Processing multisource feedback during residency under the guidance of a non-medical coach

PubMed Central

Eckenhausen, Marina A.W.; ten Cate, Olle

2018-01-01

Objectives The present study aimed to investigate residents’ preferences in dealing with personal multi-source feedback (MSF) reports with or without the support of a coach. Methods Residents employed for at least half a year in the study hospital were eligible to participate. All 43 residents opting to discuss their MSF report with a psychologist-coach before discussing results with the program director were included. Semi-structured interviews were conducted following individual coaching sessions. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered using field notes. Results Seventy-four percent (n= 32) preferred sharing the MFS report always with a coach, 21% (n= 9) if either the feedback or the relationship with the program director was less favorable, and 5% (n=2) saw no difference between discussing with a coach or with the program director. In the final stage of training residents more often preferred the coach (82.6%, n=19) than in the first stages (65%, n=13).  Reasons for discussing the report with a coach included her neutral and objective position, her expertise, and the open and safe context during the discussion. Conclusions Most residents preferred discussing multisource feedback results with a coach before their meeting with a program director, particularly if the results were negative. They appeared to struggle with the dual role of the program director (coaching and judging) and appreciated the expertise of a dedicated coach to navigate this confrontation. We encourage residency programs to consider offering residents neutral coaching when processing multisource feedback. PMID:29478041

Microbial Transformation of Biomacromolecules in a Membrane Bioreactor: Implications for Membrane Fouling Investigation

PubMed Central

Zhou, Zhongbo; Meng, Fangang; Chae, So-Ryong; Huang, Guocheng; Fu, Wenjie; Jia, Xiaoshan; Li, Shiyu; Chen, Guang-Hao

2012-01-01

Background The complex characteristics and unclear biological fate of biomacromolecules (BMM), including colloidal and soluble microbial products (SMP), extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and membrane surface foulants (MSF), are crucial factors that limit our understanding of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Findings In this study, the microbial transformation of BMM was investigated in a lab-scale MBR by well-controlled bioassay tests. The results of experimental measurements and mathematical modeling show that SMP, EPS, and MSF had different biodegradation behaviors and kinetic models. Based on the multi-exponential G models, SMP were mainly composed of slowly biodegradable polysaccharides (PS), proteins (PN), and non-biodegradable humic substances (HS). In contrast, EPS contained a large number of readily biodegradable PN, slowly biodegradable PS and HS. MSF were dominated by slowly biodegradable PS, which had a degradation rate constant similar to that of SMP-PS, while degradation behaviors of MSF-PN and MSF-HS were much more similar to those of EPS-PN and EPS-HS, respectively. In addition, the large-molecular weight (MW) compounds (>100 kDa) in BMM were found to have a faster microbial transformation rate compared to the small-MW compounds (<5 kDa). The parallel factor (PARAFAC) modeling of three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra showed that the tryptophan-like PN were one of the major fractions in the BMM and they were more readily biodegradable than the HS. Besides microbial mineralization, humification and hydrolysis could be viewed as two important biotransformation mechanisms of large-MW compounds during the biodegradation process. Significance The results of this work can aid in tracking the origin of membrane foulants from the perspective of the biotransformation behaviors of SMP, EPS, and MSF. PMID:22912694

Multisource Feedback in the Ambulatory Setting

PubMed Central

Warm, Eric J.; Schauer, Daniel; Revis, Brian; Boex, James R.

2010-01-01

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has mandated multisource feedback (MSF) in the ambulatory setting for internal medicine residents. Few published reports demonstrate actual MSF results for a residency class, and fewer still include clinical quality measures and knowledge-based testing performance in the data set. Methods Residents participating in a year-long group practice experience called the “long-block” received MSF that included self, peer, staff, attending physician, and patient evaluations, as well as concomitant clinical quality data and knowledge-based testing scores. Residents were given a rank for each data point compared with peers in the class, and these data were reviewed with the chief resident and program director over the course of the long-block. Results Multisource feedback identified residents who performed well on most measures compared with their peers (10%), residents who performed poorly on most measures compared with their peers (10%), and residents who performed well on some measures and poorly on others (80%). Each high-, intermediate-, and low-performing resident had a least one aspect of the MSF that was significantly lower than the other, and this served as the basis of formative feedback during the long-block. Conclusion Use of multi-source feedback in the ambulatory setting can identify high-, intermediate-, and low-performing residents and suggest specific formative feedback for each. More research needs to be done on the effect of such feedback, as well as the relationships between each of the components in the MSF data set. PMID:21975632

The study of optimization on process parameters of high-accuracy computerized numerical control polishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei-Ren; Huang, Shih-Pu; Tsai, Tsung-Yueh; Lin, Yi-Jyun; Yu, Zong-Ru; Kuo, Ching-Hsiang; Hsu, Wei-Yao; Young, Hong-Tsu

2017-09-01

Spherical lenses lead to forming spherical aberration and reduced optical performance. Consequently, in practice optical system shall apply a combination of spherical lenses for aberration correction. Thus, the volume of the optical system increased. In modern optical systems, aspherical lenses have been widely used because of their high optical performance with less optical components. However, aspherical surfaces cannot be fabricated by traditional full aperture polishing process due to their varying curvature. Sub-aperture computer numerical control (CNC) polishing is adopted for aspherical surface fabrication in recent years. By using CNC polishing process, mid-spatial frequency (MSF) error is normally accompanied during this process. And the MSF surface texture of optics decreases the optical performance for high precision optical system, especially for short-wavelength applications. Based on a bonnet polishing CNC machine, this study focuses on the relationship between MSF surface texture and CNC polishing parameters, which include feed rate, head speed, track spacing and path direction. The power spectral density (PSD) analysis is used to judge the MSF level caused by those polishing parameters. The test results show that controlling the removal depth of single polishing path, through the feed rate, and without same direction polishing path for higher total removal depth can efficiently reduce the MSF error. To verify the optical polishing parameters, we divided a correction polishing process to several polishing runs with different direction polishing paths. Compare to one shot polishing run, multi-direction path polishing plan could produce better surface quality on the optics.

Cellular mechanisms of action and resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin.

PubMed

Phompradit, Papichaya; Chaijaroenkul, Wanna; Na-Bangchang, Kesara

2017-12-01

The recent reports of high failure rates and decline in in vitro sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) suggest the possibility of clinical artemisinin resistance along the Thai-Cambodian and Thai-Myanmar borders. The study investigated cellular mechanisms of action and resistance of P. falciparum to artesunate (stage specific activity, interaction with hemozoin, and anti-oxidant levels) in the two paired P. falciparum isolates (MSF046 and MSF060) collected before treatment with a 3-day artesunate-mefloquine and at the time of recrudescence. In addition, the link of these cellular mechanisms to the polymorphisms of the candidate artemisinin-resistant genes (pfatp6, pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfmrp1, and K13 propeller) was also investigated. Morphological change was observed in both pairs of the primary and recrudesced P. falciparum isolates during 12-48 h of exposure to artesunate (at IC 90 ). A marked decrease in parasite viability was found in the recrudesced isolates of both MSF046 and MSD060. The extent of the reduction (% change of baseline) in total glutathione concentrations was significantly lower in recrudesced (32.1 and 1.7%) compared with primary (45.5 and 53.7%) isolates of both MSF046 and MSF060. The extent of reduction of hemozoin content in MSF046 was significantly higher in the recrudesced (76.8%) isolate compared with the primary isolate (99.5%). For MSF060 on the other hand, increase in hemozoin content was found in the recrudesced isolate and the extent of such increase was significantly higher in recrudesced (93.1%) than the primary isolate (87.5%). Polymorphism of K13 (N458Y) together with pfmdr1 copy number correlated well with sensitivity of both isolates to artesunate. Results of this preliminary study suggests possible role of glutathione-dependent detoxification system as well as heme degradation as cellular mechanisms of action and resistance of artemisinins.

The Midwifery Services Framework: Lessons learned from the initial stages of implementation in six countries.

PubMed

Garg, Shantanu; Moyo, Nester T; Nove, Andrea; Bokosi, Martha

2018-07-01

In 2015, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) launched the Midwifery Services Framework (MSF): an evidence-based tool to guide countries through the process of improving their sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health services through strengthening and developing the midwifery workforce. The MSF is aligned with key global architecture for sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health and human resources for health. This third in a series of three papers describes the experience of starting to implement the MSF in the first six countries that requested ICM support to adopt the tool, and the lessons learned during these early stages of implementation. The early adopting countries selected a variety of priority work areas, but nearly all highlighted the importance of improving the attractiveness of midwifery as a career so as to improve attraction and retention, and several saw the need for improvements to midwifery regulation, pre-service education, availability and/or accessibility of midwives. Key lessons from the early stages of implementation include the need to ensure a broad range of stakeholder involvement from the outset and the need for an in-country lead organisation to maintain the momentum of implementation even when there are changes in political leadership, security concerns or other barriers to progress. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Multisource feedback, human capital, and the financial performance of organizations.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung Yong; Atwater, Leanne; Patel, Pankaj C; Smither, James W

2016-11-01

We investigated the relationship between organizations' use of multisource feedback (MSF) programs and their financial performance. We proposed a moderated mediation framework in which the employees' ability and knowledge sharing mediate the relationship between MSF and organizational performance and the purpose for which MSF is used moderates the relationship of MSF with employees' ability and knowledge sharing. With a sample of 253 organizations representing 8,879 employees from 2005 to 2007 in South Korea, we found that MSF had a positive effect on organizational financial performance via employees' ability and knowledge sharing. We also found that when MSF was used for dual purpose (both administrative and developmental purposes), the relationship between MSF and knowledge sharing was stronger, and this interaction carried through to organizational financial performance. However, the purpose of MSF did not moderate the relationship between MSF and employees' ability. The theoretical relevance and practical implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Combining a leadership course and multi-source feedback has no effect on leadership skills of leaders in postgraduate medical education. An intervention study with a control group.

PubMed

Malling, Bente; Mortensen, Lene; Bonderup, Thomas; Scherpbier, Albert; Ringsted, Charlotte

2009-12-10

Leadership courses and multi-source feedback are widely used developmental tools for leaders in health care. On this background we aimed to study the additional effect of a leadership course following a multi-source feedback procedure compared to multi-source feedback alone especially regarding development of leadership skills over time. Study participants were consultants responsible for postgraduate medical education at clinical departments. pre-post measures with an intervention and control group. The intervention was participation in a seven-day leadership course. Scores of multi-source feedback from the consultants responsible for education and respondents (heads of department, consultants and doctors in specialist training) were collected before and one year after the intervention and analysed using Mann-Whitney's U-test and Multivariate analysis of variances. There were no differences in multi-source feedback scores at one year follow up compared to baseline measurements, either in the intervention or in the control group (p = 0.149). The study indicates that a leadership course following a MSF procedure compared to MSF alone does not improve leadership skills of consultants responsible for education in clinical departments. Developing leadership skills takes time and the time frame of one year might have been too short to show improvement in leadership skills of consultants responsible for education. Further studies are needed to investigate if other combination of initiatives to develop leadership might have more impact in the clinical setting.

Evaluation of Professional Role Competency during Psychiatry Residency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grujich, Nikola N.; Razmy, Ajmal; Zaretsky, Ari; Styra, Rima G.; Sockalingam, Sanjeev

2012-01-01

Objective: The authors sought to determine psychiatry residents' perceptions on the current method of evaluating professional role competency and the use of multi-source feedback (MSF) as an assessment tool. Method: Authors disseminated a structured, anonymous survey to 128 University of Toronto psychiatry residents, evaluating the current mode of…

The Spectral Energy Distribution of the Earliest Phases of Massive Star Formation from the Spizter and Herschel Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Randolf; Looney, Leslie; Henning, Thomas; Chakrabarti, Sukanya; Shenoy, Sachin

2015-08-01

Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) are very good candidates for the earliest phases of massive star formation, but can only be found in regions with high infrared background. We have searched for early phases among cold and massive (M>100M⊙) cloud cores by selecting cores from millimeter continuum surveys (Faundez et al. 2004, Sridharan et al. 2005, Klein et al. 2005, Beltran et al. 2006) without associations at short wavelengths. We compared the millimeter continuum peak positions with IR and radio catalogs (2MASS, MSX, IRAS, and NVSS) and excluded cores that had sources associated with the cores' peaks. We compiled a list of 173 cores in over 117 regions that are candidates for very early phases of Massive Star Formation (MSF). Now with the Spitzer and Herschel archives, these cores can be characterized further. The GLIMPSE and MIPSGAL programs alone covered 86 of these regions. The Herschel Archive adds even longer wavelengths. We are compiling this data set to construct the complete spectral energy distribution (SED) in the mid- and far-infrared with good spatial resolution and broad spectral coverage. This allow us to disentangle the complex regions and model the SED of the deeply embedded protostars/clusters.We will be presenting the IR properties of all cores and their embedded source, attempt a characterization, and order the cores in an evolutionary sequence. The resulting properties can be compared to e.g. IRDCs, a class of objects suggested to be the earliest stages of MSF. With the relative large number of cores, we can try to answer questions like: How homogeneous or diverse are our regions in terms of their evolutionary stage? Where do our embedded sources fit in the evolutionary sequence of IRDCs, hot molecular cores, ultra-compact HII regions, etc? How is the MSF shaping the environment and vice versa? Can we extrapolate to the initial conditions of MSF using our evolutionary sequence?

A planning comparison of 3-dimensional conformal multiple static field, conformal arc, and volumetric modulated arc therapy for the delivery of stereotactic body radiotherapy for early stage lung cancer.

PubMed

Dickey, Mike; Roa, Wilson; Drodge, Suzanne; Ghosh, Sunita; Murray, Brad; Scrimger, Rufus; Gabos, Zsolt

2015-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to compare dosimetric variables as well as treatment times of multiple static fields (MSFs), conformal arcs (CAs), and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) techniques for the treatment of early stage lung cancer using stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Treatments of 23 patients previously treated with MSF of 48Gy to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) in 4 fractions were replanned using CA and VMAT techniques. Dosimetric parameters of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0915 trial were evaluated, along with the van׳t Riet conformation number (CN), monitor units (MUs), and actual and calculated treatment times. Paired t-tests for noninferiority were used to compare the 3 techniques. CA had significant dosimetric improvements over MSF for the ratio of the prescription isodose volume to PTV (R100%, p < 0.0001), the maximum dose 2cm away from the PTV (D2cm, p = 0.005), and van׳t Riet CN (p < 0.0001). CA was not statistically inferior to MSF for the 50% prescription isodose volume to PTV (R50%, p = 0.05). VMAT was significantly better than CA for R100% (p < 0.0001), R50% (p < 0.0001), D2cm (p = 0.006), and CN (p < 0.0001). CA plans had significantly shorter treatment times than those of VMAT (p < 0.0001). Both CA and VMAT planning showed significant dosimetric improvements and shorter treatment times over those of MSF. VMAT showed the most favorable dosimetry of all 3 techniques; however, the dosimetric effect of tumor motion was not evaluated. CA plans were significantly faster to treat, and minimize the interplay of tumor motion and dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) motion effects. Given these results, CA has become the treatment technique of choice at our facility. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of geothermal power conversion cycles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elliott, D. G.

1976-01-01

Geothermal power conversion cycles are compared with respect to recovery of the available wellhead power. The cycles compared are flash steam, in which steam turbines are driven by steam separated from one or more flash stages; binary, in which heat is transferred from the brine to an organic turbine cycle; flash binary, in which heat is transferred from flashed steam to an organic turbine cycle; and dual steam, in which two-phase expanders are driven by the flashing steam-brine mixture and steam turbines by the separated steam. Expander efficiencies assumed are 0.7 for steam turbines, 0.8 for organic turbines, and 0.6 for two-phase expanders. The fraction of available wellhead power delivered by each cycle is found to be about the same at all brine temperatures: 0.65 with one stage and 0.7 with four stages for dual stream; 0.4 with one stage and 0.6 with four stages for flash steam; 0.5 for binary; and 0.3 with one stage and 0.5 with four stages for flash binary.

A Light Harvesting Complex-Like Protein in Maintenance of Photosynthetic Components in Chlamydomonas1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Zhao, Lei; Cheng, Dongmei; Huang, Xiahe; Chen, Mei; Xing, Jiale; Gao, Liyan; Li, Lingyu; Wang, Yale; Peng, Lianwei; Wang, Yingchun

2017-01-01

Using a genetic approach, we have identified and characterized a novel protein, named Msf1 (Maintenance factor for photosystem I), that is required for the maintenance of specific components of the photosynthetic apparatus in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Msf1 belongs to the superfamily of light-harvesting complex proteins with three transmembrane domains and consensus chlorophyll-binding sites. Loss of Msf1 leads to reduced accumulation of photosystem I and chlorophyll-binding proteins/complexes. Msf1is a component of a thylakoid complex containing key enzymes of the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway, thus revealing a possible link between Msf1 and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Protein interaction assays and greening experiments demonstrate that Msf1 interacts with Copper target homolog1 (CHL27B) and accumulates concomitantly with chlorophyll in Chlamydomonas, implying that chlorophyll stabilizes Msf1. Contrary to other light-harvesting complex-like genes, the expression of Msf1 is not stimulated by high-light stress, but its protein level increases significantly under heat shock, iron and copper limitation, as well as in stationary cells. Based on these results, we propose that Msf1 is required for the maintenance of photosystem I and specific protein-chlorophyll complexes especially under certain stress conditions. PMID:28637830

Combining a leadership course and multi-source feedback has no effect on leadership skills of leaders in postgraduate medical education. An intervention study with a control group

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Leadership courses and multi-source feedback are widely used developmental tools for leaders in health care. On this background we aimed to study the additional effect of a leadership course following a multi-source feedback procedure compared to multi-source feedback alone especially regarding development of leadership skills over time. Methods Study participants were consultants responsible for postgraduate medical education at clinical departments. Study design: pre-post measures with an intervention and control group. The intervention was participation in a seven-day leadership course. Scores of multi-source feedback from the consultants responsible for education and respondents (heads of department, consultants and doctors in specialist training) were collected before and one year after the intervention and analysed using Mann-Whitney's U-test and Multivariate analysis of variances. Results There were no differences in multi-source feedback scores at one year follow up compared to baseline measurements, either in the intervention or in the control group (p = 0.149). Conclusion The study indicates that a leadership course following a MSF procedure compared to MSF alone does not improve leadership skills of consultants responsible for education in clinical departments. Developing leadership skills takes time and the time frame of one year might have been too short to show improvement in leadership skills of consultants responsible for education. Further studies are needed to investigate if other combination of initiatives to develop leadership might have more impact in the clinical setting. PMID:20003311

Identification and therapeutic potential of a vitronectin binding region of meningococcal msf.

PubMed

Hill, Darryl J; Griffiths, Natalie J; Borodina, Elena; Andreae, Clio A; Sessions, Richard B; Virji, Mumtaz

2015-01-01

The human pathogen Neisseria meningitides (Nm) attains serum resistance via a number of mechanisms, one of which involves binding to the host complement regulator protein vitronectin. We have shown previously that the Meningococcal surface fibril (Msf), a trimeric autotransporter, binds to the activated form of vitronectin (aVn) to increase Nm survival in human serum. In this study, we aimed to identify the aVn-binding region of Msf to assess its potential as an antigen which can elicit antibodies that block aVn binding and/or possess bactericidal properties. Using several recombinant Msf fragments spanning its surface-exposed region, the smallest aVn-binding recombinants were found to span residues 1-86 and 39-124. The use of further deletion constructs and overlapping recombinant Msf fragments suggested that a region of Msf comprising residues 39-82 may be primarily important for aVn binding and that other regions may also be involved but to a lesser extent. Molecular modelling implicated K66 and K68, conserved in all available Msf sequences, to be involved in the interaction. Recombinant fragments which bound to aVn were able to reduce the survival advantage conveyed by aVn-interaction in serum bactericidal assays. Antibodies raised against one such fragment inhibited aVn binding to Msf. In addition, the antibodies enhanced specific killing of Msf-expressing Nm in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, this study identifies an aVn-binding region of Msf, an adhesin known to impart serum resistance properties to the pathogen; and shows that this region of Msf can elicit antibodies with dual properties which reduce pathogen survival within the host and thus has potential as a vaccine antigen.

Identification and Therapeutic Potential of a Vitronectin Binding Region of Meningococcal Msf

PubMed Central

Hill, Darryl J.; Griffiths, Natalie J.; Borodina, Elena; Andreae, Clio A.; Sessions, Richard B.; Virji, Mumtaz

2015-01-01

The human pathogen Neisseria meningitides (Nm) attains serum resistance via a number of mechanisms, one of which involves binding to the host complement regulator protein vitronectin. We have shown previously that the Meningococcal surface fibril (Msf), a trimeric autotransporter, binds to the activated form of vitronectin (aVn) to increase Nm survival in human serum. In this study, we aimed to identify the aVn-binding region of Msf to assess its potential as an antigen which can elicit antibodies that block aVn binding and/or possess bactericidal properties. Using several recombinant Msf fragments spanning its surface-exposed region, the smallest aVn-binding recombinants were found to span residues 1-86 and 39-124. The use of further deletion constructs and overlapping recombinant Msf fragments suggested that a region of Msf comprising residues 39-82 may be primarily important for aVn binding and that other regions may also be involved but to a lesser extent. Molecular modelling implicated K66 and K68, conserved in all available Msf sequences, to be involved in the interaction. Recombinant fragments which bound to aVn were able to reduce the survival advantage conveyed by aVn-interaction in serum bactericidal assays. Antibodies raised against one such fragment inhibited aVn binding to Msf. In addition, the antibodies enhanced specific killing of Msf-expressing Nm in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, this study identifies an aVn-binding region of Msf, an adhesin known to impart serum resistance properties to the pathogen; and shows that this region of Msf can elicit antibodies with dual properties which reduce pathogen survival within the host and thus has potential as a vaccine antigen. PMID:25826209

Bioinformatic analysis of meningococcal Msf and Opc to inform vaccine antigen design

PubMed Central

Andreae, Clio A.; Sessions, Richard B.; Virji, Mumtaz

2018-01-01

Neisseria meningitidis is an antigenically and genetically variable Gram-negative bacterium and a causative agent of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia. Meningococci encode many outer membrane proteins, including Opa, Opc, Msf, fHbp and NadA, identified as being involved in colonisation of the host and evasion of the immune response. Although vaccines are available for the prevention of some types of meningococcal disease, none currently offer universal protection. We have used sequences within the Neisseria PubMLST database to determine the variability of msf and opc in 6,500 isolates. In-silico analysis revealed that although opc is highly conserved, it is not present in all isolates, with most isolates in clonal complex ST-11 lacking a functional opc. In comparison, msf is found in all meningococcal isolates, and displays diversity in the N-terminal domain. We identified 20 distinct Msf sequence variants (Msf SV), associated with differences in number of residues within the putative Vn binding motifs. Moreover, we showed distinct correlations with certain Msf SVs and isolates associated with either hyperinvasive lineages or those clonal complexes associated with a carriage state. We have demonstrated differences in Vn binding between three Msf SVs and generated a cross reactive Msf polyclonal antibody. Our study has highlighted the importance of using large datasets to inform vaccine development and provide further information on the antigenic diversity exhibited by N. meningitidis. PMID:29547646

Bioinformatic analysis of meningococcal Msf and Opc to inform vaccine antigen design.

PubMed

Andreae, Clio A; Sessions, Richard B; Virji, Mumtaz; Hill, Darryl J

2018-01-01

Neisseria meningitidis is an antigenically and genetically variable Gram-negative bacterium and a causative agent of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia. Meningococci encode many outer membrane proteins, including Opa, Opc, Msf, fHbp and NadA, identified as being involved in colonisation of the host and evasion of the immune response. Although vaccines are available for the prevention of some types of meningococcal disease, none currently offer universal protection. We have used sequences within the Neisseria PubMLST database to determine the variability of msf and opc in 6,500 isolates. In-silico analysis revealed that although opc is highly conserved, it is not present in all isolates, with most isolates in clonal complex ST-11 lacking a functional opc. In comparison, msf is found in all meningococcal isolates, and displays diversity in the N-terminal domain. We identified 20 distinct Msf sequence variants (Msf SV), associated with differences in number of residues within the putative Vn binding motifs. Moreover, we showed distinct correlations with certain Msf SVs and isolates associated with either hyperinvasive lineages or those clonal complexes associated with a carriage state. We have demonstrated differences in Vn binding between three Msf SVs and generated a cross reactive Msf polyclonal antibody. Our study has highlighted the importance of using large datasets to inform vaccine development and provide further information on the antigenic diversity exhibited by N. meningitidis.

Stent fracture, valve dysfunction, and right ventricular outflow tract reintervention after transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation: patient-related and procedural risk factors in the US Melody Valve Trial.

PubMed

McElhinney, Doff B; Cheatham, John P; Jones, Thomas K; Lock, James E; Vincent, Julie A; Zahn, Evan M; Hellenbrand, William E

2011-12-01

Among patients undergoing transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) replacement with the Melody valve, risk factors for Melody stent fracture (MSF) and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reintervention have not been well defined. From January 2007 to January 2010, 150 patients (median age, 19 years) underwent TPV implantation in the Melody valve Investigational Device Exemption trial. Existing conduit stents from a prior catheterization were present in 37 patients (25%, fractured in 12); 1 or more new prestents were placed at the TPV implant catheterization in 51 patients. During follow-up (median, 30 months), MSF was diagnosed in 39 patients. Freedom from a diagnosis of MSF was 77±4% at 14 months (after the 1-year evaluation window) and 60±9% at 39 months (3-year window). On multivariable analysis, implant within an existing stent, new prestent, or bioprosthetic valve (combined variable) was associated with longer freedom from MSF (P<0.001), whereas TPV compression (P=0.01) and apposition to the anterior chest wall (P=0.02) were associated with shorter freedom from MSF. Freedom from RVOT reintervention was 86±4% at 27 months. Among patients with a MSF, freedom from RVOT reintervention after MSF diagnosis was 49±10% at 2 years. Factors associated with reintervention were similar to those for MSF. MSF was common after TPV implant in this multicenter experience and was more likely in patients with severely obstructed RVOT conduits and when the TPV was directly behind the anterior chest wall and/or clearly compressed. A TPV implant site protected by a prestent or bioprosthetic valve was associated with lower risk of MSF and reintervention.

A first look at global flash drought: long term change and short term predictability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Xing; Wang, Linying; Ji, Peng

2017-04-01

"Flash drought" became popular after the unexpected 2012 central USA drought, mainly due to its rapid development, low predictability and devastating impacts on water resources and crop yields. A pilot study by Mo and Lettenmaier (2015) found that flash drought, based on a definition of concurrent heat extreme, soil moisture deficit and evapotranspiration (ET) enhancement at pentad scale, were in decline over USA during recent 100 years. Meanwhile, a recent work indicated that the occurrence of flash drought in China was doubled during the past 30 years, where a severe flash drought in the summer of 2013 ravaged 13 provinces in southern China. As global warming increases the frequency of heat waves and accelerates the hydrological cycle, the flash drought is expected to increase in general, but its trend might also be affected by interannual to decadal climate oscillations. To consolidate the hotspots of flash drought and the effects of climate change on flash drought, a global inventory is being conducted by using multi-source observations (in-situ, satellite and reanalysis), CMIP5 historical simulations and future projections under different forcing scenarios, as well as global land surface hydrological modeling for key variables including surface air temperature, soil moisture and ET. In particular, a global picture of the flash drought distribution, the contribution of naturalized and anthropogenic forcings to global flash drought change, and the risk of global flash drought in the future, will be presented. Besides investigating the long-term change of flash drought, providing reliable early warning is also essential to developing adaptation strategies. While regional drought early warning systems have been emerging in recent decade, forecasting of flash drought is still at an exploratory stage due to limited understanding of flash drought predictability. Here, a set of sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) hindcast datasets are being used to assess the short term predictability of flash drought via a perfect model assumption.

Thermo-msf-parser: an open source Java library to parse and visualize Thermo Proteome Discoverer msf files.

PubMed

Colaert, Niklaas; Barsnes, Harald; Vaudel, Marc; Helsens, Kenny; Timmerman, Evy; Sickmann, Albert; Gevaert, Kris; Martens, Lennart

2011-08-05

The Thermo Proteome Discoverer program integrates both peptide identification and quantification into a single workflow for peptide-centric proteomics. Furthermore, its close integration with Thermo mass spectrometers has made it increasingly popular in the field. Here, we present a Java library to parse the msf files that constitute the output of Proteome Discoverer. The parser is also implemented as a graphical user interface allowing convenient access to the information found in the msf files, and in Rover, a program to analyze and validate quantitative proteomics information. All code, binaries, and documentation is freely available at http://thermo-msf-parser.googlecode.com.

Phase transformation in the alumina-titania system during flash sintering experiments

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

Jha, S. K.; Lebrun, J. M.; Raj, R.

2016-02-01

We show that phase transformation in the alumina–titania system, which produces aluminum-titanate, follows an unusual trajectory during flash sintering. The experiments begin with mixed powders of alumina–titania and end in dense microstructures that are transformed into aluminum-titanate. The sintering and the phase transformation are separated in time, with the sintering occurs during Stage II, and phase transformation during Stage III of the flash sintering experiment. Stage III is the steady-state condition of flash activated state that is established under current control, while Stage II is the period of transition from voltage to current control. The extent of phase transformation increasesmore » with the current density and the hold time in Stage III.« less

Modeling a densely urbanized watershed with an artificial neural network, weather radar and telemetric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira Filho, Augusto José; dos Santos, Cláudia Cristina

2006-02-01

Artificial neural networks (ANN) are widely used in a myriad of fields of research and development, including the predictability of time series. This work is concerned with one of such applications to simulate and to forecast stage level and streamflow at the Tamanduateí river watershed, one of the main tributaries of the Alto Tietê river watershed in São Paulo State, Brazil. This heavily urbanized watershed is within the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) where recurrent flash floods affect a population of more than 17 million inhabitants. Flash floods events between 1991 and 1995 were selected and divided up into three groups for training, verification and forecasting purposes. Weather radar rainfall estimation and telemetric stage level and streamflow data were input to a three-layer feed forward ANN trained with the Linear Least Square Simplex training algorithm (LLSSIM) by Hsu et al. [Hsu, K.L., Gupta, H.V., Sorooshian, S., 1996. A superior training strategy for three-layer feed forward artificial neural networks. Tucson, University of Arizona. (Technique report, HWR no. 96-030, Department of Hydrology and Water Resources)]. The performance of the ANN is improved by 40% when either streamflow or stage level were input together with the rainfall. The ANN simulated flood waves tend to be dominated by phase errors. The ANN showed slightly better results then a multi-parameter auto-regression model and indicates its usefulness in flash flood forecasting.

A randomized phase I study of methanesulfonyl fluoride, an irreversible cholinesterase inhibitor, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Moss, Donald E; Fariello, Ruggero G; Sahlmann, Jörg; Sumaya, Isabel; Pericle, Federica; Braglia, Enrico

2013-01-01

Aims To ascertain the tolerability profile of single and repeated oral doses of methanesulfonyl fluoride (MSF, SNX-001) in healthy aged subjects, and to determine the degree of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition induced by MSF after single and repeated oral doses. Methods To calculate properly the kinetics and the duration of AChE inhibition, the effects of MSF were also studied in rodents. These experiments suggested that MSF administered three times per week should provide safe and efficacious AChE inhibition. In a randomized placebo-controlled phase I study, 3.6 mg, 7.2 mg or 10.8 mg MSF were then orally administered to 27 consenting healthy volunteers (aged 50 to 72 years). After a single dose phase and a 1 week wash-out period, the subjects received the same doses three times per week for 2 weeks. Results Twenty-two out of the 27 subjects completed the study. Four patients withdrew due to adverse events (AEs) and one for non-compliance. Erythrocyte AChE was inhibited by a total of 33%, 46%, and 62% after 2 weeks of 3.6 mg, 7.2 mg and 10.8 mg MSF, respectively. No serious AEs occurred. The most frequent AEs were headache (27%), nausea (11%) and diarrhoea (8%). Conclusions MSF proved to be well tolerated even with repeated oral dosing. It is estimated that MSF provided a degree of AChE inhibition that should effectively enhance memory. This molecule deserves to be tested for efficacy in a pilot randomized controlled study in patients with Alzheimer's disease. PMID:23116458

Characteristic pulse trains of preliminary breakdown in four isolated small thunderstorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Dong

2017-03-01

Using a low-frequency six-station local network, preliminary breakdown (PB) pulses not followed or followed by negative return stroke (RS), which are defined as PB-type and PB cloud-to-ground (PBCG)-type flashes, are analyzed based on four isolated small thunderstorms for the first time. On the basis of 22 PB-type flashes out of totally 2155 flashes, it indicates that the number of PB-type flashes is very small. At the early stage, PB-type flashes are observed in all four thunderstorms. At the active stage, PB-type flashes still can occur; meanwhile, there are few or no negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes. However, at the final stage no PB-type flashes occur. At the stage of distinct cell merging or splitting, PB-type flashes are also observed. Based on the 123 PBCG-type flashes, we discuss the percentage of PBCG-type flashes and also analyze the relationship between the electric field (E-field) amplitude of the largest pulse in the PB pulse train normalized to 100 km (PBA), the E-field amplitude of the first return stroke normalized to 100 km (RSA), the time interval between PBA and RSA (PB-RS interval), and the ratio between PBA and RSA (PB-RS ratio). We find that the percentage of PBCG-type flashes is not always dependent on PBA or PB-RS ratio; the type of thunderstorms may also have an impact on this percentage. None of the PB-RS intervals is less than 20 ms; we speculate that such long PB-RS interval is the feature of isolated small thunderstorms, but more observations are needed to further investigate this question.

The utility of amnioinfusion in the prophylaxis of meconium-stained amniotic fluid infectious morbidity.

PubMed

Adair, C D; Weeks, J W; Johnson, G; Burlison, S; London, S; Lewis, D F

1997-01-01

To evaluate the utility of intrapartum amnioinfusion (AI) in reducing the infectious morbidity of patients with meconium-stained fluid (MSF). Previous studies have shown increased intraamniotic infection (IAI) and postpartum endometritis (PPE) rates in patients with MSF. Intraamniotic infection has been reduced with the prophylactic administration of ampicillin-sulbactam in MSF. Intraamniotic infection and PPE have been reduced with the use of AI in patients with clear fluid. No investigators have specifically examined the efficacy of AI in reducing meconium-stained, amniotic-fluid-associated infectious morbidity. A retrospective cohort study of all cases of MSF was conducted and included patients who delivered at Louisiana State University Medical Center-Shreveport during the one-year period from January to December 1996. Patients were identified from the perinatal database by the diagnosis code of MSF. The medical records were reviewed to determine the consistency of MSF and the presence or absence of infectious morbidity. Patient demographics, labor characteristics, and various risk factors for infection were sought. The main outcome measures were the occurrence of clinical IAI or PPE. Statistical analysis included two-tailed unpaired t-test, X(2), ANOVA, and Fisher exact test when appropriate. Two hundred seventy-three medical records of patients with MSF were studied. One hundred twenty nine patients received AI, and 144 did not receive AI. No significant differences in demographics, labor characteristics, or outcome variables were noted between the two groups. The incidences of IAI were 18.6% and 24.3%, P = 0.13, in the AI and non-AI groups, respectively. Postpartum endometritis occurred in 22.5% of AI patients and 21.5% of non-AI patients, P = 0.97. The use of AI confers no benefit for the reduction of infectious morbidity in patients with MSF.

The Utility of Amnioinfusion in the Prophylaxis of Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid Infectious Morbidity

PubMed Central

Weeks, J. W.; Johnson, G.; Burlison, S.; London, S.; Lewis, D. F.

1997-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of intrapartum amnioinfusion (AI) in reducing the infectious morbidity of patients with meconium-stained fluid (MSF). Previous studies have shown increased intraamniotic infection (IAI) and postpartum endometritis (PPE) rates in patients with MSF. Intraamniotic infection has been reduced with the prophylactic administration of ampicillin–sulbactam in MSF. Intraamniotic infection and PPE have been reduced with the use of AI in patients with clear fluid. No investigators have specifically examined the efficacy of AI in reducing meconium-stained, amniotic-fluid-associated infectious morbidity. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of all cases of MSF was conducted and included patients who delivered at Louisiana State University Medical Center–Shreveport during the one-year period from January to December 1996. Patients were identified from the perinatal database by the diagnosis code of MSF. The medical records were reviewed to determine the consistency of MSF and the presence or absence of infectious morbidity. Patient demographics, labor characteristics, and various risk factors for infection were sought. The main outcome measures were the occurrence of clinical IAI or PPE. Statistical analysis included two-tailed unpaired t-test, X2, ANOVA, and Fisher exact test when appropriate. Results: Two hundred seventy-three medical records of patients with MSF were studied. One hundred twenty nine patients received AI, and 144 did not receive AI. No significant differences in demographics, labor characteristics, or outcome variables were noted between the two groups. The incidences of IAI were 18.6% and 24.3%, P = 0.13, in the AI and non-AI groups, respectively. Postpartum endometritis occurred in 22.5% of AI patients and 21.5% of non-AI patients, P = 0.97. Conclusions: The use of AI confers no benefit for the reduction of infectious morbidity in patients with MSF. PMID:18476189

Multi-Level Bitmap Indexes for Flash Memory Storage

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

Wu, Kesheng; Madduri, Kamesh; Canon, Shane

2010-07-23

Due to their low access latency, high read speed, and power-efficient operation, flash memory storage devices are rapidly emerging as an attractive alternative to traditional magnetic storage devices. However, tests show that the most efficient indexing methods are not able to take advantage of the flash memory storage devices. In this paper, we present a set of multi-level bitmap indexes that can effectively take advantage of flash storage devices. These indexing methods use coarsely binned indexes to answer queries approximately, and then use finely binned indexes to refine the answers. Our new methods read significantly lower volumes of data atmore » the expense of an increased disk access count, thus taking full advantage of the improved read speed and low access latency of flash devices. To demonstrate the advantage of these new indexes, we measure their performance on a number of storage systems using a standard data warehousing benchmark called the Set Query Benchmark. We observe that multi-level strategies on flash drives are up to 3 times faster than traditional indexing strategies on magnetic disk drives.« less

Environmental impact of seawater desalination plants.

PubMed

Al-Mutaz, I S

1991-01-01

Enormous amounts of seawater are desalted everyday worldwide. The total world production of fresh water from the sea is about 2621 mgd (9.92 million m(3) day(-1) 1985 figures). Desalting processes are normally associated with the rejection of high concentration waste brine from the plant itself or from the pretreatment units as well as during the cleaning period. In thermal processes, mainly multistage flash (MSF) thermal pollution occurs. These pollutants increase the seawater temperature, salinity, water current and turbidity. They also harm the marine environment, causing fish to migrate while enhancing the presence of algae, nematods and tiny molluscus. Sometimes micro-elements and toxic materials appear in the discharged brine.This paper will discuss the impact of the effluents from the desalination plants on the seawater environment with particular reference to the Saudi desalination plants, since they account for about 50% of the world desalination capacity.

Establishment of an immortal cynomolgus macaque fibroblast cell line for propagation of cynomolgus macaque cytomegalovirus (CyCMV).

PubMed

Ambagala, Aruna P; Marsh, Angie K; Chan, Jacqueline K; Mason, Rosemarie; Pilon, Richard; Fournier, Jocelyn; Sandstrom, Paul; Willer, David O; MacDonald, Kelly S

2013-05-01

Cynomolgus macaques are widely used as an animal model in biomedical research. We have established an immortalized cynomolgus macaque fibroblast cell line (MSF-T) by transducing primary dermal fibroblasts isolated from a 13-year-old male cynomolgus macaque with a retrovirus vector expressing human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). The MSF-T cells showed increased telomerase enzyme activity and reached over 200 in vitro passages compared to the non-transduced dermal fibroblasts, which reached senescence after 43 passages. The MSF-T cell line is free of mycoplasma contamination and is permissive to the newly identified cynomolgus macaque cytomegalovirus (CyCMV). CyCMV productively infects MSF-T cells and induces down-regulation of MHC class I expression. The MSF-T cell line will be extremely useful for the propagation of CyCMV and other cynomolgus herspesviruses in host-derived fibroblast cells, allowing for the retention of host-specific viral genes. Moreover, this cell line will be beneficial for many in vitro experiments related to this animal model.

Nurturing compassion through care-giving and care-receiving: the changing moral economy of AIDs in China.

PubMed

Kuah-Pearce, Khun Eng; Guiheux, Gilles

2014-01-01

Based on the case study of an Aids clinic operated in Nanning by MSF, this paper looks at how one international NGO, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders), deals with the HIV-carrier patients in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi province in China. It explores the process of care-giving to the HIV patients by MSF employees (both foreign and local) and how the patients react to the 'care-receiving' provided by this foreign NGO. This is especially pertinent in China today as HIV-patients are the victims of discriminating policies and are still very much discriminated by the general population. MSF, viewed by the victims as a foreign NGO, is regarded as an organization seen as promoting a changing and compassionate attitude toward AIDs patients through their anonymous and non-discriminating practices. Through the practices and the discourse of MSF workers and the testimonies of the patients, this paper looks at how the moral economy of AIDs is evolving from a repressive and discriminative attitude towards the compassionate attention to individual suffering. As such, MSF, through its actions, is seen as one of the agents promoting attitudinal changes toward disadvantaged groups and is facilitating the emergence of an emotional and compassionate subject.

MULTI-SOURCE FEATURE LEARNING FOR JOINT ANALYSIS OF INCOMPLETE MULTIPLE HETEROGENEOUS NEUROIMAGING DATA

PubMed Central

Yuan, Lei; Wang, Yalin; Thompson, Paul M.; Narayan, Vaibhav A.; Ye, Jieping

2012-01-01

Analysis of incomplete data is a big challenge when integrating large-scale brain imaging datasets from different imaging modalities. In the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), for example, over half of the subjects lack cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measurements; an independent half of the subjects do not have fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scans; many lack proteomics measurements. Traditionally, subjects with missing measures are discarded, resulting in a severe loss of available information. In this paper, we address this problem by proposing an incomplete Multi-Source Feature (iMSF) learning method where all the samples (with at least one available data source) can be used. To illustrate the proposed approach, we classify patients from the ADNI study into groups with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal controls, based on the multi-modality data. At baseline, ADNI’s 780 participants (172 AD, 397 MCI, 211 NC), have at least one of four data types: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), FDG-PET, CSF and proteomics. These data are used to test our algorithm. Depending on the problem being solved, we divide our samples according to the availability of data sources, and we learn shared sets of features with state-of-the-art sparse learning methods. To build a practical and robust system, we construct a classifier ensemble by combining our method with four other methods for missing value estimation. Comprehensive experiments with various parameters show that our proposed iMSF method and the ensemble model yield stable and promising results. PMID:22498655

Surgeons without borders: a brief history of surgery at Médecins Sans Frontières.

PubMed

Chu, Kathryn; Rosseel, Peter; Trelles, Miguel; Gielis, Pierre

2010-03-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a humanitarian organization that performs emergency and elective surgical services in both conflict and non-conflict settings in over 70 countries. In 2006 MSF surgeons departed on approximately 125 missions, and over 64,000 surgical interventions were carried out in some 20 countries worldwide. Historically, the majority of MSF surgical projects began in response to conflicts or natural disasters. During an emergency response, MSF has resources to set up major operating facilities within 48 h in remote areas. One of MSF strengths is its supply chain. Large pre-packaged surgical kits, veritable "operating theatres to go," can be readied in enormous crates and quickly loaded onto planes. In more stable contexts, MSF has also strengthened the delivery of surgical services within a country's public health system. The MSF surgeon is the generalist in the broadest sense and performs vascular, obstetrical, orthopaedic, and other specialized surgical procedures. The organization aims to provide surgical services only temporarily. When there is a decrease in acute needs a program will be closed, or more importantly, turned over to the Ministry of Health or another non-governmental organization. The long-term solution to alleviating the global burden of surgical disease lies in building up a domestic surgical workforce capable of responding to the major causes of surgery-related morbidity and mortality. However, given that even countries with the resources of the United States suffer from an insufficiency of surgeons, the need for international emergency organizations to provide surgical assistance during acute emergencies will remain for the foreseeable future.

Reference Curves for Field Tests of Musculoskeletal Fitness in U.S. Children and Adolescents: The 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey.

PubMed

Laurson, Kelly R; Saint-Maurice, Pedro F; Welk, Gregory J; Eisenmann, Joey C

2017-08-01

Laurson, KR, Saint-Maurice, PF, Welk, GJ, and Eisenmann, JC. Reference curves for field tests of musculoskeletal fitness in U.S. children and adolescents: The 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2075-2082, 2017-The purpose of the study was to describe current levels of musculoskeletal fitness (MSF) in U.S. youth by creating nationally representative age-specific and sex-specific growth curves for handgrip strength (including relative and allometrically scaled handgrip), modified pull-ups, and the plank test. Participants in the National Youth Fitness Survey (n = 1,453) were tested on MSF, aerobic capacity (via submaximal treadmill test), and body composition (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and skinfolds). Using LMS regression, age-specific and sex-specific smoothed percentile curves of MSF were created and existing percentiles were used to assign age-specific and sex-specific z-scores for aerobic capacity and body composition. Correlation matrices were created to assess the relationships between z-scores on MSF, aerobic capacity, and body composition. At younger ages (3-10 years), boys scored higher than girls for handgrip strength and modified pull-ups, but not for the plank. By ages 13-15, differences between the boys and girls curves were more pronounced, with boys scoring higher on all tests. Correlations between tests of MSF and aerobic capacity were positive and low-to-moderate in strength. Correlations between tests of MSF and body composition were negative, excluding absolute handgrip strength, which was inversely related to other MSF tests and aerobic capacity but positively associated with body composition. The growth curves herein can be used as normative reference values or a starting point for creating health-related criterion reference standards for these tests. Comparisons with prior national surveys of physical fitness indicate that some components of MSF have likely decreased in the United States over time.

Remote sensing of rainfall for flash flood prediction in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourley, J. J.; Flamig, Z.; Vergara, H. J.; Clark, R. A.; Kirstetter, P.; Terti, G.; Hong, Y.; Howard, K.

2015-12-01

This presentation will briefly describe the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system that ingests all NEXRAD and Canadian weather radar data and produces accurate rainfall estimates at 1-km resolution every 2 min. This real-time system, which was recently transitioned for operational use in the National Weather Service, provides forcing to a suite of flash flood prediction tools. The Flooded Locations and Simulated Hydrographs (FLASH) project provides 6-hr forecasts of impending flash flooding across the US at the same 1-km grid cell resolution as the MRMS rainfall forcing. This presentation will describe the ensemble hydrologic modeling framework, provide an evaluation at gauged basins over a 10-year period, and show the FLASH tools' performance during the record-setting floods in Oklahoma and Texas in May and June 2015.

New developments in flash radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattsson, Arne

2007-01-01

The paper will review some of the latest developments in flash radiography. A series of multi anode tubes has been developed. These are tubes with several x-ray sources within the same vacuum enclosure. The x-ray sources are closely spaced, to come as close as possible to a single source. The x-ray sources are sequentially pulsed, at times that can be independently chosen. Tubes for voltages in the range 150 - 500 kV, with up to eight x-ray sources, will be described. Combining a multi anode tube with an intensified CCD camera, will make it possible to generate short "x-ray movies". A new flash x-ray control system has been developed. The system is operated from a PC or Laptop. All parameters of a multi channel flash x-ray system can be remotely set and monitored. The system will automatically store important operation parameters.

Analysis of a four lamp flash system for calibrating multi-junction solar cells under concentrated light

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

Schachtner, Michael, E-mail: michael.schachtner@ise.fraunhofer.de; Prado, Marcelo Loyo; Reichmuth, S. Kasimir

2015-09-28

It has been known for a long time that the precise characterization of multi-junction solar cells demands spectrally tunable solar simulators. The calibration of innovative multi-junction solar cells for CPV applications now requires tunable solar simulators which provide high irradiation levels. This paper describes the commissioning and calibration of a flash-based four-lamp simulator to be used for the measurement of multi-junction solar cells with up to four subcells under concentrated light.

A multisource feedback tool to assess ward round leadership skills of senior paediatric trainees: (2) Testing reliability and practicability.

PubMed

Goodyear, Helen M; Lakshminarayana, Indumathy; Wall, David; Bindal, Taruna

2015-05-01

A five-domain multisource feedback (MSF) tool was previously developed in 2009-2010 by the authors to assess senior paediatric trainees' ward round leadership skills. To determine whether this MSF tool is practicable and reliable, whether individuals' feedback varies over time and trainees' views of the tool. The MSF tool was piloted (April-July 2011) and field tested (September 2011-February 2013) with senior paediatric trainees. A focus group held at the end of field testing obtained trainees' views of the tool. In field testing, 96/115 (84%) trainees returned 633 individual assessments from three different ward rounds over 18 months. The MSF tool had high reliability (Cronbach's α 0.84, G coefficient 0.8 for three raters). In all five domains, data were shifted to the right with scores of 3 (good) and 4 (excellent). Consultants gave significantly lower scores (p<0.001), as did trainees for self-assessment (p<0.001). There was no significant change in MSF scores over 18 months but comments showed that trainees' performance improved. Trainees valued these comments and the MSF tool but had concerns about time taken for feedback and confusion about tool use and the paediatric assessment strategy. A five-domain MSF tool was found to be reliable on pilot and field testing, practicable to use and liked by trainees. Comments on performance were more helpful than scores in giving trainees feedback. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

In utero methanesulfonyl fluoride differentially affects learning and maze performance in the absence of long-lasting cholinergic changes in the adult rat.

PubMed

Carcoba, Luis M; Santiago, Miguel; Moss, Donald E; Cabeza, Rafael

2008-02-01

There is increasing evidence that acetylcholinesterase (AChE) may have various specific developmental roles in brain development. Nevertheless, specific effects of AChE inhibition during early brain development have not been adequately described. Therefore, methanesulfonyl fluoride (MSF), an irreversible AChE inhibitor that shows high selectivity for the CNS was used to produce AChE inhibition in utero to study subsequent adult behaviors, sleep, and cholinergic markers. Rats exposed to MSF in utero showed a deficit in spatial learning tasks using appetitive motivation but, surprisingly, they performed equally well or better than controls when aversive motivation was used. One hypothesis was that MSF treatment in utero affected the response to stress. Tests of anxiety however showed no differences in basal levels of anxiety. Studies of sleep behavior, however, indicated a higher level of REM sleep which is only seen during the light phase of male rats exposed to MSF in utero as compared to controls. No differences in cholinergic markers in the brains of adults were found except that females exposed to MSF in utero had a higher level of ChAT activity in the synaptosomal fraction of the hippocampus. Even so, whether cholinergic alterations accompany the in utero MSF exposure remains to be determined. The failure to find widespread changes in cholinergic markers in the adult brains suggests changes in behaviors should be further investigated by testing the participation of postsynaptic mechanisms, measuring of cholinergic markers during earlier development periods and the possible participation of other neurotransmitter systems to clearly reveal the role of the cholinergic system following in utero MSF exposure.

In utero methanesulfonyl fluoride differentially affects learning and maze performance in the absence of long-lasting cholinergic changes in the adult rat

PubMed Central

Carcoba, Luis M .; Santiago, Miguel; Moss, Donald E.; Cabeza, Rafael

2008-01-01

There is increasing evidence that acetylcholinesterase (AChE) may have various specific developmental roles in brain development. Nevertheless, specific effects of AChE inhibition during early brain development have not been adequately described. Therefore, methanesulfonyl fluoride (MSF), an irreversible AChE inhibitor that shows high selectivity for the CNS was used to produce AChE inhibition in utero to study subsequent adult behaviors, sleep, and cholinergic markers. Rats exposed to MSF in utero showed a deficit in spatial learning tasks using appetitive motivation but, surprisingly, they performed equally well or better than controls when aversive motivation was used. One hypothesis was that MSF treatment in utero affected the response to stress. Tests of anxiety however showed no differences in basal levels of anxiety. Studies of sleep behavior, however, indicated a higher level of REM sleep which is only seen during the light phase of male rats exposed to MSF in utero as compared to controls. No differences in cholinergic markers in the brains of adults were found except that females exposed to MSF in utero had a higher level of ChAT activity in the synaptosomal fraction of the hippocampus. Even so, whether cholinergic alterations accompany the in utero MSF exposure remains to be determined. The failure to find widespread changes in cholinergic markers in the adult brains suggests changes in behaviors should be further investigated by testing the participation of postsynaptic mechanisms, measuring of cholinergic markers during earlier development periods and the possible participation of other neurotransmitter systems to clearly reveal the role of the cholinergic system following in utero MSF exposure. PMID:17920111

Characteristics of the most intense lightning storm ever recorded at the CN Tower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, A. M.; Kazazi, S.; Anwar, M.; Yusouf, M.; Liatos, P.

2017-02-01

Lightning strikes to the CN Tower have been optically observed since 1978. In 1990, five independent systems started to operate to simultaneously record parameters of lightning strikes to the tower, including the time derivative of the current, the associated electric and magnetic fields, and the channel optical characteristics. On August 24, 2011, during an unusually severe lightning storm, video records showed that the CN Tower was struck with 52 lightning flashes within 84 min and 6.9 s. Thus, this storm produced, on average, a flash to the tower every 99 s. However, the CN Tower lightning current derivative measurement system only recorded 32 flashes, which were perfectly time-matched with 32 of the 52 video-recorded flashes. It is found that the current derivative measurement system recorded every video-recorded flash that contained at least one return stroke. Based on the analysis of video records, it is noted that each of the storm's 52 flashes contains an initial-stage current, proving that all flashes were upward initiated. This unique CN Tower storm - the most intense ever recorded at the tower - is here thoroughly analyzed, based on video and current records. The inter-flash time within the storm is found to vary between 10.6 s and 274 s, with an overall average of 98 s. It is also found that the inter-flash time between successive non-return-stroke flashes is on average 64% longer than that for successive flashes containing return strokes. Statistical analysis of video and current data clearly reveals that the time duration of flashes containing initial-stage currents and return strokes is on average 27% longer than that of flashes that only have initial-stage currents. Furthermore, it is important to note that the time duration of the initial-stage current in flashes containing no return strokes is on average 76% longer than that in flashes containing return strokes. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that if the time duration of the initial-stage current in a flash is long enough, resulting in large charge transfer, then there is less probability of having return strokes following it. The 32 current-recorded flashes contain a total of 156 return strokes, with an average multiplicity of 4.875. It is worth mentioning that during one decade, 1992-2001, the CN Tower current derivative measurement system only recorded 478 return strokes, demonstrating that the number of return strokes recorded at the tower within about 84 min is close to one third of those recorded at the tower during one decade. This finding clearly shows the great value and rarity of the presented extensive lightning current derivative data. Only one of the 32 current-recorded flashes is proved to be positive with a single return stroke. Based on current records, out of a total of 124 inter-stroke time intervals, 94% are found to be within 200 ms, with an overall inter-stroke time average of 68.1 ms. The maximum inter-stroke time recorded during this storm is 726.3 ms, the longest ever recorded at the CN Tower.

Radiation Tests of Highly Scaled, High-Density, Commercial, Nonvolatile NAND Flash Memories - Update 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irom, Farokh; Nguyen, Duc N.

2010-01-01

High-density, commercial, nonvolatile flash memories with NAND architecture are now available from several manufacturers. This report examines SEE effects and TID response in single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memories manufactured by Micron Technology.

33 CFR 117.903 - Darby Creek.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., nine inches high to indicate the vertical clearance under the closed draw at all stages of the tide... change from flashing green to flashing red anytime the bridge is not in the full open position. (10) During downward span movement, the channel traffic lights will change from flashing green to flashing red...

33 CFR 117.903 - Darby Creek.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., nine inches high to indicate the vertical clearance under the closed draw at all stages of the tide... change from flashing green to flashing red anytime the bridge is not in the full open position. (10) During downward span movement, the channel traffic lights will change from flashing green to flashing red...

33 CFR 117.903 - Darby Creek.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., nine inches high to indicate the vertical clearance under the closed draw at all stages of the tide... change from flashing green to flashing red anytime the bridge is not in the full open position. (10) During downward span movement, the channel traffic lights will change from flashing green to flashing red...

Multiscale Concrete Modeling of Aging Degradation

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

Hammi, Yousseff; Gullett, Philipp; Horstemeyer, Mark F.

In this work a numerical finite element framework is implemented to enable the integration of coupled multiscale and multiphysics transport processes. A User Element subroutine (UEL) in Abaqus is used to simultaneously solve stress equilibrium, heat conduction, and multiple diffusion equations for 2D and 3D linear and quadratic elements. Transport processes in concrete structures and their degradation mechanisms are presented along with the discretization of the governing equations. The multiphysics modeling framework is theoretically extended to the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) by introducing the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) and based on the XFEM user element implementation of Ginermore » et al. [2009]. A damage model that takes into account the damage contribution from the different degradation mechanisms is theoretically developed. The total contribution of damage is forwarded to a Multi-Stage Fatigue (MSF) model to enable the assessment of the fatigue life and the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures in a nuclear power plant. Finally, two examples are presented to illustrate the developed multiphysics user element implementation and the XFEM implementation of Giner et al. [2009].« less

Radiation Tests of Highly scaled, High-Density, Commercial, Nonvolatile NAND Flash Memories--Update 2011

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irom, Farokh; Nguyen, Duc N.

2011-01-01

High-density, commercial, nonvolatile flash memories with NAND architecture are now available from several manufacturers. This report examines SEE effects and TID response in single-level cell (SLC) 32Gb and multi-level cell (MLC) 64Gb NAND flash memories manufactured by Micron Technology.

"Nationals" and "expatriates": challenges of fulfilling "sans frontières" ("without borders") ideals in international humanitarian action.

PubMed

Shevchenko, Olga; Fox, Renée C

2008-01-01

The international humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is strongly committed to principles of universalism, egalitarianism, and equity, in both its internal and external relations. Nevertheless, the organization distinguishes between so-called "national" staff members (those who are indigenous to the countries where MSF projects are located), and "expatriate" staff (those who are involved in projects outside their countries of residence), in certain ways that it has self-critically termed "discriminatory", "colonialist", and even "racist". It has resolved to remedy such practices. Through a first-hand case study of MSF activities in Russia, this article demonstrates that the dynamics of the "nationals"/ "expatriates" divide is a more complex phenomenon than MSF's self-accusatory diagnosis implies; that a fuller recognition and utilization of nationals' local knowledge would mitigate some of the conditions of inequality and inequity that they experience; but that it would not necessarily be desirable to expunge all differences between the two groups of staff Furthermore, because they are intrinsic to the structure and conditions of international humanitarian action, some of these differences could not easily be elminated by MSF, or by any other organization engaged in this kind of action.

Multispectral signature analysis measurements of selected sniper rifles and small arms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, David B.; Carapezza, Edward M.; Csanadi, Christina J.; Edwards, Gerald D.; Hintz, Todd M.; Tong, Ronald M.

1997-02-01

During October 1995 - June 1996, the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center RDT&E Division (NRaD), under sponsorship from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), conducted an intensive series of multi-spectral signature analyses of typical sniper weapons. Multi-spectral signatures of the muzzle flashes from rifles and pistols and some imagery of the bullets in flight were collected. Multi- spectral signatures of the muzzle flash were collected in the infrared (2.5 - 14.5 microns), visible -- near-IR (400 - 1200 nanometers), and the ultra-violet (185 - 400 nanometers) wavelength regions. These measurements consisted of high spectral resolution (0.0159 micron) measurements of the spectral radiance of the muzzle flash. A time history plot of the muzzle flash as it evolves just forward of the end of the muzzle is provided. These measurements were performed with a CI Systems Model SR5000 IR/Visible spectroradiometer and an Ocean Optics Model PC1000 UV spectroradiometer. Muzzle flash infrared imagery is provided to show the effect that specific muzzle breaks have on the resulting muzzle flash. The following set of sniper weapons were included in this test: AK-47, SKS, M16A2, M-14, FN-FAL, SMLE IIa, 03 Springfield, SVD Dragunov, 50 caliber McMillan, and a 45 caliber ACP pistol. The results of this signature analysis show that important measurable electro-optical differences do exist between all these weapons in terms of spectral radiance of the flash, spectral content of the gun powders, and spectral shapes/geometries of the muzzle flashes. These differences were sufficient such that, after a more complete data base is collected, it will be possible to develop a passive electro-optical weapon and ammunition identifier.

Multi-task linear programming discriminant analysis for the identification of progressive MCI individuals.

PubMed

Yu, Guan; Liu, Yufeng; Thung, Kim-Han; Shen, Dinggang

2014-01-01

Accurately identifying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals who will progress to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is very important for making early interventions. Many classification methods focus on integrating multiple imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). However, the main challenge for MCI classification using multiple imaging modalities is the existence of a lot of missing data in many subjects. For example, in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study, almost half of the subjects do not have PET images. In this paper, we propose a new and flexible binary classification method, namely Multi-task Linear Programming Discriminant (MLPD) analysis, for the incomplete multi-source feature learning. Specifically, we decompose the classification problem into different classification tasks, i.e., one for each combination of available data sources. To solve all different classification tasks jointly, our proposed MLPD method links them together by constraining them to achieve the similar estimated mean difference between the two classes (under classification) for those shared features. Compared with the state-of-the-art incomplete Multi-Source Feature (iMSF) learning method, instead of constraining different classification tasks to choose a common feature subset for those shared features, MLPD can flexibly and adaptively choose different feature subsets for different classification tasks. Furthermore, our proposed MLPD method can be efficiently implemented by linear programming. To validate our MLPD method, we perform experiments on the ADNI baseline dataset with the incomplete MRI and PET images from 167 progressive MCI (pMCI) subjects and 226 stable MCI (sMCI) subjects. We further compared our method with the iMSF method (using incomplete MRI and PET images) and also the single-task classification method (using only MRI or only subjects with both MRI and PET images). Experimental results show very promising performance of our proposed MLPD method.

Multi-Task Linear Programming Discriminant Analysis for the Identification of Progressive MCI Individuals

PubMed Central

Yu, Guan; Liu, Yufeng; Thung, Kim-Han; Shen, Dinggang

2014-01-01

Accurately identifying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals who will progress to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is very important for making early interventions. Many classification methods focus on integrating multiple imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). However, the main challenge for MCI classification using multiple imaging modalities is the existence of a lot of missing data in many subjects. For example, in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study, almost half of the subjects do not have PET images. In this paper, we propose a new and flexible binary classification method, namely Multi-task Linear Programming Discriminant (MLPD) analysis, for the incomplete multi-source feature learning. Specifically, we decompose the classification problem into different classification tasks, i.e., one for each combination of available data sources. To solve all different classification tasks jointly, our proposed MLPD method links them together by constraining them to achieve the similar estimated mean difference between the two classes (under classification) for those shared features. Compared with the state-of-the-art incomplete Multi-Source Feature (iMSF) learning method, instead of constraining different classification tasks to choose a common feature subset for those shared features, MLPD can flexibly and adaptively choose different feature subsets for different classification tasks. Furthermore, our proposed MLPD method can be efficiently implemented by linear programming. To validate our MLPD method, we perform experiments on the ADNI baseline dataset with the incomplete MRI and PET images from 167 progressive MCI (pMCI) subjects and 226 stable MCI (sMCI) subjects. We further compared our method with the iMSF method (using incomplete MRI and PET images) and also the single-task classification method (using only MRI or only subjects with both MRI and PET images). Experimental results show very promising performance of our proposed MLPD method. PMID:24820966

Macromedia Flash as a Tool for Mathematics Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garofalo, Joe; Summers, Tim

2004-01-01

Macromedia Flash is a powerful and robust development tool. Because of its graphical, sound, and animation capabilities (and ubiquitous browser plug-in), major companies employ it in their website development (see www.nike.com or www.espn.com). These same features also make Flash a valuable environment for building multi-representational "movies"…

Performance analysis of three-dimensional-triple-level cell and two-dimensional-multi-level cell NAND flash hybrid solid-state drives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaki, Yukiya; Yamada, Tomoaki; Matsui, Chihiro; Yamaga, Yusuke; Takeuchi, Ken

2018-04-01

In order to improve performance of solid-state drives (SSDs), hybrid SSDs have been proposed. Hybrid SSDs consist of more than two types of NAND flash memories or NAND flash memories and storage-class memories (SCMs). However, the cost of hybrid SSDs adopting SCMs is more expensive than that of NAND flash only SSDs because of the high bit cost of SCMs. This paper proposes unique hybrid SSDs with two-dimensional (2D) horizontal multi-level cell (MLC)/three-dimensional (3D) vertical triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memories to achieve higher cost-performance. The 2D-MLC/3D-TLC hybrid SSD achieves up to 31% higher performance than the conventional 2D-MLC/2D-TLC hybrid SSD. The factors of different performance between the proposed hybrid SSD and the conventional hybrid SSD are analyzed by changing its block size, read/write/erase latencies, and write unit of 3D-TLC NAND flash memory, by means of a transaction-level modeling simulator.

Properties and cDNA cloning of antihemorrhagic factors in sera of Chinese and Japanese mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffi).

PubMed

Aoki, Narumi; Tsutsumi, Kadzuyo; Deshimaru, Masanobu; Terada, Shigeyuki

2008-02-01

An antihemorrhagic protein has been isolated from the serum of Chinese mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffi brevicaudus) by using a combination of ethanol precipitation and a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a C8 column. This protein-designated Chinese mamushi serum factor (cMSF)-suppressed mamushi venom-induced hemorrhage in a dose-dependent manner. It had no effect on trypsin, chymotrypsin, thermolysin, and papain but inhibited the proteinase activities of several snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) including hemorrhagic enzymes isolated from the venoms of mamushi and habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis). A similar protein (Japanese MSF, jMSF) with antihemorrhagic activity has also been purified from the sera of Japanese mamushi (G. blomhoffi). The N-terminal 70 and 51 residues of the intact cMSF and jMSF were directly analyzed; a similarity between the sequences of two MSFs to that of antihemorrhagic protein (HSF) from habu serum was noticed. To obtain the complete amino acid sequences of MSFs, cDNAs encoding these proteins were cloned from the liver mRNA of Chinese and Japanese vipers based on their N-terminal amino acid sequences. The mature forms of both MSFs consisted of 305 amino acids with a 19-residue signal sequence, and a unique 17-residue deletion was detected in their His-rich domains.

Multi- and unisensory visual flash illusions.

PubMed

Courtney, Jon R; Motes, Michael A; Hubbard, Timothy L

2007-01-01

The role of stimulus structure in multisensory and unisensory interactions was examined. When a flash (17 ms) was accompanied by multiple tones (each 7 ms, SOA < or =100 ms) multiple flashes were reported, and this effect has been suggested to reflect the role of stimulus continuity in multisensory interactions. In experiments 1 and 2 we examined if stimulus continuity would affect concurrently presented stimuli. When a relatively longer flash (317 ms) was accompanied by multiple tones (each 7 ms), observers reported perceiving multiple flashes. In experiment 3 we tested whether a flash presented near fixation would induce an illusory flash further in the periphery. One flash (17 ms) presented 5 degrees below fixation was reported as multiple flashes if presented with two flashes (each 17 ms, SOA =100 ms) 2 degrees above fixation. The extent to which these data support a phenomenological continuity principle and whether this principle applies to unisensory perception is discussed.

Evolution of lightning in an isolated hailstorm of moderate size in the tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamra, A. K.; Pawar, S. D.

2007-10-01

Evolution of lightning activity in a tropical hailstorm of moderate size that developed in the premonsoon season at Pune (18°32'N, 73°51'E, 559 m above sea level) is studied from the measurements of surface electric field, the Maxwell current and thunder. Total flash rate is counted from the electric field record, and the cloud-to-ground (CG) flash rate is estimated from the visual observations. Precise timings of their occurrence were confirmed from the observations of overshoot in the Maxwell current records. The storm exhibited an almost constant rate of one CG flash every 1 to 2 min over the whole life time of the storm. The ratio of intracloud (IC) to CG flashes (IC/CG) increased with the increase in total flash rate. In the convective stage of the storm, field changes from consecutive flashes were generally found to alternate in polarity. Moreover, in this stage, field changes occur in pairs, the first field change of each pair being of negative polarity and the second one of positive polarity. The two field changes in a pair occur with an average time difference of 14.3 ± 8.4 s while two consecutive pairs appear after 29.3 ± 9.1 s. In between the convective and mature stages, our observations suggest the occurrence of the phenomenon of rain gush and the field excursion associated with falling precipitation. Development of the mature stage was marked with rapid transitions in the surface electric field and the Maxwell current polarities from negative to positive. Further, total flash rate and IC/CG ratio sharply increase, and the lightning-induced electric field changes become almost exclusively of negative polarity. Observations suggest possibly a lifting up of the charging region in mature stage of the storm. The dissipating stage of the storm witnessed hail and rain showers, sharp transition of electric field and the Maxwell current from positive to negative polarity and occurrence of a few positive CG discharges. Our observations are consistent with the general belief that that some lightning flashes, by neutralizing and depositing charge in the region of opposite polarity, change the charge distribution so as to trigger another discharge in the storm.

Long-term safety and efficacy of dalfampridine for walking impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis: Results of open-label extensions of two Phase 3 clinical trials

PubMed Central

Goodman, Andrew D; Bethoux, Francois; Brown, Theodore R; Schapiro, Randall T; Cohen, Ron; Marinucci, Lawrence N; Henney, Herbert R

2015-01-01

Background: In Phase 3 double-blind trials (MS-F203 and MS-F204), dalfampridine extended release tablets 10 mg twice daily (dalfampridine-ER; prolonged-release fampridine in Europe; fampridine modified or sustained release elsewhere) improved walking speed relative to placebo in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives: Evaluation of long-term safety and efficacy of dalfampridine-ER in open-label extensions (MS-F203EXT, MS-F204EXT). Methods: Patients received dalfampridine-ER 10 mg twice daily; and had Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) assessments at 2, 14 and 26 weeks, and then every 6 months. Subjects were categorized as dalfampridine-ER responders or non-responders, based on their treatment response in the double-blind parent trials that assessed T25FW. Results: We had 269 patients enter MS-F203EXT and 154 patients complete it; for a maximum exposure of 5 years. We had 214 patients enter MS-F204EXT and 146 complete it; for a maximum exposure of 3.3 years. No new safety signals emerged and dalfampridine-ER tolerability was consistent with the double-blind phase. Improvements in walking speed were lost after dalfampridine-ER was discontinued in the parent trial, but returned by the 2-week assessment after re-initiation of the drug. Throughout the extensions, mean improvement in walking speed declined, but remained improved, among the double-blind responders as compared with non-responders. Conclusions: The dalfamipridine-ER safety profile was consistent with the parent trials. Although walking speed decreased over time, dalfampridine-ER responders continued to show improved walking speed, which was sustained compared with non-responders. PMID:25583832

An Extended Spectral-Spatial Classification Approach for Hyperspectral Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbari, D.

2017-11-01

In this paper an extended classification approach for hyperspectral imagery based on both spectral and spatial information is proposed. The spatial information is obtained by an enhanced marker-based minimum spanning forest (MSF) algorithm. Three different methods of dimension reduction are first used to obtain the subspace of hyperspectral data: (1) unsupervised feature extraction methods including principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), and minimum noise fraction (MNF); (2) supervised feature extraction including decision boundary feature extraction (DBFE), discriminate analysis feature extraction (DAFE), and nonparametric weighted feature extraction (NWFE); (3) genetic algorithm (GA). The spectral features obtained are then fed into the enhanced marker-based MSF classification algorithm. In the enhanced MSF algorithm, the markers are extracted from the classification maps obtained by both SVM and watershed segmentation algorithm. To evaluate the proposed approach, the Pavia University hyperspectral data is tested. Experimental results show that the proposed approach using GA achieves an approximately 8 % overall accuracy higher than the original MSF-based algorithm.

Conjugated π electron engineering of generalized stacking fault in graphene and h-BN.

PubMed

Ouyang, Bin; Chen, Cheng; Song, J

2018-03-02

Generalized-stacking-fault energy (GSFE) serves as an important metric that prescribes dislocation behaviors in materials. In this paper, utilizing first-principle calculations and chemical bonding analysis, we studied the behaviors of generalized stacking fault in graphene and h-BN. It has been shown that the π bond formation plays a critical role in the existence of metastable stacking fault (MSF) in graphene and h-BN lattice along certain slip directions. Chemical functionalization was then proposed as an effective means to engineer the π bond, and subsequently MSF along dislocation slips within graphene and h-BN. Taking hydrogenation as a representative functionalization method, we demonstrated that, with the preferential adsorption of hydrogen along the slip line, π electrons along the slip would be saturated by adsorbed hydrogen atoms, leading to the moderation or elimination of MSF. Our study elucidates the atomic mechanism of MSF formation in graphene-like materials, and more generally, provides important insights towards predictive tuning of mechanic properties in two-dimensional nanomaterials.

Conjugated π electron engineering of generalized stacking fault in graphene and h-BN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Bin; Chen, Cheng; Song, J.

2018-03-01

Generalized-stacking-fault energy (GSFE) serves as an important metric that prescribes dislocation behaviors in materials. In this paper, utilizing first-principle calculations and chemical bonding analysis, we studied the behaviors of generalized stacking fault in graphene and h-BN. It has been shown that the π bond formation plays a critical role in the existence of metastable stacking fault (MSF) in graphene and h-BN lattice along certain slip directions. Chemical functionalization was then proposed as an effective means to engineer the π bond, and subsequently MSF along dislocation slips within graphene and h-BN. Taking hydrogenation as a representative functionalization method, we demonstrated that, with the preferential adsorption of hydrogen along the slip line, π electrons along the slip would be saturated by adsorbed hydrogen atoms, leading to the moderation or elimination of MSF. Our study elucidates the atomic mechanism of MSF formation in graphene-like materials, and more generally, provides important insights towards predictive tuning of mechanic properties in two-dimensional nanomaterials.

Laser head for simultaneous optical pumping of several dye lasers. [with single flash lamp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mumola, P. B.; Mcalexander, B. T. (Inventor)

1975-01-01

The invention is a laser head for simultaneous pumping several dye lasers with a single flash lamp. The laser head includes primarily a multi-elliptical cylinder cavity with a single flash lamp placed along the common focal axis of the cavity and with capillary tube dye cells placed along each of the other focal axes of the cavity. The inside surface of the cavity is polished. Hence, the single flash lamp supplies the energy to the several dye cells.

Radiation Tests of Highly Scaled, High-Density, Commercial, Nonvolatile NAND Flash Memories - Update 2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irom, Farokh; Allen, Gregory R.

2012-01-01

The space radiation environment poses a certain risk to all electronic components on Earth-orbiting and planetary mission spacecraft. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the use of high-density, commercial, nonvolatile flash memories in space because of ever-increasing data volumes and strict power requirements. They are used in a wide variety of spacecraft subsystems. At one end of the spectrum, flash memories are used to store small amounts of mission-critical data such as boot code or configuration files and, at the other end, they are used to construct multi-gigabyte data recorders that record mission science data. This report examines single-event effect (SEE) and total ionizing dose (TID) response in single-level cell (SLC) 32-Gb, multi-level cell (MLC) 64-Gb, and Triple-level (TLC) 64-Gb NAND flash memories manufactured by Micron Technology with feature size of 25 nm.

Changes in performance: a 5-year longitudinal study of participants in a multi-source feedback programme.

PubMed

Violato, Claudio; Lockyer, Jocelyn M; Fidler, Herta

2008-10-01

Multi-source feedback (MSF) enables performance data to be provided to doctors from patients, co-workers and medical colleagues. This study examined the evidence for the validity of MSF instruments for general practice, investigated changes in performance for doctors who participated twice, 5 years apart, and determined the association between change in performance and initial assessment and socio-demographic characteristics. Data for 250 doctors included three datasets per doctor from, respectively, 25 patients, eight co-workers and eight medical colleagues, collected on two occasions. There was high internal consistency (alpha > 0.90) and adequate generalisability (Ep(2) > 0.70). D study results indicate adequate generalisability coefficients for groups of eight assessors (medical colleagues, co-workers) and 25 patient surveys. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for the validity of factors that were theoretically expected, meaningful and cohesive. Comparative fit indices were 0.91 for medical colleague data, 0.87 for co-worker data and 0.81 for patient data. Paired t-test analysis showed significant change between the two assessments from medical colleagues and co-workers, but not between the two patient surveys. Multiple linear regressions explained 2.1% of the variance at time 2 for medical colleagues, 21.4% of the variance for co-workers and 16.35% of the variance for patient assessments, with professionalism a key variable in all regressions. There is evidence for the construct validity of the instruments and for their stability over time. Upward changes in performance will occur, although their effect size is likely to be small to moderate.

A low-voltage sense amplifier with two-stage operational amplifier clamping for flash memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jiarong

2017-04-01

A low-voltage sense amplifier with reference current generator utilizing two-stage operational amplifier clamp structure for flash memory is presented in this paper, capable of operating with minimum supply voltage at 1 V. A new reference current generation circuit composed of a reference cell and a two-stage operational amplifier clamping the drain pole of the reference cell is used to generate the reference current, which avoids the threshold limitation caused by current mirror transistor in the traditional sense amplifier. A novel reference voltage generation circuit using dummy bit-line structure without pull-down current is also adopted, which not only improves the sense window enhancing read precision but also saves power consumption. The sense amplifier was implemented in a flash realized in 90 nm flash technology. Experimental results show the access time is 14.7 ns with power supply of 1.2 V and slow corner at 125 °C. Project supported by the National Natural Science Fundation of China (No. 61376028).

Remote Sensing-Based Quantification of the Impact of Flash Flooding on the Rice Production: A Case Study over Northeastern Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Rahaman, Khan Rubayet; Kok, Aaron; Hassan, Quazi K.

2017-01-01

The northeastern region of Bangladesh often experiences flash flooding during the pre-harvesting period of the boro rice crop, which is the major cereal crop in the country. In this study, our objective was to delineate the impact of the 2017 flash flood (that initiated on 27 March 2017) on boro rice using multi-temporal Landsat-8 OLI and MODIS data. Initially, we opted to use Landsat-8 OLI data for mapping the damages; however, during and after the flooding event the acquisition of cloud free images were challenging. Thus, we used this data to map the cultivated boro rice acreage considering the planting to mature stages of the crop. Also, in order to map the extent of the damaged boro area, we utilized MODIS data as their 16-day composites provided cloud free information. Our results indicated that both the cultivated and damaged boro area estimates based on satellite data had strong relationships while compared to the ground-based estimates (i.e., r2 values approximately 0.92 for both cases, and RMSE of 18,374 and 9380 ha for cultivated and damaged areas, respectively). Finally, we believe that our study would be critical for planning and ensuring food security for the country. PMID:29036896

Remote Sensing-Based Quantification of the Impact of Flash Flooding on the Rice Production: A Case Study over Northeastern Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahmed, M Razu; Rahaman, Khan Rubayet; Kok, Aaron; Hassan, Quazi K

2017-10-14

The northeastern region of Bangladesh often experiences flash flooding during the pre-harvesting period of the boro rice crop, which is the major cereal crop in the country. In this study, our objective was to delineate the impact of the 2017 flash flood (that initiated on 27 March 2017) on boro rice using multi-temporal Landsat-8 OLI and MODIS data. Initially, we opted to use Landsat-8 OLI data for mapping the damages; however, during and after the flooding event the acquisition of cloud free images were challenging. Thus, we used this data to map the cultivated boro rice acreage considering the planting to mature stages of the crop. Also, in order to map the extent of the damaged boro area, we utilized MODIS data as their 16-day composites provided cloud free information. Our results indicated that both the cultivated and damaged boro area estimates based on satellite data had strong relationships while compared to the ground-based estimates (i.e., r ² values approximately 0.92 for both cases, and RMSE of 18,374 and 9380 ha for cultivated and damaged areas, respectively). Finally, we believe that our study would be critical for planning and ensuring food security for the country.

ANXIETY AS A RISK FACTOR FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES: EVIDENCE FROM THE PENN OVARIAN AGING COHORT

PubMed Central

Freeman, Ellen W.; Sammel, Mary D.

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to identify temporal associations of anxiety dimensions with menopausal hot flashes in women progressing through the menopause transition. We hypothesized that associations of both somatic and affective dimensions of anxiety with hot flashes increased in the menopause transition, and that somatic anxiety was an independent risk factor for menopausal hot flashes. Methods Hot flashes, anxiety symptoms, hormone levels and other psychosocial variables were assessed annually for 14 years of follow-up. The 233 women were premenopausal at baseline and continued through one year or more after the final menstrual period. Anxiety dimensions were assessed with the Zung Anxiety Scale (ZAS), a validated measure of affective anxiety and somatic anxiety. Summed item scores were divided by the number of items rated, so that ranges of the two dimensions were comparable. Results Seventy-two percent of the sample reported moderate/severe hot flashes during the 14-year interval. There was no significant interaction between anxiety dimensions and menopausal stages. However, when adjusted for menopausal stage, the magnitude of association between somatic anxiety and hot flashes dramatically increased (OR 3.03, 95% CI: 2.12, 4.32, P<0.001), while the association between affective anxiety and hot flashes increased to a lesser extent (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.57, P=0.024). Women with high levels of somatic anxiety (top third of the sample) had the greatest risk of hot flashes (P<0.001). When the anxiety dimensions were considered in combination, the additive effect of high affective anxiety symptoms was minimal, with no significant difference between the group with high affective/low somatic symptoms and the low symptom group in incident hot flashes at each menopausal stage (P=0.54). In multivariable analysis, somatic anxiety increased the risk of hot flashes more than 3 times (OR 3.13, 95% CI: 2.16, 4.53, P<0.001), but affective anxiety was not significantly associated with hot flashes after adjustment for other study variables (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.48, P=0.117). Time-lagged somatic anxiety scores significantly predicted hot flashes, with a 71% increase in risk (OR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.41, P=0.002). Time-lagged affective anxiety scores did not predict hot flashes, (OR 1.06, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.31, P=0.58). Conclusions This study showed a strong predictive association of somatic anxiety with the risk of menopausal hot flashes. The temporal associations suggest that somatic anxiety is not simply a redundant measure of hot flashes but predicts the risk of menopausal hot flashes and may be a potential target in clinical management of perimenopausal women. PMID:27433864

Mission Simulation Facility: Simulation Support for Autonomy Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Plice, Laura; Neukom, Christian; Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Wagner, Michael

2003-01-01

The Mission Simulation Facility (MSF) supports research in autonomy technology for planetary exploration vehicles. Using HLA (High Level Architecture) across distributed computers, the MSF connects users autonomy algorithms with provided or third-party simulations of robotic vehicles and planetary surface environments, including onboard components and scientific instruments. Simulation fidelity is variable to meet changing needs as autonomy technology advances in Technical Readiness Level (TRL). A virtual robot operating in a virtual environment offers numerous advantages over actual hardware, including availability, simplicity, and risk mitigation. The MSF is in use by researchers at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) and has demonstrated basic functionality. Continuing work will support the needs of a broader user base.

FLASH2: Operation, beamlines, and photon diagnostics

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

Plönjes, Elke, E-mail: elke.ploenjes@desy.de; Faatz, Bart; Kuhlmann, Marion

2016-07-27

FLASH2, a major extension of the soft X-ray free-electron laser FLASH at DESY, turns FLASH into a multi-user FEL facility. A new undulator line is located in a separate accelerator tunnel and driven additionally by the FLASH linear accelerator. First lasing of FLASH2 was achieved in August 2014 with simultaneous user operation at FLASH1. The new FLASH2 experimental hall offers space for up to six experimental end stations, some of which will be installed permanently. The wide wavelength range spans from 4-60 nm and 0.8 nm in the 5{sup th} harmonic and in the future deep into the water windowmore » in the fundamental. While this is of high interest to users, it is challenging from the beamline instrumentation point of view. Online diagnostics - which are mostly pulse resolved - for beam intensity, position, wavelength, wave front, and pulse length have been to a large extent developed at FLASH(1) and have now been optimized for FLASH2. Pump-probe facilities for XUV-XUV, XUV optical and XUV-THz experiments will complete the FLASH2 user facility.« less

Self-Other Agreement in Multisource Feedback: The Influence of Doctor and Rater Group Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Martin J.; Campbell, John L.; Richards, Suzanne H.; Wright, Christine

2013-01-01

Introduction: Multisource feedback (MSF) ratings provided by patients and colleagues are often poorly correlated with doctors' self-assessments. Doctors' reactions to feedback depend on its agreement with their own perceptions, but factors influencing self-other agreement in doctors' MSF ratings have received little attention. We aimed to identify…

Enhanced ghrelin secretion in the cephalic phase of food ingestion in women with bulimia nervosa.

PubMed

Monteleone, Palmiero; Serritella, Cristina; Scognamiglio, Pasquale; Maj, Mario

2010-02-01

In humans, the cephalic phase response to food ingestion consists mostly of vagal efferent activation, which promotes the secretion of entero-pancreatic hormones, including ghrelin. Since symptomatic patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) are characterized by increased vagal tone, we hypothesized an enhanced ghrelin secretion in the cephalic phase of vagal stimulation. Therefore, we investigated ghrelin response to modified sham feeding (MSF) in both BN and healthy women. Six drug-free BN women and 7 age-matched healthy females underwent MSF with initially seeing and smelling a meal, and then chewing the food without swallowing it. Blood samples were drawn immediately before and after MSF for hormone assay. Circulating ghrelin increased after MSF in both groups with BN individuals exhibiting a greater ghrelin increase, which positively correlated with the patients' weekly frequency of binge-purging. These results show for the first time an increased ghrelin secretion in the cephalic phase of vagal stimulation in symptomatic BN patients, likely resulting in a potentiation of the peripheral hunger signal, which might contribute to their aberrant binge-purging behavior. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A science framework (SF) for agricultural sustainability.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ferdous; Al-Amin, Abul Q; Masud, Muhammad M; Kari, Fatimah; Mohamad, Zeeda

2015-09-01

The significance of Science Framework (SF) to date is receiving more acceptances all over the world to address agricultural sustainability. The professional views, however, advocate that the SF known as Mega Science Framework (MSF) in the transitional economies is not converging effectively in many ways for the agricultural sustainability. Specially, MSF in transitional economies is mostly incapable to identify barriers in agricultural research, inadequate to frame policy gaps with the goal of strategizing the desired sustainability in agricultural technology and innovation, inconsistent in finding to identify the inequities, and incompleteness to rebuild decisions. Therefore, this study critically evaluates the components of MSF in transitional economies and appraises the significance, dispute and illegitimate issue to achieve successful sustainable development. A sound and an effective MSF can be developed when there is an inter-linkage within principal components such as of (a) national priorities, (b) specific research on agricultural sustainability, (c) adequate agricultural research and innovation, and (d) alternative policy alteration. This maiden piece of research which is first its kind has been conducted in order to outline the policy direction to have an effective science framework for agricultural sustainability.

Geographical Variation in Health-Related Physical Fitness and Body Composition among Chilean 8th Graders: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Garber, Michael D.; Sajuria, Marcelo; Lobelo, Felipe

2014-01-01

Purpose In addition to excess adiposity, low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and low musculoskeletal fitness (MSF) are important independent risk factors for future cardio-metabolic disease in adolescents, yet global fitness surveillance in adolescents is poor. The objective of this study was to describe and investigate geographical variation in levels of health-related physical fitness, including CRF, MSF, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) in Chilean 8th graders. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on a population-based, representative sample of 19,929 8th graders (median age = 14 years) in the 2011 National Physical Education Survey from Chile. CRF was assessed with the 20-meter shuttle run test, MSF with standing broad jump, and body composition with BMI and WC. Data were classified according to health-related standards. Prevalence of levels of health-related physical fitness was mapped for each of the four variables, and geographical variation was explored at the country level by region and in the Santiago Metropolitan Area by municipality. Results Girls had significantly higher prevalence of unhealthy CRF, MSF, and BMI than boys (p<0.05). Overall, 26% of boys and 55% of girls had unhealthy CRF, 29% of boys and 35% of girls had unhealthy MSF, 29% of boys and 44% of girls had unhealthy BMI, and 31% of adolescents had unhealthy WC. High prevalence of unhealthy fitness levels concentrates in the northern and middle regions of the country and in the North and Southwest sectors for the Santiago Metropolitan Area. Conclusion Prevalence of unhealthy CRF, MSF, and BMI is relatively high among Chilean 8th graders, especially in girls, when compared with global estimates. Identification of geographical regions and municipalities with high prevalence of unhealthy physical fitness presents opportunity for targeted intervention. PMID:25255442

The framework of a UAS-aided flash flood modeling system for coastal regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.; Xu, H.

2016-02-01

Flash floods cause severe economic damage and are one of the leading causes of fatalities connected with natural disasters in the Gulf Coast region. Current flash flood modeling systems rely on empirical hydrological models driven by precipitation estimates only. Although precipitation is the driving factor for flash floods, soil moisture, urban drainage system and impervious surface have been recognized to have significant impacts on the development of flash floods. We propose a new flash flooding modeling system that integrates 3-D hydrological simulation with satellite and multi-UAS observations. It will have three advantages over existing modeling systems. First, it will incorporate 1-km soil moisture data through integrating satellite images from European SMOS mission and NASA's SMAP mission. The utilization of high-resolution satellite images will provide essential information to determine antecedent soil moisture condition, which is an essential control on flood generation. Second, this system is able to adjust flood forecasting based on real-time inundation information collected by multi-UAS. A group of UAS will be deployed during storm events to capture the changing extent of flooded areas and water depth at multiple critical locations simultaneously. Such information will be transmitted to a hydrological model to validate and improve flood simulation. Third, the backbone of this system is a state-of-the-art 3-D hydrological model that assimilates the hydrological information from satellites and multi-UAS. The model is able to address surface water-groundwater interactions and reflect the effects of various infrastructures. Using Web-GIS technologies, the modeling results will be available online as interactive flood maps accessible to the public. To support the development and verification of this modeling system, surface and subsurface hydrological observations will be conducted in a number of small watersheds in the Coastal Bend region. We envision this system will provide an innovative means to benefit the forecasting, evaluation and mitigation of flash floods in costal regions.

Maskless, reticle-free, lithography

DOEpatents

Ceglio, N.M.; Markle, D.A.

1997-11-25

A lithography system in which the mask or reticle, which usually carries the pattern to be printed onto a substrate, is replaced by a programmable array of binary (i.e. on/off) light valves or switches which can be programmed to replicate a portion of the pattern each time an illuminating light source is flashed. The pattern of light produced by the programmable array is imaged onto a lithographic substrate which is mounted on a scanning stage as is common in optical lithography. The stage motion and the pattern of light displayed by the programmable array are precisely synchronized with the flashing illumination system so that each flash accurately positions the image of the pattern on the substrate. This is achieved by advancing the pattern held in the programmable array by an amount which corresponds to the travel of the substrate stage each time the light source flashes. In this manner the image is built up of multiple flashes and an isolated defect in the array will only have a small effect on the printed pattern. The method includes projection lithographies using radiation other than optical or ultraviolet light. The programmable array of binary switches would be used to control extreme ultraviolet (EUV), x-ray, or electron, illumination systems, obviating the need for stable, defect free masks for projection EUV, x-ray, or electron, lithographies. 7 figs.

Maskless, reticle-free, lithography

DOEpatents

Ceglio, Natale M.; Markle, David A.

1997-11-25

A lithography system in which the mask or reticle, which usually carries the pattern to be printed onto a substrate, is replaced by a programmable array of binary (i.e. on/off) light valves or switches which can be programmed to replicate a portion of the pattern each time an illuminating light source is flashed. The pattern of light produced by the programmable array is imaged onto a lithographic substrate which is mounted on a scanning stage as is common in optical lithography. The stage motion and the pattern of light displayed by the programmable array are precisely synchronized with the flashing illumination system so that each flash accurately positions the image of the pattern on the substrate. This is achieved by advancing the pattern held in the programmable array by an amount which corresponds to the travel of the substrate stage each time the light source flashes. In this manner the image is built up of multiple flashes and an isolated defect in the array will only have a small effect on the printed pattern. The method includes projection lithographies using radiation other than optical or ultraviolet light. The programmable array of binary switches would be used to control extreme ultraviolet (EUV), x-ray, or electron, illumination systems, obviating the need for stable, defect free masks for projection EUV, x-ray, or electron, lithographies.

Increase of Long-chain Branching by Thermo-oxidative Treatment of LDPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolón-Garrido, Víctor H.; Luo, Jinji; Wagner, Manfred H.

2011-07-01

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was exposed to thermal and thermo-oxidative treatment at 170 °C, and subsequently characterized by linear-viscoelastic measurements and in uniaxial extension. The Molecular Stress Function (MSF) model was used to quantify the elongational viscosities measured. For the thermally treated samples, exposure times between 2 and 6 hours were applied. Formation of long-chain branching (LCB) was found to occur only during the first two hours of thermal treatment. At longer exposure times, no difference in the level of strain hardening was observed. This was quantified by use of the MSF model: the nonlinear parameter fmax2 increased from fmax2 = 14 for the virgin sample to fmax2 = 22 for the samples thermally treated between 2 and 6 hours. For the thermo-oxidatively treated samples, which were exposed to air during thermal treatment between 30 and 90 minutes, the level of strain hardening increases drastically up to fmax2 = 55 with increasing exposure times from 30 up to 75 min due to LCB formation, and then decreases for an exposure time of 90 minutes due to chain scission dominating LCB formation. The nonlinear parameter β of the MSF model was found to be β = 2 for all samples, indicating that the general type of the random branching structure remains the same under all thermal conditions. Consequently only the parameter fmax2 of the MSF model and the linear-viscoelastic spectra were required to describe quantitatively the experimental observations. The strain hardening index, which is sometimes used to quantify strain hardening, follows accurately the trend of the MSF model parameter fmax2.

Identification of crude oil source facies in Railroad Valley, Nevada, using multivariate analysis of crude oil and hydrous pyrolysis data from the Meridian Spencer Federal 32-29 well

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

Conlan, L.M.; Francis, R.D.

Comparison of biological markers of a hydrous pyrolyzate of Mississippian-Chainman Shale from the Meridian Spencer Federal 32-29 well with two crude oils produced from the same well and crude oils produced from Trap Springs, Grant Canyon, Bacon Flats, and Eagle Springs fields indicate the possibility of three distinct crude oil source facies within Railroad Valley, Nevada. The two crude oil samples produced in the Meridian Spencer Federal 32-29 well are from the Eocene Sheep Pass Formation (MSF-SP) at 10,570 ft and the Joana Limestone (MSF-J) at 13,943 ft; the pyrolyzate is from the Chainman Shale at 10,700 ft. The Chainmanmore » Shale pyrolyzate has a similar composition to oils produced in Trap Springs and Grant Canyon fields. Applying multivariate statistical analysis to biological marker data shows that the Chainman Shale is a possible source for oil produced at Trap Springs because of the similarities between Trap Springs oils and the Chainman Shale pyrolyzate. It is also apparent that MSF-SP and oils produced in the Eagle Springs field have been generated from a different source (probably the Sheep Pass Formation) because of the presence of gammacerane (C{sub 30}). MSF-J and Bacon Flats appear to be either sourced from a pre-Mississippian unit or from a different facies within the Chainman Shale because of the apparent differences between MSF-J and Chainman Shale pyrolyzate.« less

Neural Responses in Parietal and Occipital Areas in Response to Visual Events Are Modulated by Prior Multisensory Stimuli

PubMed Central

Innes-Brown, Hamish; Barutchu, Ayla; Crewther, David P.

2013-01-01

The effect of multi-modal vs uni-modal prior stimuli on the subsequent processing of a simple flash stimulus was studied in the context of the audio-visual ‘flash-beep’ illusion, in which the number of flashes a person sees is influenced by accompanying beep stimuli. EEG recordings were made while combinations of simple visual and audio-visual stimuli were presented. The experiments found that the electric field strength related to a flash stimulus was stronger when it was preceded by a multi-modal flash/beep stimulus, compared to when it was preceded by another uni-modal flash stimulus. This difference was found to be significant in two distinct timeframes – an early timeframe, from 130–160 ms, and a late timeframe, from 300–320 ms. Source localisation analysis found that the increased activity in the early interval was localised to an area centred on the inferior and superior parietal lobes, whereas the later increase was associated with stronger activity in an area centred on primary and secondary visual cortex, in the occipital lobe. The results suggest that processing of a visual stimulus can be affected by the presence of an immediately prior multisensory event. Relatively long-lasting interactions generated by the initial auditory and visual stimuli altered the processing of a subsequent visual stimulus. PMID:24391939

Microsecond-scale electric field pulses in cloud lightning discharges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villanueva, Y.; Rakov, V. A.; Uman, M. A.; Brook, M.

1994-01-01

From wideband electric field records acquired using a 12-bit digitizing system with a 500-ns sampling interval, microsecond-scale pulses in different stages of cloud flashes in Florida and New Mexico are analyzed. Pulse occurrence statistics and waveshape characteristics are presented. The larger pulses tend to occur early in the flash, confirming the results of Bils et al. (1988) and in contrast with the three-stage representation of cloud-discharge electric fields suggested by Kitagawa and Brook (1960). Possible explanations for the discrepancy are discussed. The tendency for the larger pulses to occur early in the cloud flash suggests that they are related to the initial in-cloud channel formation processes and contradicts the common view found in the atmospheric radio-noise literature that the main sources of VLF/LF electromagnetic radiation in cloud flashes are the K processes which occur in the final, or J type, part of the cloud discharge.

The petrology and petrogenesis of the Swaldale region, Motzfeldt Center, South Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reekie, Callum; Finch, Adrian

2016-04-01

Motzfeldt is one of several high-level alkaline plutonic centers that collectively define the mid-Proterozoic Gardar Province of South Greenland. Despite pyrochlore-hosted Ta-enrichment (± Nb-Zr-REE), the petrology, geochemistry and petrogenesis across the center remain to be fully constrained. We present petrological and geochemical data for the Swaldale region, an arcuate band of nepheline syenite and associated intrusives on Motzfeldt's NW margin. Work for this present study was undertaken in collaboration with the license holder, Regency Mines plc. Swaldale comprises two geochemically distinct magmatic members. The largest, the Motzfeldt Sø Formation (MSF; EuN/Eu*N = 0.35), is a suite of diverse syenite variants that show significant petrological and geochemical heterogeneity. These rocks have a relatively restricted SiO2 range (57.4-62.9 wt.%) with concurrent variation in (Na+K)/Al (0.75-0.95), Mg/(Mg+Fe) (2.18-19.82) and ΣREE (595.0-3095.9 ppm), emphasizing their evolved but not peralkaline nature. Fractionation is mirrored by pyroxene geochemistry with evolution from aegirine-augite, aegirine-hedenbergite, to aegirine. Accessory pyrochlore, titanite, and zircon are rare; however, anomalous facies of zircon-rich (~2 wt.%) syenite are observed. Intercumulus fluorite is a common accessory within MSF rocks. Hydrothermal alteration, marked by hematized alkali-feldspar, is pervasive and ubiquitous. Further peraluminous syenite of the Geologfjeld Formation ((Na+K)/Al = 0.74; EuN/Eu*N = 1.60) marks the truncated remnant of an early syenite stock to the north of the MSF. These rocks contain salite, which, in addition to a lower ΣREE and higher Mg/(Mg+Fe) (18.01), demonstrates the less-fractionated nature of this stock in comparison with the MSF. Sheeted intrusions of peralkaline syenite ((Na+K)/Al = 1.1; Ta = 32.4 ppm) truncate the MSF across central Swaldale. On a mineralogical basis, it is hypothesized that such intrusions reflect outward sheeting of the central Flinks Dal Formation, the last major expression of Motzfeldt magmatism. Further NE-SW dykes of the Igaliku Dyke Swarm and termed 'Big Feldspar Dykes' are present across the region. The MSF has bulk-rock Ta, Nb, and Zr concentrations of 7.2-22.1 ppm, 156.9-402.7 ppm, and 563.0-13790.0 ppm, respectively. We interpret lesser enrichment in HFSE's over both central and NE Motzfeldt as consistent with the inferred enhancement of HFSE complex solubility in F-rich residual melts. Accordingly, the most evolved and enriched melts are expected towards the top of the Motzfeldt Center where concentrations exceeding 250 ppm Ta are observed (McCreath et al., 2013). This inference is additionally supported by observed changes to Nb/Ta ratios throughout the MSF whereby the solubility of Ta complexes in F-rich melt is greater than Nb. Our data are consistent with a model whereby MSF melts of the Swaldale region are intermediaries between parental and the most evolved melts of the MSF. Our data supplement previous investigations to constrain fully the abundance and distribution of Motzfeldt Ta-Nb-Zr-REE-mineralization within the Gardar rift. References: McCreath, J.A., Finch, A.A., Herd, D.A., Armour-Brown, A., 2013, Geochemistry of pyrochlore minerals from the Motzfeldt Center, South Greenland: The mineralogy of a syenite hosted Ta, Nb deposit. American Mineralogist, v. 98, p. 426-438.

Two-dimensional molybdenum disulphide nanosheet-covered metal nanoparticle array as a floating gate in multi-functional flash memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Su-Ting; Zhou, Ye; Chen, Bo; Zhou, Li; Yan, Yan; Zhang, Hua; Roy, V. A. L.

2015-10-01

Semiconducting two-dimensional materials appear to be excellent candidates for non-volatile memory applications. However, the limited controllability of charge trapping behaviors and the lack of multi-bit storage studies in two-dimensional based memory devices require further improvement for realistic applications. Here, we report a flash memory consisting of metal NPs-molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) as a floating gate by introducing a metal nanoparticle (NP) (Ag, Au, Pt) monolayer underneath the MoS2 nanosheets. Controlled charge trapping and long data retention have been achieved in a metal (Ag, Au, Pt) NPs-MoS2 floating gate flash memory. This controlled charge trapping is hypothesized to be attributed to band bending and a built-in electric field ξbi between the interface of the metal NPs and MoS2. The metal NPs-MoS2 floating gate flash memories were further proven to be multi-bit memory storage devices possessing a 3-bit storage capability and a good retention capability up to 104 s. We anticipate that these findings would provide scientific insight for the development of novel memory devices utilizing an atomically thin two-dimensional lattice structure.Semiconducting two-dimensional materials appear to be excellent candidates for non-volatile memory applications. However, the limited controllability of charge trapping behaviors and the lack of multi-bit storage studies in two-dimensional based memory devices require further improvement for realistic applications. Here, we report a flash memory consisting of metal NPs-molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) as a floating gate by introducing a metal nanoparticle (NP) (Ag, Au, Pt) monolayer underneath the MoS2 nanosheets. Controlled charge trapping and long data retention have been achieved in a metal (Ag, Au, Pt) NPs-MoS2 floating gate flash memory. This controlled charge trapping is hypothesized to be attributed to band bending and a built-in electric field ξbi between the interface of the metal NPs and MoS2. The metal NPs-MoS2 floating gate flash memories were further proven to be multi-bit memory storage devices possessing a 3-bit storage capability and a good retention capability up to 104 s. We anticipate that these findings would provide scientific insight for the development of novel memory devices utilizing an atomically thin two-dimensional lattice structure. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectra of the metal NPs, SEM image of MoS2 on Au NPs, erasing operations of the metal NPs-MoS2 memory device, transfer characteristics of the standard FET devices and Ag NP devices under programming operation, tapping-mode AFM height image of the fabricated MoS2 film for pristine MoS2 flash memory, gate signals used for programming the Au NPs-MoS2 and Pt NPs-MoS2 flash memories, and data levels recorded for 100 sequential cycles. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05054e

Lightning rates relative to tornadic storm evolution on 22 May 1981

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macgorman, Donald R.; Burgess, Donald W.; Mazur, Vladislav; Rust, W. David; Taylor, William L.

1989-01-01

Lightning and Doppler radar data for two tornadic storms in Oklahoma on May 22, 1981 are used to analyze ground flash rates relative to the time of tornadoes. It is found that the ground flash rates had no obvious relationship with the tornado times, although the stroke rate in both storms was greatest after the tornadic stage ended. The variations in the cyclone shear and the intracloud flash rates within 10 km of the mesocyclone region are examined. The results suggest that most tornadic storms have an increase in total flash rates near the time of the tornado and that this increase is often dominated by intracloud flashes.

Positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes in severe storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, W. D.; Macgorman, D. R.; Arnold, R. T.

1981-01-01

The occurrence of cloud-to-ground flashes that effectively lower positive charge to earth (+CG flash) over flat terrain has been documented in the mature stage of severe thunderstorms. Of the 31 documented +CG flashes, most had only one return stroke. Zero-to-peak rise times for the strokes averaged 7 microsec. The +CG flashes averaged 520 ms in duration, with 25 percent lasting more than 800 ms. Many of these had field changes suggestive of continuing current. Positive flashes have been observed to emanate from several regions of severe storms: high on the back of the main storm tower, through the wall cloud, and from the downshear anvil. Visually most of these positive flashes have emanated from high in the storm, and acoustic mapping of two shows thunder sources to a height of about 15 km.

Microgravity Simulation Facility (MSF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Stephanie E. (Compiler); Levine, Howard G.; Zhang, Ye

2016-01-01

The Microgravity Simulator Facility (MSF) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) was established to support visiting scientists for short duration studies utilizing a variety of microgravity simulator devices that negate the directional influence of the "g" vector (providing simulated conditions of micro or partial gravity). KSC gravity simulators can be accommodated within controlled environment chambers allowing investigators to customize and monitor environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, CO2, and light exposure.

Using the 360 degrees multisource feedback model to evaluate teaching and professionalism.

PubMed

Berk, Ronald A

2009-12-01

Student ratings have dominated as the primary and, frequently, only measure of teaching performance at colleges and universities for the past 50 years. Recently, there has been a trend toward augmenting those ratings with other data sources to broaden and deepen the evidence base. The 360 degrees multisource feedback (MSF) model used in management and industry for half a century and in clinical medicine for the last decade seemed like a best fit to evaluate teaching performance and professionalism. To adapt the 360 degrees MSF model to the assessment of teaching performance and professionalism of medical school faculty. The salient characteristics of the MSF models in industry and medicine were extracted from the literature. These characteristics along with 14 sources of evidence from eight possible raters, including students, self, peers, outside experts, mentors, alumni, employers, and administrators, based on the research in higher education were adapted to formative and summative decisions. Three 360 degrees MSF models were generated for three different decisions: (1) formative decisions and feedback about teaching improvement; (2) summative decisions and feedback for merit pay and contract renewal; and (3) formative decisions and feedback about professional behaviors in the academic setting. The characteristics of each model were listed. Finally, a top-10 list of the most persistent and, perhaps, intractable psychometric issues in executing these models was suggested to guide future research. The 360 degrees MSF model appears to be a useful framework for implementing a multisource evaluation of faculty teaching performance and professionalism in medical schools. This model can provide more accurate, reliable, fair, and equitable decisions than the one based on just a single source.

Investigation of multi-scale flash-weakening of rock surfaces during high speed slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbery, M. R.; Saber, O.; Chester, F. M.; Chester, J. S.

2017-12-01

A significant reduction in the coefficient of friction of rock can occur if sliding velocity approaches seismic rates as a consequence of weakening of microscopic sliding contacts by flash heating. Using a high-acceleration and -speed biaxial apparatus equipped with a high-speed Infra-Red (IR) camera to capture thermographs of the sliding surface, we have documented the heterogeneous distribution of temperature on flash-heated decimetric surfaces characterized by linear arrays of high-temperature, mm-size spots, and streaks. Numerical models that are informed by the character of flash heated surfaces and that consider the coupling of changes in temperature and changes in the friction of contacts, supports the hypothesis that independent mechanisms of flash weakening operate at different contact scales. Here, we report on new experiments that provide additional constraints on the life-times and rest-times of populations of millimeter-scale contacts. Rock friction experiments conducted on Westerly granite samples in a double-direct shear configuration achieve velocity steps from 1 mm/s to 900 mm/s at 100g accelerations over 2 mm of displacement with normal stresses of 22-36 MPa and 30 mm of displacement during sustained high-speed sliding. Sliding surfaces are machined to roughness similar to natural fault surfaces and that allow us to control the characteristics of millimeter-scale contact populations. Thermographs of the sliding surface show temperatures up to 200 C on millimeter-scale contacts, in agreement with 1-D heat conduction model estimates of 180 C. Preliminary comparison of thermal modeling results and experiment observations demonstrate that we can distinguish the different life-times and rest-times of contacts in thermographs and the corresponding frictional weakening behaviors. Continued work on machined surfaces that lead to different contact population characteristics will be used to test the multi-scale and multi-mechanism hypothesis for flash weakening during seismic slip on rough fault surfaces.

The Thermal Diffusivity Measurement of the Two-layer Ceramics Using the Laser Flash Methodn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akoshima, Megumi; Ogwa, Mitsue; Baba, Tetsuya; Mizuno, Mineo

Ceramics-based thermal barrier coatings are used as heat and wear shields of gas turbines. There are strong needs to evaluate thermophysical properties of coating, such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and heat capacity of them. Since the coatings are attached on substrates, it is no easy to measure these properties separately. The laser flash method is one of the most popular thermal diffusivity measurement methods above room temperature for solid materials. The surface of the plate shape specimen is heated by the pulsed laser-beam, then the time variation of the temperature of the rear surface is observed by the infrared radiometer. The laser flash method is non-contact and short time measurement. In general, the thermal diffusivity of solids that are dense, homogeneous and stable, are measured by this method. It is easy to measure thermal diffusivity of a specimen which shows heat diffusion time about 1 ms to 1 s consistent with the specimen thickness of about 1 mm to 5 mm. On the other hand, this method can be applied to measure the specific heat capacity of the solids. And it is also used to estimate the thermal diffusivity of an unknown layer in the layered materials. In order to evaluate the thermal diffusivity of the coating attached on substrate, we have developed a measurement procedure using the laser flash method. The multi-layer model based on the response function method was applied to calculate the thermal diffusivity of the coating attached on substrate from the temperature history curve observed for the two-layer sample. We have verified applicability of the laser flash measurement with the multi-layer model using the measured results and the simulation. It was found that the laser flash measurement for the layered sample using the multi-layer model was effective to estimate the thermal diffusivity of an unknown layer in the sample. We have also developed the two-layer ceramics samples as the reference materials for this procedure.

Dissolution enhancement of a model poorly water-soluble drug, atorvastatin, with ordered mesoporous silica: comparison of MSF with SBA-15 as drug carriers.

PubMed

Maleki, Aziz; Hamidi, Mehrdad

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop mesoporous silica materials incorporated with poorly water-soluble drug atorvastatin calcium (AC) in order to improve drug dissolution, and intended to be orally administrated. A comparison between 2D-hexagonal silica nanostructured SBA-15 and mesocellular siliceous foam (MSF) with continuous 3D pore system on drug release rate was investigated. AC-loaded mesoporous silicas were characterized thorough N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Results demonstrated a successful incorporation of AC into the silica-based hosts. The results taken from the drug release tests were also analyzed using different parameters, namely similarity factor (f2), difference factor (f1), dissolution efficiency (DE%), mean dissolution rate (MDR) and dissolution time (tm%). It confirmed a significant enhancement in the release profile of atorvastatin calcium with SBA-15, and MSF as drug carrier. Moreover, in comparison with SBA-15, MSF showed faster release rate of AC in enzyme-free simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2). We believed that our findings can help the use of mesoporous silica materials in improving bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.

FLASH is essential during early embryogenesis and cooperates with p73 to regulate histone gene transcription.

PubMed

De Cola, A; Bongiorno-Borbone, L; Bianchi, E; Barcaroli, D; Carletti, E; Knight, R A; Di Ilio, C; Melino, G; Sette, C; De Laurenzi, V

2012-02-02

Replication-dependent histone gene expression is a fundamental process occurring in S-phase under the control of the cyclin-E/CDK2 complex. This process is regulated by a number of proteins, including Flice-Associated Huge Protein (FLASH) (CASP8AP2), concentrated in specific nuclear organelles known as HLBs. FLASH regulates both histone gene transcription and mRNA maturation, and its downregulation in vitro results in the depletion of the histone pull and cell-cycle arrest in S-phase. Here we show that the transcription factor p73 binds to FLASH and is part of the complex that regulates histone gene transcription. Moreover, we created a novel gene trap to disrupt FLASH in mice, and we show that homozygous deletion of FLASH results in early embryonic lethality, owing to arrest of FLASH(-/-) embryos at the morula stage. These results indicate that FLASH is an essential, non-redundant regulator of histone transcription and cell cycle during embryogenesis.

Effect of Escitalopram on Hot Flash Interference: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Carpenter, Janet S.; Guthrie, Katherine A.; Larson, Joseph C.; Freeman, Ellen W.; Joffe, Hadine; Reed, Susan D.; Ensrud, Kristine E.; LaCroix, Andrea Z.

2012-01-01

Objectives To estimate the effect of escitalopram 10–20 mg/day versus placebo for reducing hot flash interference in daily life and understand correlates and predictors of reductions in hot flash interference, a key measure of quality of life. Design Multi-site, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients 205 midlife women (46% African-American) who met criteria participated. Setting MsFLASH clinical sites in Boston, Indianapolis, Oakland, and Philadelphia. Intervention After baseline, women were randomized to 1 pill of escitalopram 10 mg/day (n=104) or placebo (n=101) with follow-up at 4- and 8-weeks. At week 4, those not achieving 50% fewer hot flashes were increased to 2 pills daily (20 mg/day or 2 placebo pills). Main outcome measures The Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale; Correlates were variables from hot flash diaries; Predictors were baseline demographics, clinical variables, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and hot flashes. Results Compared to placebo, escitalopram significantly reduced hot flash interference by 6.0 points at week 4 and 3.4 points at week 8 more than placebo (p=0.012). Reductions in hot flash interference correlated with changes in hot flash diary variables. However, baseline variables did not significantly predict reductions in hot flash interference. Conclusions Escitalopram 10–20mg/day for 8 weeks improves women’s quality of life and this benefit did not vary by demographic, clinical, mood, sleep, or hot flash variables. PMID:22480818

Measurement of O and Ti atom displacements in TiO 2 during flash sintering experiments

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

Yoon, Bola; Yadav, Devinder; Raj, Rishi

In-situ flash experiments on rutile TiO 2 were performed at the synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Pair distribution function analysis of total X-ray scattering measurements yielded mean-square atomic displacements of oxygen and titanium atoms during the progression of the 3 stages of flash. The displacements are measured to be far greater for oxygen atoms than for titanium atoms. Thus, these large displacements may signal an “elastic softening” of the lattice, which, recently, has been predicted as a precursor to the onset of flash.

Measurement of O and Ti atom displacements in TiO 2 during flash sintering experiments

DOE PAGES

Yoon, Bola; Yadav, Devinder; Raj, Rishi; ...

2017-12-29

In-situ flash experiments on rutile TiO 2 were performed at the synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Pair distribution function analysis of total X-ray scattering measurements yielded mean-square atomic displacements of oxygen and titanium atoms during the progression of the 3 stages of flash. The displacements are measured to be far greater for oxygen atoms than for titanium atoms. Thus, these large displacements may signal an “elastic softening” of the lattice, which, recently, has been predicted as a precursor to the onset of flash.

[The initial (I and II) and advanced (III and IV) stages of juvenile patellar chondromalacia. Its diagnosis by magnetic resonance using a 1.5-T magnet with FLASH sequences].

PubMed

Macarini, L; Rizzo, A; Martino, F; Zaccheo, N; Angelelli, G; Rotondo, A

1998-06-01

Juvenile patellar chondromalacia is a common orthopedic disorder which can mimic other conditions; early diagnosis is mandatory to prevent its evolution into osteoarthrosis. In the early stages of patellar chondromalacia (I and II), the lesions originate in the deep cartilage layer and the joint surface is not affected. Arthroscopy can demonstrate joint surface changes only and give indirect information about deeper lesions. We investigated the yield of 2D FLASH MRI with 30 degrees flip angle and a dedicated coil in the diagnosis of patellar chondromalacia, especially in its early stages. Eighteen patients (mean age: 21 years) with clinically suspected patellar chondromalacia were examined with MRI; 13 of them were also submitted to arthroscopy. A 1.5 T unit with a transmit-and-receive extremity coil was used. We acquired T1 SE sequences (TR/TE: 500-700/15/20) and 2D T2* FLASH sequence (TR/TE/FA: 500-800/18/30 degrees). The field of view was 160-180 mm and the matrix 192 x 256, with 2-3 NEX. The images were obtained on the axial plane. The lesions were classified in 4 stages according to Shahriaree classification. Agreement between MR and arthroscopic findings was good in both early and advanced lesions in 12/13 cases. Early lesions appeared as hyperintense focal thickening of the hyaline cartilage (stage I) or as small cystic lesions within the cartilage and no articular surface involvement (stage II). The medial patellar facet was the most frequent site. Advanced lesions appeared as articular surface ulcerations, thinning and cartilage hypointensity (stage III); stage IV lesions presented as complete erosions of the hyaline cartilage and hypointense underlying bone. 2D FLASH MRI with 30 degrees flip angle can show the differences in water content in the cartilage and thus permit to detect early chondromalacia lesions in the deep cartilage.

Lightning and related phenomena in thunderstorms and squall lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, W. D.; Taylor, W. L.; Macgorman, D. R.; Brandes, E.; Mazur, V.; Arnold, R.; Marshall, T.; Christian, H.; Goodman, S. J.

1984-01-01

During the past few years, cooperative research on storm electricity has yielded the following results of both basic and applied interest: (1) the intracloud to cloud-to-ground flashing ratio can be as great as 40:1; (2) as storm cells in a squall line dissipate, longer flashes become predominant; (3) there are two centers of lightning activity maxima that are vertically separated, the lower maximum at about 5 km and the upper at about 12 km. In addition, (4) storms produce lightning in their upper regions at a high rate; (5) lightning appears to be related in time to convective motions; (6) positive cloud-to-ground flashes occur in the severe stage of storms and in the later, well-developed stage of squall line storms; (7) mesoscale convective complexes have been observed to have cloud-to-ground flashing rates of more than 48/min; and (8) the electric field in anvils well away from the main storm core (more than 60 km) can be very high, more than 94 kV/m.

Combined Increases in Muscle-Strengthening Activity Frequency and Protein Intake Reveal Graded Relationship with Fat-Free Mass Percentage in U.S. Adults, NHANES (1999-2004).

PubMed

Kurka, J M; Vezina, J; Brown, D D; Schumacher, J; Cullen, R W; Laurson, K R

2015-01-01

Age-related loss of muscle mass and related ailments are of concern due to associations with disabilities and morbidity as well as constituting a substantial healthcare burden. Muscle-strengthening activities and adequate protein ingestion are recommended for all-age adults in an effort to stave off age-related muscle atrophy. Muscle building abilities decline with age but most research focuses on muscle wasting in the elderly. To examine the independent and combined associations of protein intake (g∙kg-1∙day-1) and muscle-strengthening frequency (times∙week-1, MSF) on fat-free mass percentage (FFM%). This cross-sectional analysis of a population-based sample with data from the non-institutionalized persons in the United States participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (cycles 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2003-2004) consisted of male (n=2,499) and female (n=2,373) participants 20-49 years of age for analyses. MSF was determined by self-report and protein intake was calculated from a 24-hour recall. Differences in FFM% from bioelectrical impedance analysis was estimated using multiple linear regression models controlling for education, race-ethnicity, standing height, and total Caloric intake. One unit increase in MSF or protein intake (β-coefficient, ±E) was associated with significantly more FFM% in males (0.6±0.1%; 3.5±0.4%) and females (0.4±0.1%; 5.9±0.4%). Independent of protein intake, males and females with MSF=0 had mean ±SE FFM% of 74.4±0.4 and 60.7±0.3, respectively, while mean ±SE FFM% of males and females who met the recommendation of ≥2 times per week were 77.9±0.5 and 63.0±0.4. Independent of MSF, males and females with protein intakes below the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 0.8 g∙kg-1∙day-1 had mean ±SE FFM% of 74.0±0.6 and 58.2±0.6, respectively, while mean ±SE FFM% of those whose intakes exceeded the recommendation were 75.6±0.4 and 62.0±0.4. The subgroup with the highest mean ±SE FFM% (80.9 ±0.73) comprised males with MSF ≥2 times per week who also consumed >1.4 g∙kg-1∙day-1. The MSF-protein intake dose relationship with FFM% suggests that performing muscle-strengthening activities >2 times per week while consuming protein above the RDA may result in more fat-free mass and slow age-related losses of muscle mass.

Accounting for Rainfall Spatial Variability in Prediction of Flash Floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saharia, M.; Kirstetter, P. E.; Gourley, J. J.; Hong, Y.; Vergara, H. J.

2016-12-01

Flash floods are a particularly damaging natural hazard worldwide in terms of both fatalities and property damage. In the United States, the lack of a comprehensive database that catalogues information related to flash flood timing, location, causative rainfall, and basin geomorphology has hindered broad characterization studies. First a representative and long archive of more than 20,000 flooding events during 2002-2011 is used to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of flash floods. We also derive large number of spatially distributed geomorphological and climatological parameters such as basin area, mean annual precipitation, basin slope etc. to identify static basin characteristics that influence flood response. For the same period, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) has produced a decadal archive of Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS) radar-only precipitation rates at 1-km spatial resolution with 5-min temporal resolution. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to analyze the impact of event-level precipitation variability on flooding using a big data approach. To analyze the impact of sub-basin scale rainfall spatial variability on flooding, certain indices such as the first and second scaled moment of rainfall, horizontal gap, vertical gap etc. are computed from the MRMS dataset. Finally, flooding characteristics such as rise time, lag time, and peak discharge are linked to derived geomorphologic, climatologic, and rainfall indices to identify basin characteristics that drive flash floods. Next the model is used to predict flash flooding characteristics all over the continental U.S., specifically over regions poorly covered by hydrological observations. So far studies involving rainfall variability indices have only been performed on a case study basis, and a large scale approach is expected to provide a deeper insight into how sub-basin scale precipitation variability affects flooding. Finally, these findings are validated using the National Weather Service storm reports and a historical flood fatalities database. This analysis framework will serve as a baseline for evaluating distributed hydrologic model simulations such as the Flooded Locations And Simulated Hydrographs Project (FLASH) (http://flash.ou.edu).

CCD high-speed videography system with new concepts and techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Zengrong; Zhao, Wenyi; Wu, Zhiqiang

1997-05-01

A novel CCD high speed videography system with brand-new concepts and techniques is developed by Zhejiang University recently. The system can send a series of short flash pulses to the moving object. All of the parameters, such as flash numbers, flash durations, flash intervals, flash intensities and flash colors, can be controlled according to needs by the computer. A series of moving object images frozen by flash pulses, carried information of moving object, are recorded by a CCD video camera, and result images are sent to a computer to be frozen, recognized and processed with special hardware and software. Obtained parameters can be displayed, output as remote controlling signals or written into CD. The highest videography frequency is 30,000 images per second. The shortest image freezing time is several microseconds. The system has been applied to wide fields of energy, chemistry, medicine, biological engineering, aero- dynamics, explosion, multi-phase flow, mechanics, vibration, athletic training, weapon development and national defense engineering. It can also be used in production streamline to carry out the online, real-time monitoring and controlling.

Delivering HIV care in challenging operating environments: the MSF experience towards differentiated models of care for settings with multiple basic health care needs

PubMed Central

Ssonko, Charles; Gonzalez, Lucia; Mesic, Anita; da Fonseca, Marcio Silveira; Achar, Jay; Safar, Nadia; Martin, Beatriz; Wong, Sidney; Casas, Esther C.

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Countries in the West and Central African regions struggle to offer quality HIV care at scale, despite HIV prevalence being relatively low. In these challenging operating environments, basic health care needs are multiple, systems are highly fragile and conflict disrupts health care. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working to integrate HIV care in basic health services in such settings since 2000. We review the implementation of differentiated HIV care and treatment approaches in MSF-supported programmes in South Sudan (RoSS), Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Methods: A descriptive analysis from CAR, DRC and RoSS programmes reviewing methodology and strategies of HIV care integration between 2010 and 2015 was performed. We describe HIV care models integrated within the provision of general health care and highlight best practices and challenges. Results: Services included provision of general health care, with out-patient care (range between countries 43,343 and 287,163 consultations/year in 2015) and in-patient care (range 1076–16,595 in 2015). By the end of 2015 antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiations reached 12–255 patients/year. A total of 1101 and 1053 patients were on ART in CAR and DRC, respectively. In RoSS 186 patients were on ART when conflict recommenced late in 2013. While ART initiation and monitoring were mostly clinically driven in the early phase of the programmes, DRC implemented CD4 monitoring and progressively HIV viral load (VL) monitoring during study period. Attacks to health care facilities in CAR and RoSS disrupted service provision temporarily. Programmatic challenges include: competing health priorities influencing HIV care and need to integrate within general health services. Differentiated care approaches that support continuity of care in these programmes include simplification of medical protocols, multi-month ART prescriptions, and community strategies such as ART delivery groups, contingency plans and peer support activities. Conclusions: The principles of differentiated HIV care for high-quality ART delivery can successfully be applied in challenging operating environments. However, success heavily depends on specific adaptations to each setting. PMID:28770590

Delivering HIV care in challenging operating environments: the MSF experience towards differentiated models of care for settings with multiple basic health care needs.

PubMed

Ssonko, Charles; Gonzalez, Lucia; Mesic, Anita; da Fonseca, Marcio Silveira; Achar, Jay; Safar, Nadia; Martin, Beatriz; Wong, Sidney; Casas, Esther C

2017-07-21

Countries in the West and Central African regions struggle to offer quality HIV care at scale, despite HIV prevalence being relatively low. In these challenging operating environments, basic health care needs are multiple, systems are highly fragile and conflict disrupts health care. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working to integrate HIV care in basic health services in such settings since 2000. We review the implementation of differentiated HIV care and treatment approaches in MSF-supported programmes in South Sudan (RoSS), Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A descriptive analysis from CAR, DRC and RoSS programmes reviewing methodology and strategies of HIV care integration between 2010 and 2015 was performed. We describe HIV care models integrated within the provision of general health care and highlight best practices and challenges. Services included provision of general health care, with out-patient care (range between countries 43,343 and 287,163 consultations/year in 2015) and in-patient care (range 1076-16,595 in 2015). By the end of 2015 antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiations reached 12-255 patients/year. A total of 1101 and 1053 patients were on ART in CAR and DRC, respectively. In RoSS 186 patients were on ART when conflict recommenced late in 2013. While ART initiation and monitoring were mostly clinically driven in the early phase of the programmes, DRC implemented CD4 monitoring and progressively HIV viral load (VL) monitoring during study period. Attacks to health care facilities in CAR and RoSS disrupted service provision temporarily. Programmatic challenges include: competing health priorities influencing HIV care and need to integrate within general health services. Differentiated care approaches that support continuity of care in these programmes include simplification of medical protocols, multi-month ART prescriptions, and community strategies such as ART delivery groups, contingency plans and peer support activities. The principles of differentiated HIV care for high-quality ART delivery can successfully be applied in challenging operating environments. However, success heavily depends on specific adaptations to each setting.

High Resolution Flash Flood Forecasting Using a Wireless Sensor Network in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartos, M. D.; Kerkez, B.; Noh, S.; Seo, D. J.

2017-12-01

In this study, we develop and evaluate a high resolution urban flash flood monitoring system using a wireless sensor network (WSN), a real-time rainfall-runoff model, and spatially-explicit radar rainfall predictions. Flooding is the leading cause of natural disaster fatalities in the US, with flash flooding in particular responsible for a majority of flooding deaths. While many riverine flood models have been operationalized into early warning systems, there is currently no model that is capable of reliably predicting flash floods in urban areas. Urban flash floods are particularly difficult to model due to a lack of rainfall and runoff data at appropriate scales. To address this problem, we develop a wide-area flood-monitoring wireless sensor network for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and use this network to characterize rainfall-runoff response over multiple heterogeneous catchments. First, we deploy a network of 22 wireless sensor nodes to collect real-time stream stage measurements over catchments ranging from 2-80 km2 in size. Next, we characterize the rainfall-runoff response of each catchment by combining stream stage data with gage and radar-based precipitation measurements. Finally, we demonstrate the potential for real-time flash flood prediction by joining the derived rainfall-runoff models with real-time radar rainfall predictions. We find that runoff response is highly heterogeneous among catchments, with large variabilities in runoff response detected even among nearby gages. However, when spatially-explicit rainfall fields are included, spatial variability in runoff response is largely captured. This result highlights the importance of increased spatial coverage for flash flood prediction.

Lightning flashes triggered in altitude by the rocket and wire technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laroche, P.; Bondiou, A.; Berard, A. Eybert; Barret, L.; Berlandis, J. P.; Terrier, G.; Jafferis, W.

1989-01-01

Electrical measurements were conducted in 1987 and 1988 on streamer and leader discharges occurring during the first stages of a triggered flash. This paper describes the pulsing phenomenon observed at positive leader onset (typical pulsing rate 25 microns), and it is shown that the same process happened in the case of the ignition of a flash triggered in altitude; with a wire several hundred meters long, positive leader propagates alone for several ms before the ignition of the downward negative stepped leader.

How do people perceive, understand, and anticipate responding to flash flood risks and warnings? Results from a public survey in Boulder, Colorado, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morss, Rebecca E.; Mulder, Kelsey J.; Lazo, Jeffrey K.; Demuth, Julie L.

2016-10-01

This study investigates flash flood forecast and warning communication, interpretation, and decision making, using data from a survey of 418 members of the public in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Respondents to the public survey varied in their perceptions and understandings of flash flood risks in Boulder, and some had misconceptions about flash flood risks, such as the safety of crossing fast-flowing water. About 6% of respondents indicated consistent reversals of US watch-warning alert terminology. However, more in-depth analysis illustrates the multi-dimensional, situationally dependent meanings of flash flood alerts, as well as the importance of evaluating interpretation and use of warning information along with alert terminology. Some public respondents estimated low likelihoods of flash flooding given a flash flood warning; these were associated with lower anticipated likelihood of taking protective action given a warning. Protective action intentions were also lower among respondents who had less trust in flash flood warnings, those who had not made prior preparations for flash flooding, and those who believed themselves to be safer from flash flooding. Additional analysis, using open-ended survey questions about responses to warnings, elucidates the complex, contextual nature of protective decision making during flash flood threats. These findings suggest that warnings can play an important role not only by notifying people that there is a threat and helping motivate people to take protective action, but also by helping people evaluate what actions to take given their situation.

Fluorine uptake into the human enamel surface from fluoride-containing sealing materials during cariogenic pH cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasuhiro, Matsuda; Katsushi, Okuyama; Hiroko, Yamamoto; Hisanori, Komatsu; Masashi, Koka; Takahiro, Sato; Naoki, Hashimoto; Saiko, Oki; Chiharu, Kawamoto; Hidehiko, Sano

2015-04-01

To prevent the formation of caries and reduce dentin hypersensitivity, sealing materials, either with or without fluoride, are generally applied on the tooth in clinical practice. Application of fluoride-free sealing materials results in the formation of an acid-resistant layer on the tooth surface. On the other hand, fluoride-containing sealing materials might not only form an acid-resistant layer but could possibly further provide fluoride to enhance remineralization and reduce demineralization. In this study, the demineralization prevention ability and fluorine uptake rate in human enamel of fluoride-containing sealing materials ["MS coats F" (MSF)] and fluoride-free sealing materials ("hybrid coats 2" [HI]) were evaluated using an automatic pH cycling system. Each material was applied to the original tooth surface, the cut surfaces were covered with sticky wax, and the automatic pH-cycling system simulated daily acid changes (pH 6.8-4.5) occurring in the oral cavity for 4 weeks. Caries progression was analyzed using transverse microradiography (TMR) taken pre and post the 4 weeks of pH cycling. The fluorine and calcium distributions in the carious lesion in each specimen were evaluated using the proton-induced gamma emission (PIGE) and proton-induced X-ray (PIXE) techniques, respectively. TMR analysis showed that both MSF and HI had a caries-preventing effect after 4 weeks of pH cycling. PIGE/PIXE analysis demonstrated that only MSF resulted in fluoride uptake in the enamel surface. Therefore, MSF can help to form an acid-resistant layer and provide fluoride to the enamel surface. The presence of fluoride on the enamel surface suggested that MSF could prevent demineralization, even if the acid-resistant layer was removed, in clinical settings. The data obtained using the PIGE and PIXE techniques are useful for understanding the benefits of the use of a fluoride-containing sealing material for preventing caries.

Innovations in research ethics governance in humanitarian settings.

PubMed

Schopper, Doris; Dawson, Angus; Upshur, Ross; Ahmad, Aasim; Jesani, Amar; Ravinetto, Raffaella; Segelid, Michael J; Sheel, Sunita; Singh, Jerome

2015-02-26

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the world's leading humanitarian medical organizations. The increased emphasis in MSF on research led to the creation of an ethics review board (ERB) in 2001. The ERB has encouraged innovation in the review of proposals and the interaction between the ERB and the organization. This has led to some of the advances in ethics governance described in this paper. We first update our previous work from 2009 describing ERB performance and then highlight five innovative practices: • A new framework to guide ethics review • The introduction of a policy exempting a posteriori analysis of routinely collected data • The preapproval of "emergency" protocols • General ethical approval of "routine surveys" • Evaluating the impact of approved studies. The new framework encourages a conversation about ethical issues, rather than imposing quasi-legalistic rules, is more engaged with the specific MSF research context and gives greater prominence to certain values and principles. Some of the innovations implemented by the ERB, such as review exemption or approval of generic protocols, may run counter to many standard operating procedures. We argue that much standard practice in research ethics review ought to be open to challenge and revision. Continued interaction between MSF researchers and independent ERB members has allowed for progressive innovations based on a trustful and respectful partnership between the ERB and the researchers. In the future, three areas merit particular attention. First, the impact of the new framework should be assessed. Second, the impact of research needs to be defined more precisely as a first step towards being meaningfully assessed, including changes of impact over time. Finally, the dialogue between the MSF ERB and the ethics committees in the study countries should be enhanced. We hope that the innovations in research ethics governance described may be relevant for other organisations carrying out research in fragile contexts and for ethics committees reviewing such research.

Assessing medical students' performance in core competencies using multiple admission programs for colleges and universities: from the perspective of multi-source feedback.

PubMed

Fang, Ji-Tseng; Ko, Yu-Shien; Chien, Chu-Chun; Yu, Kuang-Hui

2013-01-01

Since 1994, Taiwanese medical universities have employed the multiple application method comprising "recommendations and screening" and "admission application." The purpose of this study is to examine whether medical students admitted using different admission programs gave different performances. To evaluate the six core competencies for medical students proposed by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), this study employed various assessment tools, including student opinion feedback, multi-source feedback (MSF), course grades, and examination results.MSF contains self-assessment scale, peer assessment scale, nursing staff assessment scale, visiting staff assessment scale, and chief resident assessment scale. In the subscales, the CronbachÊs alpha were higher than 0.90, indicating good reliability. Research participants consisted of 182 students from the School of Medicine at Chang Gung University. Regarding studentsÊ average grade for the medical ethics course, the performance of students who were enrolled through school recommendations exceeded that of students who were enrolled through the National College University Entrance Examination (NCUEE) p = 0.011), and all considered "teamwork" as the most important. Different entry pipelines of students in the "communication," "work attitude," "medical knowledge," and "teamwork" assessment scales showed no significant difference. The improvement rate of the students who were enrolled through the school recommendations was better than that of the students who were enrolled through the N CUEE in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of self-assessment and peer assessment scales. However, the students who were enrolled through the NCUEE were better in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of the visiting staff assessment scale and the chief resident assessment scale. Collectively, the performance of the students enrolled through recommendations was slightly better than that of the students enrolled through the NCUEE, although statistical significance was found in certain parts of the grades only.

Multi-omics Analysis Sheds Light on the Evolution and the Intracellular Lifestyle Strategies of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp.

PubMed

El Karkouri, Khalid; Kowalczewska, Malgorzata; Armstrong, Nicholas; Azza, Said; Fournier, Pierre-Edouard; Raoult, Didier

2017-01-01

Arthropod-borne Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular bacteria which are pathogenic for humans. Within this genus, Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia conorii cause frequent and potentially severe infections, whereas Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia massiliae cause rare and milder infections. All four species belong to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. However, R. slovaca and R. raoultii cause scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy (SENLAT) and are mainly associated with Dermacentor ticks, whereas the other two species cause Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) and are mainly transmitted by Rhipicephalus ticks. To identify the potential genes and protein profiles and to understand the evolutionary processes that could, comprehensively, relate to the differences in virulence and pathogenicity observed between these four species, we compared their genomes and proteomes. The virulent and milder agents displayed divergent phylogenomic evolution in two major clades, whereas either SENLAT or MSF disease suggests a discrete convergent evolution of one virulent and one milder agent, despite their distant genetic relatedness. Moreover, the two virulent species underwent strong reductive genomic evolution and protein structural variations, as well as a probable loss of plasmid(s), compared to the two milder species. However, an abundance of mobilome genes was observed only in the less pathogenic species. After infecting Xenopus laevis cells, the virulent agents displayed less up-regulated than down-regulated proteins, as well as less number of identified core proteins. Furthermore, their similar and distinct protein profiles did not contain some genes (e.g., omp A/B and rick A) known to be related to rickettsial adhesion, motility and/or virulence, but may include other putative virulence-, antivirulence-, and/or disease-related proteins. The identified evolutionary forces herein may have a strong impact on intracellular expressions and strategies in these rickettsiae, and that may contribute to the emergence of distinct virulence and diseases in humans. Thus, the current multi-omics data provide new insights into the evolution and fitness of SFG virulence and pathogenicity, and intracellular pathogenic bacteria.

Design of a Small-Scale Multi-Inlet Vortex Mixer for Scalable Nanoparticle Production and Application to the Encapsulation of Biologics by Inverse Flash NanoPrecipitation.

PubMed

Markwalter, Chester E; Prud'homme, Robert K

2018-05-14

Flash NanoPrecipitation (FNP) is a scalable approach to generate polymeric nanoparticles using rapid micromixing in specially-designed geometries such as a confined impinging jets (CIJ) mixer or a Multi-Inlet Vortex Mixer (MIVM). A major limitation of formulation screening using the MIVM is that a single run requires tens of milligrams of the therapeutic. To overcome this, we have developed a scaled-down version of the MIVM, requiring as little as 0.2 mg of therapeutic, for formulation screening. The redesigned mixer can then be attached to pumps for scale-up of the identified formulation. It was shown that Reynolds Number allowed accurate scaling between the two MIVM designs. The utility of the small-scale MIVM for formulation development was demonstrated through the encapsulation of a number of hydrophilic macromolecules using inverse Flash NanoPrecipitation with target loadings as high as 50% by mass. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The bi-directional leader observation in positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes during summer thunderstorm season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Y.; Manabu, A.; Morimoto, T.; Ushio, T.; Kawasaki, Z.; Miki, M.; Shimizu, M.

2009-12-01

In this paper, we present observations of positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning flashes obtained with the VHF BDITF (VHF Broadband Digital InTerFerometer) and the ALPS (Automatic Lightning Discharge Progressing Feature Observation System). The VHF BDITF observed two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) developments of lightning flashes with high time resolution. The ALPS observed the luminous propagation of the local process at low altitudes within its observational range. At 2028:59 JST on 8 August, 2008, we observed the 3D spatiotemporal development channels of +CG lightning flash with the VHF BDITF and the RS with the lightning location and protection (LLP) system. This flash is divided before and after the RS. In the former stage, the in-cloud negative breakdown (NB) progress about 15 km horizontally between 6 and 10 km high. The LLP system detects the RS near the initiation point of that negative breakdown (NB) at the end of the former stage. In the latter stage, the new NB runs through the same path as the first NB before the RS. The luminous intensity of the RS near the ground obtained with the ALPS is synchronized with the development of the new NB. The time variation of luminous intensity by the ALPS has two peaks. The time difference of these peaks is corresponding to the blank of the VHF radiation. Since the new NB following the RS runs through the path of the first NB, the positive breakdown (PB), which is not visualized by the VHF BDITF, could be considered to progress from the starting point of the first NB and touches to the ground. The RS current propagates and penetrates in the opposite direction as visualized subsequent NB. This suggests the first NB and the PB progress together. This +CG lightning flash has the bi-directional leader. To assume the path of the PB is straight line, the velocity of the PB is about 4 × 104 m/s.

A Minimum Spanning Forest Based Method for Noninvasive Cancer Detection with Hyperspectral Imaging

PubMed Central

Pike, Robert; Lu, Guolan; Wang, Dongsheng; Chen, Zhuo Georgia; Fei, Baowei

2016-01-01

Goal The purpose of this paper is to develop a classification method that combines both spectral and spatial information for distinguishing cancer from healthy tissue on hyperspectral images in an animal model. Methods An automated algorithm based on a minimum spanning forest (MSF) and optimal band selection has been proposed to classify healthy and cancerous tissue on hyperspectral images. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier is trained to create a pixel-wise classification probability map of cancerous and healthy tissue. This map is then used to identify markers that are used to compute mutual information for a range of bands in the hyperspectral image and thus select the optimal bands. An MSF is finally grown to segment the image using spatial and spectral information. Conclusion The MSF based method with automatically selected bands proved to be accurate in determining the tumor boundary on hyperspectral images. Significance Hyperspectral imaging combined with the proposed classification technique has the potential to provide a noninvasive tool for cancer detection. PMID:26285052

Basic occupational health services (BOHS) in community primary care: the MSF (Dhaka) model.

PubMed

Muralidhar, Venkiteswaran; Ahasan, Md Faizul; Khan, Ahad Mahmud; Alam, Mohammad Shariful

2017-03-20

The Médecins Sans Frontiérs (MSF) established basic occupational health services to diagnose and treat work-related diseases among tannery, metal, plastics and garment workers and families in one of the more polluted areas of the world populated by 600 000 people. In spite of project limitations, an analysis of the 6-month data showed that of the original cohort of 5000, 3200 (64%) came for at least 1 consultation. Among them, 468 (14.6%) were diagnosed with suspected work-related diseases as per defined protocols. Follow-up consultation was performed for 1447 cases of occupational diseases and work-related injuries. The MSF experience begs the need for replication of such services in densely populated urban areas in developing nations like Bangladesh and India, where no specialty occupational health clinics exist in primary care but are desperately needed and where occupational health clinics on factory premises are exclusive to industry workers and are not accessible to communities. 2017 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Investigation of spray characteristics for flashing injection of fuels containing dissolved air and superheated fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, A. S. P.; Chen, L. D.; Faeth, G. M.

1982-01-01

The flow, atomization and spreading of flashing injector flowing liquids containing dissolved gases (jet/air) as well as superheated liquids (Freon II) were considered. The use of a two stage expansion process separated by an expansion chamber, ws found to be beneficial for flashing injection particularly for dissolved gas systems. Both locally homogeneous and separated flow models provided good predictions of injector flow properties. Conventional correlations for drop sizes from pressure atomized and airblast injectors were successfully modified, using the separated flow model to prescribe injector exit conditions, to correlate drop size measurements. Additional experimental results are provided for spray angle and combustion properties of sprays from flashing injectors.

Initiation locations of lightning flashes relative to radar reflectivity in four small Florida thunderstorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunarathna, Nadeeka; Marshall, Thomas C.; Karunarathne, Sumedhe; Stolzenburg, Maribeth

2017-06-01

This study examines initiation locations of intracloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning near Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 1 day. One unicellular and two multicellular thunderstorms occurred over land, and one multicellular storm was 30 km offshore. The storm over ocean was visible on radar 47-51 min before its first flash (of 17 total); first echoes in the storms over land were 23, 12, and 16 min prior to the first flashes (of 34, 16, and 9 total). Initiation points of 66 flashes were identified using the first initial breakdown (IB) pulse location from electric field change measurements or a VHF source coincident with the first IB pulse; 10 ICs occurred without enough data to similarly locate the initiation. All but 2 of 35 flashes that initiated as negative CGs began below 6.8 km altitude; two higher CG initiations (7.1-7.5 km) were the first CGs in two storms. Initiations of 21 normal ICs occurred above 7.9 km, 6 late stage ICs initiated at 5.5-7.5 km, and 4 hybrid IC-CG flashes initiated as ICs at 6.6-8.1 km. Initiation locations were tightly clustered in small regions of each cell. Over land, early and mature stage flashes initiated within 2 × 2 km in each cell, or about 10-25% of the midlevel reflectivity coverage. One cell over ocean had initiations within 6 × 5 km, less than 30% of its reflectivity area. The IC initiations generally occurred above reflectivity cores, in 15-35 dBZ, and CG initiations were in 30-45 dBZ beside or atop cores.

Accounting for rainfall spatial variability in the prediction of flash floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saharia, Manabendra; Kirstetter, Pierre-Emmanuel; Gourley, Jonathan J.; Hong, Yang; Vergara, Humberto; Flamig, Zachary L.

2017-04-01

Flash floods are a particularly damaging natural hazard worldwide in terms of both fatalities and property damage. In the United States, the lack of a comprehensive database that catalogues information related to flash flood timing, location, causative rainfall, and basin geomorphology has hindered broad characterization studies. First a representative and long archive of more than 15,000 flooding events during 2002-2011 is used to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of flash floods. We also derive large number of spatially distributed geomorphological and climatological parameters such as basin area, mean annual precipitation, basin slope etc. to identify static basin characteristics that influence flood response. For the same period, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) has produced a decadal archive of Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS) radar-only precipitation rates at 1-km spatial resolution with 5-min temporal resolution. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to analyze the impact of event-level precipitation variability on flooding using a big data approach. To analyze the impact of sub-basin scale rainfall spatial variability on flooding, certain indices such as the first and second scaled moment of rainfall, horizontal gap, vertical gap etc. are computed from the MRMS dataset. Finally, flooding characteristics such as rise time, lag time, and peak discharge are linked to derived geomorphologic, climatologic, and rainfall indices to identify basin characteristics that drive flash floods. The database has been subjected to rigorous quality control by accounting for radar beam height and percentage snow in basins. So far studies involving rainfall variability indices have only been performed on a case study basis, and a large scale approach is expected to provide a deeper insight into how sub-basin scale precipitation variability affects flooding. Finally, these findings are validated using the National Weather Service storm reports and a historical flood fatalities database. This analysis framework will serve as a baseline for evaluating distributed hydrologic model simulations such as the Flooded Locations And Simulated Hydrographs Project (FLASH) (http://flash.ou.edu).

Nocturnal Hot Flashes: Relationship to Objective Awakenings and Sleep Stage Transitions

PubMed Central

Bianchi, Matt T.; Kim, Semmie; Galvan, Thania; White, David P.; Joffe, Hadine

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: While women report sleep interruption secondary to nighttime hot flashes, the sleep disrupting impact of nocturnal hot flashes (HF) is not well characterized. We utilized a model of induced HF to investigate the relationship of nighttime HF to sleep architecture and sleep-stage transitions. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy, premenopausal volunteers received the depot gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) leuprolide to rapidly induce menopause, manifesting with HF. Sleep disruption was measured on 2 polysomnograms conducted before and after 4–5 weeks on leuprolide, when HF had developed. Results: 165 HF episodes were recorded objectively during 48 sleep studies (mean 3.4 HF/night). After standardizing to sleep-stage time distribution, the majority of HF were recorded during wake (51.0%) and stage N1 (18.8%). Sixty-six percent of HF occurred within 5 minutes of an awakening, with 80% occurring just before or during the awakening. Objective HF were not associated with sleep disruption as measured by increased transitions to wake or N1, but self-reported nocturnal HF correlated with an increase from pre- to post-leuprolide in the rate of transitions to wake (p = 0.01), and to N1 (p = 0.008). Conclusions: By isolating the effect of HF on sleep in women without the confound of age-related sleep changes associated with natural menopause, this experimental model shows that HF arise most commonly during N1 and wake, typically preceding or occurring simultaneously with wake episodes. Perception of HF, but not objective HF, is linked to increased sleep-stage transitions, suggesting that sleep disruption increases awareness of and memory for nighttime HF events. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01116401. Citation: Bianchi MT, Kim S, Galvan T, White DP, Joffe H. Nocturnal hot flashes: relationship to objective awakenings and sleep stage transitions. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(7):1003–1009. PMID:26951410

Bayer Digester Optimization Studies using Computer Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotte, Jan J.; Schleider, Victor H.

Theoretically required heat transfer performance by the multistaged flash heat reclaim system of a high pressure Bayer digester unit is determined for various conditions of discharge temperature, excess flash vapor and indirect steam addition. Solution of simultaneous heat balances around the digester vessels and the heat reclaim system yields the magnitude of available heat for representation of each case on a temperature-enthalpy diagram, where graphical fit of the number of flash stages fixes the heater requirements. Both the heat balances and the trial-and-error graphical solution are adapted to solution by digital computer techniques.

Determining the coordinates of lamps in an illumination dome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, Lindsay W.; Ahmadabadian, Ali H.; Robson, Stuart

2015-05-01

The UCL Dome consists of an acrylic hemisphere of nominal diameter 1030 mm, fitted with 64 flash lights, arranged in three tiers of 16, one tier of 12, and one tier of 4 lights at approximately equal intervals. A Nikon D200 digital camera is mounted on a rigid steel frame at the `north pole' of the dome pointing vertically downwards with its optical axis normal to the horizontal baseboard in the `equatorial' plane. It is used to capture sets of images in pixel register for visualisation and surface reconstruction. Three techniques were employed for the geometric calibration of flash light positions in the dome: (1) the shadow cast by a vertical pin onto graph paper; (2) multi-image photogrammetry with retro-reflective targets; and (3) multi-image photogrammetry using the flash lights themselves as targets. The precision of the coordinates obtained by the three techniques was analysed, and it was found that although photogrammetric methods could locate individual targets to an accuracy of 20 μm, the uncertainty of locating the centroids of the flash lights was approximately 1.5 mm. This result was considered satisfactory for the purposes of using the dome for photometric imaging, and in particular for the visualisation of object surfaces by the polynomial texture mapping (PTM) technique.

Multi-Head Very High Power Strobe System For Motion Picture Special Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovoi, P. A.; Fink, Michael L.

1983-10-01

A very large camera synchronizable strobe system has been developed for motion picture special effects. This system, the largest ever built, was delivered to MGM/UA to be used in the movie "War Games". The system consists of 12 individual strobe heads and a power supply distribution system. Each strobe head operates independently and may be flashed up to 24 times per second under computer control. An energy of 480 Joules per flash is used in six strobe heads and 240 Joules per flash in the remaining six strobe heads. The beam pattern is rectangular with a FWHM of 60° x 48°.

Performance and Fouling Study of Asymmetric PVDF Membrane Applied in the Concentration of Organic Fertilizer by Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD)

PubMed Central

Liu, Yanfei; Bao, Chenghuan; Zhang, Jifei; Yang, Xing

2018-01-01

This study proposes using membrane distillation (MD) as an alternative to the conventional multi-stage flushing (MSF) process to concentrate a semi-product of organic fertilizer. By applying a unique asymmetric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane, which was specifically designed for MD applications using a nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation (NTIPS) method, the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) performance was investigated in terms of its sustainability in permeation flux, fouling resistance, and anti-wetting properties. It was found that the permeation flux increased with increasing flow rate, while the top-surface facing feed mode was the preferred orientation to achieve 25% higher flux than the bottom-surface facing feed mode. Compared to the commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane, the asymmetric PVDF membrane exhibited excellent anti-fouling and sustainable flux, with less than 8% flux decline in a 15 h continuous operation, i.e., flux decreased slightly and was maintained as high as 74 kg·m−2·h−1 at 70 °C. Meanwhile, the lost flux was easily recovered by clean water rinsing. Overall 2.6 times concentration factor was achieved in 15 h MD operation, with 63.4% water being removed from the fertilizer sample. Further concentration could be achieved to reach the desired industrial standard of 5x concentration factor. PMID:29462942

Wearable Wireless Sensor for Multi-Scale Physiological Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-12-1-0541 TITLE: Wearable Wireless Sensor for Multi-Scale...TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED 25 12- 13 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Wearable Wireless Sensor for Multi-Scale Physiological...peripheral management • Procedures for low power mode activation and wake - up • Routines for start- up state detection • Flash memory management

Analysis on applicable error-correcting code strength of storage class memory and NAND flash in hybrid storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, Chihiro; Kinoshita, Reika; Takeuchi, Ken

2018-04-01

A hybrid of storage class memory (SCM) and NAND flash is a promising technology for high performance storage. Error correction is inevitable on SCM and NAND flash because their bit error rate (BER) increases with write/erase (W/E) cycles, data retention, and program/read disturb. In addition, scaling and multi-level cell technologies increase BER. However, error-correcting code (ECC) degrades storage performance because of extra memory reading and encoding/decoding time. Therefore, applicable ECC strength of SCM and NAND flash is evaluated independently by fixing ECC strength of one memory in the hybrid storage. As a result, weak BCH ECC with small correctable bit is recommended for the hybrid storage with large SCM capacity because SCM is accessed frequently. In contrast, strong and long-latency LDPC ECC can be applied to NAND flash in the hybrid storage with large SCM capacity because large-capacity SCM improves the storage performance.

Characteristics of flash initiations in a supercell cluster with tornadoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Dong; MacGorman, Donald R.

2016-01-01

Flash initiations within a supercell cluster during 10-11 May 2010 in Oklahoma were investigated based on observations from the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array and the Norman, Oklahoma, polarimetric radar (KOUN). The flash initiations at positions dominated by graupel, dry snow, small hail and crystals accounted for 44.3%, 44.1%, 8.0% and 3.0% of the total flashes, respectively. During the tornadic stage of the southern supercell in the cluster, flash initiations associated with graupel occupied the main body, the right flank and the forward flank of the supercell, while those associated with dry snow dominated the outskirts of the adjacent forward anvil, right anvil and rear anvil. The flash initiations associated with small hail were concentrated around the main updraft, particularly toward its front side. Highly dense flash initiations were located in the regions overlying the differential reflectivity (ZDR) arc and right anvil. The average initial height of the flashes decreased gradually from the rear to the front and from the right to the left flanks, while the height range over which initiations occurred reached a maximum at the front of the updraft. The flashes that were initiated in the adjacent forward anvils were largest on average, followed by those in the regions ahead of the updraft and near the ZDR arc. This study supports the concept of charge pockets and further deduces that the pockets in the right anvil are the most abundant and compact due to the frequent flash initiations, small-sized flashes and thin layers including flash initiations.

Blast-Loading Assessment of Multi-Energy Flash Computed Tomography (MEFCT) Diagnostic

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

Perrella JA, Sturgill JM. Design of a simple blast pressure gauge based on a heterodyne velocimetry measuring technique. Aberdeen Proving Ground (MD...position unless so designated by other authorized documents. Citation of manufacturer’s or trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or...of the radiation dose throughout the angular span of the 150-, 300-, and 450-kV flash X-ray sources used in the MEFCT diagnostic: left image shows

Improving mapping for Ebola response through mobilising a local community with self-owned smartphones: Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, January 2015.

PubMed

Nic Lochlainn, Laura M; Gayton, Ivan; Theocharopoulos, Georgios; Edwards, Robin; Danis, Kostas; Kremer, Ronald; Kleijer, Karline; Tejan, Sumaila M; Sankoh, Mohamed; Jimissa, Augustin; Greig, Jane; Caleo, Grazia

2018-01-01

During the 2014-16 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the Magburaka Ebola Management Centre (EMC) operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, identified that available district maps lacked up-to-date village information to facilitate timely implementation of EVD control strategies. In January 2015, we undertook a survey in chiefdoms within the MSF EMC catchment area to collect mapping and village data. We explore the feasibility and cost to mobilise a local community for this survey, describe validation against existing mapping sources and use of the data to prioritise areas for interventions, and lessons learned. We recruited local people with self-owned Android smartphones installed with open-source survey software (OpenDataKit (ODK)) and open-source navigation software (OpenStreetMap Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd)). Surveyors were paired with local motorbike drivers to travel to eligible villages. The collected mapping data were validated by checking for duplication and comparing the village names against a pre-existing village name and location list using a geographic distance and text string-matching algorithm. The survey teams gained sufficient familiarity with the ODK and OsmAnd software within 1-2 hours. Nine chiefdoms in Tonkolili District and three in Bombali District were surveyed within two weeks. Following de-duplication, the surveyors collected data from 891 villages with an estimated 127,021 households. The overall survey cost was €3,395; €3.80 per village surveyed. The MSF GIS team (MSF-OCG) created improved maps for the MSF Magburaka EMC team which were used to support surveillance, investigation of suspect EVD cases, hygiene-kit distribution and EVD survivor support. We shared the mapping data with OpenStreetMap, the local Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Sierra Leone District and National Ebola Response Centres. Involving local community and using accessible technology allowed rapid implementation, at moderate cost, of a survey to collect geographic and essential village information, and creation of updated maps. These methods could be used for future emergencies to facilitate response.

Improving mapping for Ebola response through mobilising a local community with self-owned smartphones: Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, January 2015

PubMed Central

Gayton, Ivan; Theocharopoulos, Georgios; Edwards, Robin; Danis, Kostas; Kremer, Ronald; Kleijer, Karline; Tejan, Sumaila M.; Sankoh, Mohamed; Jimissa, Augustin; Greig, Jane; Caleo, Grazia

2018-01-01

Background During the 2014–16 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the Magburaka Ebola Management Centre (EMC) operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, identified that available district maps lacked up-to-date village information to facilitate timely implementation of EVD control strategies. In January 2015, we undertook a survey in chiefdoms within the MSF EMC catchment area to collect mapping and village data. We explore the feasibility and cost to mobilise a local community for this survey, describe validation against existing mapping sources and use of the data to prioritise areas for interventions, and lessons learned. Methods We recruited local people with self-owned Android smartphones installed with open-source survey software (OpenDataKit (ODK)) and open-source navigation software (OpenStreetMap Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd)). Surveyors were paired with local motorbike drivers to travel to eligible villages. The collected mapping data were validated by checking for duplication and comparing the village names against a pre-existing village name and location list using a geographic distance and text string-matching algorithm. Results The survey teams gained sufficient familiarity with the ODK and OsmAnd software within 1–2 hours. Nine chiefdoms in Tonkolili District and three in Bombali District were surveyed within two weeks. Following de-duplication, the surveyors collected data from 891 villages with an estimated 127,021 households. The overall survey cost was €3,395; €3.80 per village surveyed. The MSF GIS team (MSF-OCG) created improved maps for the MSF Magburaka EMC team which were used to support surveillance, investigation of suspect EVD cases, hygiene-kit distribution and EVD survivor support. We shared the mapping data with OpenStreetMap, the local Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Sierra Leone District and National Ebola Response Centres. Conclusions Involving local community and using accessible technology allowed rapid implementation, at moderate cost, of a survey to collect geographic and essential village information, and creation of updated maps. These methods could be used for future emergencies to facilitate response. PMID:29298314

Nanostructured materials for water desalination.

PubMed

Humplik, T; Lee, J; O'Hern, S C; Fellman, B A; Baig, M A; Hassan, S F; Atieh, M A; Rahman, F; Laoui, T; Karnik, R; Wang, E N

2011-07-22

Desalination of seawater and brackish water is becoming an increasingly important means to address the scarcity of fresh water resources in the world. Decreasing the energy requirements and infrastructure costs of existing desalination technologies remains a challenge. By enabling the manipulation of matter and control of transport at nanometer length scales, the emergence of nanotechnology offers new opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. This review focuses on nanostructured materials that are directly involved in the separation of water from salt as opposed to mitigating issues such as fouling. We discuss separation mechanisms and novel transport phenomena in materials including zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and graphene with potential applications to reverse osmosis, capacitive deionization, and multi-stage flash, among others. Such nanostructured materials can potentially enable the development of next-generation desalination systems with increased efficiency and capacity.

Nanostructured materials for water desalination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humplik, T.; Lee, J.; O'Hern, S. C.; Fellman, B. A.; Baig, M. A.; Hassan, S. F.; Atieh, M. A.; Rahman, F.; Laoui, T.; Karnik, R.; Wang, E. N.

2011-07-01

Desalination of seawater and brackish water is becoming an increasingly important means to address the scarcity of fresh water resources in the world. Decreasing the energy requirements and infrastructure costs of existing desalination technologies remains a challenge. By enabling the manipulation of matter and control of transport at nanometer length scales, the emergence of nanotechnology offers new opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. This review focuses on nanostructured materials that are directly involved in the separation of water from salt as opposed to mitigating issues such as fouling. We discuss separation mechanisms and novel transport phenomena in materials including zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and graphene with potential applications to reverse osmosis, capacitive deionization, and multi-stage flash, among others. Such nanostructured materials can potentially enable the development of next-generation desalination systems with increased efficiency and capacity.

High-efficiency power production from natural gas with carbon capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Thomas A.; Barton, Paul I.

A unique electricity generation process uses natural gas and solid oxide fuel cells at high electrical efficiency (74%HHV) and zero atmospheric emissions. The process contains a steam reformer heat-integrated with the fuel cells to provide the heat necessary for reforming. The fuel cells are powered with H 2 and avoid carbon deposition issues. 100% CO 2 capture is achieved downstream of the fuel cells with very little energy penalty using a multi-stage flash cascade process, where high-purity water is produced as a side product. Alternative reforming techniques such as CO 2 reforming, autothermal reforming, and partial oxidation are considered. The capital and energy costs of the proposed process are considered to determine the levelized cost of electricity, which is low when compared to other similar carbon capture-enabled processes.

Ethical dilemmas in medical humanitarian practice: cases for reflection from Médecins Sans Frontières.

PubMed

Sheather, Julian; Shah, Tejshri

2011-03-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent medical humanitarian organisation working in over 70 countries. It has provided medical assistance for over 35 years to populations vulnerable through conflict, disease and inadequate health systems. Medical ethics define the starting point of the relationship between medical staff and patients. The ethics of humanitarian interventions and of research in conflict settings are much debated. However, less is known about the ethical dilemmas faced by medical humanitarian staff in their daily work. Ethical dilemmas can be intensified in humanitarian contexts by insecure environments, lack of optimum care, language barriers, potentially heightened power discrepancies between care providers and patients, differing cultural values and perceptions of patients, communities and medical staff. Time constraints, stressful conditions and lack of familiarity with ethical frameworks can prevent reflection on these dilemmas, as can frustration that such reflection does not necessarily provide instant solutions. Lack of reflection, however, can be distressing for medical practitioners and can reduce the quality of care. Ethical reflection has a central role in MSF, and the organisation uses ethical frameworks to help with clinical and programmatic decisions as well as in deliberations over operational research. We illustrate and discuss some real ethical dilemmas facing MSF teams. Only by sharing and seeking guidance can MSF and similar actors make more thoughtful and appropriate decisions. Our aim in sharing these cases is to invite discussion and dialogue in the wider medical community working in crisis, conflict or with severe resource limitations.

Orthopaedic surgery in natural disaster and conflict settings: how can quality care be ensured?

PubMed

Alvarado, Oscar; Trelles, Miguel; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Joseph, Holdine; Gesline, Rodné; Wilna, Thélusma Eli; Mohammad Omar, Mohammad Karim; Faiz Mohammad, Niaz Mohammad; Muhima Mastaki, John; Chingumwa Buhu, Richard; Caluwaerts, An; Dominguez, Lynette

2015-10-01

Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the main providers of orthopaedic surgery in natural disaster and conflict settings and strictly imposes a minimum set of context-specific standards before any surgery can be performed. Based on MSF's experience of performing orthopaedic surgery in a number of such settings, we describe: (a) whether it was possible to implement the minimum standards for one of the more rigorous orthopaedic procedures--internal fixation--and when possible, the time frame, (b) the volume and type of interventions performed and (c) the intra-operative mortality rates and postoperative infection rates. We conducted a retrospective review of routine programme data collected between 2007 and 2014 from three MSF emergency surgical interventions in Haiti (following the 2010 earthquake) and three ongoing MSF projects in Kunduz (Afghanistan), Masisi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Tabarre (Haiti). The minimum standards for internal fixation were achieved in one emergency intervention site in Haiti, and in Kunduz and Tabarre, taking up to 18 months to implement in Kunduz. All sites achieved the minimum standards to perform amputations, reductions and external fixations, with a total of 9,409 orthopaedic procedures performed during the study period. Intraoperative mortality rates ranged from 0.6 to 1.9 % and postoperative infection rates from 2.4 to 3.5 %. In settings affected by natural disaster or conflict, a high volume and wide repertoire of orthopaedic surgical procedures can be performed with good outcomes when minimum standards are in place. More demanding procedures like internal fixation may not always be feasible.

Analysis of warm season thunderstorms using an object-oriented tracking method based on radar and total lightning data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigo, T.; Pineda, N.; Bech, J.

2010-09-01

Monitoring thunderstorms activity is an essential part of operational weather surveillance given their potential hazards, including lightning, hail, heavy rainfall, strong winds or even tornadoes. This study has two main objectives: firstly, the description of a methodology, based on radar and total lightning data to characterise thunderstorms in real-time; secondly, the application of this methodology to 66 thunderstorms that affected Catalonia (NE Spain) in the summer of 2006. An object-oriented tracking procedure is employed, where different observation data types generate four different types of objects (radar 1-km CAPPI reflectivity composites, radar reflectivity volumetric data, cloud-to-ground lightning data and intra-cloud lightning data). In the framework proposed, these objects are the building blocks of a higher level object, the thunderstorm. The methodology is demonstrated with a dataset of thunderstorms whose main characteristics, along the complete life cycle of the convective structures (development, maturity and dissipation), are described statistically. The development and dissipation stages present similar durations in most cases examined. On the contrary, the duration of the maturity phase is much more variable and related to the thunderstorm intensity, defined here in terms of lightning flash rate. Most of the activity of IC and CG flashes is registered in the maturity stage. In the development stage little CG flashes are observed (2% to 5%), while for the dissipation phase is possible to observe a few more CG flashes (10% to 15%). Additionally, a selection of thunderstorms is used to examine general life cycle patterns, obtained from the analysis of normalized (with respect to thunderstorm total duration and maximum value of variables considered) thunderstorm parameters. Among other findings, the study indicates that the normalized duration of the three stages of thunderstorm life cycle is similar in most thunderstorms, with the longest duration corresponding to the maturity stage (approximately 80% of the total time).

[Research on partial least squares for determination of impurities in the presence of high concentration of matrix by ICP-AES].

PubMed

Wang, Yan-peng; Gong, Qi; Yu, Sheng-rong; Liu, You-yan

2012-04-01

A method for detecting trace impurities in high concentration matrix by ICP-AES based on partial least squares (PLS) was established. The research showed that PLS could effectively correct the interference caused by high level of matrix concentration error and could withstand higher concentrations of matrix than multicomponent spectral fitting (MSF). When the mass ratios of matrix to impurities were from 1 000 : 1 to 20 000 : 1, the recoveries of standard addition were between 95% and 105% by PLS. For the system in which interference effect has nonlinear correlation with the matrix concentrations, the prediction accuracy of normal PLS method was poor, but it can be improved greatly by using LIN-PPLS, which was based on matrix transformation of sample concentration. The contents of Co, Pb and Ga in stream sediment (GBW07312) were detected by MSF, PLS and LIN-PPLS respectively. The results showed that the prediction accuracy of LIN-PPLS was better than PLS, and the prediction accuracy of PLS was better than MSF.

Numerical simulation of internal and near-nozzle flow of a gasoline direct injection fuel injector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Kaushik; Som, Sibendu; Battistoni, Michele; Li, Yanheng; Quan, Shaoping; Senecal, Peter Kelly

2015-12-01

A numerical study of two-phase flow inside the nozzle holes and the issuing spray jets for a multi-hole direct injection gasoline injector has been presented in this work. The injector geometry is representative of the Spray G nozzle, an eight-hole counterbore injector, from, the Engine Combustion Network (ECN). Simulations have been carried out for the fixed needle lift. Effects of turbulence, compressibility and, non-condensable gases have been considered in this work. Standard k—ɛ turbulence model has been used to model the turbulence. Homogeneous Relaxation Model (HRM) coupled with Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach has been utilized to capture the phase change phenomena inside and outside the injector nozzle. Three different boundary conditions for the outlet domain have been imposed to examine non-flashing and evaporative, non-flashing and non-evaporative, and flashing conditions. Inside the nozzle holes mild cavitation-like and in the near-nozzle region flash boiling phenomena have been predicted in this study when liquid fuel is subjected to superheated ambiance. Noticeable hole to hole variation has been also observed in terms of mass flow rates for all the holes under both flashing and non-flashing conditions.

When falsified medicines enter the supply chain: description of an incident in Kenya and lessons learned for rapid response.

PubMed

Cohn, Jennifer; von Schoen-Angerer, Tido; Jambert, Elodie; Arreghini, Guido; Childs, Michelle

2013-01-01

Falsified and substandard medicines present serious concerns for public health. We describe an event that occurred in late 2011 involving falsified antiretroviral medicines found in the supplies of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) projects in Kenya. We discuss factors contributing to these falsified medicines entering the supply chain as well as the response by MSF and others. We make recommendations to help defend against future episodes of entry of falsified medicines into the supply chain as well as comments on appropriate responses in cases of falsified medicines.

Characteristics of Currents and Electric Fields Associated with the Initial Stage of Upward Lightning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, N.; Nag, A.; Diendorfer, G.; Pichler, H.; Schulz, W.

2017-12-01

There is increasing interest in understanding processes associated with the initiation of upward lightning from tall structures. Characterization of such processes is essential for the development of appropriate models. We examine current and electric field waveforms for 15 negative upward flashes occurring in 2007-2009 initiated from the Gaisberg Tower located in Salzburg, Austria. Current was measured at the top of the tower using a 0.25 mΩ shunt. Electric field was measured simultaneously at close (170 m from the tower) and far (79 km from the tower in 2007 and 109 km in 2008-2009) distances. The initial stage (IS) of these flashes comprised of relatively slowly varying "background" current (having durations ranging from 132 to 692 ms), with faster, more impulsive current variations (pulses having durations ranging from 4.7 µs to 22.9 ms) overlaid on this background current. In five of the 15 (33%) flashes, this IS background current was negative while in the other ten (67%) flashes, the current was bipolar (changing between negative and positive values). 150 current pulses occurred during the IS of these 15 flashes, of which 28 (19%) were positive bipolar (positive initial polarity with a negative opposite polarity overshoot), 5 (3.3%) were positive unipolar (positive initial polarity with no opposite polarity overshoot), and 117 (78%) were negative unipolar. No negative bipolar pulses were found. The median peak current and risetime for the 28 bipolar pulses were 0.74 kA and 2.8 µs, respectively, and those for the 122 unipolar pulses were 0.87 kA and 70 µs, respectively. Generally speaking, majority of the pulses occurring at the beginning of the initial stage were lower-amplitude positive bipolar, while higher-amplitude unipolar pulses were more likely to occur at later times. These 150 IS current pulses produced 133 detectable electric field change signatures at the near station and 59 at the far station (all recorded at 79 km in 12 flashes occurring in 2007). We will examine in detail the characteristics of these electric field pulses in order to gain insights into the mechanisms of the underlying processes.

Safety evaluation of long term oral treatment of methanol sub-fraction of the seeds of Carica papaya as a male contraceptive in albino rats.

PubMed

Goyal, S; Manivannan, B; Ansari, A S; Jain, S C; Lohiya, N K

2010-02-03

The manuscript is one of the series of attempts in authenticating scientific documentation of the seeds of Carica papaya being traditionally used for contraception. To establish safety of the methanol sub-fraction (MSF) of the seeds of Carica papaya as a male contraceptive following long term oral treatment. MSF was administered orally to albino rats at multiples of contraceptive dose (CD) at 50 (1x), 100 (2x), 250 (5x) and 500 (10x)mg/kg body weight daily for 52 weeks. Body weight, organs weight, morbidity, mortality, clinical chemistry, sperm analysis, histopathology and serum testosterone were evaluated to assess the safety and contraceptive efficacy. MSF treatment at various dose regimens, daily for 52 weeks did not show significant changes in body weight, organs weight, food and water intake and pre-terminal deaths compared to those of control animals. Sperm count and viability in 50mg/kg body weight treated animals and the weight of epididymis, seminal vesicle and prostate of all the treated animals showed significant reduction compared to control. Cauda epididymal spermatozoa of 50mg/kg body weight treated animals were immotile. Azoospermia was observed in 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight treated animals. Serum clinical parameters, serum testosterone and histopathology of vital organs were comparable to those of control animals. Histology of testis revealed adverse effects on the process of spermatogenesis, while the histology of epididymis, seminal vesicles and ventral prostate showed no changes compared to control. The long term daily oral administration of MSF affects sperm parameters without adverse side effects and is clinically safe as a male contraceptive. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Methanol Poisoning Outbreaks in Libya 2013 and Kenya 2014.

PubMed

Rostrup, Morten; Edwards, Jeffrey K; Abukalish, Mohamed; Ezzabi, Masoud; Some, David; Ritter, Helga; Menge, Tom; Abdelrahman, Ahmed; Rootwelt, Rebecca; Janssens, Bart; Lind, Kyrre; Paasma, Raido; Hovda, Knut Erik

2016-01-01

Outbreaks of methanol poisoning occur frequently on a global basis, affecting poor and vulnerable populations. Knowledge regarding methanol is limited, likely many cases and even outbreaks go unnoticed, with patients dying unnecessarily. We describe findings from the first three large outbreaks of methanol poisoning where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) responded, and evaluate the benefits of a possible future collaboration between local health authorities, a Non-Governmental Organisation and international expertise. Retrospective study of three major methanol outbreaks in Libya (2013) and Kenya (May and July 2014). Data were collected from MSF field personnel, local health personnel, hospital files, and media reports. In Tripoli, Libya, over 1,000 patients were poisoned with a reported case fatality rate of 10% (101/1,066). In Kenya, two outbreaks resulted in approximately 341 and 126 patients, with case fatality rates of 29% (100/341) and 21% (26/126), respectively. MSF launched an emergency team with international experts, medications and equipment, however, the outbreaks were resolving by the time of arrival. Recognition of an outbreak of methanol poisoning and diagnosis seem to be the most challenging tasks, with significant delay from time of first presentations to public health warnings being issued. In spite of the rapid response from an emergency team, the outbreaks were nearly concluded by the time of arrival. A major impact on the outcome was not seen, but large educational trainings were conducted to increase awareness and knowledge about methanol poisoning. Based on this training, MSF was able to send a local emergency team during the second outbreak, supporting that such an approach could improve outcomes. Basic training, simplified treatment protocols, point-of-care diagnostic tools, and early support when needed, are likely the most important components to impact the consequences of methanol poisoning outbreaks in these challenging contexts.

When Helping Babies Breathe Is Not Enough: Designing a Novel, Mid-Level Neonatal Resuscitation Algorithm for Médecins Sans Frontières Field Teams Working in Low-Resource Hospital Settings.

PubMed

Umphrey, Lisa; Breindahl, Morten; Brown, Alexandra; Saugstad, Ola Didrik; Thio, Marta; Trevisanuto, Daniele; Roehrg, Charles Christoph; Blennow, Mats

2018-05-25

Neonatal resuscitation (NR) combines a set of life-saving interventions in order to stabilize compromised newborns at birth or when critically ill. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), as an international medical-humanitarian organization working particularly in low-resource settings (LRS), assisted over 250,000 births in obstetric and newborn care aid projects in 2016 and provides thousands of newborn resuscitations annually. The Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program has been used as formal guidance for basic resuscitation since 2012. However, in some MSF projects with the capacity to provide more advanced NR interventions but a lack of adapted guidance, staff have felt prompted to create their own advanced algorithms, which runs counter to the organization's aim for standardized protocols in all aspects of its care. The aim is to close a significant gap in neonatal care provision in LRS by establishing consensus on a protocol that would guide MSF field teams in their practice of more advanced NR. An independent committee of international experts was formed and met regularly from June 2016 to agree on the content and design of a new NR algorithm. Consensus was reached on a novel, mid-level NR algorithm in April 2017. The algorithm was accepted for use by MSF Operational Center Paris. This paper contributes to the literature on decision-making in the development of cognitive aids. The authors also highlight how critical gaps in healthcare delivery in LRS can be addressed, even when there is limited evidence to guide the process. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Utilization of 3D imaging flash lidar technology for autonomous safe landing on planetary bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Vanek, Michael; Petway, Larry; Pierrottet, Diego; Busch, George; Bulyshev, Alexander

2010-01-01

NASA considers Flash Lidar a critical technology for enabling autonomous safe landing of future large robotic and crewed vehicles on the surface of the Moon and Mars. Flash Lidar can generate 3-Dimensional images of the terrain to identify hazardous features such as craters, rocks, and steep slopes during the final stages of descent and landing. The onboard flight comptuer can use the 3-D map of terain to guide the vehicle to a safe site. The capabilities of Flash Lidar technology were evaluated through a series of static tests using a calibrated target and through dynamic tests aboard a helicopter and a fixed wing airctarft. The aircraft flight tests were perfomed over Moonlike terrain in the California and Nevada deserts. This paper briefly describes the Flash Lidar static and aircraft flight test results. These test results are analyzed against the landing application requirements to identify the areas of technology improvement. The ongoing technology advancement activities are then explained and their goals are described.

Utilization of 3-D Imaging Flash Lidar Technology for Autonomous Safe Landing on Planetary Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Vanek, Michael; Petway, Larry; Pierrotter, Diego; Busch, George; Bulyshev, Alexander

2010-01-01

NASA considers Flash Lidar a critical technology for enabling autonomous safe landing of future large robotic and crewed vehicles on the surface of the Moon and Mars. Flash Lidar can generate 3-Dimensional images of the terrain to identify hazardous features such as craters, rocks, and steep slopes during the final stages of descent and landing. The onboard flight computer can use the 3-D map of terrain to guide the vehicle to a safe site. The capabilities of Flash Lidar technology were evaluated through a series of static tests using a calibrated target and through dynamic tests aboard a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft. The aircraft flight tests were performed over Moon-like terrain in the California and Nevada deserts. This paper briefly describes the Flash Lidar static and aircraft flight test results. These test results are analyzed against the landing application requirements to identify the areas of technology improvement. The ongoing technology advancement activities are then explained and their goals are described.

Multi-omics Analysis Sheds Light on the Evolution and the Intracellular Lifestyle Strategies of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp.

PubMed Central

El Karkouri, Khalid; Kowalczewska, Malgorzata; Armstrong, Nicholas; Azza, Said; Fournier, Pierre-Edouard; Raoult, Didier

2017-01-01

Arthropod-borne Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular bacteria which are pathogenic for humans. Within this genus, Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia conorii cause frequent and potentially severe infections, whereas Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia massiliae cause rare and milder infections. All four species belong to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. However, R. slovaca and R. raoultii cause scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy (SENLAT) and are mainly associated with Dermacentor ticks, whereas the other two species cause Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) and are mainly transmitted by Rhipicephalus ticks. To identify the potential genes and protein profiles and to understand the evolutionary processes that could, comprehensively, relate to the differences in virulence and pathogenicity observed between these four species, we compared their genomes and proteomes. The virulent and milder agents displayed divergent phylogenomic evolution in two major clades, whereas either SENLAT or MSF disease suggests a discrete convergent evolution of one virulent and one milder agent, despite their distant genetic relatedness. Moreover, the two virulent species underwent strong reductive genomic evolution and protein structural variations, as well as a probable loss of plasmid(s), compared to the two milder species. However, an abundance of mobilome genes was observed only in the less pathogenic species. After infecting Xenopus laevis cells, the virulent agents displayed less up-regulated than down-regulated proteins, as well as less number of identified core proteins. Furthermore, their similar and distinct protein profiles did not contain some genes (e.g., ompA/B and rickA) known to be related to rickettsial adhesion, motility and/or virulence, but may include other putative virulence-, antivirulence-, and/or disease-related proteins. The identified evolutionary forces herein may have a strong impact on intracellular expressions and strategies in these rickettsiae, and that may contribute to the emergence of distinct virulence and diseases in humans. Thus, the current multi-omics data provide new insights into the evolution and fitness of SFG virulence and pathogenicity, and intracellular pathogenic bacteria. PMID:28775717

Ambulatory Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in a Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients in a Slum Setting in Mumbai, India

PubMed Central

Isaakidis, Petros; Cox, Helen S.; Varghese, Bhanumati; Montaldo, Chiara; Da Silva, Esdras; Mansoor, Homa; Ladomirska, Joanna; Sotgiu, Giovanni; Migliori, Giovanni B.; Pontali, Emanuele; Saranchuk, Peter; Rodrigues, Camilla; Reid, Tony

2011-01-01

Background India carries one quarter of the global burden of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and has an estimated 2.5 million people living with HIV. Despite this reality, provision of treatment for MDR-TB is extremely limited, particularly for HIV-infected individuals. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been treating HIV-infected MDR-TB patients in Mumbai since May 2007. This is the first report of treatment outcomes among HIV-infected MDR-TB patients in India. Methods HIV-infected patients with suspected MDR-TB were referred to the MSF-clinic by public Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centers or by a network of community non-governmental organizations. Patients were initiated on either empiric or individualized second-line TB-treatment as per WHO recommendations. MDR-TB treatment was given on an ambulatory basis and under directly observed therapy using a decentralized network of providers. Patients not already receiving ART were started on treatment within two months of initiating MDR-TB treatment. Results Between May 2007 and May 2011, 71 HIV-infected patients were suspected to have MDR-TB, and 58 were initiated on treatment. MDR-TB was confirmed in 45 (78%), of which 18 (40%) were resistant to ofloxacin. Final treatment outcomes were available for 23 patients; 11 (48%) were successfully treated, 4 (17%) died, 6 (26%) defaulted, and 2 (9%) failed treatment. Overall, among 58 patients on treatment, 13 (22%) were successfully treated, 13 (22%) died, 7 (12%) defaulted, two (3%) failed treatment, and 23 (40%) were alive and still on treatment at the end of the observation period. Twenty-six patients (45%) experienced moderate to severe adverse events, requiring modification of the regimen in 12 (20%). Overall, 20 (28%) of the 71 patients with MDR-TB died, including 7 not initiated on treatment. Conclusions Despite high fluoroquinolone resistance and extensive prior second-line treatment, encouraging results are being achieved in an ambulatory MDR-T- program in a slum setting in India. Rapid scale-up of both ART and second-line treatment for MDR-TB is needed to ensure survival of co-infected patients and mitigate this growing epidemic. PMID:22145022

A conserved interaction that is essential for the biogenesis of histone locus bodies.

PubMed

Yang, Xiao-cui; Sabath, Ivan; Kunduru, Lalitha; van Wijnen, Andre J; Marzluff, William F; Dominski, Zbigniew

2014-12-05

Nuclear protein, ataxia-telangiectasia locus (NPAT) and FLICE-associated huge protein (FLASH) are two major components of discrete nuclear structures called histone locus bodies (HLBs). NPAT is a key co-activator of histone gene transcription, whereas FLASH through its N-terminal region functions in 3' end processing of histone primary transcripts. The C-terminal region of FLASH contains a highly conserved domain that is also present at the end of Yin Yang 1-associated protein-related protein (YARP) and its Drosophila homologue, Mute, previously shown to localize to HLBs in Drosophila cells. Here, we show that the C-terminal domain of human FLASH and YARP interacts with the C-terminal region of NPAT and that this interaction is essential and sufficient to drive FLASH and YARP to HLBs in HeLa cells. Strikingly, only the last 16 amino acids of NPAT are sufficient for the interaction. We also show that the C-terminal domain of Mute interacts with a short region at the end of the Drosophila NPAT orthologue, multi sex combs (Mxc). Altogether, our data indicate that the conserved C-terminal domain shared by FLASH, YARP, and Mute recognizes the C-terminal sequence of NPAT orthologues, thus acting as a signal targeting proteins to HLBs. Finally, we demonstrate that the C-terminal domain of human FLASH can be directly joined with its N-terminal region through alternative splicing. The resulting 190-amino acid MiniFLASH, despite lacking 90% of full-length FLASH, contains all regions necessary for 3' end processing of histone pre-mRNA in vitro and accumulates in HLBs. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Diurnal rhythm and concordance between objective and subjective hot flashes: The Hilo Women’s Health Study

PubMed Central

Sievert, Lynnette L.; Reza, Angela; Mills, Phoebe; Morrison, Lynn; Rahberg, Nichole; Goodloe, Amber; Sutherland, Michael; Brown, Daniel E.

2010-01-01

Objective To test for a diurnal pattern in hot flashes in a multi-ethnic population living in a hot, humid environment. To examine rates of concordance between objective and subjective measures of hot flashes using ambulatory and laboratory measures. Methods Study participants aged 45–55 were recruited from the general population of Hilo, Hawaii. Women wore a Biolog hot flash monitor, kept a diary for 24-hours, and also participated in 3-hour laboratory measures (n=199). Diurnal patterns were assessed using polynomial regression. For each woman, objectively recorded hot flashes that matched subjective experience were treated as true positive readings. Subjective hot flashes were considered the standard for computing false positive and false negative readings. True positive, false positive, and false negative readings were compared across ethnic groups by chi-square analyses. Results Frequencies of sternal, nuchal and subjective hot flashes peaked at 15:00 ± 1 hour with no difference by ethnicity. Laboratory results supported the pattern seen in ambulatory monitoring. Sternal and nuchal monitoring showed the same frequency of true positive measures, but non-sternal electrodes picked up more false positive readings. Laboratory monitoring showed very low frequencies of false negatives. There were no ethnic differences in the frequency of true positive or false positive measures. Women of European descent were more likely to report hot flashes that were not objectively demonstrated (false negative measures). Conclusions The diurnal pattern and peak in hot flash occurrence in the hot humid environment of Hilo was similar to results from more temperate environments. Lack of variation in sternal vs. non-sternal measures, and in true positive measures across ethnicities suggests no appreciable effect of population variation in sweating patterns. PMID:20220538

Small-world networks exhibit pronounced intermittent synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhary, Anshul; Mitra, Chiranjit; Kohar, Vivek; Sinha, Sudeshna; Kurths, Jürgen

2017-11-01

We report the phenomenon of temporally intermittently synchronized and desynchronized dynamics in Watts-Strogatz networks of chaotic Rössler oscillators. We consider topologies for which the master stability function (MSF) predicts stable synchronized behaviour, as the rewiring probability (p) is tuned from 0 to 1. MSF essentially utilizes the largest non-zero Lyapunov exponent transversal to the synchronization manifold in making stability considerations, thereby ignoring the other Lyapunov exponents. However, for an N-node networked dynamical system, we observe that the difference in its Lyapunov spectra (corresponding to the N - 1 directions transversal to the synchronization manifold) is crucial and serves as an indicator of the presence of intermittently synchronized behaviour. In addition to the linear stability-based (MSF) analysis, we further provide global stability estimate in terms of the fraction of state-space volume shared by the intermittently synchronized state, as p is varied from 0 to 1. This fraction becomes appreciably large in the small-world regime, which is surprising, since this limit has been otherwise considered optimal for synchronized dynamics. Finally, we characterize the nature of the observed intermittency and its dominance in state-space as network rewiring probability (p) is varied.

A crisis of protection and safe passage: violence experienced by migrants/refugees travelling along the Western Balkan corridor to Northern Europe.

PubMed

Arsenijević, Jovana; Schillberg, Erin; Ponthieu, Aurelie; Malvisi, Lucio; Ahmed, Waeil A Elrahman; Argenziano, Stefano; Zamatto, Federica; Burroughs, Simon; Severy, Natalie; Hebting, Christophe; de Vingne, Brice; Harries, Anthony D; Zachariah, Rony

2017-01-01

Pushed by ongoing conflicts and pulled by the desire for a better life, over one million migrants/refugees transited Balkan countries and arrived in Europe during 2015 and early 2016. To curb this influx, European countries instituted restrictive migration policies often characterized by building of razor-wire border fences and border closures. Among migrants/refugees who received mental health care in Serbia while travelling through Balkan countries to Northern Europe, we assessed the prevalence and patterns of violent events experienced including physical trauma. A mixed methods study among migrants/refugees attending mobile mental health clinics run by Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) between July 2015 and June 2016, in Serbia - a main transit hub to European countries. Clinics were conducted according to MSF guidelines by experienced psychologists who were supported by cultural mediators. The main outcome measures were violent events and associated physical trauma. Of 992 migrants/refugees attending MSF mental health clinics, the majority (72%) were from Syria and Afghanistan and included vulnerable groups (14%) such as unaccompanied minors and pregnant women. The most frequent mental health symptoms/signs were anxiety (29%) and adjustment reactions (26%). Of the 992 migrants/refugees, 270 (27%) had experienced violent events during their journey. Signs of physical trauma due to acts of violence were seen in 223(22%) of the 992 individuals, 144 (65%) being perpetrated by State authorities and involving women (11%) and children (13%). Border closures along the Balkan route were associated with a dramatic decrease in registered migrants/refugee arrivals in Serbia. Conversely, among those that made it across the borders, an increasing linear trend in reported violent events was observed at MSF mental health clinics ( X 2 for linear trend, P <0 · 001). Qualitative evidence corroborated with quantitative findings. Nearly one-in-three migrants/refugees seen in MSF clinics experienced violent events including physical trauma along their journey. State authorities, including those in European countries were the perpetrators in over half of such events which were associated with border closures. There is "a crisis of protection and safe passage" which needs to change towards one of respect for the principles of international human rights and refugee law.

Fatigue, insomnia and hot flashes after definitive radiochemotherapy and image-guided adaptive brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer: An analysis from the EMBRACE study.

PubMed

Smet, Stéphanie; Pötter, Richard; Haie-Meder, Christine; Lindegaard, Jacob C; Schulz-Juergenliemk, Ina; Mahantshetty, Umesh; Segedin, Barbara; Bruheim, Kjersti; Hoskin, Peter; Rai, Bhavana; Huang, Fleur; Cooper, Rachel; van Limbergen, Erik; Tanderup, Kari; Kirchheiner, Kathrin

2018-04-04

To evaluate the pattern of manifestation of fatigue, insomnia and hot flashes within the prospective, observational, multi-center EMBRACE study. Morbidity was prospectively assessed according to CTCAE v.3 and patient-reported outcome with EORTC QLQ-C30/CX24 at baseline and regular follow-up. Analyses of crude incidence, prevalence rates and actuarial estimates were performed. A total of 1176 patients were analyzed with a median follow-up of 27 months. At baseline, CTCAE G1/G2 prevalence rates for fatigue were 29%/6.2%, for insomnia 18%/3.1% and for hot flashes 7.9%/1.6% with respective 3-year prevalence rates of 29%/6.8%, 17%/4.4% and 19%/5.9%. Similar patterns of manifestation were seen in patient-reported EORTC outcomes. The 3-year actuarial estimates for G ≥ 3 CTCAE fatigue, insomnia and hot flashes were 5.5%, 4.7% and 1.9%. Younger age was associated with significantly higher risk for fatigue, insomnia and hot flashes. Fatigue, insomnia and hot flashes occurred mainly in the mild to moderate range. Fatigue and insomnia were already present before treatment and showed minor fluctuations or recovery during follow-up, whereas hot flashes showed a considerable increase after treatment. More research is needed to evaluate contributing risk factors in order to define intervention strategies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method for providing uranium with a protective copper coating

DOEpatents

Waldrop, Forrest B.; Jones, Edward

1981-01-01

The present invention is directed to a method for providing uranium metal with a protective coating of copper. Uranium metal is subjected to a conventional cleaning operation wherein oxides and other surface contaminants are removed, followed by etching and pickling operations. The copper coating is provided by first electrodepositing a thin and relatively porous flash layer of copper on the uranium in a copper cyanide bath. The resulting copper-layered article is then heated in an air or inert atmosphere to volatilize and drive off the volatile material underlying the copper flash layer. After the heating step an adherent and essentially non-porous layer of copper is electro-deposited on the flash layer of copper to provide an adherent, multi-layer copper coating which is essentially impervious to corrosion by most gases.

Why does negative CG lightning have subsequent return strokes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkes, R. A.; Kotovsky, D. A.; Uman, M. A.; Carvalho, F. L.; Jordan, D.

2017-12-01

It is not understood why cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes lowering negative charge often produce discrete dart-leader/return-stroke sequences rather than having the first stroke drain the available cloud charge, as is almost always the case for CG lightning lowering positive charge. Triggered lightning data obtained at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) in north-central Florida have been analyzed to clarify the subsequent return-stroke process. In summers 2013 through 2016 at the ICLRT, 53% of the rocket launches did not initiate any part of a lightning flash, 13% of the rocket launches created an initial stage only (ISO) and failed to produce a following dart-leader/return-stroke sequences, and 34% of rocket launches produced an initial stage (IS) followed by return strokes. The IS of the triggered lightning consists of the upward positive leader and a following initial continuing current, both being responsible for transporting negative charge from the cloud to ground. Our ISO events may well have some commonality with the roughly 20 percent of natural CG flashes that fail to produce a dart-leader/return-stroke. We have analyzed the IS of 41 triggered lightning flashes with (19 cases) and without (22 cases) following return strokes and compared areas and heights of the flash using data collected by a Lightning Mapping Array (LMA). In our preliminary analysis, we can find no geometrical feature of the lightning channel during the IS that will predict the occurrence or lack of occurrence of following return strokes. We also have compared the triggered-lightning electrical current and charge transfer observed at the ground. We found that the average current, duration, and charge transfer during the IS for ISO events is each about half that of ISs analyzed which are followed by dart-leader/return-stroke sequences, contrary to the results presented from the GCOELD in China. Summarizing, there appear to be no differences in the channel geometry between initial stages that do or do not yield dart-leader/return-stroke sequences. In contrast, we find that particular electrical characteristics of the initial stage may indicate whether or not a dart-leader/return-stroke sequence may follow, potentially shedding light on the physical processes necessary for dart-leader initiation.

Hot flashes, fatigue, treatment exposures and work productivity in breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Lavigne, Jill E; Griggs, Jennifer J; Tu, Xin M; Lerner, Debra J

2008-12-01

While fatigue has been associated with work limitations the combined influence of specific diagnosis and treatment exposures based on medical records on work limitations in breast cancer survivors is currently unknown. Since symptom burden and perceived health can interfere with work, the present study investigated the relationship among these variables and work outcomes. Medical chart abstraction, demographic measures, SF 36, the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) and measures of symptom burden, including hot flushes were obtained in 83 breast cancer survivors a mean of three years post treatment. OLS and poisson regression were used to determine the relationship of these factors to work productivity and work absences. Breast cancer survivors reported a mean reduction in productivity of 3.1% below the healthy worker norm. This amounts to a loss of 2.48 hours of work over two weeks of full time employment. Stages 1 and 2 were related to work limitations. After controlling for stage, fatigue and hot flashes were each associated with work performance losses of 1.6% (p = 0.05) and 2.2% (p < 0.001), respectively. Protective factors included marriage and greater personal earned income. Fatigue and hot flashes are important factors related to work productivity in breast cancer survivors even at three years post treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR SURVIVORS: Therapy for hot flashes should be given serious consideration in breast cancer survivors who are experiencing work limitations.

Preparation and laser properties of Yb3+-doped microstructure fiber based on hydrolysis-melting technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao

2017-01-01

The Yb3+-doped silica glass was prepared by the SiCl4 hydrolysis doping and powder melting technology based on high frequency plasma. The absorption and emission characteristics of the Yb3+-doped silica glass are studied at room temperature. The integrated absorption cross section, stimulated emission cross section and fluorescence lifetime are calculated to be 8.56×104 pm3, 1.39 pm2 and 0.56 ms, respectively. The Yb3+-doped microstructure fiber (MSF) was also fabricated by using the Yb3+-doped silica glass as fiber core. What's more, the laser properties of the Yb3+-doped MSF are studied.

Advanced error-prediction LDPC with temperature compensation for highly reliable SSDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokutomi, Tsukasa; Tanakamaru, Shuhei; Iwasaki, Tomoko Ogura; Takeuchi, Ken

2015-09-01

To improve the reliability of NAND Flash memory based solid-state drives (SSDs), error-prediction LDPC (EP-LDPC) has been proposed for multi-level-cell (MLC) NAND Flash memory (Tanakamaru et al., 2012, 2013), which is effective for long retention times. However, EP-LDPC is not as effective for triple-level cell (TLC) NAND Flash memory, because TLC NAND Flash has higher error rates and is more sensitive to program-disturb error. Therefore, advanced error-prediction LDPC (AEP-LDPC) has been proposed for TLC NAND Flash memory (Tokutomi et al., 2014). AEP-LDPC can correct errors more accurately by precisely describing the error phenomena. In this paper, the effects of AEP-LDPC are investigated in a 2×nm TLC NAND Flash memory with temperature characterization. Compared with LDPC-with-BER-only, the SSD's data-retention time is increased by 3.4× and 9.5× at room-temperature (RT) and 85 °C, respectively. Similarly, the acceptable BER is increased by 1.8× and 2.3×, respectively. Moreover, AEP-LDPC can correct errors with pre-determined tables made at higher temperatures to shorten the measurement time before shipping. Furthermore, it is found that one table can cover behavior over a range of temperatures in AEP-LDPC. As a result, the total table size can be reduced to 777 kBytes, which makes this approach more practical.

Flash LIDAR Systems for Planetary Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dissly, Richard; Weinberg, J.; Weimer, C.; Craig, R.; Earhart, P.; Miller, K.

2009-01-01

Ball Aerospace offers a mature, highly capable 3D flash-imaging LIDAR system for planetary exploration. Multi mission applications include orbital, standoff and surface terrain mapping, long distance and rapid close-in ranging, descent and surface navigation and rendezvous and docking. Our flash LIDAR is an optical, time-of-flight, topographic imaging system, leveraging innovations in focal plane arrays, readout integrated circuit real time processing, and compact and efficient pulsed laser sources. Due to its modular design, it can be easily tailored to satisfy a wide range of mission requirements. Flash LIDAR offers several distinct advantages over traditional scanning systems. The entire scene within the sensor's field of view is imaged with a single laser flash. This directly produces an image with each pixel already correlated in time, making the sensor resistant to the relative motion of a target subject. Additionally, images may be produced at rates much faster than are possible with a scanning system. And because the system captures a new complete image with each flash, optical glint and clutter are easily filtered and discarded. This allows for imaging under any lighting condition and makes the system virtually insensitive to stray light. Finally, because there are no moving parts, our flash LIDAR system is highly reliable and has a long life expectancy. As an industry leader in laser active sensor system development, Ball Aerospace has been working for more than four years to mature flash LIDAR systems for space applications, and is now under contract to provide the Vision Navigation System for NASA's Orion spacecraft. Our system uses heritage optics and electronics from our star tracker products, and space qualified lasers similar to those used in our CALIPSO LIDAR, which has been in continuous operation since 2006, providing more than 1.3 billion laser pulses to date.

High-durability surface-discharge flash x-ray tube driven by a two-stage Marx pulser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shikoda, Arimitsu; Sato, Eiichi; Kimura, Shingo; Oizumi, Teiji; Tamakawa, Yoshiharu; Yanagisawa, Toru

1993-02-01

We developed a high-durability flash x-ray tube with a plate-shaped ferrite cathode for the use in the field of biomedical engineering and technology. The surface-discharge cathode was very useful for generating stable flash x rays. This flash x-ray generator consisted of the following essential components: a high-voltage power supply, an energy-storage condenser of 97 nF, a two-stage Marx type pulser, an oil diffusion pump, and a flash x-ray tube. This x-ray tube was of a diode which was connected to the turbo molecular pump and had plate-shaped anode and cathode electrodes. The cathode electrode was made of ferrite, and its edge was covered with a thin gold film by means of the spattering in order to decrease contact resistance. The space between the anode and cathode electrodes could be regulated from the outside of the x-ray rube. The two condensers in Marx circuit were charged from 50 to 70 kV by a power supply, and the condensers were connected in series after closing a gap switch. Thus the maximum output voltages from the pulser were about two times the charged voltages. In this experiment, the maximum tube voltage and the current were about 110 kV and 0.8 kA, respectively. The pulse widths were less than 140 ns, and the maximum x-ray intensity was 1.27 (mu) C/kg at 0.5 m per pulse. The size of the focal spot and the maximum repetition rate were about 2 X 2.5 mm and 50 Hz (fps), respectively.

Not forgetting severe mental disorders in humanitarian emergencies: a descriptive study from the Philippines

PubMed Central

Weintraub, Ana Cecilia Andrade de Moraes; Garcia, Mariana Gaspar; Birri, Elisa; Severy, Nathalie; Ferir, Marie-Christine; Ali, Engy; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Nadera, Dinah Palmera; Van Ommeren, Mark

2016-01-01

Background Severe mental disorders are often neglected following a disaster. Based on Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) experience of providing mental health (MH) care after the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, we describe the monthly volume of MH activities and beneficiaries; characteristics of people seeking MH care; profile and outcomes of people with severe mental disorders; prescription of psychotropic medication; and factors facilitating the identification and management of individuals with severe mental disorders. Methods A retrospective review of programme data was carried out. Results In total, 172 persons sought MH care. Numbers peaked three months into MSF's intervention and decreased thereafter. Of 134 (78%) people with complete data, 37 (28%) had a severe mental disorder, often characterised by psychotic symptoms (n=24, 64%) and usually unrelated to the typhoon (n=32, 86%). Four people (11%) were discharged after successful treatment, two (5%) moved out of the area, 20 (54%) were referred for follow-up on cessation of MSF activities and 10 (27%) were lost-to-follow-up. Psychotropic treatment was prescribed for 33 (75%) people with mental disorders and for 11 with non-severe mental disorders. Conclusions This study illustrates how actors can play an important role in providing MH care for people with severe mental disorders in the aftermath of a disaster. PMID:27620925

The correlation between perceived social support, cortisol and brain derived neurotrophic factor levels in healthy women.

PubMed

Ma, Doy Yung; Chang, Wei Hung; Chi, Mei Hung; Tsai, Hsin Chun; Yang, Yen Kuang; Chen, Po See

2016-05-30

In this study, the role of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in stress resilience was investigated. With a focus on healthy subjects, we explored whether plasma BDNF levels are correlated with the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and subjectively perceived social support status. Moreover, we examined the possible interacting effect of DST status and perceived social support on BDNF levels. Seventy-two healthy volunteers, 44 females and 28 males, were recruited from the community and completed the perceived routine support subscale of Measurement of Support Function (PRS_MSF) questionnaire. Plasma BDNF levels and DST suppression rate with the low dose DST were measured. There was a significant positive correlation between BDNF and DST suppression rate in the female subjects. This was also true for the plasma BDNF levels and PRS_MSF in the female subjects. The positive correlation between BDNF and PRS_MSF was significant only in female subjects with low DST suppression rates. Plasma BDNF levels were associated with stress resilience in a sex-specific manner. Subjects' belief in social support might buffer the biological stress reactions. Differences in social perception and the biological stress response between men and women merits further investigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subcellular compartmentalization of Cd and Zn in two bivalves. I. Significance of metal-sensitive fractions (MSF) and biologically detoxified metal (BDM)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wallace, W.G.; Lee, B.-G.; Luoma, S.N.

2003-01-01

Many aspects of metal accumulation in aquatic invertebrates (i.e. toxicity, tolerance and trophic transfer) can be understood by examining the subcellular partitioning of accumulated metal. In this paper, we use a compartmentalization approach to interpret the significance of metal, species and size dependence in the subcellular partitioning of Cd and Zn in the bivalves Macoma balthica and Potamocorbula amurensis. Of special interest is the compartmentalization of metal as metal-sensitive fractions (MSF) (i.e. organelles and heat-sensitive proteins, termed 'enzymes' hereafter) and biologically detoxified metal (BDM) (i.e. metallothioneins [MT] and metal-rich granules [MRG]). Clams from San Francisco Bay, CA, were exposed for 14 d to seawater (20??? salinity) containing 3.5 ??g l-1 Cd and 20.5 ??g l-1 Zn, including 109Cd and 65Zn as radiotracers. Uptake was followed by 21 d of depuration. The subcellular partitioning of metal within clams was examined following exposure and loss. P. amurensis accumulated ???22x more Cd and ???2x more Zn than M. balthica. MT played an important role in the storage of Cd in P. amurensis, while organelles were the major site of Zn accumulation. In M. balthica, Cd and Zn partitioned similarly, although the pathway of detoxification was metal-specific (MRG for Cd; MRG and MT for Zn). Upon loss, M. balthica depurated ???40% of Cd with Zn being retained; P. amurensis retained Cd and depurated Zn (???40%). During efflux, Cd and Zn concentrations in the MSF compartment of both clams declined with metal either being lost from the animal or being transferred to the BDM compartment. Subcellular compartmentalization was also size-dependent, with the importance of BDM increasing with clam size; MSF decreased accordingly. We hypothesized that progressive retention of metal as BDM (i.e. MRG) with age may lead to size dependency of metal concentrations often observed in some populations of M. balthica.

Abolishing user fees for children and pregnant women trebled uptake of malaria-related interventions in Kangaba, Mali.

PubMed

Ponsar, Frédérique; Van Herp, Michel; Zachariah, Rony; Gerard, Séco; Philips, Mit; Jouquet, Guillaume

2011-11-01

Malaria is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 in Mali. Health centres provide primary care, including malaria treatment, under a system of cost recovery. In 2005, Médecins sans Frontieres (MSF) started supporting health centres in Kangaba with the provision of rapid malaria diagnostic tests and artemisinin-based combination therapy. Initially MSF subsidized malaria tests and drugs to reduce the overall cost for patients. In a second phase, MSF abolished fees for all children under 5 irrespective of their illness and for pregnant women with fever. This second phase was associated with a trebling of both primary health care utilization and malaria treatment coverage for these groups. MSF's experience in Mali suggests that removing user fees for vulnerable groups significantly improves utilization and coverage of essential health services, including for malaria interventions. This effect is far more marked than simply subsidizing or providing malaria drugs and diagnostic tests free of charge. Following the free care strategy, utilization of services increased significantly and under-5 mortality was reduced. Fee removal also allowed for more efficient use of existing resources, reducing average cost per patient treated. These results are particularly relevant for the context of Mali and other countries with ambitious malaria treatment coverage objectives, in accordance with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. This article questions the effectiveness of the current national policy, and the effectiveness of reducing the cost of drugs only (i.e. partial subsidies) or providing malaria tests and drugs free for under-5s, without abolishing other related fees. National and international budgets, in particular those that target health systems strengthening, could be used to complement existing subsidies and be directed towards effective abolition of user fees. This would contribute to increasing the impact of interventions on population health and, in turn, the effectiveness of aid.

SU-F-T-345: Quasi-Dead Beams: Clinical Relevance and Implications for Automatic Planning

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

Price, R; Veltchev, I; Lin, T

Purpose: Beam direction selection for fixed-beam IMRT planning is typically a manual process. Severe dose-volume limits on critical structures in the thorax often result in atypical selection of beam directions as compared to other body sites. This work demonstrates the potential consequences as well as clinical relevance. Methods: 21 thoracic cases treated with 5–7 beam directions, 6 cases including non-coplanar arrangements, with fractional doses of 150–411cGy were analyzed. Endpoints included per-beam modulation scaling factor (MSF), variation from equal weighting, and delivery QA passing rate. Results: During analysis of patient-specific delivery QA a sub-standard passing rate was found for a singlemore » 5-field plan (90.48% of pixels evaluated passing 3% dose, 3mm DTA). During investigation it was found that a single beam demonstrated a MSF of 34.7 and contributed only 2.7% to the mean dose of the target. In addition, the variation from equal weighting for this beam was 17.3% absolute resulting in another beam with a MSF of 4.6 contributing 41.9% to the mean dose to the target; a variation of 21.9% from equal weighting. The average MSF for the remaining 20 cases was 4.0 (SD 1.8) with an average absolute deviation of 2.8% from equal weighting (SD 3.1%). Conclusion: Optimization in commercial treatment planning systems typically results in relatively equally weighted beams. Extreme variation from this can result in excessively high MSFs (very small segments) and potential decreases in agreement between planned and delivered dose distributions. In addition, the resultant beam may contribute minimal dose to the target (quasi-dead beam); a byproduct being increased treatment time and associated localization uncertainties. Potential ramifications exist for automatic planning algorithms should they allow for user-defined beam directions. Additionally, these quasi-dead beams may be embedded in the libraries for model-based systems potentially resulting in inefficient and less accurate deliveries.« less

Food Security Monitoring via Mobile Data Collection and Remote Sensing: Results from the Central African Republic

PubMed Central

Enenkel, Markus; See, Linda; Karner, Mathias; Álvarez, Mònica; Rogenhofer, Edith; Baraldès-Vallverdú, Carme; Lanusse, Candela; Salse, Núria

2015-01-01

The Central African Republic is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries, suffering from chronic poverty, violent conflicts and weak disaster resilience. In collaboration with Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), this study presents a novel approach to collect information about socio-economic vulnerabilities related to malnutrition, access to resources and coping capacities. The first technical test was carried out in the North of the country (sub-prefecture Kabo) in May 2015. All activities were aimed at the investigation of technical feasibility, not at operational data collection, which requires a random sampling strategy. At the core of the study is an open-source Android application named SATIDA COLLECT that facilitates rapid and simple data collection. All assessments were carried out by local MSF staff after they had been trained for one day. Once a mobile network is available, all assessments can easily be uploaded to a database for further processing and trend analysis via MSF in-house software. On one hand, regularly updated food security assessments can complement traditional large-scale surveys, whose completion can take up to eight months. Ideally, this leads to a gain in time for disaster logistics. On the other hand, recording the location of every assessment via the smart phones’ GPS receiver helps to analyze and display the coupling between drought risk and impacts over many years. Although the current situation in the Central African Republic is mostly related to violent conflict it is necessary to consider information about drought risk, because climatic shocks can further disrupt the already vulnerable system. SATIDA COLLECT can easily be adapted to local conditions or other applications, such as the evaluation of vaccination campaigns. Most importantly, it facilitates the standardized collection of information without pen and paper, as well as straightforward sharing of collected data with the MSF headquarters or other aid organizations. PMID:26581042

Food Security Monitoring via Mobile Data Collection and Remote Sensing: Results from the Central African Republic.

PubMed

Enenkel, Markus; See, Linda; Karner, Mathias; Álvarez, Mònica; Rogenhofer, Edith; Baraldès-Vallverdú, Carme; Lanusse, Candela; Salse, Núria

2015-01-01

The Central African Republic is one of the world's most vulnerable countries, suffering from chronic poverty, violent conflicts and weak disaster resilience. In collaboration with Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), this study presents a novel approach to collect information about socio-economic vulnerabilities related to malnutrition, access to resources and coping capacities. The first technical test was carried out in the North of the country (sub-prefecture Kabo) in May 2015. All activities were aimed at the investigation of technical feasibility, not at operational data collection, which requires a random sampling strategy. At the core of the study is an open-source Android application named SATIDA COLLECT that facilitates rapid and simple data collection. All assessments were carried out by local MSF staff after they had been trained for one day. Once a mobile network is available, all assessments can easily be uploaded to a database for further processing and trend analysis via MSF in-house software. On one hand, regularly updated food security assessments can complement traditional large-scale surveys, whose completion can take up to eight months. Ideally, this leads to a gain in time for disaster logistics. On the other hand, recording the location of every assessment via the smart phones' GPS receiver helps to analyze and display the coupling between drought risk and impacts over many years. Although the current situation in the Central African Republic is mostly related to violent conflict it is necessary to consider information about drought risk, because climatic shocks can further disrupt the already vulnerable system. SATIDA COLLECT can easily be adapted to local conditions or other applications, such as the evaluation of vaccination campaigns. Most importantly, it facilitates the standardized collection of information without pen and paper, as well as straightforward sharing of collected data with the MSF headquarters or other aid organizations.

Moderate alcohol consumption stimulates food intake and food reward of savoury foods.

PubMed

Schrieks, Ilse C; Stafleu, Annette; Griffioen-Roose, Sanne; de Graaf, Cees; Witkamp, Renger F; Boerrigter-Rijneveld, Rianne; Hendriks, Henk F J

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether food reward plays a role in the stimulating effect of moderate alcohol consumption on subsequent food intake. In addition, we explored the role of oral and gut sensory pathways in alcohol's effect on food reward by modified sham feeding (MSF) or consumption of a preload after alcohol intake.In a single-blind crossover design, 24 healthy men were randomly assigned to either consumption of vodka/orange juice (20 g alcohol) or orange juice only, followed by consumption of cake, MSF of cake or no cake. Food reward was evaluated by actual food intake measured by an ad libitum lunch 45 min after alcohol ingestion and by behavioural indices of wanting and liking of four food categories (high fat, low fat, sweet and savoury).Moderate alcohol consumption increased food intake during the ad libitum lunch by 11% (+338 kJ, P = 0.004). Alcohol specifically increased intake (+127 kJ, P <0.001) and explicit liking (P = 0.019) of high-fat savoury foods. Moreover, moderate alcohol consumption increased implicit wanting for savoury (P = 0.013) and decreased implicit wanting for sweet (P = 0.017) before the meal. Explicit wanting of low-fat savoury foods only was higher after alcohol followed by no cake as compared to after alcohol followed by cake MSF (P = 0.009), but not as compared to alcohol followed by cake consumption (P = 0.082). Both cake MSF and cake consumption had no overall effect on behavioural indices of food reward.To conclude, moderate alcohol consumption increased subsequent food intake, specifically of high-fat savoury foods. This effect was related to the higher food reward experienced for savoury foods. The importance of oral and gut sensory signalling in alcohol's effect on food reward remains largely unclear. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Methanol Poisoning Outbreaks in Libya 2013 and Kenya 2014

PubMed Central

Rostrup, Morten; Edwards, Jeffrey K.; Abukalish, Mohamed; Ezzabi, Masoud; Some, David; Ritter, Helga; Menge, Tom; Abdelrahman, Ahmed; Rootwelt, Rebecca; Janssens, Bart; Lind, Kyrre; Paasma, Raido; Hovda, Knut Erik

2016-01-01

Background Outbreaks of methanol poisoning occur frequently on a global basis, affecting poor and vulnerable populations. Knowledge regarding methanol is limited, likely many cases and even outbreaks go unnoticed, with patients dying unnecessarily. We describe findings from the first three large outbreaks of methanol poisoning where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) responded, and evaluate the benefits of a possible future collaboration between local health authorities, a Non-Governmental Organisation and international expertise. Methods Retrospective study of three major methanol outbreaks in Libya (2013) and Kenya (May and July 2014). Data were collected from MSF field personnel, local health personnel, hospital files, and media reports. Findings In Tripoli, Libya, over 1,000 patients were poisoned with a reported case fatality rate of 10% (101/1,066). In Kenya, two outbreaks resulted in approximately 341 and 126 patients, with case fatality rates of 29% (100/341) and 21% (26/126), respectively. MSF launched an emergency team with international experts, medications and equipment, however, the outbreaks were resolving by the time of arrival. Interpretation Recognition of an outbreak of methanol poisoning and diagnosis seem to be the most challenging tasks, with significant delay from time of first presentations to public health warnings being issued. In spite of the rapid response from an emergency team, the outbreaks were nearly concluded by the time of arrival. A major impact on the outcome was not seen, but large educational trainings were conducted to increase awareness and knowledge about methanol poisoning. Based on this training, MSF was able to send a local emergency team during the second outbreak, supporting that such an approach could improve outcomes. Basic training, simplified treatment protocols, point-of-care diagnostic tools, and early support when needed, are likely the most important components to impact the consequences of methanol poisoning outbreaks in these challenging contexts. PMID:27030969

Synergistic High Charge-Storage Capacity for Multi-level Flexible Organic Flash Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Minji; Khim, Dongyoon; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Jihong; Kim, Juhwan; Noh, Yong-Young; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Kim, Dong-Yu

2015-07-01

Electret and organic floating-gate memories are next-generation flash storage mediums for printed organic complementary circuits. While each flash memory can be easily fabricated using solution processes on flexible plastic substrates, promising their potential for on-chip memory organization is limited by unreliable bit operation and high write loads. We here report that new architecture could improve the overall performance of organic memory, and especially meet high storage for multi-level operation. Our concept depends on synergistic effect of electrical characterization in combination with a polymer electret (poly(2-vinyl naphthalene) (PVN)) and metal nanoparticles (Copper). It is distinguished from mostly organic nano-floating-gate memories by using the electret dielectric instead of general tunneling dielectric for additional charge storage. The uniform stacking of organic layers including various dielectrics and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an organic semiconductor, followed by thin-film coating using orthogonal solvents, greatly improve device precision despite easy and fast manufacture. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] as high-k blocking dielectric also allows reduction of programming voltage. The reported synergistic organic memory devices represent low power consumption, high cycle endurance, high thermal stability and suitable retention time, compared to electret and organic nano-floating-gate memory devices.

Synergistic High Charge-Storage Capacity for Multi-level Flexible Organic Flash Memory.

PubMed

Kang, Minji; Khim, Dongyoon; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Jihong; Kim, Juhwan; Noh, Yong-Young; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Kim, Dong-Yu

2015-07-23

Electret and organic floating-gate memories are next-generation flash storage mediums for printed organic complementary circuits. While each flash memory can be easily fabricated using solution processes on flexible plastic substrates, promising their potential for on-chip memory organization is limited by unreliable bit operation and high write loads. We here report that new architecture could improve the overall performance of organic memory, and especially meet high storage for multi-level operation. Our concept depends on synergistic effect of electrical characterization in combination with a polymer electret (poly(2-vinyl naphthalene) (PVN)) and metal nanoparticles (Copper). It is distinguished from mostly organic nano-floating-gate memories by using the electret dielectric instead of general tunneling dielectric for additional charge storage. The uniform stacking of organic layers including various dielectrics and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an organic semiconductor, followed by thin-film coating using orthogonal solvents, greatly improve device precision despite easy and fast manufacture. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] as high-k blocking dielectric also allows reduction of programming voltage. The reported synergistic organic memory devices represent low power consumption, high cycle endurance, high thermal stability and suitable retention time, compared to electret and organic nano-floating-gate memory devices.

On abrupt transpression to transtension transition in the South Baikal rift system (Tunka - South Baikal segment)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankov, Vladimir; Parfeevets, Anna; Lukhnev, Andrey; Miroshnitchenko, Andrey; Ashurkov, Sergey; Sankov, Alexey; Usynin, Leonid; Eskin, Alexander; Bryzhak, Evgeny

2013-04-01

This work addresses to relation of transpression and extension stress-strain conditions in intracontinental rift system. In our investigation we use a new structural, shallow geophysics, GPS geodetic data and paleostress reconstructions. The surroundings of southern tip of Siberian platform is the region of three Late Cenozoic structures conjugation: sublatitudinal Obruchev fault (OF) controlling the northern boundary of the South Baikal basin, NW trending Main Sayan fault (MSF) as the strike-slip boundary between Siberian platform and East Sayan block and WNW trending eastern segment of Tunka fault (TF) as part of the Tunka basins system northern boundary. A new evidences of superposition of compression and extension fault structures were revealed near the southern extremity of Baikal lake. We've find a very close vicinity of Late Pleistocene - Holocene strike-slip, thrust and normal faulting in the MSF and OF junction zone. The on-land Holocene normal faulting can be considered as secondary fault paragenesis within the main strike-slip zone (Sankov et al., 2009). Active strike-slip, thrust and reverse faulting characterize the MSF and TF junction zone. The transpression conditions are replaced very sharply by transtension and extension ones in eastern direction from zone of structures conjugation - the active normal faulting is dominated within the South Baikal basin. The Bystraya rift basin located in the west shows the tectonic inversion since Middle Pleistocene as a result of the strike-slip movements partitioning between TF and MSF and inset of edition compression stress. The active strike-slip and intrabasin extension conditions are dominated father to the west in Tunka basin. The results of our GPS measurements show the present day convergence and east movements of Khamar-Daban block and eastern Tunka basins relative to Siberian platform along MSF and TF with NE-SW shortening domination. The clear NW-SE divergence across Baikal basin is documented. Holocene and present-day left lateral relative motions of about 3 mm/yr (Sankov et al., 2004) between of Siberian platform and its mounting frame are accommodated along south-eastern segment of MSF. We consider two main factors of sharp transition between transpression and transtension to extension conditions in Tunka-South Baikal segment of Baikal rift system. The first one is the influence of geometry of southern tip of Siberian platform as a first order ancient lithosphere heterogeneity in agreement with (Petit et al., 1996). The second factor is the interaction in this region of two tectonic forces driving the Cenozoic geodynamics. The initial opening of the Tunka and South Baikal basins since Oligocene time as well as father Baikal rift system development caused by long lived asthenosphere flow along NW-SE direction (Sankov et al., 2011). The addition NE-SW compression started during Pliocene (Parfeevets, Sankov, 2006) as the result of the Hindustan and Eurasia convergence. The former caused transpression deformations and clockwise horizontal block rotations along south-western boundary of the platform with their SE movements to the "free space" opened by the divergence of Siberian platform and Transbaikal block (Sankov et al., 2002, 2005).

Gabapentin for hot flashes in 420 women with breast cancer: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial

PubMed Central

Pandya, K J; Morrow, G R; Roscoe, J A; Hickok, J T; Zhao, H; Pajon, E; Sweeney, T J; Banerjee, T K; Flynn, P J

2005-01-01

Summary Background Most women receiving systemic therapy for breast cancer experience hot flashes. We undertook a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-institutional trial to assess the efficacy of gabapentin in controlling hot flashes in women with breast cancer. Methods 420 women with breast cancer who were having two or more hot flashes per day were randomly assigned placebo, gabapentin 300 mg/day, or gabapentin 900 mg/day by mouth in three divided doses for 8 weeks. Each patient kept a 1-week, self-report diary on the frequency, severity, and duration of hot flashes before the start of the study and during weeks 4 and 8 of treatment. Analyses were by intention to treat. Findings Evaluable data were available on 371 participants at 4 weeks (119 placebo, 123 gabapentin 300 mg, and 129 gabapentin 900 mg) and 347 at 8 weeks (113 placebo, 114 gabapentin 300 mg, and 120 gabapentin 900 mg). The percentage decreases in hot-flash severity score between baseline and weeks 4 and 8, respectively were: 21% (95% CI 12 to 30) and 15% (1 to 29) in the placebo group; 33% (23 to 43) and 31% (16 to 46) in the group assigned gabapentin 300 mg; and 49% (42 to 56) and 46% (34 to 58) in the group assigned gabapentin 900 mg. The differences between the groups were significant (p=0.0001 at 4 weeks and p=0.007 at 8 weeks by ANCOVA for overall treatment effect, adjusted for baseline values); only the higher dose of gabapentin was associated with significant decreases in hot-flash frequency and severity. Interpretation Gabapentin is effective in the control of hot flashes at a dose of 900 mg/day, but not at a dose of 300 mg/day. This drug should be considered for treatment of hot flashes in women with breast cancer. PMID:16139656

Primary photochemical processes for Pt(iv) diazido complexes prospective in photodynamic therapy of tumors.

PubMed

Shushakov, Anton A; Pozdnyakov, Ivan P; Grivin, Vjacheslav P; Plyusnin, Victor F; Vasilchenko, Danila B; Zadesenets, Andrei V; Melnikov, Alexei A; Chekalin, Sergey V; Glebov, Evgeni M

2017-07-25

Diazide diamino complexes of Pt(iv) are considered as prospective prodrugs in oxygen-free photodynamic therapy (PDT). Primary photophysical and photochemical processes for cis,trans,cis-[Pt(N 3 ) 2 (OH) 2 (NH 3 ) 2 ] and trans,trans,trans-[Pt(N 3 ) 2 (OH) 2 (NH 3 ) 2 ] complexes were studied by means of stationary photolysis, nanosecond laser flash photolysis and ultrafast kinetic spectroscopy. The process of photolysis is multistage. The first stage is the photosubstitution of an azide ligand to a water molecule. This process was shown to be a chain reaction involving redox stages. Pt(iv) and Pt(iii) intermediates responsible for the chain propagation were recorded using ultrafast kinetic spectroscopy and nanosecond laser flash photolysis. The mechanism of photosubstitution is proposed.

Progress in development of HEDP capabilities in FLASH's Unsplit Staggered Mesh MHD solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D.; Xia, G.; Daley, C.; Dubey, A.; Gopal, S.; Graziani, C.; Lamb, D.; Weide, K.

2011-11-01

FLASH is a publicly available astrophysical community code designed to solve highly compressible multi-physics reactive flows. We are adding capabilities to FLASH that will make it an open science code for the academic HEDP community. Among many important numerical requirements, we consider the following features to be important components necessary to meet our goals for FLASH as an HEDP open toolset. First, we are developing computationally efficient time-stepping integration methods that overcome the stiffness that arises in the equations describing a physical problem when there are disparate time scales. To this end, we are adding two different time-stepping schemes to FLASH that relax the time step limit when diffusive effects are present: an explicit super-time-stepping algorithm (Alexiades et al. in Com. Num. Mech. Eng. 12:31-42, 1996) and a Jacobian-Free Newton-Krylov implicit formulation. These two methods will be integrated into a robust, efficient, and high-order accurate Unsplit Staggered Mesh MHD (USM) solver (Lee and Deane in J. Comput. Phys. 227, 2009). Second, we have implemented an anisotropic Spitzer-Braginskii conductivity model to treat thermal heat conduction along magnetic field lines. Finally, we are implementing the Biermann Battery term to account for spontaneous generation of magnetic fields in the presence of non-parallel temperature and density gradients.

A Cascading Storm-Flood-Landslide Guidance System: Development and Application in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Ziyue; Tang, Guoqiang; Long, Di; Ma, Meihong; Hong, Yang

2016-04-01

Flash floods and landslides, triggered by storms, often interact and cause cascading effects on human lives and property. Satellite remote sensing data has significant potential use in analysis of these natural hazards. As one of the regions continuously affected by severe flash floods and landslides, Yunnan Province, located in Southwest China, has a complex mountainous hydrometeorology and suffers from frequent heavy rainfalls from May through to late September. Taking Yunnan as a test-bed, this study proposed a Cascading Storm-Flood-Landslide Guidance System to progressively analysis and evaluate the risk of the multi-hazards based on multisource satellite remote sensing data. First, three standardized rainfall amounts (average daily amount in flood seasons, maximum 1h and maximum 6h amount) from the products of Topical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) were used as rainfall indicators to derive the StorM Hazard Index (SMHI). In this process, an integrated approach of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Information-Entropy theory was adopted to determine the weight of each indicator. Then, land cover and vegetation cover data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products, soil type from the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) soil map, and slope from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data were add as semi-static geo-topographical indicators to derive the Flash Flood Hazard Index (FFHI). Furthermore, three more relevant landslide-controlling indicators, including elevation, slope angle and soil text were involved to derive the LandSlide Hazard Index (LSHI). Further inclusion of GDP, population and prevention measures as vulnerability indicators enabled to consecutively predict the risk of storm to flash flood and landslide, respectively. Consequently, the spatial patterns of the hazard indices show that the southeast of Yunnan has more possibility to encounter with storms than other parts, while the northeast of Yunnan are most susceptible to floods and landslides, which agrees with the distribution of observed flood and landslide events. Moreover, risks for the multi-hazards were classified into four categories. Results show a strong correlation between the distributions of flash flood prone and landslide-prone regions and also highlight the counties with high risk of storms (e.g., Funing and Malipo), flash floods (e.g., Gongshan and Yanjing) and landslides (e.g., Zhaotong and Luxi). Compared to other approaches, the Cascading Storm-Flood-Landslide Guidance System uses a straightforward yet useful indicator-based weighted linear combination method and could be a useful prototype in mapping characteristics of storm-triggered hazards for users at different administrative levels (e.g., catchment, town, county, province and even nation) in China.

Face recognition algorithm using extended vector quantization histogram features.

PubMed

Yan, Yan; Lee, Feifei; Wu, Xueqian; Chen, Qiu

2018-01-01

In this paper, we propose a face recognition algorithm based on a combination of vector quantization (VQ) and Markov stationary features (MSF). The VQ algorithm has been shown to be an effective method for generating features; it extracts a codevector histogram as a facial feature representation for face recognition. Still, the VQ histogram features are unable to convey spatial structural information, which to some extent limits their usefulness in discrimination. To alleviate this limitation of VQ histograms, we utilize Markov stationary features (MSF) to extend the VQ histogram-based features so as to add spatial structural information. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm by achieving recognition results superior to those of several state-of-the-art methods on publicly available face databases.

A New Simulation Framework for Autonomy in Robotic Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Neukom, Christian

2003-01-01

Autonomy is a key factor in remote robotic exploration and there is significant activity addressing the application of autonomy to remote robots. It has become increasingly important to have simulation tools available to test the autonomy algorithms. While indus1;rial robotics benefits from a variety of high quality simulation tools, researchers developing autonomous software are still dependent primarily on block-world simulations. The Mission Simulation Facility I(MSF) project addresses this shortcoming with a simulation toolkit that will enable developers of autonomous control systems to test their system s performance against a set of integrated, standardized simulations of NASA mission scenarios. MSF provides a distributed architecture that connects the autonomous system to a set of simulated components replacing the robot hardware and its environment.

Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 Is a Determinant of Lung Function Development in Mice

PubMed Central

Martin, Timothy M.; Concel, Vincent J.; Upadhyay, Swapna; Bein, Kiflai; Brant, Kelly A.; George, Leema; Mitra, Ankita; Thimraj, Tania A.; Fabisiak, James P.; Vuga, Louis J.; Fattman, Cheryl; Kaminski, Naftali; Schulz, Holger; Leikauf, George D.

2014-01-01

Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (Spp1) is located within quantitative trait loci associated with lung function that was previously identified by contrasting C3H/HeJ and JF1/Msf mouse strains that have extremely divergent lung function. JF1/Msf mice with diminished lung function had reduced lung SPP1 transcript and protein during the peak stage of alveologenesis (postnatal day [P]14–P28) as compared with C3H/HeJ mice. In addition to a previously identified genetic variant that altered runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) binding in the Spp1 promoter, we identified another promoter variant in a putative RUNX2 binding site that increased the DNA protein binding. SPP1 induced dose-dependent mouse lung epithelial-15 cell proliferation. Spp1(−/−) mice have decreased specific total lung capacity/body weight, higher specific compliance, and increased mean airspace chord length (Lm) compared with Spp1(+/+) mice. Microarray analysis revealed enriched gene ontogeny categories, with numerous genes associated with lung development and/or respiratory disease. Insulin-like growth factor 1, Hedgehog-interacting protein, wingless-related mouse mammary tumor virus integration site 5A, and NOTCH1 transcripts decreased in the lung of P14 Spp1(−/−) mice as determined by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. SPP1 promotes pneumocyte growth, and mice lacking SPP1 have smaller, more compliant lungs with enlarged airspace (i.e., increased Lm). Microarray analysis suggests a dysregulation of key lung developmental transcripts in gene-targeted Spp1(−/−) mice, particularly during the peak phase of alveologenesis. In addition to its known roles in lung disease, this study supports SPP1 as a determinant of lung development in mice. PMID:24816281

Statistical analysis of midlatitude spread F using multi-station digisonde observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaneja, P.; Earle, G. D.; Bullett, T. W.

2018-01-01

A comprehensive statistical study of midlatitude spread F (MSF) is presented for five midlatitude stations in the North American sector. These stations include Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico (18.5°N, 67.1°W, -14° declination angle), Wallops Island, Virginia (37.95°N, 75.5°W, -11° declination angle), Dyess, Texas (32.4°N, 99.8°W, 6.9° declination angle), Boulder, Colorado (40°N, 105.3°W, 10° declination angle), and Vandenberg AFB, California (34.8°N, 120.5°W, 13° declination angle). Pattern recognition algorithms are used to determine the presence of both range and frequency spread F. Data from 1996 to 2011 are analyzed, covering all of Solar Cycle 23 and the beginning of Solar Cycle 24. Variations with respect to season and solar activity are presented, including the effects of the extended minimum between cycles 23 and 24.

Comparison of febuxostat and allopurinol for hyperuricemia in cardiac surgery patients with chronic kidney disease (NU-FLASH trial for CKD).

PubMed

Sezai, Akira; Soma, Masayoshi; Nakata, Kin-ichi; Osaka, Shunji; Ishii, Yusuke; Yaoita, Hiroko; Hata, Hiroaki; Shiono, Motomi

2015-10-01

The NU-FLASH trial demonstrated that febuxostat was more effective for hyperuricemia than allopurinol. This time, we compared these medications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) from the NU-FLASH trial. In the NU-FLASH trial, 141 cardiac surgery patients with hyperuricemia were randomized to a febuxostat group or an allopurinol group. This study analyzed 109 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), and also analyzed 87 patients with stage 3 CKD. The primary endpoint was the serum uric acid level. Secondary endpoints included serum creatinine, urinary albumin, cystatin-C, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Among patients with an eGFR≤60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), uric acid levels were significantly lower in the febuxostat group than the allopurinol group from 1 month of treatment onward. The serum creatinine, urinary albumin, cystatin-C, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were also significantly lower in the febuxostat group. Similar results were obtained in the patients with stage 3 CKD. In cardiac surgery patients with renal dysfunction, febuxostat reduced uric acid earlier than allopurinol, had a stronger renoprotective effect than allopurinol, and also had superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Engineering Customized TALE Nucleases (TALENs) and TALE Transcription Factors by Fast Ligation-based Automatable Solid-phase High-throughput (FLASH) Assembly

PubMed Central

Reyon, Deepak; Maeder, Morgan L.; Khayter, Cyd; Tsai, Shengdar Q.; Foley, Jonathan E.; Sander, Jeffry D.; Joung, J. Keith

2013-01-01

Customized DNA-binding domains made using Transcription Activator-Like Effector (TALE) repeats are rapidly growing in importance as widely applicable research tools. TALE nucleases (TALENs), composed of an engineered array of TALE repeats fused to the FokI nuclease domain, have been used successfully for directed genome editing in multiple different organisms and cell types. TALE transcription factors (TALE-TFs), consisting of engineered TALE repeat arrays linked to a transcriptional regulatory domain, have been used to up- or down-regulate expression of endogenous genes in human cells and plants. Here we describe a detailed protocol for practicing the recently described Fast Ligation-based Automatable Solid-phase High-throughput (FLASH) assembly method. FLASH enables automated high-throughput construction of engineered TALE repeats using an automated liquid handling robot or manually using a multi-channel pipet. With the automated version of FLASH, a single researcher can construct up to 96 DNA fragments encoding various length TALE repeat arrays in one day and then clone these to construct sequence-verified TALEN or TALE-TF expression plasmids in one week or less. Plas-mids required to practice FLASH are available by request from the Joung Lab (http://www.jounglab.org/). We also describe here improvements to the Zinc Finger and TALE Targeter (ZiFiT Targeter) webserver (http://ZiFiTBeta.partners.org) that facilitate the design and construction of FLASH TALE repeat arrays in high-throughput. PMID:23821439

Development and Preliminary Application of Multi-channel Agricultural Science and Technology Consulting Service U Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, W. S.; Luo, C. S.; Wei, Q. F.; Zheng, Y. M.; Cao, C. Z.

2017-12-01

To deal with the “last kilometer” problem during the agricultural science and technology information service, the USB flash disk “Zixuntong”, which integrated five major consulting channels, i.e., telephone consultation, mutual video, message consultation, online customer service and QQ group was developed on the bases of capital experts and date resources. Since the products have the computer and telephone USB interface and are combined with localized information resources, users can obtain useful information on any terminal without the restriction of network. Meanwhile, the cartoon appearance make it friendly and attractive to people. The USB flash disk was used to provide agricultural expert consulting services and obtained a good preliminary application achievement. Finally, we concluded the creative application of USB flash disk in agricultural consulting services and prospected the future development direction of agricultural mobile consultation.

The Kinematic and Microphysical Control of Storm Integrated Lightning Flash Extent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carey, Lawrence; Koshak, William; Petersen, Harold; Schultz, Elise; Schultz, Chris; Matthee, Retha; Bain, Lamont

2012-01-01

The objective of this preliminary study is to investigate the kinematic and microphysical control of lightning properties, particularly those that may govern the production of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in thunderstorms, such as flash rate, type and extent. The mixed-phase region is where the noninductive charging (NIC) process is thought to generate most storm electrification during rebounding collisions between ice particles in the presence of supercooled water. As a result, prior radar-based studies have demonstrated that lightning flash rate is well correlated to kinematic and microphysical properties in the mixed-phase region of thunderstorms such as updraft volume, graupel mass, or ice mass flux. There is also some evidence that lightning type is associated with the convective state. Intracloud (IC) lightning tends to dominate during the updraft accumulation of precipitation ice mass while cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning is more numerous during the downdraft-driven descent of radar echo associated with graupel and hail. More study is required to generalize these relationships, especially regarding lightning type, in a wide variety of storm modes and meteorological conditions. Less is known about the co-evolving relationship between storm kinematics, microphysics, morphology and three-dimensional flash extent, despite its importance for lightning NOx production. To address this conceptual gap, the NASA MSFC Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) and Vaisala National Lightning Detection NetworkTM (NLDN) observations following ordinary convective cells through their lifecycle. LNOM provides estimates of flash type, channel length distributions, lightning segment altitude distributions (SADs) and lightning NOx production profiles. For this study, LNOM is applied in a Lagrangian sense to well isolated convective cells on 3 April 2007 (single cell and multi-cell hailstorm, non-severe multicell) and 6 July 2007 (non-severe multi-cell) over Northern Alabama. The LNOM lightning characteristics are compared to the evolution of updraft and precipitation properties inferred from dual-Doppler and polarimetric radar analyses applied to observations from a nearby Doppler radar network, including the UA Huntsville Advanced Radar for Meteorological and Operational Research (ARMOR, C-band, polarimetric). The LNOM estimated SAD and lightning NOx production profiles are placed in the context of radar derived profiles of vertical motion, precipitation types and amounts. Finally, these analyses are used to determine if storm integrated flash channel extent is as well correlated to volumetric updraft and precipitation ice characteristics in the mixed phase region as flash rate for these individual convective cells.

Where technology does not go: specialised neonatal care in resource-poor and conflict-affected contexts

PubMed Central

van den Boogaard, W.; Van den Bergh, R.; Takarinda, K. C.; Martinez, P.; Bekouanebandi, J. G.; Javed, I.; Ndelema, B.; Lefèvre, A.; Khalid, G. G.; Zuniga, I.

2017-01-01

Setting: Although neonatal mortality is gradually decreasing worldwide, 98% of neonatal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where hospital care for sick and premature neonates is often unavailable. Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB) managed eight specialised neonatal care units (SNCUs) at district level in low-resource and conflict-affected settings in seven countries. Objective: To assess the performance of the MSF SNCU model across different settings in Africa and Southern Asia, and to describe the set-up of eight SNCUs, neonate characteristics and clinical outcomes among neonates from 2012 to 2015. Design: Multicentric descriptive study. Results: The MSF SNCU model was characterised by an absence of high-tech equipment and an emphasis on dedicated nursing and medical care. Focus was on the management of hypothermia, hypoglycaemia, feeding support and early identification/treatment of infection. Overall, 11 970 neonates were admitted, 41% of whom had low birthweight (<2500 g). The main diagnoses were low birthweight, asphyxia and neonatal infections. Overall mortality was 17%, with consistency across the sites. Chances of survival increased with higher birthweight. Conclusion: The standardised SNCU model was implemented across different contexts and showed in-patient outcomes within acceptable limits. Low-tech medical care for sick and premature neonates can and should be implemented at district hospital level in low-resource settings. PMID:28695092

Not forgetting severe mental disorders in humanitarian emergencies: a descriptive study from the Philippines.

PubMed

Weintraub, Ana Cecilia Andrade de Moraes; Garcia, Mariana Gaspar; Birri, Elisa; Severy, Nathalie; Ferir, Marie-Christine; Ali, Engy; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Nadera, Dinah Palmera; Van Ommeren, Mark

2016-09-01

Severe mental disorders are often neglected following a disaster. Based on Médecins Sans Frontières' (MSF) experience of providing mental health (MH) care after the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, we describe the monthly volume of MH activities and beneficiaries; characteristics of people seeking MH care; profile and outcomes of people with severe mental disorders; prescription of psychotropic medication; and factors facilitating the identification and management of individuals with severe mental disorders. A retrospective review of programme data was carried out. In total, 172 persons sought MH care. Numbers peaked three months into MSF's intervention and decreased thereafter. Of 134 (78%) people with complete data, 37 (28%) had a severe mental disorder, often characterised by psychotic symptoms (n=24, 64%) and usually unrelated to the typhoon (n=32, 86%). Four people (11%) were discharged after successful treatment, two (5%) moved out of the area, 20 (54%) were referred for follow-up on cessation of MSF activities and 10 (27%) were lost-to-follow-up. Psychotropic treatment was prescribed for 33 (75%) people with mental disorders and for 11 with non-severe mental disorders. This study illustrates how actors can play an important role in providing MH care for people with severe mental disorders in the aftermath of a disaster. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

The development of flow-through bio-catalyst microreactors from silica micro structured fibers for lipid transformations.

PubMed

Anuar, Sabiqah Tuan; Villegas, Carla; Mugo, Samuel M; Curtis, Jonathan M

2011-06-01

This study demonstrates the utility of a flow-through enzyme immobilized silica microreactor for lipid transformations. A silica micro structured fiber (MSF) consisting of 168 channels of internal diameter 4-5 μm provided a large surface area for the covalent immobilization of Candida antartica lipase. The specific activity of the immobilized lipase was determined by hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate and calculated to be 0.81 U/mg. The catalytic performance of the lipase microreactor was demonstrated by the efficient ethanolysis of canola oil. The parameters affecting the performance of the MSF microreactor, including temperature and reaction flow rate, were investigated. Characterization of the lipid products exiting the microreactor was performed by non-aqueous reversed-phased liquid chromatography (NARP-LC) with evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) and by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC). Under optimized conditions of 1 μL/min flow rate of 5 mg/mL trioleoylglycerol (TO) in ethanol and 50 °C reaction temperature, 2-monooleoylglycerol was the main product at > 90% reaction yield. The regioselectivity of the Candida antartica lipase immobilized MSF microreactor in the presence of ethanol was found to be comparable to that obtained under conventional conditions. The ability of these reusable flow-through microreactors to regioselectively form monoacylglycerides in high yield from triacylglycerides demonstrate their potential use in small-scale lipid transformations or analytical lipids profiling.

Evaluation of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria for phosphate solubilization.

PubMed

Jayashree, Shanmugam; Vadivukkarasi, Ponnusamy; Anand, Kirupanithi; Kato, Yuko; Seshadri, Sundaram

2011-08-01

Thirteen pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic (PPFM) strains isolated from Adyar and Cooum rivers in Chennai and forest soil samples in Tamil Nadu, India, along with Methylobacterium extorquens, M. organophilum, M. gregans, and M. komagatae were screened for phosphate solubilization in plates. P-solubilization index of the PPFMs grown on NBRIP-BPB plates for 7 days ranged from 1.1 to 2.7. The growth of PPFMs in tricalcium phosphate amended media was found directly proportional to the glucose concentration. Higher phosphate solubilization was observed in four strains MSF 32 (415 mg l(-l)), MDW 80 (301 mg l(-l)), M. komagatae (279 mg l(-l)), and MSF 34 (202 mg l(-l)), after 7 days of incubation. A drop in the media pH from 6.6 to 3.4 was associated with an increase in titratable acidity. Acid phosphatase activity was more pronounced in the culture filtrate than alkaline phosphatase activity. Adherence of phosphate to densely grown bacterial surface was observed under scanning electron microscope after 7-day-old cultures. Biochemical characterization and screening for methanol dehydrogenase gene (mxaF) confirmed the strains as methylotrophs. The mxaF gene sequence from MSF 32 clustered towards M. lusitanum sp. with 99% similarity. This study forms the first detailed report on phosphate solubilization by the PPFMs.

Computer Animation with Adobe Flash Professional Cs6 in Newton’s Law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aji, S. D.; Hudha, M. N.; Huda, C.; Gufran, G.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research is to develop computer-based physics learning media with Adobe Flash Professional CS6 on Newton’s Law of physics subject for senior high school (SMA / MA) class X. Type of research applied is Research and Development with ADDIE development model covering 5 stages: Analysis (Analysis), Design (Design), Development (Production), Implementation (Implementation) and Evaluation (Evaluation). The results of this study were tested toward media experts, media specialists, physics teachers, and students test results with media outcomes that are declared very feasible.

Experimental study of flash boiling spray vaporization through quantitative vapor concentration and liquid temperature measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Gaoming; Hung, David L. S.; Xu, Min

2014-08-01

Flash boiling sprays of liquid injection under superheated conditions provide the novel solutions of fast vaporization and better air-fuel mixture formation for internal combustion engines. However, the physical mechanisms of flash boiling spray vaporization are more complicated than the droplet surface vaporization due to the unique bubble generation and boiling process inside a superheated bulk liquid, which are not well understood. In this study, the vaporization of flash boiling sprays was investigated experimentally through the quantitative measurements of vapor concentration and liquid temperature. Specifically, the laser-induced exciplex fluorescence technique was applied to distinguish the liquid and vapor distributions. Quantitative vapor concentration was obtained by correlating the intensity of vapor-phase fluorescence with vapor concentration through systematic corrections and calibrations. The intensities of two wavelengths were captured simultaneously from the liquid-phase fluorescence spectra, and their intensity ratios were correlated with liquid temperature. The results show that both liquid and vapor phase of multi-hole sprays collapse toward the centerline of the spray with different mass distributions under the flash boiling conditions. Large amount of vapor aggregates along the centerline of the spray to form a "gas jet" structure, whereas the liquid distributes more uniformly with large vortexes formed in the vicinity of the spray tip. The vaporization process under the flash boiling condition is greatly enhanced due to the intense bubble generation and burst. The liquid temperature measurements show strong temperature variations inside the flash boiling sprays with hot zones present in the "gas jet" structure and vortex region. In addition, high vapor concentration and closed vortex motion seem to have inhibited the heat and mass transfer in these regions. In summary, the vapor concentration and liquid temperature provide detailed information concerning the heat and mass transfer inside flash boiling sprays, which is important for the understanding of its unique vaporization process.

M2Lite: An Open-source, Light-weight, Pluggable and Fast Proteome Discoverer MSF to mzIdentML Tool.

PubMed

Aiyetan, Paul; Zhang, Bai; Chen, Lily; Zhang, Zhen; Zhang, Hui

2014-04-28

Proteome Discoverer is one of many tools used for protein database search and peptide to spectrum assignment in mass spectrometry-based proteomics. However, the inadequacy of conversion tools makes it challenging to compare and integrate its results to those of other analytical tools. Here we present M2Lite, an open-source, light-weight, easily pluggable and fast conversion tool. M2Lite converts proteome discoverer derived MSF files to the proteomics community defined standard - the mzIdentML file format. M2Lite's source code is available as open-source at https://bitbucket.org/paiyetan/m2lite/src and its compiled binaries and documentation can be freely downloaded at https://bitbucket.org/paiyetan/m2lite/downloads.

Inversions of synthetic umbral flashes: Effects of scanning time on the inferred atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felipe, T.; Socas-Navarro, H.; Przybylski, D.

2018-06-01

Context. The use of instruments that record narrowband images at selected wavelengths is a common approach in solar observations. They allow scanning of a spectral line by sampling the Stokes profiles with two-dimensional images at each line position, but require a compromise between spectral resolution and temporal cadence. The interpretation and inversion of spectropolarimetric data generally neglect changes in the solar atmosphere during the scanning of line profiles. Aims: We evaluate the impact of the time-dependent acquisition of various wavelengths on the inversion of spectropolarimetric profiles from chromospheric lines during umbral flashes. Methods: Numerical simulations of nonlinear wave propagation in a sunspot model were performed with the code MANCHA. Synthetic Stokes parameters in the Ca II 8542 Å line in NLTE were computed for an umbral flash event using the code NICOLE. Artificial profiles with the same wavelength coverage and temporal cadence from reported observations were constructed and inverted. The inferred atmospheric stratifications were compared with the original simulated models. Results: The inferred atmospheres provide a reasonable characterization of the thermodynamic properties of the atmosphere during most of the phases of the umbral flash. The Stokes profiles present apparent wavelength shifts and other spurious deformations at the early stages of the flash, when the shock wave reaches the formation height of the Ca II 8542 Å line. These features are misinterpreted by the inversion code, which can return unrealistic atmospheric models from a good fit of the Stokes profiles. The misguided results include flashed atmospheres with strong downflows, even though the simulation exhibits upflows during the umbral flash, and large variations in the magnetic field strength. Conclusions: Our analyses validate the inversion of Stokes profiles acquired by sequentially scanning certain selected wavelengths of a line profile, even in the case of rapidly changing chromospheric events such as umbral flashes. However, the inversion results are unreliable during a short period at the development phase of the flash.

Asymmetric programming: a highly reliable metadata allocation strategy for MLC NAND flash memory-based sensor systems.

PubMed

Huang, Min; Liu, Zhaoqing; Qiao, Liyan

2014-10-10

While the NAND flash memory is widely used as the storage medium in modern sensor systems, the aggressive shrinking of process geometry and an increase in the number of bits stored in each memory cell will inevitably degrade the reliability of NAND flash memory. In particular, it's critical to enhance metadata reliability, which occupies only a small portion of the storage space, but maintains the critical information of the file system and the address translations of the storage system. Metadata damage will cause the system to crash or a large amount of data to be lost. This paper presents Asymmetric Programming, a highly reliable metadata allocation strategy for MLC NAND flash memory storage systems. Our technique exploits for the first time the property of the multi-page architecture of MLC NAND flash memory to improve the reliability of metadata. The basic idea is to keep metadata in most significant bit (MSB) pages which are more reliable than least significant bit (LSB) pages. Thus, we can achieve relatively low bit error rates for metadata. Based on this idea, we propose two strategies to optimize address mapping and garbage collection. We have implemented Asymmetric Programming on a real hardware platform. The experimental results show that Asymmetric Programming can achieve a reduction in the number of page errors of up to 99.05% with the baseline error correction scheme.

Asymmetric Programming: A Highly Reliable Metadata Allocation Strategy for MLC NAND Flash Memory-Based Sensor Systems

PubMed Central

Huang, Min; Liu, Zhaoqing; Qiao, Liyan

2014-01-01

While the NAND flash memory is widely used as the storage medium in modern sensor systems, the aggressive shrinking of process geometry and an increase in the number of bits stored in each memory cell will inevitably degrade the reliability of NAND flash memory. In particular, it's critical to enhance metadata reliability, which occupies only a small portion of the storage space, but maintains the critical information of the file system and the address translations of the storage system. Metadata damage will cause the system to crash or a large amount of data to be lost. This paper presents Asymmetric Programming, a highly reliable metadata allocation strategy for MLC NAND flash memory storage systems. Our technique exploits for the first time the property of the multi-page architecture of MLC NAND flash memory to improve the reliability of metadata. The basic idea is to keep metadata in most significant bit (MSB) pages which are more reliable than least significant bit (LSB) pages. Thus, we can achieve relatively low bit error rates for metadata. Based on this idea, we propose two strategies to optimize address mapping and garbage collection. We have implemented Asymmetric Programming on a real hardware platform. The experimental results show that Asymmetric Programming can achieve a reduction in the number of page errors of up to 99.05% with the baseline error correction scheme. PMID:25310473

Observation and analysis of electrical structure change and diversity in thunderstorms on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yajun; Zhang, Guangshu; Wang, Yanhui; Wu, Bin; Li, Jing

2017-09-01

A comprehensive observation on thunderstorms was conducted in the Qinghai area by using a very high frequency three-dimensional lightning mapping system and Doppler radar. The spatio-temporal evolution of the charge structure of the isolated thunderstorm was analyzed according to the developing process of thunderstorm, and the reasons for the change in charge structure diversity were studied. During the initial developing and mature stages of the thunderstorm, the charge structure was a steady negative dipole polarity, i.e., the negative charge region was above the positive charge region. Furthermore, the total number of flashes was lower during these two stages. During the thunderstorm's dissipation stage, the charge structure was varied and complicated, with a positive dipole, negative dipole, and a tripole charge structure changing and coexisting during this stage. This charge structure diversity was primarily caused by the collision and merging of two local thunderstorm cells, leading to a charge rearrangement and distribution and the formation of a new charge structure. The frequency of the negative cloud-to-ground and intracloud flashes increased sharply in the dissipation stage, reaching a maximum value. The increase in frequency of negative cloud-to-ground was mainly caused by the lower positive charge weakening during the dissipation stage. In addition, the relationship between charging regions and temperature layers was analyzed by combining sounding temperature data with the theory of a non-inductive charging mechanism.

Global and Regional Real-time Systems for Flood and Drought Monitoring and Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Y.; Gourley, J. J.; Xue, X.; Flamig, Z.

2015-12-01

A Hydrometeorological Extreme Mapping and Prediction System (HyXtreme-MaP), initially built upon the Coupled Routing and Excess STorage (CREST) distributed hydrological model, is driven by real-time quasi-global TRMM/GPM satellites and by the US Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) radar network with dual-polarimetric upgrade to simulate streamflow, actual ET, soil moisture and other hydrologic variables at 1/8th degree resolution quasi-globally (http://eos.ou.edu) and at 250-meter 2.5-mintue resolution over the Continental United States (CONUS: http://flash.ou.edu).­ Multifaceted and collaborative by-design, this end-to-end research framework aims to not only integrate data, models, and applications but also brings people together (i.e., NOAA, NASA, University researchers, and end-users). This presentation will review the progresses, challenges and opportunities of such HyXTREME-MaP System used to monitor global floods and droughts, and also to predict flash floods over the CONUS.

Multi-dimensional Core-Collapse Supernova Simulations with Neutrino Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Kuo-Chuan; Liebendörfer, Matthias; Hempel, Matthias; Thielemann, Friedrich-Karl

We present multi-dimensional core-collapse supernova simulations using the Isotropic Diffusion Source Approximation (IDSA) for the neutrino transport and a modified potential for general relativity in two different supernova codes: FLASH and ELEPHANT. Due to the complexity of the core-collapse supernova explosion mechanism, simulations require not only high-performance computers and the exploitation of GPUs, but also sophisticated approximations to capture the essential microphysics. We demonstrate that the IDSA is an elegant and efficient neutrino radiation transfer scheme, which is portable to multiple hydrodynamics codes and fast enough to investigate long-term evolutions in two and three dimensions. Simulations with a 40 solar mass progenitor are presented in both FLASH (1D and 2D) and ELEPHANT (3D) as an extreme test condition. It is found that the black hole formation time is delayed in multiple dimensions and we argue that the strong standing accretion shock instability before black hole formation will lead to strong gravitational waves.

Systematic Review of Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Geothermal Electricity

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

Eberle, Annika; Heath, Garvin A.; Carpenter Petri, Alberta C.

The primary goal of this work was to assess the magnitude and variability of published life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission estimates for three types of geothermal electricity generation technologies: enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) binary, hydrothermal (HT) flash, and HT binary. These technologies were chosen to align the results of this report with technologies modeled in National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) Regional Energy Deployment Systems (ReEDs) model. Although we did gather and screen life cycle assessment (LCA) literature on hybrid systems, dry steam, and two geothermal heating technologies, we did not analyze published GHG emission estimates for these technologies. Inmore » our systematic literature review of the LCA literature, we screened studies in two stages based on a variety of criteria adapted from NREL's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Harmonization study (Heath and Mann 2012). Of the more than 180 geothermal studies identified, only 29 successfully passed both screening stages and only 26 of these included estimates of life cycle GHG emissions. We found that the median estimate of life cycle GHG emissions (in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour generated [g CO2eq/kWh]) reported by these studies are 32.0, 47.0, and 11.3 for EGS binary, HT flash, and HT binary, respectively (Figure ES-1). We also found that the total life cycle GHG emissions are dominated by different stages of the life cycle for different technologies. For example, the GHG emissions from HT flash plants are dominated by the operations phase owing to the flash cycle being open loop whereby carbon dioxide entrained in the geothermal fluids is released to the atmosphere. This is in contrast to binary plants (using either EGS or HT resources), whose GHG emissions predominantly originate in the construction phase, owing to its closed-loop process design. Finally, by comparing this review's literature-derived range of HT flash GHG emissions to data from currently operating geothermal plants, we found that emissions from operational plants exhibit more variability and the median of emissions from operational plants is twice the median of operational emissions reported by LCAs. Further investigation is warranted to better understand the cause of differences between published LCAs and estimates from operational plants and to develop LCA analytical approaches that can yield estimates closer to actual emissions.« less

Before the bombing: High burden of traumatic injuries in Kunduz Trauma Center, Kunduz, Afghanistan

PubMed Central

Shah, Safieh; Isaakidis, Petros; Das, Mrinalini; Kyaw, Nang Thu Thu; Zaheer, Sattar; Qasemy, Abdul Qayeum; Zakir, Mutallib; Mahama, Gbane; Van Overloop, Catherine; Dominguez, Lynette

2017-01-01

Background Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been providing healthcare in Afghanistan since 1981 including specialized health services for trauma patients in Kunduz Trauma Center (KTC) from 2011. On October 3rd, 2015, a US airstrike hit the KTC, killing 42 people including 14 MSF staff. This study aims to demonstrate the impact on healthcare provision, after hospital destruction, by assessing the extent of care provided for trauma and injuries by the MSF KTC and to report on treatment outcomes from January 2014 to June 2015, three months prior to the bombing. Methods This is a descriptive, retrospective review of hospital records. All patients with traumatic injuries registered in the Emergency Department (ED) or hospitalized in In-Patients Department (IPD) and/or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of KTC between January 2014 and June 2015 were included in the study. Results A total of 35647 patients were registered in KTC during the study period. 3199 patients registered in the ED were children aged <5 years and 310 of them were admitted including 47 to the ICU. 77.5% patients were from Kunduz province and the remaining were from other provinces. The average length of stay was 7.3 days and 3.3 days while the bed occupancy rate was an average 91.1% and 75.8% in IPD and ICU, respectively. Of 4605 IPD patients, 105 (2.3%) developed complications. Among those admitted to the ICU, 12.6% patients died. About one-third surgical interventions were carried out on an urgent basis and the major proportion (45.8%) of surgical procedures was wound surgery followed by orthopedic surgery (27.0%). Conclusions This study highlights the high burden of traumatic injuries in Kunduz province and MSF Trauma Center’s contribution to saving lives, preventing disabilities and alleviating suffering among adults and children within the region. The bombing and destruction of KTC has resulted in a specific gap in critical healthcare services for the local communities in the health system of this war-ravaged region. This suggests the urgent need for reconstruction and re-opening of the center. PMID:28282377

Food Liking Enhances the Plasma Response of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol and of Pancreatic Polypeptide upon Modified Sham Feeding in Humans.

PubMed

Mennella, Ilario; Ferracane, Rosalia; Zucco, Francine; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Vitaglione, Paola

2015-09-01

Food palatability increases food intake and may lead to overeating. The mechanisms behind this observation are still largely unknown. The aims of this study were the following: 1) to elucidate the plasma responses of endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines, and gastrointestinal peptides to a palatable (sweet), unpalatable (bitter), and sensory-acceptable (tasteless control) food, and 2) to verify whether some of these bioactive compounds can serve as plasma biomarkers of food liking in humans. Three puddings providing 60 kcal (35% from proteins, 62% from carbohydrates, and 3% from fats) but with different taste were developed. Twenty healthy subjects (11 women and 9 men; mean age 28 y and BMI 22.7 kg/m(2)), selected because they liked the puddings in the order sweet > control > bitter, participated in a randomized crossover study based on a modified sham feeding (MSF) protocol. Blood samples at baseline and every 5 min up to 20 min after the MSF were analyzed for gastrointestinal peptides, endocannabinoids, and N-acylethanolamines. Thirty minutes after the MSF, energy intake at an ad libitum breakfast was measured. After the MSF, no response was observed in 7 of 9 gastrointestinal peptides measured. The plasma ghrelin concentration at 20 min after the sweet and bitter puddings was 25% lower than after the control pudding (P = 0.04), and the pancreatic polypeptide response after the sweet pudding was 23% greater than after the bitter pudding (P = 0.02). The plasma response of 2-arachidonoylglycerol after the sweet pudding was 37% and 15% higher than after the bitter (P < 0.001) and control (P = 0.03) puddings, respectively. Trends for greater responses of anandamide (P = 0.06), linoleoylethanolamide (P = 0.07), palmitoylethanolamide (P = 0.06), and oleoylethanolamide (P = 0.09) were found after the sweet pudding than after the bitter pudding. No differences in subsequent energy intake were recorded. The data demonstrated that food palatability influenced some plasma endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine concentrations during the cephalic phase response and indicated that 2-arachidonoylglycerol and pancreatic polypeptide can be used as biomarkers of food liking in humans. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Surgery for Conditions of Infectious Etiology in Resource-Limited Countries Affected by Crisis: The Médecins Sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels Experience

PubMed Central

Sharma, Davina; Hayman, Kate; Dominguez, Lynette; Trelles, Miguel; Saqeb, Sanaulhaq; Kasonga, Cheride; Hangi, Theophile Kubuya; Mupenda, Jerome; Naseer, Aamer; Wong, Evan; Kushner, Adam L.

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: Surgery for infection represents a substantial, although undefined, disease burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Médecins Sans Frontières–Operations Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB) provides surgical care in LMICs and collects data useful for describing operative epidemiology of surgical need otherwise unmet by national health services. This study aimed to describe the experience of MSF-OCB operations for infections in LMICs. By doing so, the results might aid effective resource allocation and preparation of future humanitarian staff. Methods: Procedures performed in operating rooms at facilities run by MSF-OCB from July 2008 through June 2014 were reviewed. Projects providing specialty care only were excluded. Procedures for infection were described and related to demographics and reason for humanitarian response. Results: A total of 96,239 operations were performed at 27 MSF-OCB sites in 15 countries between 2008 and 2014. Of the 61,177 general operations, 7,762 (13%) were for infections. Operations for skin and soft tissue infections were the most common (64%), followed by intra-abdominal (26%), orthopedic (6%), and tropical infections (3%). The proportion of operations for skin and soft tissue infections was highest during natural disaster missions (p<0.001), intra-abdominal infections during hospital support missions (p<0.001) and orthopedic infections during conflict missions (p<0.001). Conclusion: Surgical infections are common causes for operation in LMICs, particularly during crisis. This study found that infections require greater than expected surgical input given frequent need for serial operations to overcome contextual challenges and those associated with limited resources in other areas (e.g., ward care). Furthermore, these results demonstrate that the pattern of operations for infections is related to nature of the crisis. Incorporating training into humanitarian preparation (e.g., surgical sepsis care, ultrasound-guided drainage procedures) and ensuring adequate resources for the care of surgical infections are necessary components for providing essential surgical care during crisis. PMID:26230672

The new WHO decision-making framework on vaccine use in acute humanitarian emergencies: MSF experience in Minkaman, South Sudan.

PubMed

Rull, Monica; Masson, Sophie; Peyraud, Nicolas; Simonelli, Marco; Ventura, Alexandre; Dorion, Claire; Luquero, Francisco J; Uzzeni, Florent; Cigleneki, Iza

2018-01-01

The main causes of death during population movements can be prevented by addressing the population's basic needs. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a framework for decision making to help prioritize vaccinations in acute humanitarian emergencies. This article describes MSF's experience of applying this framework in addition to addressing key population needs in a displacement setting in Minkaman, South Sudan. Military clashes broke out in South Sudan in December 2013. By May 2014, Minkaman, a village in the Lakes State, hosted some 85,000 displaced people. MSF arrived in Minkaman on 28 December 2013 and immediately provided interventions to address the key humanitarian needs (health care, access to drinking water, measles vaccination). The WHO framework was used to identify priority vaccines: those preventing outbreaks (measles, polio, oral cholera vaccine, and vaccine against meningococcal meningitis A (MenAfrivac®)) and those reducing childhood morbidity and mortality (pentavalent vaccine that combines diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B; pneumococcal vaccine; and rotavirus vaccine). By mid-March, access to primary and secondary health care was ensured, including community health activities and the provision of safe water. Mass vaccination campaigns against measles, polio, cholera, and meningitis had been organized. Vaccination campaigns against the main deadly childhood diseases, however, were not in place owing to lack of authorization by the Ministry of Health (MoH). The first field use of the new WHO framework for prioritizing vaccines in acute emergencies is described. Although MSF was unable to implement the full package of priority vaccines because authorization could not be obtained from the MoH, a series of mass vaccination campaigns against key epidemic-prone diseases was successfully implemented within a complex emergency context. Together with covering the population's basic needs, this might have contributed to reducing mortality levels below the emergency threshold and to the absence of epidemics. For the WHO framework to be used to its full potential it must not only be adapted for field use but, most importantly, national decision makers should be briefed on the framework and its practical implementation.

Late chronotype and high social jetlag are associated with burnout in evening-shift workers: Assessment using the Chinese-version MCTQshift.

PubMed

Cheng, Wan-Ju; Hang, Liang-Wen

2018-04-16

Chronotypes are associated with shift work tolerance and sleep in shift workers, and sleep mediates the impact of shift work on mental health. However, the role of chronotype in the association between shift work and mental health has not been clarified. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between chronotype and burnout in shift workers, using the validated Munich ChronoType Questionnaire for shift workers (MCTQ shift ). A total of 288 shift workers with irregular shift frequencies were recruited and completed the Chinese-version MCTQ shift and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Chronotypes were assessed by the calculation of corrected mid-sleep time (MSF SC ) from mid-sleep time on free days (MSF) based on their exact shift schedules. Another 26 evening-shift nurses were monitored with actigraphy for at least two consecutive evening shifts and the following two free days. Burnout was evaluated using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. We found that MSF E SC , MSF E and mid-sleep time on workdays (MSW E ) had normal distributions and correlated significantly with MEQ scores (r = - 0.47, -0.45 and -0.47, respectively; all p < 0.001). MSW was more closely correlated with actigraphy-derived mid-sleep time on the free day before workdays than that on workdays (r = 0.61 and 0.48, respectively, p < 0.05). Sleep duration was significantly longer on workdays among evening-shift workers who slept late on workdays than those who slept early (β = 0.59, p < 0.001). After demographic and work characteristics were adjusted for in linear regression models, late chronotype and high social jetlag were associated with burnout scores in evening-shift workers. In conclusion, the Chinese-version MCTQ shift is a valid tool for chronotype assessment. Interventions to improve sleep in shift workers should be tailored to chronotype due to variations in sleep behavior. Late chronotype may be an inherent feature of mental health problems, because the association with burnout was significant in both day workers in previous studies and shift workers.

Before the bombing: High burden of traumatic injuries in Kunduz Trauma Center, Kunduz, Afghanistan.

PubMed

Hemat, Hamayoun; Shah, Safieh; Isaakidis, Petros; Das, Mrinalini; Kyaw, Nang Thu Thu; Zaheer, Sattar; Qasemy, Abdul Qayeum; Zakir, Mutallib; Mahama, Gbane; Van Overloop, Catherine; Dominguez, Lynette

2017-01-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been providing healthcare in Afghanistan since 1981 including specialized health services for trauma patients in Kunduz Trauma Center (KTC) from 2011. On October 3rd, 2015, a US airstrike hit the KTC, killing 42 people including 14 MSF staff. This study aims to demonstrate the impact on healthcare provision, after hospital destruction, by assessing the extent of care provided for trauma and injuries by the MSF KTC and to report on treatment outcomes from January 2014 to June 2015, three months prior to the bombing. This is a descriptive, retrospective review of hospital records. All patients with traumatic injuries registered in the Emergency Department (ED) or hospitalized in In-Patients Department (IPD) and/or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of KTC between January 2014 and June 2015 were included in the study. A total of 35647 patients were registered in KTC during the study period. 3199 patients registered in the ED were children aged <5 years and 310 of them were admitted including 47 to the ICU. 77.5% patients were from Kunduz province and the remaining were from other provinces. The average length of stay was 7.3 days and 3.3 days while the bed occupancy rate was an average 91.1% and 75.8% in IPD and ICU, respectively. Of 4605 IPD patients, 105 (2.3%) developed complications. Among those admitted to the ICU, 12.6% patients died. About one-third surgical interventions were carried out on an urgent basis and the major proportion (45.8%) of surgical procedures was wound surgery followed by orthopedic surgery (27.0%). This study highlights the high burden of traumatic injuries in Kunduz province and MSF Trauma Center's contribution to saving lives, preventing disabilities and alleviating suffering among adults and children within the region. The bombing and destruction of KTC has resulted in a specific gap in critical healthcare services for the local communities in the health system of this war-ravaged region. This suggests the urgent need for reconstruction and re-opening of the center.

Ultra-high speed visualization of the flashing instability under vacuum conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández Sánchez, Jose Federico; Al-Ghamdi, Tariq; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T.

2017-11-01

We investigated experimentally the flashing instability of a jet of perfluoro-n-hexane (PFnH) released into a low-pressure environment. Using a ultra-high speed camera we observed the jet fragmentation occurring close to the nozzle. Using a fixed total driving pressure, we decreased systematically the vacuum pressure, investigating the transition from a laminar jet to a fully flashing jet. Our high temporal resolution allowed to visualize the detailed dynamics of external flash-boiling for the first time. We identified different mechanisms of jet break-up. At chamber pressures lower than the vapor pressure the laminar jet evolves to a meandering stream. In this stage, bubbles start to nucleate and violently expand upstream the nozzle. At lower vacuum pressures the initially cylindrical jet elongates, forming a liquid sheet that breaks in branches and later in drops. At very low pressures both mechanisms are responsible for the jet breaking. We calculated the size distribution of the ejected droplets, their individual trajectories, velocities as well as the spray angle as a function of the dimensionless vacuum pressure.

Imaging Flash Lidar for Safe Landing on Solar System Bodies and Spacecraft Rendezvous and Docking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Roback, Vincent E.; Bulyshev, Alexander E.; Brewster, Paul F.; Carrion, William A; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Hines, Glenn D.; Petway, Larry B.; Barnes, Bruce W.; Noe, Anna M.

2015-01-01

NASA has been pursuing flash lidar technology for autonomous, safe landing on solar system bodies and for automated rendezvous and docking. During the final stages of the landing from about 1 kilometer to 500 meters above the ground, the flash lidar can generate 3-Dimensional images of the terrain to identify hazardous features such as craters, rocks, and steep slopes. The onboard flight computer can then use the 3-D map of terrain to guide the vehicle to a safe location. As an automated rendezvous and docking sensor, the flash lidar can provide relative range, velocity, and bearing from an approaching spacecraft to another spacecraft or a space station. NASA Langley Research Center has developed and demonstrated a flash lidar sensor system capable of generating 16,000 pixels range images with 7 centimeters precision, at 20 Hertz frame rate, from a maximum slant range of 1800 m from the target area. This paper describes the lidar instrument and presents the results of recent flight tests onboard a rocket-propelled free-flyer vehicle (Morpheus) built by NASA Johnson Space Center. The flights were conducted at a simulated lunar terrain site, consisting of realistic hazard features and designated landing areas, built at NASA Kennedy Space Center specifically for this demonstration test. This paper also provides an overview of the plan for continued advancement of the flash lidar technology aimed at enhancing its performance to meet both landing and automated rendezvous and docking applications.

International multi-center evaluation of a novel chemiluminescence assay for the detection of anti-dsDNA antibodies.

PubMed

Bentow, C; Lakos, G; Martis, P; Wahl, E; Garcia, M; Viñas, O; Espinosa, G; Cervera, R; Sjöwall, C; Carmona-Fernandes, D; Santos, M J; Hanly, J G; Mahler, M

2016-07-01

Anti-double stranded desoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) antibodies are considered fairly specific for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their quantification is useful for the clinical management of SLE patients. We assessed the diagnostic performance of the QUANTA Flash dsDNA chemiluminescent immunoassay (CIA) in comparison to an ELISA, using patients from five participating countries. The main focus was to evaluate the correlation between anti-dsDNA antibody results from the CIA and global SLE disease activity, as measured by the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K). A total of 1431 samples (SLE, n = 843; disease controls, n = 588) from five countries (Canada, USA, Portugal, Sweden and Spain) were tested with QUANTA Flash dsDNA (Inova Diagnostics, San Diego, CA, USA). Data obtained with the QUANTA Lite dsDNA SC ELISA (Inova Diagnostics) were available for samples from three sites (Canada, USA and Sweden, n = 566). The SLEDAI-2K scores were available for 805 SLE patients and a cut-off of > 4 was used to define active disease. QUANTA Flash dsDNA had a sensitivity of 54.3% for the diagnosis of SLE, combined with 89.8% specificity. Anti-dsDNA antibody levels were significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in active SLE (SLEDAI-2K > 4; n = 232; median value 83.0 IU/mL) versus the inactive patients (n = 573; median value 22.3 IU/mL), and the SLEDAI-2K scoring correlated with their dsDNA antibody levels (Spearman's rho = 0.44, p < 0.0001). Similar but less pronounced findings were also found for the ELISA, in relation to disease activity. The QUANTA Flash dsDNA assay showed good clinical performance in a large international multi-center study. Additionally, the strong correlation between anti-dsDNA antibody results and SLEDAI-2K scores supported the potential utility of QUANTA Flash dsDNA for monitoring disease activity. © The Author(s) 2016.

Flash sintering of ceramic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dancer, C. E. J.

2016-10-01

During flash sintering, ceramic materials can sinter to high density in a matter of seconds while subjected to electric field and elevated temperature. This process, which occurs at lower furnace temperatures and in shorter times than both conventional ceramic sintering and field-assisted methods such as spark plasma sintering, has the potential to radically reduce the power consumption required for the densification of ceramic materials. This paper reviews the experimental work on flash sintering methods carried out to date, and compares the properties of the materials obtained to those produced by conventional sintering. The flash sintering process is described for oxides of zirconium, yttrium, aluminium, tin, zinc, and titanium; silicon and boron carbide, zirconium diboride, materials for solid oxide fuel applications, ferroelectric materials, and composite materials. While experimental observations have been made on a wide range of materials, understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the onset and latter stages of flash sintering is still elusive. Elements of the proposed theories to explain the observed behaviour include extensive Joule heating throughout the material causing thermal runaway, arrested by the current limitation in the power supply, and the formation of defect avalanches which rapidly and dramatically increase the sample conductivity. Undoubtedly, the flash sintering process is affected by the electric field strength, furnace temperature and current density limit, but also by microstructural features such as the presence of second phase particles or dopants and the particle size in the starting material. While further experimental work and modelling is still required to attain a full understanding capable of predicting the success of the flash sintering process in different materials, the technique non-etheless holds great potential for exceptional control of the ceramic sintering process.

Dispersed, Decentralized and Renewable Energy Sources: Alternatives to National Vulnerability and War.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

yields. Figure 3.11-3 shcws this process. Figure 3.11-3220 METHANE FERMENTATION (ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ) A THREE STAGE PROCESS ORGANICS LCOMPOUNDS ACI DS...plant will provide electricity for about 45,000 people, and is scheduled for completion in 1982. Figure 3.12-4 illustrates a two - stage (high pressure and...condensed. The brine, after passing through the heat exchanger, is reinjected into the ground. 4 238 )- I Figure 3.124239 TWO STAGE , FLASHED STEAM POWER

Energy transfer dynamics in strongly inhomogeneous hot-dense-matter systems

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

Stillman, C. R.; Nilson, P. M.; Sefkow, A. B.

Direct measurements of energy transfer across steep density and temperature gradients in a hot-dense-matter system are presented. Hot dense plasma conditions were generated by high-intensity laser irradiation of a thin-foil target containing a buried metal layer. Energy transfer to the layer was measured using picosecond time-resolved x-ray emission spectroscopy. Here, the data show two x-ray flashes in time. Fully explicit, coupled particle-in-cell and collisional-radiative atomic kinetics model predictions reproduce these observations, connecting the two x-ray flashes with staged radial energy transfer within the target.

Energy transfer dynamics in strongly inhomogeneous hot-dense-matter systems

DOE PAGES

Stillman, C. R.; Nilson, P. M.; Sefkow, A. B.; ...

2018-06-25

Direct measurements of energy transfer across steep density and temperature gradients in a hot-dense-matter system are presented. Hot dense plasma conditions were generated by high-intensity laser irradiation of a thin-foil target containing a buried metal layer. Energy transfer to the layer was measured using picosecond time-resolved x-ray emission spectroscopy. Here, the data show two x-ray flashes in time. Fully explicit, coupled particle-in-cell and collisional-radiative atomic kinetics model predictions reproduce these observations, connecting the two x-ray flashes with staged radial energy transfer within the target.

Surgery for children in low-income countries affected by humanitarian emergencies from 2008 to 2014: The Médecins Sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels experience☆,☆☆,★,★★

PubMed Central

Flynn-O’Brien, Katherine T.; Trelles, Miguel; Dominguez, Lynette; Hassani, Ghulam Hiadar; Akemani, Clemence; Naseer, Aamer; Ntawukiruwabo, Innocent Bagura; Kushner, Adam L.; Rothstein, David H.; Stewart, Barclay T.

2018-01-01

Purpose Pediatric surgical care is deficient in developing countries disrupted by crisis. We aimed to describe pediatric surgical care at Médecins Sans Frontières-Brussels (MSF-OCB) projects to inform resource allocation and define the pediatric-specific skillset necessary for humanitarian surgical teams. Methods Procedures performed by MSF-OCB from July 2008 to December 2014 were reviewed. Project characteristics, patient demographics and clinical data were described. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of perioperative death. Results Of 109,828 procedures, 26,284 were performed for 24,576 children (22% of all procedures). The most common pediatric operative indication was trauma (13,984; 57%). Nine percent of all surgical indications were due to violence (e.g., land mines, firearms, gender-based violence, etc.). The majority of procedures (19,582; 75%) were general surgical, followed by orthopedic (4350; 17%), and obstetric/gynecologic/urologic (2135; 8%). Perioperative death was low (42; 0.17%); independent predictors of death included age <1 year, use of general anesthesia with a definitive airway, and operation during conflict. Conclusion Surgical care for children comprised nearly a quarter of all procedures performed by MSF-OCB between 2008 and 2014. Attention to trauma surgery and infant perioperative care is particularly needed. These findings are important when resourcing projects and training surgical staff for humanitarian missions. PMID:26454469

Surgery for children in low-income countries affected by humanitarian emergencies from 2008 to 2014: The Médecins Sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels experience.

PubMed

Flynn-O'Brien, Katherine T; Trelles, Miguel; Dominguez, Lynette; Hassani, Ghulam Hiadar; Akemani, Clemence; Naseer, Aamer; Ntawukiruwabo, Innocent Bagura; Kushner, Adam L; Rothstein, David H; Stewart, Barclay T

2016-04-01

Pediatric surgical care is deficient in developing countries disrupted by crisis. We aimed to describe pediatric surgical care at Médecins Sans Frontières-Brussels (MSF-OCB) projects to inform resource allocation and define the pediatric-specific skillset necessary for humanitarian surgical teams. Procedures performed by MSF-OCB from July 2008 to December 2014 were reviewed. Project characteristics, patient demographics and clinical data were described. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of perioperative death. Of 109,828 procedures, 26,284 were performed for 24,576 children (22% of all procedures). The most common pediatric operative indication was trauma (13,984; 57%). Nine percent of all surgical indications were due to violence (e.g., land mines, firearms, gender-based violence, etc.). The majority of procedures (19,582; 75%) were general surgical, followed by orthopedic (4350; 17%), and obstetric/gynecologic/urologic (2135; 8%). Perioperative death was low (42; 0.17%); independent predictors of death included age <1year, use of general anesthesia with a definitive airway, and operation during conflict. Surgical care for children comprised nearly a quarter of all procedures performed by MSF-OCB between 2008 and 2014. Attention to trauma surgery and infant perioperative care is particularly needed. These findings are important when resourcing projects and training surgical staff for humanitarian missions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flash characteristics of plasma induced by hypervelocity impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kai; Long, Renrong; Zhang, Qingming; Xue, Yijiang; Ju, Yuanyuan

2016-08-01

Using a two-stage light gas gun, a series of hypervelocity impact experiments was conducted in which 6.4-mm-diameter spherical 2024-aluminum projectiles impact 23-mm-thick targets made of the same material at velocities of 5.0, 5.6, and 6.3 km/s. Both an optical pyrometer composed of six photomultiplier tubes and a spectrograph were used to measure the flash of the plasma during hypervelocity impact. Experimental results show that, at a projectile velocity of 6.3 km/s, the strong flash lasted about 10 μs and reached a temperature of 4300 K. Based on the known emission lines of AL I, spectral methods can provide the plasma electron temperature. An electron-temperature comparison between experiment and theoretical calculation indicates that single ionization and secondary ionization are the two main ionizing modes at velocities 5.0-6.3 km/s.

Analyzing Flash Flood Data in an Ultra-Urban Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, B. K.; Rodriguez, S.

2016-12-01

New York City is an ultra-urban region, with combined sewers and buried stream channels. Traditional flood studies rely on the presence of stream gages to detect flood stage and discharge, but ultra-urban regions frequently lack the surface stream channels and gages necessary for this approach. In this study we aggregate multiple non-traditional data for detecting flash flood events. These data including phone call reports, city records, and, for one particular flood event, news reports and social media reports. These data are compared with high-resolution bias-corrected radar rainfall fields to study flash flood events in New York City. We seek to determine if these non-traditional data will allow for a comprehensive study of rainfall-runoff relationships in New York City. We also seek to map warm season rainfall heterogeneities in the city and to compare them to spatial distribution of reported flood occurrence.

Flash characteristics of plasma induced by hypervelocity impact

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

Zhang, Kai; Beijing Automotive Technology Center, Beijing 100021; Long, Renrong, E-mail: longrenrong@bit.edu.cn, E-mail: qmzhang@bit.edu.cn

2016-08-15

Using a two-stage light gas gun, a series of hypervelocity impact experiments was conducted in which 6.4-mm-diameter spherical 2024-aluminum projectiles impact 23-mm-thick targets made of the same material at velocities of 5.0, 5.6, and 6.3 km/s. Both an optical pyrometer composed of six photomultiplier tubes and a spectrograph were used to measure the flash of the plasma during hypervelocity impact. Experimental results show that, at a projectile velocity of 6.3 km/s, the strong flash lasted about 10 μs and reached a temperature of 4300 K. Based on the known emission lines of AL I, spectral methods can provide the plasma electron temperature. An electron-temperaturemore » comparison between experiment and theoretical calculation indicates that single ionization and secondary ionization are the two main ionizing modes at velocities 5.0–6.3 km/s.« less

Glyphing Decolonial Love through Urban Flash Mobbing and "Walking with Our Sisters"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Recollet, Karyn

2015-01-01

This article contributes to understanding multi-plexed Indigenous resistance through examining spatial tags. As symbolic, moving critiques, spatial tagging intervenes normative structures of settler colonialism and provides the space through which radical decolonial love can emerge. This discussion of the production of spatial glyphs has…

Modeling of internal and near-nozzle flow for a GDI fuel injector

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

Saha, Kaushik; Som, Sibendu; Battistoni, Michele

A numerical study of two-phase flow inside the nozzle holes and the issuing spray jets for a multi-hole direct injection gasoline injector has been presented in this work. The injector geometry is representative of the Spray G nozzle, an eight-hole counterbore injector, from the Engine Combustion Network (ECN). Simulations have been carried out for a fixed needle lift. Effects of turbulence, compressibility and non-condensable gases have been considered in this work. Standard k -ε turbulence model has been used to model the turbulence. Homogeneous Relaxation Model (HRM) coupled with Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach has been utilized to capture themore » phase change phenomena inside and outside the injector nozzle. Three different boundary conditions for the outlet domain have been imposed to examine non-flashing and evaporative, non-flashing and non-evaporative and flashing conditions. Noticeable hole-to-hole variations have been observed in terms of mass flow rates for all the holes under all the operating conditions considered in this study. Inside the nozzle holes mild cavitation-like and in the near-nozzle region flash boiling phenomena have been predicted when liquid fuel is subjected to superheated ambiance. Under favorable conditions considerable flashing has been observed in the near-nozzle regions. An enormous volume is occupied by the gasoline vapor, stantial computational cost. Volume-averaging instead of mass-averaging is observed to be more effective, especially for finer mesh resolutions.« less

Dietary change and reduced breast cancer events among women without hot flashes after treatment of early-stage breast cancer: subgroup analysis of the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study1234

PubMed Central

Pierce, John P; Natarajan, Loki; Caan, Bette J; Flatt, Shirley W; Kealey, Sheila; Gold, Ellen B; Hajek, Richard A; Newman, Vicky A; Rock, Cheryl L; Pu, Minya; Saquib, Nazmus; Stefanick, Marcia L; Thomson, Cynthia A; Parker, Barbara

2009-01-01

Background: A diet high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber and low in fat decreased additional risk of secondary breast cancer events in women without hot flashes (HF−) compared with that in women with hot flashes (HF+), possibly through lowered concentrations of circulating estrogens. Objective: The objective was to investigate the intervention effect by baseline quartiles of dietary pattern among breast cancer survivors in the HF− subgroup of the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study. Design: A randomized controlled trial compared a putative cancer prevention diet with a diet of 5 servings of vegetables and fruit daily in early-stage breast cancer survivors. Participants did not experience hot flashes at baseline (n = 896). We confirmed cancer status for 96% of participants ≈7.3 y after enrollment. Results: The study intervention achieved a large between-group difference in dietary pattern that, at 4 y, was not significantly different across baseline quartiles of dietary pattern. The intervention group experienced fewer breast cancer events than did the comparison group for all of the baseline quartiles. This difference was significant only in upper baseline quartiles of intake of vegetables, fruit, and fiber and in the lowest quartile of fat. A significant trend for fewer breast cancer events was observed across quartiles of vegetable-fruit and fiber consumption. Conclusions: The secondary analysis showing the decreased risk in the HF− subgroup was not explained by amount of change in dietary pattern achieved. The difference was strongest in the quartile with the most putatively cancer-preventive dietary pattern at baseline. PMID:19339393

Imaging Flash Lidar for Autonomous Safe Landing and Spacecraft Proximity Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Roback, Vincent E.; Brewster, Paul F.; Hines, Glenn D.; Bulyshev, Alexander E.

2016-01-01

3-D Imaging flash lidar is recognized as a primary candidate sensor for safe precision landing on solar system bodies (Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn moons, etc.), and autonomous rendezvous proximity operations and docking/capture necessary for asteroid sample return and redirect missions, spacecraft docking, satellite servicing, and space debris removal. During the final stages of landing, from about 1 km to 500 m above the ground, the flash lidar can generate 3-Dimensional images of the terrain to identify hazardous features such as craters, rocks, and steep slopes. The onboard fli1ght computer can then use the 3-D map of terrain to guide the vehicle to a safe location. As an automated rendezvous and docking sensor, the flash lidar can provide relative range, velocity, and bearing from an approaching spacecraft to another spacecraft or a space station from several kilometers distance. NASA Langley Research Center has developed and demonstrated a flash lidar sensor system capable of generating 16k pixels range images with 7 cm precision, at a 20 Hz frame rate, from a maximum slant range of 1800 m from the target area. This paper describes the lidar instrument design and capabilities as demonstrated by the closed-loop flight tests onboard a rocket-propelled free-flyer vehicle (Morpheus). Then a plan for continued advancement of the flash lidar technology will be explained. This proposed plan is aimed at the development of a common sensor that with a modest design adjustment can meet the needs of both landing and proximity operation and docking applications.

Ultra-bright γ-ray flashes and dense attosecond positron bunches from two counter-propagating laser pulses irradiating a micro-wire target.

PubMed

Li, Han-Zhen; Yu, Tong-Pu; Hu, Li-Xiang; Yin, Yan; Zou, De-Bin; Liu, Jian-Xun; Wang, Wei-Quan; Hu, Shun; Shao, Fu-Qiu

2017-09-04

We propose a novel scheme to generate ultra-bright ultra-short γ-ray flashes and high-energy-density attosecond positron bunches by using multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations with quantum electrodynamics effects incorporated. By irradiating a 10 PW laser pulse with an intensity of 10 23 W/cm 2 onto a micro-wire target, surface electrons are dragged-out of the micro-wire and are effectively accelerated to several GeV energies by the laser ponderomotive force, forming relativistic attosecond electron bunches. When these electrons interact with the probe pulse from the other side, ultra-short γ-ray flashes are emitted with an ultra-high peak brightness of 1.8 × 10 24 photons s -1 mm -2 mrad -2 per 0.1%BW at 24 MeV. These photons propagate with a low divergence and collide with the probe pulse, triggering the Breit-Wheeler process. Dense attosecond e - e + pair bunches are produced with the positron energy density as high as 10 17 J/m 3 and number of 10 9 . Such ultra-bright ultra-short γ-ray flashes and secondary positron beams may have potential applications in fundamental physics, high-energy-density physics, applied science and laboratory astrophysics.

Vacuolar SPX-MFS transporters are essential for phosphate adaptation in plants.

PubMed

Liu, Jinlong; Fu, Shaomin; Yang, Lei; Luan, Mingda; Zhao, Fugeng; Luan, Sheng; Lan, Wenzhi

2016-08-02

To survive in most soils in which inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels are limited and constantly changing, plants universally use the vacuoles as cellular Pi "sink" and "source" to maintain Pi homeostasis. However, the transporters that mediate Pi sequestration into the vacuoles remain unknown. Recently, we and other 2 groups independently identified the members of SPS-MSF family as the candidates for tonoplast Pi transporters in Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. We and Liu et al. demonstrated that one of SPS-MSF member, VPT1 (Vacuolar Phosphate Transporter 1), also named as PHT5;1 (Phosphate Transporter 5;1), plays a predominant role in Pi sequestration of vacuoles in Arabidopsis. Here we show that vpt1 mutants and VPT1-GFP overexpressing lines displayed sensitive to Pi stress under the hydroponic system containing the medium with low iron, supporting that VPT1 is essential for Arabidopsis to adapt phosphate stress.

Pilot plant test of the advanced flash stripper for CO2 capture.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Jeng; Chen, Eric; Rochelle, Gary T

2016-10-20

Alternative stripping processes have been proposed to reduce energy use for CO 2 capture, but only a few have been applied to pilot-scale experiments. This paper presents the first pilot plant test results of one of the most promising stripper configurations, the advanced flash stripper with cold and warm rich solvent bypass. The campaign using aqueous piperazine was carried out at UT Austin in 2015. The advanced flash stripper improves the heat duty by over 25% compared to previous campaigns using the two-stage flash, achieving 2.1 GJ per tonne CO 2 of heat duty and 32 kJ mol -1 CO 2 of total equivalent work. The bypass control strategy proposed minimized the heat duty. The test successfully demonstrated the remarkable energy performance and the operability of this advanced system. An Aspen Plus® model was validated using the pilot plant data and used to explore optimum operating and design conditions. The irreversibility analysis showed that the pilot plant performance has attained 50% thermodynamic efficiency and further energy improvement should focus on the absorber and the cross exchanger by increasing absorption rate and solvent capacity.

Simple interpretations of chemical transients in multi-feed, two-phase geothermal wells; Examples from Philippine Geothermal fields

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

Ruaya, J.R.; Solis, R.P.; Solana, R.R.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the main process responsible for the extreme variations in chloride concentrations in the water discharged by selected multi-feed, two-phase geothermal wells in the Philippines is steam addition brought about by fluid flashing in the formation or by a shallow and distinct steam zone. Correlation of enthalpy with chloride data over a span of seven years for well 106, Tongonan field, revealed the entry of reservoir fluid from the hotter portion of the field as the well responded to exploitation. Using a plot of discharge enthalpy versus total chloride, the deep chloride near well OP-3D which ismore » drilled at the periphery of the Bacon-Manito field, has been determined at about 8700 mg/k. This is somewhat higher than the inferred chloride level of 7000 mg/kg in the postulated main geothermal reservoir. The competing effects of returns of reinjected water and flashing in the formation on the observed chloride concentrations in the discharge water of well PN-20D, Palinpinon field, have been segregated using the technique described above.« less

Electric-field-controlled interface dipole modulation for Si-based memory devices.

PubMed

Miyata, Noriyuki

2018-05-31

Various nonvolatile memory devices have been investigated to replace Si-based flash memories or emulate synaptic plasticity for next-generation neuromorphic computing. A crucial criterion to achieve low-cost high-density memory chips is material compatibility with conventional Si technologies. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a new memory concept, interface dipole modulation (IDM) memory. IDM can be integrated as a Si field-effect transistor (FET) based memory device. The first demonstration of this concept employed a HfO 2 /Si MOS capacitor where the interface monolayer (ML) TiO 2 functions as a dipole modulator. However, this configuration is unsuitable for Si-FET-based devices due to its large interface state density (D it ). Consequently, we propose, a multi-stacked amorphous HfO 2 /1-ML TiO 2 /SiO 2 IDM structure to realize a low D it and a wide memory window. Herein we describe the quasi-static and pulse response characteristics of multi-stacked IDM MOS capacitors and demonstrate flash-type and analog memory operations of an IDM FET device.

Spectrometer for shot-to-shot photon energy characterization in the multi-bunch mode of the free electron laser at Hamburg

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

Palutke, S., E-mail: steffen.palutke@desy.de; Wurth, W.; Deutsches Elekronen Synchrotron

The setup and first results from commissioning of a fast online photon energy spectrometer for the vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser at Hamburg (FLASH) at DESY are presented. With the use of the latest advances in detector development, the presented spectrometer reaches readout frequencies up to 1 MHz. In this paper, we demonstrate the ability to record online photon energy spectra on a shot-to-shot base in the multi-bunch mode of FLASH. Clearly resolved shifts in the mean wavelength over the pulse train as well as shot-to-shot wavelength fluctuations arising from the statistical nature of the photon generating self-amplified spontaneous emissionmore » process have been observed. In addition to an online tool for beam calibration and photon diagnostics, the spectrometer enables the determination and selection of spectral data taken with a transparent experiment up front over the photon energy of every shot. This leads to higher spectral resolutions without the loss of efficiency or photon flux by using single-bunch mode or monochromators.« less

Effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the accumulation and distribution of arsenate in Daphnia magna in the presence of an algal food.

PubMed

Luo, Zhuanxi; Li, Mengting; Wang, Zhenhong; Li, Jinli; Guo, Jianhua; Rosenfeldt, Ricki R; Seitz, Frank; Yan, Changzhou

2018-05-15

The impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO 2 ) on the bioavailability of metals in aquatic filter-feeding organisms has rarely been investigated, especially in the presence of algae as a food source. In this study, we quantified the accumulation and subcellular distribution of arsenate (As V ) in Daphnia magna in the presence of nano-TiO 2 and a green alga (Scenedesmus obliquus) food source. Results showed that S. obliquus significantly increased the accumulation of total arsenic (As) and titanium (Ti) in D. magna. The presence of this food source increased As in metal-sensitive fractions (MSF) and as biologically detoxified metals (BDM), while it decreased Ti levels in MSF but increased levels as BDM. The difference in the subcellular distribution of As and Ti demonstrates the dissociation of As from nano-TiO 2 during digestion at subcellular partitioning irrespective of food availability. In turn, the presence of algae was shown to increase metal-based toxicity in D. magna due to the transfer of As from BMD to MSF. Furthermore, S. obliquus significantly increased the concentration of As and Ti in soluble fractions, indicating that As and nano-TiO 2 ingested by D. magna could be transferred more readily to their predators in the presence of S. obliquus. Our study shows the potential of algae to increase the toxicity and biomagnification of As V . Furthermore, it highlights food as an important factor in the toxicity assessment of nanomaterials and co-existing pollutants.

World Endometriosis Research Foundation Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project: I. Surgical phenotype data collection in endometriosis research

PubMed Central

Becker, Christian M.; Laufer, Marc R.; Stratton, Pamela; Hummelshoj, Lone; Missmer, Stacey A.; Zondervan, Krina T.; Adamson, G. David; Adamson, G.D.; Allaire, C.; Anchan, R.; Becker, C.M.; Bedaiwy, M.A.; Buck Louis, G.M.; Calhaz-Jorge, C.; Chwalisz, K.; D'Hooghe, T.M.; Fassbender, A.; Faustmann, T.; Fazleabas, A.T.; Flores, I.; Forman, A.; Fraser, I.; Giudice, L.C.; Gotte, M.; Gregersen, P.; Guo, S.-W.; Harada, T.; Hartwell, D.; Horne, A.W.; Hull, M.L.; Hummelshoj, L.; Ibrahim, M.G.; Kiesel, L.; Laufer, M.R.; Machens, K.; Mechsner, S.; Missmer, S.A.; Montgomery, G.W.; Nap, A.; Nyegaard, M.; Osteen, K.G.; Petta, C.A.; Rahmioglu, N.; Renner, S.P.; Riedlinger, J.; Roehrich, S.; Rogers, P.A.; Rombauts, L.; Salumets, A.; Saridogan, E.; Seckin, T.; Stratton, P.; Sharpe-Timms, K.L.; Tworoger, S.; Vigano, P.; Vincent, K.; Vitonis, A.F.; Wienhues-Thelen, U.-H.; Yeung, P.P.; Yong, P.; Zondervan, K.T.

2014-01-01

Objective To standardize the recording of surgical phenotypic information on endometriosis and related sample collections obtained at laparoscopy, allowing large-scale collaborative research into the condition. Design An international collaboration involving 34 clinical/academic centers and three industry collaborators from 16 countries. Setting Two workshops were conducted in 2013, bringing together 54 clinical, academic, and industry leaders in endometriosis research and management worldwide. Patient(s) None. Intervention(s) A postsurgical scoring sheet containing general and gynecological patient and procedural information, extent of disease, the location and type of endometriotic lesion, and any other findings was developed during several rounds of review. Comments and any systematic surgical data collection tools used in the reviewers' centers were incorporated. Main Outcome Measure(s) The development of a standard recommended (SSF) and minimum required (MSF) form to collect data on the surgical phenotype of endometriosis. Result(s) SSF and MSF include detailed descriptions of lesions, modes of procedures and sample collection, comorbidities, and potential residual disease at the end of surgery, along with previously published instruments such as the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Endometriosis Fertility Index classification tools for comparison and validation. Conclusion(s) This is the first multicenter, international collaboration between academic centers and industry addressing standardization of phenotypic data collection for a specific disease. The Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project SSF and MSF are essential tools to increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of endometriosis by allowing large-scale collaborative research into the condition. PMID:25150390

Physical and sexual violence, mental health indicators, and treatment seeking among street-based population groups in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

PubMed

Rio Navarro, Javier; Cohen, Julien; Rocillo Arechaga, Eva; Zuniga, Edgardo

2012-05-01

To establish the prevalence of exposure to physical and sexual violence, mental health symptoms, and medical treatment-seeking behavior among three street-based subpopulation groups in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and to assess the association between sociodemographic group, mental health indicators, and exposure to violence. An anonymous, cross-sectional survey among randomly selected street-based adolescents, adults, and commercial sex workers (CSWs) was undertaken at the end of 2010 in Tegucigalpa. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) mapped places where the study population gathers. Stratified probability samples were drawn for all groups, using two-stage random sampling. Trained MSF staff administered on-site standardized face-to-face questionnaires. Self-reported exposure to severe physical violence in the previous year was 20.9% among street-based adolescents, 28.8% among adults, and 30.6% among CSWs. For the physical violence event self-defined as most severe, 50.0% of the adolescents, 81.4% of the adults, and 70.6% of the CSWs sought medical treatment. Their exposure to severe sexual violence was 8.6%, 28.8%, and 59.2%, respectively. After exposure to the self-defined most severe sexual violence event, 14.3% of adolescents, 31.9% of adults, and 29.1% of CSWs sought treatment. Common mental health and substance abuse symptoms were highly prevalent and strongly associated with exposure to physical (odds ratio 4.5, P < 0.0001) and sexual (odds ratio 3.7, P = 0.0001) violence. Exposure to physical and sexual violence reached extreme levels among street-based subpopulations. Treatment-seeking behavior, particularly after severe sexual violence, was limited. The association of mental health and substance abuse symptoms with exposure to violence could lead to further victimization. Medical and psychological treatments targeting these groups are needed and could help decrease their vulnerability.

Providing surgery in a war-torn context: the Médecins Sans Frontières experience in Syria.

PubMed

Trelles, Miguel; Dominguez, Lynette; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Kisswani, Katrin; Zerboni, Alberto; Vandenborre, Thierry; Dallatomasina, Silvia; Rahmoun, Alaa; Ferir, Marie-Christine

2015-01-01

Since 2011, civil war has crippled Syria leaving much of the population without access to healthcare. Various field hospitals have been clandestinely set up to provide basic healthcare but few have been able to provide quality surgical care. In 2012, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) began providing surgical care in the Jabal al-Akrad region of north-western Syria. Based on the MSF experience, we describe, for the period 5th September 2012 to 1st January 2014: a) the volume and profile of surgical cases, b) the volume and type of anaesthetic and surgical procedures performed, and c) the intraoperative mortality rate. A descriptive study using routinely collected MSF programme data. Quality surgical care was assured through strict adherence to the following minimum standards: adequate infrastructure, adequate water and sanitation provisions, availability of all essential disposables, drugs and equipment, strict adherence to hygiene requirements and universal precautions, mandatory use of sterile equipment for surgical and anaesthesia procedures, capability for blood transfusion and adequate human resources. During the study period, MSF operated on 578 new patients, of whom 57 % were male and median age was 25 years (Interquartile range: 21-32 years). Violent trauma was the most common surgical indication (n-254, 44 %), followed by obstetric emergencies (n-191, 33 %) and accidental trauma (n-59, 10 %). In total, 712 anaesthetic procedures were performed. General anaesthesia without intubation was the most common type of anaesthesia (47 % of all anaesthetics) followed by spinal anaesthesia (25 %). A total of 831 surgical procedures were performed, just over half being minor/wound care procedures and nearly one fifth, caesarean sections. There were four intra-operative deaths, giving an intra-operative mortality rate of 0.7 %. Surgical needs in a conflict-afflicted setting like Syria are high and include both combat and non-combat indications, particularly obstetric emergencies. Provision of quality surgical care in a complex and volatile setting like this is possible providing appropriate measures, supported by highly experienced staff, can be implemented that allow a specific set of minimum standards of care to be adhered to. This is particularly important when patient outcomes - as a reflection of quality of care - are difficult to assess.

Data processing system for the Sneg-2MP experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gavrilova, Y. A.

1980-01-01

The data processing system for scientific experiments on stations of the "Prognoz" type provides for the processing sequence to be broken down into a number of consecutive stages: preliminary processing, primary processing, secondary processing. The tasks of each data processing stage are examined for an experiment designed to study gamma flashes of galactic origin and solar flares lasting from several minutes to seconds in the 20 kev to 1000 kev energy range.

Improving Radar QPE's in Complex Terrain for Improved Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cifelli, R.; Streubel, D. P.; Reynolds, D.

2010-12-01

Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) is extremely challenging in regions of complex terrain due to a combination of issues related to sampling. In particular, radar beams are often blocked or scan above the liquid precipitation zone while rain gauge density is often too low to properly characterize the spatial distribution of precipitation. Due to poor radar coverage, rain gauge networks are used by the National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers as the principal source for QPE across the western U.S. The California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) uses point rainfall measurements and historical rainfall runoff relationships to derive river stage forecasts. The point measurements are interpolated to a 4 km grid using Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) data to develop a gridded 6-hour QPE product (hereafter referred to as RFC QPE). Local forecast offices can utilize the Multi-sensor Precipitation Estimator (MPE) software to improve local QPE’s and thus local flash flood monitoring and prediction. MPE uses radar and rain gauge data to develop a combined QPE product at 1-hour intervals. The rain gauge information is used to bias correct the radar precipitation estimates so that, in situations where the rain gauge density and radar coverage are adequate, MPE can take advantage of the spatial coverage of the radar and the “ground truth” of the rain gauges to provide an accurate QPE. The MPE 1-hour QPE analysis should provide better spatial and temporal resolution for short duration hydrologic events as compared to 6-hour analyses. These hourly QPEs are then used to correct radar derived rain rates used by the Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP) software in forecast offices for issuance of flash flood warnings. Although widely used by forecasters across the eastern U.S., MPE is not used extensively by the NWS in the west. Part of the reason for the lack of use of MPE across the west is that there has been little quantitative evaluation of MPE performance in this region compared to simply using a gage only analysis. In this study, an evaluation of MPE and RFC QPE is performed in a portion of the CNRFC (including the Russian and American River basins) using an independent set of rain gauge data from the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT). Data from a precipitation event in January 2010 are used to establish the comparison methodology and for preliminary evaluation. For this multi-day event, it is shown that the RFC QPE shows generally better agreement with the HMT gauges compared to MPE in terms of storm total precipitation. However, the bias in RFC:MPE is shown to vary as a function of terrain and time. Moreover, for a subset of the HMT gauges in Sonoma county, the 1-hour MPE precipitation totals are found to be generally well correlated to the HMT gauge totals with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.6-0.9. For the Sonoma county gauges, the MPE product generally underestimates rainfall compared to HMT, probably as a consequence of low-level, orographically forced precipitation that was not well captured by the MPE radar analysis.

Construction and temporal behaviour study of multi RLC intense light pulses for dermatological applications.

PubMed

Hamoudi, Walid K; Ismail, Raid A; Shakir, Hussein A

2017-10-01

Driving a flash lamp in an intense pulsed light system requires a high-voltage DC power supply, capacitive energy storage and a flash lamp triggering unit. Single, double, triple and quadruple-mesh discharge and triggering circuits were constructed to provide intense light pulses of variable energy and time durations. The system was treated as [Formula: see text] circuit in some cases and [Formula: see text] circuit in others with a light pulse profile following the temporal behaviour of the exciting current pulse. Distributing the energy delivered to one lamp onto a number of LC meshes permitted longer current pulses, and consequently increased the light pulse length. Positive results were obtained when using the system to treat skin wrinkles.

Anatomy of a Flash Flood in the Amargosa Desert, U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stonestrom, D. A.; Prudic, D. E.; Glancy, P. A.; Beck, D. A.

2004-12-01

In August 2004, intense convective rainstorms caused flash flooding throughout the Amargosa River drainage network, temporarily closing Death Valley National Park and causing two fatalities when runoff from Furnace Creek and other channels overtopped roadways in the Park. In 1998, we began installing streambed temperature loggers, pressure transducers, and scour chains in the normally dry channel and selected tributaries of the river in the Amargosa Desert and Oasis Valley. The primary objective of this work is to improve understanding of ground-water recharge from ephemeral streamflows under current climatic conditions. Two weeks after the flash flooding, we visited instrumented sites and estimated peak flows by surveying high-water marks and corresponding channel geometries. Time series of temperatures and stages, together with peak-flow estimates, reveal the routing and evolution of distinct flood pulses in the upper Amargosa River basin. The data also reveal previously undocumented details of individual flash-flood hydrographs, including initial and subsequent flood pulses at two sites. Arid environments are prone to flash flooding not only because vegetation is sparse, but also because the surface-water network is decoupled from underlying ground water by a thick unsaturated zone. Nonlinear interactions between runoff (with energy potentials on the order of a meter of head) and the unsaturated zone (with energy potentials on the order of negative hundreds of meters of head) keep advancing fronts of flood pulses sharp. Profiles of water content beneath the main channel before and after the passage of a flood pulse, together with down-channel attenuation of flow volume within individual pulses, show the leaky nature of dry alluvial channels and the efficiency at which flash floods become potential recharge.

Flash Mob Science - Increasing Seismic Hazard Awareness and Preparedness in Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, J. S.; Lownsbery, D. S.

2015-12-01

Living in a region of imminent threat of a magnitude-9.0 (M­­­w ≈ ­9) earthquake is a daily reality for the millions of people predicted to be directly affected by a full rupture of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ), a fault line extending for hundreds of miles off the western coast of North America. Many coastal residents and visitors will also be affected by the tsunami caused by the rupture. How can the scientific community effectively communicate with those who are unaware of the threat and unprepared to respond? We are studying the effects of a novel approach to science outreach we have called Flash Mob Science. You have probably seen examples of flash mobs staging dynamic musical and dance routines to unsuspecting audiences. Similarly, Flash Mob Science takes the challenging (and often avoided) topic of earthquake and tsunami awareness and preparedness to unsuspecting audiences. However, Flash Mob Science seeks to move beyond having an audience of observers by engaging others as participants who enact important roles in an unfolding drama. We simulate the effects of seismic and tsunami events (e.g., prolonged surface shaking, falling debris, repeated tsunami surges) and model best practices in response (e.g., "Drop, Cover, Hold On" and moving quickly to high ground). True to the general flash mob model, when the Cascadia event inevitably does occur, it will come suddenly, and everyone affected will unavoidably be involved as actors in a real-life drama of immense scale. We seek to embed the learning of basic understandings and practices for an actual Cascadia event in a very small-scale, memorable, and sometimes even humorous, dramatization. We present here the lessons we have learned in the background, planning, and implementation of Flash Mob Science. We highlight the successes, limitations, and preliminary results evaluating the effectiveness of this outreach in developing learners' understandings and preparedness in an Oregon community affected by the CSZ.

Pulsed depressed collector

DOEpatents

Kemp, Mark A

2015-11-03

A high power RF device has an electron beam cavity, a modulator, and a circuit for feed-forward energy recovery from a multi-stage depressed collector to the modulator. The electron beam cavity include a cathode, an anode, and the multi-stage depressed collector, and the modulator is configured to provide pulses to the cathode. Voltages of the electrode stages of the multi-stage depressed collector are allowed to float as determined by fixed impedances seen by the electrode stages. The energy recovery circuit includes a storage capacitor that dynamically biases potentials of the electrode stages of the multi-stage depressed collector and provides recovered energy from the electrode stages of the multi-stage depressed collector to the modulator. The circuit may also include a step-down transformer, where the electrode stages of the multi-stage depressed collector are electrically connected to separate taps on the step-down transformer.

Reconstruction of lightning channel geometry by localizing thunder sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodhika, J. A. P.; Dharmarathna, W. G. D.; Fernando, Mahendra; Cooray, Vernon

2013-09-01

Thunder is generated as a result of a shock wave created by sudden expansion of air in the lightning channel due to high temperature variations. Even though the highest amplitudes of thunder signatures are generated at the return stroke stage, thunder signals generated at other events such as preliminary breakdown pulses also can be of amplitudes which are large enough to record using a sensitive system. In this study, it was attempted to reconstruct the lightning channel geometry of cloud and ground flashes by locating the temporal and spatial variations of thunder sources. Six lightning flashes were reconstructed using the recorded thunder signatures. Possible effects due to atmospheric conditions were neglected. Numerical calculations suggest that the time resolution of the recorded signal and 10 ms-1error in speed of sound leads to 2% and 3% errors, respectively, in the calculated coordinates. Reconstructed channel geometries for cloud and ground flashes agreed with the visual observations. Results suggest that the lightning channel can be successfully reconstructed using this technique.

Lightning Phenomenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawasaki, Zen

This paper presents a phenomenological idea about lightning flash to share the back ground understanding for this special issue. Lightning discharges are one of the terrible phenomena, and Benjamin Franklin has led this natural phenomenon to the stage of scientific investigation. Technical aspects like monitoring and location are also summarized in this article.

Cascaded chirped photon acceleration for efficient frequency conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Matthew R.; Qu, Kenan; Jia, Qing; Mikhailova, Julia M.; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2018-05-01

A cascaded sequence of photon acceleration stages using the instantaneous creation of a plasma density gradient by flash ionization allows the generation of coherent and chirped ultraviolet and x-ray pulses with independently tunable frequency and bandwidth. The efficiency of the cascaded process scales with 1/ω in energy, and multiple stages produce significant frequency up-conversion with gas-density plasmas. Chirping permits subsequent pulse compression to few-cycle durations, and output frequencies are not limited to integer harmonics.

Effect with high density nano dot type storage layer structure on 20 nm planar NAND flash memory characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, Takeshi; Muraguchi, Masakazu; Seo, Moon-Sik; Park, Sung-kye; Endoh, Tetsuo

2014-01-01

The merits, concerns and design principle for the future nano dot (ND) type NAND flash memory cell are clarified, by considering the effect of storage layer structure on NAND flash memory characteristics. The characteristics of the ND cell for a NAND flash memory in comparison with the floating gate type (FG) is comprehensively studied through the read, erase, program operation, and the cell to cell interference with device simulation. Although the degradation of the read throughput (0.7% reduction of the cell current) and slower program time (26% smaller programmed threshold voltage shift) with high density (10 × 1012 cm-2) ND NAND are still concerned, the suppress of the cell to cell interference with high density (10 × 1012 cm-2) plays the most important part for scaling and multi-level cell (MLC) operation in comparison with the FG NAND. From these results, the design knowledge is shown to require the control of the number of nano dots rather than the higher nano dot density, from the viewpoint of increasing its memory capacity by MLC operation and suppressing threshold voltage variability caused by the number of dots in the storage layer. Moreover, in order to increase its memory capacity, it is shown the tunnel oxide thickness with ND should be designed thicker (>3 nm) than conventional designed ND cell for programming/erasing with direct tunneling mechanism.

The 9 September 2010 torrential rain and flash flood in the Dragone catchment, Atrani, Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Violante, C.; Braca, G.; Esposito, E.; Tranfaglia, G.

2015-08-01

In this paper we use a multi-hazard approach to analyse the 9 September 2010 flash-flood occurred in the Dragone basin, a 9 km2 catchment located along the Amalfi rocky coastal range, Southern Italy. In this area, alluvial-fan-flooding is the most frequent and destructive geologic hazards since Roman time. Sudden torrent of waters (flash flood) are caused by high-intensity and very localized cloudbursts of short duration inducing slope erosion and sediment delivery from slope-to-stream. The elevated bed load transport produces fast-moving hyperconcentrated flows with significant catastrophic implications for communities living at stream mouth. The 9 September 2010 rainstorm event lasted 1 h with an intensity rainfall peak nearly to 120 mm h-1. High topographic relief of the Amalfi coastal range and positive anomalies of the coastal waters conditioned the character of the convective system. Based on geological data and post-event field evidence and surveys, as well as homemade-videos, and eyewitness accounts the consequent flash-flood mobilized some 25 000 m3 of materials with a total (water and sediment) peak flow of 80 m3 s-1. The estimated peak discharge of only clear water was about 65 m3 s-1. This leads to a sediment bulking factor of 1.2 that corresponds to a flow with velocities similar to those of water during a flood.

A 300MHz Embedded Flash Memory with Pipeline Architecture and Offset-Free Sense Amplifiers for Dual-Core Automotive Microcontrollers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajiyama, Shinya; Fujito, Masamichi; Kasai, Hideo; Mizuno, Makoto; Yamaguchi, Takanori; Shinagawa, Yutaka

A novel 300MHz embedded flash memory for dual-core microcontrollers with a shared ROM architecture is proposed. One of its features is a three-stage pipeline read operation, which enables reduced access pitch and therefore reduces performance penalty due to conflict of shared ROM accesses. Another feature is a highly sensitive sense amplifier that achieves efficient pipeline operation with two-cycle latency one-cycle pitch as a result of a shortened sense time of 0.63ns. The combination of the pipeline architecture and proposed sense amplifiers significantly reduces access-conflict penalties with shared ROM and enhances performance of 32-bit RISC dual-core microcontrollers by 30%.

Cloud-to-ground lightning in a tornadic storm on 8 May 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macgorman, Donald R.; Nielsen, Kurt E.

1991-01-01

The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) gathered Doppler radar and lightning ground strike data on a supercell storm that produced three tornadoes, including an F3 tornado in Edmond, Oklahoma, approximately 40 km north of NSSL. The Edmond storm formed 30 km ahead of a storm complex and developed its first and most damaging tornado just as the storm complex started to overtake it from the west. Lightning strike locations tended to concentrate just north of the mesocyclone, close to and inside a 50 dBZ reflectivity core. Positive ground flashes began just prior to the storm becoming tornadic, and positive flash rates peaked during the tornadic stage of the storm.

Application of a distributed hydrological model to the design of a road inundation warning system for flash flood prone areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Versini, P.-A.; Gaume, E.; Andrieu, H.

2010-04-01

This paper presents an initial prototype of a distributed hydrological model used to map possible road inundations in a region frequently exposed to severe flash floods: the Gard region (South of France). The prototype has been tested in a pseudo real-time mode on five recent flash flood events for which actual road inundations have been inventoried. The results are promising: close to 100% probability of detection of actual inundations, inundations detected before they were reported by the road management field teams with a false alarm ratios not exceeding 30%. This specific case study differs from the standard applications of rainfall-runoff models to produce flood forecasts, focussed on a single or a limited number of gauged river cross sections. It illustrates that, despite their lack of accuracy, hydro-meteorological forecasts based on rainfall-runoff models, especially distributed models, contain valuable information for flood event management. The possible consequences of landslides, debris flows and local erosion processes, sometimes associated with flash floods, were not considered at this stage of development of the prototype. They are limited in the Gard region but should be taken into account in future developments of the approach to implement it efficiently in other areas more exposed to these phenomena such as the Alpine area.

Surgical Burn Care by Médecins Sans Frontières-Operations Center Brussels: 2008 to 2014.

PubMed

Stewart, Barclay T; Trelles, Miguel; Dominguez, Lynette; Wong, Evan; Fiozounam, Hervé Tribunal; Hassani, Ghulam Hiadar; Akemani, Clemence; Naseer, Aemer; Ntawukiruwabo, Innocent Bagura; Kushner, Adam L

Humanitarian organizations care for burns during crisis and while supporting healthcare facilities in low-income and middle-income countries. This study aimed to define the epidemiology of burn-related procedures to aid humanitarian response. In addition, operational data collected from humanitarian organizations are useful for describing surgical need otherwise unmet by national health systems. Procedures performed in operating theatres run by Médecins Sans Frontières-Operations Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB) from July 2008 through June 2014 were reviewed. Surgical specialist missions were excluded. Burn procedures were quantified, related to demographics and reason for humanitarian response, and described. A total of 96,239 operations were performed at 27 MSF-OCB projects in 15 countries between 2008 and 2014. Of the 33,947 general surgical operations, 4,280 (11%) were for burns. This proportion steadily increased from 3% in 2008 to 24% in 2014. People receiving surgical care from conflict relief missions had nearly twice the odds of having a burn operation compared with people requiring surgery in communities affected by natural disaster (adjusted odds ratio, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-2.58). Nearly 70% of burn procedures were planned serial visits to the theatre. A diverse skill set was required. Unmet humanitarian assistance needs increased US$400 million dollars in 2013 in the face of an increasing number of individuals affected by crisis and a growing surgical burden. Given the high volume of burn procedures performed at MSF-OCB projects and the resource intensive nature of burn management, requisite planning and reliable funding are necessary to ensure quality for burn care in humanitarian settings.

Modified Sham Feeding of Sweet Solutions in Women with and without Bulimia Nervosa

PubMed Central

Klein, DA; Schebendach, JE; Brown, AJ; Smith, GP; Walsh, BT

2009-01-01

Although it is possible that binge eating in humans is due to increased responsiveness of orosensory excitatory controls of eating, there is no direct evidence for this because food ingested during a test meal stimulates both orosensory excitatory and postingestive inhibitory controls. To overcome this problem, we adapted the modified sham feeding technique (MSF) to measure the orosensory excitatory control of intake of a series of sweetened solutions. Previously published data showed the feasibility of a “sip-and-spit” procedure in nine healthy control women using solutions flavored with cherry Kool Aid® and sweetened with sucrose (0-20%)1. The current study extended this technique to measure the intake of artificially sweetened solutions in women with bulimia nervosa (BN) and in women with no history of eating disorders. Ten healthy women and 11 women with BN were randomly presented with cherry Kool Aid® solutions sweetened with five concentrations of aspartame (0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.08 and 0.28%) in a closed opaque container fitted with a straw. They were instructed to sip as much as they wanted of the solution during 1-minute trials and to spit the fluid out into another opaque container. Across all subjects, presence of sweetener increased intake (p<0.001). Women with BN sipped 40.5-53.1% more of all solutions than controls (p=0.03 for total intake across all solutions). Self-report ratings of liking, wanting and sweetness of solutions did not differ between groups. These results support the feasibility of a MSF procedure using artificially sweetened solutions, and the hypothesis that the orosensory stimulation of MSF provokes larger intake in women with BN than controls. PMID:18773914

Zn(1-x)Cu(x)O (0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) Nanomaterials Prepared by Ball Milling, Citrate Sol Gel, and Molten Salt Flux Methods.

PubMed

Balamurugan, S; Melba, K

2015-06-01

The Cu doped ZnO, (Zn(1-x)Cu(x))O (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1) nanomaterials were prepared by ball milling technique (BMT), citrate sol gel (CSG), and molten salt flux (MSF) methods. The various as-prepared (Zn(1-x)Cu(x))O materials were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD), FT-IR, and SEM-EDX measurements in order to check the phase formation, purity, surface morphology and elements present in the annealed materials. Due to the preparation methods as well as doping of 'x' slight variations in cell parameters are seen. The average crystalline size of CSG method shows smaller size (25-35 nm) than BMT and MSF approaches. The materials obtained by MSF technique reveal the average crystalline size in the range of 32-72 nm whereas the BMT materials exhibit 36-50 nm for the composition, 0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.1. The presence of functional groups and the chemical bonding in (Zn(1-x)Cu(x))O system is confirmed through FT-IR measurements. It is evident from the FT-IR data that bands seen at 400-500 cm(-1) are characteristics of M-O (M = metal ion) bonding in the studied materials. The micro images observed by SEM exhibiting polycrystalline character as compared with the crystallite size obtained from XRD. Among the three approaches employed in the present investigations, in terms of average particle size the CSG method may be concluded as an efficient method for the preparation of Zn(1-x)Cu(x)O nanomaterials.

Phenobarbital or potassium bromide as an add-on antiepileptic drug for the management of canine idiopathic epilepsy refractory to imepitoin.

PubMed

Royaux, E; Van Ham, L; Broeckx, B J G; Van Soens, I; Gielen, I; Deforce, D; Bhatti, S F M

2017-02-01

Imepitoin has recently been approved in Europe for the management of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Currently, there is no evidence-based information available on the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs used as additions to the therapeutic regimen in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy that are not well controlled with imepitoin. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of phenobarbital or potassium bromide (KBr) as add-on antiepileptic drugs for controlling dogs refractory to a maximum dose of imepitoin (30 mg/kg twice daily). The study was performed as a prospective, randomised, controlled clinical trial. The efficacy of phenobarbital and KBr was evaluated by comparing monthly seizure frequency (MSF), monthly seizure day frequency (MSDF), the presence of cluster seizures during a retrospective 2-month period with a prospective follow-up of 6 months, and the overall responder rate. Twenty-seven dogs were included in the study, 14 dogs in the phenobarbital group and 13 dogs in the KBr group. Both median MSF and MSDF decreased in the phenobarbital group (both P = 0.001) and in the KBr group (P = 0.004 and P = 0.003, respectively). Overall, the number of dogs with cluster seizures decreased (P = 0.0005). The responder rate was 79% vs. 69% in the phenobarbital and KBr groups, respectively. We conclude that phenobarbital or KBr add-on treatment decreases median MSF and MSDF in epileptic dogs refractory to a maximum dose of imepitoin. Combination therapy was generally well tolerated and resulted in an improvement in seizure management in the majority of the dogs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of a trustworthy multisource feedback instrument to support nurse appraisals.

PubMed

Crossley, James G M

2015-01-01

Nurse appraisal is well established in the Western world because of its obvious educational advantages. Appraisal works best with many sources of information on performance. Multisource feedback (MSF) is widely used in business and in other clinical disciplines to provide such information. It has also been incorporated into nursing appraisals, but, so far, none of the instruments in use for nurses has been validated. We set out to develop an instrument aligned with the UK Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) and to evaluate its reliability and feasibility across a wide hospital-based nursing population. The KSF framework provided a content template. Focus groups developed an instrument based on consensus. The instrument was administered to all the nursing staff in 2 large NHS hospitals forming a single trust in London, England. We used generalizability analysis to estimate reliability, response rates and unstructured interviews to evaluate feasibility, and factor structure and correlation studies to evaluate validity. On a voluntary basis the response rate was moderate (60%). A failure to engage with information technology and employment-related concerns were commonly cited as reasons for not responding. In this population, 11 responses provided a profile with sufficient reliability to inform appraisal (G = 0.7). Performance on the instrument was closely and significantly correlated with performance on a KSF questionnaire. This is the first contemporary psychometric evaluation of an MSF instrument for nurses. MSF appears to be as valid and reliable as an assessment method to inform appraisal in nurses as it is in other health professional groups. © 2015 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Performance analysis of cascaded h-bridge multilevel inverter using mixed switching frequency with various dc-link voltages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Citarsa, I. B. F.; Satiawan, I. N. W.; Wiryajati, I. K.; Supriono

2016-01-01

Multilevel inverters have been widely used in many applications since the technology is advantageous to increase the converter capability as well as to improve the output voltage quality. According to the applied switching frequency, multilevel modulations can be subdivided into three classes, i.e: fundamental switching frequency, high switching frequency and mixed switching frequency. This paper investigates the performance of cascaded H-bridge (CHB) multilevel inverter that is modulated using mixed switching frequency (MSF) PWM with various dc-link voltage ratios. The simulation results show the nearly sinusoidal load output voltages are successfully achieved. It is revealed that there is improvement in output voltages quality in terms of THD and low-order harmonics content. The CHB inverter that is modulated using MSF PWM with equal dc-link voltage ratio (½ Vdc: ½ Vdc) produces output voltage with the lowest low-order harmonics (less than 1% of fundamental) while the CHB inverter that is modulated using MSF PWM with un-equal dc-link voltage ratio (2/3 Vdc: 1/3 Vdc) produces a 7-level output voltage with the lowest THD (16.31%) compared to the other PWM methods. Improvement of the output voltage quality here is also in line with improvement of the number of available levels provided in the output voltage. Here only 2 cells H-bridge inverter (contain 8 switches) are needed to produce a 7- level output voltage, while in the conventional CHB inverter at least 3 cells of H-bridge inverter (contain 12 switches) are needed to produce a 7-level output voltage. Hence it is valuable in term of saving number of component.

A multi-stage drop-the-losers design for multi-arm clinical trials.

PubMed

Wason, James; Stallard, Nigel; Bowden, Jack; Jennison, Christopher

2017-02-01

Multi-arm multi-stage trials can improve the efficiency of the drug development process when multiple new treatments are available for testing. A group-sequential approach can be used in order to design multi-arm multi-stage trials, using an extension to Dunnett's multiple-testing procedure. The actual sample size used in such a trial is a random variable that has high variability. This can cause problems when applying for funding as the cost will also be generally highly variable. This motivates a type of design that provides the efficiency advantages of a group-sequential multi-arm multi-stage design, but has a fixed sample size. One such design is the two-stage drop-the-losers design, in which a number of experimental treatments, and a control treatment, are assessed at a prescheduled interim analysis. The best-performing experimental treatment and the control treatment then continue to a second stage. In this paper, we discuss extending this design to have more than two stages, which is shown to considerably reduce the sample size required. We also compare the resulting sample size requirements to the sample size distribution of analogous group-sequential multi-arm multi-stage designs. The sample size required for a multi-stage drop-the-losers design is usually higher than, but close to, the median sample size of a group-sequential multi-arm multi-stage trial. In many practical scenarios, the disadvantage of a slight loss in average efficiency would be overcome by the huge advantage of a fixed sample size. We assess the impact of delay between recruitment and assessment as well as unknown variance on the drop-the-losers designs.

CE: Inside an Ebola Treatment Unit: A Nurse's Report.

PubMed

Wilson, Deborah

2015-12-01

In December 2013, the first cases of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) emerged in the West African nation of Guinea. Within months the disease had spread to the neighboring countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. The international humanitarian aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; known in English as Doctors Without Borders) soon responded by sending staff to set up treatment centers and outreach triage teams in all three countries. In August 2014, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international public health emergency.In September 2014, the author was sent by MSF to work as a nurse in an Ebola treatment unit in Liberia for five weeks. This article describes her experiences there. It provides some background, outlines the practices and teams involved, and aims to convey a sense of what it's like to work during an Ebola outbreak and to put a human face on this devastating epidemic.

Humanitarian agencies and authoritarian states: a symbiotic relationship?

PubMed

del Valle, Hernan; Healy, Sean

2013-10-01

The relationship between humanitarian agencies and authoritarian states is of growing concern to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), given the recurring difficulties experienced in negotiating access and implementing operations in such contexts. The effort to negotiate and gain approval from states to operate on their territory prompts reflection on the sources of legitimacy for action. Drawing on direct field examples in two countries only very rarely examined--Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan--this paper explores MSF's attempts to offer live-saving medical care there. It shows that successful access negotiations hinged heavily on demonstrating added value (medical relevance) while simultaneously building relationships with authorities, identifying possible allies within health ministries, and hoping that such measures could promote a level of acceptance or trust needed to operate. It is clear that the operational space achieved is bound to remain limited and fragile, and that many compromises have to be considered and judged against ethical principles and the overall impact of the intervention. © 2013 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2013.

Evaluation of TRMM satellite-based precipitation indexes for flood forecasting over Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tekeli, Ahmet Emre; Fouli, Hesham

2016-10-01

Floods are among the most common disasters harming humanity. In particular, flash floods cause hazards to life, property and any type of structures. Arid and semi-arid regions are equally prone to flash floods like regions with abundant rainfall. Despite rareness of intensive and frequent rainfall events over Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); an arid/semi-arid region, occasional flash floods occur and result in large amounts of damaging surface runoff. The flooding of 16 November, 2013 in Riyadh; the capital city of KSA, resulted in killing some people and led to much property damage. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) Real Time (RT) data (3B42RT) are used herein for flash flood forecasting. 3B42RT detected high-intensity rainfall events matching with the distribution of observed floods over KSA. A flood early warning system based on exceedance of threshold limits on 3B42RT data is proposed for Riyadh. Three different indexes: Constant Threshold (CT), Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDF) and Riyadh Flood Precipitation Index (RFPI) are developed using 14-year 3B42RT data from 2000 to 2013. RFPI and CDF with 90% captured the three major flooding events that occurred in February 2005, May 2010 and November 2013 in Riyadh. CT with 3 mm/h intensity indicated the 2013 flooding, but missed those of 2005 and 2010. The methodology implemented herein is a first-step simple and accurate way for flash flood forecasting over Riyadh. The simplicity of the methodology enables its applicability for the TRMM follow-on missions like Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.

Multi-stage decoding for multi-level block modulation codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shu

1991-01-01

In this paper, we investigate various types of multi-stage decoding for multi-level block modulation codes, in which the decoding of a component code at each stage can be either soft-decision or hard-decision, maximum likelihood or bounded-distance. Error performance of codes is analyzed for a memoryless additive channel based on various types of multi-stage decoding, and upper bounds on the probability of an incorrect decoding are derived. Based on our study and computation results, we find that, if component codes of a multi-level modulation code and types of decoding at various stages are chosen properly, high spectral efficiency and large coding gain can be achieved with reduced decoding complexity. In particular, we find that the difference in performance between the suboptimum multi-stage soft-decision maximum likelihood decoding of a modulation code and the single-stage optimum decoding of the overall code is very small: only a fraction of dB loss in SNR at the probability of an incorrect decoding for a block of 10(exp -6). Multi-stage decoding of multi-level modulation codes really offers a way to achieve the best of three worlds, bandwidth efficiency, coding gain, and decoding complexity.

Multi-channel EEG-based sleep stage classification with joint collaborative representation and multiple kernel learning.

PubMed

Shi, Jun; Liu, Xiao; Li, Yan; Zhang, Qi; Li, Yingjie; Ying, Shihui

2015-10-30

Electroencephalography (EEG) based sleep staging is commonly used in clinical routine. Feature extraction and representation plays a crucial role in EEG-based automatic classification of sleep stages. Sparse representation (SR) is a state-of-the-art unsupervised feature learning method suitable for EEG feature representation. Collaborative representation (CR) is an effective data coding method used as a classifier. Here we use CR as a data representation method to learn features from the EEG signal. A joint collaboration model is established to develop a multi-view learning algorithm, and generate joint CR (JCR) codes to fuse and represent multi-channel EEG signals. A two-stage multi-view learning-based sleep staging framework is then constructed, in which JCR and joint sparse representation (JSR) algorithms first fuse and learning the feature representation from multi-channel EEG signals, respectively. Multi-view JCR and JSR features are then integrated and sleep stages recognized by a multiple kernel extreme learning machine (MK-ELM) algorithm with grid search. The proposed two-stage multi-view learning algorithm achieves superior performance for sleep staging. With a K-means clustering based dictionary, the mean classification accuracy, sensitivity and specificity are 81.10 ± 0.15%, 71.42 ± 0.66% and 94.57 ± 0.07%, respectively; while with the dictionary learned using the submodular optimization method, they are 80.29 ± 0.22%, 71.26 ± 0.78% and 94.38 ± 0.10%, respectively. The two-stage multi-view learning based sleep staging framework outperforms all other classification methods compared in this work, while JCR is superior to JSR. The proposed multi-view learning framework has the potential for sleep staging based on multi-channel or multi-modality polysomnography signals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Homogeneous-oxide stack in IGZO thin-film transistors for multi-level-cell NAND memory application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Hao; Wei, Yehui; Zhang, Xinlei; Jiang, Ran

2017-11-01

A nonvolatile charge-trap-flash memory that is based on amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors was fabricated with a homogeneous-oxide structure for a multi-level-cell application. All oxide layers, i.e., tunneling layer, charge trapping layer, and blocking layer, were fabricated with Al2O3 films. The fabrication condition (including temperature and deposition method) of the charge trapping layer was different from those of the other oxide layers. This device demonstrated a considerable large memory window of 4 V between the states fully erased and programmed with the operation voltage less than 14 V. This kind of device shows a good prospect for multi-level-cell memory applications.

Multi-stage decoding of multi-level modulation codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shu; Kasami, Tadao; Costello, Daniel J., Jr.

1991-01-01

Various types of multi-stage decoding for multi-level modulation codes are investigated. It is shown that if the component codes of a multi-level modulation code and types of decoding at various stages are chosen properly, high spectral efficiency and large coding gain can be achieved with reduced decoding complexity. Particularly, it is shown that the difference in performance between the suboptimum multi-stage soft-decision maximum likelihood decoding of a modulation code and the single-stage optimum soft-decision decoding of the code is very small, only a fraction of dB loss in signal to noise ratio at a bit error rate (BER) of 10(exp -6).

Isolation of tert-alkylphenols from the products of alkylation of phenols

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

Nesterova, T.N.; Verevkin, S.P.; Rempel', R.D.

1987-08-10

The authors studied the conditions of isolation of tert-amyl-, hexyl-, heptyl-, octyl-, decyl-, and dodecylphenols, and tert-alkylcresols, alkylpyrocatechols, and alkylhydroquinones from alkylation products. The compounds were isolated in all cases from reaction mixtures obtained in presence of cation-exchange resins of the KU-2 type. A preliminary stage, flash evaporation of the reaction mass at 4-13 Pa for 5-15 min, is needed to prevent decomposition of tert-alkylphenols during their isolation from acid reaction mixtures by fractionation. Flash distillation of high-boiling tert-alkylphenols should be conducted in presence of a component lowering the boiling point of the mixture, added in 1:(0.5-1.0) weight ratio ofmore » original mixture to the component.« less

Development of design technique for vacuum insulation in large size multi-aperture multi-grid accelerator for nuclear fusion.

PubMed

Kojima, A; Hanada, M; Tobari, H; Nishikiori, R; Hiratsuka, J; Kashiwagi, M; Umeda, N; Yoshida, M; Ichikawa, M; Watanabe, K; Yamano, Y; Grisham, L R

2016-02-01

Design techniques for the vacuum insulation have been developed in order to realize a reliable voltage holding capability of multi-aperture multi-grid (MAMuG) accelerators for fusion application. In this method, the nested multi-stage configuration of the MAMuG accelerator can be uniquely designed to satisfy the target voltage within given boundary conditions. The evaluation of the voltage holding capabilities of each acceleration stages was based on the previous experimental results about the area effect and the multi-aperture effect. Since the multi-grid effect was found to be the extension of the area effect by the total facing area this time, the total voltage holding capability of the multi-stage can be estimated from that per single stage by assuming the stage with the highest electric field, the total facing area, and the total apertures. By applying these consideration, the analysis on the 3-stage MAMuG accelerator for JT-60SA agreed well with the past gap-scan experiments with an accuracy of less than 10% variation, which demonstrated the high reliability to design MAMuG accelerators and also multi-stage high voltage bushings.

Development of design technique for vacuum insulation in large size multi-aperture multi-grid accelerator for nuclear fusion

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

Kojima, A., E-mail: kojima.atsushi@jaea.go.jp; Hanada, M.; Tobari, H.

Design techniques for the vacuum insulation have been developed in order to realize a reliable voltage holding capability of multi-aperture multi-grid (MAMuG) accelerators for fusion application. In this method, the nested multi-stage configuration of the MAMuG accelerator can be uniquely designed to satisfy the target voltage within given boundary conditions. The evaluation of the voltage holding capabilities of each acceleration stages was based on the previous experimental results about the area effect and the multi-aperture effect. Since the multi-grid effect was found to be the extension of the area effect by the total facing area this time, the total voltagemore » holding capability of the multi-stage can be estimated from that per single stage by assuming the stage with the highest electric field, the total facing area, and the total apertures. By applying these consideration, the analysis on the 3-stage MAMuG accelerator for JT-60SA agreed well with the past gap-scan experiments with an accuracy of less than 10% variation, which demonstrated the high reliability to design MAMuG accelerators and also multi-stage high voltage bushings.« less

The opportunity and challenge of spin coat based nanoimprint lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Wooyung; Cho, Jungbin; Choi, Eunhyuk; Lim, Yonghyun; Bok, Cheolkyu; Tsuji, Masatoshi; Kobayashi, Kei; Kono, Takuya; Nakasugi, Tetsuro

2017-03-01

Since multi patterning with spacer was introduced in NAND flash memory1, multi patterning with spacer has been a promising solution to overcome the resolution limit. However, the increase in process cost of multi patterning with spacer must be a serious burden to device manufacturers as half pitch of patterns gets smaller.2, 3 Even though Nano Imprint Lithography (NIL) has been considered as one of strong candidates to avoid cost issue of multi patterning with spacer, there are still negative viewpoints; template damage induced from particles between template and wafer, overlay degradation induced from shear force between template and wafer, and throughput loss induced from dispensing and spreading resist droplet. Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography (J-FIL4, 5, 6) has contributed to throughput improvement, but still has these above problems. J-FIL consists of 5 steps; dispense of resist droplets on wafer, imprinting template on wafer, filling the gap between template and wafer with resist, UV curing, and separation of template from wafer. If dispensing resist droplets by inkjet is replaced with coating resist at spin coater, additional progress in NIL can be achieved. Template damage from particle can be suppressed by thick resist which is spin-coated at spin coater and covers most of particles on wafer, shear force between template and wafer can be minimized with thick resist, and finally additional throughput enhancement can be achieved by skipping dispense of resist droplets on wafer. On the other hand, spin-coat-based NIL has side effect such as pattern collapse which comes from high separation energy of resist. It is expected that pattern collapse can be improved by the development of resist with low separation energy.

The 9 September 2010 torrential rain and flash flood in the Dragone catchment, Atrani, Amalfi Coast (southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Violante, C.; Braca, G.; Esposito, E.; Tranfaglia, G.

2016-02-01

In this paper we use a multi-hazard approach to analyse the 9 September 2010 flash flood in the Dragone basin, a 9 km2 catchment located along the Amalfi rocky coastal range, southern Italy. In this area, alluvial fan flooding has been the most frequent and destructive geologic hazard since Roman times. Sudden torrents of water (flash floods) are caused by high-intensity and very localized cloudbursts of short duration, inducing slope erosion and sediment delivery from slope to stream. The elevated bed load transport produces fast-moving hyperconcentrated flows with significant catastrophic implications for communities living at the stream mouth. The 9 September 2010 rainstorm event lasted 1 h with an intensity rainfall peak of nearly 120 mm h-1. High topographic relief of the Amalfi coastal range and positive anomalies of the coastal waters conditioned the character of the convective system. Based on geological data and post-event field evidence and surveys, as well as homemade videos and eyewitness accounts, it is reported that the flash flood mobilized some 25 000 m3 of materials with a total (water and sediment) peak flow of 80 m3 s-1. The estimated peak discharge of only clear water was about 65 m3 s-1. This leads to a sediment bulking factor of 1.2 that corresponds to a flow with velocities similar to those of water during a flood.

A facile and low-cost micro fabrication material: flash foam.

PubMed

He, Yong; Xiao, Xiao; Wu, Yan; Fu, Jian-zhong

2015-08-28

Although many microfabrication methods have been reported, the preliminary replication templates used in most microfabrication still depend on the expensive and long-period photolithography. This paper explores an alternative replication templates based on a daily used material, flash foam (FF), and proposes a facile microfabrication method, flash foam stamp lithography (FFSL). When FF is exposed with a desired pattern mask, the negative of the pattern is transferred to its surface and micro structures are formed due to the shrinkage of the exposed area. As FF is commonly used in personal stamps, FFSL is very simple and cost-effective. In this paper, we demonstrated that FF is a good and low-cost template for many micro fabrication methods, such as micro casting and soft lithography. Thus, designing and fabricating micro structures at personal office immediately become possible with FFSL. Furthermore, we demonstrated that multi-scale micro structures can be easily fabricated by double exposure with FFSL. Skin textures is used as another case to demonstrate that FFSL can fabricate structures with different depth in a single exposure. As a result, FF shows a promising future in biology, and analytical chemistry, such as rapid fabrication of point of care diagnostics and microfluidic analytical devices with low cost.

Brilliant GeV gamma-ray flash from inverse Compton scattering in the QED regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Z.; Hu, R. H.; Lu, H. Y.; Yu, J. Q.; Wang, D. H.; Fu, E. G.; Chen, C. E.; He, X. T.; Yan, X. Q.

2018-04-01

An all-optical scheme is proposed for studying laser plasma based incoherent photon emission from inverse Compton scattering in the quantum electrodynamic regime. A theoretical model is presented to explain the coupling effects among radiation reaction trapping, the self-generated magnetic field and the spiral attractor in phase space, which guarantees the transfer of energy and angular momentum from electromagnetic fields to particles. Taking advantage of a prospective ˜ 1023 W cm-2 laser facility, 3D particle-in-cell simulations show a gamma-ray flash with unprecedented multi-petawatt power and brightness of 1.7 × 1023 photons s-1 mm-2 mrad-2/0.1% bandwidth (at 1 GeV). These results bode well for new research directions in particle physics and laboratory astrophysics exploring laser plasma interactions.

Sleep Symptoms During the Menopausal Transition and Early Postmenopause: Observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study

PubMed Central

Woods, Nancy Fugate; Mitchell, Ellen Sullivan

2010-01-01

Study Objectives: Describe the severity of getting to sleep, nighttime awakening, and early morning awakening across the menopausal transition (MT) and early postmenopause (PM) and their relationship to age, menopausal transition factors, symptoms, stress-related factors, and health related factors. Design: Cohort Setting: community Participants: 286 women from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study cohort Measurements: Participants completed annual menstrual calendars for MT staging, diaries in which they rated their symptoms, stress levels, and perceived health multiple times per year from 1990-2007 and provided first morning urine samples assayed for E1G, FSH, cortisol, and catecholamines. Multilevel modeling (R program) was used for data analysis. Results: Severity of self-reported problems going to sleep was associated with all symptoms, perceived stress, history of sexual abuse, perceived health (-), alcohol use (-) (all P < 0.001), and lower cortisol (P = 0.009), but not E1G or FSH. Severity of nighttime awakening was significantly associated with age, late MT stage. and early PM, FSH, E1G (-), hot flashes, depressed mood, anxiety, joint pain, backache, perceived stress, history of sexual abuse, perceived health (-), and alcohol use (-) (all P < 0.001, except E1G for which P = 0.030). Severity of early morning awakening was significantly associated with age, hot flashes, depressed mood anxiety, joint pain, backache, perceived stress, history of sexual abuse, perceived health (-) (all P ≤ 0.001, except E1G for which P = 0.02 and epinephrine (P = 0.038), but not MT stages or FSH. Multivariate models for each symptom included hot flashes, depressed mood, and perceived health. Conclusion: Sleep symptoms during the MT may be amenable to symptom management strategies that take into account the symptom clusters and promote women's general health rather than focusing only on the MT. Citation: Woods NF; Mitchell ES. Sleep symptoms during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause: observations from the seattle midlife women's health study. SLEEP 2010;33(4):539-549. PMID:20394324

Simultaneous measurement and modulation of multiple physiological parameters in the isolated heart using optical techniques

PubMed Central

Lee, Peter; Yan, Ping; Ewart, Paul; Kohl, Peter

2012-01-01

Whole-heart multi-parametric optical mapping has provided valuable insight into the interplay of electro-physiological parameters, and this technology will continue to thrive as dyes are improved and technical solutions for imaging become simpler and cheaper. Here, we show the advantage of using improved 2nd-generation voltage dyes, provide a simple solution to panoramic multi-parametric mapping, and illustrate the application of flash photolysis of caged compounds for studies in the whole heart. For proof of principle, we used the isolated rat whole-heart model. After characterising the blue and green isosbestic points of di-4-ANBDQBS and di-4-ANBDQPQ, respectively, two voltage and calcium mapping systems are described. With two newly custom-made multi-band optical filters, (1) di-4-ANBDQBS and fluo-4 and (2) di-4-ANBDQPQ and rhod-2 mapping are demonstrated. Furthermore, we demonstrate three-parameter mapping using di-4-ANBDQPQ, rhod-2 and NADH. Using off-the-shelf optics and the di-4-ANBDQPQ and rhod-2 combination, we demonstrate panoramic multi-parametric mapping, affording a 360° spatiotemporal record of activity. Finally, local optical perturbation of calcium dynamics in the whole heart is demonstrated using the caged compound, o-nitrophenyl ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (NP-EGTA), with an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (LED). Calcium maps (heart loaded with di-4-ANBDQPQ and rhod-2) demonstrate successful NP-EGTA loading and local flash photolysis. All imaging systems were built using only a single camera. In conclusion, using novel 2nd-generation voltage dyes, we developed scalable techniques for multi-parametric optical mapping of the whole heart from one point of view and panoramically. In addition to these parameter imaging approaches, we show that it is possible to use caged compounds and ultraviolet LEDs to locally perturb electrophysiological parameters in the whole heart. PMID:22886365

The thermodynamic cycle models for geothermal power plants by considering the working fluid characteristic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulyana, Cukup; Adiprana, Reza; Saad, Aswad H.; M. Ridwan, H.; Muhammad, Fajar

2016-02-01

The scarcity of fossil energy accelerates the development of geothermal power plant in Indonesia. The main issue is how to minimize the energy loss from the geothermal working fluid so that the power generated can be increased. In some of geothermal power plant, the hot water which is resulted from flashing is flown to injection well, and steam out from turbine is condensed in condenser, while the temperature and pressure of the working fluid is still high. The aim of this research is how the waste energy can be re-used as energy source to generate electric power. The step of the research is started by studying the characteristics of geothermal fluid out from the well head. The temperature of fluid varies from 140°C - 250°C, the pressure is more than 7 bar and the fluid phase are liquid, gas, or mixing phase. Dry steam power plant is selected for vapor dominated source, single or multiple flash power plant is used for dominated water with temperature > 225°C, while the binary power plant is used for low temperature of fluid < 160°C. Theoretically, the process in the power plant can be described by thermodynamic cycle. Utilizing the heat loss of the brine and by considering the broad range of working fluid temperature, the integrated geothermal power plant has been developed. Started with two ordinary single flash power plants named unit 1 and unit 2, with the temperature 250°C resulting power is W1'+W2'. The power is enhanced by utilizing the steam that is out from first stage of the turbine by inputting the steam to the third stage, the power of the plant increase with W1''+W2" or 10% from the original power. By using flasher, the water from unit 1 and 2 is re-flashed at 200°C, and the steam is used to drive the turbine in unit 3, while the water is re-flashed at the temperature170°C and the steam is flown to the same turbine (unit 3) resulting the power of W3+W4. Using the fluid enthalpy, the calculated power of these double and triple flash power plant are 50% of W1+W2. At the last step, the steam out from the turbine of unit 3 with the temperature 150°C is used as a heat source for binary cycle power plant named unit 4, while the hot water from the flasher is used as a heat source for the other binary cycle named unit 5 resulted power W5+W6 or 15% of W1+W2. Using this integrated model the power increased 75% from the original one.

Multi-stage decoding for multi-level block modulation codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shu; Kasami, Tadao

1991-01-01

Various types of multistage decoding for multilevel block modulation codes, in which the decoding of a component code at each stage can be either soft decision or hard decision, maximum likelihood or bounded distance are discussed. Error performance for codes is analyzed for a memoryless additive channel based on various types of multi-stage decoding, and upper bounds on the probability of an incorrect decoding are derived. It was found that, if component codes of a multi-level modulation code and types of decoding at various stages are chosen properly, high spectral efficiency and large coding gain can be achieved with reduced decoding complexity. It was found that the difference in performance between the suboptimum multi-stage soft decision maximum likelihood decoding of a modulation code and the single stage optimum decoding of the overall code is very small, only a fraction of dB loss in SNR at the probability of an incorrect decoding for a block of 10(exp -6). Multi-stage decoding of multi-level modulation codes really offers a way to achieve the best of three worlds, bandwidth efficiency, coding gain, and decoding complexity.

Note on lightning temperature

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

Alanakyan, Yu. R., E-mail: yralanak@mail.ru

2015-10-15

In this paper, some features of the dynamics of a lightning channel that emerges after the leader-streamer process, are theoretically studied. It is shown that the dynamic pinch effect in the channel becomes possible if a discharge current before the main (quasi-steady) stage of a lightning discharge increases rapidly. The ensuing magnetic compression of the channel increases plasma temperature to several million degrees leading to a soft x-ray flash within the highly ionized plasma. The relation between the plasma temperature and the channel radius during the main stage of a lightning discharge is derived.

Perceptual suppression revealed by adaptive multi-scale entropy analysis of local field potential in monkey visual cortex.

PubMed

Hu, Meng; Liang, Hualou

2013-04-01

Generalized flash suppression (GFS), in which a salient visual stimulus can be rendered invisible despite continuous retinal input, provides a rare opportunity to directly study the neural mechanism of visual perception. Previous work based on linear methods, such as spectral analysis, on local field potential (LFP) during GFS has shown that the LFP power at distinctive frequency bands are differentially modulated by perceptual suppression. Yet, the linear method alone may be insufficient for the full assessment of neural dynamic due to the fundamentally nonlinear nature of neural signals. In this study, we set forth to analyze the LFP data collected from multiple visual areas in V1, V2 and V4 of macaque monkeys while performing the GFS task using a nonlinear method - adaptive multi-scale entropy (AME) - to reveal the neural dynamic of perceptual suppression. In addition, we propose a new cross-entropy measure at multiple scales, namely adaptive multi-scale cross-entropy (AMCE), to assess the nonlinear functional connectivity between two cortical areas. We show that: (1) multi-scale entropy exhibits percept-related changes in all three areas, with higher entropy observed during perceptual suppression; (2) the magnitude of the perception-related entropy changes increases systematically over successive hierarchical stages (i.e. from lower areas V1 to V2, up to higher area V4); and (3) cross-entropy between any two cortical areas reveals higher degree of asynchrony or dissimilarity during perceptual suppression, indicating a decreased functional connectivity between cortical areas. These results, taken together, suggest that perceptual suppression is related to a reduced functional connectivity and increased uncertainty of neural responses, and the modulation of perceptual suppression is more effective at higher visual cortical areas. AME is demonstrated to be a useful technique in revealing the underlying dynamic of nonlinear/nonstationary neural signal.

An early warning system for flash floods in Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cools, J.; Abdelkhalek, A.; El Sammany, M.; Fahmi, A. H.; Bauwens, W.; Huygens, M.

2009-09-01

This paper describes the development of the Flash Flood Manager, abbreviated as FlaFloM. The Flash Flood Manager is an early warning system for flash floods which is developed under the EU LIFE project FlaFloM. It is applied to Wadi Watier located in the Sinai peninsula (Egypt) and discharges in the Red Sea at the local economic and tourist hub of Nuweiba city. FlaFloM consists of a chain of four modules: 1) Data gathering module, 2) Forecasting module, 3) Decision support module or DSS and 4) Warning module. Each module processes input data and consequently send the output to the following module. In case of a flash flood emergency, the final outcome of FlaFloM is a flood warning which is sent out to decision-makers. The ‘data gathering module’ collects input data from different sources, validates the input, visualise data and exports it to other modules. Input data is provided ideally as water stage (h), discharge (Q) and rainfall (R) through real-time field measurements and external forecasts. This project, however, as occurs in many arid flash flood prone areas, was confronted with a scarcity of data, and insufficient insight in the characteristics that release a flash flood. Hence, discharge and water stage data were not available. Although rainfall measurements are available through classical off line rain gauges, the sparse rain gauges network couldn’t catch the spatial and temporal characteristics of rainfall events. To overcome this bottleneck, we developed rainfall intensity raster maps (mm/hr) with an hourly time step and raster cell of 1*1km. These maps are derived through downscaling from two sources of global instruments: the weather research and forecasting model (WRF) and satellite estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The ‘forecast module’ comprises three numerical models that, using data from the gathering module performs simulations on command: a rainfall-runoff model, a river flow model, and a flood model. A rainfall-runoff model transforms the (forecasted) rainfall into a runoff volume (m³) and consequently a time-dependent discharge (m³/s) for each of the subwadis which is then routed through the main channel. The flood model then converts the discharges into water stages and generates a spatially-distributed flood map. The rainfall-runoff model is developed in Matlab-Simulink. The latter two models are implemented in Infoworks and Floodworks (both Wallingford Software), which allows an automatic feed into the warning module. The ‘warning module’ has two tasks: 1) to generate specific flags when modelling results exceed pre-established thresholds for rainfall, discharge, water stage, volumes, etc… 2) to communicate the given flags as warning signals to operators and/or stakeholders. The ‘decision support module’ or DSS finally gives to the user the capability of performing alternative analysis in order to have a better idea of the reliability of the forecasts by means of the comparison of already made forecasts with new data and a sensitivity analysis. Although FlaFloM is now able to send out warnings, the forecasts of this first version are expected to be insufficiently accurate which may lead to false warnings and loss of trust with decision-makers if not communicated well. When new insights and data are available, the model will be updated which improves the forecast accuracy. At this moment, we see two major fields of improvement: 1) better rainfall forecasts and 2) better insights of the response of an arid area to storm events. Firstly, the rainfall maps provided better insights in the spatial and temporal extent of a rainfall event, though absolute rainfall values are not considered accurate. The major reason behind is the fact that both global systems are insufficiently parameterized for arid areas. New data from an improved rain gauge network is expected to add value. Secondly, better insights need to be gained on the response of the Wadi to rainfall. The calibration of the hydrological models is currently based on literature and a geological surface map from which we derived infiltration rates. Modelled discharges or flood volumes can only be assessed qualitatively based on the field knowledge of local Bedouins inhabitants. To reduce uncertainty on forecasts and to guide on new data to be collected, a sensitivity analysis with rainfall scenarios is performed.

Significance, evolution and recent advances in adsorption technology, materials and processes for desalination, water softening and salt removal.

PubMed

Alaei Shahmirzadi, Mohammad Amin; Hosseini, Seyed Saeid; Luo, Jianquan; Ortiz, Inmaculada

2018-06-01

Desalination and softening of sea, brackish, and ground water are becoming increasingly important solutions to overcome water shortage challenges. Various technologies have been developed for salt removal from water resources including multi-stage flash, multi-effect distillation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, electrodialysis, as well as adsorption. Recently, removal of solutes by adsorption onto selective adsorbents has shown promising perspectives. Different types of adsorbents such as zeolites, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), activated carbons, graphenes, magnetic adsorbents, and low-cost adsorbents (natural materials, industrial by-products and wastes, bio-sorbents, and biopolymer) have been synthesized and examined for salt removal from aqueous solutions. It is obvious from literature that the existing adsorbents have good potentials for desalination and water softening. Besides, nano-adsorbents have desirable surface area and adsorption capacity, though are not found at economically viable prices and still have challenges in recovery and reuse. On the other hand, natural and modified adsorbents seem to be efficient alternatives for this application compared to other types of adsorbents due to their availability and low cost. Some novel adsorbents are also emerging. Generally, there are a few issues such as low selectivity and adsorption capacity, process efficiency, complexity in preparation or synthesis, and problems associated to recovery and reuse that require considerable improvements in research and process development. Moreover, large-scale applications of sorbents and their practical utility need to be evaluated for possible commercialization and scale up. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teachers and Students' Conceptions of Computer-Based Models in the Context of High School Chemistry: Elicitations at the Pre-Intervention Stage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waight, Noemi; Gillmeister, Kristina

2014-01-01

This study examined teachers' and students' initial conceptions of computer-based models--Flash and NetLogo models--and documented how teachers and students reconciled notions of multiple representations featuring macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic representations prior to actual intervention in eight high school chemistry…

Results of TLE and TGF Observation in RELEC Experiment onboard "Vernov" Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimov, Pavel; Garipov, Gali; Klimov, Stanislav; Rothkaehl, Hanna; Khrenov, Boris; Pozanenko, Alexei; Morozenko, Violetta; Iyudin, Anatoly; Bogomolov, Vitalij V.; Svertilov, Sergey; Panasyuk, Mikhail; Saleev, Kirill; Kaznacheeva, Margarita; Maximov, Ivan

2016-07-01

"Vernov" satellite with RELEC experiment onboard was launched on 2014 July, 8 into a polar solar-synchronous orbit. The payload includes DUV ultraviolet and red photometer and DRGE gamma-ray spectrometer providing measurements in 10-3000 keV energy range with four detectors. Both instruments directed to the atmosphere. Total area of DRGE detectors is ˜500 cm ^{2}. The data were recorded both in monitoring and gamma by gamma modes with timing accuracy ˜15 μs. Several TGF candidates with 10-40 gammas in a burst with duration <1 ms were detected. Analysis of data from other instruments on-board "Vernov" satellite shows the absence of significant electromagnetic pulses around correspondent time moments. Comparison with a world wide lightning location network (WWLLN) data base also indicates that there were no thunderstorms connected with most of detected TGF candidates. Possible connection of TGF candidates with electron precipitations is discussed. Observations of transient luminous events (TLEs) were made in UV (240-400 nm) and IR (>610 nm) wavelength bands. More than 8 thousands of flashes with duration between 1 and 128 ms were detected from the atmosphere. Time profiles of detected flashes are very diverse. There are single peak events with significant UV and IR signal, multi-peak structures visible in the both UV and IR channels and very complicated events mixed from UV and IR signals and UV flashes which can continue even during the whole waveform. In addition, there are flashes of various temporal duration and structure measured only in UV wavelength range. Number of UV photons released in the atmosphere varies in a wide range from 10 ^{20} to 10 ^{26}. Apart from the events detected in the thunderstorm regions over the continents, many flashes were observed outside of thunderstorm areas, above the ocean and even at rather high latitudes. Such events are not associated with the thunderstorm and lightning activity measured by WWLLN. Various types of UV and IR flashes measurements and their interpretation, geographical, energy and spectral distribution are presented and discussed.

Alternative Geothermal Power Production Scenarios

DOE Data Explorer

Sullivan, John

2014-03-14

The information given in this file pertains to Argonne LCAs of the plant cycle stage for a set of ten new geothermal scenario pairs, each comprised of a reference and improved case. These analyses were conducted to compare environmental performances among the scenarios and cases. The types of plants evaluated are hydrothermal binary and flash and Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) binary and flash plants. Each scenario pair was developed by the LCOE group using GETEM as a way to identify plant operational and resource combinations that could reduce geothermal power plant LCOE values. Based on the specified plant and well field characteristics (plant type, capacity, capacity factor and lifetime, and well numbers and depths) for each case of each pair, Argonne generated a corresponding set of material to power ratios (MPRs) and greenhouse gas and fossil energy ratios.

Development of Physical Therapy Practical Assessment System by Using Multisource Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hengsomboon, Ninwisan; Pasiphol, Shotiga; Sujiva, Siridej

2017-01-01

The purposes of the research were (1) to develop the physical therapy practical assessment system by using the multisource feedback (MSF) approach and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of the implementation of the developed physical therapy practical assessment system. The development of physical therapy practical assessment system by using MSF…

75 FR 39265 - Request for Nominations of Candidates To Serve on the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-08

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Request... Secretary, HHS; the Director, CDC and the Director, NCEH/ATSDR, regarding program goals, objectives... Management Specialist, NCEH/ ATSDR, CDC, 4770 Buford Highway (MS-F61), Chamblee, Georgia 30341. (E- mail...

Treatment of mandibular symphyseal fracture combined with dislocated intracapsular condylar fractures.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaofeng; Shi, Jun; Xu, Bing; Dai, Jiewen; Zhang, Shilei

2015-03-01

To evaluate the treatment methods of mandibular symphyseal fracture combined with dislocated intracapsular condylar fractures (MSF&DICF) and to compare the effect of different treatment methods of condylar fractures. Twenty-eight patients with MSF&DICF were included in this study. Twenty-two sites were treated by open reduction, and all the medial condylar fragments were fixed with titanium screws; whereas the other 22 sites underwent close treatment. The surgical effect between these 2 groups was compared based on clinical examination and radiographic examination results. Seventeen of 22 condyle fractures were repositioned in the surgery group, whereas 4 of 22 condyle fractures were repositioned in the close treatment group. Statistical difference was observed between these 2 groups (P < 0.01). Functional outcomes of the patients treated in the surgical treatment group also were better than those in the close treatment group. The dislocated intracapsular condyle fractures should be treated by surgical reduction with the maintenance of the attachment of lateral pterygoid muscle, which is beneficial to repositioning the dislocated condyle to its original physiological position, to closure of the mandibular lingual gap, to restore the mandibular width.

The impact of humanitarian context conditions and individual characteristics on aid worker retention.

PubMed

Korff, Valeska P; Balbo, Nicoletta; Mills, Melinda; Heyse, Liesbet; Wittek, Rafael

2015-07-01

High employee turnover rates constitute a major challenge to effective aid provision. This study examines how features of humanitarian work and aid workers' individual characteristics affect retention within one humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland. The study extends existing research by providing new theoretical explanations of employment opportunities and constraints and by engaging in the first large-scale quantitative analysis of aid worker retention. Using a database of field staff (N=1,955), a logistic regression is performed of the likelihood of reenlistment after a first mission. The findings demonstrate that only 40 per cent of employees reenlist for a second mission with MSF Holland, and that workplace location and security situation, age, and gender have no significant effect. Individuals are less likely to reenlist if they returned early from the first mission for a personal reason, are in a relationship, are medical doctors, or if they come from highly developed countries. The paper reflects on the findings in the light of policy. © 2015 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2015.

Devolatilization Analysis in a Twin Screw Extruder by using the Flow Analysis Network (FAN) Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomiyama, Hideki; Takamoto, Seiji; Shintani, Hiroaki; Inoue, Shigeki

We derived the theoretical formulas for three mechanisms of devolatilization in a twin screw extruder. These are flash, surface refreshment and forced expansion. The method for flash devolatilization is based on the equation of equilibrium concentration which shows that volatiles break off from polymer when they are relieved from high pressure condition. For surface refreshment devolatilization, we applied Latinen's model to allow estimation of polymer behavior in the unfilled screw conveying condition. Forced expansion devolatilization is based on the expansion theory in which foams are generated under reduced pressure and volatiles are diffused on the exposed surface layer after mixing with the injected devolatilization agent. Based on these models, we developed the simulation software of twin-screw extrusion by the FAN method and it allows us to quantitatively estimate volatile concentration and polymer temperature with a high accuracy in the actual multi-vent extrusion process for LDPE + n-hexane.

Superficial Fascia (SF) in the Cheek and Parotid Area: Histology and Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI).

PubMed

Hwang, Kun; Kim, Hun; Kim, Dae Joong; Kim, Yeo Ju; Kang, Young Hye

2016-08-01

The aim of this study is to compare the superficial fascia (SF) in the cheek and parotid areas histologically and through MRI. An in vitro study included a histological report and an MRI of the cheek of two Korean adult cadavers. The in vivo study included 100 MRI images and three axial image cuts (mandibular condyle, notch, and half the distance between the top of the condyle and the angle). Four angles, one length, and four thicknesses were measured and compared. The MRI results were in concord with the gross specimen or histology. The SF consisted of multilayered horizontal and vertical fibrous connective tissues at all three levels in both the histology and MRI. In the cheek, both histology and MRI showed horizontal fibrous connective tissues which were connected with the zygomaticus major, visualized as a continuous membrane (membranous layer, MSF). MSF divided the SF into the superficial fatty layer (SFS) and the deep fatty layer. The thickness of the SF depended upon the thickness of the SFS since the thickness of the MSF was very similar irrespective of the three levels. The thickness of the SFS was thicker in females than in males. At the condyle level, the AS-PS angle (AP line-the most posterior superficial fascia angle) and AS-PS length increased significantly (p = 0.001, y = 0.15x + 16.19, and p < 0.001, y = 0.33x + 14.68, respectively). We hope the information we have gathered could be useful to provide subcutaneous dissection or sub-SMAS dissection in facelift surgeries. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Synaptic physiology of the flow of information in the cat's visual cortex in vivo

PubMed Central

Hirsch, Judith A; Martinez, Luis M; Alonso, José-Manuel; Desai, Komal; Pillai, Cinthi; Pierre, Carhine

2002-01-01

Each stage of the striate cortical circuit extracts novel information about the visual environment. We asked if this analytic process reflected laminar variations in synaptic physiology by making whole-cell recording with dye-filled electrodes from the cat's visual cortex and thalamus; the stimuli were flashed spots. Thalamic afferents terminate in layer 4, which contains two types of cell, simple and complex, distinguished by the spatial structure of the receptive field. Previously, we had found that the postsynaptic and spike responses of simple cells reliably followed the time course of flash-evoked thalamic activity. Here we report that complex cells in layer 4 (or cells intermediate between simple and complex) similarly reprised thalamic activity (response/trial, 99 ± 1.9 %; response duration 159 ± 57 ms; latency 25 ± 4 ms; average ± standard deviation; n = 7). Thus, all cells in layer 4 share a common synaptic physiology that allows secure integration of thalamic input. By contrast, at the second cortical stage (layer 2+3), where layer 4 directs its output, postsynaptic responses did not track simple patterns of antecedent activity. Typical responses to the static stimulus were intermittent and brief (response/trial, 31 ± 40 %; response duration 72 ± 60 ms, latency 39 ± 7 ms; n = 11). Only richer stimuli like those including motion evoked reliable responses. All told, the second level of cortical processing differs markedly from the first. At that later stage, ascending information seems strongly gated by connections between cortical neurons. Inputs must be combined in newly specified patterns to influence intracortical stages of processing. PMID:11927691

Characteristics of negative lightning leaders to ground observed by TVLS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Shi; Jiang, Zhidong; Shi, Lihua; Niu, Zhencong; Zhang, Peng

2015-12-01

The Thunder and VHF lightning Locating System (termed TVLS) is established and utilized to observe leader behaviors of negative cloud to ground (CG) flashes. This system takes advantages of VHF broadband interferometer and thunder imaging technique, which could provide the temporal and quasi-3D spatial evolution of lightning discharges. In conjunction with synchronized electric field changes (E-changes) and electric field derivatives (dE/dt) records, 10 leaders from two CG flashes are presented and analyzed. Based on the characteristic evolution of leader velocities, E-changes, dE/dt waveforms and VHF intervals, three stepped leaders, five dart leaders and two dart-stepped leaders are identified. The stepped leaders behave impulsive while approaching ground, with average speed (1.3∼3.9)×105 m/s. All normal dart leaders presented here exhibit irregular (or termed "chaotic") fluctuations in E-change and dE/dt waveforms, with the similar speeds ((1.0∼2.9)×107 m/s) and durations ((300∼700) μs) of the "chaotic" leaders observed by other investigators. The irregular fluctuations would be weak if the channels keep conductive until the leader enters the less conductive branches, coinciding with VHF radiations in time sequence. The dart-stepped leader could be divided into the dart stage and the stepped stage by a transition region, which usually lies around the branch junctions of previous active channel. The dart stage resembles the normal dart leader, and the stepped stage usually associates with regular pulse trains in E-change and dE/dt waveforms.

Lightning activity related to satellite and radar observations of a mesoscale convective system over Texas on 7 8 April 2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotzek, Nikolai; Rabin, Robert M.; Carey, Lawrence D.; MacGorman, Donald R.; McCormick, Tracy L.; Demetriades, Nicholas W.; Murphy, Martin J.; Holle, Ronald L.

2005-07-01

A multi-sensor study of the leading-line, trailing-stratiform (LLTS) mesoscale convective system (MCS) that developed over Texas in the afternoon of 7 April 2002 is presented. The analysis relies mainly on operationally available data sources such as GOES East satellite imagery, WSR-88D radar data and NLDN cloud-to-ground flash data. In addition, total lightning information in three dimensions from the LDAR II network in the Dallas-Ft. Worth region is used. GOES East satellite imagery revealed several ring-like cloud top structures with a diameter of about 100 km during MCS formation. The Throckmorton tornadic supercell, which had formed just ahead of the developing linear MCS, was characterized by a high CG+ percentage below a V-shaped cloud top overshoot north of the tornado swath. There were indications of the presence of a tilted electrical dipole in this storm. Also this supercell had low average CG- first stroke currents and flash multiplicities. Interestingly, especially the average CG+ flash multiplicity in the Throckmorton storm showed oscillations with an estimated period of about 15 min. Later on, in the mature LLTS MCS, the radar versus lightning activity comparison revealed two dominant discharge regions at the back of the convective leading edge and a gentle descent of the upper intracloud lightning region into the trailing stratiform region, apparently coupled to hydrometeor sedimentation. There was evidence for an inverted dipole in the stratiform region of the LLTS MCS, and CG+ flashes from the stratiform region had high first return stroke peak currents.

Efficiency of static core turn-off in a system-on-a-chip with variation

DOEpatents

Cher, Chen-Yong; Coteus, Paul W; Gara, Alan; Kursun, Eren; Paulsen, David P; Schuelke, Brian A; Sheets, II, John E; Tian, Shurong

2013-10-29

A processor-implemented method for improving efficiency of a static core turn-off in a multi-core processor with variation, the method comprising: conducting via a simulation a turn-off analysis of the multi-core processor at the multi-core processor's design stage, wherein the turn-off analysis of the multi-core processor at the multi-core processor's design stage includes a first output corresponding to a first multi-core processor core to turn off; conducting a turn-off analysis of the multi-core processor at the multi-core processor's testing stage, wherein the turn-off analysis of the multi-core processor at the multi-core processor's testing stage includes a second output corresponding to a second multi-core processor core to turn off; comparing the first output and the second output to determine if the first output is referring to the same core to turn off as the second output; outputting a third output corresponding to the first multi-core processor core if the first output and the second output are both referring to the same core to turn off.

[Case of exploding head syndrome].

PubMed

Okura, Mutsumi; Taniguchi, Mitsutaka; Muraki, Hisae; Sugita, Hideko; Ohi, Motoharu

2010-01-01

Exploding head syndrome (EHS) attacks are characterized by the sensation of sudden loud banging noises, and are occasionally accompanied by the sensation of a flash light. Although these attacks in themselves are usually not painful, it is reported that EHS attacks may precede migraines and may be perceived as auras. A 53-year-old woman, with a 40-year history of fulgurating migraines, experienced 2 different types of EHS attacks. During most of the attacks, which were not painful, she heard sounds like someone yelling or cars passing by. Only 1 episode was accompanied with the sensation of a flash light and of sounds similar to those of an electrical short circuit. On the video-polysomnography, video-polysomnography showed 11 EHS attacks occurred during stage N1 and stage N2; these attacks were preceded by soft snoring. She also had moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (Apnea Hypopnea Index: 16.7) for which an oral appliance was prescribed; the EHS attacks did not recur after this treatment. The pathophysiology of EHS is still unclear. A detailed analysis of PSG data may help in understanding the pathophysiology of this syndrome and also in the selection of therapeutic strategies.

Cartographic production for the Florida Shelf Habitat (FLaSH) map study: generation of surface grids, contours, and KMZ files

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Hansen, Mark; Raabe, Ellen; Knorr, Paul O.; Browne, Joseph

2007-01-01

The Florida shelf represents a finite source of economic resources, including commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism, recreation, sand and gravel resources, phosphate, and freshwater reserves. Yet the basic information needed to locate resources, or to interpret and utilize existing data, comes from many sources, dates, and formats. A multi-agency effort is underway to coordinate and prioritize the compilation of suitable datasets for an integrated information system of Florida’s coastal and ocean resources. This report and the associated data files represent part of the effort to make data accessible and useable with computer-mapping systems, web-based technologies, and user-friendly visualization tools. Among the datasets compiled and developed are seafloor imagery, marine sediment data, and existing bathymetric data. A U.S. Geological Survey-sponsored workshop in January 2007 resulted in the establishment of mapping priorities for the state. Bathymetry was identified as a common priority among agencies and researchers. State-of-the-art computer-mapping techniques and data-processing tools were used to develop shelf-wide raster and vector data layers. Florida Shelf Habitat (FLaSH) Mapping Project (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/flash) endeavors to locate available data, identify data gaps, synthesize existing information, and expand our understanding of geologic processes in our dynamic coastal and marine systems.

A facile and low-cost micro fabrication material: flash foam

PubMed Central

He, Yong; Xiao, Xiao; Wu, Yan; Fu, Jian-zhong

2015-01-01

Although many microfabrication methods have been reported, the preliminary replication templates used in most microfabrication still depend on the expensive and long-period photolithography. This paper explores an alternative replication templates based on a daily used material, flash foam (FF), and proposes a facile microfabrication method, flash foam stamp lithography (FFSL). When FF is exposed with a desired pattern mask, the negative of the pattern is transferred to its surface and micro structures are formed due to the shrinkage of the exposed area. As FF is commonly used in personal stamps, FFSL is very simple and cost-effective. In this paper, we demonstrated that FF is a good and low-cost template for many micro fabrication methods, such as micro casting and soft lithography. Thus, designing and fabricating micro structures at personal office immediately become possible with FFSL. Furthermore, we demonstrated that multi-scale micro structures can be easily fabricated by double exposure with FFSL. Skin textures is used as another case to demonstrate that FFSL can fabricate structures with different depth in a single exposure. As a result, FF shows a promising future in biology, and analytical chemistry, such as rapid fabrication of point of care diagnostics and microfluidic analytical devices with low cost. PMID:26314247

Preliminary analysis on faint luminous lightning events recorded by multiple high speed cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, J.; Saraiva, A. V.; Pinto, O.; Campos, L. Z.; Antunes, L.; Luz, E. S.; Medeiros, C.; Buzato, T. S.

2013-12-01

The objective of this work is the study of some faint luminous events produced by lightning flashes that were recorded simultaneously by multiple high-speed cameras during the previous RAMMER (Automated Multi-camera Network for Monitoring and Study of Lightning) campaigns. The RAMMER network is composed by three fixed cameras and one mobile color camera separated by, in average, distances of 13 kilometers. They were located in the Paraiba Valley (in the cities of São José dos Campos and Caçapava), SP, Brazil, arranged in a quadrilateral shape, centered in São José dos Campos region. This configuration allowed RAMMER to see a thunderstorm from different angles, registering the same lightning flashes simultaneously by multiple cameras. Each RAMMER sensor is composed by a triggering system and a Phantom high-speed camera version 9.1, which is set to operate at a frame rate of 2,500 frames per second with a lens Nikkor (model AF-S DX 18-55 mm 1:3.5 - 5.6 G in the stationary sensors, and a lens model AF-S ED 24 mm - 1:1.4 in the mobile sensor). All videos were GPS (Global Positioning System) time stamped. For this work we used a data set collected in four RAMMER manual operation days in the campaign of 2012 and 2013. On Feb. 18th the data set is composed by 15 flashes recorded by two cameras and 4 flashes recorded by three cameras. On Feb. 19th a total of 5 flashes was registered by two cameras and 1 flash registered by three cameras. On Feb. 22th we obtained 4 flashes registered by two cameras. Finally, in March 6th two cameras recorded 2 flashes. The analysis in this study proposes an evaluation methodology for faint luminous lightning events, such as continuing current. Problems in the temporal measurement of the continuing current can generate some imprecisions during the optical analysis, therefore this work aim to evaluate the effects of distance in this parameter with this preliminary data set. In the cases that include the color camera we analyzed the RGB mode (red, green, blue) and compared them with the data provided by the black and white cameras for the same event and the influence of these parameters with the luminosity intensity of the flashes. Two peculiar cases presented, from the data obtained at one site, a stroke, some continuing current during the interval between the strokes and, then, a subsequent stroke; however, the other site showed that the subsequent stroke was in fact an M-component, since the continuing current had not vanished after its parent stroke. These events generated a dubious classification for the same event that was based only in a visual analysis with high-speed cameras and they were analyzed in this work.

Final Scientific/Technical Report for Program Title: Solar Powered Dewvaporation Desalination System

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

Ranganathan, Shashidhar

Desalination technologies have been used increasingly throughout the world to produce the drinking water from the brackish ground and sea water for the past few decades. Among the commercially available desalination technologies, reverse osmosis (RO) and multi-stage flash distillation are the most widely used technologies globally. However, these technologies are difficult to be directly integrated with green energies without converting them to electricity. Dewvaporation, a desalination process, uses saturated steam as a carrier-gas to evaporate water from saline feeds and form pure condensate. It has the major technical benefit of reusing energy, released from vapor condensation, multiple times. The currentmore » proposal has been planned to address this issue. In Phase I, we have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a new plasmonic nanoparticle based approach through fabrication and evaluation of a solar powered water vapor generation module. The water vapor generation module allows generation of high temperature plasmon on a fiber bundle end, where strong water and plasmon interaction occurs generating water vapor. Plasmon enhanced water evaporation has been realized on plasmonic nanoparticle immobilized substrate with an energy conversion efficiency of over 50%.« less

High speed imaging, lightning mapping arrays and thermal imaging: a synergy for the monitoring of electrical discharges at the onset of volcanic explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudin, Damien; Cimarelli, Corrado; Behnke, Sonja; Cigala, Valeria; Edens, Harald; McNutt, Stefen; Smith, Cassandra; Thomas, Ronald; Van Eaton, Alexa

2017-04-01

Volcanic lightning is being increasingly studied, due to its great potential for the detection and monitoring of ash plumes. Indeed, it is observed in a large number of ash-rich volcanic eruptions and it produces electromagnetic waves that can be detected remotely in all weather conditions. Electrical discharges in volcanic plume can also significantly change the structural, chemical and reactivity properties of the erupted material. Although electrical discharges are detected in various regions of the plume, those happening at the onset of an explosion are of particular relevance for the early warning and the study of volcanic jet dynamics. In order to better constrain the electrical activity of young volcanic plumes, we deployed at Sakurajima (Japan) in 2015 a multiparametric set-up including: i) a lightning mapping array (LMA) of 10 VHF antennas recording the electromagnetic waves produced by lightning at a sample rate of 25 Msps; ii) a visible-light high speed camera (5000 frames per second, 0.5 m pixel size, 300 m field of view) shooting short movies (approx. duration 1 s) at different stages of the plume evolution, showing the location of discharges in relation to the plume; and iii) a thermal camera (25 fps, 1.5 m pixel size, 800 m field of view) continuously recording the plume and allowing the estimation of its main source parameters (volume, rise velocity, mass eruption rate). The complementarity of these three setups is demonstrated by comparing and aggregating the data at various stages of the plume development. In the earliest stages, the high speed camera spots discrete small discharges, that appear on the LMA data as peaks superimposed to the continuous radio frequency (CRF) signal. At later stages, flashes happen less frequently and increase in length. The correspondence between high speed camera and LMA data allows to define a direct correlation between the length of the flash and the intensity of the electromagnetic signal. Such correlation is used to estimate the evolution of the total discharges within a volcanic plume, while the superimposition of thermal and high speed videos allows to contextualize the flashes location in the scope of the plume features and dynamics.

40 CFR Table 1a to Subpart Dddd of... - Production-Based Compliance Options

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the following process units . . . You must meet the following production-based compliance option...) Primary tube dryers 0.26 lb/ODT. (7) Reconstituted wood product board coolers (at new affected sources... dryer heated zones 0.022 lb/MSF 3/8″. (10) Rotary strand dryers 0.18 lb/ODT. (11) Secondary tube dryers...

The start of lightning: Evidence of bidirectional lightning initiation.

PubMed

Montanyà, Joan; van der Velde, Oscar; Williams, Earle R

2015-10-16

Lightning flashes are known to initiate in regions of strong electric fields inside thunderstorms, between layers of positively and negatively charged precipitation particles. For that reason, lightning inception is typically hidden from sight of camera systems used in research. Other technology such as lightning mapping systems based on radio waves can typically detect only some aspects of the lightning initiation process and subsequent development of positive and negative leaders. We report here a serendipitous recording of bidirectional lightning initiation in virgin air under the cloud base at ~11,000 images per second, and the differences in characteristics of opposite polarity leader sections during the earliest stages of the discharge. This case reveals natural lightning initiation, propagation and a return stroke as in negative cloud-to-ground flashes, upon connection to another lightning channel - without any masking by cloud.

[The optimization of chondromalacia patellae diagnosis by NMR tomography. The use of an apparatus for cartilage compression].

PubMed

König, H; Dinkelaker, F; Wolf, K J

1991-08-01

The aim of this study was to improve the MRI diagnosis of CMP, with special reference to the early stages and accurate staging. For this purpose, the retropatellar cartilage was examined by MRI while compression was carried out, using 21 patients and five normal controls. The compression was applied by means of a specially constructed device. Changes in cartilage thickness and signal intensity were evaluated quantitatively during FLASH and FISP sequences. In all patients the results of arthroscopies were available and in 12 patients, cartilage biopsies had been obtained. CMP stage I could be distinguished from normal cartilage by reduction in cartilage thickness and signal increase from the oedematous cartilage during compression. In CMP stages II/III, abnormal protein deposition of collagen type I could be demonstrated by its compressibility. In stages III and IV, the method does not add any significant additional information.

Intracellular ice formation in mouse zygotes and early morulae vs. cooling rate and temperature-experimental vs. theory.

PubMed

Jin, Bo; Seki, Shinsuke; Paredes, Estefania; Qiu, Juan; Shi, Yanbin; Zhang, Zhenqiang; Ma, Chao; Jiang, Shuyan; Li, Jiaqi; Yuan, Feng; Wang, Shu; Shao, Xiaoguang; Mazur, Peter

2016-10-01

In this study, mature female mice of the ICR strain were induced to superovultate, mated, and collected at either zygote or early morula stages. Embryos suspended in 1 M ethylene glycol in PBS containing 10 mg/L Snomax for 15 min, then transferred in sample holder to Linkam cryostage, cooled to and seeded at 7 °C, and then observed and photographed while being cooled to -70 °C at 0.5-20 °C/min. Intracellular ice formation (IIF) was observed as abrupt ''flashing''. Two types of flashing or IIF were observed in this study. Extracellular freezing occurred at a mean of -7.7 °C. In morulae, about 25% turned dark within ±1 °C of extracellular ice formation (EIF). These we refer to as "high temperature'' flashers. In zygotes, there were no high temperature flashers. All the zygotes flashed at temperatures well below the temperature for EIF. Presumably high temperature flashers were a consequence of membrane damage prior to EIF or damage from EIF. We shall not discuss them further. In the majority of cases, IIF occurred well below -7.7 °C; these we call ''low temperature'' flashers. None flashed with cooling rate (CR) of 0.5 °C/min in either zygotes or morulae. Nearly all flashed with CR of 4 °C/min or higher, but the distribution of temperatures is much broader with morulae than with zygotes. Also, the mean flashing temperature is much higher with morulae (-20.9 °C) than with zygotes (-40.3 °C). We computed the kinetics of water loss with respect to CR and temperature in both mouse zygotes and in morulae based on published estimates of Lp and it is Ea. The resulting dehydration curves combined with knowledge of the embryo nucleation temperature permits an estimate of the likelihood of IIF as a function of CR and subzero temperature. The agreement between these computed probabilities and the observed values are good. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why Flash Type Matters: A Statistical Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mecikalski, Retha M.; Bitzer, Phillip M.; Carey, Lawrence D.

2017-09-01

While the majority of research only differentiates between intracloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes, there exists a third flash type, known as hybrid flashes. These flashes have extensive IC components as well as return strokes to ground but are misclassified as CG flashes in current flash type analyses due to the presence of a return stroke. In an effort to show that IC, CG, and hybrid flashes should be separately classified, the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test was applied to the flash sizes, flash initiation, and flash propagation altitudes for each of the three flash types. The KS test statistically showed that IC, CG, and hybrid flashes do not have the same parent distributions and thus should be separately classified. Separate classification of hybrid flashes will lead to improved lightning-related research, because unambiguously classified hybrid flashes occur on the same order of magnitude as CG flashes for multicellular storms.

Multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump

DOEpatents

Maier, Eugen; Raney, Michael Raymond

2004-07-06

A multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a motor disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump also includes a shaft extending axially and disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump further includes a plurality of pumping modules disposed axially along the shaft. One of the pumping modules is a turbine pumping module and another of the pumping modules is a gerotor pumping module for rotation by the motor to pump fuel from the inlet to the outlet.

Chemsheet as a Simulation Platform for Pyrometallurgical Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penttilä, Karri; Salminen, Justin; Tripathi, Nagendra; Koukkari, Pertti

ChemSheet is a thermodynamic multi-phase multi-component simulation software, which is used as an Add-in in Microsoft Excel. In ChemSheet, the unique Constrained Gibbs free energy method can be used to include dynamic constraints and reaction rates of kinetically slow reactions, yet retaining full consistency of the multiphase thermodynamic model. With appropriate data, ChemSheet models can be used to simulate reactors and processes in all fields of thermochemistry. The presentation will cover off-line modeling of Cu-flash smelters and advanced thermochemical simulation coupled with on-line process control of Cu-Ni smelting. The presentation will describe an off-line model of Cu-smelter based on critically assessed properties of the Al-Ca-Cu-Fe-O-S-Si -system (slag, matte and liquid metal) by using the quasichemical model. A four-stage reactor model (shaft, settler, uptake and bath) is used for optimizing process parameters and feed particle distribution. As a second example, an advanced thermochemical model of a Ni-Cu sulphide smelting plant will be given. The on-line model covers the operation of treating Ni-Cu-S concentrate via roasters, electric furnace and converters, producing a high grade Bessemer matte product for further refining. The model integrates the thermochemistry of the roasters and electric furnace, and predicts important process parameters such as degree of sulphur elimination in the fluid-bed roasters, matte grade, iron metallization, slag losses and the iron to silica ratio in the electric furnace slag. Both models can be used to assist process engineers and operators in calculating the addition rates of coke, flux and air for different feed scenarios.

Using Eye-Tracking Data and Mouse Cursor Location To Examine Visual Alerting in a Multi-Display Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-23

displays. Border alerts were similar in width and colour but surrounded the entire perimeter of the display. Secondary task The secondary task...cognitive processes. Cognitive Psychology , 8, 441-480. Li, G., Wang, W., Li, S., Cheng, B., & Green, P. (2014). Effectiveness of flashing brake and hazard...T., Engbert, R., & Henderson, J. (2010). CRISP: A computational model of fixation durations in scene viewing. Psychological Review, 117(2), 382-405

Flash floods and debris flow in the city area of Messina, North-East part of Sicily, Italy in October 2009: the case of the Giampilieri catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aronica, G. T.; Brigandi, G.; Morey, N.

2010-09-01

Flash floods are phenomena in which the important hydrologic processes are occurring on the same spatial and temporal scales as the intense precipitation. Most of the catchment in the North-East part of Sicily (Italy) are small, with a steep slope, and characterized by short concentration times. These characteristics make those catchment prone to flash flood formation, as demonstrated by events that occurred in the area around Messina in the North-East part of Sicily, Italy in the last recent years. The events occurred on 25th October 2007 in the Mastroguglielmo torrent on the ionic sea coast, on 11th December 2008 in the Elicona catchment on the Tyrrhenian sea coast and on 1st October 2009 in Racinazzi and Giampilieri torrents on the ionic sea coast are an example of flash floods and debris flow events that caused not only significant economic damages to property, buildings, roads and bridges but also, for this that concern the 1st October 2009 flash flood event, loss of human life. This work is aimed by the 1st October 2009 flash flood and debris flow event where a devastating flooding was caused by a very intense rainfall concentrated over the Messina area. The storm caused severe flash floods in many villages around the city of Messina, such as Giampilieri, Scaletta Zanclea, Altolia Superiore and Molino with forty casualties and significant damage to property, buildings, roads and bridges estimated close to 200 million Euro. Main focus of this work is to perform a post event analysis of the 2009 flash flood event, putting together available meteorological and hydrological data in order to get better insight into temporal and spatial variability of the rain storm, the soil moisture condition and the consequent flash floods in the catchment of the Giampilieri catchment. Starting from these information another objective has been, then, to document the post-failure stage of event concerning slid materials. With the help of GIS technology and particularly spatial analysis, volume of debris gone down for the Giampilieri catchment has been calculated. The event was investigated using observed data from a raingauge network and hydraulic evidences. Statistical analysis using GEV distribution was performed and rainfall return period (storm severity) was estimated. Further, measured rainfall data and rainfall-runoff modeling were used to analyze the hydrological behaviour and to reconstruct flood and debris hydrographs. The study confirmed that post-flood investigation should focus on discharges and hydrological response of the catchment rather than simply analyzing statistical characteristics of rainfall. Thanks to LIDAR data produced immediately after the event, issued one meter precision DEM has been compared with a two meter precision one provided two years before. GIS maps with landslide and material deposit areas have been produced and analyzed.

The Remarkable Deaths of 9-11 Solar Mass Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woosley, S. E.; Heger, Alexander

2015-09-01

The post-helium-burning evolution of stars from 7 {M}⊙ to 11 {M}⊙ is complicated by the lingering effects of degeneracy and off-center ignition. Here, stars in this mass range are studied using a standard set of stellar physics. Two important aspects of the study are the direct coupling of a reaction network of roughly 220 nuclei to the structure calculation at all stages and the use of a subgrid model to describe the convective bounded flame that develops during neon and oxygen burning. Below 9.0 {M}⊙ degenerate oxygen-neon cores form that may become either white dwarfs or electron-capture supernovae. Above 10.3 {M}⊙ the evolution proceeds “normally” to iron-core collapse, without composition inversions or degenerate flashes. Emphasis here is upon the stars in between, which typically ignite oxygen burning off-center. After oxygen burns in a convectively bounded flame, silicon burning ignites in a degenerate flash that commences closer to the stellar center and with increasing violence for stars of larger mass. In some cases the silicon flash is so violent that it could lead to the early ejection of the hydrogen envelope. This might have interesting observable consequences. For example, the death of a 10.0 {M}⊙ star could produce two supernova-like displays, a faint low-energy event due to the silicon flash, and an unusually bright supernova many months later as the low-energy ejecta from core collapse collides with the previously ejected envelope. The potential relation to the Crab supernova is discussed.

High Intensity e-beam Diode Development for Flash X-ray Radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Bryan

2007-11-01

A variety of electron beam diodes are being used and developed for the purpose of creating high-brightness, flash x-ray radiography sources. In these diodes, high energy (multi MeV), high current (multi kA), small spot (multi mm) electron beams are generated and stopped in high atomic number anode-targets (typically Ta or W). Beam stopping in the target creates copious amounts of bremsstrahlung radiation. In addition, beam heating of the target liberates material, either in the form of low density (˜10^12-10^14 cm-3) ion emission or higher density (> 10^15 cm-3) plasma. In all cases, beam/target collective effects dominate the diode and beam characteristics, affecting the radiation properties (dose and spot-size). Recent experiments at Sandia National Laboratories have demonstrated diodes capable of producing > 350 rad@m with 1.7mm FWHM x-ray source distributions. A review of our present theoretical understanding of the diode (s) operation and our experimental and simulation methods to investigate them will be presented. Emphasis will be given to e- beam sources used on state-of-the-art Inductive Voltage Adder (IVA) pulsed-power accelerators. In particular, the physics of magnetically pinched diodes (e.g. the rod-pinch [1,2]), gas-cell focusing diodes [3] and the magnetically immersed [4] diode will be discussed. Various proposed methods to optimize the x-ray intensity and the direction of future diode research will be discussed. [1] G. Cooperstein, et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 4618 (2001).[2] B.V. Oliver et al., Phys. Plasmas 11, 3976 (2004)[3] B.V. Oliver, et al., IEEE Trans. on Plasma Science 33, 704 (2005).[4] M.G. Mazarakis, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 832 (1997)

An Analysis of Total Lightning Characteristics in Tornadic Storms: Preparing for the Capabilities of the GLM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimel, Karly Jackson

Numerous studies have found that severe weather is often preceded by a rapid increase in the total lightning flash rate. This rapid increase results from numerous intra-cloud flashes forming around the periphery of an intensifying updraft. The relationship between flash rates and updraft intensity is extremely useful to forecasters in severe weather warning decision making processes, but total lightning data has not always been widely available. The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) will be the first instrument to detect lightning from geostationary orbit, where it will provide a continuous view of lightning over the entire western hemisphere. To prepare for the capabilities of this new instrument, this thesis analyzes the relationship between total lightning trends and tornadogenesis. Four supercellular and two non-supercellular tornadic storms are analyzed and compared to determine how total lightning characteristics differ between dynamically different tornadic storms. Supercellular tornadoes require a downdraft to form while landspout tornadoes form within an intensifying updraft acting on pre-existing vertical vorticity. Results of this analysis suggest that the supercellular tornadoes we studied show a decrease in flash rate and a decrease in lightning mapping array (LMA) source density heights prior to the tornado. This decrease may indicate the formation of a downdraft. In contrast, lightning flash rates increase during landspout formation in conjunction with an intensifying updraft. The total lightning trends appear to follow the evolution of an updraft rather than directly responding to tornadogenesis. To further understand how storm microphysics and dynamics impact the relationship between lightning behavior and tornadogenesis, two of the tornadic supercells were analyzed over Colorado and two were analyzed over Alabama. Colorado storms typically exhibit higher flash rates and anomalous charge structures in comparison to the environmentally different Alabama storms that are typically normal polarity and produce fewer flashes. The difference in microphysical characteristics does not appear to affect the relationship between total lightning trends and tornadogenesis. The capabilities of GLM are yet to be determined because the instrument is still in its calibration/validation stages. However, as part of the GLM cal/val team, we were in a unique position to examine the first-light GLM data and contribute to the assessment of its performance for noteworthy thunderstorm events during the Spring/Summer seasons of 2017. The final chapter of this thesis displays a preliminary analysis of GLM data. A first look into GLM performance is established by comparing GLM data with data from other lightning detecting instruments. Overall, GLM appears to detect fewer flashes than other lightning detecting networks and instruments in Colorado storms, more so for intense storms compared to weaker storms.

Interactive learning media based on flash for basic electronic engineering development for SMK Negeri 1 Driyorejo - Gresik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandigo Anggana Raras, Gustav

2018-04-01

This research aims to produce a product in the form of flash based interactive learning media on a basic electronic engineering subject that reliable to be used and to know students’ responses about the media. The target of this research is X-TEI 1 class at SMK Negeri 1 Driyorejo – Gresik. The method used in this study is R&D that has been limited into seven stages only (1) potential and problems, (2) data collection, (3) product design, (4) product validation, (5) product revision, (6) field test, and (7) analysis and writing. The obtained result is interactive learning media named MELDASH. Validation process used to produce a valid interactive learning media. The result of media validation state that the interactive learning media has a 90.83% rating. Students’ responses to this interactive learning media is really good with 88.89% rating.

Development of all-solid-state flash x-ray generator with photoconductive semiconductor switches.

PubMed

Xun, Ma; Jianjun, Deng; Hongwei, Liu; Jianqiang, Yuan; Jinfeng, Liu; Bing, Wei; Yanling, Qing; Wenhui, Han; Lingyun, Wang; Pin, Jiang; Hongtao, Li

2014-09-01

A compact, low-jitter, and high repetitive rate all-solid-state flash x-ray generator making use of photo conductive semiconductor switches was developed recently for the diagnostic purpose of some hydrokinetical experiments. The generator consisted of twelve stages of Blumlein pulse forming networks, and an industrial cold cathode diode was used to generate intense x-ray radiations with photon energy up to 220 keV. Test experiments showed that the generator could produce >1 kA electron beam currents and x-ray pulses with ~40 ns duration under 100 Hz repetitive rates at least (limited by the triggering laser on hand), also found was that the delay time of the cathode explosive emission is crucial to the energy transfer efficiency of the whole system. In addition, factors affecting the diode impedance, how the switching synchronization and diode impedance determining the allowable operation voltage were discussed.

Configuration of management accounting information system for multi-stage manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mkrtychev, S. V.; Ochepovsky, A. V.; Enik, O. A.

2018-05-01

The article presents an approach to configuration of a management accounting information system (MAIS) that provides automated calculations and the registration of normative production losses in multi-stage manufacturing. The use of MAIS with the proposed configuration at the enterprises of textile and woodworking industries made it possible to increase the accuracy of calculations for normative production losses and to organize accounting thereof with the reference to individual stages of the technological process. Thus, high efficiency of multi-stage manufacturing control is achieved.

Measuring hot flash phenomenonology using ambulatory prospective digital diaries

PubMed Central

Fisher, William I.; Thurston, Rebecca C.

2016-01-01

Objective This study provides the description, protocol, and results from a novel prospective ambulatory digital hot flash phenomenon diary. Methods This study included 152 midlife women with daily hot flashes who completed an ambulatory electronic hot flash diary continuously for the waking hours of 3 consecutive days. In this diary, women recorded their hot flashes and accompanying characteristics and associations as the hot flashes occurred. Results Self-reported hot flash severity on the digital diaries indicated that the majority of hot flashes were rated as mild (41.3%) or moderate (43.7%). Severe (13.1%) and very severe (1.8%) hot flashes were less common. Hot flash bother ratings were rated as mild (43%), or moderate (33.5%), with fewer hot flashes reported bothersome (17.5%) or very bothersome (6%). The majority of hot flashes were reported as occurring on the on the face (78.9%), neck (74.7%), and chest (61.3%). Prickly skin was reported concurrently with 32% of hot flashes, 7% with anxiety and 5% with nausea. A novel finding, 38% of hot flashes were accompanied by a premonitory aura. Conclusion A prospective electronic digital hot flash diary allows for a more precise quantitation of hot flashes while overcoming many of the limitations of commonly employed retrospective questionnaires and paper diaries. Unique insights into the phenomenology, loci and associated characteristics of hot flashes were obtained using this device. The digital hot flash phenomenology diary is recommended for future ambulatory studies of hot flashes as a prospective measure of the hot flash experience. PMID:27404030

Measuring hot flash phenomenonology using ambulatory prospective digital diaries.

PubMed

Fisher, William I; Thurston, Rebecca C

2016-11-01

This study provides the description, protocol, and results from a novel prospective ambulatory digital hot flash phenomenon diary. This study included 152 midlife women with daily hot flashes who completed an ambulatory electronic hot flash diary continuously for the waking hours of three consecutive days. In this diary, women recorded their hot flashes and accompanying characteristics and associations as the hot flashes occurred. Self-reported hot flash severity on the digital diaries indicated that the majority of hot flashes were rated as mild (41.3%) or moderate (43.7%). Severe (13.1%) and very severe (1.8%) hot flashes were less common. Hot flash bother ratings were rated as mild (43%), or moderate (33.5%), with fewer hot flashes reported bothersome (17.5%) or very bothersome (6%). The majority of hot flashes were reported as occurring on the face (78.9%), neck (74.7%), and chest (61.3%). Of all reported hot flashes, 32% occurred concurrently with prickly skin, 7% with anxiety, and 5% with nausea. A novel finding from the study was that 38% of hot flashes were accompanied by a premonitory aura. A prospective electronic digital hot flash diary allows for a more precise quantitation of hot flashes while overcoming many of the limitations of commonly used retrospective questionnaires and paper diaries. Unique insights into the phenomenology, loci, and associated characteristics of hot flashes were obtained using this device. The digital hot flash phenomenology diary is recommended for future ambulatory studies of hot flashes as a prospective measure of the hot flash experience.

Filling-in visual motion with sounds.

PubMed

Väljamäe, A; Soto-Faraco, S

2008-10-01

Information about the motion of objects can be extracted by multiple sensory modalities, and, as a consequence, object motion perception typically involves the integration of multi-sensory information. Often, in naturalistic settings, the flow of such information can be rather discontinuous (e.g. a cat racing through the furniture in a cluttered room is partly seen and partly heard). This study addressed audio-visual interactions in the perception of time-sampled object motion by measuring adaptation after-effects. We found significant auditory after-effects following adaptation to unisensory auditory and visual motion in depth, sampled at 12.5 Hz. The visually induced (cross-modal) auditory motion after-effect was eliminated if visual adaptors flashed at half of the rate (6.25 Hz). Remarkably, the addition of the high-rate acoustic flutter (12.5 Hz) to this ineffective, sparsely time-sampled, visual adaptor restored the auditory after-effect to a level comparable to what was seen with high-rate bimodal adaptors (flashes and beeps). Our results suggest that this auditory-induced reinstatement of the motion after-effect from the poor visual signals resulted from the occurrence of sound-induced illusory flashes. This effect was found to be dependent both on the directional congruency between modalities and on the rate of auditory flutter. The auditory filling-in of time-sampled visual motion supports the feasibility of using reduced frame rate visual content in multisensory broadcasting and virtual reality applications.

Teachers and Students' Conceptions of Computer-Based Models in the Context of High School Chemistry: Elicitations at the Pre-intervention Stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waight, Noemi; Gillmeister, Kristina

2014-04-01

This study examined teachers' and students' initial conceptions of computer-based models—Flash and NetLogo models—and documented how teachers and students reconciled notions of multiple representations featuring macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic representations prior to actual intervention in eight high school chemistry classrooms. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 students and 6 teachers. Findings revealed an interplay of complex factors that functioned as opportunities and obstacles in the implementation of technologies in science classrooms. Students revealed preferences for the Flash models as opposed to the open-ended NetLogo models. Altogether, due to lack of content and modeling background knowledge, students experienced difficulties articulating coherent and blended understandings of multiple representations. Concurrently, while the aesthetic and interactive features of the models were of great value, they did not sustain students' initial curiosity and opportunities to improve understandings about chemistry phenomena. Most teachers recognized direct alignment of the Flash model with their existing curriculum; however, the benefits were relegated to existing procedural and passive classroom practices. The findings have implications for pedagogical approaches that address the implementation of computer-based models, function of models, models as multiple representations and the role of background knowledge and cognitive load, and the role of teacher vision and classroom practices.

High Performance Data Transfer for Distributed Data Intensive Sciences

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

Fang, Chin; Cottrell, R 'Les' A.; Hanushevsky, Andrew B.

We report on the development of ZX software providing high performance data transfer and encryption. The design scales in: computation power, network interfaces, and IOPS while carefully balancing the available resources. Two U.S. patent-pending algorithms help tackle data sets containing lots of small files and very large files, and provide insensitivity to network latency. It has a cluster-oriented architecture, using peer-to-peer technologies to ease deployment, operation, usage, and resource discovery. Its unique optimizations enable effective use of flash memory. Using a pair of existing data transfer nodes at SLAC and NERSC, we compared its performance to that of bbcp andmore » GridFTP and determined that they were comparable. With a proof of concept created using two four-node clusters with multiple distributed multi-core CPUs, network interfaces and flash memory, we achieved 155Gbps memory-to-memory over a 2x100Gbps link aggregated channel and 70Gbps file-to-file with encryption over a 5000 mile 100Gbps link.« less

Insight into the Physical and Dynamical Processes that Control Rapid Increases in Total Flash Rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Elise V.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Goodman, Steven J.

2015-01-01

Rapid increases in total lightning (also termed "lightning jumps") have been observed for many decades. Lightning jumps have been well correlated to severe and hazardous weather occurrence. The main focus of lightning jump work has been on the development of lightning algorithms to be used in real-time assessment of storm intensity. However, in these studies it is typically assumed that the updraft "increases" without direct measurements of the vertical motion, or specification of which updraft characteristic actually increases (e.g., average speed, maximum speed, or convective updraft volume). Therefore, an end-to-end physical and dynamical basis for coupling rapid increases in total flash rate to increases in updraft speed and volume must be understood in order to ultimately relate lightning occurrence to severe storm metrics. Herein, we use polarimetric, multi-Doppler, and lightning mapping array measurements to provide physical context as to why rapid increases in total lightning are closely tied to severe and hazardous weather.

High performance SONOS flash memory with in-situ silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon nitride charge trapping layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Jae-Gab; Yang, Seung-Dong; Yun, Ho-Jin; Jung, Jun-Kyo; Park, Jung-Hyun; Lim, Chan; Cho, Gyu-seok; Park, Seong-gye; Huh, Chul; Lee, Hi-Deok; Lee, Ga-Won

2018-02-01

In this paper, SONOS-type flash memory device with highly improved charge-trapping efficiency is suggested by using silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) embedded in silicon nitride (SiNX) charge trapping layer. The Si-NCs were in-situ grown by PECVD without additional post annealing process. The fabricated device shows high program/erase speed and retention property which is suitable for multi-level cell (MLC) application. Excellent performance and reliability for MLC are demonstrated with large memory window of ∼8.5 V and superior retention characteristics of 7% charge loss for 10 years. High resolution transmission electron microscopy image confirms the Si-NC formation and the size is around 1-2 nm which can be verified again in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) where pure Si bonds increase. Besides, XPS analysis implies that more nitrogen atoms make stable bonds at the regular lattice point. Photoluminescence spectra results also illustrate that Si-NCs formation in SiNx is an effective method to form deep trap states.

[Advances in studies on multi-stage countercurrent extraction technology in traditional Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Xie, Zhi-Peng; Liu, Xue-Song; Chen, Yong; Cai, Ming; Qu, Hai-Bin; Cheng, Yi-Yu

2007-05-01

Multi-stage countercurrent extraction technology, integrating solvent extraction, repercolation with dynamic and countercurrent extraction, is a novel extraction technology for the traditional Chinese medicine. This solvent-saving, energy-saving and high-extraction-efficiency technology can at the most drive active compounds to diffuse from the herbal materials into the solvent stage by stage by creating concentration differences between the herbal materials and the solvents. This paper reviewed the basic principle, the influence factors and the research progress and trends of the equipments and the application of the multi-stage countercurrent extraction.

Effect of multi-stage inoculation on the bacterial and fungal community structure during organic municipal solid wastes composting.

PubMed

Xi, Beidou; He, Xiaosong; Dang, Qiuling; Yang, Tianxue; Li, Mingxiao; Wang, Xiaowei; Li, Dan; Tang, Jun

2015-11-01

In this study, PCR-DGGE method was applied to investigate the impact of multi-stage inoculation treatment on the community composition of bacterial and fungal during municipal solid wastes (MSW) composting process. The results showed that the high temperature period was extended by the multi-stage inoculation treatment, 1day longer than initial-stage inoculation treatment, and 5days longer than non-inoculation treatment. The temperature of the secondary fermentation increased to 51°C with multi-stage inoculation treatment. The multi-stage inoculation method improved the community diversity of bacteria and fungi that the diversity indexes reached the maximum on the 17days and 20days respectively, avoided the competition between inoculations and indigenous microbes, and enhanced the growth of dominant microorganisms. The DNA sequence indicated that various kinds of uncultured microorganisms with determined ratios were detected, which were dominant microbes during the whole fermentation process. These findings call for further researches of compost microbial cultivation technology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social Networks in Crisis Response: Trust is Vital

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

response community as a whole. iv  2014 search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370)  2012 South Sudan WASH crisis  2004 Indian...Meteorological and Oceanographic MH370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 MOT Malaysia Ministry of Transportation xiv MSF Doctors Without Borders...States Navy WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene WCO World Health Organization country offices WFP World Food Program WHO World Health Organization

Advanced 3D Geological Modelling Using Multi Geophysical Data in the Yamagawa Geothermal Field, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochinaga, H.; Aoki, N.; Mouri, T.

2017-12-01

We propose a robust workflow of 3D geological modelling based on integrated analysis while honouring seismic, gravity, and wellbore data for exploration and development at flash steam geothermal power plants. We design the workflow using temperature logs at less than 10 well locations for practical use at an early stage of geothermal exploration and development. In the workflow, geostatistical technique, multi-attribute analysis, and artificial neural network are employed for the integration of multi geophysical data. The geological modelling is verified by using a 3D seismic data which was acquired in the Yamagawa Demonstration Area (approximately 36 km2), located at the city of Ibusuki in Kagoshima, Japan in 2015. Temperature-depth profiles are typically characterized by heat transfer of conduction, outflow, and up-flow which have low frequency trends. On the other hand, feed and injection zones with high permeability would cause high frequency perturbation on temperature-depth profiles. Each trend is supposed to be caused by different geological properties and subsurface structures. In this study, we estimate high frequency (> 2 cycles/km) and low frequency (< 1 cycle/km) models separately by means of different types of attribute volumes. These attributes are mathematically generated from P-impedance and density volumes derived from seismic inversion, an ant-tracking seismic volume, and a geostatistical temperature model prior to application of artificial neural network on the geothermal modelling. As a result, the band-limited stepwise approach predicts a more precise geothermal model than that of full-band temperature profiles at a time. Besides, lithofacies interpretation confirms reliability of the predicted geothermal model. The integrated interpretation is significantly consistent with geological reports from previous studies. Isotherm geobodies illustrate specific features of geothermal reservoir and cap rock, shallow aquifer, and its hydrothermal circulation in 3D visualization. The advanced workflow of 3D geological modelling is suitable for optimization of well locations for production and reinjection in geothermal fields.

Daily Physical Activity and Hot Flashes in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation FLASHES Study

PubMed Central

Gibson, Carolyn; Matthews, Karen; Thurston, Rebecca

2014-01-01

Objective To examine the role of physical activity in menopausal hot flashes. Competing models conceptualize physical activity as a risk or protective factor for hot flashes. Few studies have examined this relationship prospectively using physiologic measures of hot flashes and physical activity. Design Over two 48 hour-periods, 51 participants wore a physiologic hot flash monitor and activity monitor, and reported their hot flashes in an electronic diary. Physiologic hot flashes, reported hot flashes and reported hot flashes without physiological corroboration were related to activity changes using hierarchical generalized linear modeling, adjusting for potential confounders. Setting Community. Patients Midlife women. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Physiologically-detected hot flashes and reported hot flashes with and without physiologic corroboration. Results Hot flash reports without physiologic corroboration were more likely after activity increases (OR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10, p=.01), particularly among women with higher levels of depressive symptoms (interaction p=.02). No other types of hot flashes were related to physical activity. Conclusion Acute increases in physical activity were associated with increased reporting of hot flashes lacking physiologic corroboration, particularly among women with depressive symptoms. Clinicians should consider the role of symptom perception and reporting in relations between physical activity and hot flashes. PMID:24491454

An Analysis of Cesarean Section and Emergency Hernia Ratios as Markers of Surgical Capacity in Low-Income Countries Affected by Humanitarian Emergencies from 2008 - 2014 at Médecins sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels Projects.

PubMed

Stewart, Barclay; Wong, Evan; Papillon-Smith, Jessica; Trelles Centurion, Miguel Antonio; Dominguez, Lynette; Ao, Supongmeren; Jean-Paul, Basimuoneye Kahutsi; Kamal, Mustafa; Helmand, Rahmatullah; Naseer, Aamer; Kushner, Adam L

2015-03-27

Surgical capacity assessments in low-income countries have demonstrated critical deficiencies. Though vital for planning capacity improvements, these assessments are resource intensive and impractical during the planning phase of a humanitarian crisis. This study aimed to determine cesarean sections to total operations performed (CSR) and emergency herniorrhaphies to all herniorrhaphies performed (EHR) ratios from Médecins Sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB) projects and examine if these established metrics are useful proxies for surgical capacity in low-income countries affected by crisis. All procedures performed in MSF-OCB operating theatres from July 2008 through June 2014 were reviewed. Projects providing only specialty care, not fully operational or not offering elective surgeries were excluded. Annual CSRs and EHRs were calculated for each project. Their relationship was assessed with linear regression. After applying the exclusion criteria, there were 47,472 cases performed at 13 sites in 8 countries. There were 13,939 CS performed (29% of total cases). Of the 4,632 herniorrhaphies performed (10% of total cases), 30% were emergency procedures. CSRs ranged from 0.06 to 0.65 and EHRs ranged from 0.03 to 1.0. Linear regression of annual ratios at each project did not demonstrate statistical evidence for the CSR to predict EHR [F(2,30)=2.34, p=0.11, R2=0.11]. The regression equation was: EHR = 0.25 + 0.52(CSR) + 0.10(reason for MSF-OCB assistance). Surgical humanitarian assistance projects operate in areas with critical surgical capacity deficiencies that are further disrupted by crisis. Rapid, accurate assessments of surgical capacity are necessary to plan cost- and clinically-effective humanitarian responses to baseline and acute unmet surgical needs in LICs affected by crisis. Though CSR and EHR may meet these criteria in 'steady-state' healthcare systems, they may not be useful during humanitarian emergencies. Further study of the relationship between direct surgical capacity improvements and these ratios is necessary to document their role in humanitarian settings.

An Analysis of Cesarean Section and Emergency Hernia Ratios as Markers of Surgical Capacity in Low-Income Countries Affected by Humanitarian Emergencies from 2008 – 2014 at Médecins sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels Projects

PubMed Central

Stewart, Barclay; Wong, Evan; Papillon-Smith, Jessica; Trelles Centurion, Miguel Antonio; Dominguez, Lynette; Ao, Supongmeren; Jean-Paul, Basimuoneye Kahutsi; Kamal, Mustafa; Helmand, Rahmatullah; Naseer, Aamer; Kushner, Adam L.

2015-01-01

Background: Surgical capacity assessments in low-income countries have demonstrated critical deficiencies. Though vital for planning capacity improvements, these assessments are resource intensive and impractical during the planning phase of a humanitarian crisis. This study aimed to determine cesarean sections to total operations performed (CSR) and emergency herniorrhaphies to all herniorrhaphies performed (EHR) ratios from Médecins Sans Frontières Operations Centre Brussels (MSF-OCB) projects and examine if these established metrics are useful proxies for surgical capacity in low-income countries affected by crisis. Methods: All procedures performed in MSF-OCB operating theatres from July 2008 through June 2014 were reviewed. Projects providing only specialty care, not fully operational or not offering elective surgeries were excluded. Annual CSRs and EHRs were calculated for each project. Their relationship was assessed with linear regression. Results: After applying the exclusion criteria, there were 47,472 cases performed at 13 sites in 8 countries. There were 13,939 CS performed (29% of total cases). Of the 4,632 herniorrhaphies performed (10% of total cases), 30% were emergency procedures. CSRs ranged from 0.06 to 0.65 and EHRs ranged from 0.03 to 1.0. Linear regression of annual ratios at each project did not demonstrate statistical evidence for the CSR to predict EHR [F(2,30)=2.34, p=0.11, R2=0.11]. The regression equation was: EHR = 0.25 + 0.52(CSR) + 0.10(reason for MSF-OCB assistance). Conclusion: Surgical humanitarian assistance projects operate in areas with critical surgical capacity deficiencies that are further disrupted by crisis. Rapid, accurate assessments of surgical capacity are necessary to plan cost- and clinically-effective humanitarian responses to baseline and acute unmet surgical needs in LICs affected by crisis. Though CSR and EHR may meet these criteria in ‘steady-state’ healthcare systems, they may not be useful during humanitarian emergencies. Further study of the relationship between direct surgical capacity improvements and these ratios is necessary to document their role in humanitarian settings. PMID:25905025

Electronic medical records in humanitarian emergencies - the development of an Ebola clinical information and patient management system.

PubMed

Jobanputra, Kiran; Greig, Jane; Shankar, Ganesh; Perakslis, Eric; Kremer, Ronald; Achar, Jay; Gayton, Ivan

2016-01-01

By November 2015, the West Africa Ebola epidemic had caused 28598 infections and 11299 deaths in the three countries most affected. The outbreak required rapid innovation and adaptation. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) scaled up its usual 20-30 bed Ebola management centres (EMCs) to 100-300 beds with over 300 workers in some settings. This brought challenges in patient and clinical data management resulting from the difficulties of working safely with high numbers of Ebola patients. We describe a project MSF established with software developers and the Google Social Impact Team to develop context-adapted tools to address the challenges of recording Ebola clinical information. We share the outcomes and key lessons learned in innovating rapidly under pressure in difficult environmental conditions. Information on adoption, maintenance, and data quality was gathered through review of project documentation, discussions with field staff and key project stakeholders, and analysis of tablet data. In March 2015, a full prototype was deployed in Magburaka EMC, Sierra Leone. Inpatient data were captured on 204 clinical interactions with 34 patients from 5 March until 10 April 2015. Data continued to also be recorded on paper charts, creating theoretically identical record "pairs" on paper and tablet. 83 record pairs for 33 patients with 22 data items (temperature and symptoms) per pair were analysed. The overall Kappa coefficient for agreement between sources was 0.62, but reduced to 0.59 when rare bleeding symptoms were excluded, indicating moderate to good agreement. The time taken to deliver the product was more than that anticipated by MSF (7 months versus 6 weeks). Deployment of the tablet coincided with a dramatic drop in patient numbers and thus had little impact on patient care. We have identified lessons specific to humanitarian-technology collaborative projects and propose a framework for emergency humanitarian innovation. Time and effort is required to bridge differences in organisational culture between the technology and humanitarian worlds. This investment is essential for establishing a shared vision on deliverables, urgency, and ownership of product.

Impact of war on child health in northern Syria: the experience of Médecins Sans Frontières.

PubMed

Meiqari, Lana; Hoetjes, Maartje; Baxter, Louisa; Lenglet, Annick

2018-03-01

Few data are available to evaluate the impact of Syrian war on civilian population; to describe this impact on child health, this article uses data from Médecins Sans Frontières-Operational Centre Amsterdam's activities in Tal-Abyad and Kobane cities, northern Syria (2013-2016). Data were obtained from routine medical datasets and narrative reports, for out-patient clinics, immunisation, nutritional monitoring and assessments, and in-patient care, and were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Infections were the largest contributor to morbidity. The proportion of < 5 year out-patient consultations of infectious diseases that are listed for outbreak monitoring in emergencies was 15% in 2013, 51% in 2014, 75% in 2015 and 70% in 2016. Thalassemia was recorded in 0.5% of 2014 < 5 year out-patient consultations and 3.4% of 2013-2014 < 18-year in-patient admissions. Measles immunisation activities and routine Extended Programme for Immunisation were re-activated across northern Syria; however, immunisation coverage could not be calculated. Results from our routine data must be compared cautiously, due to differences in settings and disease categories. With such scattered interventions, routine data are limited in providing a quantified evidence of emergency's health impact; however, they help in drawing a picture of children's health status and highlighting difficulties in providing curative and preventive services, in order to reflect part of population's plight. What is Known • Few data exist to evaluate the impact of the Syrian war on the health of children; • Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF-OCA) has worked in northern Syria during different times since 2013. What is New • Quantitative and qualitative analysis of MSF's routine medical data and situtation reports show that one fifth of all consultations in children < 5 years in MSF health facilities in northern Syria 2013-2016 were due to communicable diseases; • The analysis also highlights the burden of chronic conditions that were prevalent in Syria before the war, e.g. thalassemia.

Low referral completion of rapid diagnostic test-negative patients in community-based treatment of malaria in Sierra Leone

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Malaria is hyper-endemic and a major public health problem in Sierra Leone. To provide malaria treatment closer to the community, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) launched a community-based project where Community Malaria Volunteers (CMVs) tested and treated febrile children and pregnant women for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). RDT-negative patients and severely ill patients were referred to health facilities. This study sought to determine the referral rate and compliance of patients referred by the CMVs. Methods In MSF's operational area in Bo and Pujehun districts, Sierra Leone, a retrospective analysis of referral records was carried out for a period of three months. All referral records from CMVs and referral health structures were reviewed, compared and matched for personal data. The eligible study population included febrile children between three and 59 months and pregnant women in their second or third trimester with fever who were noted as having received a referral advice in the CMV recording form. Results The study results showed a total referral rate of almost 15%. During the study period 36 out of 2,459 (1.5%) referred patients completed their referral. There was a significant difference in referral compliance between patients with fever but a negative RDT and patients with signs of severe malaria. Less than 1% (21/2,442) of the RDT-negative patients with fever completed their referral compared to 88.2% (15/17) of the patients with severe malaria (RR = 0.010 95% CI 0.006 - 0.015). Conclusions In this community-based malaria programme, RDT-negative patients with fever were referred to a health structure for further diagnosis and care with a disappointingly low rate of referral completion. This raises concerns whether use of CMVs, with referral as backup in RDT-negative cases, provides adequate care for febrile children and pregnant women. To improve the referral completion in MSF's community-based malaria programme in Sierra Leone, and in similar community-based programmes, a suitable strategy needs to be defined. PMID:21496333

Low referral completion of rapid diagnostic test-negative patients in community-based treatment of malaria in Sierra Leone.

PubMed

Thomson, Anna; Khogali, Mohammed; de Smet, Martin; Reid, Tony; Mukhtar, Ahmed; Peterson, Stefan; von Schreeb, Johan

2011-04-17

Malaria is hyper-endemic and a major public health problem in Sierra Leone. To provide malaria treatment closer to the community, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) launched a community-based project where Community Malaria Volunteers (CMVs) tested and treated febrile children and pregnant women for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). RDT-negative patients and severely ill patients were referred to health facilities. This study sought to determine the referral rate and compliance of patients referred by the CMVs. In MSF's operational area in Bo and Pujehun districts, Sierra Leone, a retrospective analysis of referral records was carried out for a period of three months. All referral records from CMVs and referral health structures were reviewed, compared and matched for personal data. The eligible study population included febrile children between three and 59 months and pregnant women in their second or third trimester with fever who were noted as having received a referral advice in the CMV recording form. The study results showed a total referral rate of almost 15%. During the study period 36 out of 2,459 (1.5%) referred patients completed their referral. There was a significant difference in referral compliance between patients with fever but a negative RDT and patients with signs of severe malaria. Less than 1% (21/2,442) of the RDT-negative patients with fever completed their referral compared to 88.2% (15/17) of the patients with severe malaria (RR = 0.010 95% CI 0.006 - 0.015). In this community-based malaria programme, RDT-negative patients with fever were referred to a health structure for further diagnosis and care with a disappointingly low rate of referral completion. This raises concerns whether use of CMVs, with referral as backup in RDT-negative cases, provides adequate care for febrile children and pregnant women. To improve the referral completion in MSF's community-based malaria programme in Sierra Leone, and in similar community-based programmes, a suitable strategy needs to be defined.

Adaptive P300 based control system

PubMed Central

Jin, Jing; Allison, Brendan Z.; Sellers, Eric W.; Brunner, Clemens; Horki, Petar; Wang, Xingyu; Neuper, Christa

2015-01-01

An adaptive P300 brain-computer interface (BCI) using a 12 × 7 matrix explored new paradigms to improve bit rate and accuracy. During online use, the system adaptively selects the number of flashes to average. Five different flash patterns were tested. The 19-flash paradigm represents the typical row/column presentation (i.e., 12 columns and 7 rows). The 9- and 14-flash A & B paradigms present all items of the 12 × 7 matrix three times using either nine or 14 flashes (instead of 19), decreasing the amount of time to present stimuli. Compared to 9-flash A, 9-flash B decreased the likelihood that neighboring items would flash when the target was not flashing, thereby reducing interference from items adjacent to targets. 14-flash A also reduced adjacent item interference and 14-flash B additionally eliminated successive (double) flashes of the same item. Results showed that accuracy and bit rate of the adaptive system were higher than the non-adaptive system. In addition, 9- and 14-flash B produced significantly higher performance than their respective A conditions. The results also show the trend that the 14-flash B paradigm was better than the 19-flash pattern for naïve users. PMID:21474877

Multi-stage responsive 4D printed smart structure through varying geometric thickness of shape memory polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teoh, Joanne Ee Mei; Zhao, Yue; An, Jia; Chua, Chee Kai; Liu, Yong

2017-12-01

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) have gained a presence in additive manufacturing due to their role in 4D printing. They can be printed either in multi-materials for multi-stage shape recovery or in a single material for single-stage shape recovery. When printed in multi-materials, material or material-based design is used as a controlling factor for multi-stage shape recovery. However, when printed in a single material, it is difficult to design multi-stage shape recovery due to the lack of a controlling factor. In this research, we explore the use of geometric thickness as a controlling factor to design smart structures possessing multi-stage shape recovery using a single SMP. L-shaped hinges with a thickness ranging from 0.3-2 mm were designed and printed in four different SMPs. The effect of thickness on SMP’s response time was examined via both experiment and finite element analysis using Ansys transient thermal simulation. A method was developed to accurately measure the response time in millisecond resolution. Temperature distribution and heat transfer in specimens during thermal activation were also simulated and discussed. Finally, a spiral square and an artificial flower consisting of a single SMP were designed and printed with appropriate thickness variation for the demonstration of a controlled multi-stage shape recovery. Experimental results indicated that smart structures printed using single material with controlled thickness parameters are able to achieve controlled shape recovery characteristics similar to those printed with multiple materials and uniform geometric thickness. Hence, the geometric parameter can be used to increase the degree of freedom in designing future smart structures possessing complex shape recovery characteristics.

A Multi-Stage Maturity Model for Long-Term IT Outsourcing Relationship Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luong, Ming; Stevens, Jeff

2015-01-01

The Multi-Stage Maturity Model for Long-Term IT Outsourcing Relationship Success, a theoretical stages-of-growth model, explains long-term success in IT outsourcing relationships. Research showed the IT outsourcing relationship life cycle consists of four distinct, sequential stages: contract, transition, support, and partnership. The model was…

Design and testing of a novel multi-stroke micropositioning system with variable resolutions.

PubMed

Xu, Qingsong

2014-02-01

Multi-stroke stages are demanded in micro-/nanopositioning applications which require smaller and larger motion strokes with fine and coarse resolutions, respectively. This paper presents the conceptual design of a novel multi-stroke, multi-resolution micropositioning stage driven by a single actuator for each working axis. It eliminates the issue of the interference among different drives, which resides in conventional multi-actuation stages. The stage is devised based on a fully compliant variable stiffness mechanism, which exhibits unequal stiffnesses in different strokes. Resistive strain sensors are employed to offer variable position resolutions in the different strokes. To quantify the design of the motion strokes and coarse/fine resolution ratio, analytical models are established. These models are verified through finite-element analysis simulations. A proof-of-concept prototype XY stage is designed, fabricated, and tested to demonstrate the feasibility of the presented ideas. Experimental results of static and dynamic testing validate the effectiveness of the proposed design.

Adverse Effects of Induced Hot Flashes on Objectively Recorded and Subjectively Reported Sleep: Results of a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist Experimental Protocol

PubMed Central

Joffe, Hadine; White, David P.; Crawford, Sybil L.; McCurnin, Kristin E.; Economou, Nicole; Connors, Stephanie; Hall, Janet E.

2013-01-01

Objectives The impact of hot flashes on sleep is of great clinical interest, but results are inconsistent, especially when both hot flashes and sleep are measured objectively. Using objective and subjective measurements, we examined the impact of hot flashes on sleep by inducing hot flashes with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). Methods The GnRHa leuprolide was administered to 20 healthy premenopausal volunteers without hot flashes or sleep disturbances. Induced hot flashes were assessed objectively (skin-conductance monitor) and subjectively (daily diary) during one-month follow-up. Changes from baseline in objective (actigraphy) and subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]) were compared between women who did and did not develop objective hot flashes, and, in parallel analyses, subjective hot flashes. Results New-onset hot flashes were recorded in 14 (70%) and reported by 14 (70%) women (80% concordance). Estradiol was universally suppressed. Objective sleep efficiency worsened in women with objective hot flashes and improved in women without objective hot flashes (median decrease 2.6%, increase 4.2%, p=0.005). Subjective sleep quality worsened more in those with than without subjective hot flashes (median increase PSQI 2.5 vs. 1.0, p=0.03). Objective hot flashes were not associated with subjective sleep quality, nor were subjective symptoms linked to objective sleep measures. Conclusions This experimental model of induced hot flashes demonstrates a causal relationship between hot flashes and poor sleep quality. Objective hot flashes result in worse objective sleep efficiency, while subjective hot flashes worsen perceived sleep quality. PMID:23481119

Adaptation of Decoy Fusion Strategy for Existing Multi-Stage Search Workflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Mark V.; Levitsky, Lev I.; Gorshkov, Mikhail V.

2016-09-01

A number of proteomic database search engines implement multi-stage strategies aiming at increasing the sensitivity of proteome analysis. These approaches often employ a subset of the original database for the secondary stage of analysis. However, if target-decoy approach (TDA) is used for false discovery rate (FDR) estimation, the multi-stage strategies may violate the underlying assumption of TDA that false matches are distributed uniformly across the target and decoy databases. This violation occurs if the numbers of target and decoy proteins selected for the second search are not equal. Here, we propose a method of decoy database generation based on the previously reported decoy fusion strategy. This method allows unbiased TDA-based FDR estimation in multi-stage searches and can be easily integrated into existing workflows utilizing popular search engines and post-search algorithms.

Menopausal hot flashes: Randomness or rhythmicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kronenberg, Fredi

1991-10-01

Menopausal hot flashes are episodes of flushing, increased heart rate, skin blood flow and skin temperature, and a sensation of heat. The thermoregulatory and cardiovascular concomitants of hot flashes are associated with peaks in the levels of various hormones and neurotransmitters in the peripheral circulation. Although hot flashes affect about 75% of women, and are the primary reason that women at menopause seek medical attention, the mechanism of hot flashes is still not understood. Hot flashes vary in frequency and intensity both within and between individuals, and have been thought of as occurring randomly. Yet, some women report that their hot flashes are worse at a particular time of day or year. Initial examination of subjects' recordings of their hot flashes showed diurnal patterns of hot flash occurrence. There also seems to be a diurnal rhythm of hot flash intensity. Continuous physiological monitoring of hot flashes is facilitating the analysis of these patterns, which is revealing circadian and ultradian periodicities. The occurrence of hot flashes can be modulated by external and internal factors, including ambient temperature and fever. Rhythms of thermoregulatory and endocrine functions also may influence hot flash patterns. Examination of the interrelationships between the various systems of the body involved in hot flashes, and a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of hot flash patterns, will aid our understanding of this complex phenomenon.

Modeling of Pulses in Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wei; Celestin, Sebastien; Pasko, Victor

2015-04-01

Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are high-energy photon bursts originating from the Earth's atmosphere that are associated with lightning activities. After their discovery in 1994 by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) detector aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory [Fishman et al., Science, 264, 1313, 1994], this phenomenon has been further observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) [Smith et al., Science, 307, 1085, 2005], the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope [Briggs et al., JGR, 115, A07323, 2010] and the Astrorivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero (AGILE) satellite [Marisaldi et al., JGR, 115, A00E13, 2010]. Photon spectra corresponding to the mechanism of relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREAs) usually provide a very good agreement with satellite observations [Dwyer and Smith, GRL, 32, L22804, 2005]. On the other hand, Celestin and Pasko [JGR, 116, A03315, 2011] have shown theoretically that the large flux of thermal runaway electrons generated by streamers during the negative corona flash stage of stepping lightning leaders in intracloud lightning flashes could be responsible for TGFs. Recently, based on analysis of the temporal profiles of 278 TGF events observed by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor, Foley et al. [JGR, 119, 5931, 2014] have suggested that 67% of TGF pulses detected are asymmetric and these asymmetric pulses are consistent with the production mechanism of TGFs by relativistic feedback discharges. In the present work, we employ a Monte Carlo model to study the temporal distribution of photons at low-orbit satellite altitudes during TGF events. Using the pulse fitting method described in [Foley et al., 2014], we further investigate the characteristics of TGF pulses. We mainly focus on the effects of Compton scattering on the symmetry properties and the rise and fall times of TGF pulses.

Influence of dispatching rules on average production lead time for multi-stage production systems.

PubMed

Hübl, Alexander; Jodlbauer, Herbert; Altendorfer, Klaus

2013-08-01

In this paper the influence of different dispatching rules on the average production lead time is investigated. Two theorems based on covariance between processing time and production lead time are formulated and proved theoretically. Theorem 1 links the average production lead time to the "processing time weighted production lead time" for the multi-stage production systems analytically. The influence of different dispatching rules on average lead time, which is well known from simulation and empirical studies, can be proved theoretically in Theorem 2 for a single stage production system. A simulation study is conducted to gain more insight into the influence of dispatching rules on average production lead time in a multi-stage production system. We find that the "processing time weighted average production lead time" for a multi-stage production system is not invariant of the applied dispatching rule and can be used as a dispatching rule independent indicator for single-stage production systems.

An Analysis of Total Lightning Flash Rates Over Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzetti, Thomas O.; Fuelberg, Henry E.

2017-12-01

Although Florida is known as the "Sunshine State", it also contains the greatest lightning flash densities in the United States. Flash density has received considerable attention in the literature, but lightning flash rate has received much less attention. We use data from the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN) to produce a 5 year (2010-2014) set of statistics regarding total flash rates over Florida and adjacent regions. Instead of tracking individual storms, we superimpose a 0.2° × 0.2° grid over the study region and count both cloud-to-ground (CG) and in-cloud (IC) flashes over 5 min intervals. Results show that the distribution of total flash rates is highly skewed toward small values, whereas the greatest rate is 185 flashes min-1. Greatest average annual flash rates ( 3 flashes min-1) are located near Orlando. The southernmost peninsula, North Florida, and the Florida Panhandle exhibit smaller average annual flash rates ( 1.5 flashes min-1). Large flash rates > 100 flashes min-1 can occur during any season, at any time during the 24 h period, and at any location within the domain. However, they are most likely during the afternoon and early evening in East Central Florida during the spring and summer months.

Effects of Organophosphates on Transmitter Controlled Ionic Channels.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-01

previous report of anticholinesterase activity in the micromolar range (Menzer and Casida, 1965) and a mammalian toxicity 3 to 4 times greater than...34 "" - . - o O active ingredient in flea collars for pets. Dicrotophos is no longer in common use because of its relatively high...induced current noise were used to study the kinetics of drug binding. MSF is an irreversible anticholinesterase which is thought not to have any

An Architecture for Improving Timeliness and Relevance of Cyber Incident Notifications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

the difference between a beginning chess player, an experienced amateur, and a grand master. The beginner sees what his opponent is doing, but is...supplemented sparingly with traditional flowcharts where 69 additional detail is desired. These five are a Use Case diagram, a Class diagram...Figure 35 provides a flowchart example of this process. Obtain current ASF or MSF timestamp Count Dependencies Have all dependencies been checked

Mobile Strike force 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-23

States Army Inrtntry Center, Fort Beanning Georgia, served as the MSF 0-3. MAY Kevin Lee, Course Manager, United States Army ntelligence Center, Fort...possess mobility and protei levels sufficent for it to operate in conjunction with the FMBT. Firepower will include a lnran-mge minkge (TOW follow...Experience has shown that composite artillery battalions don’t work very well due to logistics resupply and ammo problem. £ To achieve effectivenus vith deep

Toxicological investigations on the methanol sub-fraction of the seeds of Carica papaya as a male contraceptive in albino rats.

PubMed

Lohiya, Nirmal K; Manivannan, Boomi; Garg, Shipra

2006-10-01

Pre-clinical acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies of the methanol sub-fraction (MSF) of the seeds of Carica papaya, a putative male contraceptive, have been investigated in rats to evaluate safety of the test substance. A single oral dose of MSF at 2000 mg/kg body weight was studied over 14 days for acute toxicity, and daily oral doses of 50, 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight were studied for 28- and 90-day periods for sub-chronic toxicity. Body weight, food and water intake and phenotypical toxicological symptoms were recorded daily. Sperm analysis, hematology, serum clinical biochemistry, libido and pathological examination of vital organs were recorded at the termination of the experimental periods. We observed no overt general toxicity in exposed animals. Food and water intake showed daily fluctuations within control limits. Sperm density showed a significant decrease in all 28- and 90-day repeated dose treated animals whereas total sperm motility inhibition was observed at 250 and 500 mg/kg dose levels at the 28-day time interval but in all dose groups at the 90-day interval. The preliminary results suggest the test substance may be a safe approach to male anti-fertility.

Measurement of Rapid Amiloride-Dependent pH Changes at the Cell Surface Using a Proton-Sensitive Field-Effect Transistor.

PubMed

Schaffhauser, Daniel; Fine, Michael; Tabata, Miyuki; Goda, Tatsuro; Miyahara, Yuji

2016-03-30

We present a novel method for the rapid measurement of pH fluxes at close proximity to the surface of the plasma membrane in mammalian cells using an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET). In conjuction with an efficient continuous superfusion system, the ISFET sensor was capable of recording rapid changes in pH at the cells' surface induced by intervals of ammonia loading and unloading, even when using highly buffered solutions. Furthermore, the system was able to isolate physiologically relevant signals by not only detecting the transients caused by ammonia loading and unloading, but display steady-state signals as would be expected by a proton transport-mediated influence on the extracellular proton-gradient. Proof of concept was demonstrated through the use of 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA), a small molecule inhibitor of sodium/hydrogen exchangers (NHE). As the primary transporter responsible for proton balance during cellular regulation of pH, non-electrogenic NHE transport is notoriously difficult to detect with traditional methods. Using the NHE positive cell lines, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and NHE3-reconstituted mouse skin fibroblasts (MSF), the sensor exhibited a significant response to EIPA inhibition, whereas NHE-deficient MSF cells were unaffected by application of the inhibitor.

TB treatment in a chronic complex emergency: treatment outcomes and experiences in Somalia.

PubMed

Liddle, Karin Fischer; Elema, Riekje; Thi, Sein Sein; Greig, Jane; Venis, Sarah

2013-11-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides TB treatment in Galkayo and Marere in Somalia. MSF international supervisory staff withdrew in 2008 owing to insecurity but maintained daily communication with Somali staff. In this paper, we aimed to assess the feasibility of treating TB in a complex emergency setting and describe the programme adaptations implemented to facilitate acceptable treatment outcomes. Routinely collected treatment data from 2005-2012 were retrospectively analysed. In multivariate analyses, factors associated with successful outcome (cure or completion versus failure, death and default) were assessed, including the presence of international supervisory staff. Informal interviews were conducted with Somali staff regarding programmatic factors affecting patient management and perceived reasons for default. In total, 6167 patients were admitted (34.8% female; median age 24.0 years [IQR 13.0-38.0 years]). Treatment success was 79% (programme range 69-87%). Presence of international staff did not improve outcomes (adjusted OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.66-1.09; p=0.27). Perceived reasons for default included being away from family, nomadic group, insecurity, travel cost, need to return to grazing land or feeling better. Despite the challenges, a high percentage of patients were successfully treated. Treatment outcomes were not adversely affected by withdrawal of international supervisory staff.

Rickettsioses in Europe.

PubMed

Portillo, Aránzazu; Santibáñez, Sonia; García-Álvarez, Lara; Palomar, Ana M; Oteo, José A

2015-01-01

Bacteria of the genera Rickettsia and Orientia (family rickettsiaceae, order rickettsiales) cause rickettsioses worldwide, and are transmitted by lice, fleas, ticks and mites. In Europe, only Rickettsia spp. cause rickettsioses. With improvement of hygiene, the risk of louse-borne rickettsiosis (epidemic typhus) is low in Europe. Nevertheless, recrudescent form of Rickettsia prowazekii infection persists. There could be an epidemic typhus outbreak if a body lice epidemic occurs under unfavorable sanitary conditions. In Europe, endemic typhus or Rickettsia typhi infection, transmitted by rats and fleas, causes febrile illness. At the beginning of this century, flea-borne spotted fever cases caused by Rickettsia felis were diagnosed. Flea-borne rickettsiosis should be suspected after flea bites if fever, with or without rash, is developed. Tick-borne rickettsioses are the main source of rickettsia infections in Europe. Apart from Rickettsia conorii, the Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF) agent, other Rickettsia spp. cause MSF-like: Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia monacensis, Rickettsia massiliae or Rickettsia aeschlimannii. In the 1990s, two 'new' rickettsioses were diagnosed: Lymphangitis Associated Rickettsiosis (LAR) caused by Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae, and Tick-Borne Lymphadenopathy/Dermacentor-Borne-Necrosis-Erythema-Lymphadenopathy/Scalp Eschar Neck Lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA/DEBONEL/SENLAT), caused by Rickettsia slovaca, Candidatus Rickettsia rioja and Rickettsia raoultii. Lastly, European reports about mite-borne rickettsiosis are scarce. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Modal kinematics for multisection continuum arms.

PubMed

Godage, Isuru S; Medrano-Cerda, Gustavo A; Branson, David T; Guglielmino, Emanuele; Caldwell, Darwin G

2015-05-13

This paper presents a novel spatial kinematic model for multisection continuum arms based on mode shape functions (MSF). Modal methods have been used in many disciplines from finite element methods to structural analysis to approximate complex and nonlinear parametric variations with simple mathematical functions. Given certain constraints and required accuracy, this helps to simplify complex phenomena with numerically efficient implementations leading to fast computations. A successful application of the modal approximation techniques to develop a new modal kinematic model for general variable length multisection continuum arms is discussed. The proposed method solves the limitations associated with previous models and introduces a new approach for readily deriving exact, singularity-free and unique MSF's that simplifies the approach and avoids mode switching. The model is able to simulate spatial bending as well as straight arm motions (i.e., pure elongation/contraction), and introduces inverse position and orientation kinematics for multisection continuum arms. A kinematic decoupling feature, splitting position and orientation inverse kinematics is introduced. This type of decoupling has not been presented for these types of robotic arms before. The model also carefully accounts for physical constraints in the joint space to provide enhanced insight into practical mechanics and impose actuator mechanical limitations onto the kinematics thus generating fully realizable results. The proposed method is easily applicable to a broad spectrum of continuum arm designs.

Operation of staged membrane oxidation reactor systems

DOEpatents

Repasky, John Michael

2012-10-16

A method of operating a multi-stage ion transport membrane oxidation system. The method comprises providing a multi-stage ion transport membrane oxidation system with at least a first membrane oxidation stage and a second membrane oxidation stage, operating the ion transport membrane oxidation system at operating conditions including a characteristic temperature of the first membrane oxidation stage and a characteristic temperature of the second membrane oxidation stage; and controlling the production capacity and/or the product quality by changing the characteristic temperature of the first membrane oxidation stage and/or changing the characteristic temperature of the second membrane oxidation stage.

Behavioral weight loss for the management of menopausal hot flashes: a pilot study.

PubMed

Thurston, Rebecca C; Ewing, Linda J; Low, Carissa A; Christie, Aimee J; Levine, Michele D

2015-01-01

Although adiposity has been considered to be protective against hot flashes, newer data suggest positive relationships between hot flashes and adiposity. No studies have been specifically designed to test whether weight loss reduces hot flashes. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of behavioral weight loss in reducing hot flashes. Forty overweight or obese women with hot flashes (≥ 4 hot flashes/d) were randomized to either behavioral weight loss intervention or wait-list control. Hot flashes were assessed before and after intervention via physiologic monitoring, diary, and questionnaire. Comparisons of changes in hot flashes and anthropometrics between conditions were performed via Wilcoxon tests. Study retention (83%) and intervention satisfaction (93.8%) were high. Most women (74.1%) reported that hot flash reduction was a major motivator for losing weight. Women randomized to the weight loss intervention lost more weight (-8.86 kg) than did women randomized to control (+0.23 kg; P < 0.0001). Women randomized to weight loss also showed greater reductions in questionnaire-reported hot flashes (2-wk hot flashes, -63.0) than did women in the control group (-28.0; P = 0.03)-a difference not demonstrated in other hot flash measures. Reductions in weight and hot flashes were significantly correlated (eg, r = 0.47, P = 0.006). This pilot study shows a behavioral weight loss program that is feasible, acceptable, and effective in producing weight loss among overweight or obese women with hot flashes. Findings indicate the importance of a larger study designed to test behavioral weight loss for hot flash reduction. Hot flash management could motivate women to engage in this health-promoting behavior.

Targeting an efficient target-to-target interval for P300 speller brain–computer interfaces

PubMed Central

Sellers, Eric W.; Wang, Xingyu

2013-01-01

Longer target-to-target intervals (TTI) produce greater P300 event-related potential amplitude, which can increase brain–computer interface (BCI) classification accuracy and decrease the number of flashes needed for accurate character classification. However, longer TTIs requires more time for each trial, which will decrease the information transfer rate of BCI. In this paper, a P300 BCI using a 7 × 12 matrix explored new flash patterns (16-, 18- and 21-flash pattern) with different TTIs to assess the effects of TTI on P300 BCI performance. The new flash patterns were designed to minimize TTI, decrease repetition blindness, and examine the temporal relationship between each flash of a given stimulus by placing a minimum of one (16-flash pattern), two (18-flash pattern), or three (21-flash pattern) non-target flashes between each target flashes. Online results showed that the 16-flash pattern yielded the lowest classification accuracy among the three patterns. The results also showed that the 18-flash pattern provides a significantly higher information transfer rate (ITR) than the 21-flash pattern; both patterns provide high ITR and high accuracy for all subjects. PMID:22350331

Spatial-temporal characteristics of lightning flash size in a supercell storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhixiao; Zheng, Dong; Zhang, Yijun; Lu, Gaopeng

2017-11-01

The flash sizes of a supercell storm, in New Mexico on October 5, 2004, are studied using the observations from the New Mexico Lightning Mapping Array and the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Doppler radar (KABX). First, during the temporal evolution of the supercell, the mean flash size is anti-correlated with the flash rate, following a unary power function, with a correlation coefficient of - 0.87. In addition, the mean flash size is linearly correlated with the area of reflectivity > 30 dBZ at 5 km normalized by the flash rate, with a correlation coefficient of 0.88. Second, in the horizontal, flash size increases along the direction from the region near the convection zone to the adjacent forward anvil. The region of minimum flash size usually corresponds to the region of maximum flash initiation and extent density. The horizontal correspondence between the mean flash size and the flash extent density can also be fitted by a unary power function, and the correlation coefficient is > 0.5 in 50% of the radar volume scans. Furthermore, the quality of fit is positively correlated to the convective intensity. Third, in the vertical direction, the height of the maximum flash initiation density is close to the height of maximum flash extent density, but corresponds to the height where the mean flash size is relatively small. In the discussion, the distribution of the small and dense charge regions when and where convection is vigorous in the storm, is deduced to be responsible for the relationship that flash size is temporally and spatially anti-correlated with flash rate and density, and the convective intensity.

A Multi-Stage Longitudinal Comparative Design Stage II Evaluation of the Changing Lives Program: The Life Course Interview (RDA-LCI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arango, Lisa Lewis; Kurtines, William M.; Montgomery, Marilyn J.; Ritchie, Rachel

2008-01-01

The study reported in this article, a Multi-Stage Longitudinal Comparative Design Stage II evaluation conducted as a planned preliminary efficacy evaluation (psychometric evaluation of measures, short-term controlled outcome studies, etc.) of the Changing Lives Program (CLP), provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the qualitative…

Flash memory management system and method utilizing multiple block list windows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chow, James (Inventor); Gender, Thomas K. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

The present invention provides a flash memory management system and method with increased performance. The flash memory management system provides the ability to efficiently manage and allocate flash memory use in a way that improves reliability and longevity, while maintaining good performance levels. The flash memory management system includes a free block mechanism, a disk maintenance mechanism, and a bad block detection mechanism. The free block mechanism provides efficient sorting of free blocks to facilitate selecting low use blocks for writing. The disk maintenance mechanism provides for the ability to efficiently clean flash memory blocks during processor idle times. The bad block detection mechanism provides the ability to better detect when a block of flash memory is likely to go bad. The flash status mechanism stores information in fast access memory that describes the content and status of the data in the flash disk. The new bank detection mechanism provides the ability to automatically detect when new banks of flash memory are added to the system. Together, these mechanisms provide a flash memory management system that can improve the operational efficiency of systems that utilize flash memory.

Perceived control and hot flashes in treatment-seeking breast cancer survivors and menopausal women.

PubMed

Carpenter, Janet S; Wu, Jingwei; Burns, Debra S; Yu, Menggang

2012-01-01

Lower perceived control over hot flashes has been linked to fewer coping strategies, more catastrophizing, and greater hot flash severity and distress in midlife women, yet this important concept has not yet been studied in breast cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to explore perceived control over hot flashes and hot flashes in breast cancer survivors compared with midlife women without cancer. Ninety-nine survivors and 138 midlife women completed questionnaires and a prospective, electronic hot flash diary. All data were collected at a baseline assessment before randomization in a behavioral intervention study. Both groups had moderate perceived control over hot flashes. Control was not significantly related to hot flash frequency but was significantly related to hot flash severity, bother, and interference in both groups. A significantly stronger association between control and hot flash interference was found for survivors than for midlife women. Survivors using hot flash treatments perceived less control than did survivors not using hot flash treatments, whereas the opposite was true in midlife women. Findings extend our knowledge of perceived control over hot flashes in both survivors and midlife women. Findings emphasize the importance of continued menopausal symptom assessment and management, support the importance of continuing nursing care even for survivors who are already using hot flash treatment, and suggest that nursing interventions aimed at improving perceived control over hot flashes may be more helpful for survivors than for midlife women.

Multi-stage pulse tube cryocooler with acoustic impedance constructed to reduce transient cool down time and thermal loss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gedeon, David R. (Inventor); Wilson, Kyle B. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

The cool down time for a multi-stage, pulse tube cryocooler is reduced by configuring at least a portion of the acoustic impedance of a selected stage, higher than the first stage, so that it surrounds the cold head of the selected stage. The surrounding acoustic impedance of the selected stage is mounted in thermally conductive connection to the warm region of the selected stage for cooling the acoustic impedance and is fabricated of a high thermal diffusivity, low thermal radiation emissivity material, preferably aluminum.

Synoptic-scale atmospheric conditions associated with flash flooding in watersheds of the Catskill Mountains, New York, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teale, N. G.; Quiring, S. M.

2015-12-01

Understanding flash flooding is important in unfiltered watersheds, such as portions of the New York City water supply system (NYCWSS), as water quality is degraded by turbidity associated with flooding. To further understand flash flooding in watersheds of the NYCWSS, synoptic-scale atmospheric conditions most frequently associated with flash flooding between 1987 and 2013 were examined. Flash floods were identified during this time period using USGS 15-minute discharge data at the Esopus Creek near Allaben, NY and Neversink River at Claryville, NY gauges. Overall, 25 flash floods were detected, occurring over 17 separate flash flood days. These flash flood days were compared to the days on which flash flood warnings encompassing the study area was issued by the National Weather Service. The success rate for which the flash flood warnings for Ulster County coincided with flash flood in the study watershed was 0.09, demonstrating the highly localized nature of flash flooding in the Catskill Mountain region. The synoptic-scale atmospheric patterns influencing the study area were characterized by a principal component analysis and k-means clustering of NCEP/NCAR 500 mb geopotential height reanalysis data. This procedure was executed in Spatial Synoptic Typer Tools 4.0. While 17 unique synoptic patterns were identified, only 3 types were strongly associated with flash flooding events. A strong southwesterly flow suggesting advection of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico is shown in composites of these 3 types. This multiscalar study thereby links flash flooding in the NYCWSS with synoptic-scale atmospheric circulation.Understanding flash flooding is important in unfiltered watersheds, such as portions of the New York City water supply system (NYCWSS), as water quality is degraded by turbidity associated with flooding. To further understand flash flooding in watersheds of the NYCWSS, synoptic-scale atmospheric conditions most frequently associated with flash flooding between 1987 and 2013 were examined. Flash floods were identified during this time period using USGS 15-minute discharge data at the Esopus Creek near Allaben, NY and Neversink River at Claryville, NY gauges. Overall, 25 flash floods were detected, occurring over 17 separate flash flood days. These flash flood days were compared to the days on which flash flood warnings encompassing the study area was issued by the National Weather Service. The success rate for which the flash flood warnings for Ulster County coincided with flash flood in the study watershed was 0.09, demonstrating the highly localized nature of flash flooding in the Catskill Mountain region. The synoptic-scale atmospheric patterns influencing the study area were characterized by a principal component analysis and k-means clustering of NCEP/NCAR 500 mb geopotential height reanalysis data. This procedure was executed in Spatial Synoptic Typer Tools 4.0. While 17 unique synoptic patterns were identified, only 3 types were strongly associated with flash flooding events. A strong southwesterly flow suggesting advection of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico is shown in composites of these 3 types. This multiscalar study thereby links flash flooding in the NYCWSS with synoptic-scale atmospheric circulation.

Hot Flashes and Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Patients

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

hot flashes, 40.7% report at baseline, having used HRT and 26.8% used exercise to control hot flashes. The 12-month data indicates that 26.5% of the...entire sample who are experiencing hot flashes, tried or are using some form of HRT to control hot flashes with exercise still the most frequently...used approach to manage hot flashes with 44.2% of sample currently exercising . 15. SUBJECT TERMS Breast Cancer, Hot Flashes, Quality of Life

Multi-scale hydrometeorological observation and modelling for flash flood understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braud, I.; Ayral, P.-A.; Bouvier, C.; Branger, F.; Delrieu, G.; Le Coz, J.; Nord, G.; Vandervaere, J.-P.; Anquetin, S.; Adamovic, M.; Andrieu, J.; Batiot, C.; Boudevillain, B.; Brunet, P.; Carreau, J.; Confoland, A.; Didon-Lescot, J.-F.; Domergue, J.-M.; Douvinet, J.; Dramais, G.; Freydier, R.; Gérard, S.; Huza, J.; Leblois, E.; Le Bourgeois, O.; Le Boursicaud, R.; Marchand, P.; Martin, P.; Nottale, L.; Patris, N.; Renard, B.; Seidel, J.-L.; Taupin, J.-D.; Vannier, O.; Vincendon, B.; Wijbrans, A.

2014-09-01

This paper presents a coupled observation and modelling strategy aiming at improving the understanding of processes triggering flash floods. This strategy is illustrated for the Mediterranean area using two French catchments (Gard and Ardèche) larger than 2000 km2. The approach is based on the monitoring of nested spatial scales: (1) the hillslope scale, where processes influencing the runoff generation and its concentration can be tackled; (2) the small to medium catchment scale (1-100 km2), where the impact of the network structure and of the spatial variability of rainfall, landscape and initial soil moisture can be quantified; (3) the larger scale (100-1000 km2), where the river routing and flooding processes become important. These observations are part of the HyMeX (HYdrological cycle in the Mediterranean EXperiment) enhanced observation period (EOP), which will last 4 years (2012-2015). In terms of hydrological modelling, the objective is to set up regional-scale models, while addressing small and generally ungauged catchments, which represent the scale of interest for flood risk assessment. Top-down and bottom-up approaches are combined and the models are used as "hypothesis testing" tools by coupling model development with data analyses in order to incrementally evaluate the validity of model hypotheses. The paper first presents the rationale behind the experimental set-up and the instrumentation itself. Second, we discuss the associated modelling strategy. Results illustrate the potential of the approach in advancing our understanding of flash flood processes on various scales.

Multi-scale hydrometeorological observation and modelling for flash-flood understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braud, I.; Ayral, P.-A.; Bouvier, C.; Branger, F.; Delrieu, G.; Le Coz, J.; Nord, G.; Vandervaere, J.-P.; Anquetin, S.; Adamovic, M.; Andrieu, J.; Batiot, C.; Boudevillain, B.; Brunet, P.; Carreau, J.; Confoland, A.; Didon-Lescot, J.-F.; Domergue, J.-M.; Douvinet, J.; Dramais, G.; Freydier, R.; Gérard, S.; Huza, J.; Leblois, E.; Le Bourgeois, O.; Le Boursicaud, R.; Marchand, P.; Martin, P.; Nottale, L.; Patris, N.; Renard, B.; Seidel, J.-L.; Taupin, J.-D.; Vannier, O.; Vincendon, B.; Wijbrans, A.

2014-02-01

This paper presents a coupled observation and modelling strategy aiming at improving the understanding of processes triggering flash floods. This strategy is illustrated for the Mediterranean area using two French catchments (Gard and Ardèche) larger than 2000 km2. The approach is based on the monitoring of nested spatial scales: (1) the hillslope scale, where processes influencing the runoff generation and its concentration can be tackled; (2) the small to medium catchment scale (1-100 km2) where the impact of the network structure and of the spatial variability of rainfall, landscape and initial soil moisture can be quantified; (3) the larger scale (100-1000 km2) where the river routing and flooding processes become important. These observations are part of the HyMeX (Hydrological Cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment) Enhanced Observation Period (EOP) and lasts four years (2012-2015). In terms of hydrological modelling the objective is to set up models at the regional scale, while addressing small and generally ungauged catchments, which is the scale of interest for flooding risk assessment. Top-down and bottom-up approaches are combined and the models are used as "hypothesis testing" tools by coupling model development with data analyses, in order to incrementally evaluate the validity of model hypotheses. The paper first presents the rationale behind the experimental set up and the instrumentation itself. Second, we discuss the associated modelling strategy. Results illustrate the potential of the approach in advancing our understanding of flash flood processes at various scales.

Physiologically assessed hot flashes and endothelial function among midlife women.

PubMed

Thurston, Rebecca C; Chang, Yuefang; Barinas-Mitchell, Emma; Jennings, J Richard; von Känel, Roland; Landsittel, Doug P; Matthews, Karen A

2017-08-01

Hot flashes are experienced by most midlife women. Emerging data indicate that they may be associated with endothelial dysfunction. No studies have tested whether hot flashes are associated with endothelial function using physiologic measures of hot flashes. We tested whether physiologically assessed hot flashes were associated with poorer endothelial function. We also considered whether age modified associations. Two hundred seventy-two nonsmoking women reporting either daily hot flashes or no hot flashes, aged 40 to 60 years, and free of clinical cardiovascular disease, underwent ambulatory physiologic hot flash and diary hot flash monitoring; a blood draw; and ultrasound measurement of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation to assess endothelial function. Associations between hot flashes and flow-mediated dilation were tested in linear regression models controlling for lumen diameter, demographics, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and estradiol. In multivariable models incorporating cardiovascular disease risk factors, significant interactions by age (P < 0.05) indicated that among the younger tertile of women in the sample (age 40-53 years), the presence of hot flashes (beta [standard error] = -2.07 [0.79], P = 0.01), and more frequent physiologic hot flashes (for each hot flash: beta [standard error] = -0.10 [0.05], P = 0.03, multivariable) were associated with lower flow-mediated dilation. Associations were not accounted for by estradiol. Associations were not observed among the older women (age 54-60 years) or for self-reported hot flash frequency, severity, or bother. Among the younger women, hot flashes explained more variance in flow-mediated dilation than standard cardiovascular disease risk factors or estradiol. Among younger midlife women, frequent hot flashes were associated with poorer endothelial function and may provide information about women's vascular status beyond cardiovascular disease risk factors and estradiol.

Menopausal Hot Flashes and Carotid Intima Media Thickness Among Midlife Women.

PubMed

Thurston, Rebecca C; Chang, Yuefang; Barinas-Mitchell, Emma; Jennings, J Richard; Landsittel, Doug P; Santoro, Nanette; von Känel, Roland; Matthews, Karen A

2016-12-01

There has been a longstanding interest in the role of menopause and its correlates in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Menopausal hot flashes are experienced by most midlife women; emerging data link hot flashes to CVD risk indicators. We tested whether hot flashes, measured via state-of-the-art physiologic methods, were associated with greater subclinical atherosclerosis as assessed by carotid ultrasound. We considered the role of CVD risk factors and estradiol concentrations in these associations. A total of 295 nonsmoking women free of clinical CVD underwent ambulatory physiologic hot flash assessments; a blood draw; and carotid ultrasound measurement of intima media thickness and plaque. Associations between hot flashes and subclinical atherosclerosis were tested in regression models controlling for CVD risk factors and estradiol. More frequent physiologic hot flashes were associated with higher carotid intima media thickness (for each additional hot flash: β [SE]=0.004 [0.001]; P=0.0001; reported hot flash: β [SE]=0.008 [0.002]; P=0.002, multivariable) and plaque (eg, for each additional hot flash, odds ratio [95% confidence interval] plaque index ≥2=1.07 [1.003-1.14]; P=0.04, relative to no plaque, multivariable] among women reporting daily hot flashes; associations were not accounted for by CVD risk factors or by estradiol. Among women reporting hot flashes, hot flashes accounted for more variance in intima media thickness than most CVD risk factors. Among women reporting daily hot flashes, frequent hot flashes may provide information about a woman's vascular status beyond standard CVD risk factors and estradiol. Frequent hot flashes may mark a vulnerable vascular phenotype among midlife women. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Menopausal Hot Flashes and Carotid Intima Media Thickness among Midlife Women

PubMed Central

Thurston, Rebecca C.; Chang, Yuefang; Barinas-Mitchell, Emma; Jennings, J. Richard; Landsittel, Doug P.; Santoro, Nanette; von Känel, Roland; Matthews, Karen A.

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose There has been a longstanding interest in the role of menopause and its correlates in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Menopausal hot flashes are experienced by most midlife women; emerging data link hot flashes to CVD risk indicators. We tested whether hot flashes, measured via state-of-the-art physiologic methods, were associated with greater subclinical atherosclerosis as assessed by carotid ultrasound. We considered the role of CVD risk factors and estradiol concentrations in these associations. Methods 295 nonsmoking women free of clinical CVD underwent ambulatory physiologic hot flash assessments; a blood draw; and carotid ultrasound measurement of IMT and plaque. Associations between hot flashes and subclinical atherosclerosis were tested in regression models controlling for CVD risk factors and estradiol. Results More frequent physiologic hot flashes were associated with higher carotid intima media thickness [IMT; for each additional hot flash: beta (standard error)=.004(.001), p=.0001; reported hot flash: beta (standard error)=.008(.002), p=.002, multivariable] and plaque [e.g., for each additional hot flash, odds ratio (95% confidence interval) plaque index ≥2=1.07(1.003–1.14, p=.04), relative to no plaque, multivariable] among women reporting daily hot flashes; associations were not accounted for by CVD risk factors or by estradiol. Among women reporting hot flashes, hot flashes accounted for more variance in IMT than most CVD risk factors. Conclusions Among women reporting daily hot flashes, frequent hot flashes may provide information about a woman’s vascular status beyond standard CVD risk factors and estradiol. Frequent hot flashes may mark a vulnerable vascular phenotype among midlife women. PMID:27834746

Behavioral Weight Loss for the Management of Menopausal Hot Flashes: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Thurston, Rebecca C.; Ewing, Linda J.; Low, Carissa A.; Christie, Aimee J.; Levine, Michele D.

2014-01-01

Objective Although adiposity has been considered protective against hot flashes, newer data suggest positive relations between flashes and adiposity. No studies have been specifically designed to test whether weight loss reduces hot flashes. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of behavioral weight loss to reduce hot flashes. Methods Forty overweight/obese women with hot flashes (≥4/day) were randomized to a behavioral weight loss intervention or to wait list control. Hot flashes were assessed pre- and post-intervention via physiologic monitor, diary, and questionnaire. Comparisons of changes in hot flashes and anthropometrics between conditions were tested via Wilcoxon tests. Results Study retention (83%) and intervention satisfaction (93.8%) were high. Most women (74.1%) reported that hot flash reduction was a main motivator to lose weight. Women randomized to the weight loss intervention lost more weight (-8.86 kg) than did women randomized to control (+0.23 kg, p<.0001). Women randomized to weight loss also showed greater reductions in questionnaire-reported hot flashes (2-week hot flashes: −63.0) than did women in the control (−28.0, p=.03), a difference not demonstrated in other hot flash measures. Reductions in weight and hot flashes were significantly correlated (e.g., r=.47, p=.006). Conclusions This pilot study showed a behavioral weight loss program to be feasible, acceptable, and effective in producing weight loss among overweight/obese women with hot flashes. Findings indicate the importance of a larger study designed to test behavioral weight loss for hot flash reduction. Hot flash management could motivate women to engage in this health-promoting behavior. PMID:24977456

Rapidly rotating second-generation progenitors for the 'blue hook' stars of ω Centauri.

PubMed

Tailo, Marco; D'Antona, Francesca; Vesperini, Enrico; Di Criscienzo, Marcella; Ventura, Paolo; Milone, Antonino P; Bellini, Andrea; Dotter, Aaron; Decressin, Thibaut; D'Ercole, Annibale; Caloi, Vittoria; Capuzzo-Dolcetta, Roberto

2015-07-16

Horizontal branch stars belong to an advanced stage in the evolution of the oldest stellar galactic population, occurring either as field halo stars or grouped in globular clusters. The discovery of multiple populations in clusters that were previously believed to have single populations gave rise to the currently accepted theory that the hottest horizontal branch members (the 'blue hook' stars, which had late helium-core flash ignition, followed by deep mixing) are the progeny of a helium-rich 'second generation' of stars. It is not known why such a supposedly rare event (a late flash followed by mixing) is so common that the blue hook of ω Centauri contains approximately 30 per cent of the horizontal branch stars in the cluster, or why the blue hook luminosity range in this massive cluster cannot be reproduced by models. Here we report that the presence of helium core masses up to about 0.04 solar masses larger than the core mass resulting from evolution is required to solve the luminosity range problem. We model this by taking into account the dispersion in rotation rates achieved by the progenitors, whose pre-main-sequence accretion disk suffered an early disruption in the dense environment of the cluster's central regions, where second-generation stars form. Rotation may also account for frequent late-flash-mixing events in massive globular clusters.

Long-delayed bright dancing sprite with large Horizontal displacement from its parent flash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jing; Lu, Gaopeng; Lee, Li-Jou; Feng, Guili

2015-07-01

We reported in this paper the observation of a very bright long-delayed dancing sprite with distinct horizontal displacement from its parent stroke. The dancing sprite lasted only 60 ms, and the morphology consisted of three fields with two slim dim sprite elements in the first two fields and a very bright large element in the third field, different from other observations where the dancing sprites usually contained multiple elements over a longer time interval, and the sprite shape and brightness in the video field are often similar to the previous fields. The bright sprite was displaced at least 38 km from its parent cloud-to-ground (CG) stroke and occurred over comparatively higher cloud top region. The parent flash of this compact dancing sprite was of positive polarity, with only one return stroke (approximately +24 kA) and obvious continuing current process, and the charge moment change of stroke was small (barely above the threshold for sprite production). All the sprite elements occurred during the continuing current stage, and the bright long-delayed sprite element induced a considerable current pulse. The dancing feature of this sprite may be linked to the electrical charge structure, dynamics and microphysics of parent storm, and the inferred development of parent CG flash was consistent with previous very high-frequency (VHF) observations of lightning in the same region.

Karst flash floods: an example from the Dinaric karst (Croatia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonacci, O.; Ljubenkov, I.; Roje-Bonacci, T.

2006-03-01

Flash floods constitute one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters worldwide. This paper explains the karst flash flood phenomenon, which represents a special kind of flash flood. As the majority of flash floods karst flash floods are caused by intensive short-term precipitation in an area whose surface rarely exceeds a few square kilometres. The characteristics of all flash floods are their short duration, small areal extent, high flood peaks and rapid flows, and heavy loss of life and property. Karst flash floods have specific characteristics due to special conditions for water circulation, which exist in karst terrains. During karst flash floods a sudden rise of groundwater levels occurs, which causes the appearance of numerous, unexpected, abundant and temporary karst springs. This paper presents in detail an example of a karst flash flood in the Marina bay (Dinaric karst region of Croatia), which occurred in December 2004.

A Comprehensive Study on Energy Efficiency and Performance of Flash-based SSD

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

Park, Seon-Yeon; Kim, Youngjae; Urgaonkar, Bhuvan

2011-01-01

Use of flash memory as a storage medium is becoming popular in diverse computing environments. However, because of differences in interface, flash memory requires a hard-disk-emulation layer, called FTL (flash translation layer). Although the FTL enables flash memory storages to replace conventional hard disks, it induces significant computational and space overhead. Despite the low power consumption of flash memory, this overhead leads to significant power consumption in an overall storage system. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of flash-based storage devices from the viewpoint of power consumption and energy efficiency by using various methodologies. First, we utilize simulation tomore » investigate the interior operation of flash-based storage of flash-based storages. Subsequently, we measure the performance and energy efficiency of commodity flash-based SSDs by using microbenchmarks to identify the block-device level characteristics and macrobenchmarks to reveal their filesystem level characteristics.« less

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

PubMed

Fetterman, J Gregor; Killeen, P Richard

2011-09-01

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

Pretreatment subcutaneous adipose tissue predicts the outcomes of patients with head and neck cancer receiving definitive radiation and chemoradiation in Taiwan.

PubMed

Pai, Ping Ching; Chuang, Chi Cheng; Chuang, Wen Ching; Tsang, Ngan Ming; Tseng, Chen Kan; Chen, Kuan Hung; Yen, Tzu Chen; Lin, Chien Yu; Chang, Kai Ping; Lei, Kin Fong

2018-05-01

We aimed to determine whether body composition assessment before treatment can predict outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). All 881 patients with locoregional head and neck cancer treated with curative intent radiotherapy (RT) between 2005 and 2012 were retrospectively investigated. Body composition was analyzed via pre-RT planning computed tomography (CT) images. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and skeletal muscle (SM) indices were measured cross-sectionally at the level of the third thoracic vertebra. Overall survival (OS), locoregional control (LRC), and distant metastasis-free survival (MFS) were analyzed by body composition index and body mass index (BMI). Survivors were followed up for a median of 4.68 years. The SAT indices in female patients were significantly higher than those in males (P < 0.001). The median SAT and muscle indices were 18.6 and 34.3 cm 2 /m 2 for women and 6.19 and 51.74 cm 2 /m 2 for men, respectively. The 5- and 10-year MFS, LRC, and OS rates were 83% and 82.1%, 73.4% and 71.4%, and 66.4 and 57.6%, respectively. Higher pretreatment SAT index was associated with MFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65; P = 0.015), LRC (HR: 0.758; P = 0.047), and OS (HR: 0.604; P < 0.001). Higher pretreatment BMI was associated with MFS (HR: 0.642; P = 0.031) and OS (HR: 0.615; P < 0.001). The pretreatment SM index had no significant effect on MFS, LRC, and OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that T-stage, N-stage, lesion sites, age, and RT treatment days are independent factors associated with OS; T-stage, N-stage, and lesion sites are independent factors associated with MFS; and N-stage, smoking history, and betel quid chewing history are independent factors associated with LRC. A higher CT-assessed SAT index predicts superior MSF, LCR, and OS in patients with curative HNC, whereas SM does not predict survival or locoregional control. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Flash fire propensity of materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilado, C. J.; Cumming, H. J.

1977-01-01

Flash fire test results on 86 materials, evaluated using the USF flash fire screening test, are presented. The materials which appear least prone to flash fires are PVC, polyphenylene oxide and sulfide, and polyether and polyaryl sulfone; these did not produce flash fires under these particular test conditions. The principal value of these screening tests at the present time is in identifying materials which appear prone to flash fires, and in identifying which formulations of a generic material are more or less prone to flash fires.

Enhanced retinal responses in Huntington's disease patients.

PubMed

Pearl, Jocelynn R; Heath, Laura M; Bergey, Dani E; Kelly, John P; Smith, Corrie; Laurino, Mercy Y; Weiss, Avery; Price, Nathan D; LaSpada, Albert; Bird, Thomas D; Jayadev, Suman

2017-01-01

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by chorea, cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms. Retinal examination of HD patients as well as in HD animal models have shown evidence of retinal dysfunction. However, a detailed retinal study employing clinically available measurement tools has not been reported to date in HD. The goal of this study was to assess retinal responses measured by electroretinogram (ERG) between HD patients and controls and evaluate any correlation between ERG measurements and stage of disease. Eighteen patients and 10 controls with inclusion criteria of ages 18-70 years (average age HD subjects: 52.1 yrs and control subjects: 51.9 yrs) were recruited for the study. Subjects with previous history of retinal or ophthalmologic disease were excluded. Retinal function was examined by full-field ERG in both eyes of each subject. Amplitudes and latencies to increasing flash intensities in both light- and dark-adaptation were measured in all subjects. Statistical analyses employed generalized estimating equations, which account for repeated measures per subject. We analyzed the b-wave amplitudes of ERG response in all flash intensities and with 30 Hz flicker stimulation. We found statistically significant increased amplitudes in HD patients compared to controls at light-adapted (photopic) 24.2 and 60.9 cd.sec/m2 intensities, dark-adapted (scotopic, red flash) 0.22 cd.sec/m2 intensity, and a trend toward significance at light-adapted 30 Hz flicker. Furthermore, we found a significant increase in light-adapted ERG response from female compared to male HD patients, but no significant difference between gender amongst controls. We also noted a positive association between number of CAG repeats and ERG response at the smallest light adapted intensity (3.1 cd.sec/m2). ERG studies revealed significantly altered retinal responses at multiple flash intensities in subjects with an HD expansion allele compared to controls. Significant differences were observed with either light-adapted tests or the dark-adapted red flash which suggests that the enhanced responses in HD patients is specific to the cone photoreceptor pathway.

Metal-poor stars. IV - The evolution of red giants.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rood, R. T.

1972-01-01

Detailed evolutionary calculations for six Population-II red giants are presented. The first five of these models are followed from the zero age main sequence to the onset of the helium flash. The sixth model allows the effect of direct electron-neutrino interactions to be estimated. The updated input physics and evolutionary code are described briefly. The results of the calculations are presented in a manner pertinent to later stages of evolutions and suitable for comparison with observations.

On the movement of tropical cyclone LEHAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasari, Hari Prasad; V, Brahmananda Rao; SSVS, Ramakrishna; Gunta, Paparao; N, Nanaji Rao; P, Ramesh Kumar

2017-12-01

In this paper, an attempt has been made to delineate the physical processes which lead to the westward movement of the North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone LEHAR. The Advanced Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW) model is used to simulate LEHAR with 27 and 9 km resolutions. The results indicate that the model performed well in simulating the characteristics of cyclone compared with the Satellite and other observations. In addition to that all terms of the complete vorticity equation are computed to obtain the contribution of each term for the vorticity tendency. The vorticity tendency is calculated in four sectors, namely northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast and assumed that the cyclone moves from its existing location to the nearest point where the vortices tendency is maximum. It is noticed that the vorticity stretching term contributes most to the positive vorticity tendency. The second highest contribution is from the horizontal advection thus indicating the secondary importance of steering. The distribution of lightening flash rates also showing that the flash rates are higher in the SW and followed by NW sectors of the cyclone indicate more strong convective clouds are in SW sector. The equivalent potential temperatures ( θ e) at different stages of before, during and after the mature stage of the cyclone are also analysed and the analysis reveals that the wind-induced surface heat (WISH) exchange process is a plausible mechanism for the intensification of LEHAR.

Hot flash report and measurement among Bangladeshi migrants, their London neighbors, and their community of origin.

PubMed

Sievert, L L; Begum, K; Sharmeen, T; Murphy, L; Whitcomb, B W; Chowdhury, O; Muttukrishna, S; Bentley, G R

2016-12-01

To examine hot flashes in relation to climate and activity patterns, and to compare subjective and objective hot flashes among Bangladeshi immigrants to London, their white London neighbors, and women still living in their community of origin, Sylhet, Bangladesh ("sedentees"). Ninety-five women, aged 40-55, wore the Biolog ambulatory hot flash monitor. Objective measurements and subjective hot flash reports were examined in relation to demographic, reproductive, anthropometric, and lifestyle variables; temperature and humidity at 12:00 and 18:00; and time spent on housework and cooking. Concordance of objective and subjective hot flashes was assessed by Kappa statistics and by sensitivity of hot flash classification. During the study period, Bangladeshi sedentees reported more subjective hot flashes (p < .05), but there was no difference in number of objective hot flashes. White Londoners were more likely to describe hot flashes on their face and neck compared to Bangladeshis (p < .05). Sedentees were more likely to describe hot flashes on their feet (p < .05). Postmenopausal status, increasing parity, and high levels of housework were significant determinants of subjective hot flashes, while ambient temperature and humidity were not. Measures of subjective/objective concordance were low but similar across groups (10-20%). The proportion of objective hot flashes that were also self-reported was lowest among immigrants. Hot flashes were not associated with warmer temperatures, but were associated with housework and with site-specific patterns of cooking. The number of objective hot flash measures did not differ, but differences in subjective experience suggest the influence of culture. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phenomenology of the sound-induced flash illusion.

PubMed

Abadi, Richard V; Murphy, Jonathan S

2014-07-01

Past studies, using pairings of auditory tones and visual flashes, which were static and coincident in space but variable in time, demonstrated errors in judging the temporal patterning of the visual flashes-the sound-induced flash illusion. These errors took one of the two forms: under-reporting (sound-induced fusion) or over-reporting (sound-induced fission) of the flash numbers. Our study had three objectives: to examine the robustness of both illusions and to consider the effects of stimulus set and response bias. To this end, we used an extended range of fixed spatial location flash-tone pairings, examined stimuli that were variable in space and time and measured confidence in judging flash numbers. Our results indicated that the sound-induced flash illusion is a robust percept, a finding underpinned by the confidence measures. Sound-induced fusion was found to be more robust than sound-induced fission and a most likely outcome when high numbers of flashes were incorporated within an incongruent flash-tone pairing. Conversely, sound-induced fission was the most likely outcome for the flash-tone pairing which contained two flashes. Fission was also shown to be strongly driven by stimuli confounds such as categorical boundary conditions (e.g. flash-tone pairings with ≤2 flashes) and compressed response options. These findings suggest whilst both fission and fusion are associated with 'auditory driving', the differences in the occurrence and strength of the two illusions not only reflect the separate neuronal mechanisms underlying audio and visual signal processing, but also the test conditions that have been used to investigate the sound-induced flash illusion.

How self-reported hot flashes may relate to affect, cognitive performance and sleep.

PubMed

Regestein, Quentin; Friebely, Joan; Schiff, Isaac

2015-08-01

To explain the controversy about whether midlife women who self-report hot flashes have relatively increased affective symptoms, poor cognitive performance or worse sleep. Retrospective data from 88 women seeking relief from bothersome day and night hot flashes were submitted to mixed linear regression modeling to find if estimated hot flashes, as measured by Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) items, or diary-documented hot flashes recorded daily, were associated with each other, or with affective, cognitive or sleep measures. Subjects averaged 6.3 daytime diary-documented hot flashes and 2.4 nighttime diary-documented hot flashes per 24h. Confounder-controlled diary-documented hot flashes but not estimated hot flashes were associated with increased Leeds anxiety scores (F=4.9; t=2.8; p=0.01) and Leeds depression scores (3.4; 2.5; 0.02), decreased Stroop Color-Word test performance (9.4; 3.5; 0.001), increased subjective sleep disturbance (effect size=0.83) and increased objective sleep disturbance (effect size=0.35). Hot flash effects were small to moderate in size. Univariate but not multivariate analyses revealed that all hot flash measures were associated with all affect measures. Different measures of hot flashes associated differently with affect, cognition and sleep. Only nighttime diary-document hot flash consistently correlated with any affect measures in multivariate analyses. The use of differing measures for hot flashes, affect, cognition and sleep may account for the continually reported inconsistencies in menopause study outcomes. This problem impedes forging a consensus on whether hot flashes correlate with neuropsychological symptoms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Second stage of Saturn V being assembled with the first stage.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

The hydrogen-powered second stage is being lowered into place during the final phase of fabrication of the Saturn V moon rocket at North American's Seal Beach, California facility. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Susceptibility to the Flash-Beep Illusion Is Increased in Children Compared to Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Innes-Brown, Hamish; Barutchu, Ayla; Shivdasani, Mohit N.; Crewther, David P.; Grayden, David B.; Paolini, Antonio

2011-01-01

Audio-visual integration was studied in children aged 8-17 (N = 30) and adults (N = 22) using the "flash-beep illusion" paradigm, where the presentation of two beeps causes a single flash to be perceived as two flashes ("fission" illusion), and a single beep causes two flashes to be perceived as one flash ("fusion" illusion). Children reported…

Global Patterns of Lightning Properties Derived by OTD and LIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beirle, Steffen; Koshak, W.; Blakeslee, R.; Wagner, T.

2014-01-01

The satellite instruments Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) provide unique empirical data about the frequency of lightning flashes around the globe (OTD), and the tropics (LIS), which 5 has been used before to compile a well received global climatology of flash rate densities. Here we present a statistical analysis of various additional lightning properties derived from OTD/LIS, i.e. the number of so-called "events" and "groups" per flash, as well as 10 the mean flash duration, footprint and radiance. These normalized quantities, which can be associated with the flash "strength", show consistent spatial patterns; most strikingly, oceanic flashes show higher values than continental flashes for all properties. Over land, regions with high (Eastern US) 15 and low (India) flash strength can be clearly identified. We discuss possible causes and implications of the observed regional differences. Although a direct quantitative interpretation of the investigated flash properties is difficult, the observed spatial patterns provide valuable information for the 20 interpretation and application of climatological flash rates. Due to the systematic regional variations of physical flash characteristics, viewing conditions, and/or measurement sensitivities, parametrisations of lightning NOx based on total flash rate densities alone are probably affected by regional biases.

Ophthalmic Evaluation in Beta-Thalassemia.

PubMed

Merchant, Rashid H; Punde, Hrishikesh; Thacker, Neepa; Bhatt, Deepak

2017-07-01

To determine the association of ocular manifestations in beta-thalassemia with the patient's age, blood transfusion requirements, average serum ferritin and dose and duration of iron chelation therapy. Sixty multi-transfused beta thalassemia patients of 12 to 18 y of age on chelation therapy were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Structural and functional evaluation of the retina was done using Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Electroretinography (ERG), including flash ERG and Pattern ERG (PERG). Routine ophthalmic examination and B scan of the eye was also done. Flash ERG a-waves and b-waves were recorded, however only a-wave amplitude was evaluated. Pattern ERG n35, n95 and p50 waves were recorded and p50 wave amplitude was evaluated. The a-wave on flash and p50 on pattern waves represent retinal photoreceptor epithelium (RPE) photoreceptor response, which is mainly affected in beta-thalassemia. Ocular changes were detected in 38.3% and a significant correlation was noted with increase in age (p = 0.045) but not with serum ferritin, transfusion requirements or chelation therapy. Refractive errors were found in 14 cases (23%), such as myopia with astigmatism in 13 (21.7%) and only myopia in 6 subjects (10%). OCT abnormality was noted in 1 patient (1.7%) who had thinning of central retina; right eye 132 μm and left eye 146 μm (n > 200 μm). Abnormalities were noted in a-wave amplitude on flash ERG in 20% of cases, while reduced p50 amplitude on PERG was noted in 15%. A significant correlation was noted between ocular findings and increase in age, but not with serum ferritin, transfusion requirements or chelation therapy. ERG appears to be a promising tool for screening patients with beta-thalassemia and can serve as a follow-up test for evaluating retinal function.

Characteristics of Lightning Within Electrified Snowfall Events Using Lightning Mapping Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Lang, Timothy J.; Bruning, Eric C.; Calhoun, Kristin M.; Harkema, Sebastian; Curtis, Nathan

2018-02-01

This study examined 34 lightning flashes within four separate thundersnow events derived from lightning mapping arrays (LMAs) in northern Alabama, central Oklahoma, and Washington DC. The goals were to characterize the in-cloud component of each lightning flash, as well as the correspondence between the LMA observations and lightning data taken from national lightning networks like the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). Individual flashes were examined in detail to highlight several observations within the data set. The study results demonstrated that the structures of these flashes were primarily normal polarity. The mean area encompassed by this set of flashes is 375 km2, with a maximum flash extent of 2,300 km2, a minimum of 3 km2, and a median of 128 km2. An average of 2.29 NLDN flashes were recorded per LMA-derived lightning flash. A maximum of 11 NLDN flashes were recorded in association with a single LMA-derived flash on 10 January 2011. Additionally, seven of the 34 flashes in the study contain zero NLDN-identified flashes. Eleven of the 34 flashes initiated from tall human-made objects (e.g., communication towers). In at least six lightning flashes, the NLDN detected a return stroke from the cloud back to the tower and not the initial upward leader. This study also discusses lightning's interaction with the human-built environment and provides an example of lightning within heavy snowfall observed by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper.

Hot flashes in breast cancer survivors: Frequency, severity and impact.

PubMed

Chang, Hao-Yuan; Jotwani, Aparna C; Lai, Yeur-Hur; Jensen, Mark P; Syrjala, Karen L; Fann, Jesse R; Gralow, Julie

2016-06-01

To (1) determine the frequency and severity of hot flashes, (2) examine the associations between hot flash frequency and severity and quality of life, and (3) identify the predictors of hot flash activity in breast cancer survivors. The study used a cross-sectional design and mailed survey of 253 breast cancer survivors recruited from a cancer wellness clinic. Participants provided information regarding cancer history, hot flashes, pain intensity, sleep problems, physical functioning, and psychological functioning. About half of the survivors reported at least one hot flash in the past 24 h (45%) or past week (52%). The average frequency of hot flashes was 1.9 in the past 24 h and 1.8 in the past week. Hot flash severity was usually mild or asymptomatic. However, participants with hot flashes reported significantly more sleep problems and higher pain severity than those reporting no hot flashes. Moreover, the severity of hot flashes was associated with more sleep problems, higher pain severity, and more psychological dysfunction. History of hormonal suppression therapy and younger age predicted hot flash activity in the study sample. In breast cancer survivors, hot flashes are common and are associated with unpleasant symptoms and poor quality of life. Research is needed to determine if treatments that reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors also result in improvements in symptoms such as sleep problems, pain, and psychological dysfunction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hot flashes in breast cancer survivors: Frequency, severity and impact

PubMed Central

Chang, Hao-Yuan; Jotwani, Aparna C.; Lai, Yeur-Hur; Jensen, Mark P.; Syrjala, Karen L.; Fann, Jesse R.; Gralow, Julie

2018-01-01

Purposes To (1) determine the frequency and severity of hot flashes, (2) examine the associations be- tween hot flash frequency and severity and quality of life, and (3) identify the predictors of hot flash activity in breast cancer survivors. Methods The study used a cross-sectional design and mailed survey of 253 breast cancer survivors recruited from a cancer wellness clinic. Participants provided information regarding cancer history, hot flashes, pain intensity, sleep problems, physical functioning, and psychological functioning. Results About half of the survivors reported at least one hot flash in the past 24 h (45%) or past week (52%). The average frequency of hot flashes was 1.9 in the past 24 h and 1.8 in the past week. Hot flash severity was usually mild or asymptomatic. However, participants with hot flashes reported significantly more sleep problems and higher pain severity than those reporting no hot flashes. Moreover, the severity of hot flashes was associated with more sleep problems, higher pain severity, and more psychological dysfunction. History of hormonal suppression therapy and younger age predicted hot flash activity in the study sample. Conclusions In breast cancer survivors, hot flashes are common and are associated with unpleasant symptoms and poor quality of life. Research is needed to determine if treatments that reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors also result in improvements in symptoms such as sleep problems, pain, and psychological dysfunction. PMID:27065357

Characteristics of Lightning within Electrified Snowfall Events using Lightning Mapping Arrays.

PubMed

Schultz, Christopher J; Lang, Timothy J; Bruning, Eric C; Calhoun, Kristin M; Harkema, Sebastian; Curtis, Nathan

2018-02-27

This study examined 34 lightning flashes within four separate thundersnow events derived from lightning mapping arrays (LMAs) in northern Alabama, central Oklahoma, and Washington DC. The goals were to characterize the in-cloud component of each lightning flash, as well as the correspondence between the LMA observations and lightning data taken from national lightning networks like the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). Individual flashes were examined in detail to highlight several observations within the dataset. The study results demonstrated that the structures of these flashes were primarily normal polarity. The mean area encompassed by this set of flashes is 375 km 2 , with a maximum flash extent of 2300 km 2 , a minimum of 3 km 2 , and a median of 128 km 2 . An average of 2.29 NLDN flashes were recorded per LMA-derived lightning flash. A maximum of 11 NLDN flashes were recorded in association with a single LMA-derived flash on 10 January 2011. Additionally, seven of the 34 flashes in the study contain zero NLDN identified flashes. Eleven of the 34 flashes initiated from tall human-made objects (e.g., communication towers). In at least six lightning flashes, the NLDN detected a return stroke from the cloud back to the tower and not the initial upward leader. This study also discusses lightning's interaction with the human built environment and provides an example of lightning within heavy snowfall observed by GOES-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper.

Metal Residue Deposition from Military Pyrotechnic Devices and Field Sampling Guidance

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

given NA 0.002 NA NA Chromium Oxide 1308-38-9 NA NA NA 0.015 Cobalt Naphthenate 61789-51-3 NA NA NA 0.017 Copper Oxide Black 1317-38-0 NA 1.32 NA...the whistling booby trap simulators included 73% potassium perchlorate, 24% gallic acid , and 3 % red gum (McIntyre 1980). Whereas the booby-trap...M21 Flash Artillery Simulator 50 3785.8 2/5/10 All – indicates the entire volume of stained snow was removed . MI – multi-increment. Rep

Flash pulmonary oedema after relief of haemodialysis graft stenosis.

PubMed

Vélez-Martínez, Mariella; Weinberg, Brent D; Mishkin, Joseph D

2013-08-01

Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are undoubtedly very much interrelated, especially in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are dependent on renal replacement therapy. Haemodialysis (HD) is of particular interest in cardiovascular patients due to the creation of a haemodialysis vascular access and the haemodynamic changes associated with it. Adequate HD though is very dependent on a properly functioning vascular access. Unfortunately, these surgical vascular accesses are vulnerable to stenoses and occlusions. Percutaneous endovascular treatment of these stenoses is often performed and has been found to be safe and effective. Despite its frequent use, acute medical complications of this percutaneous procedure have not been well-documented. In this report, we describe a patient who developed flash pulmonary oedema after balloon angioplasty treatment of an arteriovenous graft (AVG) stenosis. Copyright © 2012 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A process concept for the production of benzene-ethylene-SNG from coal using flash hydropyrolysis technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, M. I.; Ladelfa, C. J.; Bivacca, S. J.

1980-05-01

Flash hydropyrolysis (FHP) of coal is an emerging technology for the direct production of methane, ethane and BTX in a single-stage, high throughput reactor. The FHP technique involves the short residence time (1-2 seconds), rapid heatup of coal in a dilute-phase, transport reactor. When integrated into an overall, grass-roots conversion complex, the FHP technique can be utilized to generate a product consisting of SNG, ethylene/propylene, benzene and Fischer-Tropsch-based alcohols. This paper summarizes the process engineering and economics of conceptualized facility based on an FHP reactor operation with a lignitic coal. The plant is hypothetically sited near the extensive lignite fields located in the Texas region of the United States. Utilizing utility-financing methods for the costing of SNG, and selling the chemicals cogenerated at petrochemical market prices, the 20-year average SNG cost has been computed to vary between $3-4/MM Btu, depending upon the coal costs, interest rates, debt/equity ratio, coproduct chemicals prices, etc.

Repetitive compact flash x-ray generators for soft radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Eiichi; Shikoda, Arimitsu; Kimura, Shingo; Sagae, Michiaki; Oizumi, Teiji; Takahashi, Kei; Hayasi, Yasuomi; Shoji, Tetsuo; Shishido, Koro; Tamakawa, Yoshiharu; Yanagisawa, Toru

1993-01-01

The construction and the fundamental studies for the repetitive flash x-ray generators designed by Japan Impulse Laboratory in Iwate Medical University are described. These generators are classified to the following two major types: (1) generators having diodes, and (2) generators having triodes. In order to generate high-voltage impulses, we employed the following transmission lines (pulsers): (a) high-voltage-inversion type with a maximum output voltage Vom of about 80 kV, (b) high-voltage- inversion type having a coaxial cable (Vom equals 130 kV), (c) two-stage Marx pulser (Vom equals 150 kV), (d) two-cable-type Blumlein (Vom equals 120 kV), (e) modified Blumlein (Vom equals 120 kV), (f) fundamental transmission line for triode (Vom equals 100 kV), and (g) transmission line for an enclosed triode (Vom equals 100 kV). Using these generators we succeeded in performing high-speed radiography as follows: (a) delayed radiography; (b) multiple-shot radiography; and (c) cineradiography.

Data assimilation of non-conventional observations using GEOS-R flash lightning: 1D+4D-VAR approach vs. assimilation of images (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navon, M. I.; Stefanescu, R.

2013-12-01

Previous assimilation of lightning used nudging approaches. We develop three approaches namely, 3D-VAR WRFDA and1D+nD-VAR (n=3,4) WRFDA . The present research uses Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) as a proxy between lightning data and model variables. To test performance of aforementioned schemes, we assess quality of resulting analysis and forecasts of precipitation compared to those from a control experiment and verify them against NCEP stage IV precipitation. Results demonstrate that assimilating lightning observations improves precipitation statistics during the assimilation window and for 3-7 h thereafter. The 1D+4D-VAR approach yielded the best performance significantly improving precipitation rmse errors by 25% and 27.5%,compared to control during the assimilation window for two tornadic test cases. Finally we propose a new approach to assimilate 2-D images of lightning flashes based on pixel intensity, mitigating dimensionality by a reduced order method.

Third Stage (S-IVB) At KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1960-01-01

A NASA technician is dwarfed by the gigantic Third Stage (S-IVB) as it rests on supports in a facility at KSC. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Magnitude of the impact of hot flashes on sleep in perimenopausal women

PubMed Central

de Zambotti, Massimiliano; Colrain, Ian M.; Javitz, Harold S.; Baker, Fiona C.

2014-01-01

Objective To quantify the impact of objectively-recorded hot flashes on objective sleep in perimenopausal women. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants underwent 1–5 laboratory-based polysomnographic recordings for a total of 63 nights, including sternal skin conductance measures, from which 222 hot flashes were identified according to established criteria. Data were analyzed with hierarchical mixed-effect models and Spearman correlations. Setting Sleep laboratory. Patients 34 perimenopausal women (Age±SD:50.4±2.7y). Intervention None. Main Outcome Measures Perceived and polysomnographic sleep measures (sleep quality, amount of wake after sleep onset and number of awakenings). Subjective (frequency and bother) and objective (frequency and amount of hot flash-associated wake time) hot flash measures. Results Women had an average of 3.5 (95%CI:2.8–4.2, range=1– 9) objective hot flashes per night. 69.4% of hot flashes were associated with an awakening. Hot flash-associated wake time per night was, on average, 16.6 min (95%CI:10.8–22.4), which accounted for 27.2% (SD 27.1) of total wakefulness per night. Hot flash-associated wake, but not frequency, was negatively associated with sleep efficiency and positively associated with wake after sleep onset. Also, self-reported wakefulness correlated with hot flash-associated wake, suggesting that women’s estimates of wakefulness are influenced by the amount of time spent awake in association with hot flashes during the night. More perceived and bothersome hot flashes correlated with more perceived wakefulness and awakenings and more objective hot flash-associated wake time and hot flash frequency. Conclusions The presence of physiological hot flashes accounts for a significant proportion of total objective wakefulness during the night in perimenopausal women. PMID:25256933

Adiposity and Hot Flashes in Midlife Women: A Modifying Role of Age

PubMed Central

Santoro, Nanette; Matthews, Karen A.

2011-01-01

Background: The nature of the relationship between adiposity and hot flashes has been debated, but it has not been examined using physiological measures of hot flashes. We examined associations between body size/composition and physiologically assessed hot flashes among women with hot flashes. Methods: A subcohort of women in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (n = 52; 25 African-American and 27 non-Hispanic Caucasian; ages, 54 to 63 yr) who reported hot flashes, had their uterus and ovaries, and were not taking medications impacting hot flashes were recruited in 2008–2009. Women completed anthropometric measures [bioimpedance analysis of total percentage of body fat, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference], a blood draw (estradiol, SHBG, FSH, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), and 4 d of ambulatory sternal skin conductance monitoring with diary (physiological and reported hot flashes, respectively). Associations between anthropometrics and hot flashes were estimated with generalized estimating equations with covariates age, race, and anxiety. Results: Higher BMI (odds ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.94–0.99; P < 0.05) and waist circumference (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.97–0.99; P < 0.01) were associated with fewer physiological hot flashes. Interactions by age (P < 0.05) indicated that inverse associations of body fat, BMI, and waist circumference with hot flashes were most apparent among the oldest women in the sample. Estradiol and SHBG reduced but did not eliminate age-related variations in relations between body size/composition and hot flashes. Conclusion: Higher adiposity was associated with fewer physiological hot flashes among older women with hot flashes. A modifying role of age must be considered in understanding the role of adiposity in hot flashes. PMID:21778220

Adiposity and hot flashes in midlife women: a modifying role of age.

PubMed

Thurston, Rebecca C; Santoro, Nanette; Matthews, Karen A

2011-10-01

The nature of the relationship between adiposity and hot flashes has been debated, but it has not been examined using physiological measures of hot flashes. We examined associations between body size/composition and physiologically assessed hot flashes among women with hot flashes. A subcohort of women in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (n = 52; 25 African-American and 27 non-Hispanic Caucasian; ages, 54 to 63 yr) who reported hot flashes, had their uterus and ovaries, and were not taking medications impacting hot flashes were recruited in 2008-2009. Women completed anthropometric measures [bioimpedance analysis of total percentage of body fat, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference], a blood draw (estradiol, SHBG, FSH, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), and 4 d of ambulatory sternal skin conductance monitoring with diary (physiological and reported hot flashes, respectively). Associations between anthropometrics and hot flashes were estimated with generalized estimating equations with covariates age, race, and anxiety. Higher BMI (odds ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-0.99; P < 0.05) and waist circumference (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-0.99; P < 0.01) were associated with fewer physiological hot flashes. Interactions by age (P < 0.05) indicated that inverse associations of body fat, BMI, and waist circumference with hot flashes were most apparent among the oldest women in the sample. Estradiol and SHBG reduced but did not eliminate age-related variations in relations between body size/composition and hot flashes. Higher adiposity was associated with fewer physiological hot flashes among older women with hot flashes. A modifying role of age must be considered in understanding the role of adiposity in hot flashes.

Initial Breakdown Pulse Amplitudes in Intracloud and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, T. C.; Smith, E. M.; Stolzenburg, M.; Karunarathne, S.; Siedlecki, R. D., II

2017-12-01

This study analyzes the largest initial breakdown (IB) pulse in flashes from three storms in Florida. The study was motivated in part by the possibility that IB pulses of IC flashes may cause of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). The range-normalized, zero-to-peak amplitude of the largest IB pulse within each flash was determined along with its altitude, duration, and occurrence time in the flash. Appropriate data were available for 40 intracloud (IC) and 32 cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes. Histograms of the magnitude of the largest IB pulse amplitude by flash type were similar, with mean (median) values of 1.49 (1.05) V/m for IC flashes and -1.35 (-0.87) V/m for CG flashes. The mean amplitude of the largest IC IB pulses are substantially smaller (roughly an order of magnitude smaller) than the few known pulse amplitudes of TGF events and TGF candidate events. The largest IB pulse in 30 IC flashes showed a weak inverse relation between pulse amplitude and altitude. Amplitude of the largest IB pulse for 25 CG flashes showed no altitude correlation. Duration of the largest IB pulse in ICs averaged twice as long as in CGs (96 μs versus 46 μs); all of the CG durations were <100 μs. Among the ICs, there is a positive relation between largest IB pulse duration and amplitude; the linear correlation coefficient is 0.385 with outliers excluded. The largest IB pulse in IC flashes typically occurred at a longer time after the first IB pulse (average 4.1 ms) than was the case in CG flashes (average 0.6 ms). In both flash types, the largest IB pulse was the first IB pulse in about 30% of the cases.

Parameter Estimation of Computationally Expensive Watershed Models Through Efficient Multi-objective Optimization and Interactive Decision Analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar, Taimoor; Shoemaker, Christine

2016-04-01

Watershed model calibration is inherently a multi-criteria problem. Conflicting trade-offs exist between different quantifiable calibration criterions indicating the non-existence of a single optimal parameterization. Hence, many experts prefer a manual approach to calibration where the inherent multi-objective nature of the calibration problem is addressed through an interactive, subjective, time-intensive and complex decision making process. Multi-objective optimization can be used to efficiently identify multiple plausible calibration alternatives and assist calibration experts during the parameter estimation process. However, there are key challenges to the use of multi objective optimization in the parameter estimation process which include: 1) multi-objective optimization usually requires many model simulations, which is difficult for complex simulation models that are computationally expensive; and 2) selection of one from numerous calibration alternatives provided by multi-objective optimization is non-trivial. This study proposes a "Hybrid Automatic Manual Strategy" (HAMS) for watershed model calibration to specifically address the above-mentioned challenges. HAMS employs a 3-stage framework for parameter estimation. Stage 1 incorporates the use of an efficient surrogate multi-objective algorithm, GOMORS, for identification of numerous calibration alternatives within a limited simulation evaluation budget. The novelty of HAMS is embedded in Stages 2 and 3 where an interactive visual and metric based analytics framework is available as a decision support tool to choose a single calibration from the numerous alternatives identified in Stage 1. Stage 2 of HAMS provides a goodness-of-fit measure / metric based interactive framework for identification of a small subset (typically less than 10) of meaningful and diverse set of calibration alternatives from the numerous alternatives obtained in Stage 1. Stage 3 incorporates the use of an interactive visual analytics framework for decision support in selection of one parameter combination from the alternatives identified in Stage 2. HAMS is applied for calibration of flow parameters of a SWAT model, (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) designed to simulate flow in the Cannonsville watershed in upstate New York. Results from the application of HAMS to Cannonsville indicate that efficient multi-objective optimization and interactive visual and metric based analytics can bridge the gap between the effective use of both automatic and manual strategies for parameter estimation of computationally expensive watershed models.

The Sensor Test for Orion RelNav Risk Mitigation (STORRM) Development Test Objective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christian, John A.; Hinkel, Heather; D'Souza, Christopher N.; Maguire, Sean; Patangan, Mogi

2011-01-01

The Sensor Test for Orion Relative-Navigation Risk Mitigation (STORRM) Development Test Objective (DTO) flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-134 in May- June 2011, and was designed to characterize the performance of the flash LIDAR and docking camera being developed for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. The flash LIDAR, called the Vision Navigation Sensor (VNS), will be the primary navigation instrument used by the Orion vehicle during rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking. The DC will be used by the Orion crew for piloting cues during docking. This paper provides an overview of the STORRM test objectives and the concept of operations. It continues with a description of STORRM's major hardware components, which include the VNS, docking camera, and supporting avionics. Next, an overview of crew and analyst training activities will describe how the STORRM team prepared for flight. Then an overview of in-flight data collection and analysis is presented. Key findings and results from this project are summarized. Finally, the paper concludes with lessons learned from the STORRM DTO.

Acquision of Geometrical Data of Small Rivers with AN Unmanned Water Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sardemann, H.; Eltner, A.; Maas, H.-G.

2018-05-01

Rivers with small- and medium-scaled catchments have been increasingly affected by extreme events, i.e. flash floods, in the last years. New methods to describe and predict these events are developed in the interdisciplinary research project EXTRUSO. Flash flood events happen on small temporal and spatial scales, stressing the necessity of high-resolution input data for hydrological and hydrodynamic modelling. Among others, the benefit of high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) will be evaluated in the project. This article introduces a boat-based approach for the acquisition of geometrical and morphological data of small rivers and their banks. An unmanned water vehicle (UWV) is used as a multi-sensor platform to collect 3D-point clouds of the riverbanks, as well as bathymetric measurements of water depth and river morphology. The UWV is equipped with a mobile Lidar, a panorama camera, an echo sounder and a positioning unit. Whole (sub-) catchments of small rivers can be digitalized and provided for hydrological modelling when UWV-based and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) based point clouds are fused.

Second Stage (S-II) Plays Key Role in Apollo missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

This photograph of the Saturn V Second Stage (S-II) clearly shows the cluster of five powerful J-2 engines needed to boost the Apollo spacecraft into earth orbit following first stage separation. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

SUMO regulates proteasome-dependent degradation of FLASH/Casp8AP2

PubMed Central

Vennemann, Astrid; Hofmann, Thomas G.

2013-01-01

FLASH/Casp8AP2 is a huge multifunctional protein involved in multiple cellular processes, reaching from death receptor signaling to regulation of histone gene transcription and histone mRNA processing. Previous work has shown that FLASH localizes to Cajal bodies and promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. However, the function of its nuclear body association remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that murine FLASH is covalently modified by SUMO at Lys residue 1792. Interestingly, ectopic expression of SUMO results in proteasome-dependent degradation of FLASH. A point mutant of FLASH with a mutated SUMO acceptor lysine residue, FLASHK1792R, is resistant to SUMO-induced degradation. Finally, we show that arsenic trioxide, a drug known to potentiate SUMO modification and degradation of PML, triggers recruitment of FLASH to PML bodies and concomitant loss of FLASH protein. Our data suggest that SUMO targets FLASH for proteasome-dependent degradation, which is associated with recruitment of FLASH to PML bodies. PMID:23673342

The October 2014 United States Treasury bond flash crash and the contributory effect of mini flash crashes

PubMed Central

Levine, Zachary S.; Floridi, Luciano

2017-01-01

We investigate the causal uncertainty surrounding the flash crash in the U.S. Treasury bond market on October 15, 2014, and the unresolved concern that no clear link has been identified between the start of the flash crash at 9:33 and the opening of the U.S. equity market at 9:30. We consider the contributory effect of mini flash crashes in equity markets, and find that the number of equity mini flash crashes in the three-minute window between market open and the Treasury Flash Crash was 2.6 times larger than the number experienced in any other three-minute window in the prior ten weekdays. We argue that (a) this statistically significant finding suggests that mini flash crashes in equity markets both predicted and contributed to the October 2014 U.S. Treasury Bond Flash Crash, and (b) mini-flash crashes are important phenomena with negative externalities that deserve much greater scholarly attention. PMID:29091931

PIAS1 interacts with FLASH and enhances its co-activation of c-Myb

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background FLASH is a huge nuclear protein involved in various cellular functions such as apoptosis signalling, NF-κB activation, S-phase regulation, processing of histone pre-mRNAs, and co-regulation of transcription. Recently, we identified FLASH as a co-activator of the transcription factor c-Myb and found FLASH to be tightly associated with active transcription foci. As a huge multifunctional protein, FLASH is expected to have many interaction partners, some which may shed light on its function as a transcriptional regulator. Results To find additional FLASH-associated proteins, we performed a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening with FLASH as bait and identified the SUMO E3 ligase PIAS1 as an interaction partner. The association appears to involve two distinct interaction surfaces in FLASH. We verified the interaction by Y2H-mating, GST pulldowns, co-IP and ChIP. FLASH and PIAS1 were found to co-localize in nuclear speckles. Functional assays revealed that PIAS1 enhances the intrinsic transcriptional activity of FLASH in a RING finger-dependent manner. Furthermore, PIAS1 also augments the specific activity of c-Myb, and cooperates with FLASH to further co-activate c-Myb. The three proteins, FLASH, PIAS1, and c-Myb, are all co-localized with active RNA polymerase II foci, resembling transcription factories. Conclusions We conclude that PIAS1 is a common partner for two cancer-related nuclear factors, c-Myb and FLASH. Our results point to a functional cooperation between FLASH and PIAS1 in the enhancement of c-Myb activity in active nuclear foci. PMID:21338522

"Know What to Do If You Encounter a Flash Flood": Mental Models Analysis for Improving Flash Flood Risk Communication and Public Decision Making.

PubMed

Lazrus, Heather; Morss, Rebecca E; Demuth, Julie L; Lazo, Jeffrey K; Bostrom, Ann

2016-02-01

Understanding how people view flash flood risks can help improve risk communication, ultimately improving outcomes. This article analyzes data from 26 mental models interviews about flash floods with members of the public in Boulder, Colorado, to understand their perspectives on flash flood risks and mitigation. The analysis includes a comparison between public and professional perspectives by referencing a companion mental models study of Boulder-area professionals. A mental models approach can help to diagnose what people already know about flash flood risks and responses, as well as any critical gaps in their knowledge that might be addressed through improved risk communication. A few public interviewees mentioned most of the key concepts discussed by professionals as important for flash flood warning decision making. However, most interviewees exhibited some incomplete understandings and misconceptions about aspects of flash flood development and exposure, effects, or mitigation that may lead to ineffective warning decisions when a flash flood threatens. These include important misunderstandings about the rapid evolution of flash floods, the speed of water in flash floods, the locations and times that pose the greatest flash flood risk in Boulder, the value of situational awareness and environmental cues, and the most appropriate responses when a flash flood threatens. The findings point to recommendations for ways to improve risk communication, over the long term and when an event threatens, to help people quickly recognize and understand threats, obtain needed information, and make informed decisions in complex, rapidly evolving extreme weather events such as flash floods. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Hot Flashes and Carotid Intima Media Thickness among Midlife Women

PubMed Central

Thurston, Rebecca C.; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Everson-Rose, Susan A.; Hess, Rachel; Powell, Lynda H.; Matthews, Karen A.

2010-01-01

Objective Emerging evidence suggests associations between menopausal hot flashes and cardiovascular risk. Whether hot flashes are associated with intima media thickness (IMT) or IMT changes over time is unknown. We hypothesized that reported hot flashes would be associated with greater IMT cross-sectionally and with greater IMT progression over two years. Methods Participants were 432 women ages 45-58 at baseline participating in SWAN Heart, an ancillary study to the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Measures at the SWAN Heart baseline and follow-up visit two years later included a carotid artery ultrasound, reported hot flashes (past two weeks: none, 1-5, ≥6 days), and a blood sample for measurement of estradiol. Results Women reporting hot flashes ≥6 days in the prior two weeks had significantly higher IMT than women without hot flashes at baseline (mean difference(SE), mm =0.02(0.01), p=0.03) and follow-up (mean difference(SE), mm =0.02(0.01), p=0.04) visits, controlling for demographic factors and cardiovascular risk factors. Reporting hot flashes at both study visits was associated with higher follow-up IMT relative to reporting hot flashes at neither visit (mean difference(SE), mm=0.03(0.01), p=0.03). Associations between hot flashes and IMT largely remained after adjusting for estradiol. An interaction between hot flashes and obesity status was observed (p=0.05) such that relations between hot flashes and IMT were observed principally among overweight/obese women. Hot flashes were not associated with IMT progression. Conclusions These findings provided some indication that women reporting hot flashes ≥6 days in the prior two weeks may have higher IMT than women without hot flashes, particularly for women who are overweight or obese. Further work should determine whether hot flashes mark adverse underlying vascular changes. PMID:21242820

50 CFR 600.730 - Facilitation of enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... transmitted by flashing light directed at the vessel signaled. USCG units will normally use the flashing light... your vessel instantly.” (Period (.) means a short flash of light; dash (-) means a long flash of light... authorized officer using loudhailer, radiotelephone, flashing light signal, or other means constitutes prima...

50 CFR 600.730 - Facilitation of enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... transmitted by flashing light directed at the vessel signaled. USCG units will normally use the flashing light... your vessel instantly.” (Period (.) means a short flash of light; dash (-) means a long flash of light... authorized officer using loudhailer, radiotelephone, flashing light signal, or other means constitutes prima...

Simultaneous Quantitative MRI Mapping of T1, T2* and Magnetic Susceptibility with Multi-Echo MP2RAGE

PubMed Central

Kober, Tobias; Möller, Harald E.; Schäfer, Andreas

2017-01-01

The knowledge of relaxation times is essential for understanding the biophysical mechanisms underlying contrast in magnetic resonance imaging. Quantitative experiments, while offering major advantages in terms of reproducibility, may benefit from simultaneous acquisitions. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility of simultaneously recording relaxation-time and susceptibility maps with a prototype Multi-Echo (ME) Magnetization-Prepared 2 RApid Gradient Echoes (MP2RAGE) sequence. T1 maps can be obtained using the MP2RAGE sequence, which is relatively insensitive to inhomogeneities of the radio-frequency transmit field, B1+. As an extension, multiple gradient echoes can be acquired in each of the MP2RAGE readout blocks, which permits the calculation of T2* and susceptibility maps. We used computer simulations to explore the effects of the parameters on the precision and accuracy of the mapping. In vivo parameter maps up to 0.6 mm nominal resolution were acquired at 7 T in 19 healthy volunteers. Voxel-by-voxel correlations and the test-retest reproducibility were used to assess the reliability of the results. When using optimized paramenters, T1 maps obtained with ME-MP2RAGE and standard MP2RAGE showed excellent agreement for the whole range of values found in brain tissues. Simultaneously obtained T2* and susceptibility maps were of comparable quality as Fast Low-Angle SHot (FLASH) results. The acquisition times were more favorable for the ME-MP2RAGE (≈ 19 min) sequence as opposed to the sum of MP2RAGE (≈ 12 min) and FLASH (≈ 10 min) acquisitions. Without relevant sacrifice in accuracy, precision or flexibility, the multi-echo version may yield advantages in terms of reduced acquisition time and intrinsic co-registration, provided that an appropriate optimization of the acquisition parameters is performed. PMID:28081157

Analysis of non-enzymatically glycated peptides: neutral-loss-triggered MS3 versus multi-stage activation tandem mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qibin; Petyuk, Vladislav A.; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Orton, Daniel J.; Monroe, Matthew E.; Yang, Feng; Smith, Richard D.; Metz, Thomas O.

2009-01-01

Non-enzymatic glycation of tissue proteins has important implications in the development of complications of diabetes mellitus. While electron transfer dissociation (ETD) has been shown to outperform collision-induced dissociation (CID) in sequencing glycated peptides by tandem mass spectrometry, ETD instrumentation is not yet widely available and often suffers from significantly lower sensitivity than CID. In this study, we evaluated different advanced CID techniques (i.e., neutral-loss-triggered MS3 and multi-stage activation) during liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometric (LC/MSn) analyses of Amadori-modified peptides enriched from human serum glycated in vitro. During neutral-loss-triggered MS3 experiments, MS3 scans triggered by neutral losses of 3 H2O or 3 H2O + HCHO produced similar results in terms of glycated peptide identifications. However, neutral losses of 3 H2O resulted in significantly more glycated peptide identifications during multi-stage activation experiments. Overall, the multi-stage activation approach produced more glycated peptide identifications, while the neutral-loss-triggered MS3 approach resulted in much higher specificity. Both techniques are viable alternatives to ETD for identifying glycated peptides. PMID:18763275

Symmetric Phase-Only Filtering in Particle-Image Velocimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wemet, Mark P.

2008-01-01

Symmetrical phase-only filtering (SPOF) can be exploited to obtain substantial improvements in the results of data processing in particle-image velocimetry (PIV). In comparison with traditional PIV data processing, SPOF PIV data processing yields narrower and larger amplitude correlation peaks, thereby providing more-accurate velocity estimates. The higher signal-to-noise ratios associated with the higher amplitude correlation peaks afford greater robustness and reliability of processing. SPOF also affords superior performance in the presence of surface flare light and/or background light. SPOF algorithms can readily be incorporated into pre-existing algorithms used to process digitized image data in PIV, without significantly increasing processing times. A summary of PIV and traditional PIV data processing is prerequisite to a meaningful description of SPOF PIV processing. In PIV, a pulsed laser is used to illuminate a substantially planar region of a flowing fluid in which particles are entrained. An electronic camera records digital images of the particles at two instants of time. The components of velocity of the fluid in the illuminated plane can be obtained by determining the displacements of particles between the two illumination pulses. The objective in PIV data processing is to compute the particle displacements from the digital image data. In traditional PIV data processing, to which the present innovation applies, the two images are divided into a grid of subregions and the displacements determined from cross-correlations between the corresponding sub-regions in the first and second images. The cross-correlation process begins with the calculation of the Fourier transforms (or fast Fourier transforms) of the subregion portions of the images. The Fourier transforms from the corresponding subregions are multiplied, and this product is inverse Fourier transformed, yielding the cross-correlation intensity distribution. The average displacement of the particles across a subregion results in a displacement of the correlation peak from the center of the correlation plane. The velocity is then computed from the displacement of the correlation peak and the time between the recording of the two images. The process as described thus far is performed for all the subregions. The resulting set of velocities in grid cells amounts to a velocity vector map of the flow field recorded on the image plane. In traditional PIV processing, surface flare light and bright background light give rise to a large, broad correlation peak, at the center of the correlation plane, that can overwhelm the true particle- displacement correlation peak. This has made it necessary to resort to tedious image-masking and background-subtraction procedures to recover the relatively small amplitude particle-displacement correlation peak. SPOF is a variant of phase-only filtering (POF), which, in turn, is a variant of matched spatial filtering (MSF). In MSF, one projects a first image (denoted the input image) onto a second image (denoted the filter) as part of a computation to determine how much and what part of the filter is present in the input image. MSF is equivalent to cross-correlation. In POF, the frequency-domain content of the MSF filter is modified to produce a unitamplitude (phase-only) object. POF is implemented by normalizing the Fourier transform of the filter by its magnitude. The advantage of POFs is that they yield correlation peaks that are sharper and have higher signal-to-noise ratios than those obtained through traditional MSF. In the SPOF, these benefits of POF can be extended to PIV data processing. The SPOF yields even better performance than the POF approach, which is uniquely applicable to PIV type image data. In SPOF as now applied to PIV data processing, a subregion of the first image is treated as the input image and the corresponding subregion of the second image is treated as the filter. The Fourier transforms from both the firs and second- image subregions are normalized by the square roots of their respective magnitudes. This scheme yields optimal performance because the amounts of normalization applied to the spatial-frequency contents of the input and filter scenes are just enough to enhance their high-spatial-frequency contents while reducing their spurious low-spatial-frequency content. As a result, in SPOF PIV processing, particle-displacement correlation peaks can readily be detected above spurious background peaks, without need for masking or background subtraction.

49 CFR 234.217 - Flashing light units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flashing light units. 234.217 Section 234.217..., Inspection, and Testing Maintenance Standards § 234.217 Flashing light units. (a) Each flashing light unit.... (b) Each flashing light unit shall be maintained to prevent dust and moisture from entering the...

49 CFR 234.217 - Flashing light units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Flashing light units. 234.217 Section 234.217..., Inspection, and Testing Maintenance Standards § 234.217 Flashing light units. (a) Each flashing light unit.... (b) Each flashing light unit shall be maintained to prevent dust and moisture from entering the...

Lunar Impact Flash Locations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moser, D. E.; Suggs, R. M.; Kupferschmidt, L.; Feldman, J.

2015-01-01

A bright impact flash detected by the NASA Lunar Impact Monitoring Program in March 2013 brought into focus the importance of determining the impact flash location. A process for locating the impact flash, and presumably its associated crater, was developed using commercially available software tools. The process was successfully applied to the March 2013 impact flash and put into production on an additional 300 impact flashes. The goal today: provide a description of the geolocation technique developed.

FLASH Interface; a GUI for managing runtime parameters in FLASH simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Christopher; Tzeferacos, Petros; Weide, Klaus; Lamb, Donald; Flocke, Norbert; Feister, Scott

2017-10-01

We present FLASH Interface, a novel graphical user interface (GUI) for managing runtime parameters in simulations performed with the FLASH code. FLASH Interface supports full text search of available parameters; provides descriptions of each parameter's role and function; allows for the filtering of parameters based on categories; performs input validation; and maintains all comments and non-parameter information already present in existing parameter files. The GUI can be used to edit existing parameter files or generate new ones. FLASH Interface is open source and was implemented with the Electron framework, making it available on Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux operating systems. The new interface lowers the entry barrier for new FLASH users and provides an easy-to-use tool for experienced FLASH simulators. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), NNSA ASC/Alliances Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes, U.S. DOE NNSA ASC through the Argonne Institute for Computing in Science, U.S. National Science Foundation.

OTD Observations of Continental US Ground and Cloud Flashes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, William

2007-01-01

Lightning optical flash parameters (e.g., radiance, area, duration, number of optical groups, and number of optical events) derived from almost five years of Optical Transient Detector (OTD) data are analyzed. Hundreds of thousands of OTD flashes occurring over the continental US are categorized according to flash type (ground or cloud flash) using US National Lightning Detection Network TM (NLDN) data. The statistics of the optical characteristics of the ground and cloud flashes are inter-compared on an overall basis, and as a function of ground flash polarity. A standard two-distribution hypothesis test is used to inter-compare the population means of a given lightning parameter for the two flash types. Given the differences in the statistics of the optical characteristics, it is suggested that statistical analyses (e.g., Bayesian Inference) of the space-based optical measurements might make it possible to successfully discriminate ground and cloud flashes a reasonable percentage of the time.

Menopausal Hot Flashes and White Matter Hyperintensities

PubMed Central

Thurston, Rebecca C.; Aizenstein, Howard J.; Derby, Carol A.; Sejdić, Ervin; Maki, Pauline M.

2015-01-01

Objective Hot flashes are the classic menopausal symptom. Emerging data links hot flashes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, yet how hot flashes are related to brain health is poorly understood. We examined the relationship between hot flashes - measured via physiologic monitor and self-report - and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) among midlife women. Methods Twenty midlife women ages 40-60 without clinical CVD, with their uterus and both ovaries, and not taking hormone therapy were recruited. Women underwent 24 hours of ambulatory physiologic and diary hot flash monitoring to quantify hot flashes; magnetic resonance imaging to assess WMH burden; 72 hours of actigraphy and questionnaires to quantify sleep; and a blood draw, questionnaires, and physical measures to quantify demographics and CVD risk factors. Test of a priori hypotheses regarding relations between physiologically-monitored and self-reported wake and sleep hot flashes and WMH were conducted in linear regression models. Results More physiologically-monitored hot flashes during sleep were associated with greater WMH, controlling for age, race, and body mass index [beta(standard error)=.0002 (.0001), p=.03]. Findings persisted controlling for sleep characteristics and additional CVD risk factors. No relations were observed for self-reported hot flashes. Conclusions More physiologically-monitored hot flashes during sleep were associated with greater WMH burden among midlife women free of clinical CVD. Results suggest that relations between hot flashes and CVD risk observed in the periphery may extend to the brain. Future work should consider the unique role of sleep hot flashes in brain health. PMID:26057822

Some properties of negative cloud-to-ground flashes from observations of a local thunderstorm based on accurate-stroke-count studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Baoyou; Ma, Ming; Xu, Weiwei; Ma, Dong

2015-12-01

Properties of negative cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes, in terms of number of strokes per flash, inter-stroke intervals and the relative intensity of subsequent and first strokes, were presented by accurate-stroke-count studies based on all 1085 negative flashes from a local thunderstorm. The percentage of single-stroke flashes and stroke multiplicity evolved significantly during the whole life cycle of the study thunderstorm. The occurrence probability of negative CG flashes decreased exponentially with the increasing number of strokes per flash. About 30.5% of negative CG flashes contained only one stroke and number of strokes per flash averaged 3.3. In a subset of 753 negative multiple-stroke flashes, about 41.4% contained at least one subsequent stroke stronger than the corresponding first stroke. Subsequent strokes tended to decrease in strength with their orders and the ratio of subsequent to first stroke peaks presented a geometric mean value of 0.52. Interestingly, negative CG flashes of higher multiplicity tended to have stronger initial strokes. 2525 inter-stroke intervals showed a more or less log-normal distribution and gave a geometric mean value of 62 ms. For CG flashes of particular multiplicity geometric mean inter-stroke intervals tended to decrease with the increasing number of strokes per flash, while those intervals associated with higher order strokes tended to be larger than those associated with low order strokes.

Two technicians apply insulation to S-II second stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1964-01-01

Two technicians apply insulation to the outer surface of the S-II second stage booster for the Saturn V moon rocket. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Noncontacting devices to indicate deflection and vibration of turbopump internal rotating parts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, D. B.; Ensminger, D.; Grieser, D. R.; Plummer, A. M.; Saccocio, E. J.; Kissel, J. W.

1973-01-01

The research is reported which was conducted to develop devices for measuring vibrations and deflections of parts, such as impellers, shafts, turbine wheels, and inducers in operating turbopumps. Three devices were developed to the breadboard stage: ultrasonic Doppler transducer, flash X-rays, and light-pipe reflectance. It was found that the X-ray technique is applicable to the shaft assembly and the turbine seal of the J-2 pump, and the light-pipe-reflectance device appears to be ideal for cryogenic pump sections.

Pyrolysis with staged recovery

DOEpatents

Green, Norman W.; Duraiswamy, Kandaswamy; Lumpkin, Robert E.; Winter, Bruce L.

1979-03-20

In a continuous process for recovery of values contained in a solid carbonaceous material, the carbonaceous material is comminuted and then subjected to flash pyrolysis in the presence of a particulate heat source fed over an overflow weir to form a pyrolysis product stream containing a carbon containing solid residue and volatilized hydrocarbons. After the carbon containing solid residue is separated from the pyrolysis product stream, values are obtained by condensing volatilized hydrocarbons. The particulate source of heat is formed by oxidizing carbon in the solid residue.

Mental health and trauma in asylum seekers landing in Sicily in 2015: a descriptive study of neglected invisible wounds.

PubMed

Crepet, Anna; Rita, Francesco; Reid, Anthony; Van den Boogaard, Wilma; Deiana, Pina; Quaranta, Gaia; Barbieri, Aurelia; Bongiorno, Francesco; Di Carlo, Stefano

2017-01-01

In 2015, Italy was the second most common point of entry for asylum seekers into Europe after Greece. The vast majority embarked from war-torn Libya; 80,000 people claimed asylum that year. Their medical conditions were assessed on arrival but their mental health needs were not addressed in any way, despite the likelihood of serious trauma before and during migration. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), in agreement with the Italian Ministry of Health, provided mental health (MH) assessment and care for recently-landed asylum seekers in Sicily. This study documents mental health conditions, potentially traumatic events and post-migratory living difficulties experienced by asylum seekers in the MSF programme in 2014-15. All asylum seekers transiting the 15 MSF-supported centres were invited to a psycho-educational session. A team of psychologists and cultural mediators then provided assessment and care for those identified with MH conditions. Potentially traumatic events experienced before and during the journey, as well as post-migratory living difficulties, were recorded. All those diagnosed with MH conditions from October 2014 to December 2015 were included in the study. Among 385 individuals who presented themselves for a MH screening during the study period, 193 (50%) were identified and diagnosed with MH conditions. Most were young, West African males who had left their home-countries more than a year prior to arrival. The most common MH conditions were post traumatic stress disorder (31%) and depression (20%). Potentially traumatic events were experienced frequently in the home country (60%) and during migration (89%). Being in a combat situation or at risk of death, having witnessed violence or death and having been in detention were the main traumas. Lack of activities, worries about home, loneliness and fear of being sent home were the main difficulties at the AS centres. MH conditions, potentially traumatic events and post-migratory living difficulties are commonly experienced by recently-arrived ASs, this study suggests that mental health and psychosocial support and improved living circumstances should be integrated into European medical and social services provided by authorities in order to fulfil their humanitarian responsibility and reduce the burden of assimilation on receiving countries.

Comparison of vessel enhancement algorithms applied to time-of-flight MRA images for cerebrovascular segmentation.

PubMed

Phellan, Renzo; Forkert, Nils D

2017-11-01

Vessel enhancement algorithms are often used as a preprocessing step for vessel segmentation in medical images to improve the overall segmentation accuracy. Each algorithm uses different characteristics to enhance vessels, such that the most suitable algorithm may vary for different applications. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the accuracy gains in vessel segmentation generated by the use of nine vessel enhancement algorithms: Multiscale vesselness using the formulas described by Erdt (MSE), Frangi (MSF), and Sato (MSS), optimally oriented flux (OOF), ranking orientations responses path operator (RORPO), the regularized Perona-Malik approach (RPM), vessel enhanced diffusion (VED), hybrid diffusion with continuous switch (HDCS), and the white top hat algorithm (WTH). The filters were evaluated and compared based on time-of-flight MRA datasets and corresponding manual segmentations from 5 healthy subjects and 10 patients with an arteriovenous malformation. Additionally, five synthetic angiographic datasets with corresponding ground truth segmentation were generated with three different noise levels (low, medium, and high) and also used for comparison. The parameters for each algorithm and subsequent segmentation were optimized using leave-one-out cross evaluation. The Dice coefficient, Matthews correlation coefficient, area under the ROC curve, number of connected components, and true positives were used for comparison. The results of this study suggest that vessel enhancement algorithms do not always lead to more accurate segmentation results compared to segmenting nonenhanced images directly. Multiscale vesselness algorithms, such as MSE, MSF, and MSS proved to be robust to noise, while diffusion-based filters, such as RPM, VED, and HDCS ranked in the top of the list in scenarios with medium or no noise. Filters that assume tubular-shapes, such as MSE, MSF, MSS, OOF, RORPO, and VED show a decrease in accuracy when considering patients with an AVM, because vessels may vary from its tubular-shape in this case. Vessel enhancement algorithms can help to improve the accuracy of the segmentation of the vascular system. However, their contribution to accuracy has to be evaluated as it depends on the specific applications, and in some cases it can lead to a reduction of the overall accuracy. No specific filter was suitable for all tested scenarios. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Cardiac autonomic function and hot flashes among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Gibson, Carolyn J; Mendes, Wendy Berry; Schembri, Michael; Grady, Deborah; Huang, Alison J

2017-07-01

Abnormalities in autonomic function are posited to play a pathophysiologic role in menopausal hot flashes. We examined relationships between resting cardiac autonomic activity and hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Autonomic function was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women (n = 121, mean age 53 years) in a randomized trial of slow-paced respiration for hot flashes. Pre-ejection period (PEP), a marker of sympathetic activation, was measured with impedance cardiography. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a marker of parasympathetic activation, was measured with electrocardiography. Participants self-reported hot flash frequency and severity in 7-day symptom diaries. Analysis of covariance models were used to relate autonomic function and hot flash frequency and severity at baseline, and to relate changes in autonomic function to changes in hot flash frequency and severity over 12 weeks, adjusting for age, body mass index, and intervention assignment. PEP was not associated with hot flash frequency or severity at baseline or over 12 weeks (P > 0.05 for all). In contrast, there was a trend toward greater frequency of moderate-to-severe hot flashes with higher RSA at baseline (β = 0.43, P = 0.06), and a positive association between change in RSA and change in frequency of moderate-to-severe hot flashes over 12 weeks (β = 0.63, P = 0.04). Among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with hot flashes, variations in hot flash frequency and severity were not explained by variations in resting sympathetic activation. Greater parasympathetic activation was associated with more frequent moderate-to-severe hot flashes, which may reflect increased sensitivity to perceiving hot flashes.

Pulsed photoacoustic detection of flash-induced oxygen evolution from intact leaves and its oscillations

PubMed Central

Canaani, Ora; Malkin, Shmuel; Mauzerall, David

1988-01-01

Photoacoustic signals from intact leaves, produced upon excitation with single-turnover flashes, were shown to be dependent on their position in the flash sequence. Compared to the signal obtained from the first flash, all the others were time-shifted and had increased amplitudes. The signal from the third flash had the largest deviation, whereas that from the second flash deviated only minimally. The amplitude difference of the signals relative to that from the first flash was measured at a convenient time point (5 ms) and showed oscillations of period 4, similar to the O2-evolution pattern from algae. These oscillations were strongly damped, tending to a steady state from about the seventh flash on. The extra photoacoustic signal (relative to the first flash) was shown to be inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, heat treatment, or water infiltration. Its change with flash number, its saturation with increasing flash energy, and the above inhibition criteria indicate that it originates in pulsed O2 evolution. The sound wave produced by the first flash, however, arose by a photothermal mechanism only, as shown by its linear dependence on the flash intensity and insensitivity to the above treatments. The above flash pattern demonstrates that the photocycle of the S states (i.e., positive charge accumulation before two water molecules can be oxidized in a concerted way to produce molecular oxygen) occurs in intact leaves. It proves the applicability of the photoacoustic method for mechanistic studies of O2 evolution in leaves under physiological conditions. Water content of leaves is readily measured by this method. Images PMID:16593952

Understanding the complex relationships underlying hot flashes: a Bayesian network approach.

PubMed

Smith, Rebecca L; Gallicchio, Lisa M; Flaws, Jodi A

2018-02-01

The mechanism underlying hot flashes is not well-understood, primarily because of complex relationships between and among hot flashes and their risk factors. We explored those relationships using a Bayesian network approach based on a 2006 to 2015 cohort study of hot flashes among 776 female residents, 45 to 54 years old, in the Baltimore area. Bayesian networks were fit for each outcome (current hot flashes, hot flashes before the end of the study, hot flash severity, hot flash frequency, and age at first hot flashes) separately and together with a list of risk factors (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, body mass index and obesity, race, income level, education level, smoking history, drinking history, and activity level). Each fitting was conducted separately on all women and only perimenopausal women, at enrollment and 4 years after enrollment. Hormone levels, almost always interrelated, were the most common variable linked to hot flashes; hormone levels were sometimes related to body mass index, but were not directly related to any other risk factors. Smoking was also frequently associated with increased likelihood of severe symptoms, but not through an antiestrogenic pathway. The age at first hot flashes was related only to race. All other factors were either not related to outcomes or were mediated entirely by race, hormone levels, or smoking. These models can serve as a guide for design of studies into the causal network underlying hot flashes.

Methods of increasing net work output of organic Rankine cycles for low-grade waste heat recovery with a detailed analysis using a zeotropic working fluid mixture and scroll expander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodland, Brandon Jay

An organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is a thermodynamic cycle that is well-suited for waste heat recovery. It is generally employed for waste heat with temperatures in the range of 80 °C -- 300 °C. When the application is strictly to convert waste heat into work, thermal efficiency is not recommended as a key performance metric. In such an application, maximization of the net power output should be the objective rather than maximization of the thermal efficiency. Two alternative cycle configurations that can increase the net power produced from a heat source with a given temperature and flow rate are proposed and analyzed. These cycle configurations are 1) an ORC with two-phase flash expansion and 2) an ORC with a zeotropic working fluid mixture (ZRC). A design-stage ORC model is presented for consistent comparison of multiple ORC configurations. The finite capacity of the heat source and heat sink fluids is a key consideration in this model. Of all working fluids studied for the baseline ORC, R134a and R245fa yield the highest net power output from a given heat source. Results of the design-stage model indicate that the ORC with two-phase flash expansion offers the most improvement over the baseline ORC. However, the level of improvement that could be achieved in practice is highly uncertain due to the requirement of highly efficient two-phase expansion. The ZRC shows improvement over the baseline as long as the condenser fan power requirement is not negligible. At the highest estimated condenser fan power, the ZRC shows the most improvement, while the ORC with flash expansion is no longer beneficial. The ZRC was selected for detailed study because it does not require two-phase expansion. An experimental test rig was used to evaluate baseline ORC performance with R134a and with R245fa. The ZRC was tested on the same rig with a mixture of 62.5% R134a and 37.5% R245fa. The tested expander is a minimally-modified, of-the-shelf automotive scroll compressor. The high performance to cost ratio of this machine lends significant credence to the economic viability of small-scale, low-temperature ORCs. The experimental campaign covered two heat source temperatures, the full range of pump and expander speeds, a full range of heat source and heat sink fluid flow rates, and various charge levels for the three working fluids. This resulted in 366 steady-state measurements. The steady state measurements are used to develop a detailed ORC model. The model is based on multi-fluid performance maps for the pump and expander and a robust moving-boundary heat exchanger model. It is validated against the measured data and predicts the net power output of the tested ORC with a mean absolute percent error of 7.16%. Comparisons made with the detailed model confirm the predictions of the design-stage model. Using a conservative estimate of the condenser fan power, 19.1% improvement of the ZRC over the baseline ORC is indicated for a source temperature of 80 °C. For a 100 °C source temperature, 13.8% improvement is indicated. A key feature of the detailed ORC model is that it calculates the charge inventory of the working fluid in each heat exchanger and line set. Total system charge can also be specified as a model input. The model can represent the total charge well for R134a at low measured charge levels. As the measured charge level increases, the model becomes less accurate. Reasons for the deviation of the model at higher charge are investigated. It is expected that a charge tuning scheme could be employed to improve the accuracy of model-predicted charge.

Characterizing Macro Scale Patterns Of Uncertainty For Improved Operational Flood Forecasting Over The Conterminous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergara, H. J.; Kirstetter, P.; Gourley, J. J.; Flamig, Z.; Hong, Y.

2015-12-01

The macro scale patterns of simulated streamflow errors are studied in order to characterize uncertainty in a hydrologic modeling system forced with the Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS; http://mrms.ou.edu) quantitative precipitation estimates for flood forecasting over the Conterminous United States (CONUS). The hydrologic model is centerpiece of the Flooded Locations And Simulated Hydrograph (FLASH; http://flash.ou.edu) real-time system. The hydrologic model is implemented at 1-km/5-min resolution to generate estimates of streamflow. Data from the CONUS-wide stream gauge network of the United States' Geological Survey (USGS) were used as a reference to evaluate the discrepancies with the hydrological model predictions. Streamflow errors were studied at the event scale with particular focus on the peak flow magnitude and timing. A total of 2,680 catchments over CONUS and 75,496 events from a 10-year period are used for the simulation diagnostic analysis. Associations between streamflow errors and geophysical factors were explored and modeled. It is found that hydro-climatic factors and radar coverage could explain significant underestimation of peak flow in regions of complex terrain. Furthermore, the statistical modeling of peak flow errors shows that other geophysical factors such as basin geomorphometry, pedology, and land cover/use could also provide explanatory information. Results from this research demonstrate the utility of uncertainty characterization in providing guidance to improve model adequacy, parameter estimates, and input quality control. Likewise, the characterization of uncertainty enables probabilistic flood forecasting that can be extended to ungauged locations.

Modeling Stepped Leaders Using a Time Dependent Multi-dipole Model and High-speed Video Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunarathne, S.; Marshall, T.; Stolzenburg, M.; Warner, T. A.; Orville, R. E.

2012-12-01

In summer of 2011, we collected lightning data with 10 stations of electric field change meters (bandwidth of 0.16 Hz - 2.6 MHz) on and around NASA/Kennedy Space Center (KSC) covering nearly 70 km × 100 km area. We also had a high-speed video (HSV) camera recording 50,000 images per second collocated with one of the electric field change meters. In this presentation we describe our use of these data to model the electric field change caused by stepped leaders. Stepped leaders of a cloud to ground lightning flash typically create the initial path for the first return stroke (RS). Most of the time, stepped leaders have multiple complex branches, and one of these branches will create the ground connection for the RS to start. HSV data acquired with a short focal length lens at ranges of 5-25 km from the flash are useful for obtaining the 2-D location of these multiple branches developing at the same time. Using HSV data along with data from the KSC Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR2) system and the Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System (CGLSS), the 3D path of a leader may be estimated. Once the path of a stepped leader is obtained, the time dependent multi-dipole model [ Lu, Winn,and Sonnenfeld, JGR 2011] can be used to match the electric field change at various sensor locations. Based on this model, we will present the time-dependent charge distribution along a leader channel and the total charge transfer during the stepped leader phase.

Hot Flashes

MedlinePlus

... report menopausal hot flashes than do women of European descent. Hot flashes are less common in women of Japanese and Chinese descent than in white European women. Complications Nighttime hot flashes (night sweats) can ...

Helium shell flashes and evolution of accreting white dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, M. Y.; Sugimoto, D.

1982-06-01

The evolution of accreting white dwarfs is investigated from the onset of accretion through the helium shell flash. Properties of the helium shell flashes are studied by means of a generalized theory of shell flash and by numerical computations, and it is found that the shell flash grows up to the strength of a supernova explosion when the mass of the helium zone is large enough on a massive white dwarf. Although accretion onto a hot white dwarf causes a weaker shell flash than those onto cool ones, a strong tendency exists for the strength to be determined mainly by the accretion rate. For fast accretion, the shell flashes are weak and triggered recurrently, while for slow accretion the helium shell flash, once triggered, develops into a detonation supernova.

Multi-stage classification method oriented to aerial image based on low-rank recovery and multi-feature fusion sparse representation.

PubMed

Ma, Xu; Cheng, Yongmei; Hao, Shuai

2016-12-10

Automatic classification of terrain surfaces from an aerial image is essential for an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landing at an unprepared site by using vision. Diverse terrain surfaces may show similar spectral properties due to the illumination and noise that easily cause poor classification performance. To address this issue, a multi-stage classification algorithm based on low-rank recovery and multi-feature fusion sparse representation is proposed. First, color moments and Gabor texture feature are extracted from training data and stacked as column vectors of a dictionary. Then we perform low-rank matrix recovery for the dictionary by using augmented Lagrange multipliers and construct a multi-stage terrain classifier. Experimental results on an aerial map database that we prepared verify the classification accuracy and robustness of the proposed method.

Circulating interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α are associated with hot flashes in healthy postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Huang, Wan-Yu; Hsin, I-Lun; Chen, Dar-Ren; Chang, Chia-Chu; Kor, Chew-Teng; Chen, Ting-Yu; Wu, Hung-Ming

2017-01-01

Hot flashes have been postulated to be linked to systemic inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hot flashes, pro-inflammatory factors, and leukocytes in healthy, non-obese postmenopausal women. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 202 women aged 45-60 years were stratified into one of four groups according to their hot-flash status: never experienced hot flashes (Group N), mild hot flashes (Group m), moderate hot flashes (Group M), and severe hot flashes (Group S). Variables measured in this study included clinical parameters, hot flash experience, leukocytes, and fasting plasma levels of nine circulating cytokines/chemokines measured by using multiplex assays. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations of hot flashes with these pro-inflammatory factors. The study was performed in a hospital medical center. The mean values of leukocyte number were not different between these four groups. The hot flash status had a positive tendency toward increased levels of circulating IL-6 (P-trend = 0.049), IL-8 (P-trend < 0.001), TNF-α (P-trend = 0.008), and MIP1β (P-trend = 0.04). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that hot-flash severity was significantly associated with IL-8 (P-trend < 0.001) and TNFα (P-trend = 0.007) among these nine cytokines/chemokines after adjustment for age, menopausal duration, BMI and FSH. Multivariate analysis further revealed that severe hot flashes were strongly associated with a higher IL-8 (% difference, 37.19%; 95% confidence interval, 14.98,63.69; P < 0.001) and TNFα (51.27%; 6.64,114.57; P < 0.05). The present study provides evidence that hot flashes are associated with circulating IL-8 and TNF-α in healthy postmenopausal women. It suggests that hot flashes might be related to low-grade systemic inflammation.

Expectancy after the first treatment and response to acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes.

PubMed

Ee, Carolyn C; Thuraisingam, Sharmala; Pirotta, Marie V; French, Simon D; Xue, Charlie C; Teede, Helena J

2017-01-01

Evidence on the impact of expectancy on acupuncture treatment response is conflicting. This secondary analysis of a randomized sham-controlled trial on acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes investigated whether treatment expectancy score was associated with hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Secondary analyses investigated whether there were associations between other pre-specified factors and hot flash score. Women experiencing moderately-severe hot flashes were randomized to receive 10 sessions of real or sham acupuncture over eight weeks. Hot flash score was collected using a seven-day hot flash diary, and expectancy using the modified Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire immediately after the first treatment. Linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts were used to identify associations between expectancy score and hot flash score at end-of-treatment. Regression was also used to identify associations between pre-specified factors of interest and hot flash score. Because there was no difference between real and sham acupuncture for the primary outcome of hot flash score, both arms were combined in the analysis. 285 women returned the Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire, and 283 women completed both expectancy measures. We found no evidence for an association between expectancy and hot flash score at end-of-treatment for individual cases in either acupuncture or sham group. Hot flash scores at end-of-treatment were 8.1 (95%CI, 3.0 to 13.2; P = 0.002) points lower in regular smokers compared to those who had never smoked, equivalent to four fewer moderate hot flashes a day. In our study of acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes, higher expectancy after the first treatment did not predict better treatment outcomes. Future research may focus on other determinants of outcomes in acupuncture such as therapist attention. The relationship between smoking and hot flashes is poorly understood and needs further exploration.

Circulating interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α are associated with hot flashes in healthy postmenopausal women

PubMed Central

Huang, Wan-Yu; Hsin, I-Lun; Chen, Dar-Ren; Chang, Chia-Chu; Kor, Chew-Teng; Chen, Ting-Yu

2017-01-01

Introduction Hot flashes have been postulated to be linked to systemic inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hot flashes, pro-inflammatory factors, and leukocytes in healthy, non-obese postmenopausal women. Participants and design In this cross-sectional study, a total of 202 women aged 45–60 years were stratified into one of four groups according to their hot-flash status: never experienced hot flashes (Group N), mild hot flashes (Group m), moderate hot flashes (Group M), and severe hot flashes (Group S). Variables measured in this study included clinical parameters, hot flash experience, leukocytes, and fasting plasma levels of nine circulating cytokines/chemokines measured by using multiplex assays. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations of hot flashes with these pro-inflammatory factors. Settings The study was performed in a hospital medical center. Results The mean values of leukocyte number were not different between these four groups. The hot flash status had a positive tendency toward increased levels of circulating IL-6 (P-trend = 0.049), IL-8 (P-trend < 0.001), TNF-α (P-trend = 0.008), and MIP1β (P-trend = 0.04). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that hot-flash severity was significantly associated with IL-8 (P-trend < 0.001) and TNFα (P-trend = 0.007) among these nine cytokines/chemokines after adjustment for age, menopausal duration, BMI and FSH. Multivariate analysis further revealed that severe hot flashes were strongly associated with a higher IL-8 (% difference, 37.19%; 95% confidence interval, 14.98,63.69; P < 0.001) and TNFα (51.27%; 6.64,114.57; P < 0.05). Conclusion The present study provides evidence that hot flashes are associated with circulating IL-8 and TNF-α in healthy postmenopausal women. It suggests that hot flashes might be related to low-grade systemic inflammation. PMID:28846735

Muzzle flash issues related to the Waco FLIR analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, Barbara G.; Hardy, David T.

2001-09-01

The controversy surrounding the origin of flashes on the Mt. Carmel FLIR videotape acquired on April 19, 1993, is introduced. The characteristics of muzzle flash are reviewed. A comparative weapons description is offered. The temporal, spatial, and radiance characteristics of thermal infrared muzzle flash are addressed. Data acquired from a field experiment are presented. The authors conclude that the spatial characteristics of muzzle flash enable its detection by equipment such as the FLIR in use at Mt. Carmel on April 19, 1993; that while flashes obtained in the field appear highly radiant, measurements are necessary to quantify their values; and that the temporal behavior of muzzle flash deserves further study.

SU-E-T-480: Radiobiological Dose Comparison of Single Fraction SRS, Multi-Fraction SRT and Multi-Stage SRS of Large Target Volumes Using the Linear-Quadratic Formula

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

Ding, C; Hrycushko, B; Jiang, S

2014-06-01

Purpose: To compare the radiobiological effect on large tumors and surrounding normal tissues from single fraction SRS, multi-fractionated SRT, and multi-staged SRS treatment. Methods: An anthropomorphic head phantom with a centrally located large volume target (18.2 cm{sup 3}) was scanned using a 16 slice large bore CT simulator. Scans were imported to the Multiplan treatment planning system where a total prescription dose of 20Gy was used for a single, three staged and three fractionated treatment. Cyber Knife treatment plans were inversely optimized for the target volume to achieve at least 95% coverage of the prescription dose. For the multistage plan,more » the target was segmented into three subtargets having similar volume and shape. Staged plans for individual subtargets were generated based on a planning technique where the beam MUs of the original plan on the total target volume are changed by weighting the MUs based on projected beam lengths within each subtarget. Dose matrices for each plan were export in DICOM format and used to calculate equivalent dose distributions in 2Gy fractions using an alpha beta ratio of 10 for the target and 3 for normal tissue. Results: Singe fraction SRS, multi-stage plan and multi-fractionated SRT plans had an average 2Gy dose equivalent to the target of 62.89Gy, 37.91Gy and 33.68Gy, respectively. The normal tissue within 12Gy physical dose region had an average 2Gy dose equivalent of 29.55Gy, 16.08Gy and 13.93Gy, respectively. Conclusion: The single fraction SRS plan had the largest predicted biological effect for the target and the surrounding normal tissue. The multi-stage treatment provided for a more potent biologically effect on target compared to the multi-fraction SRT treatments with less biological normal tissue than single-fraction SRS treatment.« less

Optimization Strategies for Single-Stage, Multi-Stage and Continuous ADRs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter J.

2014-01-01

Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators (ADR) have many advantages that are prompting a resurgence in their use in spaceflight and laboratory applications. They are solid-state coolers capable of very high efficiency and very wide operating range. However, their low energy storage density translates to larger mass for a given cooling capacity than is possible with other refrigeration techniques. The interplay between refrigerant mass and other parameters such as magnetic field and heat transfer points in multi-stage ADRs gives rise to a wide parameter space for optimization. This paper first presents optimization strategies for single ADR stages, focusing primarily on obtaining the largest cooling capacity per stage mass, then discusses the optimization of multi-stage and continuous ADRs in the context of the coordinated heat transfer that must occur between stages. The goal for the latter is usually to obtain the largest cooling power per mass or volume, but there can also be many secondary objectives, such as limiting instantaneous heat rejection rates and producing intermediate temperatures for cooling of other instrument components.

Initial Breakdown Pulse Parameters in Intracloud and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, E. M.; Marshall, T. C.; Karunarathne, S.; Siedlecki, R.; Stolzenburg, M.

2018-02-01

This study analyzes the largest initial breakdown (IB) pulse in flashes from four storms in Florida; data from three sensor arrays are used. The range-normalized, zero-to-peak amplitude of the largest IB pulse was determined along with its altitude, duration, and timing within each flash. Appropriate data were available for 40 intracloud (IC) and 32 cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes. Histograms of amplitude of the largest IB pulse by flash type were similar, with mean (median) values of 1.49 (1.05) V/m for IC flashes and -1.35 (-0.87) V/m for CG flashes. The largest IB pulse in 30 IC flashes showed a weak inverse relation between pulse amplitude and altitude. Amplitude of the largest IB pulse for 25 CG flashes showed no altitude correlation. Duration of the largest IB pulse in ICs averaged twice as long as in CGs (96 μs versus 46 μs), and all of the CG durations were <100 μs. Among the ICs, there is a positive relation between largest IB pulse duration and amplitude; the linear correlation coefficient is 0.385 with outliers excluded. The largest IB pulse in IC flashes typically occurred at a longer time after the first IB pulse (average 4.1 ms) than was the case in CG flashes (average 0.6 ms). In both flash types, the largest IB pulse was the first IB pulse in about 30% of the cases. In one storm all 42 IC flashes with triggered data had IB pulses.

A BEME (Best Evidence in Medical Education) review of the use of workplace-based assessment in identifying and remediating underperformance among postgraduate medical trainees: BEME Guide No. 43.

PubMed

Barrett, Aileen; Galvin, Rose; Steinert, Yvonne; Scherpbier, Albert; O'Shaughnessy, Ann; Horgan, Mary; Horsley, Tanya

2016-12-01

The extent to which workplace-based assessment (WBA) can be used as a facilitator of change among trainee doctors has not been established; this is particularly important in the case of underperforming trainees. The aim of this review is to examine the use of WBA in identifying and remediating performance among this cohort. Following publication of a review protocol a comprehensive search of eight databases took place to identify relevant articles published prior to November 2015. All screening, data extraction and analysis procedures were performed in duplicate or with quality checks and necessary consensus methods throughout. Given the study-level heterogeneity, a descriptive synthesis approach informed the study analysis. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. The use of WBA within the context of remediation is not supported within the existing literature. The identification of underperformance is not supported by the use of stand-alone, single-assessor WBA events although specific areas of underperformance may be identified. Multisource feedback (MSF) tools may facilitate identification of underperformance. The extent to which WBA can be used to detect and manage underperformance in postgraduate trainees is unclear although evidence to date suggests that multirater assessments (i.e. MSF) may be of more use than single-rater judgments (e.g. mini-clinical evaluation exercise).

Mission Simulation Toolkit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisaich, Gregory; Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Neukom, Christian; Wagner, Mike; Buchanan, Eric; Plice, Laura

2007-01-01

The Mission Simulation Toolkit (MST) is a flexible software system for autonomy research. It was developed as part of the Mission Simulation Facility (MSF) project that was started in 2001 to facilitate the development of autonomous planetary robotic missions. Autonomy is a key enabling factor for robotic exploration. There has been a large gap between autonomy software (at the research level), and software that is ready for insertion into near-term space missions. The MST bridges this gap by providing a simulation framework and a suite of tools for supporting research and maturation of autonomy. MST uses a distributed framework based on the High Level Architecture (HLA) standard. A key feature of the MST framework is the ability to plug in new models to replace existing ones with the same services. This enables significant simulation flexibility, particularly the mixing and control of fidelity level. In addition, the MST provides automatic code generation from robot interfaces defined with the Unified Modeling Language (UML), methods for maintaining synchronization across distributed simulation systems, XML-based robot description, and an environment server. Finally, the MSF supports a number of third-party products including dynamic models and terrain databases. Although the communication objects and some of the simulation components that are provided with this toolkit are specifically designed for terrestrial surface rovers, the MST can be applied to any other domain, such as aerial, aquatic, or space.

Developing a multisource feedback tool for postgraduate medical educational supervisors.

PubMed

Archer, Julian; Swanwick, Tim; Smith, Daniel; O'Keeffe, Catherine; Cater, Nerys

2013-01-01

Supervisors play a key role in the development of postgraduate medical trainees both in the oversight of their day-to-day clinical practice but also in the support of their learning experiences. In the UK, there has been a clear distinction made between these two activities. In this article, we report on the development of a web-based multisource feedback (MSF) tool for educational supervisors in the London Deanery, an organisation responsible for 20% of the UK's doctors and dentists in training. A narrative review of the literature generated a question framework for a series of focus groups. Data were analysed using an interpretative thematic approach and the resulting instrument piloted online. Instrument performance was analysed using a variety of tools including factor analysis, generalisability theory and analysis of performance in the first year of implementation. Two factors were initially identified. Three questions performed inadequately and were subsequently discarded. Educational supervisors scored well, generally rating themselves lower than they were by their trainees. The instrument was launched in July 2010, requiring five respondents to generate a summated report, with further validity evidence collated over the first year if implementation. Arising out of a robust development process, the London Deanery MSF instrument for educational supervisors is a tool that demonstrates considerable evidence of validity and can provide supervisors with useful evidence of their effectiveness.

An oral health intervention for the Māori indigenous population of New Zealand: oranga niho Māori (Māori oral health) as a component of the undergraduate dental curriculum in New Zealand.

PubMed

Broughton, John

2010-06-01

Māori are the Indigenous people of New Zealand having migrated across the Pacific from Hawaiki over a 500 year period from 800AD to 1300AD establishing a society based on whānau (family), hapū (subtribe) and iwi (tribe). Today, like other Indigenous populations throughout the world, New Zealand Māori do not enjoy the same oral health status as non-Māori across all age groups. An intervention strategy to improve Māori oral health and to reduce disparities is to develop a dental health workforce that has an understanding of contemporary Māori society and Māori oral health. The Faculty of Dentistry (Te Kaupeka Pūniho) of the University of Otago has a well developed undergraduate programme in Māori culture and Māori oral health. This programme has been reinforced by the adoption of a new Māori Strategic Framework (MSF) which has been designed to be "a vibrant contributor to Māori development and the realisation of Māori aspirations." Goal 5 of the MSF, Ngā Whakahaerenga Pai (Quality Programmes) has the objective to develop and integrate Māori content in the undergraduate course. This paper will discuss the oranga niho Māori (Māori oral health) component of the undergraduate dental curriculum.

Transpressional Structure in Chiayi Area, Taiwan: Insight from the 2017 ML5.1 Zhongpu Earthquake Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, K. F.; Huang, H. H.

2017-12-01

The Chiayi area is located at the deformation front of active fold-and-thrust belt of Taiwan, where the fault system is composed primarily of a series of north-south-trending east-dipping thrusts and also an east-west-trending strike-slip fault (Meishan Fault, MSF) with right-lateral faulting. On 24th May 2017, a ML 5.1 earthquake occurred at Zhongpu, Chiayi (namely Zhongpu earthquake), however, shows a left-lateral strike-slip faulting distinct from the known structure in the area. The distribution of the reported aftershocks is difficult to distinguish the actual fault plane. To determine the fault plane of this abnormal earthquake and investigate its structural relationships to the regional tectonics, we relocate the earthquake sequence and estimate the rupture directivity of the mainshock by using the 3-D double difference hypocenter relocation method (Lin, 2013) and the 3-D directivity moment tensor inversion method (DMT, Huang et al., 2017, submitted). The DMT results show that the rupture directivity of the Zhongpu earthquake is west- and down-ward along the east-west fault plane, which also agrees with east-west-distributed aftershocks after relocation. As a result, the Zhongpu earthquake reveals an undiscovered east-west-trending structure which is sub-parallel with the MSF but with opposite faulting direction, exhibiting a complex transpressional tectonic regime in the Chiayi area.

Cloud-to-ground lightning and surface rainfall in warm-season Florida thunderstorms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gungle, B.; Krider, E.P.

2006-01-01

Relationships between cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning and surface rainfall have been examined in nine isolated, warm-season thunderstorms on the east coast of central Florida. CG flashes and the associated rain volumes were measured as a function of time in storm-centered reference frames that followed each storm over a network of rain gauges. Values of the storm-average rain volume per CG flash ranged from 0.70 ?? 104 to 6.4 ?? 104 m3/CG flash, with a mean (and standard deviation) of 2.6 ?? 104 ?? 2.1 ?? 104 m3/CG flash. Values of the rain volume concurrent with CG flashes ranged from 0.11 ?? 104 to 4.9 ?? 104 m3/CG flash with a mean of 2.1 ?? 104 ?? 2.0 ?? 104 m3/CG flash. The lag-time between the peak CG flash rate and the peak rainfall rate (using 5 min bins), and the results of a lag correlation analysis, show that surface rainfall tends to follow the lightning (positive lag) by up to 20 min in six storms. In one storm the rainfall preceded the lightning by 5 min, and two storms had nonsignificant lags. Values of the lagged rain volume concurrent with CG flashes ranged from 0.43 ?? 104 to 4.9 ?? 104 m3/CG flash, and the mean was 1.9 ?? 104 ?? 1.7 ?? 104 m3/CG flash. For the five storms that produced 12 or more flashes and had significant lags, a plot of the optimum lag time versus the total number of CG flashes shows a linear trend (R2 = 0.56). The number of storms is limited, but the lag results do indicate that large storms tend to have longer lags. A linear fit to the lagged rain volume vs. the number of concurrent CG flashes has a slope of 1.9 ?? 104 m3/CG flash (R2 = 0.83). We conclude that warm-season Florida thunderstorms produce a roughly constant rain volume per CG flash and that CG lightning can be used to estimate the location and intensity of convective rainfall in that weather regime. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

Second Stage (S-II) Arrives at Marshall Space Flight Center For Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The business end of a Second Stage (S-II) slowly emerges from the shipping container as workers prepare to transport the Saturn V component to the testing facility at MSFC. The Second Stage (S-II) underwent vibration and engine firing tests. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-04-26

Two technicians watch carefully as cables prepare to lift a J-2 engine into a test stand. The J-2 powered the second stage and the third stage of the Saturn V moon rocket. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter J.

2014-01-01

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

Brain blood flow and cardiovascular responses to hot flashes in postmenopausal women

PubMed Central

Lucas, Rebekah A. I.; Ganio, Matthew S.; Pearson, James; Crandall, Craig G.

2012-01-01

Objective This study tested two related hypotheses: 1) that brain blood flow is reduced during the postmenopausal hot flash; and, 2) the magnitude of this reduction in brain blood flow is greater during hot flashes where blood pressure is reduced. Methods Eleven healthy, normotensive, postmenopausal women rested in a temperature-controlled laboratory (~25°C) for approximately 120 minutes while waiting for a hot flash to occur. The onset of a hot flash was objectively identified by an abrupt increase in sternal sweat rate (capacitance hygrometry). Middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv, transcranial Doppler) and mean arterial pressure (Finometer®) were measured continuously. Each hot flash was divided into 8 equal segments and the segment with the largest reduction in MCAv and mean arterial pressure identified for each hot flash. Results Twenty-five hot flashes occurred during the experimental sessions (lasting 6.2 ± 2.8 min, 3 ± 1 hot flashes per participant). Seventy-six percent of hot flashes were accompanied by a clear reduction (greater than 5%) in brain blood flow. For all hot flashes, the average maximum decrease in MCAv was 12 ± 9% (7 ± 6 cm.s−1). This value did not correlate with corresponding changes in mean arterial pressure (R=0.36). Conclusion These findings demonstrate that hot flashes are often accompanied by clear reductions in brain blood flow that do not correspond with acute reductions in mean arterial blood pressure. PMID:23435027

Are menopausal hot flashes an evolutionary byproduct of postpartum warming?

PubMed

Sievert, Lynnette Leidy; Masley, Allison

2015-04-01

Hot flashes are commonly associated with menopause, and some researchers have questioned whether the widespread phenomenon may somehow be adaptive. It has been hypothesized that hot flashes were selected to occur during the hypoestrogenic postpartum period as a mechanism to warm infants. The purpose of this study was to test whether postpartum hot flashes are similar to hot flashes associated with menopause and whether postpartum hot flashes are concordant with breast-feeding episodes. Women who gave birth within the past year (n = 20) and a comparison group of women who had not given birth in the past 2 years (n = 14) participated in interviews and anthropometric measures. All wore ambulatory skin conductance monitors for a mean of 6.5 hours during afternoons and early evenings. New mothers also recorded breast-feeding episodes. Objectively measured and subjectively reported hot flashes were compared between groups and in relation to breast-feeding and other variables. Age of infants ranged from 4 days to 11 months. New mothers were more likely to report feeling warmer than the comparison group (100% vs 7%) but were not significantly more likely to demonstrate hot flashes (35% vs 50%) or to report hot flashes (30% vs 21%) during the study period. Of 75 breast-feeding episodes, only 4% were concurrent with an objective hot flash, and only 9% were concurrent with a subjective hot flash. This study does not support the hypothesis that menopausal-like hot flashes evolved to warm infants during the postpartum period.

Real-time full-motion color Flash lidar for target detection and identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Roy; Coppock, Eric; Craig, Rex; Craner, Jeremy; Nicks, Dennis; von Niederhausern, Kurt

2015-05-01

Greatly improved understanding of areas and objects of interest can be gained when real time, full-motion Flash LiDAR is fused with inertial navigation data and multi-spectral context imagery. On its own, full-motion Flash LiDAR provides the opportunity to exploit the z dimension for improved intelligence vs. 2-D full-motion video (FMV). The intelligence value of this data is enhanced when it is combined with inertial navigation data to produce an extended, georegistered data set suitable for a variety of analysis. Further, when fused with multispectral context imagery the typical point cloud now becomes a rich 3-D scene which is intuitively obvious to the user and allows rapid cognitive analysis with little or no training. Ball Aerospace has developed and demonstrated a real-time, full-motion LIDAR system that fuses context imagery (VIS to MWIR demonstrated) and inertial navigation data in real time, and can stream these information-rich geolocated/fused 3-D scenes from an airborne platform. In addition, since the higher-resolution context camera is boresighted and frame synchronized to the LiDAR camera and the LiDAR camera is an array sensor, techniques have been developed to rapidly interpolate the LIDAR pixel values creating a point cloud that has the same resolution as the context camera, effectively creating a high definition (HD) LiDAR image. This paper presents a design overview of the Ball TotalSight™ LIDAR system along with typical results over urban and rural areas collected from both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. We conclude with a discussion of future work.

Kinetics of the pyrolysis of arundo, sawdust, corn stover and switch grass biomass by thermogravimetric analysis using a multi-stage model.

PubMed

Biney, Paul O; Gyamerah, Michael; Shen, Jiacheng; Menezes, Bruna

2015-03-01

A new multi-stage kinetic model has been developed for TGA pyrolysis of arundo, corn stover, sawdust and switch grass that accounts for the initial biomass weight (W0). The biomass were decomposed in a nitrogen atmosphere from 23°C to 900°C in a TGA at a single 20°C/min ramp rate in contrast with the isoconversion technique. The decomposition was divided into multiple stages based on the absolute local minimum values of conversion derivative, (dx/dT), obtained from DTG curves. This resulted in three decomposition stages for arundo, corn stover and sawdust and four stages for switch grass. A linearized multi-stage model was applied to the TGA data for each stage to determine the pre-exponential factor, activation energy, and reaction order. The activation energies ranged from 54.7 to 60.9 kJ/mol, 62.9 to 108.7 kJ/mol, and 18.4 to 257.9 kJ/mol for the first, second and the third decomposition stages respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-Flash Validation of the new ACS/WFC Subarrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellini, A.; Grogin, N. A.; Lim, P. L.; Golimowski, D.

2017-05-01

We made use of the new ACS/WFC subarray images of CAL-14410, taken taken with a large range of flash exposure times (0.1-30 seconds), to probe the temporal stability of the reference flash file and to validate the current post-flash correction pipeline of CALACS and ACS DESTRIPE PLUS on the new subarray modes. No statistically-significant deviations are found between the new post-flashed subarray exposures and the flash reference file, indicating that the LED lamp used to post-flash ACS images has been stable over several years. The current calibration pipelines (both CALACS and ACS DESTRIPE PLUS can be successfully used with the new subarray modes.

Converting acoustic energy into useful other energy forms

DOEpatents

Putterman, Seth J.; Barber, Bradley Paul; Hiller, Robert Anthony; Lofstedt, Ritva Maire Johanna

1997-01-01

Sonoluminescence is an off-equilibrium phenomenon in which the energy of a resonant sound wave in a liquid is highly concentrated so as to generate flashes of light. The conversion of sound to light represents an energy amplification of eleven orders of magnitude. The flashes which occur once per cycle of the audible or ultrasonic sound fields can be comprised of over one million photons and last for less 100 picoseconds. The emission displays a clocklike synchronicity; the jitter in time between consecutive flashes is less than fifty picoseconds. The emission is blue to the eye and has a broadband spectrum increasing from 700 nanometers to 200 nanometers. The peak power is about 100 milliWatts. The initial stage of the energy focusing is effected by the nonlinear oscillations of a gas bubble trapped in the liquid. For sufficiently high drive pressures an imploding shock wave is launched into the gas by the collapsing bubble. The reflection of the shock from its focal point results in high temperatures and pressures. The sonoluminescence light emission can be sustained by sensing a characteristic of the emission and feeding back changes into the driving mechanism. The liquid is in a sealed container and the seeding of the gas bubble is effected by locally heating the liquid after sealing the container. Different energy forms than light can be obtained from the converted acoustic energy. When the gas contains deuterium and tritium there is the feasibility of the other energy form being fusion, namely including the generation of neutrons.

Flash Platform Examination

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

than would be performed in software”[108]. Uro Tinic, one of the Flash player’s engineers, further clarifies exactly what Flash player 10 hardware...www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/features/ (Access date: 28 Sep 2009). [109] Uro , T. What Does GPU Acceleration Mean? (online), http...133] Shorten, A. (2009), Design to Development: Flash Catalyst to Flash Builder, In Proceedings of Adobe Max 2009, Los Angeles, CA. 142 DRDC

The Evolution and Structure of Extreme Optical Lightning Flashes.

PubMed

Peterson, Michael; Rudlosky, Scott; Deierling, Wiebke

2017-12-27

This study documents the composition, morphology, and motion of extreme optical lightning flashes observed by the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). The furthest separation of LIS events (groups) in any flash is 135 km (89 km), the flash with the largest footprint had an illuminated area of 10,604 km 2 , and the most dendritic flash has 234 visible branches. The longest-duration convective LIS flash lasted 28 s and is overgrouped and not physical. The longest-duration convective-to-stratiform propagating flash lasted 7.4 s, while the longest-duration entirely stratiform flash lasted 4.3 s. The longest series of nearly consecutive groups in time lasted 242 ms. The most radiant recorded LIS group (i.e., "superbolt") is 735 times more radiant than the average group. Factors that impact these optical measures of flash morphology and evolution are discussed. While it is apparent that LIS can record the horizontal development of the lightning channel in some cases, radiative transfer within the cloud limits the flash extent and level of detail measured from orbit. These analyses nonetheless suggest that lightning imagers such as LIS and Geostationary Lightning Mapper can complement ground-based lightning locating systems for studying physical lightning phenomena across large geospatial domains.

Hold-up power supply for flash memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ott, William E. (Inventor)

2004-01-01

A hold-up power supply for flash memory systems is provided. The hold-up power supply provides the flash memory with the power needed to temporarily operate when a power loss exists. This allows the flash memory system to complete any erasures and writes, and thus allows it to shut down gracefully. The hold-up power supply detects when a power loss on a power supply bus is occurring and supplies the power needed for the flash memory system to temporally operate. The hold-up power supply stores power in at least one capacitor. During normal operation, power from a high voltage supply bus is used to charge the storage capacitors. When a power supply loss is detected, the power supply bus is disconnected from the flash memory system. A hold-up controller controls the power flow from the storage capacitors to the flash memory system. The hold-up controller uses feedback to assure that the proper voltage is provided from the storage capacitors to the flash memory system. This power supplied by the storage capacitors allows the flash memory system to complete any erasures and writes, and thus allows the flash memory system to shut down gracefully.

Determination of flash point in air and pure oxygen using an equilibrium closed bomb apparatus.

PubMed

Kong, Dehong; am Ende, David J; Brenek, Steven J; Weston, Neil P

2003-08-29

The standard closed testers for flash point measurements may not be feasible for measuring flash point in special atmospheres like oxygen because the test atmosphere cannot be maintained due to leakage and the laboratory safety can be compromised. To address these limitations we developed a new "equilibrium closed bomb" (ECB). The ECB generally gives lower flash point values than standard closed cup testers as shown by the results of six flammable liquids. The present results are generally in good agreement with the values calculated from the reported lower flammability limits and the vapor pressures. Our measurements show that increased oxygen concentration had little effect on the flash points of the tested flammable liquids. While generally regarded as non-flammable because of the lack of observed flash point in standard closed cup flash point testers, dichloromethane is known to form flammable mixtures. The flash point of dichloromethane in oxygen measured in the ECB is -7.1 degrees C. The flash point of dichloromethane in air is dependent on the type and energy of the ignition source. Further research is being carried out to establish the relationship between the flash point of dichloromethane and the energy of the ignition source.

Risk Factors for Extended Duration and Timing of Peak Severity of Hot Flashes

PubMed Central

Gallicchio, Lisa; Miller, Susan R.; Zacur, Howard A.; Flaws, Jodi A.

2016-01-01

Objective To identify risk factors associated with the duration of hot flashes and the time of peak hot flash severity in mid-life women. Methods A cohort of 647 women reporting hot flashes were followed for 1–7 years, with survey data and hormone measurements. Survival analysis determined the association of risk factors with the duration of hot flashes. Linear regression determined the association of risk factors with the time of peak severity. Final models were determined through stepwise model selection. Results Average hot flash duration was 2.5 years (range: 1–33), with peak severity on average at 2.96 years (range: 1–20). Duration of hot flashes was associated with race, education, menopause status, smoking history, BMI, alcohol consumption, leisure activity levels, and levels of estradiol and progesterone. In the final model, only race, alcohol consumption, leisure activity, and menopause were retained. White women had significantly shorter hot flash durations than non-white women. Women consuming at least 12 alcoholic drinks in the previous year had a significantly shorter duration of hot flashes with a smaller effect of hot flash duration on increasing in time to peak severity compared to those who consumed less than 12 alcoholic drinks in that year. Higher serum progesterone levels were associated with later peak severity if the duration of the hot flashes was less than 2 years and an earlier peak severity otherwise. Conclusions These results suggest that some behaviors (such as moderate alcohol consumption) are associated with shorter durations of hot flashes, and that progesterone was associated with the dynamics of hot flash severity. PMID:27149066

Metabolic Activity in the Insular Cortex and Hypothalamus Predicts Hot Flashes: An FDG-PET Study

PubMed Central

Deckersbach, Thilo; Lin, Nancy U.; Makris, Nikos; Skaar, Todd C.; Rauch, Scott L.; Dougherty, Darin D.; Hall, Janet E.

2012-01-01

Context: Hot flashes are a common side effect of adjuvant endocrine therapies (AET; leuprolide, tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors) that reduce quality of life and treatment adherence in breast cancer patients. Because hot flashes affect only some women, preexisting neurobiological traits might predispose to their development. Previous studies have implicated the insula during the perception of hot flashes and the hypothalamus in thermoregulatory dysfunction. Objective: The aim of the study was to understand whether neurobiological factors predict hot flashes. Design: [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans coregistered with structural magnetic resonance imaging were used to determine whether metabolic activity in the insula and hypothalamic thermoregulatory and estrogen-feedback regions measured before and in response to AET predict hot flashes. Findings were correlated with CYP2D6 genotype because of CYP2D6 polymorphism associations with tamoxifen-induced hot flashes. Outcome Measures: We measured regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose uptake (rCMRglu) in the insula and hypothalamus on FDG-PET. Results: Of 18 women without hot flashes who began AET, new-onset hot flashes were reported by 10 (55.6%) and were detected objectively in nine (50%) participants. Prior to the use of all AET, rCMRglu in the insula (P ≤ 0.01) and hypothalamic thermoregulatory (P = 0.045) and estrogen-feedback (P = 0.007) regions was lower in women who reported developing hot flashes. In response to AET, rCMRglu was further reduced in the insula in women developing hot flashes (P ≤ 0.02). Insular and hypothalamic rCMRglu levels were lower in intermediate than extensive CYP2D6 metabolizers. Conclusions: Trait neurobiological characteristics predict hot flashes. Genetic variability in CYP2D6 may underlie the neurobiological predisposition to hot flashes induced by AET. PMID:22723326

Health condition identification of multi-stage planetary gearboxes using a mRVM-based method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Yaguo; Liu, Zongyao; Wu, Xionghui; Li, Naipeng; Chen, Wu; Lin, Jing

2015-08-01

Multi-stage planetary gearboxes are widely applied in aerospace, automotive and heavy industries. Their key components, such as gears and bearings, can easily suffer from damage due to tough working environment. Health condition identification of planetary gearboxes aims to prevent accidents and save costs. This paper proposes a method based on multiclass relevance vector machine (mRVM) to identify health condition of multi-stage planetary gearboxes. In this method, a mRVM algorithm is adopted as a classifier, and two features, i.e. accumulative amplitudes of carrier orders (AACO) and energy ratio based on difference spectra (ERDS), are used as the input of the classifier to classify different health conditions of multi-stage planetary gearboxes. To test the proposed method, seven health conditions of a two-stage planetary gearbox are considered and vibration data is acquired from the planetary gearbox under different motor speeds and loading conditions. The results of three tests based on different data show that the proposed method obtains an improved identification performance and robustness compared with the existing method.

An unusual characteristic “flower-like” pattern: flash suppressor burns

PubMed Central

Gurcan, Altun

2012-01-01

The case on contact shots from firearms with a flash suppressor is rare. When a rifle fitted with a flash suppressor is fired, the emerging soot-laden gas in the barrel escapes from the slits of the flash suppressor. If the shot is contact or near contact, the flash suppressor will produce a characteristic “flower-like” pattern of seared, blackened zones around the entrance. This paper presents the injury pattern of the flash suppressor in a 29-year-old man who committed suicide with a G3 automatic infantry rifle. PMID:23935280

An unusual characteristic "flower-like" pattern: flash suppressor burns.

PubMed

Gurcan, Altun

2012-04-01

The case on contact shots from firearms with a flash suppressor is rare. When a rifle fitted with a flash suppressor is fired, the emerging soot-laden gas in the barrel escapes from the slits of the flash suppressor. If the shot is contact or near contact, the flash suppressor will produce a characteristic "flower-like" pattern of seared, blackened zones around the entrance. This paper presents the injury pattern of the flash suppressor in a 29-year-old man who committed suicide with a G3 automatic infantry rifle.

Clinical staging and operative reporting for multi-institutional trials in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Weymuller, E A

1997-12-01

A Strategic Planning Conference (jointly supported by NCI and NIDCD) was convened to consider potential improvements in surgical patient data for multi-institutional trials. The thesis underlying this project is that inadequacies in staging, pretreatment patient stratification, and the details of surgical resection may have obscured the detection of treatment effect. The goals of this project were multiple: (1) to consider the utility of new clinical stratification variables, (2) to increase the precision of tumor staging, and (3) to improve operative reporting for multi-institutional trials in head and neck cancer. The conference attendees came to a number of important conclusions: (1) TNM status is inadequate for describing head and neck cancer in a multi-institutional trial setting. A detailed anatomic reporting scheme is proposed; (2) comorbidity measures should be included as patient descriptors, especially those that meet the criteria "definitely important and easy to obtain"; (3) surgical reporting in multi-institutional trials should use a format that is compatible with computer analysis and use the same items as the revised (anatomic) staging system; (4) the surgeon should be personally responsible for data coding and should interact directly with the pathologist in marking the surgical specimen; (5) pathologic reporting should use an anatomic template identical to the staging and operative reporting formats.

Designing a multi-objective, multi-support accuracy assessment of the 2001 National Land Cover Data (NLCD 2001) of the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stehman, S.V.; Wickham, J.D.; Wade, T.G.; Smith, J.H.

2008-01-01

The database design and diverse application of NLCD 2001 pose significant challenges for accuracy assessment because numerous objectives are of interest, including accuracy of land-cover, percent urban imperviousness, percent tree canopy, land-cover composition, and net change. A multi-support approach is needed because these objectives require spatial units of different sizes for reference data collection and analysis. Determining a sampling design that meets the full suite of desirable objectives for the NLCD 2001 accuracy assessment requires reconciling potentially conflicting design features that arise from targeting the different objectives. Multi-stage cluster sampling provides the general structure to achieve a multi-support assessment, and the flexibility to target different objectives at different stages of the design. We describe the implementation of two-stage cluster sampling for the initial phase of the NLCD 2001 assessment, and identify gaps in existing knowledge where research is needed to allow full implementation of a multi-objective, multi-support assessment. ?? 2008 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Study of CFB Simulation Model with Coincidence at Multi-Working Condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; He, F.; Yang, Z. W.; Li, Z.; Ni, W. D.

A circulating fluidized bed (CFB) two-stage simulation model was developed. To realize the model results coincident with the design value or real operation value at specified multi-working conditions and with capability of real-time calculation, only the main key processes were taken into account and the dominant factors were further abstracted out of these key processes. The simulation results showed a sound accordance at multi-working conditions, and confirmed the advantage of the two-stage model over the original single-stage simulation model. The combustion-support effect of secondary air was investigated using the two-stage model. This model provides a solid platform for investigating the pant-leg structured CFB furnace, which is now under design for a supercritical power plant.

The membrane current of single rod outer segments.

PubMed

Baylor, D A; Lamb, T D; Yau, K W

1979-03-01

1. Outer segments of individual rods in the retina of the toad, Bufo marinus, were drawn into a glass pipette to record the membrane current. 2. Light flashes evoked transient outward currents. The peak response amplitude was related to flash intensity by a Michaelis equation with half-saturating intensity about 1 photon mum-2. 3. The saturating response amplitude ranged up to 27 pA and corresponded closely to complete suppression of the steady inward current present in darkness. 4. For a given cell the saturating response amplitude varied linearly with the length of outer segment within the pipette. This is consistent with a uniform density of light-sensitive channels and negligible gradient of membrane potential along the outer segment. 5. Responses to bright flashes never showed the relaxation from an initial peak seen previously in intracellular voltage recordings, suggesting that the conductance change responsible for the relaxation does not occur in the outer segment. 6. Responses to local illumination of only the recorded outer segment were very similar to those obtained with diffuse light at the same intensity, indicating that peripheral rods made little contribution to the responses. 7. The spectral sensitivity of 'red' rods was consistent with a retinal1-based pigment with lambda max = 498 +/- 2 nm. 8. The kinetics of the response were consistent with four stages of delay affecting action of the internal transmitter. Responses were faster at the basal end of the outer segment than at the distal tip. 9. Background light reduced the sensitivity to a superposed dim test flash and shortened the time course of the response, indicating that adapting light modifies the kinetics and gain of the transduction mechanism within the outer segment. 10. Responses to dim lights exhibited pronounced fluctuations which are attributed in the succeeding paper (Baylor, Lamb & Yau, 1979) to the quantal nature of light.

Circulating leptin and adiponectin are associated with insulin resistance in healthy postmenopausal women with hot flashes.

PubMed

Huang, Wan-Yu; Chang, Chia-Chu; Chen, Dar-Ren; Kor, Chew-Teng; Chen, Ting-Yu; Wu, Hung-Ming

2017-01-01

Hot flashes have been postulated to be linked to the development of metabolic disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between hot flashes, adipocyte-derived hormones, and insulin resistance in healthy, non-obese postmenopausal women. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 151 women aged 45-60 years were stratified into one of three groups according to hot-flash status over the past three months: never experienced hot flashes (Group N), mild-to-moderate hot flashes (Group M), and severe hot flashes (Group S). Variables measured in this study included clinical parameters, hot flash experience, fasting levels of circulating glucose, lipid profiles, plasma insulin, and adipocyte-derived hormones. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations of hot flashes with adipocyte-derived hormones, and with insulin resistance. The study was performed in a hospital medical center. The mean (standard deviation) of body-mass index was 22.8(2.7) for Group N, 22.6(2.6) for Group M, and 23.5(2.4) for Group S, respectively. Women in Group S displayed statistically significantly higher levels of leptin, fasting glucose, and insulin, and lower levels of adiponectin than those in Groups M and N. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that hot-flash severity was significantly associated with higher leptin levels, lower adiponectin levels, and higher leptin-to-adiponectin ratio. Univariate linear regression analysis revealed that hot-flash severity was strongly associated with a higher HOMA-IR index (% difference, 58.03%; 95% confidence interval, 31.00-90.64; p < 0.001). The association between hot flashes and HOMA-IR index was attenuated after adjusting for leptin or adiponectin and was no longer significant after simultaneously adjusting for leptin and adiponectin. The present study provides evidence that hot flashes are associated with insulin resistance in postmenopausal women. It further suggests that hot flash association with insulin resistance is dependent on the combination of leptin and adiponectin variables.

Optimal flash rate and duty cycle for flashing visual indicators.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markowitz, J.

1971-01-01

This experiment examined the ability of observers to determine, as quickly as possible, whether a visual indicator was steadily on or flashing. Six flash rates (periods) were combined factorially with three duty cycles (on-off ratios) to define 18 ?types' of intermittent signals. Experimental sessions were divided into six runs of 100 trials, each run utilizing one of the six flash rates. On any given trial in a run, the probability of a steady signal occurring was 0.5 and the probability of a flashing signal occurring was 0.5. A different duty cycle was employed daily for each experimental session. In all, 400 trials were devoted to each of the flash rates at each duty cycle. Accuracy and latency of response were the dependent variables of interest. The results show that the observers view the light for an interval of time appropriate to the expected flash rate and duty cycle; whether they judge the light to be steady or intermittent depends upon whether the light is extinguished during the predetermined waiting period. Adoption of this temporal criterion delays responding in comparison to those tasks involving responses to light onset. The decision or response criteria held by the observers are also sensitive to the parameters of the flashing light: observers become increasingly willing to call a flashing light ?steady' as flash duration increases.

Synchronized Electronic Shutter System (SESS) for Thermal Nondestructive Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zalameda, Joseph N.

2001-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe a new method for thermal nondestructive evaluation. This method uses a synchronized electronic shutter system (SESS) to remove the heat lamp's influence on the thermal data during and after flash heating. There are two main concerns when using flash heating. The first concern is during the flash when the photons are reflected back into the camera. This tends to saturate the detectors and potentially introduces unknown and uncorrectable errors when curve fitting the data to a model. To address this, an electronically controlled shutter was placed over the infrared camera lens. Before firing the flash lamps, the shutter is opened to acquire the necessary background data for offset calibration. During flash heating, the shutter is closed to prevent the photons from the high intensity flash from saturating the camera's detectors. The second concern is after the flash heating where the lamps radiate heat after firing. This residual cooling introduces an unwanted transient thermal response into the data. To remove this residual effect, a shutter was placed over the flash lamps to block the infrared heat radiating from the flash head after heating. This helped to remove the transient contribution of the flash. The flash lamp shutters were synchronized electronically with the camera shutter. Results are given comparing the use of the thermal inspection with and without the shutter system.

Acupuncture as treatment of hot flashes and the possible role of calcitonin gene-related Peptide.

PubMed

Spetz Holm, Anna-Clara E; Frisk, Jessica; Hammar, Mats L

2012-01-01

The mechanisms behind hot flashes in menopausal women are not fully understood. The flashes in women are probably preceded by and actually initiated by a sudden downward shift in the set point for the core body temperature in the thermoregulatory center that is affected by sex steroids, β-endorphins, and other central neurotransmitters. Treatments that influence these factors may be expected to reduce hot flashes. Since therapy with sex steroids for hot flashes has appeared to cause a number of side effects and risks and women with hot flashes and breast cancer as well as men with prostate cancer and hot flashes are prevented from sex steroid therapy there is a great need for alternative therapies. Acupuncture affecting the opioid system has been suggested as an alternative treatment option for hot flashes in menopausal women and castrated men. The heat loss during hot flashes may be mediated by the potent vasodilator and sweat gland activator calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) the concentration of which increases in plasma during flashes in menopausal women and, according to one study, in castrated men with flushes. There is also evidence for connections between the opioid system and the release of CGRP. In this paper we discuss acupuncture as a treatment alternative for hot flashes and the role of CGRP in this context.

A spatially collocated sound thrusts a flash into awareness

PubMed Central

Aller, Máté; Giani, Anette; Conrad, Verena; Watanabe, Masataka; Noppeney, Uta

2015-01-01

To interact effectively with the environment the brain integrates signals from multiple senses. It is currently unclear to what extent spatial information can be integrated across different senses in the absence of awareness. Combining dynamic continuous flash suppression (CFS) and spatial audiovisual stimulation, the current study investigated whether a sound facilitates a concurrent visual flash to elude flash suppression and enter perceptual awareness depending on audiovisual spatial congruency. Our results demonstrate that a concurrent sound boosts unaware visual signals into perceptual awareness. Critically, this process depended on the spatial congruency of the auditory and visual signals pointing towards low level mechanisms of audiovisual integration. Moreover, the concurrent sound biased the reported location of the flash as a function of flash visibility. The spatial bias of sounds on reported flash location was strongest for flashes that were judged invisible. Our results suggest that multisensory integration is a critical mechanism that enables signals to enter conscious perception. PMID:25774126

Application of adobe flash media to optimize jigsaw learning model on geometry material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imam, P.; Imam, S.; Ikrar, P.

2018-05-01

This study aims to determine and describe the effectiveness of the application of adobe flash media for jigsaw learning model on geometry material. In this study, the modified jigsaw learning with adobe flash media is called jigsaw-flash model. This research was conducted in Surakarta. The research method used is mix method research with exploratory sequential strategy. The results of this study indicate that students feel more comfortable and interested in studying geometry material taught by jigsaw-flash model. In addition, students taught using the jigsaw-flash model are more active and motivated than the students who were taught using ordinary jigsaw models. This shows that the use of the jigsaw-flash model can increase student participation and motivation. It can be concluded that the adobe flash media can be used as a solution to reduce the level of student abstraction in learning mathematics.

46 CFR 35.20-30 - Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... VESSELS OPERATIONS Navigation § 35.20-30 Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light—T/ALL. No person shall flash, or cause to be flashed, the rays of a search light or other blinding light... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding...

46 CFR 35.20-30 - Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... VESSELS OPERATIONS Navigation § 35.20-30 Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light—T/ALL. No person shall flash, or cause to be flashed, the rays of a search light or other blinding light... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding...

46 CFR 35.20-30 - Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... VESSELS OPERATIONS Navigation § 35.20-30 Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light—T/ALL. No person shall flash, or cause to be flashed, the rays of a search light or other blinding light... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding...

46 CFR 35.20-30 - Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... VESSELS OPERATIONS Navigation § 35.20-30 Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light—T/ALL. No person shall flash, or cause to be flashed, the rays of a search light or other blinding light... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding...

46 CFR 35.20-30 - Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... VESSELS OPERATIONS Navigation § 35.20-30 Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding light—T/ALL. No person shall flash, or cause to be flashed, the rays of a search light or other blinding light... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Flashing the rays of a searchlight or other blinding...

Multi-Source Multi-Target Dictionary Learning for Prediction of Cognitive Decline.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Li, Qingyang; Caselli, Richard J; Thompson, Paul M; Ye, Jieping; Wang, Yalin

2017-06-01

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. Identifying correct biomarkers may determine pre-symptomatic AD subjects and enable early intervention. Recently, Multi-task sparse feature learning has been successfully applied to many computer vision and biomedical informatics researches. It aims to improve the generalization performance by exploiting the shared features among different tasks. However, most of the existing algorithms are formulated as a supervised learning scheme. Its drawback is with either insufficient feature numbers or missing label information. To address these challenges, we formulate an unsupervised framework for multi-task sparse feature learning based on a novel dictionary learning algorithm. To solve the unsupervised learning problem, we propose a two-stage Multi-Source Multi-Target Dictionary Learning (MMDL) algorithm. In stage 1, we propose a multi-source dictionary learning method to utilize the common and individual sparse features in different time slots. In stage 2, supported by a rigorous theoretical analysis, we develop a multi-task learning method to solve the missing label problem. Empirical studies on an N = 3970 longitudinal brain image data set, which involves 2 sources and 5 targets, demonstrate the improved prediction accuracy and speed efficiency of MMDL in comparison with other state-of-the-art algorithms.

Saturn V First Stage Leaves the Dynamic Test Stand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

This photo shows the Saturn V first stage being lowered to the ground following a successful test to determine the effects of continual vibrations simulating the effects of an actual launch. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Phase II evaluation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) for the treatment of hot flashes.

PubMed

Kadakia, Kunal C; Loprinzi, Charles L; Atherton, Pamela J; Fee-Schroeder, Kelliann C; Sood, Amit; Barton, Debra L

2016-03-01

Hot flashes are a significant source of symptom burden that negatively impacts quality of life (QOL). For women who have contraindications to, or are unwilling to consider, estrogens or antidepressants for bothersome hot flashes, there are limited effective pharmacologic or complementary and alternative medicines. This single-arm phase II trial studied the efficacy of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) for the treatment of hot flashes. Eligible women were required to have reported ≥14 hot flashes per week for ≥1 month. The patients were treated with SAMe at a dose of 400 mg twice daily to evaluate whether a reduction in hot flash score appeared to be better than the historical placebo response of approximately 25%. The women kept a daily hot flash diary during a baseline week and then daily during weeks 2-7. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to week 7 in hot flash score and hot flash frequency. Secondary endpoints included toxicity analyses and the effect of SAMe on QOL. From October 28, 2010 to January 30, 2012, 43 women were treated with SAMe. The decrease in mean percent of baseline hot flash score and frequency was 35.4 and 32.6%, respectively. When compared to the historical placebo response of 25%, the effect of SAMe on hot flash score was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). Treatment was well tolerated with expected grade 1/2 gastrointestinal toxicity and no negative effect on QOL. The use of SAMe does not appear to significantly reduce hot flashes more than would be expected with a placebo.

Two types of flash drought over China and their connections with sub-seasonal to seasonal soil moisture drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Yuan, X.; Xie, Z.

2017-12-01

Flash drought has been receiving attention recently due to its rapid development and vast damage on crops in the growing season. Accompanied with heatwave and rainfall deficit, the soil moisture decreased rapidly in a short time and may lead to the failure of root water uptake and large-scale crops wither. There are two types of flash droughts according to the causes (Mo and Lettenmaier, 2016), i.e., heat wave flash drought and rainfall deficit flash drought. Here, based on pentad-mean surface air temperature and precipitation observations from over two thousand meteorological stations as well as soil moisture and ET estimations from three global reanalysis products, the characteristics and evolution of the two types of flash droughts over China are being explored. Heat wave flash drought is more likely to occur in humid and semi-humid areas, such as southern China, while rainfall deficit flash drought is more likely to occur in northern China. Unlike the traditional drought that persists for a few months to decades, the mean durations of both types of flash droughts are very short. We use monthly mean soil moisture to calculate sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) soil moisture drought, and compare its characteristics and preferred conditions such as the large-scale atmospheric circulation and oceanic anomaly for both types of flash droughts. The percentages of flash drought in different periods of S2S drought are also being explored to see the potential relationship between flash drought and S2S drought over different regions.

Temporal Binding Window of the Sound-Induced Flash Illusion in Amblyopia.

PubMed

Narinesingh, Cindy; Goltz, Herbert C; Wong, Agnes M F

2017-03-01

Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental visual disorder caused by abnormal visual experience in childhood. In addition to known visual deficits, there is evidence for changes in audiovisual integration in amblyopia using explicit tasks. We examined audiovisual integration in amblyopia using an implicit task that is more relevant in a real-world context. A total of 11 participants with amblyopia and 16 controls were tested binocularly and monocularly on the sound-induced flash illusion, in which flashes and beeps are presented concurrently and the perceived number of flashes is influenced by the number of beeps. The task used 1 to 2 rapid peripheral flashes presented with 0 to 2 beeps, at 5 stimulus onset asynchronies, that is, beep (-200 milliseconds, -100 milliseconds) or flash leading (100 milliseconds, 200 milliseconds) or simultaneous (0 milliseconds). Participants reported the number of perceived flashes. Susceptibility was indicated by a "2 flashes" response to "fission" (1 flash, 2 beeps) or "1 flash" to "fusion" (2 flashes, 1 beep). For fission with the beep leading during binocular viewing, controls showed an expected decrease in illusion strength as stimulus onset asynchronies increased, whereas the illusion strength remained constant in participants with amblyopia, indicating a wider temporal binding window in amblyopia (P = 0.007). For fusion, participants with amblyopia showed reduced illusion strength during amblyopic eye viewing (P = 0.044) with the flash leading. Amblyopia is associated with the widening of the temporal binding window, specifically for fission when viewing binocularly with the beep leading. This suggests a developmental adaptation to delayed amblyopic eye visual processing to optimize audiovisual integration.

Burn-induced Myxedema Crisis

PubMed Central

Batista, Ann S.; Zane, Laura L.; Smith, Lane M.

2017-01-01

Myxedema crisis (MC) is a rare but life-threatening illness characterized by multi-system organ impairment from thyroid hormone deficiency that is often brought on by an eliciting event. We present the case of MC with a rapid progression of hypothermia, altered mental status, and respiratory failure that was instigated by a flash burn to the face. The patient’s condition was refractory to rewarming and supportive efforts until thyroid hormone was replaced. This case illustrates the need for a high index of suspicion for patients with a rapid onset of metabolic encephalopathy immediately after an injury or burn. PMID:29849399

Onset conditions for flash sintering of UO 2

DOE PAGES

Raftery, Alicia M.; Pereira da Silva, João Gustavo; Byler, Darrin D.; ...

2017-06-22

In this paper, flash sintering was demonstrated on stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide pellets at temperatures ranging from room temperature (26°C) up to 600°C. The onset conditions for flash sintering were determined for three stoichiometries (UO 2.00, UO 2.08, and UO 2.16) and analyzed against an established thermal runaway model. The presence of excess oxygen was found to enhance the flash sintering onset behavior of uranium dioxide, lowering the field required to flash and shortening the time required for a flash to occur. Finally, the results from this study highlight the effect of stoichiometry on the flash sintering behavior ofmore » uranium dioxide and will serve as the foundation for future studies on this material.« less

Onset conditions for flash sintering of UO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raftery, Alicia M.; Pereira da Silva, João Gustavo; Byler, Darrin D.; Andersson, David A.; Uberuaga, Blas P.; Stanek, Christopher R.; McClellan, Kenneth J.

2017-09-01

In this work, flash sintering was demonstrated on stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide pellets at temperatures ranging from room temperature (26 °C) up to 600 °C . The onset conditions for flash sintering were determined for three stoichiometries (UO2.00, UO2.08, and UO2.16) and analyzed against an established thermal runaway model. The presence of excess oxygen was found to enhance the flash sintering onset behavior of uranium dioxide, lowering the field required to flash and shortening the time required for a flash to occur. The results from this study highlight the effect of stoichiometry on the flash sintering behavior of uranium dioxide and will serve as the foundation for future studies on this material.

Differences in the Optical Characteristics of Continental US Ground and Cloud Flashes as Observed from Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, William

2007-01-01

Continental US lightning flashes observed by the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) are categorized according to flash type (ground or cloud flash) using US National Lightning Detection Network (TM) (NLDN) data. The statistics of the ground and cloud flash optical parameters (e.g., radiance, area, duration, number of optical groups, and number of optical events) are inter-compared. On average, the ground flash cloud-top emissions are more radiant, illuminate a larger area, are longer lasting, and have more optical groups and optical events than those cloud-top emissions associated with cloud flashes. Given these differences, it is suggested that the methods of Bayesian Inference could be used to help discriminate between ground and cloud flashes. The ability to discriminate flash type on-orbit is highly desired since such information would help researchers and operational decision makers better assess the intensification, evolutionary state, and severe weather potential of thunderstorms. This work supports risk reduction activities presently underway for the future launch of the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM).

Algorithms for Lunar Flash Video Search, Measurement, and Archiving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, Wesley; Suggs, Robert; Cooke, Bill

2007-01-01

Lunar meteoroid impact flashes provide a method to estimate the flux of the large meteoroid flux and thus their hazard to spacecraft. Although meteoroid impacts on the Moon have been detected using video methods for over a decade, the difficulty of manually searching hours of video for the rare, extremely brief impact flashes has discouraged the technique's systematic implementation. A prototype has been developed for the purpose of automatically searching lunar video records for impact flashes, eliminating false detections, editing the returned possible flashes, Z and archiving and documenting the results. The theory and organization of the program is discussed with emphasis on the filtering out of several classes of false detections and retaining the brief portions of the raw video necessary for in depth analysis of the flashes detected. Several utilities for measurement, analysis, and location of the flashes on the moon included in the program are demonstrated. Application of the program to a year's worth of lunar observations is discussed along with examples of impact flashes as well as several classes of false impact flashes.

Algorithms for Lunar Flash Video Search, Measurement, and Archiving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, Wesley; Suggs, Robert; Cooke, William

2007-01-01

Lunar meteoroid impact flashes provide a method to estimate the flux of the large meteoroid flux and thus their hazard to spacecraft. Although meteoroid impacts on the Moon have been detected using video methods for over a decade, the difficulty of manually searching hours of video for the rare, extremely brief impact flashes has discouraged the technique's systematic implementation. A prototype has been developed for the purpose of automatically searching Lunar video records for impact flashes, eliminating false detections, editing the returned possible flashes, and archiving and documenting the results. The theory and organization of the program is discussed with emphasis on the filtering out of several classes of false detections and retaining the brief portions of the raw video necessary for in depth analysis of the flashes detected. Several utilities for measurement, analysis, and location of the flashes on the moon included in the program are demonstrated. Application of the program to a year's worth of Lunar observations is discussed along with examples of impact flashes as well as several classes of false impact flashes.

Lightning Channels of Cloud-to-Ground Flashes Neutralizing Multiple Charge Regions Inside Winter Thunderclouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akita, Manabu; Yoshida, Satoru; Nakamura, Yoshitaka; Morimoto, Takeshi; Ushio, Tomoo; Kawasaki, Zen-Ichiro; Wang, Daohong

Lightning Research Group of Osaka University (LRG-OU) has been developing and improving the VHF broadband digital interferometer (DITF) for thunderstorm observations. It enables us to locate the impulsive VHF radiation sources caused by lightning discharges with extremely high resolutions. As a result of the VHF observations during the 2007-2008 winter season in the Japan Sea coastal area, cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes that neutralize multiple charge regions inside thunderclouds are visualized by the VHF broadband DITF. The first flash is the positive CG flash that neutralizes multiple positive charge regions in a flash. The second flash is the bipolar lightning flash that neutralizes both positive and negative charge inside thunderclouds. In the case of bipolar lightning flashes, some tens millisecond after the return strokes, the subsequent negative breakdowns initiate from the proximities of the initiation points of the preceding negative stepped leaders. It was also found that the altitudes of negative charge regions are lower than 2km. The bipolar lightning flashes observed in this campaign neutralize positive charge after lowering the negative charge to the ground.

Multi-stage separations based on dielectrophoresis

DOEpatents

Mariella, Jr., Raymond P.

2004-07-13

A system utilizing multi-stage traps based on dielectrophoresis. Traps with electrodes arranged transverse to the flow and traps with electrodes arranged parallel to the flow with combinations of direct current and alternating voltage are used to trap, concentrate, separate, and/or purify target particles.

Cross-stage immunity for malaria vaccine development.

PubMed

Nahrendorf, Wiebke; Scholzen, Anja; Sauerwein, Robert W; Langhorne, Jean

2015-12-22

A vaccine against malaria is urgently needed for control and eventual eradication. Different approaches are pursued to induce either sterile immunity directed against pre-erythrocytic parasites or to mimic naturally acquired immunity by controlling blood-stage parasite densities and disease severity. Pre-erythrocytic and blood-stage malaria vaccines are often seen as opposing tactics, but it is likely that they have to be combined into a multi-stage malaria vaccine to be optimally safe and effective. Since many antigenic targets are shared between liver- and blood-stage parasites, malaria vaccines have the potential to elicit cross-stage protection with immune mechanisms against both stages complementing and enhancing each other. Here we discuss evidence from pre-erythrocytic and blood-stage subunit and whole parasite vaccination approaches that show that protection against malaria is not necessarily stage-specific. Parasites arresting at late liver-stages especially, can induce powerful blood-stage immunity, and similarly exposure to blood-stage parasites can afford pre-erythrocytic immunity. The incorporation of a blood-stage component into a multi-stage malaria vaccine would hence not only combat breakthrough infections in the blood should the pre-erythrocytic component fail to induce sterile protection, but would also actively enhance the pre-erythrocytic potency of this vaccine. We therefore advocate that future studies should concentrate on the identification of cross-stage protective malaria antigens, which can empower multi-stage malaria vaccine development. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Quantification of flash flood economic risk using ultra-detailed stage-damage functions and 2-D hydraulic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrote, J.; Alvarenga, F. M.; Díez-Herrero, A.

2016-10-01

The village of Pajares de Pedraza (Segovia, Spain) is located in the floodplain of the Cega River, a left bank tributary of the Douro River. Repeated flash flood events occur in this small village because of its upstream catchment area, mountainous character and impermeable lithology, which reduce concentration time to just a few hours. River overbank flow has frequently caused flooding and property damage to homes and rural properties, most notably in 1927, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2013 and 2014. Consequently, a detailed analysis was carried out to quantify the economic risk of flash floods in peri-urban and rural areas. Magnitudes and exceedance probabilities were obtained from a flood frequency analysis of maximum discharges. To determine the extent and characteristics of the flooded area, we performed 2D hydraulic modeling (Iber 2.0 software) based on LIDAR (1 m) topography and considering three different scenarios associated with the initial construction (1997) and subsequent extension (2013) of a linear defense structure (rockfill dike or levee) to protect the population. Specific stage-damage functions were expressly developed using in situ data collection for exposed elements, with special emphasis on urban-type categories. The average number of elements and their unit value were established. The relationship between water depth and the height at which electric outlets, furniture, household goods, etc. were located was analyzed; due to its effect on the form of the function. Other nonspecific magnitude-damage functions were used in order to compare both economic estimates. The results indicate that the use of non-specific magnitude-damage functions leads to a significant overestimation of economic losses, partly linked to the use of general economic cost data. Furthermore, a detailed classification and financial assessment of exposed assets is the most important step to ensure a correct estimate of financial losses. In both cases, this should include a consideration of the socio-economic and cultural conditions prevailing in the area, as well as the types of flood that affect it.