-phase infusion protocol with a longer initial infusion. A prospective observational study of a modified 2-phase acetylcysteine protocol was undertaken at two hospitals. Acetylcysteine was commenced on admission and ceased if paracetamol concentrations were low-risk (below the nomogram line). The first infusion was 200 mg/kg over 4-9 h based on ingestion time or 4 h for staggered/chronic ingestions. The second infusion was 100 mg/kg over 16 h. Pre-defined outcomes were frequency of adverse reactions (systemic hypersensitivity reactions or gastrointestinal); proportion with alanine transaminase (ALT) > 1000 U/L or abnormal ALT. 654 paracetamol poisonings were treated with the new protocol; median age 29 y (15-98 y); 453 females; 576 acute and 78 staggered/chronic ingestions. In 420 (64%) acetylcysteine was stopped for low-risk paracetamol concentrations. An adverse reaction occurred in 229/654 admissions (35%; 95% CI: 31-39%): 173 (26.5%; 95% CI: 23-30%) only gastrointestinal, 50 (8%; 95% CI: 6-10%) skin only systemic hypersensitivity reactions; and three severe anaphylaxis (0.5%; 95% CI: 0.1-1.5%; all hypotension). Adverse reactions occurred in 111/231 (48%) receiving full treatment compared to 116/420 (28%) in whom the infusion was stopped early (absolute difference 20%; 95% CI: 13-28%; p < 0.0001). In 200 overdoses < 10 g, one had toxic paracetamol concentrations, but 53 developed reactions. Sixteen patients had an ALT > 1000 U/L and 24 an abnormal ALT attributable to paracetamol; all but one had treatment commenced >12 h post-ingestion. A 2-phase acetylcysteine infusion protocol results in a fewer reactions in patients with toxic paracetamol concentrations, but is not justified in patients with low-risk paracetamol concentrations.

SU-G-IeP2-10: Lens Dose Reduction by Patient Position Modification During Neck CT Exams

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

Mosher, E; Lee, C; Butman, J

Purpose: Irradiation of the lens during a neck CT may increase a patient’s risk of developing cataracts later in life. Radiologists and technologists at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (NIHCC) have developed new CT imaging protocols that include a reduction in scan range and modifying neck positioning using a head tilt. This study will evaluate the efficacy of this protocol in the reduction of lens dose. Methods: We retrieved CT images of five male patients who had two sets of CT images: before and after the implementation of the new protocol. The lens doses before the new protocolmore » were calculated using an in-house CT dose calculator, National Cancer Institute dosimetry system for CT (NCICT), where computational human phantoms with no head tilt are included. We also calculated the lens dose for the patient CT conducted after the new protocol by using an adult male computational phantom with the neck position deformed to match the angle of the head tilt. We also calculated the doses to other radiosensitive organs including the globes of the eye, brain, pituitary gland and salivary glands before and after head tilt. Results: Our dose calculations demonstrated that modifying neck position reduced dose to the lens by 89% on average (range: 86–96%). Globe, brain, pituitary and salivary gland doses also decreased by an average of 65% (51–95%), 38% (−8–66%), 34% (−43–84%) and 14% (13–14%), respectively. The new protocol resulted in a nearly ten-fold decrease in lens dose. Conclusion: The use of a head tilt and scan range reduction is an easy and effective method to reduce radiation exposure to the lens and other radiosensitive organs, while still allowing for the inclusion of critical neck structures in the CT image. We are expanding our study to a total of 10 males and 10 females.« less

Evaluation of a rapid protocol for the assessment of salt sensitivity against the blood pressure response to dietary sodium chloride restriction.

PubMed

Galletti, F; Ferrara, I; Stinga, F; Iacone, R; Noviello, F; Strazzullo, P

1997-04-01

The "gold standard" for the assessment of salt sensitivity of hypertension is the blood pressure response to dietary NaCl restriction; nevertheless, for practical purposes, a more rapid test that would not depend on the patient's compliance to the dietary prescription would be very useful in clinical research and medical practice. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of a rapid, easy-to-standardize protocol for the assessment of salt sensitivity against the blood pressure response to dietary salt restriction. A total of 108 hypertensive patients were screened for salt sensitivity by the modified protocol of Grim et al. Thereafter, nine patients identified by the test as salt sensitive and nine identified as salt resistant followed, for two consecutive periods of 1 week, a diet with normal (200 mmol/day) or low (50 mmol/day) NaCl content. Compliance to the diet was checked by repeated 24-h urine collections. The group as a whole experienced a significant fall in blood pressure during the low Na diet (mean pressure = 123 +/- 3 v 118 +/- 3 mm Hg; P < .05). However, whereas patients identified as salt sensitive by the Grim protocol had a marked and significant blood pressure decrease (systolic -12 mm Hg, diastolic -7 mm Hg), no change was observed in those classified as salt resistant (systolic -2 mm Hg, diastolic -2 mm Hg). A significant correlation between changes in urinary Na excretion and changes in blood pressure was found only in salt-sensitive hypertensive patients. In conclusion, the modified Grim protocol tested in this study was able to correctly predict a significant blood pressure response to dietary salt restriction in the majority of cases. A validation of this test in a larger patient population may be advisable.

Performance Analysis of Modified Accelerative Preallocation MAC Protocol for Passive Star-Coupled WDMA Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Changho; Kim, Kiseon

2006-04-01

For the passive star-coupled wavelength-division multiple-access (WDMA) network, a modified accelerative preallocation WDMA (MAP-WDMA) media access control (MAC) protocol is proposed, which is based on AP-WDMA. To show the advantages of MAP-WDMA as an adequate MAC protocol for the network over AP-WDMA, the channel utilization, the channel-access delay, and the latency of MAP-WDMA are investigated and compared with those of AP-WDMA under various data traffic patterns, including uniform, quasi-uniform type, disconnected type, mesh type, and ring type data traffics, as well as the assumption that a given number of network stations is equal to that of channels, in other words, without channel sharing. As a result, the channel utilization of MAP-WDMA can be competitive with respect to that of AP-WDMA at the expense of insignificantly higher latency. Namely, if the number of network stations is small, MAP-WDMA provides better channel utilization for uniform, quasi-uniform-type, and disconnected-type data traffics at all data traffic loads, as well as for mesh and ring-type data traffics at low data traffic loads. Otherwise, MAP-WDMA only outperforms AP-WDMA for the first three data traffics at higher data traffic loads. In the aspect of channel-access delay, MAP-WDMA gives better performance than AP-WDMA, regardless of data traffic patterns and the number of network stations.

Highly efficient one-pot three-component synthesis of naphthopyran derivatives in water catalyzed by hydroxyapatite

EPA Science Inventory

An expeditious and efficient protocol for the synthesis of naphthopyrans has been developed that proceeds via one-pot three-component sequential reaction in water catalyzed by hydroxyapatite or sodium-modified-hydroxyapatite. The title compounds have been obtained in high yield a...

Appetitive but Not Aversive Olfactory Conditioning Modifies Antennal Movements in Honeybees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cholé, Hanna; Junca, Pierre; Sandoz, Jean-Christophe

2015-01-01

In honeybees, two olfactory conditioning protocols allow the study of appetitive and aversive Pavlovian associations. Appetitive conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER) involves associating an odor, the conditioned stimulus (CS) with a sucrose solution, the unconditioned stimulus (US). Conversely, aversive conditioning of the sting…

Usability and Instructional Design Heuristics for E-Learning Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Thomas C.; Benson, Lisa; Elliott, Dean; Grant, Michael; Holschuh, Doug; Kim, Beaumie; Kim, Hyeonjin; Lauber, Erick; Loh, Sebastian

Heuristic evaluation is a methodology for investigating the usability of software originally developed by Nielsen (1993, 2000). Nielsen's protocol was modified and refined for evaluating e-learning programs by participants in a doctoral seminar held at the University of Georgia in 2001. The modifications primarily involved expanding Nielsen's…

A Modified EPA Method 1623 that Uses Tangential Flow Hollow-Fiber Ultrafiltration and Heat Dissociation Steps to Detect Waterborne Cryptosporidum and Giardia spp.

EPA Science Inventory

This protocol describes the use of a tangential flow hollow-fiber ultrafiltration sample concentration system and a heat dissociation as alternative steps for the detection of waterborne Cryptosporidium and Giardia species using EPA Method 1623.

Security analysis of standards-driven communication protocols for healthcare scenarios.

PubMed

Masi, Massimiliano; Pugliese, Rosario; Tiezzi, Francesco

2012-12-01

The importance of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), that stores all healthcare-related data belonging to a patient, has been recognised in recent years by governments, institutions and industry. Initiatives like the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) have been developed for the definition of standard methodologies for secure and interoperable EHR exchanges among clinics and hospitals. Using the requisites specified by these initiatives, many large scale projects have been set up for enabling healthcare professionals to handle patients' EHRs. The success of applications developed in these contexts crucially depends on ensuring such security properties as confidentiality, authentication, and authorization. In this paper, we first propose a communication protocol, based on the IHE specifications, for authenticating healthcare professionals and assuring patients' safety. By means of a formal analysis carried out by using the specification language COWS and the model checker CMC, we reveal a security flaw in the protocol thus demonstrating that to simply adopt the international standards does not guarantee the absence of such type of flaws. We then propose how to emend the IHE specifications and modify the protocol accordingly. Finally, we show how to tailor our protocol for application to more critical scenarios with no assumptions on the communication channels. To demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of our protocols we have fully implemented them.

Performance of Stochastic Targeted Blood Glucose Control Protocol by virtual trials in the Malaysian intensive care unit.

PubMed

Jamaludin, Ummu K; M Suhaimi, Fatanah; Abdul Razak, Normy Norfiza; Md Ralib, Azrina; Mat Nor, Mohd Basri; Pretty, Christopher G; Humaidi, Luqman

2018-08-01

Blood glucose variability is common in healthcare and it is not related or influenced by diabetes mellitus. To minimise the risk of high blood glucose in critically ill patients, Stochastic Targeted Blood Glucose Control Protocol is used in intensive care unit at hospitals worldwide. Thus, this study focuses on the performance of stochastic modelling protocol in comparison to the current blood glucose management protocols in the Malaysian intensive care unit. Also, this study is to assess the effectiveness of Stochastic Targeted Blood Glucose Control Protocol when it is applied to a cohort of diabetic patients. Retrospective data from 210 patients were obtained from a general hospital in Malaysia from May 2014 until June 2015, where 123 patients were having comorbid diabetes mellitus. The comparison of blood glucose control protocol performance between both protocol simulations was conducted through blood glucose fitted with physiological modelling on top of virtual trial simulations, mean calculation of simulation error and several graphical comparisons using stochastic modelling. Stochastic Targeted Blood Glucose Control Protocol reduces hyperglycaemia by 16% in diabetic and 9% in nondiabetic cohorts. The protocol helps to control blood glucose level in the targeted range of 4.0-10.0 mmol/L for 71.8% in diabetic and 82.7% in nondiabetic cohorts, besides minimising the treatment hour up to 71 h for 123 diabetic patients and 39 h for 87 nondiabetic patients. It is concluded that Stochastic Targeted Blood Glucose Control Protocol is good in reducing hyperglycaemia as compared to the current blood glucose management protocol in the Malaysian intensive care unit. Hence, the current Malaysian intensive care unit protocols need to be modified to enhance their performance, especially in the integration of insulin and nutrition intervention in decreasing the hyperglycaemia incidences. Improvement in Stochastic Targeted Blood Glucose Control Protocol in terms of u en model is also a must to adapt with the diabetic cohort. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RosettaScripts: a scripting language interface to the Rosetta macromolecular modeling suite.

PubMed

Fleishman, Sarel J; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Corn, Jacob E; Strauch, Eva-Maria; Khare, Sagar D; Koga, Nobuyasu; Ashworth, Justin; Murphy, Paul; Richter, Florian; Lemmon, Gordon; Meiler, Jens; Baker, David

2011-01-01

Macromolecular modeling and design are increasingly useful in basic research, biotechnology, and teaching. However, the absence of a user-friendly modeling framework that provides access to a wide range of modeling capabilities is hampering the wider adoption of computational methods by non-experts. RosettaScripts is an XML-like language for specifying modeling tasks in the Rosetta framework. RosettaScripts provides access to protocol-level functionalities, such as rigid-body docking and sequence redesign, and allows fast testing and deployment of complex protocols without need for modifying or recompiling the underlying C++ code. We illustrate these capabilities with RosettaScripts protocols for the stabilization of proteins, the generation of computationally constrained libraries for experimental selection of higher-affinity binding proteins, loop remodeling, small-molecule ligand docking, design of ligand-binding proteins, and specificity redesign in DNA-binding proteins.

Clinical scale rapid expansion of lymphocytes for adoptive cell transfer therapy in the WAVE® bioreactor

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To simplify clinical scale lymphocyte expansions, we investigated the use of the WAVE®, a closed system bioreactor that utilizes active perfusion to generate high cell numbers in minimal volumes. Methods We have developed an optimized rapid expansion protocol for the WAVE bioreactor that produces clinically relevant numbers of cells for our adoptive cell transfer clinical protocols. Results TIL and genetically modified PBL were rapidly expanded to clinically relevant scales in both static bags and the WAVE bioreactor. Both bioreactors produced comparable numbers of cells; however the cultures generated in the WAVE bioreactor had a higher percentage of CD4+ cells and had a less activated phenotype. Conclusions The WAVE bioreactor simplifies the process of rapidly expanding tumor reactive lymphocytes under GMP conditions, and provides an alternate approach to cell generation for ACT protocols. PMID:22475724

A high-throughput and rapid computational method for screening of RNA post-transcriptional modifications that can be recognized by target proteins.

PubMed

Orr, Asuka A; Gonzalez-Rivera, Juan C; Wilson, Mark; Bhikha, P Reena; Wang, Daiqi; Contreras, Lydia M; Tamamis, Phanourios

2018-02-01

There are over 150 currently known, highly diverse chemically modified RNAs, which are dynamic, reversible, and can modulate RNA-protein interactions. Yet, little is known about the wealth of such interactions. This can be attributed to the lack of tools that allow the rapid study of all the potential RNA modifications that might mediate RNA-protein interactions. As a promising step toward this direction, here we present a computational protocol for the characterization of interactions between proteins and RNA containing post-transcriptional modifications. Given an RNA-protein complex structure, potential RNA modified ribonucleoside positions, and molecular mechanics parameters for capturing energetics of RNA modifications, our protocol operates in two stages. In the first stage, a decision-making tool, comprising short simulations and interaction energy calculations, performs a fast and efficient search in a high-throughput fashion, through a list of different types of RNA modifications categorized into trees according to their structural and physicochemical properties, and selects a subset of RNA modifications prone to interact with the target protein. In the second stage, RNA modifications that are selected as recognized by the protein are examined in-detail using all-atom simulations and free energy calculations. We implement and experimentally validate this protocol in a test case involving the study of RNA modifications in complex with Escherichia coli (E. coli) protein Polynucleotide Phosphorylase (PNPase), depicting the favorable interaction between 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoG) RNA modification and PNPase. Further advancement of the protocol can broaden our understanding of protein interactions with all known RNA modifications in several systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Fewer breech deliveries after implementation of a modified cephalic version protocol].

PubMed

Kuppens, Simone M I; Francois, Anne M H; Hasaart, Tom H M; van der Donk, Maria W P; Pop, Victor J M

2010-01-01

To investigate the effect of implementation of a number of process policy guidelines (protocol), on the success rate of external cephalic version (ECV) for breech presentation. Prospective study. During a 3-year period (2004-2006) a standardized protocol for an ECV consultation was developed, evaluated and adapted. After implementing this modified protocol as 'process policy guidelines', the effect on the rate of successful ECV was prospectively evaluated during the period 1 January 2007-31 July 2008. Success was defined as cephalic presentation (ultrasound) immediately after ECV. A secondary outcome measure was the elective caesarean section rate for breech presentation. The rate of successful ECV increased significantly from 47% (110/236 pregnant women) in the period January 2004-December 2006 to 61% (85/139, p = 0.006) in the period January 2007-July 2008. Patient characteristics were similar in both groups, with the exception of 2 subgroups of term of version. The increase was preferentially found in nulliparous and multiparous women with frank breech. Nulliparity, frank breech, anterior placenta and low birth weight were associated with a lower success rate of ECV. The term of pregnancy at which ECV was performed did not seem to affect the success rate. Implementing the process policy guidelines increased the number of cephalic presentations at delivery and decreased the rate of elective caesarean sections for breech presentation from 39% to 27% (p = 0.03). The number needed to treat to prevent 1 elective caesarean section by ECV according to the process policy guidelines was 8. After implementation of the process policy guidelines, the success rate of ECV increased considerably. The rate of elective caesarean section for breech presentation declined. These findings are in favour of establishing specialized ECV centres in the Netherlands.

The protocol for the isolation and cryopreservation of osteoclast precursors from mouse bone marrow and spleen.

PubMed

Boraschi-Diaz, Iris; Komarova, Svetlana V

2016-01-01

Osteoclasts are responsible for physiological bone remodeling as well as pathological bone destruction in osteoporosis, periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis, and thus represent a pharmacological target for drug development. We aimed to characterize and compare the cytokine-induced osteoclastogenesis of bone marrow and spleen precursors. Established protocols used to generate osteoclasts from bone marrow were modified to examine osteoclastogenesis of the spleen cells of healthy mice. Osteoclast formation was successfully induced from spleen precursors using receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (50 ng/ml) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (50 ng/ml). Compared to bone marrow cultures, differentiation from spleen required a longer cultivation time (9 days for spleen, as compared to 5 days for marrow cultures) and a higher plating density of non-adherent cells (75,000/cm(2) for spleen, as compared to 50,000/cm(2) for bone marrow). Osteoclasts generated from spleen precursors expressed osteoclast marker genes calcitonin receptor, cathepsin K and matrix metalloproteinase 9 and were capable of resorbing hydroxyapatite. The differentiation capacity of spleen and bone marrow precursors was comparable for BALB/c, C57BL/6 and FVB mice. We also developed and tested a cryopreservation protocol for the osteoclast precursors. While 70-80 % of cells were lost during the first week of freezing, during the subsequent 5 weeks the losses were within 2-5 % per week. Osteoclastogenesis from the recovered bone marrow precursors was successful up to 5 weeks after freezing. Spleen precursors retained their osteoclastogenic capacity for 1 week after freezing, but not thereafter. The described protocol is useful for the studies of genetically modified animals as well as for screening new osteoclast-targeting therapeutics.

Preparation of Kupffer cell enriched non-parenchymal liver cells with high yield and reduced damage of surface markers by a modified method for flow cytometry.

PubMed

Xu, Fan; Zhen, Peng; Zheng, Yu; LIjuan, Feng; Aiting, Yang; Min, Cong; Hong, You; Jidong, Jia

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to optimise a collagenase perfusion protocol for the isolation of a liver non-parenchymal cell (NPC) suspension enriched for Kupffer cells that reduced damage to F4/80 antigen cell surface expression to allow analysis by flow cytometry. Kupffer cell-enriched liver NPCs were isolated from C57BL/6 mice using different protocols. Flow cytometry was used to examine the effect of collagenase digestion on F4/80 expression on Kupffer cells, and results were represented by the percentage of F4/80 positive cells and by the F4/80 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). The perfusion temperature, concentration of collagenase solution and total dosage of collagenase for liver perfusion influenced the effect of collagenase perfusion on the expression of F4/80 antigen on Kupffer cells. Collagenase perfusion at 28°C resulted in an increased percentage of F4/80 positive cells (P = 0.001) and MFI (P = 0.005) compared with 37°C. Perfusion with a total dose of 1.0 g/kg BW collagenase (using a 0.75 mg/mL solution) resulted in the highest percentage of F4/80 positive cells (P = 0.001) compared with 0.8 g/kg BW and 1.2 g/kg BW collagenase. Isolation of cells using the modified protocol resulted in a higher percentage of Kupffer cells (P < 0.001) and a higher MFI of F4/80 antigen (P < 0.001) compared with the common protocol. © 2013 International Federation for Cell Biology.

Outcomes of Optimized over Standard Protocol of Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin for Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Single-Center Experience

PubMed Central

Ge, Meili; Shao, Yingqi; Huang, Jinbo; Huang, Zhendong; Zhang, Jing; Nie, Neng; Zheng, Yizhou

2013-01-01

Background Previous reports showed that outcome of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) was not satisfactory as the first-line therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). We explored a modifying schedule of administration of rATG. Design and Methods Outcomes of a cohort of 175 SAA patients, including 51 patients administered with standard protocol (3.55 mg/kg/d for 5 days) and 124 cases with optimized protocol (1.97 mg/kg/d for 9 days) of rATG plus cyclosporine (CSA), were analyzed retrospectively. Results Of all 175 patients, response rates at 3 and 6 months were 36.6% and 56.0%, respectively. 51 cases received standard protocol had poor responses at 3 (25.5%) and 6 months (41.2%). However, 124 patients received optimized protocol had better responses at 3 (41.1%, P = 0.14) and 6 (62.1%, P = 0.01). Higher incidences of infection (57.1% versus 37.9%, P = 0.02) and early mortality (17.9% versus 0.8%, P<0.001) occurred in patients received standard protocol compared with optimized protocol. The 5-year overall survival in favor of the optimized over standard rATG protocol (76.0% versus. 50.3%, P<0.001) was observed. By multivariate analysis, optimized protocol (RR = 2.21, P = 0.04), response at 3 months (RR = 10.31, P = 0.03) and shorter interval (<23 days) between diagnosis and initial dose of rATG (RR = 5.35, P = 0.002) were independent favorable predictors of overall survival. Conclusions Optimized instead of standard rATG protocol in combination with CSA remained efficacious as a first-line immunosuppressive regimen for SAA. PMID:23554855

Improved Butanol-Methanol (BUME) Method by Replacing Acetic Acid for Lipid Extraction of Biological Samples.

PubMed

Cruz, Mutya; Wang, Miao; Frisch-Daiello, Jessica; Han, Xianlin

2016-07-01

Extraction of lipids from biological samples is a critical step in lipidomics, especially for shotgun lipidomics where lipid extracts are directly infused into a mass spectrometer. The butanol-methanol (BUME) extraction method was originally developed to extract lipids from plasma samples with 1 % acetic acid. Considering some lipids are sensitive to acidic environments, we modified this protocol by replacing acetic acid with lithium chloride solution and extended the modified extraction to tissue samples. Although no significant reduction of plasmalogen levels in the acidic BUME extracts of rat heart samples was found, the modified method was established to extract various tissue samples, including rat liver, heart, and plasma. Essentially identical profiles of the majority of lipid classes were obtained from the extracts of the modified BUME and traditional Bligh-Dyer methods. However, it was found that neither the original, nor the modified BUME method was suitable for 4-hydroxyalkenal species measurement in biological samples.

Improved Butanol-Methanol (BUME) Method by Replacing Acetic Acid for Lipid Extraction of Biological Samples

PubMed Central

Cruz, Mutya; Wang, Miao; Frisch-Daiello, Jessica; Han, Xianlin

2016-01-01

Extraction of lipids from biological samples is a critical step in lipidomics, especially for shotgun lipidomics where lipid extracts are directly infused into a mass spectrometer. The butanol-methanol (BUME) extraction method was originally developed to extract lipids from plasma samples with 1% acetic acid. Considering some lipids are sensitive to acidic environments, we modified this protocol by replacing acetic acid with lithium chloride solution and extended the modified extraction to tissue samples. Although no significant reduction of plasmalogen levels in the acidic BUME extracts of rat heart samples was found, the modified method was established to extract various tissue samples, including rat liver, heart, and plasma. Essentially identical profiles of the majority of lipid classes were obtained from the extracts of the modified BUME and traditional Bligh-Dyer methods. However, it was found that neither the original, nor the modified BUME method was suitable for 4-hydroxyalkenal species measurement in biological samples. PMID:27245345

First application of a microsphere-based immunoassay to the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs): quantification of Cry1Ab protein in genetically modified maize.

PubMed

Fantozzi, Anna; Ermolli, Monica; Marini, Massimiliano; Scotti, Domenico; Balla, Branko; Querci, Maddalena; Langrell, Stephen R H; Van den Eede, Guy

2007-02-21

An innovative covalent microsphere immunoassay, based on the usage of fluorescent beads coupled to a specific antibody, was developed for the quantification of the endotoxin Cry1Ab present in MON810 and Bt11 genetically modified (GM) maize lines. In particular, a specific protocol was developed to assess the presence of Cry1Ab in a very broad range of GM maize concentrations, from 0.1 to 100% [weight of genetically modified organism (GMO)/weight]. Test linearity was achieved in the range of values from 0.1 to 3%, whereas fluorescence signal increased following a nonlinear model, reaching a plateau at 25%. The limits of detection and quantification were equal to 0.018 and 0.054%, respectively. The present study describes the first application of quantitative high-throughput immunoassays in GMO analysis.

A genotyping protocol for multiple tissue types from the polyploid tree species Sequoia sempervirens (Cupressaceae)1

PubMed Central

Narayan, Lakshmi; Dodd, Richard S.; O’Hara, Kevin L.

2015-01-01

Premise of the study: Identifying clonal lineages in asexually reproducing plants using microsatellite markers is complicated by the possibility of nonidentical genotypes from the same clonal lineage due to somatic mutations, null alleles, and scoring errors. We developed and tested a clonal identification protocol that is robust to these issues for the asexually reproducing hexaploid tree species coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Methods: Microsatellite data from four previously published and two newly developed primers were scored using a modified protocol, and clones were identified using Bruvo genetic distances. The effectiveness of this clonal identification protocol was assessed using simulations and by genotyping a test set of paired samples of different tissue types from the same trees. Results: Data from simulations showed that our protocol allowed us to accurately identify clonal lineages. Multiple test samples from the same trees were identified correctly, although certain tissue type pairs had larger genetic distances on average. Discussion: The methods described in this paper will allow for the accurate identification of coast redwood clones, facilitating future studies of the reproductive ecology of this species. The techniques used in this paper can be applied to studies of other clonal organisms as well. PMID:25798341

A genotyping protocol for multiple tissue types from the polyploid tree species Sequoia sempervirens (Cupressaceae).

PubMed

Narayan, Lakshmi; Dodd, Richard S; O'Hara, Kevin L

2015-03-01

Identifying clonal lineages in asexually reproducing plants using microsatellite markers is complicated by the possibility of nonidentical genotypes from the same clonal lineage due to somatic mutations, null alleles, and scoring errors. We developed and tested a clonal identification protocol that is robust to these issues for the asexually reproducing hexaploid tree species coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Microsatellite data from four previously published and two newly developed primers were scored using a modified protocol, and clones were identified using Bruvo genetic distances. The effectiveness of this clonal identification protocol was assessed using simulations and by genotyping a test set of paired samples of different tissue types from the same trees. Data from simulations showed that our protocol allowed us to accurately identify clonal lineages. Multiple test samples from the same trees were identified correctly, although certain tissue type pairs had larger genetic distances on average. The methods described in this paper will allow for the accurate identification of coast redwood clones, facilitating future studies of the reproductive ecology of this species. The techniques used in this paper can be applied to studies of other clonal organisms as well.

Calcium pump kinetics determined in single erythrocyte ghosts by microphotolysis and confocal imaging.

PubMed

Kubitscheck, U; Pratsch, L; Passow, H; Peters, R

1995-07-01

The activity of the plasma membrane calcium pump was measured in single cells. Human red blood cell ghosts were loaded with a fluorescent calcium indicator and either caged calcium and ATP (protocol A) or caged ATP and calcium (protocol B). In a suitably modified laser scanning microscope either calcium or ATP were released by a short UV light pulse. The time-dependent fluorescence intensity of the calcium indicator was then followed in single ghosts by repetitive confocal imaging. The fluorescence intensity was converted into calcium concentration, which in turn was used to derive the kinetic parameters of the calcium pump, the Michaelis-Menten constant Km, and the maximal transport rate vmax. Km and vmax values derived in this manner were 24 +/- 14 microM and 1.0 +/- 0.6 microM/(ghost s) for protocol A, and 4 +/- 3 microM and 1.0 +/- 0.6 microM/(ghost s) for protocol B, respectively. The difference between A and B is presumably caused by calmodulin, which is inactive in the experiments with protocol A. The possibilities to extend the new method to living nucleus-containing cells transiently transfected with mutants of the plasma membrane calcium pump are discussed.

Validation protocols for blood pressure-measuring devices: status quo and development needs.

PubMed

Beime, Beate; Deutsch, Cornelia; Gomez, Timothy; Zwingers, Thomas; Mengden, Thomas; Bramlage, Peter

2016-02-01

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Therefore, blood pressure self-measuring devices have emerged as valuable tools in patient care and the accuracy of these instruments is of fundamental importance. For this reason, several validation procedures for assessing the efficacy of blood pressure monitoring devices have been developed, including protocols by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, the British Hypertension Society, the German Hypertension League (Prüfsiegelprotokoll), and the International Protocol of the Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring of the European Society of Hypertension. In the past, most of the protocols have been reviewed and modified because of experiences gained during the validation studies carried out. However, each shows distinct differences, that is number and characteristics of patients required, blood pressure ranges, and the length of the validation procedure, which may result in unique advantages and/or limitations associated with their use. The continued standardization and evolution of these guidelines is essential to ensure the efficacy of blood pressure-measuring devices marketed for clinical and home use. Here, we aimed to compare four currently used validation protocols and to initiate a discussion on potential future improvements.

Standardized patient walkthroughs in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network: common challenges to protocol implementation.

PubMed

Fussell, Holly E; Kunkel, Lynn E; McCarty, Dennis; Lewy, Colleen S

2011-09-01

Training research staff to implement clinical trials occurring in community-based addiction treatment programs presents unique challenges. Standardized patient walkthroughs of study procedures may enhance training and protocol implementation. Examine and discuss cross-site and cross-study challenges of participant screening and data collection procedures identified during standardized patient walkthroughs of multi-site clinical trials. Actors portrayed clients and "walked through" study procedures with protocol research staff. The study completed 57 walkthroughs during implementation of 4 clinical trials. Observers and walkthrough participants identified three areas of concern (consent procedures, screening and assessment processes, and protocol implementation) and made suggestions for resolving the concerns. Standardized patient walkthroughs capture issues with study procedures previously unidentified with didactic training or unscripted rehearsals. Clinical trials within the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network are conducted in addiction treatment centers that vary on multiple dimensions. Based on walkthrough observations, the national protocol team and local site leadership modify standardized operating procedures and resolve cross-site problems prior to recruiting study participants. The standardized patient walkthrough improves consistency across study sites and reduces potential site variation in study outcomes.

Authentication Binding between SSL/TLS and HTTP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Takamichi; Sekiguchi, Kiyomi; Hatsugai, Ryosuke

While the Secure Socket Layer or Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) is assumed to provide secure communications over the Internet, many web applications utilize basic or digest authentication of Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) over SSL/TLS. Namely, in the scheme, there are two different authentication schemes in a session. Since they are separated by a layer, these are not convenient for a web application. Moreover, the scheme may also cause problems in establishing secure communication. Then we provide a scheme of authentication binding between SSL/TLS and HTTP without modifying SSL/TLS protocols and its implementation, and we show the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.

Isolation and amplification of genomic DNA from recalcitrant dried berries of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)--a medicinal spice.

PubMed

Dhanya, K; Kizhakkayil, Jaleel; Syamkumar, S; Sasikumar, B

2007-10-01

Black pepper is an important medicinal spice traded internationally. The extraction of high quality genomic DNA for PCR amplification from dried black pepper is challenging because of the presence of the exceptionally large amount of oxidized polyphenolic compounds, polysaccharides and other secondary metabolites. Here we report a modified hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) protocol by incorporating potassium acetate and a final PEG precipitation step to isolate PCR amplifiable genomic DNA from dried and powdered berries of black pepper. The protocol has trade implication as it will help in the PCR characterization of traded black peppers from different countries.

A Universal Protocol for Photochemical Covalent Immobilization of Intact Carbohydrates for the Preparation of Carbohydrate Microarrays

PubMed Central

Wang, Huibin; Zhang, Yiming; Yuan, Xun; Chen, Yi; Yan, Mingdi

2010-01-01

A universal photochemical method has been established for the immobilization of intact carbohydrates and their analogues, and for the fabrication of carbohydrate microarrays. The method features the use of perfluorophenyl azide (PFPA)-modified substrates and the photochemical reaction of surface azido groups with printed carbohydrates. Various aldoses, ketoses, non-reducing sugars such as alditols and their derivatives can be directly arrayed on the PFPA-modified chips. The lectin-recognition ability of arrayed mannose, glucose and their oligo- and polysaccharides were confirmed using surface plasmon resonance imaging and laser-induced fluorescence imaging. PMID:21138274

A universal protocol for photochemical covalent immobilization of intact carbohydrates for the preparation of carbohydrate microarrays.

PubMed

Wang, Huibin; Zhang, Yiming; Yuan, Xun; Chen, Yi; Yan, Mingdi

2011-01-19

A universal photochemical method has been established for the immobilization of intact carbohydrates and their analogues, and for the fabrication of carbohydrate microarrays. The method features the use of perfluorophenyl azide (PFPA)-modified substrates and the photochemical reaction of surface azido groups with printed carbohydrates. Various aldoses, ketoses, nonreducing sugars such as alditols, and their derivatives can be directly arrayed on the PFPA-modified chips. The lectin-recognition ability of arrayed mannose, glucose, and their oligo- and polysaccharides were confirmed using surface plasmon resonance imaging and laser-induced fluorescence imaging.

Detection of genetically modified organisms in foods by DNA amplification techniques.

PubMed

García-Cañas, Virginia; Cifuentes, Alejandro; González, Ramón

2004-01-01

In this article, the different DNA amplification techniques that are being used for detecting genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in foods are examined. This study intends to provide an updated overview (including works published till June 2002) on the principal applications of such techniques together with their main advantages and drawbacks in GMO detection in foods. Some relevant facts on sampling, DNA isolation, and DNA amplification methods are discussed. Moreover; these analytical protocols are discuissed from a quantitative point of view, including the newest investigations on multiplex detection of GMOs in foods and validation of methods.

Metal-Acetylacetonate Synthesis Experiments: Which Is Greener?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ribeiro, M. Gabriela T. C.; Machado, Adlio A. S. C.

2011-01-01

A procedure for teaching green chemistry through laboratory experiments is presented in which students are challenged to use the 12 principles of green chemistry to review and modify synthesis protocols to improve greenness. A global metric, green star, is used in parallel with green chemistry mass metrics to evaluate the improvement in greenness.…

A Naturalistic Study of Executive Function and Mathematical Problem-Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotsopoulos, Donna; Lee, Joanne

2012-01-01

Our goal in this research was to understand the specific challenges middle-school students face when engaging in mathematical problem-solving by using executive function (i.e., shifting, updating, and inhibiting) of working memory as a functional construct for the analysis. Using modified talk-aloud protocols, real-time naturalistic analysis of…

Rheology and extrusion of high-solids biomass

Treesearch

Tim Scott; Joseph R. Samaniuk; Daniel J. Klingenberg

2011-01-01

Economical biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) requires processing high-solids particulate streams. We have developed new techniques and testing protocols to measure the rheological properties of high-solids LCB using a modified torque rheometer (TR). The flow field in the TR is similar to that of a twin-screw extruder and for modeling purposes can be...

Adolescent Career Development in Urban-Residing Aboriginal Families in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Sheila K.; Young, Richard A.; Stevens, Alison; Spence, Wayne; Deyell, Stewart; Easterbrook, Adam; Brokenleg, Martin

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand how urban-residing Aboriginal adolescent-parent dyads (n = 11) jointly constructed and acted on goals and strategies with their social supports (n = 17) to facilitate the adolescents' career development. A modified protocol following the qualitative action-project method was used. A discrete joint…

Programming and Reprogramming Sequence Timing Following High and Low Contextual Interference Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, David L.; Magnuson, Curt E.; Black, Charles B.

2005-01-01

Individuals practiced two unique discrete sequence production tasks that differed in their relative time profile in either a blocked or random practice schedule. Each participant was subsequently administered a "precuing" protocol to examine the cost of initially compiling or modifying the plan for an upcoming movement's relative timing. The…

A Short Term Therapy Approach to Processing Trauma: Art Therapy and Bilateral Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tripp, Tally

2007-01-01

This article describes a dynamic, short-term art therapy approach that has been developed for the treatment of trauma related disorders. Using a modified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) protocol with alternating tactile and auditory bilateral stimulation, associations are rapidly brought to conscious awareness and expressed in…

Detection and genotyping of rubella virus from exanthematous patients suspected of having measles using reverse transcription-PCR.

PubMed

Yasui, Yoshihiro; Mori, Yoshio; Adachi, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Shinichi; Yamashita, Teruo; Minagawa, Hiroko

2014-01-01

Between July 2012 and March 2013, a total of 133 clinical specimens from 47 patients suspected of having measles were collected for virological surveillance in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Facing the rubella epidemic, the reverse transcription (RT)-PCR protocol for measles virus (MeV) was modified to simultaneously detect rubella virus (RUBV) in these clinical specimens. As a result, 30 specimens from 15 patients were positive for RUBV and 8 specimens from 3 patients were positive for MeV. The RUBV genotype analysis for the samples from 13 patients revealed 12 samples as 2B and 1 sample as 1E. The results provided additional evidence for the difficulty in the diagnosis of exanthematous diseases based on clinical manifestations alone and the necessity of virological diagnosis to maintain the accuracy of case-based surveillance. Furthermore, the results indicated that the modified RT-PCR protocol could be useful as a routine procedure to simultaneously detect MeV and RUBV in clinical specimens of patients suspected of having exanthematous disease caused by these viruses.

Modified telomeric repeat amplification protocol: a quantitative radioactive assay for telomerase without using electrophoresis.

PubMed

Szatmari, I; Tókés, S; Dunn, C B; Bardos, T J; Aradi, J

2000-06-15

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based radioactive telomerase assay was developed in our laboratory which is quantitative and does not require electrophoretic evaluation (designated as TP-TRAP; it utilizes two reverse primers). The main steps of the assay include (1) extension of a 20-mer oligonucleotide substrate (MTS) by telomerase, (2) amplification of the telomerase products in the presence of [(3)H]dTTP using the substrate oligonucleotide and two reverse primers (RPC3, 38 mer; RP, 20 mer), (3) isolation of the amplified radioactive dsDNA by precipitation and filtration, (4) determination of the radioactivity of the acid-insoluble DNA. The length of the telomerase products does not increase on amplification. This valuable feature of the assay is achieved by utilization of the two reverse primers and a highly specific PCR protocol. The assay is linear, accurate, and suitable for cell-biological studies where slight quantitative differences in telomerase activity must be detected. The assay is also suitable for screening and characterization of telomerase inhibitors, as shown with a chemically modified oligonucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor [(s(4)dU)(35)]. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Incorporation of isotopic, fluorescent, and heavy-atom-modified nucleotides into RNAs by position-selective labeling of RNA.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Holmstrom, Erik; Yu, Ping; Tan, Kemin; Zuo, Xiaobing; Nesbitt, David J; Sousa, Rui; Stagno, Jason R; Wang, Yun-Xing

2018-05-01

Site-specific incorporation of labeled nucleotides is an extremely useful synthetic tool for many structural studies (e.g., NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and X-ray crystallography) of RNA. However, specific-position-labeled RNAs >60 nt are not commercially available on a milligram scale. Position-selective labeling of RNA (PLOR) has been applied to prepare large RNAs labeled at desired positions, and all the required reagents are commercially available. Here, we present a step-by-step protocol for the solid-liquid hybrid phase method PLOR to synthesize 71-nt RNA samples with three different modification applications, containing (i) a 13 C 15 N-labeled segment; (ii) discrete residues modified with Cy3, Cy5, or biotin; or (iii) two iodo-U residues. The flexible procedure enables a wide range of downstream biophysical analyses using precisely localized functionalized nucleotides. All three RNAs were obtained in <2 d, excluding time for preparing reagents and optimizing experimental conditions. With optimization, the protocol can be applied to other RNAs with various labeling schemes, such as ligation of segmentally labeled fragments.

Isolation of bacteria-containing phagosomes by magnetic selection

PubMed Central

Lönnbro, Per; Nordenfelt, Pontus; Tapper, Hans

2008-01-01

Background There is a growing awareness of the importance of intracellular events in determining the outcome of infectious disease. To improve the understanding of such events, like phagosome maturation, we set out to develop a versatile technique for phagosome isolation that is rapid and widely applicable to different pathogens. Results We developed two different protocols to isolate phagosomes containing dead or live bacteria modified with small magnetic particles, in conjunction with a synchronized phagocytosis protocol and nitrogen cavitation. For dead bacteria, we performed analysis of the phagosome samples by microscopy and immunoblot, and demonstrated the appearance of maturation markers on isolated phagosomes. Conclusion We have presented detailed protocols for phagosome isolation, which can be adapted for use with different cell types and prey. The versatility and simplicity of the approach allow better control of phagosome isolation, the parameters of which are critical in studies of host-bacteria interaction and phagosome maturation. PMID:18588680

Changes in co-contraction during stair descent after manual therapy protocol in knee osteoarthritis: A pilot, single-blind, randomized study.

PubMed

Cruz-Montecinos, Carlos; Flores-Cartes, Rodrigo; Montt-Rodriguez, Agustín; Pozo, Esteban; Besoaín-Saldaña, Alvaro; Horment-Lara, Giselle

2016-10-01

Manual therapy has shown clinical results in patients with knee osteoarthritis. However, the biomechanical aspects during functional tasks have not been explored in depth. Through surface electromyography, the medial and lateral co-contractions of the knee were measured while descending stairs, prior and posterior to applying a manual therapy protocol in the knee, with emphasis on techniques of joint mobilization and soft-tissue management. Sixteen females with slight or moderate knee osteoarthritis were recruited (eight experimental, eight control). It was observed that the lateral co-contraction index of the experimental group, posterior to intervention, increased by 11.7% (p = 0.014). The application of a manual therapy protocol with emphasis on techniques of joint mobilization and soft-tissue management modified lateral co-contraction, which would have a protective effect on the joint. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel method of genomic DNA extraction for Cactaceae1

PubMed Central

Fehlberg, Shannon D.; Allen, Jessica M.; Church, Kathleen

2013-01-01

• Premise of the study: Genetic studies of Cactaceae can at times be impeded by difficult sampling logistics and/or high mucilage content in tissues. Simplifying sampling and DNA isolation through the use of cactus spines has not previously been investigated. • Methods and Results: Several protocols for extracting DNA from spines were tested and modified to maximize yield, amplification, and sequencing. Sampling of and extraction from spines resulted in a simplified protocol overall and complete avoidance of mucilage as compared to typical tissue extractions. Sequences from one nuclear and three plastid regions were obtained across eight genera and 20 species of cacti using DNA extracted from spines. • Conclusions: Genomic DNA useful for amplification and sequencing can be obtained from cactus spines. The protocols described here are valuable for any cactus species, but are particularly useful for investigators interested in sampling living collections, extensive field sampling, and/or conservation genetic studies. PMID:25202521

Reliable multicast protocol specifications flow control and NACK policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, John R.; Montgomery, Todd L.; Whetten, Brian

1995-01-01

This appendix presents the flow and congestion control schemes recommended for RMP and a NACK policy based on the whiteboard tool. Because RMP uses a primarily NACK based error detection scheme, there is no direct feedback path through which receivers can signal losses through low buffer space or congestion. Reliable multicast protocols also suffer from the fact that throughput for a multicast group must be divided among the members of the group. This division is usually very dynamic in nature and therefore does not lend itself well to a priori determination. These facts have led the flow and congestion control schemes of RMP to be made completely orthogonal to the protocol specification. This allows several differing schemes to be used in different environments to produce the best results. As a default, a modified sliding window scheme based on previous algorithms are suggested and described below.

[Labeling of food containing genetically modified organisms: international policies and Brazilian legislation].

PubMed

Costa, Thadeu Estevam Moreira Maramaldo; Marin, Victor Augustus

2011-08-01

The increase in surface area planted with genetically modified crops, with the subsequent transfer of such crops into the general environment for commercial trade, has raised questions about the safety of these products. The introduction of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety has led to the need to produce information and ensure training in this area for the implementation of policies on biosafety and for decision-making on the part of governments at the national, regional and international level. This article presents two main standpoints regarding the labeling of GM products (one adopted by the United States and the other by the European Union), as well as the position adopted by Brazil and its current legislation on labeling and commercial release of genetically modified (GM) products.

Hormonal profile and follicular dynamics concurrent with CIDR and insulin modified Ovsync TAI programs and their impacts on the fertility response in buffaloes.

PubMed

Ramoun, A A; Emara, A M; Heleil, B A; Darweish, S A; Abou-Ghait, H A

2017-12-01

Fifty one cyclic Egyptian buffaloes were used to study the hormonal profile and follicular dynamics concurrent with CIDR and insulin modified Ovsync TAI programs and their impacts on the consequent fertility responses. The buffaloes were randomly assigned into 3 ovulation synchronization protocols: Ovsync-alone (n = 13, control) CIDR-sync (n = 20) and Insulin-sync (n = 18). Ovsync-alone protocol consisted of two im injections of 20 μg bueserlin (GnRHa) on Day 0 (GnRH 1) and on Day 9 (GnRH 2) with an im injection of 500 μg of cloprostenol sodium (PGF 2 α) on Day 7. The CIDR-sync protocol consisted of the same treatment protocol as in Ovsync in addition to intra-vaginal insertion of CIDR (contains 1.38 gm of progesterone) on Day 0 followed by removal on Day 7. The Insulin-sync protocol consisted of the same treatment protocol as in Ovsync plus 3 sc injections of insulin at a dose of 0.25 i.u/1 kg, on Days 7, 8, and 9. Buffaloes in all groups were inseminated 16 h after GnRH2 by the same inseminator using frozen semen in straws. Blood samples were collected on Days 0, 3, 5 for serum progesterone assay and on Day 9 to measure serum concentrations of estradiol, insulin and IGF-1. Transrectal ultrasonographic scanning of the ovaries was conducted on Days 7, 8 and 9 to record the diameter of the largest follicle. Pregnancy diagnosis was conducted on Day 30 post-TAI by trans-rectal ultrasonographic scanning of the uterus to calculate conception rate. The serum progesterone concentration showed an increase (p < 0.01) in pregnant compared with non-pregnant buffaloes in both Ovsync-alone and Insulin-sync groups, but not in CIDR-sync group (p > 0.05) on Days 3 and 5. The serum estradiol concentration on Day 9 showed an increase (p < 0.01) in pregnant compared with the non-pregnant buffaloes in all of the treated groups. In Insulin-sync and Ovsync-alone groups, the diameter of the largest follicle (LF) was larger (p < 0.01) in pregnant compared with non-pregnant buffaloes, but in CIDR-sync, the diameter of the (LF) was larger (p < 0.01) in non-pregnant compared with pregnant buffaloes. Also, the results showed that the greatest diameter of LF was observed in pregnant buffaloes in Insulin-sync compared with either pregnant or non-pregnant buffaloes in all groups. It is concluded that modified CIDR-sync and Insulin-sync could improve fertility response through modulating hormonal profile and follicular dynamics in buffaloes during low breeding season. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic accuracy of the ROCHE Septifast PCR system for the rapid detection of blood pathogens in neonatal sepsis-A prospective clinical trial.

PubMed

Straub, Julia; Paula, Helga; Mayr, Michaela; Kasper, David; Assadian, Ojan; Berger, Angelika; Rittenschober-Böhm, Judith

2017-01-01

Diagnosis of neonatal sepsis remains a major challenge in neonatology. Most molecular-based methods are not customized for neonatal requirements. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a modified multiplex PCR protocol for the detection of neonatal sepsis using small blood volumes. 212 episodes of suspected neonatal late onset sepsis were analyzed prospectively using the Roche SeptiFast® MGRADE PCR with a modified DNA extraction protocol and software-handling tool. Results were compared to blood culture, laboratory biomarkers and clinical signs of sepsis. Of 212 episodes, 85 (40.1%) were categorized as "not infected". Among these episodes, 1 was false positive by blood culture (1.2%) and 23 were false positive by PCR (27.1%). Of 51 (24.1%) episodes diagnosed as "culture proven sepsis", the same pathogen was detected by blood culture and PCR in 39 episodes (76.5%). In 8 episodes, more pathogens were detected by PCR compared to blood culture, and in 4 episodes the pathogen detected by blood culture was not found by PCR. One of these episodes was caused by Bacillus cereus, a pathogen not included in the PCR panel. In 76/212 (35.8%) episodes, clinical sepsis was diagnosed. Among these, PCR yielded positive results in 39.5% of episodes (30/76 episodes). For culture-positive sepsis, PCR showed a sensitivity of 90.2% (95%CI 86.2-94.2%) and a specificity of 72.9% (95%CI 67.0-79.0%). The Roche SeptiFast® MGRADE PCR using a modified DNA extraction protocol showed acceptable results for rapid detection of neonatal sepsis in addition to conventional blood culture. The benefit of rapid pathogen detection has to be balanced against the considerable risk of contamination, loss of information on antibiotic sensitivity pattern and increased costs.

A protocol for bladder cancer screening and medical surveillance among high-risk groups: The Drake Health Registry experience

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

Marsh, G.M.; Callahan, C.; Pavlock, D.

In 1986, the Drake Health Registry Study initiated bladder cancer screening for 366 persons at high risk because of occupational exposure to beta-naphthylamine. The Drake Health Registry Study screening protocol consists of urinalysis, Papanicolaou cytology, and quantitative fluorescence image analysis. A positive screening test qualifies participants for a full diagnostic evaluation. The screening protocol has been modified during the first 3 years of the program's existence to address unexpected patterns of test results and to incorporate advances in screening technology. The current protocol, which has a two-tiered screening schedule, has been utilized successfully for 15 months. Of the 26 positivemore » results to date most have been based on abnormal Papanicolaou cytology and/or quantitative fluorescence image analysis. Bladder abnormalities were cited among most of the 18 study members who underwent diagnostic evaluation, including chronic cystitis, inflammation, hyperplasia, and dysplasia. We conclude that the screening program is detecting very early changes in a relatively young cohort and that these persons must be monitored over a number of years to ensure adequate medical surveillance.« less

Efficient and universal quantum key distribution based on chaos and middleware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Dong; Chen, Yuanyuan; Gu, Xuemei; Xie, Ling; Chen, Lijun

2017-01-01

Quantum key distribution (QKD) promises unconditionally secure communications, however, the low bit rate of QKD cannot meet the requirements of high-speed applications. Despite the many solutions that have been proposed in recent years, they are neither efficient to generate the secret keys nor compatible with other QKD systems. This paper, based on chaotic cryptography and middleware technology, proposes an efficient and universal QKD protocol that can be directly deployed on top of any existing QKD system without modifying the underlying QKD protocol and optical platform. It initially takes the bit string generated by the QKD system as input, periodically updates the chaotic system, and efficiently outputs the bit sequences. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that our protocol can efficiently increase the bit rate of the QKD system as well as securely generate bit sequences with perfect statistical properties. Compared with the existing methods, our protocol is more efficient and universal, it can be rapidly deployed on the QKD system to increase the bit rate when the QKD system becomes the bottleneck of its communication system.

Reconstitution of mouse oogenesis in a dish from pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Hayashi, Katsuhiko; Hikabe, Orie; Obata, Yayoi; Hirao, Yuji

2017-09-01

This protocol is an extension to: Nat. Protoc. 8, 1513-1524 (2013); doi: 10.1038/nprot.2013.090; published online 11 July 2013Generation of functional oocytes in culture from pluripotent stem cells should provide a useful model system for improving our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying oogenesis. In addition, it has potential applications as an alternative source of oocytes for reproduction. Using the most advanced mouse model in regard to reproductive engineering and stem cell biology, we previously developed a culture method that produces functional primorial germ cells starting from pluripotent cells in culture and described it in a previous protocol. This Protocol Extension describes an adaptation of this existing Protocol in which oogenesis also occurs in vitro, thus substantially modifying the technique. Oocytes generated from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells give rise to healthy pups. Here, we describe the protocol for oocyte generation in culture. The protocol is mainly composed of three different culture stages: in vitro differentiation (IVDi), in vitro growth (IVG), and in vitro maturation (IVM), which in total take ∼5 weeks. In each culture period, there are several checkpoints that enable the number of oocytes being produced in the culture to be monitored. The basic structure of the culture system should provide a useful tool for clarifying the complicated sequence of oogenesis in mammals.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in the prevention of postoperative infectious complications and sub-optimal recovery from operation in patients with colorectal cancer and increased preoperative risk (ASA 3 and 4). Protocol of a controlled clinical trial developed by consensus of an international study group. Part one: rationale and hypothesis.

PubMed

Lorenz, W; Stinner, B; Bauhofer, A; Rothmund, M; Celik, I; Fingerhut, A; Koller, M; Lorijn, R H; Nyström, P O; Sitter, H; Schein, M; Solomkin, J S; Troidl, H; Wyatt, J; Wittmann, D H

2001-03-01

Presentation of a novel study protocol to evalue the effectiveness of an immune modifier (rhG-CSF, filgrastim): prevention of postoperative infectious complications and sub-optimal recovery from operation in patients with colorectal cancer and increased preoperative risk (ASA 3 and 4). The rationale and hypothesis are presented in this part of the protocol of the randomised, placebo controlled, double-blinded, single-centre study performed at an university hospital (n = 40 patients for each group). Part one of this protocol describes the concepts of three major sections of the study: Definition of optimum and sub-optimal recovery after operation. Recovery, as an outcome, is not a simple univariate endpoint, but a complex construction of mechanistic variables (i. e. death, complications and health status assessed by the surgeon), quality of life expressed by the patient, and finally a weighted outcome judgement by both the patient and the surgeon (true endpoint). Its conventional early assessment within 14-28 days is artificial: longer periods (such as 6 months) are needed for the patient to state: "I am now as well as I was before". Identification of suitable target patients: the use of biological response modifiers (immune modulators) in addition to traditional prophylaxes (i. e. antibiotics, heparin, volume substitutes) may improve postoperative outcome in appropriate selected patients with reduced host defence and increased immunological stress response, but these have to be defined. Patients classified as ASA 3 and 4 (American Society for Anaesthesiologists) and with colorectal cancer will be studied to prove this hypothesis. Choice of biological response modifier: Filgrastim has been chosen as an example of a biological response modifier because it was effective in a new study type, clinic-modelling randomised trials in rodents, and has shown promise in some clinical trials for indications other than preoperative prophylaxis. It has also enhanced host defence and has been anti-inflammatory in basic research. The following hypothesis will be tested in patients with operations for colorectal cancer and increased preoperative risk (ASA 3 and 4): is the outcome as evaluated by the hermeneutic endpoint (quality of life expressed by the patient) and mechanistic endpoints (mortality rate, complication rate, relative hospital stay, assessed by the doctor) improved in the group receiving filgrastim prophylaxis in comparison with the placebo group? Quality of life will be the first primary endpoint in the hierarchical, statistical testing of confirmatory analysis.

Impact of Multileaf Collimator Configuration Parameters on the Dosimetric Accuracy of 6-MV Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans.

PubMed

Petersen, Nick; Perrin, David; Newhauser, Wayne; Zhang, Rui

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of selected configuration parameters that govern multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission and rounded leaf offset in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) (Pinnacle 3 , Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA, USA) on the accuracy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose calculation. The MLC leaf transmission factor was modified based on measurements made with ionization chambers. The table of parameters containing rounded-leaf-end offset values was modified by measuring the radiation field edge as a function of leaf bank position with an ionization chamber in a scanning water-tank dosimetry system and comparing the locations to those predicted by the TPS. The modified parameter values were validated by performing IMRT quality assurance (QA) measurements on 19 gantry-static IMRT plans. Planar dose measurements were performed with radiographic film and a diode array (MapCHECK2) and compared to TPS calculated dose distributions using default and modified configuration parameters. Based on measurements, the leaf transmission factor was changed from a default value of 0.001 to 0.005. Surprisingly, this modification resulted in a small but statistically significant worsening of IMRT QA gamma-index passing rate, which revealed that the overall dosimetric accuracy of the TPS depends on multiple configuration parameters in a manner that is coupled and not intuitive because of the commissioning protocol used in our clinic. The rounded leaf offset table had little room for improvement, with the average difference between the default and modified offset values being -0.2 ± 0.7 mm. While our results depend on the current clinical protocols, treatment unit and TPS used, the methodology used in this study is generally applicable. Different clinics could potentially obtain different results and improve their dosimetric accuracy using our approach.

Long-term environmental impacts of building composites containing waste materials: Evaluation of the leaching protocols.

PubMed

Drinčić, Ana; Nikolić, Irena; Zuliani, Tea; Milačič, Radmila; Ščančar, Janez

2017-01-01

The NEN 7375 test has been proposed for evaluating the long-term environmental impacts caused by the release of contaminants from monolithic building and waste materials. Over a period of 64days, at specific points in time, the leaching solution (demineralised water) is replenished. By applying the NEN 7375 test, leaching of contaminants that is based mainly on diffusion is followed. In the present work, the results from modified leaching protocols were evaluated against those obtained by NEN 7375 test. In modified protocols, synthetic sea, surface and MilliQ water were used for the leaching of selected elements and chromate, molybdate and vanadate from compact and ground building composites (98% mixture of fly ash (80%) and cement (20%), and 2% of electric arc furnace (EAF) dust) over 6months. The leaching solutions were not replenished, imitating both the diffusion and the dissolution of contaminants. The data revealed larger extent of leaching when the leaching solution was not replenished. More extensive was also leaching from ground composites, which simulated the disintegration of the material over time. The composition of the leaching solution influenced the release of the matrix constituents from the composites and, consequently, the amount of elements and their chemical species. Synthetic sea and surface water used as leaching solutions, without replenishing, were found to be suitable to simulate the conditions when the building material is immersed in stagnant environmental waters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilization of paramagnetic microparticles for automated isolation of free circulating mRNA as a new tool in prostate cancer diagnostics.

PubMed

Fojtu, Michaela; Gumulec, Jaromir; Balvan, Jan; Raudenska, Martina; Sztalmachova, Marketa; Polanska, Hana; Smerkova, Kristyna; Adam, Vojtech; Kizek, Rene; Masarik, Michal

2014-02-01

Determination of serum mRNA gained a lot of attention in recent years, particularly from the perspective of disease markers. Streptavidin-modified paramagnetic particles (SMPs) seem an interesting technique, mainly due to possible automated isolation and high efficiency. The aim of this study was to optimize serum isolation protocol to reduce the consumption of chemicals and sample volume. The following factors were optimized: amounts of (i) paramagnetic particles, (ii) oligo(dT)20 probe, (iii) serum, and (iv) the binding sequence (SMPs, oligo(dT)20 , serum vs. oligo(dT)20 , serum and SMPs). RNA content was measured, and the expression of metallothionein-2A as possible prostate cancer marker was analyzed to demonstrate measurable RNA content with ability for RT-PCR detection. Isolation is possible on serum volume range (10-200 μL) without altering of efficiency or purity. Amount of SMPs can be reduced up to 5 μL, with optimal results within 10-30 μL SMPs. Volume of oligo(dT)20 does not affect efficiency, when used within 0.1-0.4 μL. This optimized protocol was also modified to fit needs of automated one-step single-tube analysis with identical efficiency compared to conventional setup. One-step analysis protocol is considered a promising simplification, making RNA isolation suitable for automatable process. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Validation of consensus panel diagnosis in dementia.

PubMed

Gabel, Matthew J; Foster, Norman L; Heidebrink, Judith L; Higdon, Roger; Aizenstein, Howard J; Arnold, Steven E; Barbas, Nancy R; Boeve, Bradley F; Burke, James R; Clark, Christopher M; Dekosky, Steven T; Farlow, Martin R; Jagust, William J; Kawas, Claudia H; Koeppe, Robert A; Leverenz, James B; Lipton, Anne M; Peskind, Elaine R; Turner, R Scott; Womack, Kyle B; Zamrini, Edward Y

2010-12-01

The clinical diagnosis of dementing diseases largely depends on the subjective interpretation of patient symptoms. Consensus panels are frequently used in research to determine diagnoses when definitive pathologic findings are unavailable. Nevertheless, research on group decision making indicates that many factors can adversely affect panel performance. To determine conditions that improve consensus panel diagnosis. Comparison of neuropathologic diagnoses with individual and consensus panel diagnoses based on clinical scenarios only, fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography images only, and scenarios plus images. Expert and trainee individual and consensus panel deliberations using a modified Delphi method in a pilot research study of the diagnostic utility of fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography. Forty-five patients with pathologically confirmed Alzheimer disease or frontotemporal dementia. Statistical measures of diagnostic accuracy, agreement, and confidence for individual raters and panelists before and after consensus deliberations. The consensus protocol using trainees and experts surpassed the accuracy of individual expert diagnoses when clinical information elicited diverse judgments. In these situations, consensus was 3.5 times more likely to produce positive rather than negative changes in the accuracy and diagnostic certainty of individual panelists. A rule that forced group consensus was at least as accurate as majority and unanimity rules. Using a modified Delphi protocol to arrive at a consensus diagnosis is a reasonable substitute for pathologic information. This protocol improves diagnostic accuracy and certainty when panelist judgments differ and is easily adapted to other research and clinical settings while avoiding the potential pitfalls of group decision making.

Environmental Characteristics and Geographic Information System Applications for the Development of Nutrient Thresholds in Oklahoma Streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masoner, Jason R.; Haggard, Brian E.; Rea, Alan

2002-01-01

The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency has developed nutrient criteria using ecoregions to manage and protect rivers and streams in the United States. Individual states and tribes are encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to modify or improve upon the ecoregion approach. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board uses a dichotomous process that stratifies streams using environmental characteristics such as stream order and stream slope. This process is called the Use Support Assessment Protocols, subchapter15. The Use Support Assessment Protocols can be used to identify streams threatened by excessive amounts of nutrients, dependant upon a beneficial use designation for each stream. The Use Support Assessment Protocols, subchapter 15 uses nutrient and environmental characteristic thresholds developed from a study conducted in the Netherlands, but the Oklahoma Water Resources Board wants to modify the thresholds to reflect hydrologic and ecological conditions relevant to Oklahoma streams and rivers. Environmental characteristics thought to affect impairment from nutrient concentrations in Oklahoma streams and rivers were determined for 798 water-quality sites in Oklahoma. Nutrient, chlorophyll, water-properties, and location data were retrieved from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency STORET database including data from the U.S. Geological Survey, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Drainage-basin area, stream order, stream slope, and land-use proportions were determined for each site using a Geographic Information System. The methods, procedures, and data sets used to determine the environmental characteristics are described.

Development of a direct in-matrix extraction (DIME) protocol for MALDI-TOF-MS detection of glycated phospholipids in heat-treated food samples.

PubMed

Calvano, Cosima D; De Ceglie, Cristina; Zambonin, Carlo G

2014-09-01

In foodstuffs, one of the main factors inducing modifications in phospholipids (PLs) structure is the heat treatment. Among PLs, only phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines, due to their free amino group, can be involved in Maillard reaction and can form adducts with reducing sugars, besides other by-products called advanced glycation end-products. To date, glycated lipid products are less characterized in comparison to proteins. The aim of this work was to develop a novel, rapid and sensitive extraction protocol for the detection and characterization of modified PLs (glycated and oxidized) by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). At first, to investigate the formation of glycated and/or short chain by-products in different classes of PLs, representative standards were heated with or without sugar (lactose or glucose) and subjected to traditional lipid extraction methods as Bligh and Dyer and to the novel direct in matrix extraction (DIME) using 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene as preconcentrating matrix. MALDI-MS analysis in negative ion mode allowed detecting glycation and oxidation products both on fatty acid and glucose moieties. Then, the procedure was successfully applied to different heat-treated and powdered samples (milk powders, pasteurized milk, ultra-high-temperature milk and soy flour) for the detection of modified PLs in complex foods. The currently developed DIME protocol could be a powerful tool for understanding lipid glycation also in biological samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Differences in quantitative assessment of myocardial scar and gray zone by LGE-CMR imaging using established gray zone protocols.

PubMed

Mesubi, Olurotimi; Ego-Osuala, Kelechi; Jeudy, Jean; Purtilo, James; Synowski, Stephen; Abutaleb, Ameer; Niekoop, Michelle; Abdulghani, Mohammed; Asoglu, Ramazan; See, Vincent; Saliaris, Anastasios; Shorofsky, Stephen; Dickfeld, Timm

2015-02-01

Late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging is the gold standard for myocardial scar evaluation. Heterogeneous areas of scar ('gray zone'), may serve as arrhythmogenic substrate. Various gray zone protocols have been correlated to clinical outcomes and ventricular tachycardia channels. This study assessed the quantitative differences in gray zone and scar core sizes as defined by previously validated signal intensity (SI) threshold algorithms. High quality LGE-CMR images performed in 41 cardiomyopathy patients [ischemic (33) or non-ischemic (8)] were analyzed using previously validated SI threshold methods [Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), n-standard deviation (NSD) and modified-FWHM]. Myocardial scar was defined as scar core and gray zone using SI thresholds based on these methods. Scar core, gray zone and total scar sizes were then computed and compared among these models. The median gray zone mass was 2-3 times larger with FWHM (15 g, IQR: 8-26 g) compared to NSD or modified-FWHM (5 g, IQR: 3-9 g; and 8 g. IQR: 6-12 g respectively, p < 0.001). Conversely, infarct core mass was 2.3 times larger with NSD (30 g, IQR: 17-53 g) versus FWHM and modified-FWHM (13 g, IQR: 7-23 g, p < 0.001). The gray zone extent (percentage of total scar that was gray zone) also varied significantly among the three methods, 51 % (IQR: 42-61 %), 17 % (IQR: 11-21 %) versus 38 % (IQR: 33-43 %) for FWHM, NSD and modified-FWHM respectively (p < 0.001). Considerable variability exists among the current methods for MRI defined gray zone and scar core. Infarct core and total myocardial scar mass also differ using these methods. Further evaluation of the most accurate quantification method is needed.

Examining the Teaching of Science, and Technology and Engineering Content and Practices: An Instrument Modification Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Tyler S.; Wells, John G.; Parkes, Kelly A.

2017-01-01

A modified Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) (Piburn & Sawada, 2000) instrument was used to separately examine eight technology and engineering (T&E) educators' teaching of science, and T&E content and practices, as called for by the "Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology"…

A standardized method for preparation of potatoes and analysis of their resistant starch content: Variation by cooking method and service temperature

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Consumption of resistant starch (RS) may lead to reduced glycemia, improved satiety, and beneficial changes in gut microbiota due to its unique digestive and absorptive properties. We developed a standardized protocol for preparation of potatoes in order to assess their RS content and modified a com...

78 FR 45231 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Initial Approval of Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-26

....23(c)(1), CIHQ modified its standards to address biologicals. To meet the requirements at Sec. 482.23... sets, and protocols for orders related to the preparation and administration of drugs and biologicals... to limit the removal of drugs and biologicals from the pharmacy or storage area only by personnel...

A Mixed Methods Comparison of Teachers' Lunar Modeling Lesson Implementation and Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamar, Mary F.; Wilhelm, Jennifer Anne; Cole, Merryn

2018-01-01

The authors compare three teachers' adaptations and implementation of a lunar modeling lesson to explain marked differences in student learning outcomes on a spatial-scientific lunar assessment. They used a modified version of the Practices of Science Observation Protocol (P-SOP; Forbes, Biggers, & Zangori, 2013) to identify ways in which…

76 FR 58288 - International Maritime Organization Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems for Marine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-20

... Pollution by Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL) if such a system should be considered an equivalent that would be at least as effective in reducing sulfur oxide emissions as the... Maritime Organization (IMO) for exhaust gas cleaning systems for marine engines to remove sulfur oxide...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of the Velopharyngeal Mechanism at Rest and during Speech in Chinese Adults and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tian, Wei; Yin, Heng; Redett, Richard J.; Shi, Bing; Shi, Jin; Zhang, Rui; Zheng, Qian

2010-01-01

Purpose: Recent applications of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique introduced accurate 3-dimensional measurements of the velopharyngeal mechanism. Further standardization of the data acquisition and analysis protocol was successfully applied to imaging adults at rest and during phonation. This study was designed to test and modify a…

Neck Muscle Fatigue Resulting from Prolonged Wear of Weighted Helmets

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

23 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Subject Anthropometry ...prior to any testing (Protocol F-WR-2005-0023-H). Table 1. Subject Anthropometry Males Females Group Range Mean SD Range Mean SD...Three sizes (M, L, XL ) of the HGU-55/P flight helmet were modified to simulate either a currently operational or “in-development” helmet mounted

MeDICi Software Superglue for Data Analysis Pipelines

ScienceCinema

Ian Gorton

2017-12-09

The Middleware for Data-Intensive Computing (MeDICi) Integration Framework is an integrated middleware platform developed to solve data analysis and processing needs of scientists across many domains. MeDICi is scalable, easily modified, and robust to multiple languages, protocols, and hardware platforms, and in use today by PNNL scientists for bioinformatics, power grid failure analysis, and text analysis.

Germination and early plant development of ten plant species exposed to titanium dioxide and cerium oxide nanoparticles

EPA Science Inventory

Ten agronomic plant species were exposed to different concentrations of nano titanium dioxide (nTiO2) or nano cerium oxide (nCeO2) (0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/L) to examine potential effects on germination and early seedling development. We modified a standard test protocol develop...

Comparison of mineral dust and droplet residuals measured with two single particle aerosol mass spectrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wonaschütz, Anna; Ludwig, Wolfgang; Zawadowicz, Maria; Hiranuma, Naruki; Hitzenberger, Regina; Cziczo, Daniel; DeMott, Paul; Möhler, Ottmar

2017-04-01

Single Particle mass spectrometers are used to gain information on the chemical composition of individual aerosol particles, aerosol mixing state, and other valuable aerosol characteristics. During the Mass Spectrometry Intercomparison at the Fifth Ice Nucleation (FIN-01) Workshop, the new LAAPTOF single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (AeroMegt GmbH) was conducting simultaneous measurements together with the PALMS (Particle Analysis by Laser Mass Spectrometry) instrument. The aerosol particles were sampled from the AIDA chamber during ice cloud expansion experiments. Samples of mineral dust and ice droplet residuals were measured simultaneously. In this work, three expansion experiments are chosen for a comparison between the two mass spectrometers. A fuzzy clustering routine is used to group the spectra. Cluster centers describing the ensemble of particles are compared. First results show that while differences in the peak heights are likely due to the use of an amplifier in PALMS, cluster centers are comparable.

Two radars for AIM mission: A direct observation of the asteroid's structure from deep interior to regolith

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herique, A.; Ciarletti, V.

2015-10-01

Our knowledge of the internal structure of asteroids is, so far, indirect - relying entirely on inferences from remote sensing observations of the surface, and theoretical modeling. What are the bulk properties of the regolith and deep interior? And what are the physical processes that shape their internal structures? Direct measurements are needed to provide answers that will directly improve our ability to understand and model the mechanisms driving Near Earth Asteroids (NEA) for the benefit of science as well as for planetary defense or exploration. Radar tomography is the only technique to characterize internal structure from decimetric scale to global scale. This paper reviews the benefits of direct measurement of the asteroid interior. Then the radar concepts for both deep interior and shallow subsurface are presented and the radar payload proposed for the AIDA/AIM mission is outlined.

Scintillator Detector Development at Central Michigan University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClain, David; Estrade, Alfredo; Neupane, Shree

2017-09-01

Experimental nuclear physics relies both on the accuracy and precision of the instruments for radiation detection used in experimental setups. At Central Michigan University we have setup a lab to work with scintillator detectors for radioactive ion beam experiments, using a Picosecond Laser and radioactive sources for testing. We have tested the resolution for prototypes of large area scintillators that could be used for fast timing measurements in the focal plane of spectrometers, such as the future High Rigidity Spectrometer at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). We measured the resolution as a function of the length of the detector, and also the position of the beam along the scintillator. We have also designed a scintillating detector to veto light ion background in beta-decay experiments with the Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) at RIKEN in Japan. We tested different configurations of Silicon Photomultipliers and scintillating fiber optics to find the best detection efficiency.

The first official schools for nursing education in Greece: over a century of tradition.

PubMed

Tsoucalas, Gregory; Kousoulis, Antonis A; Karamanou, Marianna; Tsoucalas, Ioannis; Androutsos, George

2011-12-01

The pressing need for educated nursing staff in Greece was first recognized by Queen Olga and Crown Princess Sofia, at the end of the nineteenth century with significant international aid.As a result, the School of Nursing Sisters of the Sanatorium "Evangelismos" was founded in 1875 and the first Greek "School of Certified Nurses" of the "Saint Sophia" Children's Hospital was established in 1897. This Children's Hospital has provided Greece with excellent trained nurses in Pediatric as well as Neonatal and Infant Nursing ever since. Distinguished nurses from abroad as well as a plethora of professors and physicians have taught at the school which has effectively made a mark in forming a tradition until today. The international concept of the school, including enhancing the young nurses' practice with experience from abroad is one of its most interesting features. The first Greek nursing schools rank among the first in the world.

Laboratory study of microphysical and scattering properties of corona-producing cirrus clouds.

PubMed

Järvinen, E; Vochezer, P; Möhler, O; Schnaiter, M

2014-11-01

Corona-producing cirrus clouds were generated and measured under chamber conditions at the AIDA cloud chamber in Karlsruhe. We were able to measure the scattering properties as well as microphysical properties of these clouds under well-defined laboratory conditions in contrast with previous studies of corona-producing clouds, where the measurements were conducted by means of lidar and in situ aircraft measurements. Our results are in agreement with those of previous studies, confirming that corona-producing cirrus clouds consist of a narrow distribution of small (median D_p=19-32  μm) and compact ice crystals. We showed that the ice crystals in these clouds are most likely formed in homogeneous freezing processes. As a result of the homogeneous freezing process, the ice crystals grow uniformly in size; furthermore, the majority of the ice crystals have rough surface features.

Asteroid Impact Mission (aim) & Deflection Assessment: AN Opportunity to Understand Impact Dynamics and Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvez, A.; Carnelli, I.; Fontaine, M.; Corral Van Damme, C.

2012-09-01

ESA's Future Preparation and Strategic Studies Office has carried out the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) study with the objective of defining an affordable and fully independent mission element that ESA could contribute to an Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment campaign (AIDA), a joint effort of ESA, JHU/APL, NASA, OCA and DLR. The mission design foresees two independent spacecraft, one impactor (DART) and one rendezvous probe (AIM). The target of this mission is the binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos (1996 GT): one spacecraft, DART, would impact the secondary of the Didymos binary system while AIM would observe and measure any the change in the relative orbit. For this joint project, the timing of the experiment is set (maximum proximity of the target to Earth allowing for ground-based characterisation of the experiment) but the spacecraft are still able to pursue their missions fully independently. This paper describes in particular the AIM rendezvous mission concept.

[Prognosis improvements in children with acute myelocytic leucemia after more intensive induction therapy (author's transl)].

PubMed

Scheer, U; Schellong, G; Riehm, H

1979-03-01

Between October 1974 and October 1978 23 children with acute myelocytic leucemia (AML) received intensive therapy in the Univ.-Kinderklinik Münster: 4 children were treated according to the ALGB-protocol consisting of 5-7 day courses of ARA-C-infusion and 3 DNR-injections. 19 patients received the West-Berlin-protocol: The first 7 the original ALL protocol, 11 the modified form of AML, which will be presented here as AML-therapy-study BFM 78. 4 of the 23 patients died with early acute cerebral bleeding. 2 patients were nonresponders. 17 children went into remission. One girl died in remission of septicemic aspergillosis. 4 children had a relapse. In November 1978 there were still 12 patients in continuous complete remission, 3 of them already without therapy. 13 of the 19 patients, who were treated with the West-Berlin-protocol went into remission. 1 had a relapse. At present there are 11 patients in continuous complete remission. The above results and those found in the literature could signify that the long term prognosis of children with AML will be improved. To coordinate efforts toward this goal a cooperative AML-therapy-study in the "Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Leukämieforschung" (BFM-group) using the here presented therapy protocol was formed in November 1978.

Development and worldwide use of non-lethal, and minimal population-level impact, protocols for the isolation of amphibian chytrid fungi.

PubMed

Fisher, Matthew C; Ghosh, Pria; Shelton, Jennifer M G; Bates, Kieran; Brookes, Lola; Wierzbicki, Claudia; Rosa, Gonçalo M; Farrer, Rhys A; Aanensen, David M; Alvarado-Rybak, Mario; Bataille, Arnaud; Berger, Lee; Böll, Susanne; Bosch, Jaime; Clare, Frances C; A Courtois, Elodie; Crottini, Angelica; Cunningham, Andrew A; Doherty-Bone, Thomas M; Gebresenbet, Fikirte; Gower, David J; Höglund, Jacob; James, Timothy Y; Jenkinson, Thomas S; Kosch, Tiffany A; Lambertini, Carolina; Laurila, Anssi; Lin, Chun-Fu; Loyau, Adeline; Martel, An; Meurling, Sara; Miaud, Claude; Minting, Pete; Ndriantsoa, Serge; O'Hanlon, Simon J; Pasmans, Frank; Rakotonanahary, Tsanta; Rabemananjara, Falitiana C E; Ribeiro, Luisa P; Schmeller, Dirk S; Schmidt, Benedikt R; Skerratt, Lee; Smith, Freya; Soto-Azat, Claudio; Tessa, Giulia; Toledo, Luís Felipe; Valenzuela-Sánchez, Andrés; Verster, Ruhan; Vörös, Judit; Waldman, Bruce; Webb, Rebecca J; Weldon, Che; Wombwell, Emma; Zamudio, Kelly R; Longcore, Joyce E; Garner, Trenton W J

2018-05-17

Parasitic chytrid fungi have emerged as a significant threat to amphibian species worldwide, necessitating the development of techniques to isolate these pathogens into culture for research purposes. However, early methods of isolating chytrids from their hosts relied on killing amphibians. We modified a pre-existing protocol for isolating chytrids from infected animals to use toe clips and biopsies from toe webbing rather than euthanizing hosts, and distributed the protocol to researchers as part of the BiodivERsA project RACE; here called the RML protocol. In tandem, we developed a lethal procedure for isolating chytrids from tadpole mouthparts. Reviewing a database of use a decade after their inception, we find that these methods have been applied across 5 continents, 23 countries and in 62 amphibian species. Isolation of chytrids by the non-lethal RML protocol occured in 18% of attempts with 207 fungal isolates and three species of chytrid being recovered. Isolation of chytrids from tadpoles occured in 43% of attempts with 334 fungal isolates of one species (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) being recovered. Together, these methods have resulted in a significant reduction and refinement of our use of threatened amphibian species and have improved our ability to work with this group of emerging pathogens.

A GMP-compliant protocol to expand and transfect cancer patient T cells with mRNA encoding a tumor-specific chimeric antigen receptor.

PubMed

Krug, Christian; Wiesinger, Manuel; Abken, Hinrich; Schuler-Thurner, Beatrice; Schuler, Gerold; Dörrie, Jan; Schaft, Niels

2014-10-01

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), which combine an antibody-derived binding domain (single chain fragment variable) with T-cell-activating signaling domains, have become a promising tool in the adoptive cellular therapy of cancer. Retro- and lenti-viral transductions are currently the standard methods to equip T cells with a CAR; permanent CAR expression, however, harbors several risks like uncontrolled auto-reactivity. Modification of T cells by electroporation with CAR-encoding RNA to achieve transient expression likely circumvents these difficulties. We here present a GMP-compliant protocol to activate and expand T cells for clinical application. The protocol is optimized in particular to produce CAR-modified T cells in clinically sufficient numbers under full GMP-compliance from late-stage cancer patients. This protocol allows the generation of 6.7 × 10(8) CAR-expressing T cells from one patient leukapheresis. The CAR-engineered T cells produced pro-inflammatory cytokines after stimulation with antigen-bearing tumor cells and lysed tumor cells in an antigen-specific manner. This functional capacity was maintained after cryopreservation. Taken together, we provide a clinically applicable protocol to transiently engineer sufficient numbers of antigen-specific patient T cells for use in adoptive cell therapy of cancer.

The Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey: Update and 1984-97 trends [abstract

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mossman, M.J.; Hartman, L.; Sauer, J.; Hay, R.; Dhuey, B.

1998-01-01

The Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey (WFTS) is a volunteer-based, roadside auditory count that began in 1981. It's protocols were recently modified for continent-wide use by the North American Amphibian Monitoring Plan (NAAMP). In 1997 we initiated a study to compare data collected by the WFTS and NAAMP protocols, in order to guide WFTS transition from its current methodology to one more compatible with NAAMP, without losing the use of data collected since 1981. In this paper we present results from the first year of this study, along with results from analyses of WFTS data, including distributional maps, 1984-97 population trends, phenological information, and progress on a new web page.

A Simple Method for High Throughput Chemical Screening in Caenorhabditis Elegans

PubMed Central

Lucanic, Mark; Garrett, Theo; Gill, Matthew S.; Lithgow, Gordon J.

2018-01-01

Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful organism for testing chemical effects on physiology. Whole organism small molecule screens offer significant advantages for identifying biologically active chemical structures that can modify complex phenotypes such as lifespan. Described here is a simple protocol for producing hundreds of 96-well culture plates with fairly consistent numbers of C. elegans in each well. Next, we specified how to use these cultures to screen thousands of chemicals for effects on the lifespan of the nematode C. elegans. This protocol makes use of temperature sensitive sterile strains, agar plate conditions, and simple animal handling to facilitate the rapid and high throughput production of synchronized animal cultures for screening. PMID:29630057

Distillation and purification of symmetric entangled Gaussian states

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

Fiurasek, Jaromir

2010-10-15

We propose an entanglement distillation and purification scheme for symmetric two-mode entangled Gaussian states that allows to asymptotically extract a pure entangled Gaussian state from any input entangled symmetric Gaussian state. The proposed scheme is a modified and extended version of the entanglement distillation protocol originally developed by Browne et al. [Phys. Rev. A 67, 062320 (2003)]. A key feature of the present protocol is that it utilizes a two-copy degaussification procedure that involves a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with single-mode non-Gaussian filters inserted in its two arms. The required non-Gaussian filtering operations can be implemented by coherently combining two sequences ofmore » single-photon addition and subtraction operations.« less

Reproductive studies with the anti-inflammatory agent, piroxicam: modification of classical protocols.

PubMed

Perraud, J; Stadler, J; Kessedjian, M J; Monro, A M

1984-02-14

Reproductive toxicology studies were conducted in rabbits and rats given piroxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAI), orally at 2, 5 and 10 mg/kg/day. In teratology studies there was neither drug-related embryotoxicity nor teratogenicity. As piroxicam, like other NSAI, affects parturition in rats and leads to a progressive toxicity in lactating females, standard protocols were modified: dams of the female fertility study were treated from 2 weeks prior to mating until day 6 of gestation and females of the post-natal toxicity study were treated from parturition until day 12 of lactation. No other adverse effects on reproduction, fertility and postnatal development were observed.

Scalable Authenticated Tree Based Group Key Exchange for Ad-Hoc Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desmedt, Yvo; Lange, Tanja; Burmester, Mike

Task-specific groups are often formed in an ad-hoc manner within large corporate structures, such as companies. Take the following typical scenario: A director decides to set up a task force group for some specific project. An order is passed down the hierarchy where it finally reaches a manager who selects some employees to form the group. The members should communicate in a secure way and for efficiency, a symmetric encryption system is chosen. To establish a joint secret key for the group, a group key exchange (GKE) protocol is used. We show how to use an existing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to achieve authenticated GKE by modifying the protocol and particularly by including signatures.

A mechanical protocol to replicate impact in walking footwear.

PubMed

Price, Carina; Cooper, Glen; Graham-Smith, Philip; Jones, Richard

2014-01-01

Impact testing is undertaken to quantify the shock absorption characteristics of footwear. The current widely reported mechanical testing method mimics the heel impact in running and therefore applies excessive energy to walking footwear. The purpose of this study was to modify the ASTM protocol F1614 (Procedure A) to better represent walking gait. This was achieved by collecting kinematic and kinetic data while participants walked in four different styles of walking footwear (trainer, oxford shoe, flip-flop and triple-density sandal). The quantified heel-velocity and effective mass at ground-impact were then replicated in a mechanical protocol. The kinematic data identified different impact characteristics in the footwear styles. Significantly faster heel velocity towards the floor was recorded walking in the toe-post sandals (flip-flop and triple-density sandal) compared with other conditions (e.g. flip-flop: 0.36±0.05 ms(-1) versus trainer: 0.18±0.06 ms(-1)). The mechanical protocol was adapted by altering the mass and drop height specific to the data captured for each shoe (e.g. flip-flop: drop height 7 mm, mass 16.2 kg). As expected, the adapted mechanical protocol produced significantly lower peak force and accelerometer values than the ASTM protocol (p<.001). The mean difference between the human and adapted protocol was 12.7±17.5% (p<.001) for peak acceleration and 25.2±17.7% (p=.786) for peak force. This paper demonstrates that altered mechanical test protocols can more closely replicate loading on the lower limb in walking. This therefore suggests that testing of material properties of footbeds not only needs to be gait style specific (e.g. running versus walking), but also footwear style specific. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of dynamic head tilts on sensory organization test performance: a comparison between college-age athletes and nonathletes.

PubMed

Clark, Sean; Iltis, Peter W

2008-05-01

Controlled laboratory study. To compare postural performance measures of athletes with those of nonathletes when completing the standard Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and a modified SOT that included dynamic head tilts (DHT-SOT). Authors of recently published research have suggested that modifications to the SOT protocol (eg, introduction of pitch and roll head tilts) may enhance the test's sensitivity when assessing postural stability in individuals with higher balance capabilities or with well-compensated sensory deficits. Nineteen athletes and 19 nonathletes (group) completed both the SOT and DHT-SOT (protocol). During the SOT, participants stood upright as steadily as possible for 20 seconds during each of 6 different sensory conditions. As a variation of the SOT, the DHT-SOT incorporated active pitch and roll head tilts into the SOT protocol. Four 2-way mixed-model analyses of variance (with protocol as the repeated factor) were performed to determine if the composite equilibrium score or the visual, vestibular, or somatosensory ratio scores differed between the 2 groups across the 2 testing protocols. Significant group-by-protocol interaction effects were present for both the composite equilibrium score and visual ratio. Follow-up simple main-effects analyses indicated that these measures did not differ between groups for the SOT protocol but were significantly different on the DHT-SOT. The addition of dynamic head tilts to the SOT protocol resulted in subtle differences in balance function between athletes and nonathletes. Athletes demonstrated an increased ability to adapt to sensory disruptions during the DHT-SOT. Therapists should consider including active pitch and roll head tilts to the SOT when evaluating individuals with higher balance function or to detect subtle deficits in balance function. Diagnosis, level 3b.

Synthesis and application of a triazene-ferrocene modifier for immobilization and characterization of oligonucleotides at electrodes.

PubMed

Hansen, Majken N; Farjami, Elaheh; Kristiansen, Martin; Clima, Lilia; Pedersen, Steen Uttrup; Daasbjerg, Kim; Ferapontova, Elena E; Gothelf, Kurt V

2010-04-16

A new DNA modifier containing triazene, ferrocene, and activated ester functionalities was synthesized and applied for electrochemical grafting and characterization of DNA at glassy carbon (GC) and gold electrodes. The modifier was synthesized from ferrocenecarboxylic acid by attaching a phenyltriazene derivative to one of the ferrocene Cp rings, while the other Cp ring containing the carboxylic acid was converted to an activated ester. The modifier was conjugated to an amine-modified DNA sequence. For immobilization of the conjugate at Au or GC electrodes, the triazene was activated by dimethyl sulfate for release of the diazonium salt. The salt was reductively converted to the aryl radical which was readily immobilized at the surface. DNA grafted onto electrodes exhibited remarkable hybridization properties, as detected through a reversible shift in the redox potential of the Fc redox label upon repeated hybridization/denaturation procedures with a complementary target DNA sequence. By using a methylene blue (MB) labeled target DNA sequence the hybridization could also be followed through the MB redox potential. Electrochemical studies demonstrated that grafting through the triazene modifier can successfully compete with existing protocols for DNA immobilization through the commonly used alkanethiol linkers and diazonium salts. Furthermore, the triazene modifier provides a practical one-step immobilization procedure.

SU-E-T-148: Benchmarks and Pre-Treatment Reviews: A Study of Quality Assurance Effectiveness

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

Lowenstein, J; Nguyen, H; Roll, J

Purpose: To determine the impact benchmarks and pre-treatment reviews have on improving the quality of submitted clinical trial data. Methods: Benchmarks are used to evaluate a site’s ability to develop a treatment that meets a specific protocol’s treatment guidelines prior to placing their first patient on the protocol. A pre-treatment review is an actual patient placed on the protocol in which the dosimetry and contour volumes are evaluated to be per protocol guidelines prior to allowing the beginning of the treatment. A key component of these QA mechanisms is that sites are provided timely feedback to educate them on howmore » to plan per the protocol and prevent protocol deviations on patients accrued to a protocol. For both benchmarks and pre-treatment reviews a dose volume analysis (DVA) was performed using MIM softwareTM. For pre-treatment reviews a volume contour evaluation was also performed. Results: IROC Houston performed a QA effectiveness analysis of a protocol which required both benchmarks and pre-treatment reviews. In 70 percent of the patient cases submitted, the benchmark played an effective role in assuring that the pre-treatment review of the cases met protocol requirements. The 35 percent of sites failing the benchmark subsequently modified there planning technique to pass the benchmark before being allowed to submit a patient for pre-treatment review. However, in 30 percent of the submitted cases the pre-treatment review failed where the majority (71 percent) failed the DVA. 20 percent of sites submitting patients failed to correct their dose volume discrepancies indicated by the benchmark case. Conclusion: Benchmark cases and pre-treatment reviews can be an effective QA tool to educate sites on protocol guidelines and to minimize deviations. Without the benchmark cases it is possible that 65 percent of the cases undergoing a pre-treatment review would have failed to meet the protocols requirements.Support: U24-CA-180803.« less

Facile synthesis of NiAl-layered double hydroxide/graphene hybrid with enhanced electrochemical properties for detection of dopamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Meixia; Zhu, Jun E.; Zhang, Lili; Chen, Xu; Zhang, Huimin; Zhang, Fazhi; Xu, Sailong; Evans, David G.

2011-10-01

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as hydrotalcite-like anionic clays, have been investigated widely as promising electrochemical active materials. Due to the inherently weak conductivity, the electrochemical properties of LDHs were improved typically by utilization of either functional molecules intercalated between LDH interlayer galleries, or proteins confined between exfoliated LDH nanosheets. Here, we report a facile protocol to prepare NiAl-LDH/graphene (NiAl-LDH/G) nanocomposites using a conventional coprecipitation process under low-temperature conditions and subsequent reduction of the supporting graphene oxide. Electrochemical tests showed that the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrode exhibited highly enhanced electrochemical performance of dopamine electrooxidation in comparison with the pristine NiAl-LDH modified electrode. Results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectra provide convincing information on the nanostructure and composition underlying the enhancement. Our results of the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrodes with the enhanced electrochemical performance may allow designing a variety of promising hybrid sensors via a simple and feasible approach.Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as hydrotalcite-like anionic clays, have been investigated widely as promising electrochemical active materials. Due to the inherently weak conductivity, the electrochemical properties of LDHs were improved typically by utilization of either functional molecules intercalated between LDH interlayer galleries, or proteins confined between exfoliated LDH nanosheets. Here, we report a facile protocol to prepare NiAl-LDH/graphene (NiAl-LDH/G) nanocomposites using a conventional coprecipitation process under low-temperature conditions and subsequent reduction of the supporting graphene oxide. Electrochemical tests showed that the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrode exhibited highly enhanced electrochemical performance of dopamine electrooxidation in comparison with the pristine NiAl-LDH modified electrode. Results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectra provide convincing information on the nanostructure and composition underlying the enhancement. Our results of the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrodes with the enhanced electrochemical performance may allow designing a variety of promising hybrid sensors via a simple and feasible approach. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Fig. S1 showing 2D fast Fourier transform (FFT) image of NiAl-LDH phase in NiAl-LDH/G composites, and Fig. S2 showing CV curve of the pristine G modified electrode. See DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10592b.

Electrotransformation and clonal isolation of Rickettsia species

PubMed Central

Riley, Sean P; Macaluso, Kevin R; Martinez, Juan J

2015-01-01

Genetic manipulation of obligate intracellular bacteria of the genus Rickettsia is currently undergoing a rapid period of change. The development of viable genetic tools, including replicative plasmids, transposons, homologous recombination, fluorescent protein-encoding genes, and antibiotic selectable markers has provided the impetus for future research development. This unit is designed to coalesce the basic methods pertaining to creation of genetically modified Rickettsia. The unit describes a series of methods, from inserting exogenous DNA into Rickettsia to the final isolation of genetically modified bacterial clones. Researchers working towards genetic manipulation of Rickettsia or similar obligate intracellular bacteria will find these protocols to be a valuable reference. PMID:26528784

Study of the diversity of microbial communities in a sequencing batch reactor oxic-settling-anaerobic process and its modified process.

PubMed

Sun, Lianpeng; Chen, Jianfan; Wei, Xiange; Guo, Wuzhen; Lin, Meishan; Yu, Xiaoyu

2016-05-01

To further reveal the mechanism of sludge reduction in the oxic-settling-anaerobic (OSA) process, the polymerase chain reaction - denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis protocol was used to study the possible difference in the microbial communities between a sequencing batch reactor (SBR)-OSA process and its modified process, by analyzing the change in the diversity of the microbial communities in each reactor of both systems. The results indicated that the structure of the microbial communities in aerobic reactors of the 2 processes was very different, but the predominant microbial populations in anaerobic reactors were similar. The predominant microbial population in the aerobic reactor of the SBR-OSA belonged to Burkholderia cepacia, class Betaproteobacteria, while those of the modified process belonged to the classes Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. These 3 types of microbes had a cryptic growth characteristic, which was the main cause of a greater sludge reduction efficiency achieved by the modified process.

In Situ FTIR and NMR Spectroscopic Investigations on Ruthenium-Based Catalysts for Alkene Hydroformylation.

PubMed

Kubis, Christoph; Profir, Irina; Fleischer, Ivana; Baumann, Wolfgang; Selent, Detlef; Fischer, Christine; Spannenberg, Anke; Ludwig, Ralf; Hess, Dieter; Franke, Robert; Börner, Armin

2016-02-18

Homogeneous ruthenium complexes modified by imidazole-substituted monophosphines as catalysts for various highly efficient hydroformylation reactions were characterized by in situ IR spectroscopy under reaction conditions and NMR spectroscopy. A proper protocol for the preformation reaction from [Ru3 (CO)12] is decisive to prevent the formation of inactive ligand-modified polynuclear complexes. During catalysis, ligand-modified mononuclear ruthenium(0) carbonyls were detected as resting states. Changes in the ligand structure have a crucial impact on the coordination behavior of the ligand and consequently on the catalytic performance. The substitution of CO by a nitrogen atom of the imidazolyl moiety in the ligand is not a general feature, but it takes place when structural prerequisites of the ligand are fulfilled. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development and evaluation of an influenza pandemic intensive care unit triage protocol.

PubMed

Cheung, Winston; Myburgh, John; Seppelt, Ian M; Parr, Michael J; Blackwell, Nikki; Demonte, Shannon; Gandhi, Kalpesh; Hoyling, Larissa; Nair, Priya; Passer, Melissa; Reynolds, Claire; Saunders, Nicholas M; Saxena, Manoj K; Thanakrishnan, Govindasamy

2012-09-01

To develop an influenza pandemic ICU triage (iPIT) protocol that excludes patients with the highest and lowest predicted mortality rates, and to determine the increase in ICU bed availability that would result. Post-hoc analysis of a study evaluating two triage protocols, designed to determine which patients should be excluded from access to ICU resources during an influenza pandemic. ICU mortality rates were determined for the individual triage criteria in the protocols and included criteria based on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. Criteria resulting in mortality rates outside the 25th and 75th percentiles were used as exclusion criteria in a new iPIT-1 protocol. The SOFA threshold component was modified further and reported as iPIT-2 and iPIT-3. Increase in ICU bed availability. The 25th and 75th percentiles for ICU mortality were 8.3% and 35.2%, respectively. Applying the iPIT-1 protocol resulted in an increase in ICU bed availability at admission of 71.7% ± 0.6%. Decreasing the lower SOFA score exclusion criteria to ≤6 (iPIT-2) and ≤4 (iPIT-3) resulted in an increase in ICU bed availability at admission of 66.9% ± 0.6% and 59.4 ± 0.7%, respectively (P < 0.001). The iPIT protocol excludes patients with the lowest and highest ICU mortality, and provides increases in ICU bed availability. Adjusting the lower SOFA score exclusion limit provides a method of escalation or de- escalation to cope with demand.

College of American Pathologists Cancer Protocols: Optimizing Format for Accuracy and Efficiency.

PubMed

Strickland-Marmol, Leah B; Muro-Cacho, Carlos A; Barnett, Scott D; Banas, Matthew R; Foulis, Philip R

2016-06-01

-The data in College of American Pathologists cancer protocols have to be presented effectively to health care providers. There is no consensus on the format of those protocols, resulting in various designs among pathologists. Cancer protocols are independently created by site-specific experts, so there is inconsistent wording and repetition of data. This lack of standardization can be confusing and may lead to interpretation errors. -To define a synopsis format that is effective in delivering essential pathologic information and to evaluate the aesthetic appeal and the impact of varying format styles on the speed and accuracy of data extraction. -We queried individuals from several health care backgrounds using varying formats of the fallopian tube protocol of the College of American Pathologists without content modification to investigate their aesthetic appeal, accuracy, efficiency, and readability/complexity. Descriptive statistics, an item difficulty index, and 3 tests of readability were used. -Columned formats were aesthetically more appealing than justified formats (P < .001) and were associated with greater accuracy and efficiency. Incorrect assumptions were made about items not included in the protocol. Uniform wording and short sentences were associated with better performance by participants. -Based on these data, we propose standardized protocol formats for cancer resections of the fallopian tube and the more-familiar colon, employing headers, short phrases, and uniform terminology. This template can be easily and minimally modified for other sites, standardizing format and verbiage and increasing user accuracy and efficiency. Principles of human factors engineering should be considered in the display of patient data.

Optimization and validation of a fast amplification protocol for AmpFlSTR® Profiler Plus® for rapid forensic human identification.

PubMed

Laurin, Nancy; Frégeau, Chantal

2012-01-01

The goal of this work was to optimize and validate a fast amplification protocol for the multiplex amplification of the STR loci included in AmpFlSTR(®) Profiler Plus(®) to expedite human DNA identification. By modifying the cycling conditions and by combining the use of a DNA polymerase optimized for high speed PCR (SpeedSTAR™ HS) and a more efficient thermal cycler instrument (Bio-RAD C1000™), we were able to reduce the amplification process from 4h to 26 min. No modification to the commercial AmpFlSTR(®) Profiler Plus(®) primer mix was required. When compared to the current Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) amplification protocol, no differences with regards to specificity, sensitivity, heterozygote peak height ratios and overall profile balance were noted. Moreover, complete concordance was obtained with profiles previously generated with the standard amplification protocol and minor alleles in mixture samples were reliably typed. An increase in n-4 stutter ratios (2.2% on average for all loci) was observed for profiles amplified with the fast protocol compared to the current procedure. Our results document the robustness of this rapid amplification protocol for STR profiling using the AmpFlSTR(®) Profiler Plus(®) primer set and demonstrate that comparable data can be obtained in substantially less time. This new approach could provide an alternative option to current multiplex STR typing amplification protocols in order to increase throughput or expedite time-sensitive cases. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geodynamic stability of the primary in the binary asteroid system 65803 Didymos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnouin, Olivier S.; Maurel, Clara; Richardson, Derek C.; Ballouz, Ronald-Louis; Schwartz, Stephen; Michel, Patrick

2015-11-01

The moon of the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos is the target of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. This mission is a joint concept between NASA and ESA to investigate the effectiveness of a kinetic impactor in deflecting an asteroid. The mission is composed of two components: the NASA-led Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) that will impact the Didymos moon, and the ESA-led Asteroid Impact Monitoring (AIM) mission that will characterize the Didymos system. In order to provide AIDA constraints on the physical character of the both objects in this binary system, we undertook preliminary numerical investigations to evaluate the stability of the shape of the primary using its rapid 2.26 h rotation. We modeled the primary as a rubble pile. Each model consisted of thousands of uniform rigid spheres collapsed together under their own gravity to form a spherical pile that was then carved to match the current radar-derived shape model of the primary, as well as other comparable shapes (e.g. asteroid 1999 KW4, spheres) that were scaled to match best estimates of the size of Didymos. Each model was given a starting rotation period of 6 h with the spin axis aligned to the pole. At each timestep the spin rate was increased by a small amount so that after about 1 million timesteps the spin would match the observed rotation of 2.26 h. We tested a range of bulk densities spanning the current observational uncertainty (mean 2.4 g/cc) using "gravel"-like material parameters that provide significant resistance to sliding and rolling. We find that at the upper range of the density uncertainty it is possible for Didymos to hold its shape and not lose mass at its nominal rotation period, without the need for cohesive forces. At lower densities or with smoother particles, significant shape change occurs and mass loss is possible. We conclude that based on the radar shape available at the time of this writing, Didymos is marginally stable as a rubble pile with bulk density close to 3 g/cc. Revisions to the radar shape in process may allow for stability at lower bulk densities without cohesion. These results suggest that the moon of Didymos may also not be heavily influenced by cohesion.

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; Sullivan, R. C.; Petters, M. D.; Tobo, Y.; Niemand, M.; Möhler, O.; Snider, J. R.; Wang, Z.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2014-06-01

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop a simple parametric description for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RHw) are taken to approximate the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. The parameterization developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A correction factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RHw of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RHw. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RHw in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this correction factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization to the immersion freezing surface active site density parameterization for mineral dust particles, developed separately from AIDA experimental data alone, shows excellent agreement for data collected in a descent through a Saharan aerosol layer. These studies support the utility of laboratory measurements to obtain atmospherically-relevant data on the ice nucleation properties of dust and other particle types, and suggest the suitability of considering all mineral dust as a single type of ice nucleating particle as a useful first order approximation in numerical modeling investigations.

Dynamical and Physical Properties of 65803 Didymos, the Proposed AIDA Mission Target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Derek C.; Barnouin, Olivier S.; Benner, Lance A. M.; Bottke, William; Campo Bagatin, Adriano; Cheng, Andrew F.; Eggl, Siegfried; Hamilton, Douglas P.; Hestroffer, Daniel; Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Maurel, Clara; McMahon, Jay W.; Michel, Patrick; Murdoch, Naomi; Naidu, Shantanu P.; Pravec, Petr; Rivkin, Andrew S.; Rosenblatt, Pascal; Sarid, Gal; Scheeres, Daniel J.; Scheirich, Peter; Tsiganis, Kleomenis; Zhang, Yun; AIDA Dynamical and Physical Properties of Didymos Working Group

2016-10-01

Binary near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 65803 Didymos is the proposed Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission target, combining an orbiter [1] and a kinetic impactor for a planned encounter in fall 2022 [2]. The Dynamical and Physical Properties of Didymos Working Group supports this mission by addressing questions related to understanding the dynamical state of the system and inferring physical properties. Didymos is an Apollo-class NEA that likely reached its current orbit by exiting the inner main belt near or within the nu-6 resonance (> 82% chance) [3]. Remote observations [4] show Didymos is spectroscopically most consistent with ordinary chondrites. The diameters of the binary components are measured to be about 780 and 160 m [5]. A model of the short-term binary dynamics suggests possible librations of the secondary with up to ~10-deg amplitude, depending on its axial ratio. However, an equilibrium orbital and rotational solution is consistent with a libration amplitude of only ~1 deg. The primary, with an estimated 2.1 g/cc bulk density (uncertainty 30%) has a possibly super-critical rotation period of 2.26 h that may imply a cohesive strength of several tens of Pa. At this rate, perturbed regolith material may go through take-off/landing cycles and cause loss of fines due to solar radiation pressure. Based on a continuum analysis [6], the internal structure would likely fail before the equatorial region. A discrete analysis [7,8] shows that a minimum of 2.5 g/cc bulk density is needed for the structure to hold without cohesion. The system may be subject to weak thermal radiation forces (BYORP) with a period drift of no greater than 1 s/yr [9]. Experiments using the ISAE-SUPAERO drop tower [10] are underway to model the possible deployment of a lander on the secondary. References: [1] Michel et al. 2016, ASR 57, 2529; [2] Cheng et al. 2016, P&SS 127, 27; [3] Granvik et al. 2015, DPS 47, 214.07; [4] Dunn et al. 2013, LPSC 44, 1719; [5] Osip et al. 2016, this meeting; [6] Hirabayashi & Scheeres 2015, IAU 29, 2256185; [7] Barnouin et al. 2015, DPS 47, 402.09; [8] Zhang et al. 2016, this meeting; [9] McMahon et al. 2016, LPSC 47, 1903; [10] Sunday et al. 2016, Rev. Sci. Instr., accepted.

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; Sullivan, R. C.; Petters, M. D.; Tobo, Y.; Niemand, M.; Möhler, O.; Snider, J. R.; Wang, Z.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2015-01-01

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop an empirical parameterization for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RHw) are taken as a measure of the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. The parameterization developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A calibration factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RHw of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RHw. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RHw in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this calibration factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization, including calibration correction, to predictions of the immersion freezing surface active site density parameterization for mineral dust particles, developed separately from AIDA experimental data alone, shows excellent agreement for data collected in a descent through a Saharan aerosol layer. These studies support the utility of laboratory measurements to obtain atmospherically relevant data on the ice nucleation properties of dust and other particle types, and suggest the suitability of considering all mineral dust as a single type of ice nucleating particle as a useful first-order approximation in numerical modeling investigations.

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

DOE PAGES

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; ...

2014-06-27

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop a simple parametric description for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RH w) are taken to approximate the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. The parameterizationmore » developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A correction factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RH w of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RH w. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RH w in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this correction factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization to the immersion freezing surface active site density parameterization for mineral dust particles, developed separately from AIDA experimental data alone, shows excellent agreement for data collected in a descent through a Saharan aerosol layer. These studies support the utility of laboratory measurements to obtain atmospherically-relevant data on the ice nucleation properties of dust and other particle types, and suggest the suitability of considering all mineral dust as a single type of ice nucleating particle as a useful first order approximation in numerical modeling investigations.« less

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

DOE PAGES

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; ...

2015-01-13

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop an empirical parameterization for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RH w) are taken as a measure of the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. Themore » parameterization developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A calibration factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RH w of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RH w. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RH w in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this calibration factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization, including calibration correction, to predictions of the immersion freezing surface active site density parameterization for mineral dust particles, developed separately from AIDA experimental data alone, shows excellent agreement for data collected in a descent through a Saharan aerosol layer. These studies support the utility of laboratory measurements to obtain atmospherically relevant data on the ice nucleation properties of dust and other particle types, and suggest the suitability of considering all mineral dust as a single type of ice nucleating particle as a useful first-order approximation in numerical modeling investigations.« less

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

Hiranuma, Naruki; Möhler, Ottmar; Kulkarni, Gourihar

Separation of particles that play a role in cloud activation and ice nucleation from interstitial aerosols has become necessary to further understand aerosol-cloud interactions. The pumped counterflow virtual impactor (PCVI), which uses a vacuum pump to accelerate the particles and increase their momentum, provides an accessible option for dynamic and inertial separation of cloud elements. However, the use of a traditional PCVI to extract large cloud hydrometeors is difficult mainly due to its small cut-size diameters (< 5 µm). Here, for the first time we describe a development of an ice-selecting PCVI (IS-PCVI) to separate ice in controlled mixed-phase cloudmore » system based on the particle inertia with the cut-off diameter ≥ 10 µm. We also present its laboratory application demonstrating the use of the impactor under a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions. The computational fluid dynamics simulations were initially carried out to guide the design of the IS-PCVI. After fabrication, a series of validation laboratory experiments were performed coupled with the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion cloud simulation chamber. In the AIDA chamber, test aerosol particles were exposed to the ice supersaturation conditions (i.e., RH ice > 100 %), where a mixture of droplets and ice crystals was formed during the expansion experiment. In parallel, the flow conditions of the IS-PCVI were actively controlled, such that it separated ice crystals from a mixture of ice crystals and cloud droplets, which were of diameter ≥ 10 µm. These large ice crystals were passed through the heated evaporation section to remove the water content. Afterwards, the residuals were characterized with a suite of online and offline instruments downstream of the IS-PCVI. These results were used to assess the optimized operating parameters of the device in terms of (1) the critical cut-size diameter, (2) the transmission efficiency and (3) the counterflow-to-input flow ratio. Particle losses were characterized by comparing the residual number concentration to the rejected interstitial particle number concentration. Overall results suggest that the IS-PCVI enables inertial separation of particles with a volume-equivalent particle size in the range of ~ 10–30 µm in diameter with small inadvertent intrusion (~  5 %) of unwanted particles.« less

Development and characterization of an ice-selecting pumped counterflow virtual impactor (IS-PCVI) to study ice crystal residuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiranuma, Naruki; Möhler, Ottmar; Kulkarni, Gourihar; Schnaiter, Martin; Vogt, Steffen; Vochezer, Paul; Järvinen, Emma; Wagner, Robert; Bell, David M.; Wilson, Jacqueline; Zelenyuk, Alla; Cziczo, Daniel J.

2016-08-01

Separation of particles that play a role in cloud activation and ice nucleation from interstitial aerosols has become necessary to further understand aerosol-cloud interactions. The pumped counterflow virtual impactor (PCVI), which uses a vacuum pump to accelerate the particles and increase their momentum, provides an accessible option for dynamic and inertial separation of cloud elements. However, the use of a traditional PCVI to extract large cloud hydrometeors is difficult mainly due to its small cut-size diameters (< 5 µm). Here, for the first time we describe a development of an ice-selecting PCVI (IS-PCVI) to separate ice in controlled mixed-phase cloud system based on the particle inertia with the cut-off diameter ≥ 10 µm. We also present its laboratory application demonstrating the use of the impactor under a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions. The computational fluid dynamics simulations were initially carried out to guide the design of the IS-PCVI. After fabrication, a series of validation laboratory experiments were performed coupled with the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion cloud simulation chamber. In the AIDA chamber, test aerosol particles were exposed to the ice supersaturation conditions (i.e., RHice > 100 %), where a mixture of droplets and ice crystals was formed during the expansion experiment. In parallel, the flow conditions of the IS-PCVI were actively controlled, such that it separated ice crystals from a mixture of ice crystals and cloud droplets, which were of diameter ≥ 10 µm. These large ice crystals were passed through the heated evaporation section to remove the water content. Afterwards, the residuals were characterized with a suite of online and offline instruments downstream of the IS-PCVI. These results were used to assess the optimized operating parameters of the device in terms of (1) the critical cut-size diameter, (2) the transmission efficiency and (3) the counterflow-to-input flow ratio. Particle losses were characterized by comparing the residual number concentration to the rejected interstitial particle number concentration. Overall results suggest that the IS-PCVI enables inertial separation of particles with a volume-equivalent particle size in the range of ~ 10-30 µm in diameter with small inadvertent intrusion (~  5 %) of unwanted particles.

Verification of an altitude decompression sickness prevention protocol for Shuttle operations utilizing a 10.s psi pressure stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waligora, J. M.; Horrigan, D. J., Jr.; Conkin, J.; Hadley, A. T., III

1984-01-01

Three test series involving 173-man tess were conducted to define and verify a pre-extravehicular activity (EVA) denitrogenation procedure that would provide acceptable protection against altitude decompression sickness while minimizing the required duration of oxygen (O2) prebreathe in the suit prior to EVA. The tests also addressed the safety, in terms of incidence of decompression sickness, of conducting EVA's on consecutive days rather than on alternate days. The tests were conducted in an altitude chamber, subjects were selected as representative of the astronaut population, and EVA periods were simulated by reducing the chamber pressure to suit pressure while the subjects breathed O2 with masks and worked at EVA representative work rates. A higher than anticipated incidence of both venous bubbles (55%) and symptoms (26%) was measured following all denitrogenation protocols in this test. For the most part, symptoms were very minor and stabilized, diminished, or disappeared in the six-hour tests. Instances of clear, possible, or potential systemic symptoms were encountered only after use of the unmodified 10.2 psi protocol and not after the modified 10.2 psi protocol, the 3.5-hour O2 prebreathed protocol, or the 4.0-hour O2 prebreathe protocol. The high incidence of symptoms is ascribed to the type and duration of exercise and the sensitivity of the reporting technique to minor symptoms. Repeated EVA exposures after only 17 hours did not increase symptom or bubble incidence.

Experimental dissociation of the effects of prostaglandins on renal sodium and water reabsorption by cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors in the rat.

PubMed

Bartoli, E; Branca, G F; Faedda, R; Olmeo, N A; Satta, A; Soggia, G

1982-07-01

1 The relative importance of the effect of prostaglandins on renal sodium and water reabsorption was assessed in rats. 2 Clearance experiments were performed on 24 anaesthetized rats divided into 3 groups. Each group was infused throughout either with Ringer solution at 9 ml/h (Protocol I), or at 3 ml/h (Protocol II) or with hypotonic fluid at 5 ml/h (Protocol III). Clearance periods were performed before and after intravenous injection of indomethacin (5 mg/kg) and then of aspirin (20 mg/kg). The natriuretic response to different degrees of volume expansion was not modified during the action of the inhibitors. 3 When baseline urine osmolality (Uosm) was high (Protocol II) no further increase occurred in the presence of prostaglandin inhibition. Conversely, Uosm rose from 771 +/- 134 to 1356 +/- 414 and from 575 +/- 245 to 841 +/- 407 mosm/kg (P less than 0.05) in Protocol I and Protocol III respectively, when antidiuretic hormone secretion was inhibited by the higher degree of volume expansion. 4 There was a significant correlation between the change in urine flow rate induced by cyclooxygenase inhibitors and the attendant variations in Na excretion, r = 0.42, n = 41, P less than 0.01. 5 Thus, prostaglandins affect Na loss during saline load as a side effect of their action on water permeability. They could play an important role in volume depletion by counterbalancing the large secretion rate of renal vasoconstrictors.

Quantum fluctuation theorems and generalized measurements during the force protocol.

PubMed

Watanabe, Gentaro; Venkatesh, B Prasanna; Talkner, Peter; Campisi, Michele; Hänggi, Peter

2014-03-01

Generalized measurements of an observable performed on a quantum system during a force protocol are investigated and conditions that guarantee the validity of the Jarzynski equality and the Crooks relation are formulated. In agreement with previous studies by M. Campisi, P. Talkner, and P. Hänggi [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 140601 (2010); Phys. Rev. E 83, 041114 (2011)], we find that these fluctuation relations are satisfied for projective measurements; however, for generalized measurements special conditions on the operators determining the measurements need to be met. For the Jarzynski equality to hold, the measurement operators of the forward protocol must be normalized in a particular way. The Crooks relation additionally entails that the backward and forward measurement operators depend on each other. Yet, quite some freedom is left as to how the two sets of operators are interrelated. This ambiguity is removed if one considers selective measurements, which are specified by a joint probability density function of work and measurement results of the considered observable. We find that the respective forward and backward joint probabilities satisfy the Crooks relation only if the measurement operators of the forward and backward protocols are the time-reversed adjoints of each other. In this case, the work probability density function conditioned on the measurement result satisfies a modified Crooks relation. The modification appears as a protocol-dependent factor that can be expressed by the information gained by the measurements during the forward and backward protocols. Finally, detailed fluctuation theorems with an arbitrary number of intervening measurements are obtained.

Experimental dissociation of the effects of prostaglandins on renal sodium and water reabsorption by cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors in the rat.

PubMed Central

Bartoli, E.; Branca, G. F.; Faedda, R.; Olmeo, N. A.; Satta, A.; Soggia, G.

1982-01-01

1 The relative importance of the effect of prostaglandins on renal sodium and water reabsorption was assessed in rats. 2 Clearance experiments were performed on 24 anaesthetized rats divided into 3 groups. Each group was infused throughout either with Ringer solution at 9 ml/h (Protocol I), or at 3 ml/h (Protocol II) or with hypotonic fluid at 5 ml/h (Protocol III). Clearance periods were performed before and after intravenous injection of indomethacin (5 mg/kg) and then of aspirin (20 mg/kg). The natriuretic response to different degrees of volume expansion was not modified during the action of the inhibitors. 3 When baseline urine osmolality (Uosm) was high (Protocol II) no further increase occurred in the presence of prostaglandin inhibition. Conversely, Uosm rose from 771 +/- 134 to 1356 +/- 414 and from 575 +/- 245 to 841 +/- 407 mosm/kg (P less than 0.05) in Protocol I and Protocol III respectively, when antidiuretic hormone secretion was inhibited by the higher degree of volume expansion. 4 There was a significant correlation between the change in urine flow rate induced by cyclooxygenase inhibitors and the attendant variations in Na excretion, r = 0.42, n = 41, P less than 0.01. 5 Thus, prostaglandins affect Na loss during saline load as a side effect of their action on water permeability. They could play an important role in volume depletion by counterbalancing the large secretion rate of renal vasoconstrictors. PMID:6809089

Breast dosimetry in clinical mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benevides, Luis Alberto Do Rego

The objective of this study was show that a clinical dosimetry protocol that utilizes a dosimetric breast phantom series based on population anthropometric measurements can reliably predict the average glandular dose (AGD) imparted to the patient during a routine screening mammogram. In the study, AGD was calculated using entrance skin exposure and dose conversion factors based on fibroglandular content, compressed breast thickness, mammography unit parameters and modifying parameters for homogeneous phantom (phantom factor), compressed breast lateral dimensions (volume factor) and anatomical features (anatomical factor). The protocol proposes the use of a fiber-optic coupled (FOCD) or Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) dosimeter to measure the entrance skin exposure at the time of the mammogram without interfering with diagnostic information of the mammogram. The study showed that FOCD had sensitivity with less than 7% energy dependence, linear in all tube current-time product stations, and was reproducible within 2%. FOCD was superior to MOSFET dosimeter in sensitivity, reusability, and reproducibility. The patient fibroglandular content was evaluated using a calibrated modified breast tissue equivalent homogeneous phantom series (BRTES-MOD) designed from anthropomorphic measurements of a screening mammography population and whose elemental composition was referenced to International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements Report 44 tissues. The patient fibroglandular content, compressed breast thickness along with unit parameters and spectrum half-value layer were used to derive the currently used dose conversion factor (DgN). The study showed that the use of a homogeneous phantom, patient compressed breast lateral dimensions and patient anatomical features can affect AGD by as much as 12%, 3% and 1%, respectively. The protocol was found to be superior to existing methodologies. In addition, the study population anthropometric measurements enabled the development of analytical equations to calculate the whole breast area, estimate for the skin layer thickness and optimal location for automatic exposure control ionization chamber. The clinical dosimetry protocol developed in this study can reliably predict the AGD imparted to an individual patient during a routine screening mammogram.

Secured Communication for Business Process Outsourcing Using Optimized Arithmetic Cryptography Protocol Based on Virtual Parties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Rohit; Joshi, Satyadhar

Within a span of over a decade, India has become one of the most favored destinations across the world for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operations. India has rapidly achieved the status of being the most preferred destination for BPO for companies located in the US and Europe. Security and privacy are the two major issues needed to be addressed by the Indian software industry to have an increased and long-term outsourcing contract from the US. Another important issue is about sharing employee’s information to ensure that data and vital information of an outsourcing company is secured and protected. To ensure that the confidentiality of a client’s information is maintained, BPOs need to implement some data security measures. In this paper, we propose a new protocol for specifically for BPO Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMC). As there are many computations and surveys which involve confidential data from many parties or organizations and the concerned data is property of the organization, preservation and security of this data is of prime importance for such type of computations. Although the computation requires data from all the parties, but none of the associated parties would want to reveal their data to the other parties. We have proposed a new efficient and scalable protocol to perform computation on encrypted information. The information is encrypted in a manner that it does not affect the result of the computation. It uses modifier tokens which are distributed among virtual parties, and finally used in the computation. The computation function uses the acquired data and modifier tokens to compute right result from the encrypted data. Thus without revealing the data, right result can be computed and privacy of the parties is maintained. We have given a probabilistic security analysis of hacking the protocol and shown how zero hacking security can be achieved. Also we have analyzed the specific case of Indian BPO.

Chemical modifications of Au/SiO2 template substrates for patterned biofunctional surfaces.

PubMed

Briand, Elisabeth; Humblot, Vincent; Landoulsi, Jessem; Petronis, Sarunas; Pradier, Claire-Marie; Kasemo, Bengt; Svedhem, Sofia

2011-01-18

The aim of this work was to create patterned surfaces for localized and specific biochemical recognition. For this purpose, we have developed a protocol for orthogonal and material-selective surface modifications of microfabricated patterned surfaces composed of SiO(2) areas (100 μm diameter) surrounded by Au. The SiO(2) spots were chemically modified by a sequence of reactions (silanization using an amine-terminated silane (APTES), followed by amine coupling of a biotin analogue and biospecific recognition) to achieve efficient immobilization of streptavidin in a functional form. The surrounding Au was rendered inert to protein adsorption by modification by HS(CH(2))(10)CONH(CH(2))(2)(OCH(2)CH(2))(7)OH (thiol-OEG). The surface modification protocol was developed by testing separately homogeneous SiO(2) and Au surfaces, to obtain the two following results: (i) SiO(2) surfaces which allowed the grafting of streptavidin, and subsequent immobilization of biotinylated antibodies, and (ii) Au surfaces showing almost no affinity for the same streptavidin and antibody solutions. The surface interactions were monitored by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), and chemical analyses were performed by polarization modulation-reflexion absorption infrared spectroscopy (PM-RAIRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to assess the validity of the initial orthogonal assembly of APTES and thiol-OEG. Eventually, microscopy imaging of the modified Au/SiO(2) patterned substrates validated the specific binding of streptavidin on the SiO(2)/APTES areas, as well as the subsequent binding of biotinylated anti-rIgG and further detection of fluorescent rIgG on the functionalized SiO(2) areas. These results demonstrate a successful protocol for the preparation of patterned biofunctional surfaces, based on microfabricated Au/SiO(2) templates and supported by careful surface analysis. The strong immobilization of the biomolecules resulting from the described protocol is advantageous in particular for micropatterned substrates for cell-surface interactions.

Optimization of three FISH procedures for in situ detection of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria in biological wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Pavlekovic, Marko; Schmid, Markus C; Schmider-Poignee, Nadja; Spring, Stefan; Pilhofer, Martin; Gaul, Tobias; Fiandaca, Mark; Löffler, Frank E; Jetten, Mike; Schleifer, K-H; Lee, Natuschka M

2009-08-01

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using fluorochrome-labeled DNA oligonucleotide probes has been successfully applied for in situ detection of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria. However, application of the standard FISH protocols to visualize anammox bacteria in biofilms from a laboratory-scale wastewater reactor produced only weak signals. Increased signal intensity was achieved either by modifying the standard FISH protocol, using peptide nucleic acid probes (PNA FISH), or applying horse radish peroxidase- (HRP-) labeled probes and subsequent catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD-FISH). A comparative analysis using anammox biofilm samples and suspended anammox biomass from different laboratory wastewater bioreactors revealed that the modified standard FISH protocol and the PNA FISH probes produced equally strong fluorescence signals on suspended biomass, but only weak signals were obtained with the biofilm samples. The probe signal intensities in the biofilm samples could be enhanced by enzymatic pre-treatment of fixed cells, and by increasing the hybridization time of the PNA FISH protocol. CARD-FISH always produced up to four-fold stronger fluorescent signals but unspecific fluorescence signals, likely caused by endogenous peroxidases as reported in several previous studies, compromised the results. Interference of the development of fluorescence intensity with endogenous peroxidases was also observed in cells of aerobic ammonium oxidizers like Nitrosomonas europea, and sulfate-reducers like Desulfobacter postgatei. Interestingly, no interference was observed with other peroxidase-positive microorganisms, suggesting that CARD-FISH is not only compromised by the mere presence of peroxidases. Pre-treatment of cells to inactivate peroxidase with HCl or autoclavation/pasteurization failed to inactive peroxidases, but H(2)O(2) significantly reduced endogenous peroxidase activity. However, for optimal inactivation, different H(2)O(2) concentrations and incubation time may be needed, depending on nature of sample and should therefore always be individually determined for each study.

Cardiac anaplastic large cell lymphoma in an 8-year old boy.

PubMed

Lauten, Melchior; Vieth, Simon; Hart, Christopher; Wössmann, Wilhelm; Tröger, Birte; Härtel, Christoph; Bethge, Martin; Schrauder, André; Cario, Gunnar

2014-01-01

We report on an 8 year old boy with primary cardiac anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), in whom the diagnosis was challenging and who was treated with modified chemotherapy without radiation therapy according to the ALCL 99 study protocol [1]. Two years and 4 months after completion of therapy the boy is in complete remission with normal cardiac function.

The Feasibility of a Structured Cognitive Training Protocol to Address Progressive Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Vascular Dementia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Jamie F.; Bishop, Lilli A.; Murray, Laura L.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, better known as CADASIL, is a rare, genetic form of early-onset vascular dementia. The purpose of this study was to use a modified version of Attention Process Training--II (APT-II; Sohlberg, Johnson, Paule, Raskin, & Mateer, 2001) with an…

Virtual Environment TBI Screen (VETS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

balance challenges performed on a modified Wii Balance Board . Implementation of this device will enhance current approaches in TBI and mild TBI (i.e...TBI) screen (VETS) device in measuring standing balance . This system consists of software, a Wii balance board , and a large screen television that...Validate Wii ™ Balance Board relative to NeuroCom forceplate ! Running Wii Balance Board validation protocol. ! Milestone Achieved:

Chemical synthesis of membrane proteins by the removable backbone modification method.

PubMed

Tang, Shan; Zuo, Chao; Huang, Dong-Liang; Cai, Xiao-Ying; Zhang, Long-Hua; Tian, Chang-Lin; Zheng, Ji-Shen; Liu, Lei

2017-12-01

Chemical synthesis can produce membrane proteins bearing specifically designed modifications (e.g., phosphorylation, isotope labeling) that are difficult to obtain through recombinant protein expression approaches. The resulting homogeneously modified synthetic membrane proteins are valuable tools for many advanced biochemical and biophysical studies. This protocol describes the chemical synthesis of membrane proteins by condensation of transmembrane peptide segments through native chemical ligation. To avoid common problems encountered due to the poor solubility of transmembrane peptides in almost any solvent, we describe an effective procedure for the chemical synthesis of membrane proteins through the removable-backbone modification (RBM) strategy. Two key steps of this protocol are: (i) installation of solubilizing Arg4-tagged RBM groups into the transmembrane peptides at any primary amino acid through Fmoc (9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl) solid-phase peptide synthesis and (ii) native ligation of the full-length sequence, followed by removal of the RBM tags by TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) cocktails to afford the native protein. The installation of RBM groups is achieved by using 4-methoxy-5-nitrosalicyladehyde by reduction amination to incorporate an activated O-to-N acyl transfer auxiliary. The Arg4-tag-modified membrane-spanning peptide segments behave like water-soluble peptides to facilitate their purification, ligation and mass characterization.

Modified Uterine Allotransplantation and Immunosuppression Procedure in the Sheep Model

PubMed Central

Yang, Hong; Zhao, Guang-Yue; Zhang, Geng; Lu, Zhi-Hong; Huang, Yan-Hong; Ma, Xiang-Dong; Liu, Hai-Xia; Liang, Sheng-Ru; Yang, Fang; Chen, Bi-Liang

2013-01-01

Objective To develop an orthotopic, allogeneic, uterine transplantation technique and an effective immunosuppressive protocol in the sheep model. Methods In this pilot study, 10 sexually mature ewes were subjected to laparotomy and total abdominal hysterectomy with oophorectomy to procure uterus allografts. The cold ischemic time was 60 min. End-to-end vascular anastomosis was performed using continuous, non-interlocking sutures. Complete tissue reperfusion was achieved in all animals within 30 s after the vascular re-anastomosis, without any evidence of arterial or venous thrombosis. The immunosuppressive protocol consisted of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and methylprednisolone tablets. Graft viability was assessed by transrectal ultrasonography and second-look laparotomy at 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. Results Viable uterine tissue and vascular patency were observed on transrectal ultrasonography and second-look laparotomy. Histological analysis of the graft tissue (performed in one ewe) revealed normal tissue architecture with a very subtle inflammatory reaction but no edema or stasis. Conclusion We have developed a modified procedure that allowed us to successfully perform orthotopic, allogeneic, uterine transplantation in sheep, whose uterine and vascular anatomy (apart from the bicornuate uterus) is similar to the human anatomy, making the ovine model excellent for human uterine transplant research. PMID:24278415

A Modified Protocol with Improved Detection Rate for Mis-Matched Donor HLA from Low Quantities of DNA in Urine Samples from Kidney Graft Recipients.

PubMed

Kwok, Janette; Choi, Leo C W; Ho, Jenny C Y; Chan, Gavin S W; Mok, Maggie M Y; Lam, Man-Fei; Chak, Wai-Leung; Cheuk, Au; Chau, Ka-Foon; Tong, Matthew; Chan, Kwok-Wah; Chan, Tak-Mao

2016-01-01

Urine from kidney transplant recipient has proven to be a viable source for donor DNA. However, an optimized protocol would be required to determine mis-matched donor HLA specificities in view of the scarcity of DNA obtained in some cases. In this study, fresh early morning urine specimens were obtained from 155 kidney transplant recipients with known donor HLA phenotype. DNA was extracted and typing of HLA-A, B and DRB1 loci by polymerase chain reaction-specific sequence primers was performed using tailor-made condition according to the concentration of extracted DNA. HLA typing of DNA extracted from urine revealed both recipient and donor HLA phenotypes, allowing the deduction of the unknown donor HLA and hence the degree of HLA mis-match. By adopting the modified procedures, mis-matched donor HLA phenotypes were successfully deduced in all of 35 tested urine samples at DNA quantities spanning the range of 620-24,000 ng. This urine-based method offers a promising and reliable non-invasive means for the identification of mis-matched donor HLA antigens in kidney transplant recipients with unknown donor HLA phenotype or otherwise inadequate donor information.

Innovative Approach for Interstitial Cystitis: Vaginal Pessaries Loaded Diazepam—A Preliminary Study

PubMed Central

Capra, P.; Perugini, P.; Bleve, M.; Pavanetto, P.; Musitelli, G.; Rovereto, B.; Porru, D.

2013-01-01

Bladder pain is a characteristic disorder of interstitial cystitis. Diazepam is well known for its antispasmodic activity in the treatment of muscular hypertonus. The aim of this work was to develop and characterize vaginal pessaries as an intravaginal delivery system of diazepam for the treatment of interstitial cystitis. In particular, the performance of two types of formulations, with and without beta-glucan, was compared. In particular, the preparation of pessaries, according to the modified Pharmacopeia protocol, the setup of the analytical method to determine diazepam, pH evaluation, dissolution profile, and photostability assay were reported. Results showed that the modified protocol permitted obtaining optimal vaginal pessaries, without air bubbles, with good consistency and handling and with good pH profiles. In order to determine the diazepam amount, calibration curves with good correlation coefficients were obtained, by the spectrophotometric method, using placebo pessaries as matrix with the addition of diazepam standard solution. This method was demonstrated sensible and accurate to determine the amount of drug in batches. Dissolution profiles showed a complete diazepam release just after 15 minutes, even if beta-glucan pessaries released drug more gradually. Finally, a possible drug photodegradation after exacerbated UV-visible exposition was evaluated. PMID:26555976

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in the prevention of postoperative infectious complications and sub-optimal recovery from operation in patients with colorectal cancer and increased preoperative risk (ASA 3 and 4). Protocol of a controlled clinical trial developed by consensus of an international study group. Part three: individual patient, complication algorithm and quality manage.

PubMed

Stinner, B; Bauhofer, A; Lorenz, W; Rothmund, M; Plaul, U; Torossian, A; Celik, I; Sitter, H; Koller, M; Black, A; Duda, D; Encke, A; Greger, B; van Goor, H; Hanisch, E; Hesterberg, R; Klose, K J; Lacaine, F; Lorijn, R H; Margolis, C; Neugebauer, E; Nyström, P O; Reemst, P H; Schein, M; Solovera, J

2001-05-01

Presentation of a new type of a study protocol for evaluation of the effectiveness of an immune modifier (rhG-CSF, filgrastim): prevention of postoperative infectious complications and of sub-optimal recovery from operation in patients with colorectal cancer and increased preoperative risk (ASA 3 and 4). A randomised, placebo controlled, double-blinded, single-centre study is performed at an University Hospital (n = 40 patients for each group). This part presents the course of the individual patient and a complication algorithm for the management of anastomotic leakage and quality management. In part three of the protocol, the three major sections include: The course of the individual patient using a comprehensive graphic display, including the perioperative period, hospital stay and post discharge outcome. A center based clinical practice guideline for the management of the most important postoperative complication--anastomotic leakage--including evidence based support for each step of the algorithm. Data management, ethics and organisational structure. Future studies with immune modifiers will also fail if not better structured (reduction of variance) to achieve uniform patient management in a complex clinical scenario. This new type of a single-centre trial aims to reduce the gap between animal experiments and clinical trials or--if it fails--at least demonstrates new ways for explaining the failures.

Derivation of Thymic Lymphoma T-cell Lines from Atm-/- and p53-/- Mice

PubMed Central

Jinadasa, Rasika; Balmus, Gabriel; Gerwitz, Lee; Roden, Jamie; Weiss, Robert; Duhamel, Gerald

2011-01-01

Established cell lines are a critical research tool that can reduce the use of laboratory animals in research. Certain strains of genetically modified mice, such as Atm-/- and p53-/- consistently develop thymic lymphoma early in life 1,2, and thus, can serve as a reliable source for derivation of murine T-cell lines. Here we present a detailed protocol for the development of established murine thymic lymphoma T-cell lines without the need to add interleukins as described in previous protocols 1,3. Tumors were harvested from mice aged three to six months, at the earliest indication of visible tumors based on the observation of hunched posture, labored breathing, poor grooming and wasting in a susceptible strain 1,4. We have successfully established several T-cell lines using this protocol and inbred strains ofAtm-/- [FVB/N-Atmtm1Led/J] 2 and p53-/- [129/S6-Trp53tm1Tyj/J] 5 mice. We further demonstrate that more than 90% of the established T-cell population expresses CD3, CD4 and CD8. Consistent with stably established cell lines, the T-cells generated by using the present protocol have been passaged for over a year. PMID:21490582

Pediatric superficial scald burns--reassessment of our follow-up protocol.

PubMed

Egro, Francesco M; O'Neill, Jennifer K; Briard, Robert; Cubison, Tania C S; Kay, Alan R; Estela, Catalina M; Burge, Timothy S

2010-01-01

The most common pediatric burn injury is a superficial scald. The current follow-up protocol for such burns includes review of the patient at 2 weeks postinjury and then 2 months later. The authors decided to review the protocol to assess the need for this second follow-up. A retrospective study reviewed the case notes of patients younger than 16 years at the time of their injury presenting with a scald over 5% TBSA. The progress of healing and scar development up to 5 years follow-up was assessed. This study showed that scalds healing within 2 weeks following injury rarely became hypertrophic. A prospective study was performed over a 10-month period. All children who suffered a superficial partial-thickness scald injury were included. At the 2-week appointment, the need for further follow-up was predicted. The accuracy of this prediction was assessed 2 months later. This study showed that an experienced member of the burns team could reliably predict at 2-week appointment those children who could be safely discharged with no subsequent need for scar management. This study suggests that it will be safe to modify the follow-up protocol, reducing the number of clinic attendances.

Comparison of COAP and UW-19 protocols for dogs with multicentric lymphoma.

PubMed

Hosoya, Kenji; Kisseberth, William C; Lord, Linda K; Alvarez, Francisco J; Lara-Garcia, Ana; Kosarek, Carrie E; London, Cheryl A; Couto, C Guillermo

2007-01-01

Various chemotherapy protocols for treating lymphoma in dogs have been published; however, comparison of protocols from different studies is difficult, especially when evaluating survival time and toxicoses. The choice of COAP (C, cyclophosphamide; O, vincristine; A, cytosine arabinoside; P, prednisone) and a modified University of Wisconsin 19-week (UW-19) induction protocol has no influence on overall survival times in dogs with lymphoma. One hundred and one dogs with multicentric lymphoma. Retrospective study (2001-2006). Dogs induced with either an 8-week COP-based protocol (C, cyclophosphamide; O, vincristine; and P, prednisone) with maintenance therapy (COAP group) or a 19-week CHOP (C, cyclophosphamide; H, doxorubicin; O, vincristine; and P, prednisone) based protocol (UW-19 group) were compared in terms of the duration of first remission, survival time, toxicoses, and cost. There were 71 dogs in the COAP group and 30 dogs in the UW-19 group. Various protocols were used after the first relapse. The median duration of the first remission for the COAP and UW-19 groups were 94 days (range, 6-356 days) and 174 days (28-438 days), respectively (P < .01). The median survival times for dogs in the COAP and UW-19 groups were 309 days (6-620 days) and 275 days (70-1102+ days), respectively (P = .09). Dogs in the COAP group had a hazard ratio of 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.4) for death relative to the UW-19 group (P = .03), after controlling for the confounders (World Health Organization clinical stage, age, sex, use of doxorubicin during reinduction). The severity of neutropenia and gastrointestinal toxicoses were significantly higher in the UW-19 group than in the COAP group (P = .01 and P < .01, respectively). Use of a long-term doxorubicin-containing sequential combination chemotherapy protocol is associated with a decreased risk of relapse and death relative to a non-doxorubicin-containing protocol.

Eliciting improved quantitative judgements using the IDEA protocol: A case study in natural resource management.

PubMed

Hemming, Victoria; Walshe, Terry V; Hanea, Anca M; Fidler, Fiona; Burgman, Mark A

2018-01-01

Natural resource management uses expert judgement to estimate facts that inform important decisions. Unfortunately, expert judgement is often derived by informal and largely untested protocols, despite evidence that the quality of judgements can be improved with structured approaches. We attribute the lack of uptake of structured protocols to the dearth of illustrative examples that demonstrate how they can be applied within pressing time and resource constraints, while also improving judgements. In this paper, we demonstrate how the IDEA protocol for structured expert elicitation may be deployed to overcome operational challenges while improving the quality of judgements. The protocol was applied to the estimation of 14 future abiotic and biotic events on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Seventy-six participants with varying levels of expertise related to the Great Barrier Reef were recruited and allocated randomly to eight groups. Each participant provided their judgements using the four-step question format of the IDEA protocol ('Investigate', 'Discuss', 'Estimate', 'Aggregate') through remote elicitation. When the events were realised, the participant judgements were scored in terms of accuracy, calibration and informativeness. The results demonstrate that the IDEA protocol provides a practical, cost-effective, and repeatable approach to the elicitation of quantitative estimates and uncertainty via remote elicitation. We emphasise that i) the aggregation of diverse individual judgements into pooled group judgments almost always outperformed individuals, and ii) use of a modified Delphi approach helped to remove linguistic ambiguity, and further improved individual and group judgements. Importantly, the protocol encourages review, critical appraisal and replication, each of which is required if judgements are to be used in place of data in a scientific context. The results add to the growing body of literature that demonstrates the merit of using structured elicitation protocols. We urge decision-makers and analysts to use insights and examples to improve the evidence base of expert judgement in natural resource management.

Effect of a low dose combined oral contraceptive pill on the hormonal profile and cycle outcome following COS with a GnRH antagonist protocol in women over 35 years old.

PubMed

Bakas, Panagiotis; Hassiakos, Dimitrios; Grigoriadis, Charalampos; Vlahos, Nikolaos F; Liapis, Angelos; Creatsas, George

2014-11-01

This prospective study examines if pre-treatment with two different doses of an oral contraceptive pill (OCP) modifies significantly the hormonal profile and/or the IVF/ICSI outcome following COS with a GnRH antagonist protocol. Infertile patients were allocated to receive either OCP containing 0.03 mg of ethinylestradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone, or OCP containing 0.02 mg of ethinylestradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone prior to initiation of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with recombinant gonadotropins on a variable multi-dose antagonist protocol (Ganirelix), while the control group underwent COS without OCP pretreatment. Lower dose OCP was associated with recovery of FSH on day 3 instead of day 5, but the synchronization of the follicular cohort, the number of retrieved oocytes and the clinical pregnancy rate were similar to higher dose OCP.

Efficient Mobility Management Signalling in Network Mobility Supported PMIPV6

PubMed Central

Jebaseeli Samuelraj, Ananthi; Jayapal, Sundararajan

2015-01-01

Proxy Mobile IPV6 (PMIPV6) is a network based mobility management protocol which supports node's mobility without the contribution from the respective mobile node. PMIPV6 is initially designed to support individual node mobility and it should be enhanced to support mobile network movement. NEMO-BSP is an existing protocol to support network mobility (NEMO) in PMIPV6 network. Due to the underlying differences in basic protocols, NEMO-BSP cannot be directly applied to PMIPV6 network. Mobility management signaling and data structures used for individual node's mobility should be modified to support group nodes' mobility management efficiently. Though a lot of research work is in progress to implement mobile network movement in PMIPV6, it is not yet standardized and each suffers with different shortcomings. This research work proposes modifications in NEMO-BSP and PMIPV6 to achieve NEMO support in PMIPV6. It mainly concentrates on optimizing the number and size of mobility signaling exchanged while mobile network or mobile network node changes its access point. PMID:26366431

Comparison of the Nanostructure and Mechanical Performance of Highly Exfoliated Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Three Different Protocols

PubMed Central

Shiravand, Fatemeh; Hutchinson, John M.; Calventus, Yolanda; Ferrando, Francesc

2014-01-01

Three different protocols for the preparation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites based upon a tri-functional epoxy resin, triglycidyl para-amino phenol (TGAP), have been compared in respect of the cure kinetics, the nanostructure and their mechanical properties. The three preparation procedures involve 2 wt% and 5 wt% of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT), and are: isothermal cure at selected temperatures; pre-conditioning of the resin-clay mixture before isothermal cure; incorporation of an initiator of cationic homopolymerisation, a boron tri-fluoride methyl amine complex, BF3·MEA, within the clay galleries. It was found that features of the cure kinetics and of the nanostructure correlate with the measured impact strength of the cured nanocomposites, which increases as the degree of exfoliation of the MMT is improved. The best protocol for toughening the TGAP/MMT nanocomposites is by the incorporation of 1 wt% BF3·MEA into the clay galleries of nanocomposites containing 2 wt% MMT. PMID:28788672

Large Volume, Behaviorally-relevant Illumination for Optogenetics in Non-human Primates.

PubMed

Acker, Leah C; Pino, Erica N; Boyden, Edward S; Desimone, Robert

2017-10-03

This protocol describes a large-volume illuminator, which was developed for optogenetic manipulations in the non-human primate brain. The illuminator is a modified plastic optical fiber with etched tip, such that the light emitting surface area is > 100x that of a conventional fiber. In addition to describing the construction of the large-volume illuminator, this protocol details the quality-control calibration used to ensure even light distribution. Further, this protocol describes techniques for inserting and removing the large volume illuminator. Both superficial and deep structures may be illuminated. This large volume illuminator does not need to be physically coupled to an electrode, and because the illuminator is made of plastic, not glass, it will simply bend in circumstances when traditional optical fibers would shatter. Because this illuminator delivers light over behaviorally-relevant tissue volumes (≈ 10 mm 3 ) with no greater penetration damage than a conventional optical fiber, it facilitates behavioral studies using optogenetics in non-human primates.

Protocol for monitoring metals in Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri: Version 1.0

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Christopher J.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Besser, John M.; Hinck, Jo Ellen; Bowles, David E.; Morrison, Lloyd W.; Williams, Michael H.

2008-01-01

The National Park Service is developing a monitoring plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southeastern Missouri. Because of concerns about the release of lead, zinc, and other metals from lead-zinc mining to streams, the monitoring plan will include mining-related metals. After considering a variety of alternatives, the plan will consist of measuring the concentrations of cadmium, cobalt, lead, nickel, and zinc in composite samples of crayfish (Orconectes luteus or alternate species) and Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) collected periodically from selected sites. This document, which comprises a protocol narrative and supporting standard operating procedures, describes the methods to be employed prior to, during, and after collection of the organisms, along with procedures for their chemical analysis and quality assurance; statistical analysis, interpretation, and reporting of the data; and for modifying the protocol narrative and supporting standard operating procedures. A list of supplies and equipment, data forms, and sample labels are also included. An example based on data from a pilot study is presented.

Comparison of the Nanostructure and Mechanical Performance of Highly Exfoliated Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Three Different Protocols.

PubMed

Shiravand, Fatemeh; Hutchinson, John M; Calventus, Yolanda; Ferrando, Francesc

2014-05-30

Three different protocols for the preparation of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites based upon a tri-functional epoxy resin, triglycidyl para -amino phenol (TGAP), have been compared in respect of the cure kinetics, the nanostructure and their mechanical properties. The three preparation procedures involve 2 wt% and 5 wt% of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT), and are: isothermal cure at selected temperatures; pre-conditioning of the resin-clay mixture before isothermal cure; incorporation of an initiator of cationic homopolymerisation, a boron tri-fluoride methyl amine complex, BF₃·MEA, within the clay galleries. It was found that features of the cure kinetics and of the nanostructure correlate with the measured impact strength of the cured nanocomposites, which increases as the degree of exfoliation of the MMT is improved. The best protocol for toughening the TGAP/MMT nanocomposites is by the incorporation of 1 wt% BF₃·MEA into the clay galleries of nanocomposites containing 2 wt% MMT.

Efficient Mobility Management Signalling in Network Mobility Supported PMIPV6.

PubMed

Samuelraj, Ananthi Jebaseeli; Jayapal, Sundararajan

2015-01-01

Proxy Mobile IPV6 (PMIPV6) is a network based mobility management protocol which supports node's mobility without the contribution from the respective mobile node. PMIPV6 is initially designed to support individual node mobility and it should be enhanced to support mobile network movement. NEMO-BSP is an existing protocol to support network mobility (NEMO) in PMIPV6 network. Due to the underlying differences in basic protocols, NEMO-BSP cannot be directly applied to PMIPV6 network. Mobility management signaling and data structures used for individual node's mobility should be modified to support group nodes' mobility management efficiently. Though a lot of research work is in progress to implement mobile network movement in PMIPV6, it is not yet standardized and each suffers with different shortcomings. This research work proposes modifications in NEMO-BSP and PMIPV6 to achieve NEMO support in PMIPV6. It mainly concentrates on optimizing the number and size of mobility signaling exchanged while mobile network or mobile network node changes its access point.

A modification of the trans-oesophageal echocardiography protocol can reduce post-operative dysphagia following cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Chin, J-H; Lee, E-H; Choi, D-K; Choi, I-C

2011-01-01

Use of intra-operative trans-oesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an independent risk factor for post-operative dysphagia. This study investigated whether modifying the TEE probe-placement protocol could reduce the incidence of post-operative dysphagia. In group I (n = 100), the TEE probe was inserted after anaesthetic induction and remained in place until the completion of surgery. In group II (n = 100), the TEE probe was inserted after anaesthetic induction, the heart was examined, then the probe was removed. The probe was inserted again before weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass and then immediately removed after examination. The incidence of dysphagia was significantly higher in group I than in group II patients (51.1% versus 28.6%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the length of time that the TEE probe was in the oesophagus was an independent predictor of dysphagia. Modification of the TEE protocol in this way can reduce the incidence of post-operative dysphagia in cardiac surgery patients.

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds.

PubMed

de-Souza-Silva, Calliandra Maria; Guilhelmelli, Fernanda; Zamith-Miranda, Daniel; de Oliveira, Marco Antônio; Nosanchuk, Joshua Daniel; Silva-Pereira, Ildinete; Albuquerque, Patrícia

2018-02-14

Fungal infections have become an important medical condition in the last decades, but the number of available antifungal drugs is limited. In this scenario, the search for new antifungal drugs is necessary. The protocol reported here details a method to screen peptides for their antifungal properties. It is based on the broth microdilution susceptibility test from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M27-A3 guidelines with modifications to suit the research of antimicrobial peptides as potential new antifungals. This protocol describes a functional assay to evaluate the activity of antifungal compounds and may be easily modified to suit any particular class of molecules under investigation. Since the assays are performed in 96-well plates using small volumes, a large-scale screening can be completed in a short amount of time, especially if carried out in an automation setting. This procedure illustrates how a standardized and adjustable clinical protocol can help the bench-work pursuit of new molecules to improve the therapy of fungal diseases.

Applicability of three alternative instruments for food authenticity analysis: GMO identification.

PubMed

Burrell, A; Foy, C; Burns, M

2011-03-06

Ensuring foods are correctly labelled for ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is an issue facing manufacturers, retailers, and enforcement agencies. DNA approaches for the determination of food authenticitys often use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and PCR products can be detected using capillary or gel electrophoresis. This study examines the fitness for purpose of the application of three laboratory electrophoresis instruments (Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100, Lab901 TapeStation, and Shimadzu MCE-202 MultiNA) for the detection of GMOs using PCR based on a previously validated protocol. Whilst minor differences in the performance characteristics of bias and precision were observed, all three instruments demonstrated their applicability in using this protocol for screening of GMO ingredients.